Hayatobi stared at her for so seconds, his casual deanor evaporating, replaced by the weight of a man who had led armies through the darkest eras of the Empire. He exhaled a long, heavy breath.
"I hope you know the rules applied to that badge?" he asked, his silver eyes searching her blue ones.
Mirabella stared down at the cool tal of the Badge, then back at him. She knew this item was of monuntal importance; even in her past life, the rumors of the Military badges were legendary. Anyone possessing one could theoretically command the vast military power of an empire—it was the ultimate prize for any high-level player or noble. In her previous life, she hadn’t even been lucky enough to see one in person, let alone hold it.
"I don’t," she admitted, her voice steady despite her internal curiosity.
’Oh, seems she doesn’t know everything,’ Hayatobi thought, a flicker of amusent crossing his mind before he turned back to the lesson.
"As you can see... that badge in your hand is far different from mine." Hayatobi snapped his fingers, and a deep red badge materialized on the desk. A dragon skull was engraved into its surface, but unlike Mirabella’s, this one was flanked by five gold stars—two on each side and one crowning the dragon’s head.
"Not only are the colors different, the brilliance and the stars are different," Hayatobi pointed to the modest green badge in her palm. "What you have there is the lowest of ranks in the military: the Cadet rank. You need to level it up if you ever want to have a real say in the military’s direction."
"How can I level it up?" Mirabella asked, her fingers clenching around the tal.
"Very easy. Kill our empire’s enemies."
"Huh?" Mirabella tilted her head, confused by the simplicity of it.
"It’s kind of simple... In the Dragon Empire’s data archives, the enemies are categorized as Monsters, the Devil Cult, and the Demons. The more of these three you eliminate, the more you gain rits. Those rits will then automatically level up the Badge. Take note: the stronger the enemy, the more rits you receive, and the faster you’ll climb the ranks."
’Hmm... Seems that’s the only way. I just wonder how many I will have to kill to level this? I don’t care about these enemies, mainly because they are also my enemies.’ She lowered her gaze on the badge:
’But I need this power... If I want to achieve my goal easily, I need any power I can get.’
Mirabella nodded, her mind already calculating the most efficient farming routes. "I get it now... Does that an I can finally enter the South Region?"
"No," Hayatobi said flatly. "Even with your strength, it’s far too dangerous. Not only are you a genius of a lifeti, you’re also a student of my academy. I won’t let you throw your life away there." He paused, seeing the stubborn glint in her eyes. "But there is a way."
He snapped his fingers again, and a jagged black gemstone appeared on the table, sucking in the ambient light.
"That is the key. Go to the Dungeon Hall and show the receptionist this. She will grant you access to the Abyssal Gate dungeon." He leaned back, relaxing into his chair, though his gaze remained sharp.
"The Abyssal Gate dungeon is like a global battleground. All three Empires can enter it to hunt for ancient treasures and farm rits. But it’s also incredibly dangerous because the treaties and rules applied to the three empires are useless once you step inside." His expression turned grim.
"Anyone from any Empire can kill one another in there and take the loot. As I said, it’s a lawless battleground. That gemstone will be your way to enter and exit the dungeon any ti you like, but Please... don’t die in there."
"Lord Hayatobi, know one thing about ," Mirabella said, a confident smile playing on her lips. "Anyone can die, but I don’t die."
"Now for the serious matter."
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. Hayatobi rested his elbows on the desk, leaning forward. His eyes were fixed on her with a predatory focus.
"How did you acquire the Devil Cult’s signature Fog Lord skill?" he asked, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous register.
"Huh? How?" Mirabella was genuinely dumbfounded. She had been so careful—using the physical dust from her strike to mask the activation and even calling out a fake na.
Suddenly, Hayatobi’s silver eyes shifted. The pupils dilated and bled into a terrifying, deep crimson. Within each eye, five tiny, pitch-black stars began to spin in a slow, rhythmic cycle.
"...?!!"
Mirabella recoiled, taking a sharp step back as her heart hamred against her ribs. Even Cupcake, usually so stoic on her shoulder, began to tremble violently. The sheer volu of spirit energy radiating from Hayatobi was suffocating—it felt like the very oxygen in the room had been replaced by lead.
’What the hell is this?!! Even with all my strength, why do I feel like a prey standing in front of a leviathan!! And what eyes are those?!!’ Mirabella thought frantically, cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.
The man before her was no longer the eccentric, smiling Hayatobi. He was the Master Teacher, a Lv500 fighter and a Pillar of the empire. A man powerful enough that even the Emperor of the Dragon Nation would bow in his presence. In the face of this absolute power, she felt completely paralyzed.
"You can fool my daughter, Delphine and Hitachi, whose eyes are still newborns," Hayatobi said, his gaze piercing through her very soul. "But do you really expect to fool soone like ? I cannot only see through every physical object in the world; I can see through any deception to find the truth. I am the only man in this world who cannot be lied to."
He didn’t blink, the black stars in his eyes spinning faster.
"Mirabella, tell . How did you acquire that skill? Did you copy it?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers