Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 66

In the empire, numerous mighty warriors exist.

Firstly, the ‘Imperial Seven Stars,’ young prodigies hailed as the empire’s new luminaries.

Above them stand the ‘Four Dukes’—East, West, North, South—who have long reigned supreme, along with the Grand Knights of the Royal Knights.

Venturing beyond to the continent, while most fall short of the empire’s might, a rare few can stand against them.

The ‘Continental Three Swords,’ said to rival the ‘Four Dukes.’

And not to forget the ‘Five Imperial Enemies,’ constantly coveting imperial lands, causing headaches even within the imperial palace.

Including recluses who conceal themselves, the number of superhumans across the continent would exceed a hundred.

But even superhumans are, after all, human.

During Yan’s tenure as Task Force Leader, there existed inexplicable calamities.

The Three Disasters, the Tri-Calamities.

Despite numerous subjugation campaigns and countless mighty challengers, they either succumbed or retreated in defeat—natural disasters in their own right.

Had any one of them headed for the empire, catastrophic damage would have ensued.

No one knows the Tri-Calamities in detail.

Yet, their basic characteristics are widely known across the continent.

The first disaster is an inextinguishable flame.

The second, a tale of despair among knights, passed down only by those who faced it.

And the last one is…

“…Are, are you alright?”

Before him stands a girl, appearing no more than ten, known as the Witch of Oppression.

Around her, whether mountains or seas, all crumble and flatten.

Humans are no different.

Those who challenged her knelt, heads bowed to the ground before even coming close.

Hence her moniker, ‘The Witch of Oppression.’

Among the Tri-Calamities, she faced the most challengers and subjugation attempts, yet she remained an undefeated sovereign.

Even the emperor, who loathes uncertainties, commanded to ignore her as long as she does not harm the empire—a testament to her formidable presence.

A famous anecdote tells of a duke from the west, intrigued by her abilities, which deviated from the known mana system. After a week-long fierce battle, he withdrew, conceding defeat.

The duke claimed that had the witch roamed freely, he would have stood no chance against her might.

‘Not the Task Force Leader’s daughter but a test subject? And the Witch of Oppression at that…?’

Yan was at a loss for words upon this unexpected revelation.

Creating a test subject with such abilities was tantamount to trampling on the founding emperor’s taboo.

And moreover…

He never anticipated encountering the witch’s childhood.

* * *

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to. It just happens when I’m hurt.”

The young witch seemed lost, unsure if she was to blame for Yan’s abrupt departure.

Yan gazed at the girl with white hair, deep in thought.

‘What should I do?’

Normally quick to decide, Yan found himself at a rare loss.

‘Take her with me? Or perhaps it’s better to deal with it here.’

But his dilemma ran deeper.

‘If I take her from the Chief Instructor, she could be the strongest asset. But if she’s uncontrollable, it could ruin all my plans.’

In such cases, the wise choice is to abandon temptation and proceed methodically.

That had always been Yan’s belief.

But this was the Witch of Oppression.

A calamity that even the Four Dukes couldn’t ignore.

Drip.

“Sigh.”

Yan wiped the drool from his mouth and shook his head vigorously.

This was a poisoned chalice. Not just any poison, but the deadliest of the deadly.

“Sir…?”

The girl with white hair looked up at Yan, her eyes restless.

“Can you tell me everything you remember about how you got here?”

At Yan’s gentle inquiry, the child hung her head low.

“I don’t know…”

“Then, tell me about what happened before you arrived here.”

Fidgeting with her hands, she slowly began to speak.

“I don’t remember well, but there were many kids my age in a stark white room. Adults always came with strange machines, pressing them against our bodies and writing something.”

“And then?”

“After about a year, a scary man with long, black hair said I had more potential than the others and that I’d be moved somewhere else. About a week ago, they wrapped my whole body in weird stuff… and now I’m like this.”

The child’s description matched the Chief Instructor’s features.

‘Wasn’t she his daughter?’

As Shark had suggested, it seemed more rational to view her as a ‘test subject.’

If so, she wouldn’t be a weakness for the Chief Instructor but rather an unnecessary enemy.

Yan’s grip on Ascalon tightened.

He had made his decision.

If he killed the child here, no one would know he had come.

Meaning, he wouldn’t create any enemies.

At that moment.

[Have you considered taking her in?]

Momon’s unexpected suggestion began.

“What?”

[You’re considering harming the child because she’s uncontrollable. But if you could control her, why not take her in?]

Yan frowned.

It sounded simple, but it was nearly impossible.

Even those who experimented on the child had to wrap her in leather restraints and perform all sorts of acts to barely suppress her power.

Momon chuckled.

[A mage is one who understands principles and laws to overturn them, and I am at the pinnacle of such beings. Do you think I can’t find a way to control the power wielded by such a young child?]

Yan’s interest was piqued.

[Firstly, the child unconsciously manifests her power, but not without reason.]

“A reason?”

[She manifests her power unknowingly in physically or mentally painful situations.]

Yan’s eyes narrowed.

Physical pain could be avoided, but mental anguish wasn’t something Yan could control.

If she had outbursts, it would take a long time to treat.

If she unleashed her power even once, turning everything to ruins, the Task Force, the Security Corps, and the Inspectorate would all be upon her.

Momon dismissed Yan’s concerns casually.

[There’s magic that protects the mind. It’s quite advanced, but with this archmage here, even someone with as little talent as you can learn to use it.]

“Hmm.”

Yan murmured thoughtfully.

If, as Momon said, there was a way to control her and prevent the manifestation of her power until then, it was worth a try.

And Momon drove the point home.

[The patterns on that restraint are magical circles. Meaning, even if it’s an unusual ability, it can be somewhat suppressed by magic. And with my knowledge, we could achieve the same level of suppression with just a necklace or bracelet.]

With that, Yan’s decision was swayed.

“Okay.”

If Momon, a former archmage, was confident, then it was worth trusting.

Then a question arose.

“But why are you so eager to take the child in?”

[It’s an ability that deviates from the established system. That’s all.]

Yan smirked at Momon’s emphasis on ‘that’s all.’

“It’s not because she’s a child?”

[Ha, ha-hem! Nonsense!]

Yan shrugged and turned his gaze back to the girl.

She still looked uneasy.

Unable to stay still, her eyes darted around nervously.

Yan noticed bruises and signs of abuse all over her body.

His lips twitched involuntarily, not out of pleasure but from a surge of displeasure.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“…Yes?”

“Even if those who were here had sent you elsewhere, life wouldn’t have been pleasant.”

At Yan’s words, the child’s lips quivered.

“…What about my friends?”

Yan’s eyes sank low.

She had said that children of her age had also undergone the experiment.

But.

‘It’s not a good situation for me to save those children too.’

Yan shook his head from side to side.

“Maybe when there’s a chance.”

At those words, as if feeling some hope, the child looked up at Yan.

His eyes sparkled unusually.

And to Yan, those eyes were unbearably burdensome.

“Yes! I want to go with you, mister!”

“You might want to think it over a bit more.”

The child shook his head vehemently.

“Your eyes are like jewels, mister.”

“Huh?”

“Jenny said that people with eyes like jewels are kind!”

“Jenny?”

“A friend I was close to.”

It seemed she was greatly influenced by his friend.

Yan shook his head and turned, walking towards the bodies of the special task force members.

“…Mister?”

The child called out to Yan again with an anxious voice.

Yan began to skillfully manipulate the masks that had been placed over the faces of the corpses, gathering them together.

From one mask, he cut off the nose, and from another, the lips, attaching them to another mask.

After a bit of kneading, the mask that had been the face of a middle-aged man began to transform into the face of a young child.

Still not satisfied, Yan spread out the mask after touching it a few more times.

“Is this good enough?”

The face of a freckled, mischievous girl.

It was a stark contrast to the child’s face, which was staring blankly in front of her.

“Hold still for a moment.”

Yan sat the child down and applied the mask to her face.

The child closed her eyes as if recalling something.

But she didn’t fly away or anything like before, as if desperately suppressing her power.

Sssshhh.

After checking that no parts had fallen off the mask, Yan smiled slyly.

“All done.”

Yan brought a mirror from nearby and shone it on the child’s face.

“Wow…”

The child opened her mouth in awe at the reflection of her face in the mirror.

Any trace of her original face had disappeared without a trace.

“Is it uncomfortable anywhere?”

“No, no. It’s really comfortable.”

Yan nodded and asked for her name.

“What’s your name?”

“Name… me?”

The child tilted her head, not understanding the meaning.

Yan changed the question.

“What did your parents or friends call you?”

“Uh, um. Number One.”

“Tsk.”

Yan clicked his tongue lightly.

Then he examined her appearance closely.

White hair, pale skin, delicate features.

Something crossed Yan’s mind.

“From now on, your name will be ‘Lia’.”

“Lia?”

“Yes, it’s a name taken from the back of ‘Ephilia,’ the goddess of beauty.”

“…Not Number One?”

“Forget such numbers.”

At Yan’s words, the child, now named Lia, beamed with a smile.

“Yes!”

With that, Yan taught Lia how to write her name and then stood up.

Ah.

Yan seemed to recall something and turned his body briefly.

Lia flinched at his furrowed face.

Had she done something wrong?

As she thought this.

“And I’m not mister, I’m Yan. Call me ‘young master.’”

Ah!

Lia nodded vigorously, indicating she understood.

Yan chuckled and stroked her head.

Lia enjoyed the touch, feeling happy.

But his complexion wasn’t very good.

‘What should I say to the chief instructor?’

He felt he needed to think about it until he returned.

‘It seems like Pandora’s box, which was hidden so well that even I, the fifth special task force leader, didn’t know about it, has been opened…’

And so.

Yan became the holder of the most dangerous joker card on the continent.