The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 358: Chapter 353 — Herald Rank

’Fuck... Hold on. Just hold on.’

Even the slightest lapse in concentration now would not only ruin his chances of advancing, but could potentially prove fatal. He needed to maintain the Infusion rune on the essence throughout the process, allowing it to gradually initiate the adaptation and binding within his body.

Feeling the metal essence begin to disperse, Zephyrion immediately produced another batch and channeled it through his body. He gritted his teeth as another wave of pain wracked him, but maintained his concentration, repeating the cycle over and over again.

He wasn’t certain how much time had passed, but at some point, the darkness of the night had given way to the morning sun, its warm rays falling across his face. Still, Zephyrion did not break his focus.

By then, he was completely drenched in sweat, and a small pool of foul-smelling black pus had accumulated around him.

He had repeated the cycle so many times that he’d long since lost count. However, with each repetition, the agony gradually lessened, until eventually, the pain had diminished to something comparable to a blade piercing his stomach.

Then, a smile appeared on Zephyrion’s face.

’There we go...’

His body had finally adapted enough to accept the essence. Without hesitation, he repeated the process once more, but this time, instead of simply allowing the essence to circulate through him, he used it to carve the Infusion rune directly into his body.

The pain was indescribable, but Zephyrion gritted his teeth and endured it, until suddenly, something deep within him shifted.

All the pain vanished, followed by an overwhelming surge of metal essence rushing towards him.

It converged within his body, compressing further and further as the power continued to build, until eventually, it erupted from him in a violent surge.

...

A few minutes ago.

Tobias, Kaiden, Fiona, Draven, Lucien, and even Nedra were making their way through the hallway leading to Zephyrion’s room when the sound of someone whistling reached their ears.

Turning around, they caught sight of a tall, broad-shouldered figure strolling towards them. His hair was neatly braided, several golden lines traced down his cheeks, and a carefree smile rested on his face.

Arcturus Aur Eryndor.

Several members of the group instantly tensed.

”What the hell’s he doing here?” Kaiden muttered, his gaze turning cold, while the others either shared his expression or wore similarly grim looks.

Although the academy activities had concluded, the cadets from the different regions were still largely confined to their respective quarters and hardly ever crossed paths.

Seeing a cadet from another region wandering around the Southern quarters was unusual enough, let alone one who happened to be the Undying Prince.

”Leave this little twerp to me.”

Draven stepped forward and tore his shirt to tatters as though it were made of paper, exposing his rippling muscles as he flexed menacingly. The others, too, grew wary, preparing themselves for the slightest sign of hostility.

After all, Arcturus had lost to Zephyrion. There was no telling what he might have come here to do.

As the tension thickened, Arcturus’ whistling suddenly stopped, and the next moment, his face broke into a wide smile as he quickened his steps towards them, seemingly oblivious to Draven’s threatening display.

”Oh, you guys are Southern cadets, right? Perfect! I’ve been looking for my bestie’s room for ages. Asked a few people along the way, but they either froze up or ran off. Tch, bunch of pussies. You lot look tougher, though. Don’t tell me you’re scared of me too?”

Several members of the group blinked, somewhat taken aback by the unexpectedly friendly attitude of the prince.

A moment later, Tobias murmured, ”...Your bestie?”

”Yeah, my bestie! Zephyrion Calderalth. You know him, right? Your Prime? Come on, where’s he hiding?”

The group stared at Arcturus’ expectant smile with growing confusion. These two had literally fought a cataclysmic battle just days ago, and one could even argue they’d been trying to kill each other.

In what world did that make them besties, especially when that cold stone Zephyrion was involved?!

”Hey, princeling, or whatever you’re called.” Nedra frowned, looking at him skeptically. ”Are you fucking with us? There’s no way in hell that alien has a bestie.”

”Forget bestie. We’re not even sure the guy considers us friends,” Lucien added with a chuckle, but no one laughed.

For the first time, Arcturus frowned.

”Huh? What are you talking about? I told him we were best friends right before I passed out. Pretty sure that settles it, no?”

”...And did my lord actually agree to this arrangement?”

”Hm?” Arcturus paused to think, then shook his head. ”Nope. But why would he need to? I already decided, didn’t I?”

Once again, the group stared at the prince as though they were looking at some strange creature they’d never encountered before.

Eventually, Kaiden broke the silence with a scoff.

”Yeah, no. Listen, man, we’re not taking some suspicious bastard who just declared himself Zephyrion’s best friend to his room. How about you turn around and go bother someone else?”

”Hm? So you’re saying I have to go through you?” Arcturus’ smile widened, and the air around him suddenly grew heavy. ”Oh, now we’re talking.”

The tension was just about to boil over when the air abruptly shifted.

Instantly, every gaze snapped towards the door at the end of the hallway, their expressions changing as they sensed something unusual.

For a brief moment, an eerie silence settled over the corridor. Then, without warning, a violent shockwave erupted from the room, shattering the door and tearing through the surrounding walls and floor.

Arcturus flashed before the group just as the shockwave reached them, his metal aura flaring as a shield. Even so, the force was far too overwhelming, knocking him and the others off their feet and sending them crashing through several walls before they finally landed in the middle of a large hall.

Arcturus shoved the rubble off himself and rose to his feet, his eyes sweeping across the devastation. The ceiling had partially collapsed, and large sections of the building had been reduced to rubble.

”What the fuck in Iron...?”

Then, sensing the overwhelming pressure lingering in the air, Arcturus raised his head.

He wasn’t the only one. Across the academy, thousands of cadets had already turned their attention towards the source of the disturbance, their gazes settling on the bare-chested figure hovering high above the wreckage.

Zephyrion.

His eyes remained closed, and a thick, almost palpable aura clung to his body, radiating a presence that seemed to weigh heavily on everyone beneath him.

The moment Arcturus felt the full weight of that presence, his eyes widened slightly before a look of disbelief spread across his face.

Then, slowly, his lips curled into a grin.

”...This fucking bastard.”