Scarlett frowned and her flaming eye brows furrowed.
If she was to fight seriously with the entity, the entire inheritance would be destroyed and she would likely not gain anything from it.
Her flaming phantom dissolved back into pure energy as it merged into her then she shot away from the highest platform like a meteor in reverse, putting distance between herself and the ancient guardian.
The construct watched her retreat but didn’t pursue. Apparently, its purpose was only to protect the supreme treasures, not to hunt down those who fled. After a moment, the merged figure began to separate once more, splitting back into the individual Demon God and Divine God statues.
They floated back to their respective platforms, settling into their original positions as though nothing had happened. The light faded from their eyes, and they returned to being simple stone once more.
Levi, who had been running for his life this entire time, finally reached the entrance gate at the base of the staircase. But the shockwaves from that final exchange between Scarlet and the entity had caught up to him. The wave of force struck him from behind with absolutely crushing power.
He felt every bone in his body fracture simultaneously. His spine cracked in multiple places, his ribs shattered completely, and even his skull developed hairline fractures. His internal organs were pulped by the pressure wave, and blood erupted from every orifice—his mouth, nose, ears, even his eyes.
Levi body collapsed just barely outside the entrance gate.
He couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe properly with his crushed lungs. His vision swam with black spots, as his consciousness drifted in out out of himself.
But even in this critical state, his Regeneration skill continued working. It had been pushed beyond its limits repeatedly during this nightmare, forced to heal damage that should have been instantly fatal. And now, under this ultimate pressure, the multiplier actually reached the highest level!
[Ding! Random multiplier activated: 10,000x!]
[Regeneration has broken through to Supernatural Grade!]
[Regeneration (Supernatural) - Level 1]
[New capability unlocked: Enhanced Cellular Reconstruction]
[Recovery speed increased by 500%]
[Can now regenerate from injuries that would permanently cripple normal cultivators]
It was instantaneous!
Levi’s shattered bones began merging themselves at a visible rate, the fragments drawing back together and fusing with supernatural speed. His crushed organs rebuilt their structure, tissue regrowing and blood vessels reconnecting. Even his fractured skull healed, the cracks sealing themselves as though they had never existed.
Within thirty seconds, Levi’s body had gone from completely shattered to merely severely injured. Within a minute, he was able to breathe normally again. Within two minutes, he could move his limbs without his body in agony.
Levi lay there at the entrance gate, gasping for breath with widened eyes as he felt his body putting itself back together.
He forced himself to sit up slowly, checking his condition. His clothes were completely destroyed, burned away or shredded by the various shockwaves. His new boots had survived thanks to their relic-grade durability, and his saber was still intact, but everything else was gone. The little thief in the sling against his chest was unharmed due to Levi’s own body shielding it from the worst of the damage.
Levi looked back at the shattered staircase behind him and the now-dormant statues at the top. He shook his head as he smiled bitterly.
"Should have just remained at the cave, cultivating!"
Levi almost regretted it, but at least he had survived and he even had some treasures with him along with his regeneration reaching the supernatural grade.
However, he needed to leave this place really fast.
The inheritance ground was unstable, and Sub-Dean Scarlet might return once she was certain the guardian had gone dormant. He couldn’t afford to be here if she decided to eliminate the "security risk" that the Dark Priestess had created by offering him that poisoned invitation.
Levi struggled to his feet, using his saber as a support. His Supernatural Regeneration was still working to repair the more subtle damage throughout his body, but he was functional enough to move. He turned toward the entrance gate, ready to leave when a figure materialized in front of the gate, blocking his path.
’Fuck me!’ Levi cursed at his bad luck. Just when he was about to escape, she actually appeared and stood before him like a ghost.
Levi’s heart nearly stopped as he recognized Sub-Dean Scarlet standing there, her crimson eyes fixed upon him with an unreadable expression.
For a long, tense moment, neither of them spoke. Levi’s hand tightened on his saber grip, a golden elixir exploded from within him and intense strength overflowed within his cells.
He knew it was useless to struggle but he couldn’t just wait to die.
But then, unexpectedly, Sub-Dean Scarlet suddenly smiled a breath-taking smile. It wasn’t a warm smile or a kind smile, but it wasn’t the expression of someone about to kill.
"You have guts, kid. And more importantly, you have the talent to back up those guts." Her eyes flickered over his transformed appearance, noting the changes from his evolution.
"That’s at least an A rank bloodline, maybe even S rank and amongst the top 100 bloodline in the bloodline codex."
Levi didn’t know how to respond, so he simply remained silent and wary.
Scarlet’s smile widened slightly. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you over that ridiculous offer from Leina. Anyone with half a brain could see it was a trap to make you a target. Besides..."
Her expression turned more serious. "I want to see how far you can climb with your bloodline. The academy needs monsters like you, especially with what’s coming."
Levi frowned and before he could speak, Scarlet stepped aside, clearing the path to the gate. "Go. Return to the academy. Your trial examination is over, and you’ve more than earned your place at the top of the rankings. We’ll speak again once you’ve had time to recover and process everything that happened here."
Levi didn’t need to be told twice. He bowed respectfully despite his exhaustion and injuries, then limped through the entrance gate as quickly as his battered body would allow. Who knew if she would suddenly change her mind.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world shifted, and he found himself back in normal space.
He had survived, he had managed to actually survived.