"Next minor rank?" Leo muttered under his breath.

He recalled that with every minor and major rank advancement of the Titanbreath Lotus, it produced an Earthpulse Lifecore—an item capable of greatly boosting vitality. Last time, when it advanced beneath the Tree Behemoth, it had produced a low–purple-tier Lifecore that increased his vitality by a full 20 points. Which meant that this time, it would be a mid–purple-tier Lifecore.

Though it wouldn't help Leo much at this stage, it would be extremely valuable for Lily. Even so, he decided not to initiate the advancement now. The heaven-and-earth phenomenon alone would attract hordes of beasts—and possibly other students as well. Right now, he simply didn't have the manpower to properly defend such a treasure, especially while surrounded by dense forest crawling with hidden creatures.

Though he could utilize Colossus's overwhelming strength to deter beasts, doing so would waste a valuable opportunity to earn experience. With a quiet sigh, he once again sent the Titanbreath Lotus back into his spiritual space.

It was finally time to register his territory.

"Leo, how much territory do you plan to claim?" Lily asked, glancing toward the forested expanse.

"Of course, all of Colossus's back—nearly nine hectares," Leo replied calmly. "I have the right to it, since I can control up to a thousand hectares."

After that, Leo took out his phone, snapped a photo of the Fluxsoil Heart, and forwarded it through the Aurelius Academy Application.

"Lily, get to work," he said. "Go inside the druid's cave and bind him with thick vines. If needed, make him look beaten. Take help from the treant."

He then turned toward Miho.

"You too. Turn the cave soil into a swamp—sprinkle water everywhere. Make it look like we deliberately shaped the terrain to trap the druid."

Both girls nodded and moved at once to carry out his orders. Howl commanded the druid to stop resisting and allow himself to be restrained for the time being. It was supposed to look like he had submitted.

Leo was busy covering the hollowed-out region around the Titanbreath Lotus's roots when he suddenly heard the druid's pained roars echoing from the cave. A moment later, Lily's voice followed.

"Leo said you need to look beaten," she snapped. "So get beaten!"

Leo froze.

Making it look beaten and actually beating it are two very different things! He screamed inwardly. Still, since the job was getting done properly, he had no complaints.

It wasn't even five minutes later when his phone vibrated.

Ting!

>Your plant has been verified. Instructor 'Shub' will arrive shortly for further procedures.<

"Well, that was quick…" Leo muttered.

About ten minutes later, he noticed a small dot in the sky that steadily grew larger. Soon enough, the shape became clear—a Skyrend Eagle slicing through the air with powerful wingbeats.

"What's with everyone's obsession with Skyrend Eagles?" Leo muttered. "Every other person seems to have one…"

As the figure drew closer, the information panel appeared in his vision.

Skyrend Eagle (Peak 2-star) – Ordinary Bloodline

"Great," Leo sighed softly. "Another beast that's already hit its maximum potential."

Seeing so many tamed beasts with ordinary bloodlines, he couldn't help but reflect. Until now, he had mostly interacted with high-profile individuals—Lu, Brant, Dale, Leon—people who possessed beasts with exceptional bloodlines.

"Now that I think about it… I haven't seen anyone else other than a select few with a beast above mortal bloodline," he murmured.

"And yet, there are so many super-bloodline beasts in the wild…"

The conclusion was obvious. Such beasts were simply too powerful for ordinary people to subdue and tame. In the end, most had no choice but to settle for ordinary beasts—or, in rare cases, mortal ones. Even if one manages to defeat one, due to their superiority complex, like that of a druid, they don't allow themselves to be tamed.

The instructor circled the mound several times, hovering as he studied the terrain with visible curiosity, before finally landing in front of Leo.

Only then did Leo notice the potted plant secured to the eagle's back. It stood nearly two meters tall, its bluish leaves faintly glowing as they released periodic pulses of mana. Yet, surrounded by an environment already saturated with dense mana, the plant's presence was almost completely overshadowed.

Blueleaf – Mid Green-tier Treasure

Blueleaf is a common mana-emitting tall plant that raises ambient mana density by 20% within a 10-meter radius, while also slightly enriching the soil, promoting healthier plant growth in the same area.

The instructor had greenish-yellow hair and appeared to be in his late thirties. A badge rested on his chest, the dragon's eyes shimmering with a blue sheen, along with the same colour background—marking him as an instructor.

If a student chose to walk the path of teaching, they were required to pass a literary test for each level and display sufficient strength to earn teaching rights. Usually, people choose this path after being stuck at the same level for a long period of time.

As the saying goes, teaching is the best way of learning. Those who took this path gained access to more information and resources, helping them acquire knowledge to advance further. They could also remain in the academy for however long they desired and receive benefits from the principal for noteworthy deeds, one of which included recruiting promising talent.

It was also well known that many chose the teaching path because they could not compete with their peers in direct competition and failed to secure good rewards. This route offered them another chance at advancement through the principal's benevolence. And for academies, turning them into academy staff(trainers, instructors, etc.) is their own way to increase their fighting force.

The ranks of teaching staff in the academy were as follows:

Trainer – White Badge – Entry if strength = 1-star

Drill Instructor – Green Badge – Entry if strength = 2-star

Instructor – Blue Badge – Entry if strength = 3-star

Assistant Professor – Purple Badge – Entry if strength = 4-star

Professor – Yellow Badge – Entry if strength = 5-star

Vice Principal – Orange Badge – Entry if strength = 6-star

*Badge pic*

And the strength referred to personal strength—not that of their highest-ranked beast.

The instructor approached Leo with an easy smile.

"Are you the one who sent the treasure photo?" he asked. "Leo, was it? A fresher?"

Leo nodded.

"Yes, that would be me."

The instructor nodded back, then spoke plainly.

"Let me get straight to the point," he said, raising one hand and beckoning toward his eagle.

"Hand over that treasure plant."

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