Leo's expression darkened.

The instructor immediately corrected himself.

"I have already verified your treasure…"

As he spoke, Shub closed his eyes, as if sensing something invisible in the air. A moment later, he nodded to himself.

"But you cannot use it," he continued smoothly. "What I mean is, the mana emitted by this treasure is poisonous. I can feel it. Staying within this poisonous mana for a long duration will make you go mad, rupture your blood vessels, and might even turn you into a mindless berserk beast."

He spoke with broad, reassuring hand gestures, his tone measured and persuasive, sounding very sincere.

"And as a matter of fact, this treasure doesn't even hold real value unless you obtain high-grade purifiers to cleanse the mana. That alone would cost up to one million AC." He sighed theatrically.

"So, as your senior, I couldn't bear to watch you suffer so much, only to gain nothing in the end. That's why I brought another treasure with me—one I happened to have an extra of."

He gestured toward the potted plant on the eagle.

"This is called Blueleaf. Its rank is Low-Blue-Tier. And even though it performs the same function as that one, this is clearly the superior choice. You can directly enjoy the benefits of a mana-dense region along with enhanced soil fertility. Even though it pains me to part with such a high-grade treasure… well, anything for a fellow new student."

Without waiting for Leo's response, Shub looked around the terrain, whistling softly.

"I have to say, you found a great—no, the best location to establish a territory. Honestly, if I hadn't already established mine, I would've snatched this place myself. Haha." He chuckled, then suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! By the way, I'm Shub. A junior(third term) as well as an instructor in the academy."

He extended his hand toward Leo, clearly expecting a handshake.

Leo understood everything.

This instructor wanted the treasure for himself. To achieve that, he had completely undermined the value of the Fluxsoil Heart, twisted the meaning of chaotic mana into poisonous mana, and even casually promoted a Mid-Green-Tier treasure into a so-called Low-Blue-Tier one.

Even Leo had to admit—if not for his system, he might have believed it. With how flashy the Blueleaf looked, its bluish leaves pulsing faintly with mana, anyone would assume it was blue-ranked.

"I'm Leo," he said calmly. "Nice to meet you."

He reached out and shook Shub's hand.

Shub's face immediately began to beam, clearly believing Leo had agreed—

"But I'm sorry," Leo continued evenly, "I plan to use the treasure I found myself as my beacon. Even if it emits poisonous mana."

Shub froze.

Instinctively, his grip tightened around Leo's palm. Leo didn't even react.

"What did you say?" Shub asked stiffly, finally letting go.

"I said I'm keeping the treasure I found," Leo replied matter-of-factly.

Shub's smile cracked for a brief instant—but he quickly forced it back into place.

"You should reconsider," he said. "I'm saying this for your own good."

"No," Leo replied flatly. "My decision is final. Since you've already verified my treasure, please proceed with the next step and register my territory."

His tone left no room for negotiation.

Shub clicked his tongue quietly, clearly regretting his earlier words.

He stepped closer and placed a hand on Leo's shoulder. Though Shub was a full head shorter, he pressed down firmly, releasing a faint aura meant to intimidate.

"I won't repeat myself," Shub said coldly.

"As your upperclassman, I'm giving you a golden opportunity. The treasure I'm offering is valued at 200000 AC—far more than you'll earn in your entire first year. Meanwhile, the one you possess is worthless without that one-million-AC purifier."

Leo tilted his head slightly and smirked.

If Lily were here, his hand would already be gone, Leo thought. And doesn't this idiot know I'm ranked first?

"I don't want to be indebted to anyone," Leo said calmly. "Even if it kills me. I'm keeping the treasure I found."

A vein throbbed visibly on Shub's forehead.

"So that's how it is, huh?" Shub sneered, his aura flaring sharply.

"Then, as your upperclassman, I'll have to discipline you for your misconduct."

"W-what misconduct are you even talking about?" Leo asked, deliberately letting fear creep into his expression.

Seeing Leo's 'fearful' face, Shub's confidence skyrocketed.

"Assaulting an instructor!" Shub barked. As he spoke, he pressed down harder on Leo's shoulder, trying to force Leo's head down to his own level.

As expected, Leo didn't budge an inch.

But Shub wasn't done.

He pulled his other arm back and threw a full-powered punch straight toward Leo's chest.

Leo casually extended one arm and caught the punch mid-air effortlessly.

The fear vanished from Leo's face, replaced instantly by a sharp smirk.

"Having a phone is really convenient," Leo said lightly. "Now I can actually record evidence of someone trying to frame me."

He raised his phone in front of Shub's face. The red recording light was already on.

Shub's baffled face was clearly captured on screen—his hand pressing on Leo's shoulder, his fist trapped in Leo's grip.

Leo had anticipated this. With a treasure of such value, it was only natural that a greedy instructor who might stiil be a student would do something stupid. So he had started recording long before Shub even landed on ground.

Seeing his own image on the screen, Shub's expression turned ugly.

Leo even lifted the phone higher, making sure everything was in frame.

Then he stopped the recording.

Shub immediately backed away.

"Now, Instructor Shub," Leo said calmly, "do you still wish to exchange the treasure I found with your 'high-rank treasure,' under the banner of goodwill?"

As he spoke, Leo's thumb hovered over the share button. The interface clearly displayed a section dedicated to filing complaints against academy management—and directly beneath it, complaints against instructors.

Seeing Leo about to press it, Shub went pale.

"W-wait!" Shub blurted out. "I—I was wrong! I was only testing you—to see if you had the intelligence to protect your belongings! I didn't mean anything bad by it. And voilà! You passed—no, you passed with flying colours!"

"Oh?" Leo replied, his voice now cold.

"So, are you going to register my territory or not?"

"Yes! Yes! Absolutely!" Shub nodded rapidly.

Leo gave a small nod in response.

Then Shub hesitated before asking in a much softer voice.

"Could you… Please delete the video?"

---

Standard Cost of Natural Treasure:

White -> 1000 AC - 20000 AC

Low Green -> 20000 AC

Mid Green -> 30000 AC

High Green -> 40000 AC

Peak Green -> 50000 AC

Low Blue -> 200000 AC

Mid Blue -> 300000 AC

High Blue -> 400000 AC

Peak Blue -> 500000 AC

Low Purple -> 2 Million AC

Mid Purple -> 3 Million AC

High Purple -> 4 Million AC

Peak Purple -> 5 Million AC

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