Chapter 221: Changing The Rules! (1)

And that was exactly what Aisha intended to let them believe. As long as Kane was safe and the result remained in his favor, she was satisfied.

However, that didn’t mean she could relax just yet.

Aisha narrowed her eyes as the imperial academy guard approached the fallen Verpent with his equipment.

She had no idea how extensive the inspection would be.

If they discovered the needle lodged inside the beast’s mouth, things could become troublesome.

***

The guard assigned to inspect the Verpent had also been watching the evaluation from the beginning.

Like the majority of the spectators, he had initially suspected that Kane had cheated. There was simply too great a difference between the abilities of a D-rank Guide and a C-rank corrupted beast.

However, his suspicion alone wasn’t enough to disqualify a participant.

He crouched beside the Verpent and took out two pieces of equipment.

The first was a Bio-Energy Scanner, a specialized device capable of detecting foreign energy signatures, hidden artifacts, and unauthorized power enhancements. The second was an examination tool used to identify abnormalities in the beast’s energy circulation.

He activated both devices and began scanning the Verpent.

A faint light swept across the creature’s body, accompanied by a series of beeping sounds.

The guard waited patiently for the results.

A minute later, the scanner displayed its findings.

[Scan Result: Clear]

[Foreign Energy Signature: None Detected]

[Unauthorized Enhancement: None Detected]

The guard frowned slightly before checking the results once more.

There was nothing.

No foreign energy had been detected, and there were no signs of external interference that could explain the creature’s sudden collapse.

He straightened and crossed his arms.

"Nothing was found."

His announcement immediately stirred the audience.

"What?!"

"That’s impossible! Did they really check properly?"

"If nothing was found, then how did the beast suddenly collapse?"

The guard ignored their questions. He had already completed his inspection, and there was no reason for him to explain his findings to every dissatisfied spectator.

The other guard soon returned from Kane’s side as well.

"Nothing was found on the participant either," he announced.

The equipment used to examine Kane had detected no hidden artifacts or unauthorized energy sources. There was also no evidence that he had used any external power to strengthen his abilities.

In other words, the accusations against him had no basis.

Kane was cleared of cheating.

Yet, rather than accepting the result, Jayden immediately stepped forward.

"Check again! You can’t possibly be telling me that nothing was found! A D-rank Guide can’t do something like that without using an external artifact!" Jayden’s face flushed with anger. He couldn’t accept that Kane, whom he had expected to lose without putting up much of a fight, had somehow surpassed his record.

The guard turned toward him.

"Are you questioning the academy’s inspection?"

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but the pressure that accompanied it made Jayden’s body stiffen.

The A-rank Sentinel merely glanced at him, yet Jayden felt a chill run down his spine. His previous outburst died in his throat, and cold sweat began to gather on his forehead. He wanted to speak, but even opening his mouth was difficult in the presence of a higher-ranked Sentinel.

The guard harrumphed before turning away. He had no intention of wasting his time arguing with a student who couldn’t accept the results of an official inspection.

Jayden remained rooted to the spot, his expression alternating between disbelief and anger.

He had lost to Kane?

No. That couldn’t be right!

Meanwhile, Corwin had already risen from his seat.

His expression had darkened considerably as he stared at the arena. He ground his teeth together and curled his hands into fists beneath the sleeves of his uniform.

He had been certain that the fourth round would end in Jayden’s victory.

Even if Kane somehow managed to surprise everyone by lasting longer than expected, there was no way he could defeat a corrupted beast of that rank.

Yet, the evaluation had taken an unexpected turn.

Corwin glanced toward the professors’ viewing area, where the dean had remained silent throughout the inspection. When their eyes met across the arena, the older man gave a barely perceptible shake of his head.

It was a clear confirmation that the guards had found nothing suspicious.

Corwin’s expression grew even uglier.

He refused to believe it.

There had to be something Kane had done. There was no other explanation for such an absurd result.

Unfortunately, without evidence, he couldn’t openly accuse the other party of cheating anymore.

Seeing the guards leave after clearing Kane of the accusations, Aisha finally released the breath she had been holding.

Fortunately, the inspection hadn’t gone as far as she had feared.

The guards had scanned the Verpent’s exterior and examined its energy circulation, but they hadn’t inspected the inside of its mouth closely enough to discover the needle.

She finally relaxed, relieved that everything had gone smoothly.

She glanced down at the slender object in her hand before quietly putting it away.

That had been close.

But then—

Just as the announcer was preparing to declare the winner of the fourth round, a voice suddenly rang out from the professors’ viewing area.

"Wait a moment!"

The announcer stopped.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice, only to see one of the academy’s deans rising from his seat.

Dean Marcus, who sat in the section reserved for the deans, professors, and members of the royal family, swept his gaze across the arena before settling on Kane.

"After careful consideration, I believe the result of this round should not be considered official."

His announcement immediately caused an uproar.

"What?"

"Why not?"

"Didn’t the guards already confirm that Kane didn’t cheat?"

Several professors exchanged puzzled looks. One of the older deans frowned and turned toward Marcus.

"What are you talking about? The guards have completed their inspection, and no irregularities were found. What reason do we have to invalidate the result?"

Dean Marcus remained composed.

"I am aware of that. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the corrupted beast wasn’t in its proper condition before the evaluation began."

He gestured toward the unconscious Verpent as he spoke.

"Consider what happened during the match. The beast had already been subjected to Jayden’s attacks, and although it recovered afterward, we cannot be certain that it had fully regained its strength. If its condition had deteriorated before Kane’s turn, then the results of the evaluation might not accurately reflect the participants’ abilities."

His words caused several professors to fall silent.

Although his explanation sounded reasonable at first, it was difficult to ignore the fact that Jayden had been the one who attacked the Verpent before Kane.

If the beast had been weakened, then Jayden’s performance should also be called into question.

However, Marcus didn’t seem concerned about that possibility. He was confident that Jayden could win!