Chapter 9: Bloody Inheritance
"What’s your Beast Gene, Shani?" Nevie glanced over briefly before returning her attention to the road.
Shani automatically replied, "Crim..." But then, she stopped herself.
She had suddenly remembered something. In this life, she had never actually had her Beast Gene tested.
In her previous life, the test had taken place after she arrived at the Ashbourne mansion. And the result had been Crimson Eagle.
Shani had only learned that much later that the result wasn’t what the Ashbournes wanted, specifically when Vivianne accidentally let it slip.
There had been a very clear reason why they had insisted on taking her away and making her sign a document promising never to seek out her mother’s family.
It all came down to one thing. Inheritance.
Shani’s biological parents had both enjoyed successful careers.
Since they had spent most of their lives stationed along the border, the salary, bonuses, and special rewards they had earned, including a mansion and several plots of land, had remained practically untouched.
On top of that, Samuel Ashbourne, Shani’s father, was entitled to a share of the Ashbourne family’s wealth.
Meanwhile, Tala Kestrel, Shani’s mother, also had come from a prestigious noble house and had brought a substantial dowry when she married Samuel.
Combined together the fortune was enormous.
Enough to make the Ashbournes’ eyes turn green with greed. They wanted every bit of it.
However, according to Shani’s parents’ will, the inheritance could only be accessed with Shani’s consent and by the family responsible for raising her.
Under the laws recognized throughout the continent, every beastman officially belonged to the family that shared their Beast Gene and took that family’s surname.
The only exceptions were extraordinary circumstances, such as when every member of that bloodline had died or when the entire family had been implicated in criminal acts.
As a Crimson Eagle beastman, Shani should have been raised by her mother’s family.
That was exactly why the Ashbournes had immediately forced her to sign those documents before isolating her from the outside world.
The documents stated that after Shani’s death, every asset she owned would be transferred to the House of Ashbourne in gratitude for raising her without expecting anything in return.
And because of that, Shani had to die as soon as possible. Remembering everything filled her heart with fury.
But the anger quickly faded as the hovercar entered the first level of the academy.
Nevie had also forgotten about asking Shani’s Beast Gene. The familiar scenery had distracted her, bringing back memories of her student days.
"If I pass the Instructor Assistant exam, we’ll see each other around campus. I seriously can’t wait. What about you? You’re excited too, right, Shani?"
Faced with Nevie’s eager smile, Shani simply nodded.
...
Nevie only accompanied her to the first floor.
Waiting there was a man in his fifties with a shiny bald head and a round belly.
"That’s Instructor Thorne," Nevie whispered after they got out of the hovercar.
Shani remembered that Thorne had been the first instructor Cedric contacted about using his direct admission slot.
He was also one of Cedric’s closest friends at the academy.
Cedric was supposed to be around twenty years older than Thorne. Yet somehow, the two looked almost the same age.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Thorne, Nevie said goodbye.
Thorne then led Shani to the third floor.
"The third floor is where students practice Beast Energy Regulation," he explained. "You already know what your test is, don’t you?"
Shani nodded.
Thorne opened the door. Inside, dozens, perhaps even a hundred, artificial eggs rested atop individual iron tables. Each egg was roughly half the size of a suitcase.
Shani quickly decided not to think about how much money was sitting inside this single room. It was enough to make her want to cover her mouth.
Thorne guided her to Table Number One.
"If you don’t succeed on your first attempt, just keep trying until you do." He smiled encouragingly.
If Instructor Cole hadn’t argued with the admissions staff, they never would have accepted an F Rank applicant.
Only after exhausting both persuasion and pressure had Cole finally convinced them.
Even then, they had insisted that Shani prove she could perform Beast Energy Regulation.
Although using Cedric’s direct admission slot technically didn’t violate any regulations...
If Shani couldn’t even perform Beast Resonance, it would be the admissions office that suffered the consequences.
Shani nodded before walking to the table.
Without waiting for instructions, she gently placed both palms against the shell of the artificial egg.
Thorne blinked in surprise. She moved with the confidence of someone who had done this many times before. Then he figured she’d probably seen demonstrations online.
Thinking this would take quite a while, Thorne started looking around for a chair. But before he could even take a step...
The artificial egg suddenly began glowing.
Thorne immediately hurried back.
"Did Rowan buy you an artificial egg to practice with...? No... He specifically said you’ve never even touched one before."
This time, he was genuinely shocked. Although Beast Energy Rank mattered the most, regulation skill was equally important.
The smoother the regulation process, the higher the rank of the baby beast that would eventually hatch.
Curious, Thorne activated the monitoring panel beside the artificial egg while telling Shani to continue.
"Stable... This is... almost perfect." His voice was filled with disbelief.
The data looked like that of an A Rank beastman whose sixth baby beast had already reached adulthood.
In other words, the regulation pattern resembled someone who had been practicing for decades.
"Even if you’re only F Rank, with regulation this stable, you could produce an E Rank baby beast." The way Thorne looked at Shani completely changed.
Shani shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. It felt as though he had just discovered a once-in-a-generation genius.
’I’m not a genius. I’ve simply raised a baby beast before. I’ve done this countless times.’
Of course she wasn’t about to tell him that. Instead, she offered a small smile and hoped it didn’t look too awkward.
One thing Shani never realized was that even in her first life, her Beast Energy Regulation had been exceptional.
She had successfully completed it on her very first attempt. The only difference was that back then, it had taken her five full minutes.
...