《A Dragonslayer's Peerless Regression》 Chapter 1 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 1 My name is Zeke Draker. I am a direct descendant of the Draker n. This renowned Dragon yer family is the most prestigious knightly family on the continent, a family that even the Emperor couldn''t touch. In other words, anyone who can''t be a knight in this family is treated like trash. That was me. The first failure to awaken in the Draker n''s direct bloodline. I was the only one who failed to awaken my aura, a rite of passage for the Draker bloodline. And I was a healer ss, somethingpletely unrted to dragon yers. A healer ss in a dragon yer family''s direct bloodline. It sounds like a bad joke, but it''s an undeniable fact. Despite being a direct descendant, I was treated like trash in the family for failing to awaken my aura. As a result, I was expelled from the ns academy, which all Draker descendants had to graduate from, at the age of fifteen. To survive and be stronger, I wandered the continent and did everything I could. A certain sage once said: If you only pursue strength, you will have nothing left in the end. That''s a load of bullshit. It''s a million times better to have strength than not. It''s the truth of the world that those without strength are eventually trampled on and have their precious things taken away by those with strength. That''s why I struggled to ovee my limits and be stronger. If it weren''t for those damn Imperial hounds, I could have be the strongest on the continent. Because I was the first to obtain the ancient artifact that the Emperor was desperately searching for. I didn''t know exactly what it was, but it must have been something extraordinary since that Emperor, obsessed with conquering the continent, was looking for it. I went through hell in the Ice Mountains, which were so cold they could freeze you to the bone, to find the artifact. But as soon as I came out of the dungeon, those Imperial hounds spread a dra and chased after me. After running for over a week, I was finally caught right in front of the Ice Wall. They cut off both my arms and snickered as they watched me writhing. Then they took out a coin to decide who would kill me. I gritted my teeth, crawled on the ground, grabbed my severed right arm, and used Healing. While the knight who cut off my arm was distracted by the coin tossed in the air, I snuck up behind him and cut his throat. He must have never expected me to reattach my severed arm and get up in that situation. I defeated all the hounds, but I wasn''t unscathed either. My stomach and back were riddled with swords. This wasn''t something even the master of Healing could heal. I picked up the dark dragon statue that had fallen in the snow with difficulty. Unable to even unravel the secrets hidden within the ancient artifact, I leaned against the cold Ice Wall and waited for my painful death. Despite pursuing strength all my life, I couldn''t obtain the power I truly desired. ''Damn it...'' Just as I was about to breathe myst, strange letters appeared before my eyes. [A strong will awakens the ancient power.] [The soul of the Elder Dragon is imprinted on the soul of the one with the will.] At first, I thought it was a load of nonsense. [The system detects danger to the Awakened.] [Emergency measures are activated.] [Do you agree?] I''m dying here, who cares about emergency measures. [Do you agree?] Yes, damn it! I agree. Woooong! [Awakened agreement confirmed.] [The irreversible promised power is activated.] [Countdown initiated.] [5, 4, 3, 2, 1] * * * "And when I opened my eyes, I was like this." Zeke looked at his reflection in the mirror. The face covered in scars and burns was gone, reced by a handsome young man with ck hair, ck eyes, pale skin, and delicate features. Zeke, who had been in his thirties, had returned to the age of ten, at most. He looked around. ''I thought it looked familiar...'' It was the room he used as a ''cradle'' when he was young. "Did I really go back in time?" Zeke looked down at his body. He still couldn''t forget the feeling of the swords deeply embedded in his stomach. He looked at his hands and feet. ''Were my hands always this small?'' Above all, there were almost no wounds on his hands. He had been wandering all over the continent, and there wasn''t a single part of his body without scars. Zeke racked his brains. "What in the world happened?" Suddenly, Zeke remembered the voice he heard in his fading consciousness just before he died. ''What did it say... emergency measure? Promised power?'' It was difficult to grasp its meaning. "And to think I''m back in this crazy family..." Zeke had run away from the Draker n after being expelled from the academy when he turned fifteen. The dragon yer family was founded by the descendants of Terakan Draker, who saved the continent by beheading the evil dragon Bahamut a thousand years ago. It was one of the three transcendent ns on the continent, where all members were blessed with aura and became aura users.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeke was born as a direct descendant of that Draker n. ''They call it a Dragon yer family, but this is just a crazy ce.'' Zeke shuddered, remembering what he had experienced here in the past. He couldn''t understand why he was back in his terrible past. "Sigh... I don''t understand what''s going on." It was then. [Administration System reactivating.] [Confirming the Awakened''s soul level.] [Confirmed 100% soul match.] [The soul of the Elder Dragon ispletely fused with the soul of the chosen Awakened.] [Acquiring partial authority of the system.] [Status window ess activated.] ''What''s this?'' Letters appeared before my eyes. [Opening status window.] Suddenly, translucent letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Healer (Rare) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon ss Skills: Healing / Composed Mind / Health Regeneration / Heightened Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Beginner)] / Mutte[E-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Current Karma Points Held: 0 Zeke examined the letters that appeared before his eyes. He tried to touch them with his hand, but they couldn''t be touched. It seemed like a magically created image rather than something real. He read the contents of the status window. "Healer ss?" He recalled the ancient knowledge he had learned from his master long ago. His master had said that the ancients divided sses ording to their potential and developed techniques ordingly. ''Judging by the ss and skills, it seems to be rted to that ancient artifact.'' Zeke looked at the words "Healing" in the ss skills section and shouted in disbelief, "Healing." His hand was instantly enveloped in a white light. Zeke was startled. "I''ve already awakened my ability?" In his previous life, he hadn''t awakened his healing ability until he was over twenty. Seeing that he could still use Healing, Zeke realized that his abilities from his previous life remained. "If I''ve awakened Healing, then maybe...?" Zeke closed his eyes and concentrated, and mana stirred near his sr plexus. Zeke''s eyes shot open. "My ether hall is open." The Secret Dragon yer Technique of the Draker family could only be learned after awakening one''s aura and opening the lower dantian. Zeke, who couldn''t awaken his aura, couldn''t open his lower dantian and learn the true Dragon yer Technique. Despite having the talent of a healer but unable to handle aura, Zeke learned how to open his ether hall from his master and handle mana. ''I almost died learning this.'' Zeke moved his body, manipting mana. Whoosh! He swayed, losing his bnce. His young body wasn''t used to moving like he did in the past. ''It''ll get better with practice.'' At least the situation was much more advantageous than in his previous life. He turned his attention back to the status window. "Skills. What are these?" Zeke pressed his finger on "Composed Mind." The page turned, and new letters appeared. ¡ªSkill Description¡ª Composed Mind: Keeps the user''s mind calm and unshaken in any situation. Zeke tilted his head. "So I have this skill besides Healing." Since the concept of sses and skills wasn''t used in the present era, he didn''t know what skills he had. ''Is it thanks to the Composed Mind skill that my mind isn''t that affected despite going through this absurd situation?'' Even Zeke himself thought he was quite calm considering he had died horribly and then regressed. He pressed the other skills as well. ¡ªss Skills¡ª Healing: Creates a healing light that restores wounds. Composed Mind: Keeps the user''s mind calm and unshaken in any situation. Health Regeneration: Replenishes lost health and reduces fatigue. Heightened Senses: Momentarily focuses the senses and increases cognitive speed. After reading through the skills he possessed, Zeke tried using Heightened Senses. He felt his senses sharpen as if time had slowed down. He nodded. "This sensation is familiar. Maybe I used it unconsciously during battle." After checking his ss skills, Zeke pressed Active Skills. ¡ªActive Skills¡ª Precise Stab (E-rank): Allows for more urate strikes at the enemy''s vital points, increasing lethality. Mutte (E-rank): Allows for rapid shing attacks while disrupting the enemy''s vision. Critical Strike (D-rank): Allows for a critical attack on the enemy. However, failure can result in a counterattack. Zeke pondered as he looked at the active skills. "Finishing moves? Secret techniques? Something like that?" After checking the active skills, Zeke pressed Draconian Skills at the bottom. But instead of the skill description, a message popped up. [Draconian Skills are unavable. 10 Karma points are required to view these skills.] "Karma points?" It was a term he had never heard before. He had never even heard it from his master, who was quite knowledgeable about ancient knowledge. Just as he was about to press for more information about Karma points, Knock, knock. Someone knocked. As Zeke unconsciously thought about turning off the status window, the letters before his eyes disappeared. "Come in." At Zeke''s permission, the door opened, and someone entered. A well-built old man with white, slicked-back hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a monocle. Zeke was startled. ''Decker?'' Decker was a servant sent from the main Draker household. He spoke to Zeke with a sharp glint in his eyes. "You''re still not ready... What are you thinking, young master?" Zeke''s body instinctively recoiled at Decker''s sharp voice. In the past, Zeke had felt an unconscious fear of Decker. But it was different now. He wasn''t an ordinary child anymore. Something appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Composed Mind skill used.] As Zeke thought, it seemed like the skills were being used automatically depending on the situation. Zeke, having regained hisposure, looked at Decker and said, "Ready? What are you talking about?" Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten about the evaluation test today." Zeke was startled by Decker''s words. ''Evaluation test...?'' Decker looked at Zeke and said, "You need to hurry and get ready. You''ll lose points if you''rete for the evaluation test..." Then Zeke looked up and asked Decker, "Decker, what''s the date today? No, what year, month, and day is it?" Decker stared intently at Zeke for a moment, then adjusted his monocle again and said in a dry voice, "It''s 14th October, 1035." Zeke calcted the date. ''1035... I died in 1055, so it''s exactly 20 years ago. I''m twelve years old. And if it''s October 14th...'' Zeke, having organized his thoughts, looked at Decker and said, "Right. They always held the year-end evaluation in the cradle around this time." Decker looked down at Zeke and said, "As I said before, it will be difficult to survive in the Draker n if you continue to avoid reality like this, young master." Although his voice was devoid of emotion, it contained sincerity. Then Zeke looked up at Decker and said, "Avoid? Me?" He clenched his fist, making a cracking sound. "Why would I avoid it when I''ve finally returned?" Zeke''s eyes shed. "There are a lot of people I need to repay." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 2 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 2 Zeke walked down the deste hallway towards the circr arena where the year-end evaluation was held. He looked around as he walked. ''It''s exactly the same as my memories. So suffocating.'' Shields bearing the Draker n crest were hung throughout the hallway. A dragon with a chain around its neck and a sword piercing its heart. It was the Draker n crest, called the Dragon yer Emblem. Zeke frowned at the sight of the crest. ''To think I''d see this again alive.'' To Zeke, the Draker n was both a trauma and an object of undeniable yearning. A wall he couldn''t ovee. He had thought that if he gained the strongest power on the continent, he couldpletely erase the shadow of the Drakers. Perhaps that was why he had struggled so desperately. He roughly pushed open the door at the end of the hallway and entered. Thud! The circr arena was already filled with children of Zeke''s age. They were all wrapping leather straps around their hands for Pankration, one of the year-end evaluation events. ''Hmm...'' The gathered children murmured at Zeke''s appearance. He ignored them and looked around the arena. It was a strange feeling to be back in the Pankration arena after so long. "Ha, brings back memories." As a child, Zeke hated Pankration. He was small and weak for a direct descendant of the Draker n. The young blood rtives of the Draker n, regardless of whether they were from the direct or coteral line, began living together at the age of seven. And in themunal living area called the "Cradle," strict rules, disciplined life, and harsh training continued for five years. They received basic training in swordsmanship, hand-to-handbat, and physical training before the Blessing Ceremony, and one of the most important training events was Pankration. Pankration in the Draker n was a no-rulespetition close to actualbat. There were many injuries, but it didn''t matter because they had the highest-grade healing potions on hand. This was something only the Draker n could do in the entire continent. "Whew..." Zeke took a deep breath and stretched his muscles. The other children, unfamiliar with Zeke acting like this, nced at him. It was then. "Oh, what brings you out today instead of running away?" Zeke turned his head to see a red-haired boy with freckles standing there. Behind him stood tworge boys with broad shoulders, boasting arrogant postures. ''Who is he?'' Then he realized who the boy was. "Ah, it''s you. Leon Conrad." The red-haired boy''s face turned crimson, and he gritted his teeth. Leon grabbed Zeke''s shoulder and said menacingly, "You recessive gene bastard, are you crazy?" It was then. Grab! Zeke grabbed Leon''s wrist tightly. Crack! Leon''s eyes widened, and he shook off Zeke''s hand that was gripping his wrist. ring at Zeke, Leon shouted, "How dare you! Do you want to die, you recessive gene bastard?!" Zeke looked at Leon with a calm gaze and thought, ''Should I kill him?'' Zeke had been through all sorts of hardships while wandering the continent before his regression. Killing a twelve-year-old kid who hadn''t even awakened his aura was nothing to him. As Leon fumed in front of Zeke, the other children quietly watched the situation. It was then. Ding! The bell signaling the evaluation rang. Zeke clicked his tongue as he watched Leon retreat. He remembered how Leon had constantly bullied him during their time in the Cradle and the academy. ''Leon Conrad. That damn bastard was also one of my cousins.'' Zeke had four siblings and over ten cousins. Except for the direct descendants, whom he rarely met, most of his cousins were annoying incarnations of the Drakers. As Zeke reminisced, the instructor stepped onto the arena. At his appearance, the children lined up in front of the circr arena. Their movements were surprisingly swift for twelve-year-olds. Zeke recalled the instructor''s name. ''Pan Mark. He was the instructor in charge of this batch.'' Pan Mark, standing in the arena, shouted, "This year''s evaluation, likest year, will consist of Pankration and sword fighting." The children tensed and focused at Pan''s words. The evaluation at the Cradle was linked to ss assignments at the academy they would enter next year. After the Blessing Ceremony, the trainees would awaken their aura and enter the academy as Yellow Knights. And they would be assigned to sses based on the year-end evaluation they received at the Cradle. The higher the ss, the more opportunities they had to learn higher-level dragon yer techniques, so the children couldn''t help but be obsessed with their scores. Zeke clicked his tongue, witnessing the fiercepetition again after 20 years. ''How did I survive here before?'' Zeke was physically and mentally weak as a child. The Cradle and the academy were nothing short of hell for him in his childhood. As Zeke reminisced, Pan Mark called out the first evaluators. "Aaron! Gota!" Aaron and Gota stepped onto the arena. Gota was one of therge boys who had been standing behind Leon. Both of them were well-built and seemed to be in a simr weight ss. Pan blew the whistle.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Beep! Aaron and Gota lowered their stances and red at each other. A momentter, Gota lunged first, trying to grab Aaron''s leg. Aaron quickly changed direction and grabbed Gota''s waist. Aaron lifted Gota''s body and threw him over. Thud! Gota, mmed onto the arena floor, got up angrily. "Youmoner bastard..." Aaron, with a rxed expression, took his stance. Gota attempted a few more attacks, but they were all blocked by Aaron''s defense. The match ended anticlimactically with Aaron''s victory. ''Hmm...'' Zeke watched Aaron and Gota''s match with a bored expression. ''Maybe it''s because it''s a kids'' fight. It''s so clumsy.'' He used to hate Pankration with a passion. But now, it looked like child''s y. Seeing Zeke yawning widely, Leon, who was standing opposite him, red at him with murderous eyes. After a few more matches, Pan Mark called out the next contestants. "Zeke! And..." Pan hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Leon! Come forward." Judging from Leon''s excited expression, it seemed like he had talked to the instructor beforehand. The Draker n outwardly presented themselves as a noble knightly family, but behind the scenes, all sorts of schemes and tricks were rampant. ''And they said that only those who could ovee schemes and tricks were true dragon yers.'' Leon stepped into the arena and mmed his fists together. Zeke trudged into the arena listlessly. Leon looked at Zeke and said, "Recessive gene bastard, you''re dead today." Zeke looked at Leon and said, "Hey." Leon looked at his fist and then looked up at Zeke. "If you say ''recessive gene'' one more time, I''ll really kill you." Leon flinched at the murderous intent he felt from Zeke. Realizing that he was momentarily intimidated by Zeke, Leon shouted even louder, "You recessive..." Whoosh! At that moment, Zeke''s fist cut through the air. Wham! Leon felt as if half of his face had disappeared. He copsed onto the arena floor. "Gasp... M-my face." Leon clutched his face as he fell. Zeke recalled the message that had appeared when he punched Leon in the face. [Skill Critical Strike activated.] ''So this is how the active skills are activated.'' Beep! The whistle blew. Pan Mark shouted at Zeke, "What are you doing before the match even started?!" Zeke looked at Pan and said, "Does anyone say ''start!'' ? Before stabbing someone on the battlefield? The one who strikes first wins." Pan was surprised by Zeke''s harsh tone. ''He''s always running away, and now suddenly...?'' Leon got up, fuming. "Instructor! Start again! I''ll kill that recessive gene bastard!" Pan hesitated for a moment, then blew the whistle again. "Match starts!" Leon took his stance and charged at Zeke. ''That lucky punch must havended by chance. This time, I''ll break his arms and legspletely.'' Leon was small, but he had a talent for Pankration. Even bigger kids couldn''t keep up with Leon''s fighting sense and often ended up with dislocated shoulders. Moreover, he was known for his ruthlessness, refusing to stop even when his opponent tapped out, and would break their arms and legs. So other children were often passive when facing him. Again, Leon, filled with confidence, lowered his stance and charged at Zeke. But Zeke, who was standing still, showed no openings, unlike usual. ''What''s this?'' And at that moment, Zeke''s left hand moved. Whack! Zeke''s jab, which shouldn''t have reached him, struck Leon''s face. "This bastard!" Every time Leon charged, Zeke''s jab would fly. Whack! "Ugh!" It was a light jab, but his fist was wrapped tightly with leather straps, so every hit tore his skin and made his head ring. Leon guarded his face and closed in on Zeke, grabbing his waist. "Gotcha, you bastard!" All he had to do was take him down and break his joints. He tried to throw Zeke over his back, but strangely, Zeke didn''t budge. ''W-what the...?'' Zeke whispered in Leon''s ear, "I told you. If you say ''recessive'' one more time, I''ll kill you." Leon, goosebumps erupting all over his body, hurriedly tried to back away. Whoosh! But Zeke, in close range, kicked Leon''s thigh. "Ugh!" It was a heavy blow, unexpected from a low kick in such an unstable position. As Leon''s bnce faltered, Zeke hooked his leg inward and tripped him. Thud! As Leon fell, Zeke mmed his elbow into his ribs. [Skill Precise Stab activated.] "Cough!" With his ribs broken, Leon couldn''t breathe. Zeke mounted Leon, pinning one of his arms with his leg and pressing his knee on the other shoulder. Zeke, in a mounted position, made a fist and looked down at Leon. Then he punched Leon in the face. [Skill Mutte activated.] Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Zeke''s fists pounded relentlessly on Leon''s face. "Gah, gah! S-stop!" Despite Leon''s pleas, Zeke''s fists didn''t stop. Leon, struggling, eventually fainted from Zeke''s merciless beating. Only then did Zeke slowly get up. "You''re nothing but a little punk." The waiting paramedics rushed in and dragged the unconscious Leon out of the arena. Zeke, who had turned Leon into a bloody mess in an instant, returned to his seat. The other children exchanged nces, trying to grasp the situation after Zeke''s sudden change. Then Zeke''s voice rang out. "You guys, I can hear your eyeballs rolling." The children''s eyes uniformly focused on Zeke. Zeke chuckled and continued, "Now that I''ve worked up a sweat, my head is finally working. I''m starting to recognize who''s who." The children just stared at Zeke silently, unable to understand what he was saying. "If you have something to say,e and say it. Stop rolling your eyes around." It was then. "Instructor." A boy with a sharp, three-white-eyed gaze raised his hand. [PR/N: Three white eye refers to more of the white part of the eye showing either above or below the iris.] "Can I choose Zeke as my opponent for the evaluation?" Zeke recognized the boy who raised his hand. ''I remember. His name was... that''s right. Jakenn Vardec. Another cousin has appeared.'' At Jakenn ''s words, Pan turned to Zeke. "Zeke, what will you do?" Zeke thought for a moment and then stood up. "Sure, why not, let''s sweat a little more. But," He pointed at Jakenn and said, "It''s too boring with just you alone." Zeke pointed at the boy sitting next to Jakenn. "Liam Stone." The boy who had been sitting silently next to Jakenn quietly raised his head. Zeke looked at him and said, "Both of you,e at me together." Zeke grinned. "That seems a bit more bnced." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 3 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 3 Jakenn''s eyes narrowed at Zeke''s words. "Are you insulting me?" Zeke nodded in response. "Yeah, that''s right. I''m insulting you." Jakenn trembled with anger and clenched his fists. Zeke said, "So what are you going to do? Do it if you want to. Otherwise, I''m leaving." Jakenn, trying to suppress his anger, looked at Pan, the instructor. "Is this alright, Instructor?" Pan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "If Zeke is okay with it, I don''t mind." With permission granted, Jakenn and Liam stepped onto the arena. Zeke stood opposite Jakenn and Liam with a rxed expression. He looked at Liam standing next to Jakenn. ''It''s strange seeing him here again.'' Liam Stone. In the future, he was one of the most famous people in the Central Continent. ''The Mercenary King, Liam.'' Unlike the Conrad or Vardec ns, who were blood-rted to the Drakers, Liam was a very distant rtive among the Draker''s coteral lineage. Despite that, the reason he was in the Cradle was that he had been chosen as Jakenn Vardec''s attendant. In Zeke''s memory, Liam would receive the blessing of aura here and enter the academy, but he wouldn''t be able to enter Valha, the higher educational institution. He was abandoned midway because of his low birth. Liam, who wandered around as a free knight, was able to join the Knights of Baranon, a small country in the western region. He could have ended his life peacefully as an ordinary knight, but when Baranon was destroyed by the Empire, the Knights he belonged to disappeared. With nowhere to go, he became a mercenary and wandered the continent. Then, by chance, he attained enlightenment and became a Red Knight. People gather around those who are strong. Moreover, it was a chaotic time, so there was no shortage of mercenaries. Thus, the Stone Mercenary Corps was formed, centered around Liam, the Red Knight, and a few yearster, he united the three major mercenary corps of the continent and earned the title of Mercenary King in the Central Continent. Zeke felt a strange sensation seeing the taciturn boy standing next to Jakenn, the future Mercenary King. ''We were enemies in my past life, but this life could be different.'' Just then, Pan blew the whistle. "Match starts!" Jakenn took his stance and approached Zeke. But Liam, who was behind him, didn''t move and just stood still. Zeke frowned and said to Jakenn, "I clearly said both of you should attack me together." Jakenn scoffed. "I was just ying along with your childish game earlier." Jakenn lunged forward with a powerful high kick towards Zeke. Thud! It was a powerful impact, unbelievable for a twelve-year-old''s kick. Everyone thought Zeke would copse from a single kick from Jakenn. "Ugh..." But contrary to expectations, it was Jakenn who groaned and stepped back. Jakenn''s ankle, which had delivered the kick, was swollen. Zeke said as he lowered his left elbow. "Why are you throwing yourself at my elbow?" Jakenn tried to regain his bnce, but his ankle seemed to bepletely broken, making it difficult for him to stand. ''Damn it, if this happens, I''ll have to take him down with a mount...'' Just as Jakenn was about to charge, Zeke struck first. Whoosh! Zeke delivered a low kick to Jakenn''s injured leg. Crack! "Ugh!" Jakenn''s face contorted in pain as he was hit on his injured leg, and his bnce faltered. It was then. Whoosh! Zeke spun around, rotating his whole body, and thrust his fist into Jakenn''s side. Wham! [Skill Critical Strike activated.] With its full rotational force, the Critical Strike shattered all of Jakenn''s ribs. "Ugh..." Jakenn gasped and copsed to his knees. Zeke, catching his breath, shouted at Liam, who was standing behind, "Are you just going to keep standing there?" Liam nced at Jakenn, who was gasping for breath. Jakenn, his face pale, shouted, "Cough... Liam! Kill that bastard!" At Jakenn''s shout, Liam stepped forward. As Liam stepped forward, Zeke finally took a proper fighting stance for the first time. ''But... is he really twelve years old?'' He looked at least five years older than his peers, with his unusually long limbs and taciturn expression. Zeke was wary of Liam''s long arms. ''Even when we fought in my past life, I was troubled by the reach of those long arms.'' If he gave Liam the initiative, the flow of the fight could shiftpletely. Shing! Zeke dashed forward and threw a jab. Whack! He circled Liam, striking his guard with jabs. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! His sharp jabs, like awls, prated Liam''s guard. Zeke''s movements, stepping with quick footwork and throwing jabs back and forth, weren''t typical Pankration techniques. "What''s that?" The other trainees murmured at the unfamiliar technique. Pan, the instructor, was also surprised to see Zeke''s technique. ''That''s the boxing technique used by the Northern Rangers?'' It was rare to see a Northern Continent fighting technique in the Central Continent, where swordsmanship was the focus. Wham! Wham! Wham! Wham! Even as the onlookers murmured, Liam remained crouched, silently blocking Zeke''s jabs. Then, Zeke''s step faltered slightly, and his jab missed. Liam''s eyes gleamed. Whoosh! In an instant, Liam extended his long arm and wrapped it around Zeke''s jab as if to snatch it. "Heave-ho!" Liam quickly wrapped his arm around Zeke''s, attempting to lift and throw him. This was possible because of the significant size difference between Zeke and Liam. Zeke, caught in Liam''s grasp and in danger of being thrown, quickly twisted his body in mid-air. Then, using his small physique to his advantage, he wrapped both legs around Liam''s arm and twisted the joint. Crack! Before Liam could react, his shoulder was dislocated, and his elbow twisted. "Aaaaagh!" Liam, his joint broken, copsed onto the arena floor. Zeke didn''t stop at breaking Liam''s arm. He released his legs from Liam''s arm and wrapped them around his neck. "Gasp!" Zeke''s legs tightened around Liam''s carotid artery. Liam didn''t tap out until the very end. In the Draker n, tapping out was a greater dishonor than death or injury. Eventually, Liam lost consciousness. "Whew..." Zeke released his hold on the unconscious Liam''s neck and stood up. All eyes were on Zeke, who had effortlessly defeated Jakenn and Liam. Zeke pointed at one person among the hundred trainees as he met their gazes. "Owen Siemens." A mature-looking boy with brown hair met Zeke''s gaze with a calm expression. Zeke shifted his gaze and pointed to another person. "Reina Turunn." A girl with a sharp gaze and closely cropped hair red at Zeke. Zeke turned his gaze and pointed at the fallen Jakenn. "Jakenn Vardec, Leon Conrad... are out, so moving on." Zeke addressed the trainees. "Tell your families. Zeke Draker is a little different now." With those words, Zeke stepped down from the arena. Owen and Reina watched Zeke walk away in silence, and Zeke clicked his tongue at the sight. ''Are those the eyes of twelve-year-olds?'' Zeke, descending from the arena, left with all eyes on him. Pan, who had been staring nkly at Zeke''s retreating figure, finally came to his senses and dered, "Zeke! Winner!" The copsed Jakenn and Liam were taken to the infirmary, and the year-end evaluation continued. * * * "Whew..." Returning to his room, Zeke threw off his clothes and copsed onto the bed. His whole body ached from overexerting himself. "Those bastards. They''ll have a headache trying to figure this out." In his past life, he couldn''t awaken his aura and was treated like trash in the Cradle and the academy before being abandoned by the n. Zeke gritted his teeth, remembering the misery of that time vividly. ''Those cousins must be busy reporting by now.'' There were four cousins who had joined the same year as Zeke.N?v(el)B\\jnn Some, like Leon, directly pressured Zeke, but most just watched him from afar. However, even the cousins who had been observing Zeke from a distance wouldn''t be able to stay silent after witnessing his transformation today. It was obvious that their families would give them orders. ''I can''t just sit still and wait. I''ll take the initiative and divert their attention.'' It was easier to hide in moderately dirty water than in perfectly clean water. That was the reason he deliberately revealed his strength in the year-end evaluation today. His fighting skills were only a small part of his abilities, so there was no problem in revealing this much. Zeke got out of bed and stood up. "While those guys are busy scheming, I just need to steadily build up my strength." He had no intention of being bullied like in his past life. In this life, he was going to devour the Draker n whole. Zeke quietly opened his mouth. "Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Healer (Rare) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon Skills Held: Healing / Composed Mind / Health Regeneration / Heightened Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Beginner)] / Mutte [E-rank (Expert)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Karma Points Held: 0 ''The Mutte skill has changed from Beginner to Expert.'' He didn''t know the exact principle, but it seemed like the level of the skills changed the more he used them. Looking at the status window, Zeke tilted his head at the Karma section. ''Hmm... What are Karma Points?'' Karma Points were required to unlock the unavable Draconian Skills. But Karma was a term he had never heard before. Zeke pressed Karma Points, just in case. ¡ªKarma Points¡ª Karma Points can be obtained by killing monsters. "You can get points by killing monsters?" The first thing Zeke did after being expelled from the family was to be a dungeon porter. He had followed low-level adventurers, going back and forth between dungeons where dangerous monsters appeared. Zeke read the exnation again. ''Monsters with mana.'' The monsters in the dungeon lived in groups, so to hunt them alone, one needed to be at least a Purple Knight, capable of wielding aura. Zeke closed the status window and fell into thought. ''To obtain Karma Points, I need to have at least the skills of a Purple Knight.'' Zeke''s current state, with only his Ether Hall opened, could be ssified as a Yellow Knight, a rank above a White Knight. He could be promoted to a Purple Knight after awakening his aura, opening his lower dantian, and imbuing his sword with aura. From this stage onwards, the title used was no longer swordsman but knight. Only after mastering aura and creating an aura de from the sword could one be promoted to Blue Knight and be recognized as a true knight, earning a title. And those among the Blue Knights who broke through the wall and advanced to the next level were the Red Knights. Commanders ofrge kingdoms or empires are typically Red Knights. Therefore, the military strength of a nation is often gauged by the number of Red and Blue Knights it possesses. However, there are those who defy thismon sense. Superhumans who surpass the realm of humans, a rare few even on the continent. They are the ck Knights, also known as one-man armies. Even across the entire continent, the number of ck Knights was so small that they could be counted individually. Surprisingly, the Draker n had five such ck Knights. With five ck Knights, each capable of wiping out a small kingdom on their own, no one dared to oppose the Draker n. Not even the Emperor. ''There''s a reason why they''re called one of the three transcendent families.'' The dragon-yer Draker n. The Mystic Arts Ishtaar n. And the magic-wielding Nirvana n. They didn''t belong to any country and were recognized for their independence, unbound by anyws. But in the future Zeke had seen, a great change would ur in this three-way power structure. ''It was about 10 years from now, I think.'' He had to prepare and grow stronger before the time of change. ''I don''t know why I regressed to the past, or what this system is...'' Zeke''s eyes gleamed. ''If I can be stronger, I will use anything.'' It was then. Knock, knock. Zeke shouted towards the door. "Come in." The door opened and Decker, a servant who looked more like a knight than an actual knight, entered. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 4 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 4 Zeke said in a sharp voice, "What is it, Decker?" Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "I heard about what happened to you at the Pankration testing ground earlier, young master." Zeke turned his head, feigning disinterest, and said, "So what?" "I heard you beat Leon Conrad and Jakenn Vardec to a pulp. Is that true?" Zeke scoffed. "You already know, so why ask?" Decker stepped closer to Zeke. "I have been watching over you since the day you were born, young master." Zeke said as he changed his clothes, "I know." Decker had been in charge of Zeke until he was expelled from the family. His father, the head of the n, hadn''t seen him once since he failed to awaken his aura at the Blessing Ceremony. His mother had died when he was young, and his father was as good as gone, so Decker was like a parent to him. Even when he was treated like trash by the family, Decker was the only one who stayed by his side. Decker looked at Zeke and said, "May I ask what happened?" "Those bastards messed with me, and I beat them up. What more do you need?" Despite Zeke''s harsh words, Decker remained silent. Zeke looked at Decker and said, "What do you want to say, Decker?" Decker slowly opened his mouth. "Young master, may I check your pulse for a moment?" Checking his pulse meant checking whether he had awakened his aura. Zeke looked at Decker and then silently held out his hand. "Please, go ahead." Decker grabbed Zeke''s wrist. Woooong! Zeke flinched as Decker''s aura flowed through his body. Decker''s aura examined every corner of Zeke''s body. It was then that Zeke realized something he hadn''t known in his past life. ''A Blue Knight?'' The way Decker''s aura moved freely within Zeke''s body was unusual. ''Even if he''s a servant from the main family, is a Blue Knight really doing chores for a kid?'' It was absurd. Even in the knightly orders of small kingdoms, Blue Knights often served asmanders. As Zeke''s suspicions grew, Decker, who had been examining his body, pursed his lips tightly. Seeing that, Zeke chuckled inwardly. ''No matter how much he checks, he won''t sense any aura.'' Opening the ether hall was fundamentally different from opening the lower dantian, and it was a method almost no one knew. Even Zeke himself had thought it was absurd when he first heard about the ether hall from his master. Because it was a concept that defiedmon sense. Knights who awakened their aura and opened their lower dantian couldn''t use mana. Conversely, mages who awakened their mana and formed a circle in their heart couldn''t use aura. It was impossible to possess both a lower dantian and a circle in one body. Zeke, who could use Healing, a type of magic, couldn''t use aura. However, by opening his ether hall, he became able to use mana, the source of both magic and aura. By wielding mana, Zeke could use a different kind of power than aura. Decker stared at Zeke and said, "Are you hiding something from me, young master?" At his serious question, Zeke also stared back at Decker and said, "Are you hiding anything from me, Decker?" Decker closed his mouth at Zeke''s words. In his past life, Decker had been a loyal servant who protected him until the veryst moment when he was expelled from the family. But now that Zeke knew Decker was hiding his strength, he couldn''t let his guard down. ''Maybe... the other direct descendants deliberately ced him here.'' Decker slowly opened his mouth. "May I ask why you suddenly changed?" Just yesterday, Zeke was trying to figure out how to skip the Pankration test. But in a single day, he had changed drastically. Zeke turned to look at Decker. "That''s the wrong question." A strange light flickered in Decker''s eyes. Zeke continued in a chilling voice, "You should have asked why I didn''t change sooner." Decker didn''t answer Zeke''s question. Zeke gestured to Decker as if he hadn''t expected an answer. "You know the test in a week is a swordsmanship duel, right?" Decker nodded. "Yes, young master." "Prepare a sword for me." "A different one than the one you usually use?" "How can I duel with that hollow piece of trash?" Zeke frowned and said, "Prepare a ymore for me." Decker replied in a calm voice, "ymores are longer and heavier than ordinary swords." "I know. The heavier the better. I''ll adjust itter, so just bring one from the warehouse." Decker stared intently at Zeke and then nodded. "As you wish, young master." "And make a reservation for the personal training room this afternoon. I''ll go right after lunch. Leave the sword in the training room." "As you wish." After receiving all the instructions, Decker left the room without another word. Zeke took a deep breath as soon as Decker left. "Whew... I keep learning things I didn''t know in my past life as soon as I regress." Zeke calmly collected himself and organized his thoughts about the future he knew. Knowing the future was a powerful weapon. Over the next 20 years, many events, big and small, would take ce on the continent, leading to a time of great change. He made ns to use the future he knew to his advantage. ''Just you wait, Drakers. This time, unlike my past life, I will use you thoroughly.'' * * * In the afternoon, Zeke went to the personal training room he had reserved. As expected of a training room built by the Draker n, all the equipment was state-of-the-art. Mirrors were attached to the walls so that he could check his posture while swinging the sword, and various muscle training tools and training weapons were also avable. Looking around the training room, Zeke found the ymore on the table. "As expected of Decker. His work is impable." He lifted the ymore. The de alone was over a meter long and weighed over three kilograms. It was smaller than a bastard sword, but it was definitely a heavy sword for the twelve-year-old Zeke to wield. "Hmm... the weight bnce is good." This was one of the main facilities of the Dragon yer family, a family of knights among knights. Even a single sword in the warehouse wasn''t made carelessly. ''It''s still not as good as the one I used before.'' Actually, the ymore Zeke used in his past life was a special sword, so it couldn''t bepared in the first ce. Knowing this, he suppressed his regret and took a stance, holding the ymore with both hands. "Whew..." In his past life, he could easily swing even heavier swords, but with a child''s body, even holding it was a burden. Zeke slowly swung the ymore. Thud! Unable to handle the weight of the sword, the tip of the sword crashed into the floor of the training ground. Zeke lifted the ymore again. "It''s difficult without using it." He closed his eyes and focused on his ether hall. A warm energy flowed from his sr plexus and spread throughout his body. A cultivation technique that utilized mana, the pure energy of nature, not aura or magic. It was originally a technique that humans couldn''t learn. Zeke, having spread mana throughout his body, swung the ymore again. Whoosh! His movements were much better than before. He fixed his lower body and repeated the basic swinging motion. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! With each swing, the sword felt more familiar, and the sound of cutting through the air rang out. Then, at some point, even the sound of cutting through the air disappeared. Zeke put down the sword. "Ugh! I need to build up my stamina first. I''ll copse from exhaustion swinging this sword." As an adult, Zeke had a solid physique of over 180 centimeters, with flexible and resilient muscles filling his entire body. On the other hand, he was barely over 160 centimeters now, with a small physique and almost no muscles. If it weren''t for thebat skills and awakened skills he learned in his past life, he wouldn''t have been able to overpower his cousins in Pankration. Zeke clicked his tongue, looking at his aching body after swinging the sword a few times. "Really... my body wasplete trash when I was young." He decided to use his secret technique. "Healing." Light spread throughout his body, and the pain in his aching muscles disappeared. Zeke lifted his healed arm and, with a satisfied expression, grabbed the sword again. This was how Zeke utilized Healing in his past life. He used to overwork his muscles, heal them with Healing, and then overwork them again, strengthening his muscle fibers several times more than others. Through this training method, Zeke was able to cut down opponentsrger than himself and even higher-ranking knights. It was a harsh training method that was impossible without extraordinary mental strength and willpower. "One week. It''s a bit tight, but... I''ll have to adapt somehow." He swung the ymore again and again without rest. * * * A week had passed since the Pankration evaluation. During that week, Zeke''s performance became a hot topic among the trainees. Zeke, who had been seen as weak, unlike a direct descendant of the Draker n, showed apletely different side of himself in this year-end evaluation. Some of the trainees even spected that Zeke might be using an evil power obtained through ck magic. And finally, the day of the swordsmanship duel, thest event of the year-end evaluation, arrived.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Mealtimes were fixed at the Cradle. Since the training was harsh, the meals were well-prepared with a bnce of nutrients. Especially breakfast, which was prepared as a buffet, allowed the trainees to eat as much as they wanted. Next to themon dining area used by ordinary trainees, there was a separate dining room that only the children of prominent families within the Draker blood alliance could enter. Unlike the ordinary meals focused on nutrition, luxurious dishes were set on the tables there. Owen, Reina, Jakenn, and Leon were sitting at the prepared round table. The servants ced the food each of their masters wanted in front of them. Owen picked up his knife and fork and gracefully cut the in fish dish into bite-sized pieces. On the other hand, a whole steak was ced in front of Reina. She cut arge piece of the bloody steak and put it in her mouth, chewing. It was a hearty meal befitting the heir of the Turunn n, known for having the strongest physique among all the ns. Jakenn and Leon didn''t touch the food and just sat still. Seeing them like that, Owen said, "Even if you don''t have an appetite, you should eat something. You need a full stomach for the swordsmanship duel this afternoon." At those words, Leon looked up and red at Owen. "Are you picking a fight?" Owen shook his head with an indifferent expression. "There''s no point in talking to someone who doesn''t know how to ept kindness." Leon jumped to his feet. "How dare you..." Just then, Reina, who had almost finished her steak, looked up and red at Leon. Leon flinched at her stare and slowly sat back down. Jakenn, who had been silent, opened his mouth. "So, what are we going to do?" Owen, Reina, and Leon looked up at his words. They all knew what Jakenn was talking about. ''Zeke Draker.'' Owen said as he wiped his mouth, "Well... I don''t know if it was a fluke or what, but he won''t be able to do much with swordsmanship." He continued with a cold glint in his eyes, "We''ll find out today what else Zeke is hiding." Reina, having devoured her entire steak, abruptly stood up. She raised the sword that had been leaning against her chair and dered, "Did that truly seem like a fluke to you?" Her words drew Owen''s attention. Reina looked at the three still seated at the table and said, "You are not worthy of bing Draker knights." With that, she strode out of the dining hall. "That arrogant bitch..." Leon mmed his hand on the table, trembling with rage. Owen tapped the table with his fingers, his mind racing. ''Reina and Zeke. This could get interesting.'' A genius who awakened her aura at the age of ten, before the Blessing Ceremony. It seemed Reina Turunn had found her prey. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 5 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 5 All the trainees of the Cradle gathered in the central training ground for the swordsmanship duel evaluation. "Everyone, fall in line!" Over a hundred trainees lined up in rows with tense expressions. Although Pankration was also an evaluation event, swordsmanship was undoubtedly the most important. The trainees of the Cradle, only twelve years old, already had the eyes of warriors. The head instructor, Pan Mark, and the other instructors checked the trainees. Then, Pan''s eyes shed as he looked over the lined-up trainees. "Zeke! Where is Zeke?" No matter how much he looked around, Zeke was nowhere to be seen. The other trainees murmured and nced around. The instructors shouted, "Quiet!" "Who dares to chatter before this sacred evaluation?!" The trainees straightened up and stared ahead with tense expressions. It was then. nk! nk! Someone was walking from the end of the training ground, a ymore slung over their shoulder. It was none other than Zeke. Everyone was speechless at the sight of Zeke, who waste for the evaluation but walking in as if nothing was wrong. Zeke casually stood at the back of the line. Seeing this, Pan red at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. Are you so ipetent that you can''t even find your ce after beingte?" An ordinary trainee would have been intimidated by Pan''s low voice alone. But Zeke was someone who had experienced all sorts of hardships on the continent for 20 years. There was no way he would cower from Pan''s intimidation. Zeke looked around and then walked to an empty spot in the front row. Thud! He took his ce, nted the ymore that had been slung over his shoulder into the ground, and looked up at Pan. ''Zeke Draker. What in the world happened to you?'' Pan was annoyed by Zeke''s behavior, but there was nothing he could do about it now, so he decided to proceed with the evaluation. "We will now begin the swordsmanship duel, the most important part of the Cradle trainee graduation evaluation." Although it was called a duel, it was conducted with real swords, so it was a brutal evaluation where even deaths weren''t out of the ordinary. Pan continued slowly, "Based on the scores from the year-end evaluation and the results of the aura awakening after next month''s Blessing Ceremony, we will determine your eptance into the academy and your ss assignments." All the trainees except Zeke gulped at Pan''s words. The other trainees were focused on entering the academy, but Zeke was different. ''Aura awakening.'' It was one of the main reasons he was treated like trash in his past life. The problem was that Zeke was still a Healer ss in this life. Zeke, who had the talent of a healer, not a swordsman, couldn''t awaken his aura. Zeke''s heart pounded. ''I can''t be treated like trash again in this life.'' He needed to show them something before the Blessing Ceremony. After the tedious exnation of the Cradle graduation procedure was over, Pan looked over the trainees and said, "We will begin the final evaluation, the swordsmanship duel." Pan turned his gaze and looked at Zeke in the front row. "Zeke,e up to the arena." Although he was called first unexpectedly, Zeke walked up to the arena without a word. Pan frowned at the sight of Zeke with a ymore slung over his shoulder. "Are you really going to use that sword?" Zeke looked at Pan and said, "Is there a rule against it?" There was no rule against using a ymore, but in the Draker n, which prided itself on being knights among knights, no one walked around with such a mercenary-like appearance. The trainees also sneered at Zeke''s attire. "Does he think he''ll be stronger with a bigger sword?" "As expected, the Pankration was just a fluke." Pan also clicked his tongue inwardly at Zeke''s appearance. ''Was I expecting too much?'' Just as he was about to call Zeke''s opponent, "Instructor." Someone called out to Pan. Pan looked at the trainee who had called him. "Reina Turunn." A genius who had already awakened her aura before the Blessing Ceremony. She was a talent that even the Draker n paid attention to. "Please allow me to duel with Zeke Draker." Pan hesitated slightly at Reina''s words. He was curious about Zeke''s skills, but he wondered if Reina was a suitable opponent for Zeke. ''How many of the trainees could even block three of Reina''s strikes?'' As Pan hesitated to answer, "Why are you so hesitant? She wants to duel with me." Zeke, already in the arena, said while looking at Reina. Pan said to Zeke, "Do you really want to duel with Reina Turunn?" Zeke wordlessly raised his sword. With the situation like this, Pan couldn''t stop them. He nodded to Reina. Thud! Reina stepped onto the arena opposite Zeke. Unlike Zeke, who was holding a ymore, she was holding an ordinary arming sword. Zeke felt a strange excitement as he looked at Reina. ''A duel with the sh Knight. What an honor.'' Reina drew her sword without a word. Zeke also lifted his ymore. Reina noticed something strange about the way Zeke held his sword. ''It''s different.'' They had trained together in the Cradle for five years. She knew the way Zeke held and swung a sword. Zeke couldn''t even hold a sword properly before. He even had a special training sword made that was half the weight of a normal sword because he couldn''t handle the weight. But now, he was naturally wielding a ymore, which wasrger and heavier than a normal sword. ''It''s subtle, but his body has grown and gained musclepared to a week ago.'' In general, it was impossible for the body to undergo such a dramatic change in just a week.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ''I''ll know once we cross swords.'' Reina stepped forward. Despite his nonchnt appearance, Zeke was actually nervous inwardly. ''Reina Turunn. The most talented among the next generation of Draker n who awakened their aura through the Blessing Ceremony.'' In his past life, he couldn''t evene close to her level in the Cradle. But it was different now. Zeke felt the heat emanating from his entire body. It was then that Pan shouted, "Duel start!" As soon as he shouted, Reina moved first. Thud! Kicking off the ground, she dashed towards Zeke and swung her sword. The powerful sword strike hit Zeke''s ymore. ng! The swords shed, creating a sound like a giant bell ringing. Zeke was pushed back, still holding his ymore. Reina abruptly changed direction and swung again. ng! Once again, the ymore and Reina''s sword shed, and a sharp ng resonated. Zeke simply blocked Reina''s sword without moving. Leon, among the cousins watching the duel from the stands, was the first to speak. "Zeke''s already finished." Leon sneered with a twisted smile. Jakenn, sitting next to him, simply watched Zeke without saying a word. ng! ng! ng! Despite Reina''s powerful attacks, Zeke only retreated and didn''t attack even once. Leon, sitting in the stands, shouted at Reina, "Reina! Stop ying around and just kill him already!" It was then. "You idiot." Jakenn shot a sharp retort at Leon. Leon red at Jakenn and said, "What did you say...? You bastard..." Jakenn turned and red back at Leon. Leon flinched and backed away, forgetting his anger. He knew his skills were no match for Jakenn''s. "Does it look like Reina is ying around to you?" At Jakenn''s words, Leon finally realized that something was off. The expressions of Owen, the instructors, and especially the head instructor, Pan, were all stiff. No, it was more urate to say they were surprised. Jakenn drove the point home. "That Zeke bastard... ispletely toying with Reina." Leon''s face turned pale at those words. Indeed, Zeke, who was parrying Reina''s sword, was at ease. ''So this is the swordsmanship of the sh Knight when she was in the Cradle.'' Her swordsmanship was precise and powerful, unbelievable for a twelve-year-old. Of course, Zeke in the past couldn''t wield a sword like that at the same age. But for Zeke, who had regressed after living a harsh life for 20 years, Reina''s swordsmanship was child''s y. The tension and excitement he felt at first had long since disappeared. He was now guiding Reina, deflecting her attacks and leading her to better sword paths, as if in a practice duel. ''Fast and strong, but that''s it. It''s too textbook,cking individuality.'' Being faithful to the basics was good, but she was swinging her sword too rigidly. Reina, who had been blindly following Zeke''s lead, also seemed to realize something was strange. She suddenly withdrew her sword and stepped back. "Huff... Huff..." Reina caught her breath, holding her sword and red at Zeke. Reina had never once been out of breath while dueling with her peers. But Zeke in front of her didn''t feel like a peer at all. It felt like she was having a practice duel with an instructor. Seeing Reina hesitate, Zeke lowered his ymore a bit. ''Let''s break the mold a little.'' Suddenly, Zeke moved quickly and closed the distance with Reina. Slide! Pan was surprised to see Zeke''s footwork as he smoothly closed the distance. ''Is that Quick Step? How does he know that technique?'' Actually, Quick Step wasn''t much of a technique. It was a basic skill that involved moving your feet quickly to close the distance in an instant and bring your opponent within your attack range. However, although it sounded simple in words, it was a technique that could only be mastered through real-lifebat experience on the brink of death. Just then, something appeared before Zeke''s eyes. Even while closing the distance with Reina, Zeke read the message that popped up. [Active Skill ''Quick Step'' registered.] ''So this is how you register skills.'' Zeke''s Quick Step was different from the usual. He closed the distance in an instant, leaving no trace, like a ghost. It was a technique possible only for Zeke, who had several times more muscle fibers than others. Whoosh! Zeke suddenly appeared in front of her as if he had folded space. At the same time, Zeke''s ymore came flying. Reina hurriedly took a defensive stance. ng! The ymore struck her sword with force. ''Ugh...'' Her wrist throbbed from blocking the attack without a proper stance. But that wasn''t the end. Zeke''s ymore drew a strange trajectory and struck her sword repeatedly. ng! ng! ng! ng! Zeke moved the giant, heavy ymore as if it were an extension of his own hand. Reina couldn''t help but panic as the sword attacks came frompletely unexpected directions and angles. She had lost herposure. Whoosh! Zeke''s ymore came flying from the front. ''No!'' Reina instinctively drew upon the power of her aura. ng! Reina''s sword, imbued with aura, deflected Zeke''s ymore. ng! Zeke, unable to withstand the force of Reina''s aura-infused attack, lost his grip on the ymore. Whizz! Thud! The deflected ymore embedded itself in the arena floor. Seeing him lose his sword, everyone thought Zeke had lost. But then, a shocking scene unfolded. "This is..." Zeke, the moment he lost his grip on the ymore, charged towards Reina. Closing the distance with Quick Step, Zeke struck Reina''s throat with a hand strike. Cough! Reina clutched her neck and stumbled back. Jakenn and Leon gaped at the sight. They had been taught that a knight should never let go of their sword, even in death. Indeed, Reina was still gripping her sword tightly even as she clutched her neck. Leon jumped to his feet and shouted, "Crazy Bastard! This is a sword fight! I won''t ept this kind of brawl!" Zeke turned and red at Leon. Leon, meeting Zeke''s fierce gaze, flinched and backed away. Pan, the head instructor, was also contemting how to judge Zeke''s unorthodox attack. It was then. Reina lowered her sword with a hardened expression. And she slowly opened her mouth. "I lost." Reina Turunn admitted her own defeat. She had failed to defeat Zeke even after using her aura, which she had decided not to use against fellow trainees. But that wasn''t the only reason she admitted defeat. ''If that had been a dagger instead of a hand strike...'' It was herplete defeat. The trainees in the arena, as well as the instructors evaluating them, were speechless. Zeke picked up his fallen ymore, slung it over his shoulder, and walked down from the arena, just as he had entered. Pan finally regained hisposure and announced the result of the duel. "Z-Zeke Draker, winner!" Everyone in the arena was shocked by Zeke''s victory. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 6 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 6n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om A handsome man with red hair took a sip of his ck tea, savoring the aroma. He wore ck leather gloves with strange patterns etched into them. Unlike typical knights, he was dressed in a ck uniform and a leather coat, with his sword slung across his back. This attire signified only one thing. A full-fledged knight of the Draker n. And among them, the most noble status, a pure-blooded Dragon yer. Abel Draker, the second of the five direct descendants of the Draker n, set down his teacup with a satisfied expression. "The tea smells wonderful." With his red hair flowing like a mane, he was a knight who had roamed the battlefields and earned the title of "Lion Sword." Seeing Abel Draker''s rxed demeanor, his cousin William Siemens, sitting opposite him, let out a sigh. "Do you really have the leisure to enjoy tea now, Abel?" He had a serious expression as he looked at the news from the Cradle that his younger brother Owen had sent. "You''re not bothered even after hearing that Zeke, that boy, defeated Reina Turunn?" Abel set down his teacup andughed. "You''re always so serious, William." With a rxed expression, Abel asked William, "The Blessing Ceremony isn''t far off, is it?" William nodded. "Yes, it''s in a month." Abel grinned and stood up. He walked to the window and looked out at the scenery. The scene outside waspletely different from the peaceful room. Everything was on fire, and people were screaming. Amidst the chaos, knights were capturing prisoners, beheading them, and throwing their bodies into a pit. Despite witnessing this scene of pandemonium, Abel''s expression remained calm. He slowly opened his mouth. "I think it''s time I paid a visit to the main house." Abel continued, "I''ve be curious about what kind of awakening our youngest will have." * * * Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke was swinging his ymore in the private training room. Horizontally, vertically. For a month after the year-end evaluation, Zeke had focused solely on basic swings, to the point of boredom. After defeating Reina and shocking the entire Cradle, he had shut himself in the training room and devoted himself to swordsmanship practice. "Whew..." After finishing ten thousand swings, Zeke wiped his sweat with a towel. His body had grown remarkably in a month. He had grown over 5 centimeters taller, and his muscles were now firm and defined. It was the result of repeating the hellish training of pushing his body to its limits and then healing it with Healing. "Whew." Zeke exhaled and said, "Status window open." Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Expert)] / Quick Step [D-rank (Expert)] "Hmm..." While practicing his swordsmanship, the Mutte skill had changed to Continuous sh after surpassing the expert level. Continuous sh was a higher-level skill with greater uracy than Mutte. ''I still don''t understand why only I can see this.'' Zeke shook his head at the thought that came to mind while looking at the status window. For now, he could only guess that it was rted to the ancient artifact he found in his past life. To reach the Ice Mountains where the ancient artifact was hidden, one needed to be at least a Blue Knight, so in his current situation, there was no information he could get about this status window. Zeke focused on the Karma Points. Perhaps he could learn more about the system if he eliminated magical beasts with mana and earned points. ''First, I need to regain my original skills.'' Knock!, knock! Someone knocked on the door of the private training room. "Come in." Decker entered. "Young master, they say we depart in two hours." Zeke nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll be out soon, so get ready." * * * Rumble! The carriages carrying the Cradle trainees began to move, escorted by the Draker n knights. The carriages were emzoned with the family crest. The Cradle was located within the ''Dragon''s Nest'' territory, where the main Draker household was located. The Dragon''s Nest was where the Draker n originated, and it held great symbolic significance. However, since the Duchy of Troy, where the main estate was located, was situated in the western part of the continent, the actual center of the family, the Four Seasons Castle, was located in Mind, the center of the continent. One of the reasons why the main house of the Draker n held such important symbolism was because of the ''Blessing Ceremony.'' And the carriages carrying the trainees were heading towards the main house of the Dragon yers for this ''Blessing Ceremony.'' Thud! The trainees who got off the carriages were all wearing ck ceremonial robes with the Draker n crest. Zeke also got off the carriage. ''It''s been a while.'' Zeke looked around the main building of the Draker n,monly known as the ''Lair,'' which had been preserved for over a thousand years. It was in this ce, where the founder Terakan was said to have been born and raised, that the legend of the Dragon yers began. The trainees moved to the hall where the Blessing Ceremony would be held. Creak! The door opened, revealing a massive hall. On the central wall of the hall was a depiction of the founder, Terakan Draker, striking down the evil Dragon Bahamut with his sword, its neck wrapped in chains. The hall was already filled with the n''s knights and retainers in uniform, waiting for the trainees. They were the parents and family members of the trainees who hade to witness the Blessing Ceremony. Zeke stood at the very back and looked around at the people in the hall. ''There are more faces I don''t recognize than those I do.'' Since he had been expelled from the n at the age of fifteen in his previous life, he hadn''t had the chance to see the Draker knights directly. He had actually learned more about the Draker n through news articles while wandering the continent. Perhaps among them were those who served as informants for the direct Draker descendantspeting for the position of the next family head. ''Well, they''ll soon lose interest once they realize I can''t awaken my aura.'' It was then that Zeke noticed someone. A red-haired man wearing a different uniform than the others and leather gloves. Zeke''s heart pounded as if it were about to leap out of his chest. ''Why is he here...?'' It was Abel Draker, the second son of the Draker n''s direct descendants. As if sensing Zeke''s gaze, Abel turned his head, looked at him, and grinned. A genius among geniuses who had been promoted to Blue Knight at the young age of twenty, ten years ago. The supernova who was shaking the continent with the title of Lion Sword hade here in person. Zeke gulped as he looked at Abel. ''Lion Sword. No, the Knight of ughter...'' The Abel Draker he had seen in his past life was a figure who caused great upheaval not only in the Draker n but also on the continent. Zeke was nervous as he looked at Abel. ''Abel definitely didn''te here in my past life. Then... this means the future has changed because of me.'' It was a small change, but things were definitely changing little by littlepared to his past life. Just then, Pan Mark appeared, dressed in the family uniform. "The Blessing Ceremony will begin shortly!" At Pan''s shout, everyone in the hall moved towards the wall. Then the servants behind them brought something to the center of the hall. Thud! Thud! Thud! Arge object covered in cloth was ced in the center. At Pan''s gesture, the servants removed the cloth. Even though Zeke knew what it was, his eyes wavered when he actually saw it. ''To think I''d see that damn thing again.'' What was ced in the center of the hall was a giant bronze statue of a man in armor holding a sword. It was the Sword God Statue used in the Draker n''s Blessing Ceremony. Pan stood before the Sword God Statue and called out a name. "Aaron, step forward." The tall boy who was standing at the front of the children stepped forward. Aaron looked up at the Sword God Statue nervously. Then he slowly knelt on one knee and ced his hand in the bowl of water ced beneath the Sword God Statue. A sharp needle hidden under the bowl of water touched his palm. Woooong! The blood that flowed from the needle prick spread faintly, and the surface of the water rippled. At the same time, the bowl began to glow, and the Sword God Statue trembled. Rumble! Soon, a bluish light emanated from the sword. Aaron''s body was also enveloped in a blue aura. It was a sign that the Blessing Ceremony was sessful and he had awakened his aura. The descendants of the Draker n awakened their aura at the age of twelve through this blessing of aura. The aura awakening of the Draker n members was incredibly fast, considering that knights from ordinary families usually awakened their aura in their twenties. Thanks to this blessing of aura, the Draker n was able to raise strong knights faster than any other family on the continent. Following Aaron, other trainees also received the blessing of aura in front of the Sword God Statue. "Next, Reina. Step forward." It was Reina''s Turunn, and she also stepped forward and ced her hand in the bowl of water. Rumble! A blue light emanated from the sword of the Sword God Statue, as expected. It was a natural result for Reina, who had already awakened her aura and opened her lower dantian. It was then. Woooong! The blue light red even stronger. Then it quickly turned red. Gasps erupted from the observers. "Red light! A pure-blooded awakening!" Reina''s body was enveloped in a red light. The pure-blooded awakening, which only appeared in a select few among the Draker bloodline, was like a guarantee that they would grow to be stronger than a Blue Knight. Moreover, those with a pure-blooded awakening were granted special abilities. Crackle! With Reina''s awakening, the magicmps in the hall flickered. It was due to the influence of ''Mana Interference,'' a characteristic of the pure-blooded Dragon yer lineage. "Bring the gloves!" At Pan''smand, the servants brought temporary gloves to Reina. As Reina put on the gloves, the flickering stopped. Everyone in the hall, both observers and trainees, looked at Reina with awe. Reina Turunn was now able to use the name Reina Draker. Because she had proven herself to be a pure-blooded Draker. As Reina finished her awakening and stepped back from the Sword God Statue, Pan shouted, "Next! Zeke!" It was finally Zeke''s turn. Everyone in the hall focused their attention on Zeke. The youngest son of Arthur Draker, the current head of the n and one of the strongest on the continent. Statistically, the pure-blooded awakening was more likely to appear in the direct descendants of the n head who used the Draker name. Everyone watched Zeke standing before the Sword God Statue. ''To think I''d be standing here again.'' The terrible memories of his past life crept up on him. Zeke knelt and slowly ced his hand in the bowl of water. The sharp needle pricked his palm. Blood spread through the bowl of water. ''Whew...'' Everyone in the hall held their breath and focused on the Sword God Statue. Rumble! The Sword God Statue vibrated. If the Blessing Ceremony was sessful, a blue light would emanate from the sword. But then, something unbelievable happened. Thud! The Sword God Statue stopped vibrating without emitting any light. ''Damn it...'' Any descendant of the Draker n should receive the blessing of aura. The observers, witnessing this unprecedented phenomenon of the vibration stopping without the expected reaction, simply tilted their heads and watched the Sword God Statue. However, Zeke had experienced this situation in his past life. He had tried the ritual again with his other hand, but the blue light still didn''t appear. ''Is this life the same as well?'' He had a glimmer of hope that this life might be different from his past life. But the Sword God Statue didn''t ept him this time either. ''Damn it. Well, it doesn''t matter. There are plenty of ways to be stronger without awakening my aura.'' Just as Zeke was about to pull his hand out of the bowl, suppressing his bitterness, Woooong! Suddenly, the Sword God Statue began to vibrate differently than usual. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [The Appraisal Terminal has detected missing information required for ss appraisal.] [Entering ss information into the terminal with system authority.] ''What''s this?'' The administration system, visible only to the Sword God Statue and Zeke, was interacting. Woooong! The entire Sword God Statue vibrated even more violently. [ss appraisal information entryplete.] Suddenly, light emanated from the eyes of the Sword God Statue. The observers, witnessing this unprecedented phenomenon, looked bewildered. [The terminal has appraised the user''s talent as a ''Healer.''] [Confirmed that the ss has already been opened.] [Determining the acquired ss as a Rare grade.] Whoosh! A red light flickered from the sword of the Sword God Statue. ''Red light?'' A red light flickering from the Draker n''s Sword God Statue signified a pure-blooded awakening. Usually, a blue light appeared and then changed to red, but it was the first time a red light appeared from the start. The observers murmured at the sight of the red light from the Sword God Statue. And at that moment, new letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 7 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 7 A series of messages appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [The ''Blessing of the Elder Dragon'' engraved on the user''s soul is activated in conjunction with the terminal.] [The bloodline talent ''Warrior''s Blood'' awakens.] [The awakened talentsbine.] [A new ss has been formed through the rarebination of talents.] [Awakening the talent of the Unique ss ''Immortal''.] Woooong! The red light of the Sword God Statue suddenly turned gold, and at the same time, Zeke''s body was enveloped in a golden light. And then, messages quickly appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [ss skill ''Healing'' transforms into passive skill ''Healing Factor''.] [ss skill ¡®Composed Mind'' transforms into passive skill ''Unyielding Mental Defense''.] [ss skill ''Health Regeneration'' transforms into passive skill ''Infinite Stamina''.] [ss skill ''Heightened Senses'' transforms into passive skill ''Combat Senses''.] Zeke read the messages that were popping up incessantly. ''My ss and skills have changed?'' [Due to the bloodline talent, you have be ''Magic Repellent''.] [The ''Magic Repellent'' trait is enhanced by a skill due to the ss characteristic.]N?v(el)B\\jnn [The enhanced trait transforms into the skill ''Mana Reflection (A-rank)''.] [Unique ss Special Skill ''Area of Effect Buff (A-rank)'' granted.] [100 Karma Points granted as a Unique ss Special Reward.] Zeke was startled. ''Trait enhancement? Unique ss Special Skill? What is all this?'' As Zeke read the messages, the golden light subsided, and the observers were thrown into confusion. "G-golden light?" "What in the world happened?" "I-is this... really a pure-blooded awakening?" The entire hall was in an uproar. Everyone was speechless at the Sword God Statue''s reaction, which waspletely different from the usual Draker awakening. It was then. p! p! p! Abel Draker, who had been watching the ceremony from behind, pped his hands. Then he shouted, "What are you doing! Quickly bring the gloves for our youngest!" Gloves that blocked Mana Interference ability symbolized a pure-blooded awakened. Abel Draker, a direct descendant and a pure-blooded awakened, had acknowledged Zeke as a pure-blooded awakened as well. Hearing Abel''s words, Pan was silent for a moment before finally speaking. "Bring the gloves." The servants hurriedly brought Zeke a pair of gloves. Rough leather gloves with no pattern. A proper pair of gloves would be made for him when he entered the academy. Zeke slowly picked up the temporary gloves and put them on. He felt the weight of the heavy gloves. As Zeke was about to return to his ce, Abel approached him. "Congrattions on your pure-blooded awakening, little brother." Abel extended his hand to Zeke. Zeke looked at Abel''s outstretched hand and recalled what had happened in his past life. Abel Draker, the Knight of ughter. The war he ignited eventually came back around andpletely changed Zeke''s life. Because of it, Zeke lost the person most precious to him. Zeke unconsciously clenched his fist as he looked at Abel''s outstretched hand. "This is rather awkward." Abel lowered his hand and looked down at Zeke. Zeke sensed a calm madness hidden in Abel''s eyes. Abel smiled at Zeke. "Let''s meet again." He turned around and left the hall. Zeke watched Abel''s retreating figure and clenched his fist. ''Abel, I don''t know what you''re up to, but I won''t go down easily.'' * * * After the Blessing Ceremony, a grand party was held for the trainees who hadpleted the Cradle. All the trainees in this batch had received the blessing of aura, and two had even achieved a pure-blooded awakening. Everyone who attended the Blessing Ceremony talked about Reina and Zeke''s awakening. In particr, Zeke''s golden light was an unprecedented phenomenon, so everyone was very interested. But Zeke, who was practically the main character of the party, wasn''t there. He had slipped away to his room as soon as the party started. "Whew..." Zeke entered his room and threw off the stuffy ceremonial robe. Perhaps because it was a room for a pure-blooded awakened, it was decorated with luxurious furniture. It was a ce that Zeke in his past life couldn''t have even imagined. ''It''s good to be a pure-blooded awakened.'' Zeke took off the gloves he was wearing. And he held his hand up to the magicmp. But even when he waved his hand, there was nothing unusual about the magicmp. ''That''s strange.'' All pure-blooded Drakers had the ''Mana Interference'' ability. An ability that proved they were the natural enemies of dragons, the creatures of mana. Because of this ability, pure-blooded Drakers couldn''t live a normal life without gloves. But even though Zeke was recognized as a pure-blooded awakened, this Mana Interference ability wasn''t activated. "Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Senses Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Expert)] / Quick Step [D-rank (Expert)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff [A-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills: (Unavable - 10 Karma Points required to unlock) Karma Points Held: 100 The contents of the status window werepletely different from before. "Immortal. Unique." Before the Blessing Ceremony, Zeke''s ss was Healer, and his grade was Rare. Zeke had a hunch. ''The terminal said that the identification information needed for ss appraisal was lost, and the system forcibly entered it.'' This meant that the Sword God Statue had limitations in identifying sses. Zekepared his reaction to that of the other awakened ones and realized the true nature of the Blessing Ceremony. "Damn it. Of course it wouldn''t react to the Healer ss, since it''s a tool that can only identify Warrior sses." Zeke gritted his teeth, remembering the hardships he had endured in his past life. The Sword God Statue used in the Blessing Ceremony was an ancient artifact that had been used since the generations before Terakan, the founder of the n. Its origins and functions were not properly known. Only the form that blue light meant normal awakening and red light meant pure-blooded awakening had been passed down. If the Sword God Statue in his past life had been able to identify the Healer''s awakening, it would have definitely emitted a red light in response to the Rare grade. Zeke recalled that his light had changed from red to golden during the Blessing Ceremony. "It seems that the golden light appeared because I changed from a Rare ss Healer to a Unique ss Immortal." Zeke checked the new skills he had acquired. "The skills I received as Unique ss privileges are A-rank. That means they must be quite effective." Zeke first looked at the descriptions of the ''Mana Reflection'' and ''Area of Effect Buff'' skills. ¡ªMana Reflection: Creates a distortion field that nullifies surrounding mana. ¡ªArea of Effect Buff: Allows the caster to transfer their skills to multiple targets within range. "Magic nullification and wide-range skill transfer?" With his abundantbat experience, Zeke could think of dozens of strategies to use these two skills to outwit his enemies. He wore a satisfied expression. "If I use them here, the magicmps will all explode, so I''ll have to test their effects quietlyter. And let''s see, I received 100 Karma Points as a privilege." He had 100 points received as a privilege for awakening to a Unique ss. Zeke looked at the Draconian Skill category, which was marked as unavable, and selected it. [Do you want to use points to unlock Draconian Skills?] ''What should I do?'' He thought about it for a moment, but since there was nowhere else to use the Karma Points, he chose to use them. Ding! [Draconian Skills unlocked. You can now view the skill list.] Zeke checked the Dragon Skill status window. ¡ªDraconian Skills Level 1¡ª Dragon Eyes (Locked - 20 points) / Dragon''s Majesty (Locked - 30 points) / Gluttony (Locked - 50 points) (50 Karma Points required to unlock Level 2 skills) "What''s this?" He had high expectations for the Draconian Skills, but something was strange. ''Is it because they''re Level 1 skills?'' Zeke pressed the skill descriptions. ¡ªDraconian Skills Level 1 Information¡ª Dragon Eyes: Allows you to see more clearly and examine the opponent''s information in detail. (20 points required to unlock) Dragon''s Majesty: Allows you to subdue enemies with your overwhelming presence. (30 points required to unlock) Gluttony: Allows you to eat and digest a lot. (50 points required to unlock) "Hmm...?" It seemed that all three skills required more points to be unlocked and used. ''But what''s thatst skill?'' He could somewhat understand Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty, but Gluttony waspletely iprehensible. "Why does eating and digesting a lot require more points to unlock than other skills?" It seemed like he wouldn''t know exactly what kind of abilities they had until he tried using them. Zeke contemted as he looked at the three skills. Having already spent 10 points to view the Draconian Skills, he had 90 points left. ''First, I''ll unlock Dragon Eyes... and then it''s between Majesty and Gluttony.'' He couldn''t unlock all three because he was 10 points short. Even if he unlocked only Dragon Eyes and spent 50 points to view Level 2 skills, it seemed like he wouldn''t be able to learn them without more points. After some thought, Zeke chose Majesty over Gluttony. "I can unlock Gluttony... after I catch some monsters." Zeke opened the Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty skill windows and pressed unlock. [Do you want to unlock the Dragon Skill, Dragon Eyes?] [Do you want to unlock the Dragon Skill, Dragon''s Majesty?] ''Yes, unlock both.'' The screen changed instantly. Draconian Skills (Level 1 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) Karma Points Held: 40 Dragon Eyes and Dragon''s Majesty appeared in the Draconian Skills section. Zeke looked at the two skills and pondered. "But... how do I test these?" Unsure, Zeke activated Dragon Eyes. [Dragon Eyes activated.] Zeke''s vision changed instantly. ''Huh?'' It was apletely different feeling from what he normally saw. He turned his head to look at a dark area, and the previously invisible area turned green, allowing him to distinguish the shapes of objects. "Wow, what is this?" It was an ability that allowed him to see beyond the range of human vision. Just then, Zeke noticed something. [Do you want to check the detected object information?] ''What''s object information? Let''s see.'' [Chair made during the Lubern dynasty] [Decorative candlestick made in the Sicron region] [Olive wood desk made in the Misok region] As he looked at the objects in the room, information about them was automatically disyed. "Oh my god. How is this possible?" Just then, his vision returned to normal, as if the Dragon Eyes'' duration had ended. Zeke felt a sudden wave of fatigue. "Hmm... the cost is high because the performance is good." Considering the fatigue, there was a limit to how many times he could use it per day. "Let''s see, next is Dragon''s Majesty." Zeke endured the dizziness and activated Dragon''s Majesty. [Dragon''s Majesty activated.] Wooong! A faint wave emanated from Zeke''s body and spread in all directions. "Is this Dragon''s Majesty?" Zeke stood in his room and examined the range of the wave. The effective range was about 3 meters, and it was difficult to measure the full extent of the faintly spreading wave beyond the room. The skill deactivated as if the wave had spread to its limit. "Does this wave create a sense of intimidation?" The problem was that there were no enemies, so he couldn''t tell the skill''s effect. It was then. Bursting open! Decker rushed into Zeke''s room with a hardened expression. He was holding a small dagger in his hand. "D-Decker? What''s going on?" Decker shouted as he shielded Zeke, "Young master, get down! There''s an intruder!" Zeke was startled by Decker''s reaction. Decker raised his senses, trying to find traces of the energy he had just felt. But he couldn''t sense any energy anywhere. ''What''s going on? I definitely felt a terrifying presence from this direction.'' Through Decker''s reaction, Zeke could indirectly experience the power of Dragon''s Majesty. ''If Decker, a Blue Knight, reacts like this... I can probably subdue most small fries with this.'' Decker, unable to find any trace of the intruder, eventually said he would strengthen the surrounding security and left the room. Zeke broke out in a cold sweat after Decker left. "Whew, I can''t use this skill carelessly." He felt a wave of fatigue after using Dragon''s Majesty as well. "At this rate, I can''t use the skills many times." No matter how powerful the skills were, if the number of times he could use them was limited, it was no different from a picture of a cake. But just then, letters appeared before his eyes again. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 8 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 8 [Passive skill Healing Factor activated.] [Passive skill Infinite Stamina activated.] A warm energy spread through Zeke''s body. "Huh? My body suddenly feels refreshed?" The fatigue suddenly disappeared. It was the same refreshing feeling he used to feel whenever he used Healing when he was exhausted. Zeke moved his body around. "What is this?" Zeke checked the skill information, which had changed from active skills to passive skills. ¡ªPassive Skill Description¡ª Healing Factor: Automatically heals the body''s wounds. (Always active) Unyielding Mental Defense: Defends against all status abnormalities caused by external factors and keeps the mind calm. (Always active) Infinite Stamina: Infinite stamina allows for immediate recovery from fatigue. (Always active) Combat Senses: Danger perception is maximized, and cognitive speed increases duringbat. (Always active) Zeke''s jaw dropped after reading the skill descriptions. "Oh my god." Not only were the skills stronger than when he was a Healer, but they were also always active. Zeke especially paid attention to the Healing Factor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Automatically heals the body? Doesn''t this mean infinite healing?" He had tried to achieve a simr effect with Healing in his past life, but he had failed. This was because there was a significant cooldown time between uses of Healing, and it was difficult topletely heal all wounds with Healing alone. Zeke decided to test Healing Factor. He took out the dagger he had put in his pocket. "Whew." Zeke gripped the sharpened dagger and shed his palm. sh! Red blood flowed from his palm. Zeke tilted his head, looking at the dripping blood. "Huh? What''s this? Does the skill not activate if I inflict the wound myself?" Zeke wondered and pressed the wound to stop the bleeding. Then he suddenly noticed something strange. "Huh?" There was no wound where the blood was flowing. It was so clean that he couldn''t even tell he had been cut. [Skill Healing Factor activated.] The system notification couldn''t keep up with the speed of the wound healing. Zeke decided to make a bigger wound. He shed his forearm with the dagger. His skin split open. But at the same time it split, the wound closed and returned to its original state. "Crazy... what kind of cheat ability is this?" Zeke, who had lived a rough life in his past life, fighting with swords, could fully appreciate how overpowered his ability was. He finally understood the meaning of his ss name. "Immortal." It was the perfect ss name for his abilities. Zeke stood up. He picked up the ymore leaning against the wall and muttered, "With this level of ability, I can move my ns forward by about three years." Zeke''s eyes gleamed. It was possible to graduate from the academy after five years if you passed the exam. However, those with exceptional abilities could apply for early graduation. Zeke swung his ymore and smiled. "That academy? I''ll graduate within two years." * * * Unlike the Cradle, which was located within the Dragon''s Nest, the academy was located in the heart of the capital of the Duchy of Troy. The Duchy of Troy, famous for the legend of the Dragon yers, was located in the western part of the continent and was the territory of the Draker n. The Draker n''s academy, founded by the family''s founder, Terakan Draker, was the continent''s best knight school, boasting a long tradition. Therefore, not everyone could enter the Draker Academy. Only those who received a special letter of rmendation from the Draker n, their retainers, or those rted to the family could enroll. And since it was a ce where the children of influential people across the continent wanted to enter even if it meant paying a fortune, the capital of the Duchy of Troy, although small in size, was as bustling as the capital of the Empire. And the time when this decent capital became especially lively was February, when the new semester of the Draker Academy began. Rumble! On the day the new semester started, carriages carrying students from all over the continent flocked to the academy. The central za of the academy was filled with new students as well as upperssmen. They were all wearing ck cadet uniforms modeled after the Draker n uniform, and the upperssmen of the academy were already well-built and muscr, almost like adults. "They''reing." Rumble! At someone''s words, ck carriages entered the academy in a line. The gathered students watched the ck carriages with tense expressions. ck carriages with the Dragon yer Emblem. They were the carriages carrying the new students from the Cradle. The ck carriages lined up in a row and stopped at one side of the central za. Then, the doors opened, and the new students from the Cradle disembarked one by one. Both the upperssmen and the new students watched them with nervous expressions. The Cradle graduates, who had undergone harsh training from a young age and were now entering the academy, were on a different level from ordinary students. They were all directly or indirectly rted to the Draker n and had awakened their aura through the Blessing Ceremony. They were starting from a different starting line. As if to emphasize this, the Cradle graduates were wearing ceremonial robes with the Dragon yer Emblem, unlike the ordinary students. Those who entered the academy from outside looked at them with awe. Then, Reina Turunn, now able to use the name Reina Draker, appeared. Thud! As Reina got off the carriage, dozens of students from the Turunn n, who had been waiting on one side of the za, approached her and knelt. "We greet Reina Draker!" They emphasized the name "Draker." Reina looked down at them and nodded slightly. The Turunn n students stood up, straightened their backs, and stood behind Reina. She then led the dozens of students into the academy building. The children of influential ns, such as Jakenn Vardec, Leon Conrad, and Owen Siemens, already had their factions established in the school before they even entered. Just then, the door of thest carriage opened. All eyes in the za turned towards it. The person who emerged from the carriage was Zeke Draker. The youngest son of the n head, Arthur Draker, and the rumor that he was a pure-blooded awakened had already spread throughout the academy. Surprisingly, Zeke Draker wasn''t wearing the n''s ceremonial robes. He looked around the academy za, dressed in casual clothes with a massive ymore slung over his shoulder, and stepped down. "Whew... how long has it been since I''ve been here?" In his past life, he had been expelled from the academy at the age of fifteen and wandered the continent. Seeing the familiar scenery of the academy building brought back the pain of the past. Zeke walked across the za with his ymore slung over his shoulder. It was a ce so vast and maze-like that neers would get lost, but that didn''t apply to Zeke. He skillfully found his assigned dormitory. "Hmm. It''s good to be a pure-blooded awakened. I never thought I''d get the tinum Floor." Pure-blooded awakened were given an entire floor of a luxury mansion to use during their time at the academy. And the floor master was provided with various benefits, including exclusive maids and servants, a private training room, a lounge, a swimming pool, a sauna, and a reading room. Zeke walked towards the tinum Mansion, the luxury dormitory, instead of the ordinary dormitory. It boasted a splendid exterior,parable to a 5-star hotel in Mind or the Dorta Republic, and disciplined staff that exuded elegance. It was a ce he couldn''t have imagined in his past life when he used the ordinary shared dormitory. As he approached the mansion, one of the staff members walked towards him. "Wee, Master Zeke Draker. We''ve been waiting for you." Zeke entered the mansion, guided by the staff member. He boarded the mana-powered elevator. "Please be sure to wear your gloves, as there may be problems with the elevator for pure-blooded awakened." Zeke nodded, and the staff member operated the elevator. His assigned floor was the 4th floor. Ding! As the elevator doors opened, the servants and maids who managed the 4th floor lined up and greeted Zeke. "Wee, Master!" Zeke was flustered by the sight, something he had never experienced in his past life, but he pretended to be nonchnt. Then, the elderly head servant approached Zeke and bowed politely. "It is an honor to serve you, Master Zeke. If you wish, I can guide you on how to use the tinum Floor." Zeke waved his hand. "Thank you, but I''ll take the tourter. Where is my luggage?" "Master Zeke''s luggage has been organized in your room." "Lead the way to my room." Zeke followed the head servant to his room. The entire floor was Zeke''s space, so it seemed to be several hundred square meters. The head servant opened the door, revealing a room no different from a luxury hotel suite. "Huh..." It was a glimpse of the power of the Draker n, who spared no expense in investing in talented individuals. "If you need anything, please ring the bell anytime, Master Zeke." Zeke asked the head servant, who was about to leave, "Where''s Decker?" "Decker has gone to the academy administration office to process your enrollment, Master Zeke." "Tell him toe see me when he returns." "Yes, sir." As the head servant left, Zeke slowly looked around the room, which was as spacious as a training ground. ''I could actually train here.'' He muttered to himself and then walked to one side of the room and opened a luxurious wardrobe made of walnut. Inside, there were a dozen uniforms that fit him perfectly. Zeke clicked his tongue. ''Are they rolling in money? The more I see, the more I realize this family is crazy.'' Before Zeke could finish looking around the room, Decker returned with a small box bearing the Dragon yer Emblem. Zeke immediately realized what it was. "Are those the gloves?" "Yes, sir. Please open it." Zeke opened the lid of the box Decker was holding. A pair of ck gloves with the Draker n crest was inside. "Gloves made of dragon leather." To block Mana Interference, alchemically treated dragon leather was required. As a Dragon yer family, the Draker n had thergest collection of dragon-rted items on the continent. He took off the temporary gloves and put on the new ones. The gloves, which seemed small, surprisingly fit his hands perfectly as if they were a second skin. Zeke clenched and unfurled his gloved hands, checking the fit. "They''re light? And incredibly soft. It feels like I''m not even wearing gloves." Unlike the heavy and ufortable temporary gloves, the official gloves were extremelyfortable. Decker closed the box and ced it aside, saying, "Now that you are a pure-blooded awakened, you must wear them at all times." Although Zeke''s Magic Repellent trait had been enhanced into the Magic Reflection skill, removing the constant activation effect, the gloves of a pure-blooded awakened still had many benefits. Decker asked Zeke, "By the way, why were you looking for me?" Zeke picked up the ymore leaning against the wall with his gloved hand. "This. I need a new one made." He could continue using the ymore he brought from the Cradle, but it had its limitations as a training weapon. The Duchy of Troy had an abundance of high-quality iron and skilled artisans, so most academy students had their first weapons made here. Decker nodded. "Understood. Then I will search for a suitable artisan." Zeke shook his head. "No, I''ve already found one." He took out a note from his pocket and handed it to Decker. "Find this person and make an appointment. I''ll go in person." Decker tilted his head at the note Zeke handed him. "Is he a famous artisan worthy of you going in person, young master? I don''t think I''ve ever seen that name before." "He''s not famous now. The reason I''m going in person is... well, it''s hard to exin. Just make the appointment first." Although Decker seemed to find it strange, he nodded. "Understood. I''ll let you know as soon as the appointment is made. Also, sses start tomorrow. I''ve ced the materials for new students on the desk, so please be sure to familiarize yourself with them." Zeke clicked his tongue as he looked at Decker. "Always nagging. Alright, I''ll train after dinner, so book the training ground for me." Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "Have you forgotten where you are, young master?" "Huh? This is the tinum Floor... Ah, that''s right. They said there''s a private training room here too." Zeke nodded with satisfaction. ''With a private training room... I can practice the Dragon Skills more freely.'' It was then. At the sudden knock, Decker went to check and saw the head servant entering the room. "Master Zeke. There''s a message from another Floor Master." "A message? From whom?" The head servant handed Zeke a note and said, "It''s a message from Miss Reina Draker, the master of the 6th floor." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 9 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 9 Zeke went up to the top floor where the tinum Floor''s exclusive lounge was located. He was guided by a servant to the lounge, where Reina Draker was already seated. Behind Reina stood several upperssmen who followed the Turunn n. Seeing that, Zeke scoffed inwardly. ''Do they think they''re cartel members?'' To Zeke, it looked like child''s y. At Reina''s gesture, the Turunn n cadets stepped back. Zeke sat opposite Reina. "I apologize. My family members are a bit... entric." Reina had grown out her shaved head from the Cradle days into a short-cut. Wearing the Draker cadet uniform and the gloves symbolizing a pure-blooded awakening, she looked like the epitome of a Draker knight. ''Amazing.'' Zeke sensed the energy emanating from Reina and realized that she had already opened her lower dantian and begun aura cultivation. Once again, Zeke felt that the Draker n was a den of monsters. "Why did you call me?" Zeke asked Reina directly. He hadn''t refused the invitation out of curiosity about the sh Knight, who was the strongest among the knights of his generation in his past life, but he didn''t want to waste time on trivial matters. Just then, the servants started bringing in the prepared food. tes piled with thick steaks were ced in front of Reina and Zeke. "Let''s talk while we eat." Zeke was slightly surprised to see the massive amount of steak ced in front of Reina. ''Is she going to eat all that by herself?'' He wasn''t a small eater himself, but Reina''s appetite was beyondmon sense. She tore the bloody steak into chunks and shoved them into her mouth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om She finished a whole piece of steak in an instant. Reina, seeing Zeke staring at her eating instead of touching the steak in front of him, asked, "What''s wrong?" "No, it''s nothing. So why did you call me?" Reina wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. I won''t beat around the bush. ept the sponsorship of the Turunn n." epting sponsorship meant bing a member of the Turunn n. Zeke clicked his tongue at Reina''s words. "You called me just to say that? I''m disappointed." "It''s not easy to graduate from the academy without a sponsor n. Especially if you''re aiming for Valha." Valha. It was the highest educational institution located in As, thergest city in Mind, the heart of the Central Continent. Like the academy they were currently in, Valha was also run by the Draker n. Valha was the best knight training institution, and just entering it guaranteed one''s future. Over 70% of the knightmanders in the kingdoms located in the Central Continent were from Valha. And not all Draker descendants could enter Valha. Only the best of the best could enter. Zeke looked at Reina and said, "Did you think I wouldn''t be able to enter Valha because I don''t have a maternal n to give me pocket money?" The direct descendants, including Zeke, were all half-siblings with different mothers. In the case of Abel Draker, the second son, his mother was from the Siemens n, so he was sponsored by that n. Simrly, while other direct descendants had powerful families backing them, Zeke had no maternal n to support him. His mother had died of illness when he was young, and there was nothing he could learn about her, as if she didn''t belong to any noteworthy n. Therefore, it was impossible for him to receive support from any faction rted to his mother. Knowing that Zeke had no sponsor n, Reina was the first to offer the support of the Turunn n. Reina continued speaking as she chewed and swallowed her steak. "The Turunn n''s sponsorship wouldn''t be a bad offer. Unless you already have another n to support you." Reina wasn''t wrong. The Turunn n was one of the main retainer families of the Draker n. The Power of Turunn. The Knowledge of Siemens. The Wealth of Valdec. As one of the three families supporting the Drakers, the Turunn n''s power would undoubtedly be of great help to Zeke''s growth. But Zeke firmly refused Reina''s offer. "No. It''s the same with any n. I don''t feel the need to be sponsored." Reina, who had been continuing her meal, was surprised and stopped at Zeke''s blunt refusal. She hadn''t expected Zeke to refuse her offer. Seeing Reina like that, Zeke recalled his memories of the Turunn n. ''If I get involved with the Turunns here, I could be tied down for life.'' Another way to describe the Turunn n was the Tenacity of Turunn. With their unique organizational skills and unwavering loyalty, the Turunn n never let go of a target once they set their sights on it. There was a reason why the Turunn n had been in charge of the Draker¡¯s infamous pursuit unit, the ''Chase Squad,'' for generations. For Zeke, who wanted to graduate from the academy quickly, take what he needed from Valha, and leave the Draker n, the Turunns were more like chains that would bind him than reliable sponsors. ''I''m curious about the Turunn n''s secret techniques, but even if I learn them, I''ll lose more than I gain.'' Reina, who had already finished the steak on her te, looked at Zeke and said, "You never cease to amaze me, Zeke Draker." "There will be more surprises in the future." Zeke got up to leave but then stopped. He turned to Reina and said, "Reina Draker, let me give you some advice out of goodwill." Reina looked at Zeke. "Your current swordsmanship is too rigid. In my opinion, your strength isn''t in brute force, but in the flexibility thates from your uniquely resilient body. There''s no need to force yourself to be strong like other men. If you utilize your flexibility, you can be several times stronger than you are now." Reina stared nkly at Zeke''s words. Zeke was the first person to give her such direct advice, even though she had been known as a genius since childhood. Zeke, having given his advice, left the lounge. Reina, left alone in the lounge, finally came to her senses and pondered Zeke''s words. "I was conscious of other men?" It was something she had never thought about before. The Turunn n was symbolized by strength. So Reina had simply followed that n tradition. ''No, maybe I was unconsciously aware of it.'' A genius was different. Reina acknowledged her shorings as soon as she recognized them. She quickly grasped the opportunity to be stronger. She looked at the entrance of the lounge where Zeke had disappeared. ''Zeke Draker. What do you see with those eyes?'' * * * The next day, the first sses of the academy semester began. The ss Zeke was assigned to was called the ''Special ss,'' where the most outstanding elites were gathered. He walked around the campus, looking around. ''Ha, it''s been a while.'' In his past life, this ce was filled with only bad memories, but aftering back as a pure-blooded awakened, this ce felt like heaven. ''As expected, it''s good to have power and authority.'' Unlike the ce where ordinary students took sses, the Special ss had its own separate building. He had never been to this ce in his past life, so he climbed the stairs with curious eyes. He saw the Special ss building as he reached the top of the stairs. ''So that''s the building.'' It was smaller than the building for ordinary students, which amodated thousands, but considering it was a building exclusively for the Special ss, which had only a few hundred students, it was enormous. Just as Zeke was about to enter the building, "Zeke Draker." A voice called out to him. Zeke turned around. "Owen." Owen Siemens was there with a few other students. Judging from their uniforms, they were wearing badges symbolizing the Siemens n. It seemed they were cadets belonging to the Siemens n. They red at Zeke with wary eyes. Zeke scoffed inwardly. ''Already forming cliques? This damn family is rotten to the core, even the kids.'' Looking around, most of the Special ss students, whether in small orrge groups, had formed their own factions. The only one alone was Zeke. Owen approached Zeke. He slowly opened his mouth. "I invited you to dinner yesterday, but you didn''t reply. Did you not receive the message?" Zeke said to Owen, "No, I received it." Owen asked in a calm voice, "Then why didn''t you reply?" Zeke replied, "You''re a funny guy. Do I have to reply to every single dinner invitation you send?" At Zeke''s sharp retort, one of the upperssmen from the Siemens n stepped forward. He was a guy with muscles bulging beneath his uniform. "That seems quite rude to the young master''s kindness." Zeke said to him, "Who are you?" The guy frowned and said, "Huh. A new student doesn''t know me? This is..." Zeke didn''t want to waste any more words and simply turned around. It was then. Whoosh! A hand strike flew towards Zeke. He reflexively reached out and caught it. Woong! ''Aura?'' The hand strike was imbued with aura. Zeke blocked the strike with his hand, then used Quick Step to retreat. "How''s that? Feeling a bit more alert now?" The upperssman who had thrown the hand strike said confidently, loosening his hand. "My name is Durban Roswell. Here, I''m called Durban the sher. I''m the one who will teach you some manners on behalf of Master Owen." ''Durban the sher?'' He wondered why a student who wasn''t even a knight was using a title. Zeke looked at Owen, who was standing behind Durban, with disbelief. Owen, far from stopping Durban, was observing Zeke''s reaction. ''So this is how you''re going to y it.'' He didn''t like the way Owen was scheming behind the scenes, typical of the Siemens n. Zeke clenched his fist and said, "I''m your manners injection today. Brace yourselves." Zeke''s figure vanished in an instant. Swish! Zeke weaved through Durban''s guard and closed in. Durban saw Zeke''s fist flying towards his abdomen and smiled confidently. ''How cute. A freshman''s punch.'' Durban focused his aura on his abdomen. His steel-like abs, reinforced with aura, became as hard as an iron te. It was obvious that a freshman''s punch would shatter against it. Whoosh! ''Huh?'' Durban doubted his ears. The sound was strange. Zeke''s fist, which had cut through the air,nded squarely on Durban''s abdomen. Crash! Crack! "Gah!" Durban felt as if his entire abdomen had been ripped out. Zeke''s attack, now in full swing, didn''t stop. He used Quick Step to close the distance and then spun to the other side, delivering a low kick to Durban''s thigh. Whoosh! Crash! The same sound as before rang out. "Ugh..." Durban copsed, unable to stand from the impact that sent his thigh throbbing. Zeke''s attack was so fast that Durban couldn''t even attempt to protect his thigh with aura. Durban''s face turned pale blue. "Is it... broken?" Zeke approached the copsed Durban, clenching his fists tightly. Durban waved his hand in panic. "W-wait!" But it was Durban who had started the trouble in the first ce. Zeke had no reason to hold back for his sake. "Durban, the ''sher''? What a load of crap!" With Durban''s ribs cracked and his thigh bone shattered, Zeke stomped on him mercilessly. Owen and the other senior cadets stood silently, merely observing Zeke''s brutal assault. After thoroughly beating Durban, Zeke pressed hard on his injured leg. "Aaaagh!" Durban''s screams echoed throughout the special division''s training yard. The other cadet groups nearby watched the scene with interest. Zeke turned to Owen and said, "Who''s backing Durban the sher? Hurry up ande out¡ªI''m busy." Owen nced at the fallen Durban before turning his head away. He addressed Zeke with a cold tone. "Zeke Draker, you''re bing insufferably arrogant." Zeke scowled at him, his expression filled with disdain. "Save it, you pompous old geezer." Owen stared at Zeke intently for a moment before silently leading the other senior cadets from the Siemens group into the special division''s building. Durban, abandoned,y groaning at Zeke''s feet. Clicking his tongue, Zeke watched Owen''s retreating figure. "Those Siemens bastards¡ªeveryst one of them is unbearable." By now, Durban was crawling away, dragging his legs behind him. Seeing this, Zeke casually approached and delivered a swift kick to Durban''s side. "Aaaagh!" Durban''s scream once again reverberated across the training yard. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 10 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 10 Zeke entered the Special ss building after easily defeating Durban the sher. In his past life, he couldn''t even awaken his aura, so he was at the bottom of the ordinary ss, let alone the Special ss. The cadets in the ordinary ss had to follow a strict schedule. They had to move ording to a tightly packed timetable from morning tillte at night. The instructors'' teaching policy was that if youcked talent, you should make up for it with effort. Thanks to this, Zeke, who couldn''t awaken his aura and had poor stamina, had to struggle to keep up with the sses. ''I really wanted to die back then.'' Zeke recalled his past and headed to the Special ss homeroom. He gaped at the luxuriously decorated homeroom, something he couldn''t have imagined when he was in the ordinary ss. There were even high-quality desks prepared for each student in the spacious room. Zeke found the desk with his name on it and sat down. He looked to his side and saw Reina, whom he had met yesterday, sitting upright with a straight back. Looking around, it seemed like about half of the students were from the Cradle, including Owen, Jakenn, and Leon. The rest were talented students who had been trained by their respective families. As Zeke was looking around and assessing the other students, someone entered the homeroom. At the same time, all the cadets stood up. It was none other than the academy''s headmaster, who entered with their homeroom instructor. Reina, the representative of their batch, shouted loudly, "Salute the Headmaster!" The cadets all saluted the Headmaster in unison. The Headmaster, with his impressive Kaiser moustache, epted the cadets'' salute with a friendly smile. All the other cadets were looking at the Headmaster with respect. Except for one person, Zeke. ''It''s been a while, Howard Draker.'' Howard Draker, the war hero who made a contribution by participating in the Eastern Empire invasion war 20 years ago. Zeke knew his other side. ''A petty man who only engages in conspiracies while wearing the mask of a hero.'' Above all, he was the one who cruelly expelled Zeke from the academy in his past life. Zeke gritted his teeth as he watched Howard give his speech. ''I will repay you someday.'' While he was grinding his teeth, Howard Draker finished his speech, and the cadets gave him a standing ovation. The Headmaster left, and the homeroom instructor gave a brief announcement. Unlike the ordinary ss, the Special ss was allowed to create their own schedules by choosing the subjects they wanted. It was a clear privilegepared to the ordinary ss. But there was still a mandatory ss they had to attend. The Special ss cadets moved to the training ground together for their firstmon ss. As expected of an academy created by the Draker family, their first ss was a practical one, not a theoretical one. It was time to learn the basics of the ''Dragon yer Technique.'' About a hundred new Special ss cadets lined up in the vast training ground. Just then, someone entered the training ground. Step! Step! A knight from the main Draker household, wearing the official uniform embroidered with the Dragon yer Emblem, appeared. The Special ss students had slightly puzzled expressions at the sight of the unexpectedly young knight. But Zeke gasped when he saw the knight who entered. ''The Red-Eyed Knight...! I never thought I''d see Andrei here.'' Andrei Draker. He hadn''t undergone a pure-blooded awakening, but with his outstanding talent, he graduated early from the academy, graduated from Valha with excellent grades, and immediately became a knight of the main family. In his past life, Andrei attained enlightenment in his early thirties and became a Red Knight. He earned the title of Red-Eyed Knight because the red aura that formed on his sword resembled an eye. ''To think they''re using a knight from the main family as a basic training instructor.'' It showed how much attention the Draker n was paying to the Special ss. Andrei spoke as soon as he stood in front of the students. "Everyone, draw your swords." His voice was filled with authority, unlike his gentle-looking face. The students obediently drew their swords. It was then that Andrei noticed something. "Cadet. What is that sword?" Andrei pointed at Zeke''s sword. Zeke twirled his ymore and said, "As you can see, it''s a sword." Andrei said, "Step forward." The atmosphere instantly turned heavy. Zeke stepped forward with his ymore. Andrei looked down at Zeke and said, "Do you not understand what I mean, cadet?" Zeke was starting to get annoyed by Andrei''s condescending tone. ''This bastard, with every word...'' A message suddenly popped up. [Skill Unyielding Mental Defense activated.] Perhaps due to the skill''s effect, his anger subsided, and his mind calmed down. ''Alright, since things havee to this...'' He looked Andrei straight in the eye and said, "I said it''s a sword, what''s wrong with that?" The cadets in the training ground felt a sudden tingling sensation on their skin. It was because the faint killing intent of a Blue Knight had spread throughout the training ground. Zeke clicked his tongue inwardly as he looked at Andrei. ''He still needs more training. To be provoked by a kid''s words and use his killing intent like that.'' Provocations from enemies weremon in actual battles. Even a skilled knight could be killed by a lower-ranked knight if they were agitated and couldn''t utilize their full potential. Andrei slowly drew his sword and said to Zeke, "Cadet, if your sword even grazes my body, I will forgive your disrespect and exempt you from basic training." Zeke was surprised by those words. ''Exempt me from basic training?'' It was a wee offer for Zeke. The basic Dragon yer Technique training wasn''t very useful to him, as he needed to focus on cultivating his ether hall. ''I''ve practiced the basic Dragon yer Technique for over two years.'' Zeke, who had failed to receive the blessing of aura at the Blessing Ceremony, had to learn the course that others finished in three months for two whole years. While Zeke was inwardly rejoicing, Andrei took a stance with his sword. "I won''t use aura. Come at me." Zeke took a stance with his ymore. ''He won''t use aura, huh?'' A battle n instantly unfolded in his mind. [Skill Combat Senses activated.] His senses sharpened due to the skill''s effect. "Here Ie." Zeke moved swiftly with Quick Step. His sword lunged towards Andrei''s side. ng! Andrei lightly parried Zeke''s sword. Zeke changed direction and swung his sword again. Whoosh! The ymore, imbued with all his strength, shed against Andrei''s sword. ng! Andrei effortlessly deflected therge, heavy ymore with his sword. Zeke''s fierce attacks were all neutralized by Andrei''s light swordsmanship. The Special ss cadets gaped at Andrei''s movements. ''As expected of a knight from the main family.'' Among them, only one person, Reina Draker, thought differently. ''Even if he''s not using aura, how can he exchange blows with a knight from the main family for so long?'' Andrei''s expression gradually hardened as he blocked Zeke''s attacks. ''This guy... who the hell is he?'' Initially, he had intended to make an example of the cadet with the strange sword and establish dominance over the entire Special ss, who were full of spirit. He thought they would tremble after he unleashed his killing intent a few times, but he was annoyed that Zeke was meeting his aggression head-on. So he tried to teach him a lesson, but things weren''t going as nned. Whoosh! Zeke''s sword suddenly flew from his blind spot. ng! Andrei swung his sword, blocking and deflecting Zeke''s attack. It was filled with unbelievable strength for a thirteen-year-old. He had thought that Zeke would tire and copse after a few exchanges with this level of swordsmanship, but the boy wasn''t exhausted at all and was swinging his sword even more vigorously. ''If I don''t use aura, I might be the one to tire first.'' Andrei''s only weakness, despite having enough talent to receive the Draker name, was hisck of stamina. He had never had a duel that dragged on because of his exceptional talent, so it wasn''t much of a problem. But in actualbat, stamina was often more important than swordsmanship itself. Zeke, with his abundantbat experience, saw right through that. ''Those young knights who only practiced swordsmanship diligently in a greenhouse are all the same.'' He didn''t know what would happen if Andrei used aura, but since he was kindly only using swordsmanship, it was a golden opportunity for Zeke. Zeke, with the passive skill Infinite Stamina, swung his sword freely without feeling any fatigue. Whoosh! He deliberately swung his sword erratically, left and right, up and down, to exhaust Andrei''s stamina. It would have been more advantageous for stamina conservation if he had simply met Andrei''s attacks head-on instead of using advanced techniques like deflecting. But Andrei''s arrogance, in trying to teach a cadet a lesson, had brought about the worst possible oue. ng! Andrei''s deflection of Zeke''s sword faltered slightly. Zeke realized that Andrei''s stamina was significantly depleted. ''Taste the bitterness of life, you greenhouse flower.'' Zeke sneered inwardly and used Quick Step to dash towards Andrei. At the same time, he activated the One-hit Kill skill. Whoosh! Zeke''s strength, the eleration of Quick Step, and the power of the Critical Strike skill were all channeled into the ymore. Andrei sensed the power contained in Zeke''s sword. ''That''s dangerous.'' He instantly retreated and sheathed his sword. Then, he took a step forward and drew his sword. Zeke knew this move. ''Dragon yer Technique Chapter 1, Verse 1. Sky Cleave.'' It was the most basic move in the Dragon yer Technique, but its power was different when performed by a Blue Knight. Boom! The swords shed, and an explosion-like sound resonated. The cadets watched with wide eyes to see the result of the sh. "Ugh..." Zeke, holding the ymore, stumbled backward. Blood trickled from his mouth. On the other hand, Andrei was still holding his sword in the same stance. It was Zeke''s defeat, in to see. Then Andrei straightened his posture and sheathed his sword. Turning around, he said in a low voice, "Cadet... you are excused from attending this ss from tomorrow onwards." Hearing Andrei''s words, Zeke copsed to the ground. The healers waiting on the side carried Zeke away on a stretcher. The other cadets, who had been watching the duel between Andrei and Zeke, gulped nervously. Andrei looked around at the cadets and said, "Are there any other cadets who do not wish to attend this ss?" No one raised their hand at Andrei''s question. He continued in an authoritative voice, "Take up your swords. From today onwards, you will devote yourselves to training to be true Draker knights." It was the beginning of the Dragon yer Technique basic training course. * * * The healers carried Zeke to the infirmary on a stretcher. Just as the healer was about to inject Zeke with a potion mixture, "That''s alright. I don''t need a potion." Zeke, who had fainted from bleeding, woke up perfectly fine and grabbed the healer''s hand, refusing the treatment. The surprised healer tried toy Zeke down again. "You must have internal injuries, so lie down. Otherwise, there could be serious side effectster." Zeke wasn''t actually injured, but there was no way to exin it, so he justy down and obediently received the potion. Although the top-grade potion was useless to him with his Healing Factor, he decided to just take it since it was the Draker n''s money anyway. Hey there, recalling the duel from earlier. ''Well, I guess that was a decent performance.'' Andrei ended up using aura at thest moment, even though he had said he wouldn''t. The Draker n was known for their unique aura training. They were trained to maintain their aura at all times, regardless of time or ce, whether eating or sleeping. As a result, using aura became as natural as breathing. Andrei was also consciously trying not to use aura, but when blocking the final blow, he unconsciously used it. Although Zeke''s sword didn''t graze Andrei''s clothes, he had forced a Blue Knight to use aura, so he had sufficiently demonstrated his skills. And since Zeke copsed, Andrei also didn''t lose face in front of the cadets. It was the result of Zeke''s staged performance in a duel where neither side had anything to lose. He started thinking about how to use the free time he had secured. It was then. "What a strange kid." Zeke was startled. ''I didn''t sense any presence at all.'' He sat up and looked around cautiously towards the source of the voice. Gulp, gulp! A man with a bushy beard was mixing a potion with pure alcohol used for disinfection and then downed it in one gulp.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Then he wiped his mouth with satisfaction. "Ah... My insides are tingling. As expected, the taste of a top-grade potion is different." The man drank the remaining potion and spoke to Zeke. "Hey kid. How did you do that earlier?" Zeke asked cautiously, "What do you mean?" The man lifted the potion bottle and poured thest drop into his mouth. Then he smacked his lips and said, "Ah... Trying to y dumb, kid. You were internally injured, you know." Zeke flinched. "How did you heal so quickly after taking a direct hit from aura?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 11 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 11 Zeke was momentarily taken aback by the drunkard''s words. ''He noticed my Healing Factor?'' His pupils constricted and his muscles stiffened in surprise. But soon, the ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' skill activated, allowing him to regain hisposure. "I don''t understand what you''re talking about." He didn''t know who the man in front of him was. He thought it was better to pretend ignorance than to speak rashly. The drunkard smacked his lips, checking if there was any alcohol left, then brushed his hands together. "Hmm... So you''re going to y dumb?" That''s when it happened. The drunkard suddenly lunged at Zeke. ''An attack?'' Before Zeke could even register the attack, the man''s sharp de came flying towards his face. Zeke rolled his body and fell under the bed, dodging the de. Simultaneously, he kicked up the mattress to block the man''s vision. As hended on the floor, he reached under the bed and attacked the man''s knee. Thump! The attack missed as the drunkard leaped into the air. Zeke crawled further under the bed and kicked the bed frame with his foot. ng! The metal bed frame wasunched into the air. Whoosh! Zeke rolled his body and moved towards the door, the only exit. As he got up, he grabbed the ymore he had ced beside him. ng! Zeke was startled as he drew the ymore. ''What''s that...?'' He saw the man bncing on the edge of the bed frame, doing a handstand in mid-air as if performing an acrobatic stunt. The man jumped off in a stable posture, gently pushed the frame with his foot, and returned the bed to its original position. These were not the movements of an ordinary knight. Zeke pointed his ymore at the man and spoke. "Who sent you, assassin?" It was possible that other direct descendants of the purebloods had deployed this assassin to keep him in check. The man tilted his head, picking at his ear, as he heard Zeke''s words. "The more I see you, the stranger you seem." The man didn''t answer Zeke''s question and slowly approached him. Zeke quickly closed the distance and struck with a deadly blow. Whoosh! It was a strike thatbined the eleration of his quick movement, the power of his deadly blow skill, and the strength of the ''Herculean Strength'' skill. But the man simply reached out and caught Zeke''s sword with his fingers. "Hmm..." Zeke tried to pull his sword out from between the man''s fingers, but it wouldn''t budge. ''This is no ordinary assassin.'' Zeke immediately let go of his sword and stepped back. The man looked at Zeke curiously, examining the ymore stuck between his fingers. "A Draker retreats and abandons his sword?" His voice was closer to curiosity than reproach. Whoosh! The man twirled his hand, and in an instant, the ymore was in his grasp. Zeke changed his demeanor and asked the man, "May I ask who this esteemed individual is?" With such skill, he was at least a Blue Knight or higher. Initially, Zeke had assumed he was an assassin disguised as a healer. However, observing his actions, it seemed he had no intention of killing Zeke. ''If he had intended to kill me, I would already be dead.'' That''s how significant the difference in skill was between Zeke and the man. The man scratched his bushy beard and then threw the ymore he was holding towards Zeke. Thud! Zeke lightly caught the heavy ymore. That''s when it happened. The man who was standing in front of him disappeared. ''Behind?'' In the blink of an eye, the man was behind Zeke. ''With this level of skill, he could be a Red Knight.'' Cold sweat trickled down Zeke''s forehead. The man ced a hand on Zeke''s shoulder and said, "My name is Dexter." It was a name Zeke had never heard of, even in his previous life. Dexter whispered to Zeke, "Kid. If you want to talk to me,e find me at the greenhouse on the west side of the academy." Leaving those words behind, the man''s presence vanished. Zeke turned around, but as expected, the man was nowhere to be seen. ''Just who is he?'' Beads of cold sweat formed on his back. It was the first time he had felt such a sense of frustration since his return. He had only felt this way once before in his previous life. ''This is the first time since my Master.'' Even considering that his current state was far below his abilities in his previous life, Dexter''s skill was extraordinary. As he sheathed his sword, Zeke tried to recall if there was any information from his previous life that matched this man. ''There''s nothing that perfectly matches this Dexter fellow.'' Just then, a piece of information shed through his mind. ''Wait, could it be that person...?'' If his hunch was correct, he could also understand why Andrei was currently at the academy. Zeke''s eyes gleamed. *** A week had passed since Zeke''s encounter with Dexter. During that time, Zeke acted as if nothing had happened with Dexter. He didn''t even nce towards the western greenhouse, quietly focusing on attending his sses. During the Basic Dragon yer training sessions, he practiced cultivating his ether hall in the tinum Floor''s private training room, only venturing out when he had other sses. Currently, Zeke was on his way to arge lecture hall to attend a Mana Theory ss, one of the few lecture-style sses at the academy. In the tiered lecture hall, the instructor diligently lectured on the properties of mana and the principles of magic manifestation. Other students weren''t very interested in the theoretical lessons. After all, what mattered was practical application. However, Zeke, surprisingly, listened intently to the mana theory lecture, even taking notes. Other group students who disliked Zeke watched him with curiosity. ''I didn''t realize it when I heard it before, but listening again, there''s a lot of useful information.'' In his previous life, he had been bullied so much and struggled to keep up with the practical training that he didn''t have the time to focus on the theory sses. After leaving the academy, he learned almost everything through direct, hands-on experience. He didn''t have the opportunity to take systematic theoretical sses. As he reviewed the systematically organized theory with his ingrained practical experience, things he knew instinctively began to make sense. ''Aha, so that''s why if a warrior simply strikes a magic form being cast by a mage with their shield, they can suffer damage from the bacsh.'' Zeke guessed that the instructor wasn''t an ordinary mage. As he expected, the Mana Theory instructor, Paynun, was a former schrship student from Delfoa''s National Magic University, a country known as the birthce of magic. However, Paynun himself was exhausted from the atmosphere of the academy, a space for knights, by knights, and of knights. The reason he, renowned as a genius even at Delfoa Magic University, came to the academy as an instructor was the stable research environment. That''s why Paynun had taken the job as an instructor at the academy, despite the dissuasion of many seniors. ''Sigh... there was a reason why my seniors tried to stop me.'' Since the Mana Theory ss was mostly conducted formally, it was absurd to expect enthusiasm from the aspiring knight students. And following that atmosphere, he too had begun to approach the ss mechanically. But then, "Professor, I have a question." Paynun thought he had misheard something. ''Haha, now I''m hearing things.'' But then the voice came again. "I don''t quite understand the mana conversion operation form you just exined." Paynun was startled and turned around. There actually was a student asking a question during ss. Paynun adjusted his sses and stammered, "M-Mana conversion operation form? Which one?" Zeke clearly and precisely asked about the part he was curious about. "Aha, this one, you see. You have to adjust the mana constant." Zeke nodded, understanding Paynun''s kind exnation. Seeing Zeke understand his exnation after just one try, Paynun was impressed. "D-Do you have any other questions you don''t understand?" At his words, Zeke asked a few more questions. Paynun was slightly surprised as he listened to Zeke''s questions. ''Considering he doesn''t know the basic forms, those are quite in-depth questions?'' Before he knew it, the ss was almost entirely filled with questions and answers between Paynun and Zeke. Ring! Ring! Ring! The bell rang, signaling the end of the theory ss, and the students got up from their seats for the next practical training session. Zeke only stood up after asking Paynun a few more things he needed. "W-Wait a moment, student Zeke." Paynun called out to him, and Zeke turned around. "If you have any more questions, feel free toe to my office anytime. It''s the room at the very end of the second basement floor in the research building." "Understood, Professor." Receiving Paynun''s affectionate gaze, Zeke left the lecture hall. "He''s full of passion, maybe because he''s a young professor." Zeke wasn''t sure if he would have more questions, but he believed that it wouldn''t hurt to befriend a mage. ''There''s no one as useful as a mage as a colleague.'' Mages were quick with calctions and excellent at adapting to situations, making them flexible and adaptable anywhere. On the other hand, knights oftencked flexibility because they only trained with swords, and in crisis situations, they often became a burden. Recalling what he had learned from Paynun, Zeke exited the building. But there was someone lying on a bench outside in the courtyard. ''That person is...'' As Zeke stepped out of the building, Dexter slowly got up from his spot. Scratching his bushy beard, he looked at Zeke and said, "The more I see you, the more interesting you seem, kid." Zeke addressed Dexter, "What brings you here, sir?" Dexter, getting up, said, "Kid. Didn''t you hear what I said back then?" Zeke looked at him directly and replied, "Yes, I did." Dexter looked at Zeke in disbelief. "Huh... then why didn''t youe to the greenhouse?" Zeke said in a calm voice, "I was busy with personal training." At his words, Dexter''s jaw dropped. Then, after a moment, he closed his mouth and seemed lost in thought, before lifting his head and looking at Zeke. "Is that so." Suddenly, Dexter''s body disappeared. Even with hisbat senses heightened, Zeke missed Dexter''s movement. Then, Dexter, appearing from behind, lightly tapped Zeke''s neck. "Th..." Damn it. Zeke couldn''t finish his sentence and copsed. Dexter took the unconscious Zeke and disappeared somewhere. *** "Ugh..." Zeke finally regained consciousness. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw an intense green scent and lush leaves. Zeke abruptly sat up. ''Was I kidnapped?'' He looked around. "Where am I?" He was inside a building made of ss, where countless nts and trees were growing. "Kid, are you feeling better?" Turning his head, he saw Dexter watering the nts. Finishing up, Dexter gulped down a potion mixed with alcohol. "Ugh!" A strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air. Zeke spoke to Dexter, "Did you kidnap me?" Dexter put down the watering can and replied, "Yeah, that''s right. Kidnapping." At his words, Zeke calmly scanned his surroundings. ''There''s one escape route at the back, one to the east, and one across from me.'' Instinctively identifying the escape routes first, Zeke slowly started to move his body. Seeing this, Dexter grinned. "Why are you trying to escape?" His figure disappeared again.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeke instinctively rolled his body to the side. "Oh my, but I''m right here." Dexter appeared on the side Zeke had rolled towards. Zeke regained his stance, wary of Dexter. "Just who are you?" Dexter grinned. "I''ll tell you if you can catch me even once." Dexter gestured towards Zeke, as if inviting him to try and catch him. Looking at Dexter, Zeke was actually thinking something else. ''Good. He took the bait.'' Outwardly, he was a thirteen-year-old boy, but inside, he was a seasoned warrior who had gone through all sorts of hardships. ''Dexter is an alias.'' Zeke already knew his true identity. That''s why he deliberately didn''t go to the greenhouse and instead led him toe find him. ''His real name is the Gale Knight, Duke Draker.'' Zeke gulped as he looked at him. ''In the past... he was a ck Knight of the Draker n.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 12 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 12 Seeing the change in Zeke''s demeanor, Dexter grinned. ''This little guy. Is he finally ready to try?'' The more he saw him, the more peculiar he found him. Countless talented individuals had sought him out, but he had never paid attention to any of them. After ten years, someone had finally appeared who piqued his interest. ''Let''s see what you''ve got...'' But then Zeke''s figure darted towards the escape route at the back. Dexter''s eyes, expecting Zeke to charge at him, were filled with bewilderment. ''Huh? Look at this kid.'' He hesitated for a moment, then started running. In an instant, Dexter was blocking Zeke''s path. Zeke gritted his teeth and changed direction again. As if amused, Dexter once again moved ahead of Zeke, blocking his path. Zeke stepped back and spoke to Dexter, "Why are you doing this to me, sir?" Dexter looked at Zeke in disbelief. "I''ve seen people beg me to teach them, but this is a first." Zeke shook his head and said, "I have no such intention, so please just let me go." "Huh... really? You have no desire to learn anything from me?" Zeke nodded. "I don''t have enough time to master what I already know." Crack! Veins bulged on Dexter''s forehead. His body shimmered and disappeared. Reappearing, Dexter tossed the sword towards Zeke. Catching the ymore, Zeke asked, "Can I go now?" Dexter crossed his arms, looked down at him, and said, "No, you can''t just leave." Now Dexter was feeling challenged. His body shimmered again. And at that moment, a line stretched across the greenhouse between Dexter and Zeke. He looked at Zeke and said, "I don''t care what you do. If you can cross this line, I''ll grant you anything you desire." "How can you make such an irresponsible promise when you don''t even know what I might desire?" "I said I''ll grant you anything! You impertinent little brat!" Zeke, as if he had no choice, took a stance with the ymore in hand. "You made a promise." Dexter grinned. "Alright. Come and get it." Holding the ymore, Zeke activated Quick Step towards Dexter and charged at him. Dexter simply stood still beyond the line. Whoosh! He was clearly running forward, but suddenly the floor and ceiling were reversed. ''Huh?'' The ground rushed towards his face. Thwack! A tremendous impact struck his face. Zeke found himself sprawled on the dirt floor. ''What was that...?'' As hey there, Zeke recalled a simr experience with his master before his return. ''Damn it, it feels awful to experience this again after so long.'' Zeke sprang to his feet. Dexter was yawning and picking at his ear. Zeke charged towards Dexter again. Crash! The result was the same. He found himself lying on the floor, staring at the greenhouse ceiling. "Whew..."N?v(el)B\\jnn Seeing Zeke exuding a different aura than before, Dexter grinned. "So, are you finally getting a bit interested?" Zeke gripped his ymore tightly. Then he lunged forward again. The result was the same. Dexter watched Zeke get up, panting, and savored the feeling of satisfaction. ''You arrogant brat. After getting thrown around ten times, you''ll be clinging to my leg and begging for mercy.'' As Dexter expected, Zeke continued to charge and was repeatedly thrown to the ground. But as time passed, Dexter''s expression gradually darkened. ''Wait, how many times has it been now?'' He had been changing the direction of his full-force charges and mming Zeke to the ground, so his back must be aching terribly. But this kid, no matter how many times he was thrown down, ten or twenty times, he would get up again without tiring. When it passed two hundred times, Dexter realized something was wrong. He spoke to Zeke in a low voice, "Kid. Just admit defeat." Zeke staggered, panting as if on the verge of copse. Nevertheless, he gripped his ymore tightly and charged at Dexter. The result was the same. Crash! This time, he fell with a louder thud than before, as if he had hit something wrong. But once again, Zeke staggered back to his feet. Zeke''s bloodshot eyes were filled with murderous intent. Even Dexter flinched at that gaze. ''What kind of eyes are those for a child...'' He looked like a mercenary who had spent decades on the battlefield. Then, Suddenly, Zeke straightened his posture and charged forward. Surprised by Zeke''s sudden charge, Dexter tried to suppress his bewilderment and counter the attack. But the reaction waspletely different from the previous two hundred times. [Skill Dragon''s Majesty has been activated.] An aura of murderous intent and pressure emanated from Zeke, sending chills down Dexter''s spine. For a brief moment, his movements faltered. Zeke didn''t miss that opening. [Skill Dragon Eye activated.] Charging at high speed with his sword, Zeke used Dragon Eye to grasp Dexter''s movements, which had been invisible to him until now. The moment Dexter tried to grab and deflect his charging sword, Zeke let go of the weapon and immediately activated another skill. [Skill Quick Step activated.] He dropped his sword and dashed forward, rolling low to the ground. The line was right in front of him. That''s when it happened. Tsssss! In an instant, Dexter''s body split into multiple figures. These duplicates lined up, blocking Zeke''s path. ''What''s this...?'' Zeke''s body was flung into the air again. The ground and ceiling flipped. Crash! He felt his entire spine shatter. He heard the system''s voice in his ears. [Due to excessive skill usage, fatigue has exceeded critical levels.] [Consciousness will be forcibly shut down for user safety.] Other messages popped up, but Zeke could no longer hear them. ''N-No...'' With the line right before his eyes, Zeke''s vision blurred. Soon, darkness enveloped him, and he lost consciousness. *** Zeke woke up in his bedroom on the tinum Floor. "Are you alright, young master?" As he opened his eyes, Decker approached him. Sitting up, Zeke asked, "What happened?" "You''re asking me that, young master?" Decker adjusted his monocle and continued, "You were lying unconscious on the lobby sofa." Zeke roughly understood what had happened. ''Duke must have brought me here after I fainted.'' Decker got up and said, "I''ll call a healer if you''re feeling unwell." Zeke waved his hand dismissively. "No, it''s fine. I was so focused on training earlier that I took a short break and must have fallen asleep on the sofa." Despite the imusible exnation, Decker simply nodded without any further questions. "Understood. Please call me if you need anything, young master." As Decker left, Zeke sat up in bed, recalling the events at the greenhouse. "Damn it... I almost made it." Zeke was well aware of the strengths of his abilities. Inexhaustible stamina and recovery. He had been knocked down and gotten back up over two hundred times, inducing Dexter''s carelessness. The moment he sensed an opening, he used Dragon''s Majesty and Dragon Eye to press his attack. It was an unorthodox tactic, but Zeke had used all his abilities to exploit Duke''s weakness while concealing the power of his middle dantian. ''As expected of someone who was a ck Knight in the past. This isn''t enough to beat him?'' The reason Zeke knew about Duke''s true identity was thanks to Andrei Draker. In his previous life, he had identally learned about the rtionship between Andrei and Duke while carrying out a mission. In the future, Andrei Draker would earn the nickname "Crimson Knight." The reason he was able to be a Red Knight at such a young age, despite not having awakened his pureblood abilities, was because he was the disciple of Duke Draker, who had passed on his secret techniques to him. ''After receiving Duke Draker''s secret techniques, Andrei was able to grow rapidly even without the special abilities of a pureblood.'' Zeke gritted his teeth. ''If I could have learned Duke''s secret techniques, I could have be stronger much faster than now.'' Just then, a message popped up before Zeke''s eyes. [You have an unread message. Would you like to check it?] ''An unread message?'' When Zeke chose to confirm, a message window appeared. [D-rank skill ''Quick Step'' has been transformed into C-rank skill ''High-Speed Movement.''] Seeing the message, Zeke nodded. "C-rank skill, huh. At least I gained something." Then another message appeared. [Your strong will has caused your soul to grow.] [Along with the growth of your soul, the administrator''s system function has been activated.] [Would you like to check the function?] ''System function?'' He didn''t know exactly what it meant, but he decided to check it out. [You can activate the following functions with Karma Points: Activate Minimap (20) / Activate Inventory (20) / Activate Beginner Quest Book (45)] "What is this?" Zeke pressed the exnation button. ¡ª Minimap: Allows you to grasp the structure of terrain and features in the form of a map. ¡ª Inventory: Allows you to store items up to the allowed capacity. ¡ª Beginner Quest Book: Provides tutorials and missions for the efficient growth of lower-level administrators. ''Hmm... I don''t understand even after reading the exnation.'' He could only understand the function of inventory activation. ''Activating the minimap and inventory each require 20 Karma Points.'' He currently had 40 Karma Points, so he could activate both the inventory and the minimap right away. ''I don''t quite understand what it means to be able to store items. Does it mean I get something like a bag?'' After pondering, Zeke used his points to activate the inventory. [Inventory function activated.] Ding! With a signal sound, a grid of five rows and five columns, a total of 25 squares, appeared before his eyes. [When you designate an item you want to store, it will be stored in your inventory.] After reading the exnation, Zeke tilted his head and picked up the ymore that was leaning against his bed. ''Is this how I store it?'' Suddenly, the ymore in his hand disappeared. "Huh?" The vanished ymore was now in one of the squares floating before his eyes. "What is this?" Zeke''s ymore upied two of the 25 squares. [The size and weight of an item affect how much space it takes up in the inventory.] [If you want more storage space, expand your inventory with Karma Points.] [To take out a stored item, think of its name or form.] ''Name or form?'' Zeke concentrated on the ymore. Whoosh! Instantly, the ymore appeared in Zeke''s hand. He couldn''t believe his eyes. "This is much better than a subspace box." It wasn''t that artifacts that could distort space and reduce the volume of luggage didn''t exist. However, the problem was that they were incredibly expensive. Even Zeke in his previous life, due to the nature of his profession, had a small subspace box, but it wasn''t as cost-effective as the inventory. "And on top of that, I can increase the storage space. This is a real windfall." He had failed Duke''s test, but he had gained a new power instead. Zeke was once again impressed by the usefulness of the administrator system. ''If this is what the functions of a Low-rank Administrator are like, what about higher ranks?'' There could be unimaginably useful functions. The problem was the Karma Points needed to activate the functions. "To get more points, I need to hunt monsters..." Originally, he had nned to leisurely explore dungeons and hunt monsters after bing a Purple Knight. But if Karma Points were this valuable, he needed to move up his dungeon hunting ns. "I... need to revise my ns a bit." Knock, knock! Just then, someone knocked. Zeke sensed Decker''s presence beyond the door. "Come in." Decker entered the room and said to Zeke, "A message has been delivered to you, young master." "A message?" Zeke received the note that Decker handed him. Unfolding the note, he saw a line written in crooked handwriting. ?Kid. If you want to challenge me again,e find me.? Zeke grinned at the message. ''He blocked me with a secret technique at thest moment, so is he giving me another chance to challenge him?'' It wasn''t aplete failure. He still had a chance to learn Duke''s secret techniques. Then Decker said to Zeke, "Young master. There''s something I need to tell you." "What is it?" "I found the cksmith you mentionedst time." Zeke nodded at Decker''s words. "When is the appointment scheduled for?" At his question, Decker''s expression darkened. "Well... there''s a bit of a problem." Decker adjusted his monocle and said, "The cksmith you mentioned refused the appointment, saying he doesn''t make weapons anymore." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 13 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 13 Zeke rode in a carriage out of the academy. He was on his way to meet the cksmith who had refused his appointment. ''Gelion Halbert.'' Zeke recalled the cksmith''s name. In his previous life, Zeke had a deep connection with Gelion. Ten years from now, Gelion would earn the nickname "Soul cksmith." He would also earn the title of the continent''s best cksmith because he could read the user''s soul and create the most suitable weapon for them. And before his return, Zeke had saved Gelion''s life while carrying out a mission. Indebted to Zeke for saving his life, Gelion had crafted a much-needed sword for him as a reward. Zeke recalled the ymore he used in his previous life. ''Sr Sword Gram'' The Sr Sword Gram, engraved with a pattern resembling a coiled snake, was a masterpiece by the master craftsman, Gelion. This sword had a special function just for Zeke. It was the ability to convert mana cultivated from the ether hall into aura. The reason Zeke wanted tomission a weapon from Gelion, of all people, was to recreate this Gram. "We have arrived, young master." At Decker''s words, Zeke opened the carriage door and stepped out. It was a small, shabby cksmith''s workshop in a corner of the city. Zeke looked at the sign on the cksmith''s workshop. [Gelion''s cksmith] ''What sense of naming.'' He ordered Decker to wait and entered alone. As soon as he stepped inside, a strong smell of alcohol filled the air. A man was slumped over a table inside. Zeke slowly approached the table. "Ugh!" The man,pletely drunk, waved his hand without even looking at Zeke. "Closed for business... go away... closed..." A young man with pale skin and a gaunt face. He had a delicate face and a thin body that didn''t seem to belong to a cksmith. He had a sparse beard, but it was definitely Gelion. Zeke looked down at Gelion and said,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Gelion Halbert." At the sound of his name, Gelion looked up at Zeke with hazy eyes. "Huh? What? You... this isn''t a ce for kids, so get out..." He then picked up a bottle of alcohol and started guzzling it down. Zeke frowned at hispletely wasted appearance. ''This is serious.'' He looked around the cksmith''s workshop. It seemed like the forge hadn''t been lit in months. He spoke to Gelion, "I heard you''re not taking any appointments. May I know why?" Gelion burped and wiped his mouth. "Ugh... I can''t make the weapons I want to make. What''s the point of making more?" Zeke tilted his head, observing Gelion''s state. ''He''s so different from when I saw him in my previous life. I can''t figure out what''s going on.'' Even in his previous life, Gelion was quite emotionally vtile due to his delicate nature, unlike a typical cksmith, but Zeke had never seen him so despondent. Zeke watched him for a moment, then turned and walked out of the cksmith''s workshop. Gelion chuckled and continued to drink. "Someone like me should just die. What kind of cksmith am I..." That''s when it happened. Ssh! "Gah!" Zeke, who had gone outside to fill a bucket with water, threw it with all his might at Gelion. Gelion, drenched from head to toe, looked at Zeke with a dumbfounded expression. Zeke spoke to him with a cold gaze, "Are you feeling more sober now?" Gelion blinked and stared at Zeke. Then his eyes settled on the gloves Zeke was wearing. Gelion''s face turned pale. "D-Draker..." In the Duchy of Troy, the Draker n held a unique status. Especially among them, the pure-blooded Drakers were even more special. Gelion instantly sobered up. He immediately bowed his head low on the table. "I-I apologize. I''ve been disrespectful to your esteemed self..." "I''ll ask you again. Why did you refuse my appointment?" At those words, Gelion trembled. "I-I never imagined that a pure-blooded Draker would request something from an unknown cksmith like me..." Gelion hadn''t even bothered to check the appointment request in the first ce. Zeke pulled up a chair, sat down, and said to Gelion, "Now you know who your client is. I''ll ask you again, can you take my appointment?" Gelion replied in a fearful but firm voice, "I apologize, but I cannot fulfill your request." Zeke''s eyes narrowed. "You have time to drink, but no time to take my request?" Gelion lifted his head and said to Zeke, "That''s... although it''s impertinent of me to say, it''s a personal matter." "Exin yourself clearly. If it''s not a convincing reason, you cannot refuse my request." At Zeke''s words, Gelion hesitated, then slowly got up from his seat. "This way, please. I''ll exin." Gelion led Zeke to the back of the cksmith''s workshop. Hundreds of broken swords were piled up there. It was like a graveyard of swords. Looking at the wreckage of the swords, Zeke asked Gelion, "What is this?" Gelion said with a bitter expression, "This is the reason why I cannot ept your request." Zeke picked up the fragments from the pile of swords and examined them. "This is..." He could discern something from the broken sword fragments. "It''s the folded steel forging technique. And it''s a much higher level of skill than usual." Gelion was surprised by Zeke''s words. "H-How did you know?" It didn''t make sense for a pure-blooded Draker to know about the "folded steel" forging technique, which even most cksmiths were unfamiliar with. Looking at the mountain of debris, Zeke said, "Are you saying you can''t ept the request because youck the skill?" Gelion nodded with a stiff expression. "I''ve reached my limit as a cksmith." Zeke could understand Gelion''s situation. ''He''s hit a huge wall.'' The Gelion of the future could freely manipte fire and iron, creating the perfect weapon for any user. Seeing Gelion standing at a crossroads in his growth, Zeke fell into deep thought. ''What should I do?'' Actually, Zeke already knew the solution to Gelion''s problem. In his previous life, Zeke had been Gelion''s lifesaver, so he had heard many stories from him. ''Gelion, every time I see the weapons you create, I''m filled with admiration. What''s your secret?'' ''Many cksmiths want to know that. It''s my life''s secret, but what could I hide from my benefactor?'' ''No... If it''s that much of a secret, you don''t have to tell me. It''s too much pressure.'' ''The secret is the forge. A magically crafted forge.'' Gelion''s secret was to freely control the temperature of the fire through a specially made magic forge. Zeke looked at the mountain of sword debris with a bitter expression. ''The timing isn''t right. Does this mean he doesn''t have the skills to create the Sr Sword yet?'' The Sr Sword Gram was a piece that Gelion himself called his greatest masterpiece. If Gelion hadn''t ovee his current obstacle, he wouldn''t be able to create Zeke''s sword. Just then, Gelion suddenly copsed and cried out in frustration. "Ugh... This is so frustrating! If only I had the forge... if only I had the forge..." Zeke spoke to Gelion, "What do you mean by forge?" Gelion pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Zeke. "This is the special forge I designed." Zeke was surprised to see the blueprint drawn on the parchment. ''It''s the same one Gelion used in the future.'' Gelion said with a frustrated expression, "If only this forge wereplete, I could reach the level I envision. But... that damn money is the problem." Surprised by his words, Zeke blinked and asked, "Wait, so you''re saying all these failed works are because you don''t have the money to build this forge? Not because youck the skill?" At Zeke''s question, Gelion said with a serious expression, "I already mastered all existing cksmithing techniques years ago. What I desire is something beyond that." Gelion was trying to go beyond existing techniques to step into a realm that ordinary cksmiths couldn''t reach. Looking at the forge blueprint on the parchment, Zeke asked, "How much money are you short?" Gelion sighed. "I can somehow get a loan to build the forge itself. But... the most important thing is the core magic operation form." "Magic operation form? Can''t you justmission a mage for that?" Gelion made a bitter face. "I already tried submitting a request to the magic tower." "And?" "The Magic Tower guys asked for ten thousand gold to create the operation form for that forge." "Ten thousand gold?" Usually, the monthly living expenses for an average family were about ten gold. Ten thousand gold was an amount that ordinary people couldn''t even dream of earning in their entire lives. "Ten thousand gold? That''s putting the cart before the horse." Gelion had a frustrated expression. "There''s clearly a way to improve, but I can''t surpass that level with ordinary fire. Every time I hammer the iron, I feel nothing but self-doubt." Zeke looked at Gelion and fell into deep thought. ''Before my return, the reason Gelion''s rise to fame was dyed might have been because he was saving money.'' If that was the case, it meant that once the forge wasplete, there would be no problem for Gelion to disy his true skills. Just then, someone shed through Zeke''s mind. ''The Mana Theory instructor... Paynun, was it? He was definitely a specialist in magic operation form research.'' Perhaps this problem could be solved more easily than expected. He spoke to the despairing Gelion, "Hey, Gelion." Gelion barely managed topose himself and said, "I apologize... for my disgraceful behavior before your esteemed self..." "If I can make this forge for you, will you ept my request?" At those words, Gelion''s eyes widened, and he looked at Zeke. "Y-You''ll make the forge for me?" Gelion''s eyes were burning with passion. Zeke unconsciously stepped back from Gelion''s intense aura. "I think I can give it a try." As Zeke regained hisposure after the slight surprise, Gelion knelt before him and clutched his ankles. "Sob! If you do that for me, this Gelion will serve you as his benefactor for life!" Looking at Gelion, who was shedding tears, Zeke recalled the Gelion of his previous life. ''He seems even more grateful than when I saved his life.'' He took Gelion''s forge blueprint and put it in his pocket. "I''ll meet with a mage first and let you know as soon as I have the results. And stop drinking." At Zeke''s words, Gelion bowed his head, his face covered in tears and snot. "Understood. Thank you! Thank you! My lord!" *** Leaving Gelion''s shabby cksmith''s workshop behind, Zeke headed back to the academy. In the carriage, he examined Gelion''s blueprint. Although he hadn''t formally learned magic, he could read an operation form blueprint. ''The structure itself doesn''t seem difficult. Why did the Magic Tower guys charge so much?'' It seemed like there was something he didn''t know. Arriving at the academy, Zeke headed towards the research building where Paynun was staying. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. ''That ce is...?'' A secluded spot between the academy buildings. It was the ce where Zeke was often bullied by Leon Conrad in his previous life. The bullying had stopped since his return, but the memories of the past hadn''t disappeared. Zeke was about to turn around and head towards the research building when... Thwack! Thwack! He heard the sound of someone being hiting from a secluded alleyway. Zeke tried to ignore it but stopped in his tracks. ''This isn''t the time for me to be nosy...'' The painful memories of the academy held him back. Eventually, Zeke turned around and walked towards the alleyway. As he expected, Leon Conrad and his gang were huddled together. With Zeke, their usual prey, gone, it seemed they were tormenting a new victim. He looked at the cadet being beaten by Leon''s gang. ''Huh? That guy is...'' Zeke recognized the face. ''Liam Stone.'' Jakenn Varldec''s attendant and the future mercenary king. He was being beaten up as Leon Conrad''s new victim. Knowing that the person being beaten was Liam Stone, Zeke became conflicted. ''There''s no way Liam would just take a beating. Is there something going on?'' He felt like getting involved would only lead to trouble. After a moment of thought, Zeke turned around to leave. Just then, Leon''s voice boomed, "How''s it feel? Does that knock some sense into you, you inferior bastard!" In an instant, Zeke''s figure shot upwards. He stepped on the wall and leaped forward. He grabbed Leon Conrad by the back of the neck and threw him against the wall. "Ugh!" Conrad''s gang was taken aback by Zeke''s sudden intrusion. Zeke red at them with murderous eyes and said, "Three seconds. Get on your knees and bow your heads." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 14 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 14 Liam was flustered by Zeke''s sudden appearance. He already knew that Durban, the Siemens'' swordsman, had been beaten by Zeke. The direct lineage faction he served had ordered him to observe the situation for the time being. Leon gritted his teeth at Zeke. "Zeke Draker. You''ve be arrogant just because you''ve awakened your pure-blood." Zeke looked at Leon''s group and said, "Bow your heads while I''m still being nice." Leon''s face turned bright red at Zeke''s words. Blinded by rage, Leon forgot all about his superiors'' orders and shouted at his followers. "What are you doing! Get him!" Most of Leon''s followers were upperssmen. No matter how special a freshman might be, they wouldn''t normally stand a chance against an upperssman trained in Aura. But Zeke wasn''t your average freshman. As he loosened his hand, he said, "Three seconds have passed." The upperssmen charged at Zeke. "You arrogant bastard! We''ll teach you some academy manners!" Zeke, seeing the upperssman rushing towards him, assumed a boxing stance and threw a jab. Thwack! The upperssman, unable to dodge Zeke''s straight jab, took a direct hit. Zeke aimed to follow up the jab with a low kick to the thigh. But the upperssman, struck by the jab, lost consciousness and copsed. Zeke''s movements, constantly enhanced by his Combat Sense skill, were on a different levelpared to the other students. Seeing an upperssman fall with a single light jab made Leon and his group flinch. Zeke looked at them and said, "I''ll give you one more chance. Bow your heads." Leon, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from Zeke, broke out in a cold sweat. "D-Damn it." Leon shouted at the upperssmen. "What are you doing! Hurry up and grab him!" At Leon''smand, about five upperssmen cautiously surrounded Zeke, closing the distance. Looking at the faces of the approaching upperssmen, Zeke muttered to himself. ¡®I was truly pathetic in the past. To think I cried every day after getting beaten by these guys.¡¯ Back then, the upperssmen seemed like an insurmountable wall. Zeke slowly raised his fist. "Clench your teeth." In an instant, Zeke''s fist began its assault. Whoosh! His right hand shot out in a straight line. Like a spear thrusting forward, his punch flew precisely towards the man''s philtrum. Kaboom! It was as if the upperssman''s head had exploded. His face caved in by a single punch, the upperssman lost consciousness and copsed. Zeke didn''t stop there. Turning clockwise from where he stood, he punched the faces of the upperssmen surrounding him. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Without even a moment to guard, the upperssmen were knocked down by Zeke''s punches. They didn''t even have a chance to use their Aura properly. Zeke stood tall amidst the fallen upperssmen. Leon trembled as he watched. ''H-How...?'' The Zeke he knew, who used to cower in fear at the mere raise of his hand, was gone, reced by someonepletely different. Zeke slowly approached Leon. Leon quickly drew the sword from his waist. Zeke''s eyes narrowed at the sight. "You do know what it means to draw your sword outside the training ground, don''t you, Leon Conrad?" While anything was permitted within the training ground, Draker did not allow the drawing of real swords outside of it. Drawing a real sword was considered a life-or-death duel, and no one could be held responsible for any deaths that urred. Zeke looked at Liam Stone behind him and said, "Liam Stone. You''re the witness. Leon Conrad drew his real sword first, showing intent to kill, and I will respond with the same intent." At the same time, Zeke also drew the ymore he wore on his back. A murderous aura emanated from the gleaming de of the ymore. Although Leon stood with his sword drawn, he was already overwhelmed by Zeke''s aura. Just then, Zeke took a step forward, sword in hand. ''Gasp...'' Leon unconsciously stepped back. As he retreated, he found himself backed against a wall, unable to move further. Leon''s hand holding the sword trembled. Zeke swung his sword towards Leon. ng! Leon''s sword was flung away by the heavy blow. Leon''s face turned pale as he lost his grip on the sword. Zeke''s de touched Leon''s neck. He spoke in a chilling voice. "Leon Conrad. Anyst words? I''ll be merciful and convey your final will." As the sharp de touched his skin, Leon finally realized the reality of his situation. Drip. Leon''s lower body became damp. He said with tears in his eyes, "P-Please spare me. Please..." To the Draker n, begging for one''s life was a greater disgrace than death. Zeke saw an ovep between the Leon who tormented and humiliated him in the past and the Leon begging for his life now. His grip on the sword tightened. Swish! The ymore swung and then returned to its scabbard. Leon, who had squeezed his eyes shut, was startled to find his head still attached to his body. But something was strange. "Huh?" Thick blood flowed from his right ear. He saw his ear lying on the ground.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Zeke said to Leon, "I''ll take that ear in exchange for your insignificant life. If you go to a healer and have it reattached, I''lle find you again and that time, I will definitely take your head. Understand?" Leon, unable to even pick up his severed ear, nodded. Zeke said, "Get out of here." Leon hastily ran away. Zeke looked at the sprawled upperssmen, then turned his head towards Liam, who was standing quietly behind him. "Liam Stone. Abandoned by Jakenn, huh?" Liam didn''t answer. Seeing Liam''s silence, Zeke turned away. ''This is no longer my business.'' Just as Zeke was about to pass Liam and leave the secluded alleyway, "Why did you help me?" Liam''s voice came from behind. Zeke answered without looking back at Liam. "I didn''t particrly help you." He paused for a moment, then turned his head to look at Liam Stone. "Liam Stone. In the end, the only one who can help you is yourself." Zeke turned around and walked out of the alleyway. Zeke regretted the somewhat preachy words that had unknowingly left his mouth. ''I hate acting like an old geezer.'' Shaking his head, he headed towards Paynun''sb. As he had heard before, he went to the very end of the second floor of the research building and found theboratory with Paynun''s name on it. Zeke knocked and called for Paynun. "Professor. It''s Zeke Draker, a new student." Then, from inside the room, he heard the sound of something crashing to the floor. The door flew open in a hurry. "Zeke?" He was surprised to see Zeke actually visiting hisb. Paynun''s eyes sparkled as he said, "Do you have any questions? About what... No,e in first." It was unthinkable for a student from the Dragon yer family, knights among knights, to be interested in magic theory at the Academy. Paynun, like a desert traveler who had discovered an oasis, was delighted by Zeke''s visit. Inside theb, it wasplete chaos. The walls were covered with papers filled with strange symbols, and the desk was piled high with thick books and documents. ''Well, that''s how mages are.'' Paynun cleared a space on his desk for Zeke. "Haha. It''s a bit messy, isn''t it? Just have a seat here for a moment." A momentter, he brought over a cup of tea in an old mug. Sitting across from Zeke, Paynun asked with sparkling eyes, "So, what brings you here?" Zeke put down his teacup and took out a piece of parchment from his pocket. "Professor. Could you take a look at this for a moment?" Paynun nced over the blueprint of the forge that Zeke handed him. At first, Paynun''s gaze was casual, but his expression gradually grew serious. He asked Zeke, staring intently at the blueprint, "Where... where did you get this?" Seeing Paynun''s reaction, Zeke realized he hade to the right ce. ''There are manybat mages, but surprisingly few who can design magic-powered devices. This is fortunate.'' Zeke asked Paynun, "Professor, I''ll ask you directly. This magic-powered mechanism used in this forge... Can you design it?" Paynun looked at the blueprint, then rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought for a moment. He put down the blueprint, looked at Zeke, and said, "I don''t know where you got this, but... I think if youmissioned this to the Magic Tower, they would either refuse or charge you at least ten thousand gold." Zeke was surprised by Paynun''s words. "How did you know that?" Paynun smiled wryly at Zeke''s reaction. "When the Magic Tower receives a request that''s not profitable, they indirectly say it''s difficult to take on. Because no one would actually spend ten thousand gold to make a forge." Zeke recalled that Gelion from the future had actually made this forge. Though he didn''t know if Gelion had actually paid ten thousand gold to the Magic Tower or hired another mage. Paynun stroked his chin and said, "To answer your question, it is possible." Zeke''s expression brightened at his words. "Really? If so, I''d like tomission the design from you, Professor." Just then, Paynun raised his hand. "Before that, it would be good to hear my exnation first." Paynun spread out the blueprint, pointed to the core part of the forge, and said, "This part here is the core. Every magic-powered device has this core. But... as you can see, the core of this forge is unusual." "What do you mean?" "It''s the size of a small core, but its output is greater than that of arge core. This is probably why the Magic Tower would refuse themission." Paynun continued his exnation. "Furthermore, the output of this core needs to be freely adjustable with almost no timeg. It''s an incrediblyplex and difficult mechanism to create." Zeke looked at Paynun and said, "But you''re saying it''s still possible to design?" Paynun said with a serious expression, "There are two ways. The first is for me to design the mechanism, taking into ount the two conditions mentioned above. The problem is that just calcting it would roughly take... about ten years." Zeke''s jaw dropped. Paynun continued, "The second is that if you have a highpression magic stone, you can make this forge with a simple mechanism." Zeke''s eyes widened. "A highpression magic stone? Isn''t that an ancient artifact that can''t be made with modern technology?" Paynun nodded. "That''s right. They''re rare, as they''re sometimes found in ancient ruins, and they''re incredibly expensive. A magic stone with enough output for this forge would cost about three thousand gold." Zeke fell into thought again. Even if he was a pure-blooded Draker, it was impossible for a freshman who had just entered the academy to raise arge sum of three thousand gold. If he became a formal knight of the main family, he would be able to obtain not only fifty thousand gold but also a highpression magic stone, but it was impossible for him now. ''Hmm... I need Gelion''s sword to fully utilize the power of my ether hall. This is a headache.'' Mana''s power was closer to raw, pure natural energy, and since it wasn''t something humans could handle in the first ce, it was tricky to even perform applied techniques. However, if mana could be converted into Aura, it would be possible to perform human swordsmanship using the power of the ether hall. That''s why the sr sword Gram was essential to Zeke. ''Damn it, but where can I get a highpression magic stone right now?'' While Zeke was agonizing over this, Paynun was carefully examining the blueprint and eximed in admiration. "By the way, this blueprint is really well-made. Apart from the core, the other parts have an incredibly efficient structure. This is something that''s hard to find even in Golden Age ruins..." Paynun''s words brought Zeke to his senses. "W-wait. What did you just say?" "Huh? Golden Age ruins..." Suddenly, something shed through Zeke''s mind. ''If it''s a Golden Age ruin...'' One of the pieces of information from the future came to mind. Zeke got up from his seat and said to Paynun, "Professor, I''d like to request that you design the mechanism by the time I return." "You''re reallymissioning the design? It could take about ten, no, fifteen years or more..." "I''ll bring it." "What are you talking about?" "A highpression magic stone." Zeke said with a serious expression. "I have a way to get it." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 15 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 15 The Draker n''s academy was a knight academy admired by all aspiring knights across the continent. The reason for its fame was none other than the fact that it was founded by the hero of the Liberation War, Dragon yer Terakan Draker himself. Terakan, who slew the evil Dragon Bahamut, was a great man credited with ushering in a new era for humanity. And the hundred years following Bahamut''s death were called the Golden Age. This was thanks to the corpses of the dragons in by the Dragon yers, the treasures they had amassed, and the artifacts that poured out from the ancient ruins hidden beneath the Lair. Among these, it was the ancient artifacts that captured the mages'' attention. Among the relics from the Hero King era, a civilization that predated the Golden Age, there were artifacts that surpassed current magical technology. The highpression magic stone that Paynun mentioned was one such artifact. To obtain this highpression magic stone, Zeke headed to the most deserted ce in the academy. ''The library, of course.'' About ten years from now, an ancient underground ruin from the Golden Age would be discovered in the academy''s library, making headlines in the news. ''A highpression magic stone was definitely excavated here.'' In his past life, Zeke had frequented this library during his time at the academy. The library was the perfect ce to spend time when he wanted to avoid being bullied. Seeing the front entrance of the library after such a long time evoked a sense of nostalgia in Zeke. The academy''s library wasrger than the national libraries of most countries. When the academy was founded, the founder, Terakan, was personally involved in its construction, so even though it wasn''t frequently used, it was constantly maintained. Zeke slowly entered the library. As in the past, the library was very quiet. Only librarians were moving about, organizing new books and asionally helping visitors find books. ''Was it this way?'' It had been so long since he''d been to the library that he was disoriented. Zeke slowly recalled his past memories. ''Let''s see. It was definitely the underground archives of the central hall.'' While carrying out extensive renovations to organize the materials in the underground archives, they identally discovered the entrance to an underground ruin. And upon investigation, it turned out to be quite arge ruin, so mages from both the Magic Tower and Nirvana were mobilized for the excavation. Surprisingly, it was identified as a ruin from the Golden Age, and precious artifacts poured out. Zeke from the future had read about this in the news and remembered that there was a highpression magic stone among those artifacts. Since it was a ruin that wouldn''t be discovered for another ten years, no one knew about it now. ''I''ll sneak down there and take only the highpression magic stone, then slowly smuggle out the rest.'' Zeke descended to the basement of the central hall. Since the library was sparsely popted, no one paid attention to Zeke as he wandered around. He went down to the underground archives without any restrictions. "Is this it?" The smell of old paper wafted through the air. Looking at the records piled up on the bookshelves, Zeke recalled the picture of the entrance to the ruins he had seen in the news. "I can''t remember well because it was so long ago." He frowned, unable to recall. He couldn''t very well dig up the entire archive. Just then, something came to Zeke''s mind. ''Perhaps if I use Dragon Eyes...?'' He immediately activated the skill. [Skill Dragon Eyes activated.] As soon as he used the skill, his vision changed. Not only did it enhance his sight to see clearly in the dark, but various pieces of information also surfaced in his mind. As he examined the archive with Dragon Eyes, Zeke noticed a spot in the corner of the floor marked in red. ''What''s there...?'' Zeke approached and tapped the floor. Thump, thump! A hollow sound came from within. Zeke cautiously looked around. He didn''t sense anyone nearby. ''Good.'' He spread his palm wide and drew power from his ether hall. Woooong! Mana enveloped his palm, and a faint vibration resonated. He invoked the ''Soul-Body Technique'' he had learned from his master in his previous life. ''Sever.'' The mana energy sharpened as Zeke''s will to cut infused his hand. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! The floor split cleanly, as if cut by a sharp de. ''It''s still a bit dizzying. I shouldn''t use this unless absolutely necessary until my ether hall is fully recovered.'' Since it was a technique originally unusable by humans, the Soul-Body Technique had side effects. This was the reason why Zeke was so determined to create the sr sword Gram. He lifted the cut section of the floor like a door. Dust billowed up as the empty space below was revealed. "Now, let''s see." Zeke brushed off the dust and used Dragon Eyes to examine the dark passage within. He saw a path leading downwards. Without hesitation, Zeke jumped down into the passage. Whoosh! Landing nimbly on the ground below, the effects of Dragon Eyes wore off, and the surroundings darkened again. Having experienced firsthand what happens when he overuses his skills, Zeke took out a fire starter from his pocket. After creating a torch, Zeke looked around the passage. ''It looks just like a dungeon.'' After being expelled from the academy the first time, Zeke had lived for a while as a porter for adventurers in dungeons. He learned how to survive in the world by going in and out of dungeons with adventurers. Although there were times when he almost died from monsters due to bad party luck, he tenaciously survived somehow. While working as a porter and rolling around in dungeons, he was tricked by a con man and sold as a ve in the Southern Continent. After experiencing all sorts of terrible things in the Southern Continent ruled by cartel organizations, Zeke finally escaped and met his master in the forbidden ''Forest of the Forgotten.'' ''I don''t know if meeting the Master was fortunate or unfortunate.'' Briefly lost in memories of the past, Zeke regained his focus and examined the path leading to the ruins. ''Is the entrance deeper than I thought? The news article didn''t have this information.'' Zeke proceeded further inside, maintaining his vignce. That''s when it happened. He sensed a faint movement ahead. ''Could someone have already discovered this ce?'' Zeke tensed up, extinguished his torch, and activated Dragon Eyes. His vision shifted to green, clearly distinguishing friend from foe. He cautiously moved forward. And he carefully observed the movement. ''Huh? What''s that...?'' It was none other than a skeleton. Zeke looked around nervously. The presence of skeletons meant there was a high possibility of higher-level magical beasts nearby. So he used Dragon Eyes to scan the surroundings, but no other monsters were visible.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om This time, he examined the state of the skeleton. It wasn''t holding a sword or a shield, but a pickaxe and a shovel. In this case, it was highly likely that the corpse had spontaneously transformed into a monster due to the influence of the old dungeon, rather than being created by a higher-level monster. Zeke slowly stood up. "It''s been a while since I''ve hunted monsters." Monster hunting had been a significant part of the missions Zeke had undertaken andpleted before his return. He clenched his fists and approached the skeleton. Click! The skeletons reacted to Zeke''s presence. Despite being spontaneously generated, they disyed hostility towards living beings due to their monstrous instincts. Keeek! The skeleton lunged at Zeke with its pickaxe raised. Zeke calmly assumed a stance and drew his ymore from his inventory. ng! [Skill "Critical Strike" activated.] The skeleton shattered with a single blow. Zeke turned and struck another skeleton with his sword. ng! It also shattered with one hit. Ding! [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] "Huh?" When he opened his status window, he saw that his Karma points had increased by 2. Zeke nodded as he looked at the shattered skeletons. "Come to think of it... the undead are magic-wielding monsters." Zeke grinned at the sight of the destroyed skeletons. "I can handle spontaneously generated skeletons like these even now." Realizing this was an opportunity to earn Karma points, his eyes sparkled. He had thought he would need to be at least a purple knight to hunt monsters, but he had found an unexpected solution. Zeke walked around, searching for traces of other skeletons. Groooan! Perhaps because it was an old ruin, there were quite a few naturally urring skeletons. Zeke excitedly swung his sword at the skeletons. Ding! [Skeleton in. You have earned 1 Karma point.] The pleasant notification sound continued to ring out. Zeke ran around every corner of the ruins as if he were going to kill every skeleton there. Somewhere along the way, he lost sight of his original goal and focused on hunting skeletons instead of finding the entrance to the ruins. After a few hours, he could no longer see any skeletons. "Let''s see. How many did I kill?" A message popped up. [Skeletons in: 30] "Oh, quite a lot. Let''s see. Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon System functions: Inventory (25 slots) / Minimap (Locked) / Beginner Quest Book (Locked) Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Senses Active skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strikel [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff [A-rank (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (1st stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) Karma points possessed: 40 Zeke looked for items he could activate with Karma points. "Minimap is 20 points, Beginner Quest Book is 45 points, Gluttony is 50 points, and unlocking the 2nd stage of Draconian Skills is 50 points." The only thing he could unlock with his current 40 points was the minimap. After some thought, Zeke decided to activate the minimap. "I don''t know what it is, but... with a name like ''map,'' it should help me find my way." He pressed ''Activate Minimap.'' [Minimap function activated.] A small map unfolded before Zeke''s eyes. "Oh?" Apass symbol appeared on one side of the map, and geographical features were disyed like a drawing. A red dot blinked in the center. "Oh my god. Is this a map right now? With my location and surrounding terrain marked?" Zeke had once learned how to read a map directly from a Northern Ranger. Maps were like life to Rangers, but obtaining a map with urate scales and geographical features was like finding a needle in a haystack. Maps made by mages were the most urate, but they were too expensive for him to afford. But now he had obtained a very urate map. Zeke marveled as he fiddled with the minimap. "The scale can be adjusted, and the direction is disyed automatically. With this, I won''t die from getting lost." Muttering to himself, Zeke adjusted the scale to grasp the overall terrain of the ruins. While looking at the minimap, Zeke discovered a ce marked with a different color than the usual geographical features. "What''s this?" When Zeke tapped the marked area, a message appeared. [Disy directions to the designated location?] ¡°Navigation?¡± When Zeke chose to receive directions, the shortest route to the destination was disyed on the minimap as a dotted line in a different color. Zeke''s jaw dropped. ¡°Wow, this is incredible. Why did I just activate this now?¡± He walked towards the location indicated by the minimap in admiration. When he finished walking along the designated path on the map, a message popped up again. [You have arrived at your destination.] Zeke looked around. He saw a huge door right in front of him. He slowly approached it. ¡°Is this it? The ruins?¡± Zeke pushed on the door as he got closer. The door wouldn''t budge, as if it were locked with some kind of magic. Zeke made a troubled face. ¡°Damn... Come to think of it, they said they brought a lot of mages when they excavated the ruins.¡± The artifacts, including the highpression magic stone, were undoubtedly behind that door. Zeke was tearing his hair out at the obstacle he faced aftering all this way. ¡°Ugh... Why is nothing ever easy?¡± Ding! Just then, the system notification rang. Zeke read the message that appeared. [Do you wish to enter the Dragon yer''s Tomb?] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 16 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 16 "Dragon yer''s Tomb?" As Zeke thought about entering, another message appeared. [Opening the Dragon yer''s Tomb.] Whirrr! Click! The gears that looked like decorations on the door turned, and the lock opened with a sound. "It''s open?" Zeke approached the door and gently pushed it once more. Rumble! Originally, it was a door that fifty mages from the Empire''s Magic Tower and Nirvana had struggled to open for a month, racking their brains with calctions. However, Zeke, blessed by the Ancient Dragon, was able to open the door and enter with ease. Zeke''s jaw dropped as he saw the inside of the ruins. "How is it so huge?" Giant statues of knights lined both sides, and a massive stone wall stretched out before him. Zeke gulped at the sight of the thick stone wall blocking his way. He couldn''t believe that such a massive structure, so grand it seemed impossible for humans to have built, existed beneath the academy library. Zeke quickly nced around. "This is bigger than ten central training groundsbined." Amazed by the majestic scale of the Dragon yer''s Tomb, he turned on the minimap. "There must be a ce to store the artifacts somewhere around here." The minimap showed a path leading further inside, but he couldn''t find the entrance. Eventually, Zeke activated Dragon Eyes again and scanned the stone wall, but still couldn''t find any trace of an entrance. Then, Zeke suddenly looked up at the top of the stone wall. "Wait a minute..." Zeke turned on the minimap and examined the terrain. Then he tried changing the minimap settings. Instantly, the perspective of the minimap, which was a t n, changed to disy the geographical features three-dimensionally. "Found it." With the 3D map, Zeke confirmed that the entrance was located on top of the stone wall. He looked at the smooth stone wall that seemed to be a hundred meters high and pondered. "How do I get up there?" If he were Zeke from his past life, it would have been possible somehow, but currently, he couldn''t properly utilize the power of his dantian, making it impossible. "There must be some way to get up." In a desperate tone, he said, "Find a way to get up there." Surprisingly, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [essing the control device as requested by the administrator.] "Huh? It actually works." Another message appeared. [Automatic transportation device is unavable.] [Activating manual transportation device.] At the same time, the stone wall began to vibrate. "Wh-what''s happening?" Stepping stones started to protrude one by one from the smooth stone wall. The protruding stepping stones formed a staircase leading all the way to the top of the wall. Zeke was astonished by the stairs that were created in an instant. "Wh-what is this? Magic?" He ascended the stairs that stretched along the stone wall. "Whew..." When he reached the top of the wall, there was anotherrge door simr to the one before. As Zeke approached, a message popped up again. [Do you wish to open the Dragon yer''s Tomb repository?] Seeing the word "repository," Zeke grinned. "Of course I''ll open it." Whirrr! Click! The door opened, just like before. Zeke opened the door and entered the repository. Inside, there were dozens of shelves stacked with boxes of various sizes. Zeke examined the boxes on the shelves. "Wow! This is... a sealed box. Finding one of these in a dungeon was like hitting the jackpot." Among adventurers, these were called treasure chests or sealed boxes. Usually, the boxes contained not only precious artifacts but also Rune stones, making them items that could bring in a tidy profit. And there were hundreds of such sealed boxes on disy. Zeke began to open the boxes one by one, humming a tune. "Let''s see. What''s this? A Rune stone? I can give this to Professor Paynun as payment for the designter. And this is..." Each and every item inside the boxes was a valuable artifact. Larger boxes contained weapons and equipment from the Golden Age and ancient times. "Whew, it''s hard to take all of this now." Zeke first sorted out the items that seemed immediately useful. These were mainly hard-to-find practical items like rust-proof daggers, cold-weather gear, and weight-reducing backpacks. He put the Runes, which were small and valuable, into his inventory box by box, and neatly packed the general items into his backpack. Zeke looked around the repository and grinned. "I''ll have to smuggle these out little by little while I''m at the academy." He figured that if he sold the items on the ck market through the routes he knew, he could probably make at least a hundred thousand gold by the time he graduated from the academy. After organizing his luggage to some extent, Zeke hummed a tune and started opening the sealed boxes again. Then, Zeke opened a box in a corner and shouted with joy. "Yes! Found it." He had found the highpression magic stone, the original purpose of his visit. The blue magic stone, contained in a sturdy cylindrical ss bottle, emitted a dazzling light. Zeke opened all the boxes around it. And he found about four more highpression magic stones. "Four of these precious things. Let''s take them all for now." Zeke tried to put all the magic stones he had obtained into his inventory, but he didn''t have enough space. He thought about what to remove, but concluded that he couldn''t part with anything. He decided to use 10 of his remaining Karma points to expand his inventory slots. [Inventory slots have been expanded to a total of 65.] The original 25 slots were increased by 4 slots per point, adding 40 more slots. Zeke put the highpression magic stones into his inventory and added the items he couldn''t take earlier. "It fills up quickly." Unlike lightweight backpacks or subspace boxes, the inventory was not affected by weight or volume itself. Moreover, Zeke had experimented and found that it could preserve food in its original state, making it incredibly useful for exploring dungeons or wilderness areas. ''I should expand the inventory as much as possible as I umte Karma points.'' Having secured the highpression magic stones, Zeke slung his backpack over his shoulder and was about to leave. But as he was about to exit, Zeke felt something strange emanating from the wall at the end of the repository. "What''s this?" A chilling and tingling sensation on the back of his neck. Unconsciously, Zeke followed the sensation towards the wall. A nk wall. He slowly reached out his hand towards it. [Do you wish to move to the Dragon yer''s Resting ce?] ''Dragon yer''s Resting ce?'' Zeke chose to move. Woooong! Suddenly, the wall vibrated. Zeke was startled to see a shimmer appear on the wall. "A portal?" Large-scale portal devices capable of long-distance travel were operated throughout the continent, centered around the Magic Towers. However, this small-scale portal technology had been lost before the Golden Age, so it didn''t make sense for it to be here. ''This is the first time I''ve seen this since the Forest of the Forgotten.'' Puzzled, Zeke slowly approached the portal. And he stepped into it. Woooong! The unique vibration of the portal swept over Zeke''s body.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He felt slightly dizzy as he passed through the portal. When Zeke opened his eyes, apletely different scene unfolded before him. "What is all this...?" It was a tomb. Coffins, modeled after warriors, were stacked in tiers on both sides of the vast underground space. There were at least twenty tiers high, and over a hundredpartments stretching sideways, all packed tightly together. Zeke was astonished by the enormous scale of the tomb. "I don''t understand what this is. There was nothing like this in the news articles I saw before." Zeke approached a nearby coffin and opened the lid. Thud! Inside the coffin, instead of a corpse,y armor, a sword, and a shield. Ding! [?? Dragon yer exclusive equipment discovered.] ''Dragon yer exclusive equipment?'' Only after carefully examining the coffin did Zeke confirm that the name of the coffin''s owner was written in ancientnguage. He looked around at the tiered tombs. "Are all these tombs... Dragon yers?" In the Draker n, the term "Dragon yer" referred to their ancestor Terakan, who defeated the evil Dragon Bahamut. To honor the Dragon yer, the knight among knights, the Drakers mastered the Dragon yer techniques passed down by Terakan and grew into the continent''s greatest knight family. But if all these were Dragon yers, then defeating the evil Dragon Bahamut might not have been Terakan''s achievement alone. Zeke examined the armor ced within the tomb. Its form and shape were quite different frommonly excavated armor. As he lifted and turned the armor for closer inspection, he noticed a groove carved into its back. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zeke felt the groove in the armor and suddenly remembered something. ¡°Highpression magic stone¡­.¡± Zeke took out the box containing the magic stone from his inventory. He found that the size of the magic stone perfectly matched the groove in the armor. Zeke slowly tried fitting the magic stone into the groove. Click! As expected, the magic stone fit perfectly into the groove. At that moment, a message popped up before Zeke¡¯s eyes. [Magic battery has been installed in the Dragon yer exclusive equipment.] [Equipment is too old to operate.] ¡°Installing a magic stone into armor?¡± This was information he hadn''t encountered even in the future. Even in the future he had seen, the exact purpose of highpression magic stones, as opposed to ordinary magic stones, remained unknown. There were various hypotheses, but if the standardized highpression magic stones were used to operate this armor called "Dragon yer exclusive equipment," it meant that many of the mages'' hypotheses and spections were wrong. ¡°Why would they install this precious highpression magic stone into armor?¡± Although he had figured out how to use it, it was an iprehensible idea based on currentmon sense. ''There seems to be a reason. But I don''t know with my limited knowledge of magic.'' Perhaps Professor Paynun, a researcher, could figure out the reason by looking at the armor. Zeke removed the highpression magic stone from the armor and put it back into his inventory. He walked past the massive tomb and further inward. Unlike the ordinary tombs, there was a huge stele erected inside. Zeke slowly approached the stele. ''What''s written on it?'' There was writing, but it was in the ancientnguage, not themonnguage of the continent, so he couldn''t read it. That''s when it happened. Ding! [The Administration System is automatically connected to the control device.] [Releasing the central security device of the Dragon''s Resting ce.] [Unlocking the legacy registered by administrator Terakan Draker.] ¡°What?¡± Rumble! Suddenly, the stele slid back, and something began to rise from the floor. Zeke backed away cautiously. Thud! A transparent ss tube rose from the floor. Inside the ss tube, a fist-sized, dark red orb floated, emitting a mesmerizing light. Zeke slowly approached the ss tube. ¡°What is this? Terakan Draker¡¯s legacy¡­?¡± As Zeke''s gaze fell upon the crimson orb, a message surfaced. [You have discovered the ''Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut''.] Zeke was startled by the message. "B-Bahamut''s heart?" The reason Terakan Draker earned the title of Dragon yer. It was because he had in the Evil Dragon Bahamut, who had ravaged the continent leading an army of monsters. ''That Bahamut''s heart?'' Dragons generate mana from their hearts. Therefore, a dragon''s heart contained an immense amount of mana, iparable to even a highpression magic stone. If mages were to find even a fragment of a dragon''s heart, they would pay a fortune to obtain it. That''s how valuable a dragon''s heart was. "Even a fragment causes a frenzy, but a perfectly preserved dragon heart like this..." Moreover, it was the heart of Bahamut, known as the strongest and most evil dragon in the continent''s history. He couldn''t understand why his ancestor, Terakan Draker, had hidden this priceless treasure beneath the academy library. With questions lingering in his mind, Zeke reached out towards the radiantly glowing heart of Bahamut. Ding! [The Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut is reacting to the user.] [The powerful curse engraved on the heart is attempting to overpower the user''s mind.] Zeke was momentarily captivated by the brilliant color of the heart. [Skill ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' activated.] [Defending against the Light Dragon''s curse.] Zeke suddenly came to his senses. "Wh-what?" Zeke realized why Terakan Draker had sealed this heart here. Even for a brief moment, he was overwhelmed by the Light Dragon''s allure, consumed by an urge to destroy everything. If it weren''t for the ''Unyielding Mental Defense'' skill, which protected him from all status abnormalities, he might have be a madman in an instant. "Whew, that''s incredibly dangerous." Ding! Another message surfaced. [You have withstood the Cursed Light Dragon''s temptation.] [Inheritance conditions have been met.] [Ownership of the inheritance has been acquired.] [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 17 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 17 [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] ''Absorb Bahamut''s heart?'' It was not just any dragon''s heart, but Bahamut''s heart. Normally, a dragon''s heart was used by alchemists or mages to create magic tools, so it was questionable whether a person could even absorb it. Perhaps Nirvana, a family of mages, could melt it into their bodies in some bizarre way, but to Zeke''s knowledge, the very concept of absorbing a dragon''s heart was unfamiliar. ''Wouldn''t there be some side effects from absorbing it?'' Perhaps because he had been through so much in his past life, Zeke was always suspicious first. Just then, a message appeared on the system again. [Do you wish to absorb the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut?] Zeke pondered as he looked at the message that reappeared. It was a legacy and arrangement left by his ancestor, Terakan Draker. Since he had blocked the curse that tried to contaminate his mind with his mental defenses and inherited the legacy with his spirit, there shouldn''t be any particr risk. Zeke looked at the system message and nodded. "Absorb." Woooong! As Zeke made his decision, the ss tube containing Bahamut''s heart vibrated. At the same time, an even brighter light poured out from the radiant heart. "Wh-what?" The light emanating from Bahamut''s heart gathered into one and pierced Zeke''s sr plexus. "Ugh!" Zeke felt the highly concentrated mana flowing into his body. He almost lost consciousness for a moment due to the unexpected surge of power. ''N-no.'' He unconsciously used the Soul-Body Technique he learned from his master to spread the inflowing highly concentrated mana throughout his body. Starting from his ether hall, the mana circted throughout his body and returned to his ether hall. "Ugh..." Zeke gritted his teeth and focused on controlling the highly concentrated mana. Before he knew it, his body was floating in the air. Streams of light continued to flow from Bahamut''s heart. Woooong! Now, the entire ss tube was shaking, and soon cracks began to appear on its surface. Crackle! As the amount of mana flowing into Zeke''s body increased, the ss tube was on the verge of shattering. Even as this happened, the highly concentrated mana circted through Zeke''s body several times, umtingyer byyer within his ether hall. And by epting the mana, which was pure energy itself, throughout his body, the impure energy and waste products within Zeke were cleansed. Every time Zeke exhaled, ck smoke containing negative energy poured out from his nose and mouth. At the same time, Zeke''s body began to change. Crack! His muscles and bones spontaneously transformed, finding their optimal bnce. His muscle fibers became tougher, and his bones became denser and harder. Crack! Crack! "Ugh!" Zeke gritted his teeth so hard his jaw felt like it would break from the pain, as if every bone in his body was being shattered. But he didn''t scream, focusing solely on controlling the mana with the Soul-Body Technique. He remembered his master''s warning from his past life: never make a sound when creating an Ether hall. Woooong! The light reached its peak. Zeke, floating in the air with his arms spread wide, absorbed all the mana pouring out from Bahamut''s heart with a vengeance. Rumble! The ss tube vibrated tremendously. At the same time that the light waspletely absorbed into Zeke, the ss tube shattered as if exploding. Shatter! The recoil sent Zeke''s body flying from the air, crashing to the floor. "Ugh!" After rolling several times on the floor, Zeke finally regained his bnce and gasped for breath. "Damn it... I thought I was going to die from the pain." Even Zeke, who had experienced all sorts of battles in his past life, found it hard to endure the pain. He looked down at the area around his sr plexus where he had absorbed the light. The clothes near the area where the light had pierced through were burned and gone. However, a strange pattern was engraved on Zeke''s sr plexus. It was a pattern he had never seen before, like a picture or a rune. "Is it like a tattoo? Why did this appear?" At that moment, messages appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have absorbed the Heart of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut.] [95% of the mana''s power, which is beyond the user''s capacity, has beenpressed and sealed.] [The absorbed mana''s power has transformed the user''s body.] [The user''s constitution has been changed to ''Divine Body''.] [The unique power of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut, ''Dragon Control'', has been generated.] [Due to the influence of the absorbed power, the Draconian Skills ''Incantation has been generated.] [You have inherited the legacy of administrator Terakan Draker.] [You have acquired the title ''Heir of Terakan Draker''.] [As the heir, you are granted ess to Terakan Draker''s secure archive.] Zeke was astonished as he read the messages that appeared. "What is all this? Divine Body? Terakan Draker''s secure archive?" The system notifications didn''t end there. [With the growth of the soul, the functions of the administrator system have been activated.] [Beginner Quest Book activated.] [Starting the tutorial for low-rank administrators.] [After the tutorial, quests for the administrator''s growth will proceed.] [Rewards will be given upon questpletion.] Zeke made a bewildered expression as he saw the messages that appeared. "Tutorial? What''s this now?" His head was spinning from the overwhelming amount of information at once. Zeke closed the message window and took a deep breath. He had to leave this ce, as staying here too long could lead to him being discovered. Zeke got up and approached the ss tube where Bahamut''s heart had been. The ss tube waspletely shattered. There was no trace of Bahamut''s heart, which had been floating inside. "Was it all absorbed into my body?" Just then, Zeke noticed something. He felt an unusual aura emanating from the bottom of the ss tube where Bahamut''s heart had been. Zeke unconsciously focused mana on his hand. The aura enveloped his hand as naturally as breathing. "Sever." A sharp intent settled in his hand. At that moment, Zeke noticed something strange. "I''m not dizzy?" In his past life, whenever he used the Soul-Body Technique, he suffered from severe headaches due to the side effects. And it was the same in his present life after his return. Therefore, he had to refrain from using the Soul-Body Technique unless it was a crisis situation, only using it to enhance his movements with mana. However, perhaps due to the effects of absorbing Bahamut''s heart, the side effects of dizziness and headaches were significantly reduced even when he used the Soul-Body Technique. "This is an unexpected gain." Zeke cut the bottom of the ss tube with the sharp aura surrounding his hand. Crack! The bottom cracked open, revealing what was hidden inside. "This is?" What was hidden was none other than a giant tooth. Zeke activated Dragon Eyes to examine the information of the tooth. [The hardest fang of the Cursed Light Dragon Bahamut] "Bahamut''s fang?" He didn''t know why Bahamut''s fang was ced with the heart, but a dragon''s tooth was a precious material that was impossible to obtain. Zeke picked up the tooth, asrge as a grown man''s forearm, and grinned. "To think that such an intact dragon tooth remained. Gelion might be able to make a sword with this." Zeke organized his inventory space and put Bahamut''s fang inside. He looked around the Dragon yer''s Resting ce once more, then gathered his belongings. "I''ll smuggle the rest out slowly." He left the Dragon yer''s Tomb and went up towards the library. By the time he safely exited the library, it was already dark outside. It had been a tough journey, but he had gained a lot. Zeke went straight back to the tinum Floor. He then went to his personal training ground, organized the artifacts he had brought in his inventory, and sorted out what he needed immediately and what he would store. "This should be enough organizing for now. Before checking the messages... Status window open." [Low-rank Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Control Constitution: Divine Body System functions: Inventory (65 slots) / Minimap / Beginner Quest Book Passive skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Active skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (1st stage unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Beginner) / Dragon''s Majesty (Beginner) / Incantation (Locked) Karma points possessed: 0 Zeke pressed on the newly appeared Authority and Constitution to bring up their description windows. ¨DAuthority Information¨D Dragon Control: Grants dominance over dragon kind. Allows summoning andmanding subjugated dragon kind. ¨DConstitution Information¨D Divine Body: Enables the manifestation of peak physical abilities and elerates the learning of martial arts. Increases the body''s mana conductivity. "Dominance over dragon kind... I wonder if it would work on wyverns or basilisk-type dragon kind monsters." After checking the information on Dragon Control, Zeke read the description of Divine Body below it. "Divine Body is something I''ve never heard of. Well, judging by the description, it''s a good thing." The pain he endured while absorbing Bahamut''s heart was worth it. The newly acquired Draconian Skills, Incantation, had an entry, but it was still locked, making it impossible to check the information. It seemed he would need to raise his Draconian Skills level to use it. Zeke checked the next piece of information. He clicked on the description of the secure archive, which he could ess as the heir of Terakan Draker. [The system requires an information update to ess Terakan Draker''s secure archive.] [Please move to a location where information can be updated.] At the same time, a map of the continent appeared before his eyes. The continental map gradually zoomed in and began to point to a specific location. The ce designated by the system was a ce Zeke knew well. "Valha?" It was apletely unexpected ce. Actually, Zeke hadn''t nned on going to Valha after graduating from the academy. Knowing the events that would unfold in the future, he intended to build his own forces outside the n after regaining some of his strength. Therefore, Zeke fell into deep thought as he looked at the map marking Valha. ''Come to think of it, just as there was a legacy left by Terakan Draker in the academy, there might be something simr in Valha.'' If there was a legacy like Bahamut''s heart in Valha, it would be enough to change his ns. After memorizing the location marked on the map, Zeke checked the next message. It was about the newly activated Beginner Quest Book. "What is this tutorial?" As Zeke spoke, the tutorial started. [Starting the tutorial for low-rank administrators.] At the same time, Zeke''s vision went ck, and the surrounding space suddenly began to change. "Wh-what?" Then something appeared in front of Zeke. Kaaak! Surprisingly, three orcs were running towards Zeke. Zeke was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the monsters, but he quickly regained hisposure and gripped his ymore. A message appeared before his eyes. ¨DTutorial Mission¨D [Eliminate the appearing monsters within the time limit using two or more active skills. (Time limit: 60 minutes)] "What?" Zeke was bewildered by the message that appeared. Kaaak! Even amidst the chaos, the three orcs charged madly, roaring their battle cries. Wielding sharp ives and spiked clubs, they were indeed a threat. But Zeke, having regained hisposure, effortlessly deflected the orc''s attack with his ymore. ng! The orc''s attack felt much lighter than expected. ''Are they weaker than normal orcs?'' Zeke, sword in hand, moved into the orc''s blind spot. His body felt lighter and his vision wider than usual. It was as if the orcs were swinging their weapons in slow motion. Zeke parried the sluggishly approaching ive and swiftly decapitated the orc with his sword. Then, using the High-Speed Movement skill, he slid towards the other orcs. With his increased speed, Zeke used the Continuous sh skill to slice through the orcs'' necks along with their clubs. Thud! In an instant, all three orcs fell.N?v(el)B\\jnn Zeke looked at his sword. It was so clean and swift that there wasn''t a single drop of blood on the de. "At this rate, I''m almost at the level of a purple knight. Did I grow this rapidly from absorbing Bahamut''s heart?" The dark background that had enveloped the surroundings suddenly disappeared, revealing the original training ground scenery. The corpses of the orcs Zeke had defeated were also gone. ''Was that an illusion just now? It feltpletely real.'' As Zeke marveled, messages appeared before his eyes. [Tutorial Missionpleted.] [Critical points have been added to the reward.] [Time reduction points have been added to the reward.] [Reward: 50 Karma points awarded.] [The ''Shop'' category has been unlocked forpleting the first tutorial.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 18 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 18 "Shop category?" A new window appeared before Zeke''s puzzled eyes. ¡ª Shop Usage List ¡ª 1. Item Purchase / Sale 2. Item Disassembly / Repair (Locked) 3. Item Enhancement (Locked) Seeing the list in the shop category, Zeke began to ponder the true nature of the system again. ¡ª Tutorial Mission ¡ª [Purchase an item using the shop. (No time limit)] "It''s telling me to buy an item?" Zeke put his curiosity aside for now and pressed "Item Purchase" as instructed in the tutorial mission. [Disying the list of items avable for purchase by Low-rank administrators.] As the message appeared, the screen changed, and images of items were disyed in a list, with their names and brief introductions next to them. Zeke looked through the list of items. "Lower Potion, Intermediate Potion, Complete Recovery Potion, Stamina Enhancement Potion, Status Abnormality Recovery Potion..." There were dozens of potions he had never seen before. Zeke''s jaw dropped at the variety of potions. "Oh my god. These are all enhancement potions found in ancient ruins. They''re so rare that they''re hard toe by." Recovery potions had be mass-produced and widely avable a hundred years ago when the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan made his patent for refining troll blood free to the public. However, enhancement potions, unlike recovery potions, required rare ingredients and relied heavily on the secret techniques of individual alchemists, making top-grade enhancement potions extremely expensive. Nevertheless, modern enhancement potions were less effective than those from ancient times. Zeke smiled broadly as he looked at the ancient enhancement potions that were difficult to buy even with money. "Deep Breath of the me Giant? I remember an auction where the Breath of the me Giant was sold for almost a hundred gold." Zeke clicked on the Deep Breath of the me Giant potion. ¡ª Potion Information ¡ª A potion that induces the hottest breath of the me Giant, which breathes inextinguishable mes. (20 points) Zeke checked the price listed next to the information. "20 points for one potion." Since points could be used to acquire other skills or unlock system functions, he needed to choose carefully. The shop items avable to low-rank administrators were limited to ordinary potions, enhancement potions, low-grade scrolls containing simple magic, and low-grade rune stones. Although they werebeled as "low-grade" in the shop window, all of them were items that could only be found in ancient ruins, making each one precious. Zeke, as a test, purchased the ''Wings of the Sky'', which could be bought with a small number of points. It came with a description that it increased agility. [The purchased item has been moved to your inventory.] [5 points have been deducted.] [Tutorial Missionpleted.] [A low-grade scroll will be randomly awarded as a reward.] "A low-grade scroll? So the rewards aren''t just points." Zeke opened his inventory window. A potion and a scroll appeared in the empty slots. When he took the potion out of his inventory, a bottle filled with clear, sky-blue liquid materialized in his hand. He also took out the scroll and checked its information; it contained the ''Shield'' magic. It seemed like he could make a huge profit by buying items from the shop and putting them up for auction. There was an auction market specializing in such ancient artifacts in the ind nation of the Dorta Republic. It was frequented by mages from both Nirvana and the Magic Tower, making it a ce where he could sell ancient items for a good price. "If I start hunting monsters and gather a lot of Karma points, I can buy things that can be sold at high prices and put them up for auction." It seemed like it would be useful when he left the Draker family and built his own forces. Zeke then pressed the "Sale" option instead of "Purchase." [Please ce the item you wish to sell in the inventory window.] He ced the ymore he was holding into the inventory window. However, a warning message appeared. [This item cannot be sold.] "Huh? Why not?" Zeke pondered for a moment, then put one of the ancient items he hadid out on the training ground floor into his inventory. [Do you wish to sell ''Dagger Useful for Camping''? / Sale Price: 4 points] Only ancient items could be sold in the shop. Since all the items avable for purchase were ancient items, it seemed that only ancient items could be sold as well. "But the sale points are too low. This would fetch at least 100 gold if I sold it at the auction house." Selling was not cost-effective. Thinking that he would never use the "Sale" option, Zeke examined the rest. "Disassemble" was a function that extracted raw materials from ancient items by paying a certain number of points, and "Repair," as the name suggested, was a function that restored damaged items. Both were inefficient in terms of point consumption. The "Disassemble," "Repair," and "Enhance" options were locked and could not be used yet. After carefully examining the item purchase and sale list, Zeke nodded. "I have a rough idea of how to use this. I guess the list of items I can buy will expand as I rank up from a low-rank administrator." Zeke decided that he needed to acquire Karma points through monster hunting as quickly as possible. After organizing his newly acquired items, he moved the artifacts to a secure storage. Thinking that he should deposit them in the vault of the Northern Bank run by the dwarves when he had the chance, Zeke ended his day. * * * The next day, he went straight to Professor Paynun. And he took out the highpression magic stone he had brought and ced it before him. Paynun was surprised to see Zeke actually bringing a highpression magic stone. "H-how did you get this?" "It''s difficult to tell you the details. When will the drive mechanism bepleted? I need it as soon as possible." At that, Paynun looked at Zeke and said, "I''ve alreadypleted the drive mechanism calctions." This time, it was Zeke who was surprised. "What? Already?" "With a highpression magic stone, the design isn''t that difficult." Zeke realized that Paynun''s skills were extraordinary. ''This could be quite useful.'' He felt that Paynun was a talent wasted on being stuck as an academy lecturer. Anyway, at the news that the drive mechanism wasplete, Zeke jumped up from his seat. "Professor. Let''s go." "Huh? Where are you talking about?" "Where else but to make the forge?" * * * With the highpression magic stone and the drive mechanism ready, the creation of the magic forge proceeded smoothly. When Zeke called in workers to install the forge in a corner of the smithy, Gelion had an expression of disbelief. "A-are you really making it for me? A magic forge?" "I promised, didn''t I? But there''s a condition. You have to make my sword. Not just any sword, but your masterpiece." Zeke was anxious that the young Gelion mightck the skills to create the sr sword Gram. That''s why he emphasized it to some extent, but Gelion, unaware of Zeke''s thoughts, had tears in his eyes. "My lord! You are my lifelong benefactor!" Gelion was even more moved than when Zeke had saved his life in the previous life. The forge instation didn''t take long. Paynun participated in the work with enthusiasm. He held the design drawings on site and gave precise construction instructions to the workers. Thanks to this, the magic forge was able to achieve much higher efficiency than Gelion had designed. Whoosh! As Paynun activated the magic drive mechanism, the forge started operating. Gelion shed tears of joy as he looked at the blue mes emanating from the forge. "Ah! To think that I would actuallyplete this forge before I die!" Paynun was also satisfied with thepleted forge. "With this level of efficiency, it will probablyst for a hundred years without any problems." "Thank you, Professor! Thank you!" Professor Paynun returned to the academy first due to his lectures after checking the forge. Zeke, left alone with Gelion, spoke to him discreetly. "Gelion. I have a favor to ask of you, but can you keep it a secret?" Gelion excitedly pounded his chest with his fist. "Of course! It''s a request from my benefactor! I, Gelion, will take your secret to the grave." Knowing how single-minded Gelion was from his past life, Zeke wasn''t really worried about the secret leaking out. He took out Bahamut''s fang, which he had brought in a box, and ced it before Gelion. "M-my lord, what is this?" "It''s the hardest fang of a dragon. Have you ever seen anything like it?" Gelion was startled by Zeke''s words. "A-a dragon''s fang?" Gelion had never seen a dragon''s tooth preserved so perfectly. In fact, no cksmith on the continent would have seen anything like it. Zeke calmed the surprised Gelion and continued. "Make my sword with this." Gelion trembled at his words. "A-are you entrusting me with this precious item?" "Why, do youck confidence?" Gelion immediately jumped up from his seat. He snorted and shouted. "Of course not! I, Gelion, will stake my life on making your sword!" "No, there''s no need to stake your life. That''s too much pressure." As always, this single-minded cksmith didn''t know the meaning of moderation. Excited to confirm what he had to do, Gelion examined the fang of Bahamut that Zeke had brought. "Ha... this color, this texture." He ran his palm over the fang and let out a rough breath. Seeing Gelion like this, Zeke shook his head. ''In my past life, he at least had a master craftsman''s aura about him. Well, it doesn''t matter as long as he makes a good sword.'' Zeke slowly rose from his seat. "Then I''ll leave it to you. Make me a sword that fits me perfectly." At that moment, Gelion stood up and approached Zeke. "My lord. May I ask you one favor?" Seeing Gelion speak in a suddenly serious voice, Zeke nodded. "What is it?" "May I look into your eyes for a moment?" Zeke''s eyebrows twitched at his words. It was because he remembered Gelion''s words from his previous life. ''Gelion, do you really read people''s souls and make swords ording to them?'' ''I don''t know about reading souls, but when I make a truly important sword, I look into the eyes of the person who will use it.'' ''Their eyes? Is there a special meaning?'' ''It''s hard to exin in words, but when I look into their eyes, I feel something. The user''s emotions, or perhaps their will? It''s difficult to express urately.'' The young craftsman before him was looking at Zeke with the same eyes as the master craftsman from the future, or perhaps even more passionately. Zeke nodded. "If you wish, you may do so." Gelion carefully looked into Zeke''s eyes. After staring for a while, Gelion carefully closed his eyes. He remained in that state for a long time, then quietly opened his eyes. "Thank you for granting my rude request, my lord." He immediately ced Bahamut''s fang into the magic forge. Then, without saying a word, he stared at the fang and the mes within the forge. Seeing Gelion like this, Zeke quietly left the smithy so as not to disturb him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ''It seems I worried for nothing.'' Zeke headed back to the academy, anticipating what kind of sword would be created. * * * When Zeke returned to the academy and went up to the tinum Floor, someone was sitting in the reception room. "Old man?" Surprisingly, Duke Draker was sprawled on the sofa, pouring arge amount of high-quality liquor into his mouth. With a flushed face, he shouted at Zeke. "You brat! Where have you been all this time!" "What brings you all the way here? No, wait, how did you even get into the tinum Floor, which is off-limits to outsiders?" Duke opened his mouth wide and burst intoughter. "Puhaha! You little punk, do you know who I am to say such a thing! There''s nowhere I can''t go in any ce built by the Drakers!" Knowing his identity, Zeke understood what he meant, but he pretended not to know and replied. "You seem quite drunk. Why don''t you go back and rest?" Duke suddenly sat up and shouted at Zeke. "You little whippersnapper! I left you a message, why didn''t youe back!" "I haven''t felt like challenging you again yet." "You insolent brat! If I lined up all the guys begging to learn even one thing from me, it would stretch around the central training ground!" "Then why don''t you take those people and teach them? Why do you keeping to someone who doesn''t want to learn?" At Zeke''s words, Duke gritted his teeth. He abruptly stood up and said to Zeke, "Fine. Let me introduce myself formally." Whoosh! At the same time, the alcohol fumes seeped out of Duke''s body like mist. His flushed face instantly returned to normal. He looked down at Zeke with a serious expression and said, "My name is Duke Draker. I was once Draker''s ck Knight." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 19 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 19 ''Finally, he''s taking the bait.'' It was worth all the effort he put into making Duke impatient. What he desired wasn''t some simple teaching, but Duke''s ultimate technique, the Gale Force Technique. Even Andrei, who became the Crimson Knight after receiving Duke''s teachings in his previous life, hadn''t been taught the Gale Force Technique. The Red-Eyed Technique was a skill Andrei had developed and mastered on his own. Knowing this, Zeke had deliberately made a bet with Duke to squeeze out everything he had. He intended to provoke him further, have another bet, and then have the Gale Force Technique imparted to him, but Duke had already revealed his identity. Zeke stared at Duke and said, "Draker''s ck Knight... You shouldn''t say such things carelessly." "Ha. This is crazy. I''ve never seen such an audacious brat in my life." "The ck Knight is a top secret within the n, so it''s hard to trust you when you speak so easily about it." "Every word you say reminds me of Arthur when he was young, it''s annoying." Zeke was genuinely surprised by those words. "Father, no. You mean the head of the n?" Duke nodded. "Yes. The great and mighty head of the Draker n, Arthur Draker." Since Duke was also a ck Knight of the family, Zeke knew he would have a close rtionship with the head of the n, but he didn''t realize they had known each other since childhood. ''Come to think of it, most of the high-ranking Drakers go from the cradle to the academy, then to Valha, and finally to the main house. If they are of simr age, they would have been cadets together.'' Duke looked at Zeke and said, "I''m stuck in the academy after retiring from knighthood due to certain circumstances, but even now, if I go to the Four Seasons Castle, there are only a few above me, you brat." Although he spoke yfully, Duke Draker''s influence within the Draker n was indeed substantial. Even disregarding the fact that he was a ck Knight, he was a close associate of Arthur Draker, the head of the n, and one of the few people he trusted. Zeke slowly rose from his seat and bowed to Duke. "I deeply apologize for my disrespect to the n elder and the honorable ck Knight." Duke snorted at Zeke''s polite apology. "What''s this? Suddenly acting so formal." "You could use your authority to pressure the headmaster and have me expelled." "Hey, even if I''m reckless, why would I do such a tiring thing with no benefit?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Although he said he wouldn''t do it, to Zeke''s ears, it sounded like he might do it if there was a benefit. Just then, Duke sat down on the sofa, picked his ear with his finger, and said to Zeke, "So, are you finally thinking of learning something from me, you arrogant brat?" "Does that mean you''ll ept me as your formal disciple?" "This kid is suddenly pushing his luck. That depends on how you perform." "Then forget it. I''m busy with my personal training." "Ha, really. Damn brat. Fine. Alright. I can''t back down now that I''ve revealed my identity. I''ll take you as my disciple." Honestly, Zeke was quite surprised. He hadn''t expected to be Duke Draker''s disciple so easily. Before Duke could change his mind, he quickly rose from his seat and knelt on one knee before him. "To the honorable knight among knights, Duke Draker, Zeke Draker makes the oath of discipleship with due respect. I vow to diligently umte the virtues of learning by following Master''s orders, and to strive to enhance Master''s honor." Duke''s jaw dropped as he heard Zeke''s oath. "Huh? You even know the ancient oath." "Isn''t knowledge a virtue of a knight?" "You''re a smooth talker. A sly one." "Master. May I ask you one thing?" "You''re quick to call me Master with that thick skin of yours. Fine, ask away." "Why did you choose me as your disciple?" He was honestly curious. Even Andrei, a prodigy among prodigies, couldn''t be Duke''s formal disciple until the very end. Why would Duke, with his high standards, take Zeke as his disciple? Duke looked at Zeke and chuckled. "Why do you think?" "I''m asking because I don''t know." "I like your tenacity." Zeke thought he had misheard. "I thought you took me as your disciple because I was some kind of unparalleled genius." "You little brat. If that were the case, I would have taken the girl from the Turunn n as my disciple." "Tsk." Seeing Zeke''s reaction, Dukeughed heartily. "Don''t be disappointed, kid. When I was at the academy, I was at the bottom of the regr ss, let alone the special ss." "What? But you said you reached the level of a ck Knight." Zeke was genuinely surprised by this story he was hearing for the first time. Duke continued, "Not everyone bes a Red Knight or a ck Knight just because they are an unparalleled genius. On the contrary, those with too much talent may fail to ovee obstacles and be swallowed by the despair thates from it." Zeke agreed with Duke to some extent. Even among the most talentedte bloomers on the continent, only a few actually reached the level of a Blue Knight. And even fewer among them could be a Red Knight, a hero. There were countless cases where someone was loudly touted as a brilliant talent who would be the continent''s best knight, but ended up remaining a Blue Knight for life. Duke grinned and said, "The secret technique I created, the Gale Force Technique, cannot be learned just because someone has talent. Tenacity, perseverance, effort! And beyond that, a relentless spirit! You need those to master it." Zeke realized why Andrei ultimately couldn''t learn the Gale Force Technique. ''It was a technique that didn''t suit Andrei, whocked stamina.'' Duke abruptly stood up. "Alright! Let''s go while we''re at it." "What? Where are we going?" "Where else but to train?" "Right now?" Duke grabbed Zeke without a word and dragged him out of the tinum Floor towards the greenhouse. "Why are weing here when there are good training rooms?" "Just follow me quietly, you talkative disciple." He led Zeke down the stairs at the side of the greenhouse. They came to a basement door secured with a magic lock, and beyond ity an unexpected space. "A-a training ground?" In the basement of the greenhouse was a vast training ground and practice area. Although the personal training room on the tinum Floor was good, it was nothingpared to this ce. "Arthur had this prepared so I wouldn''t get rusty. Well, I haven''t used it much." He said to Zeke. "First, run." "Huh?" "Don''t you understand what ''run'' means?" Hearing Duke''s abruptmand, Zeke started running around the training ground. Duke shouted, "Faster!" Zeke increased his speed and ran around the training ground, while Duke watched him closely as he circled. And when Zeke had run about 50ps around the training ground, he shouted, "Stop!" Zeke stopped running and approached Duke. "Can I stop running now?" Duke narrowed his eyes and said to Zeke, "I''ve felt something strange about you since before." His figure disappeared in an instant and reappeared behind Zeke. Zeke narrowly dodged Duke''s attempt to grab his wrist. Duke stared nkly at his hand grasping at the air. "Y-you dodged?" "What was that all of a sudden, Master?" Duke''s dignity as a master was crumbling. "Ahem. Anyway, fine. Zeke, what are you hiding from me?" Zeke flinched at Duke''s words, but he denied it for now. "Hiding? I''m not hiding anything." "It was strange from the first time I saw you. You were moving fine even after being injured by that leech Andrei, and during the test, you kept getting up even when you shouldn''t have been able to move." Zeke feigned ignorance and said, "I''m just tough." "Do you think I''m a fool? That''s not something you can do just by being tough." Zeke flinched inwardly. ''Damn, if he finds out that I haven''t awakened my Aura, it''s all over.'' Zeke had intended to somehow hide that fact, learn the Gale Force Technique, and then use mana converted into Aura after the sr sword Gram waspleted. Just then, Duke spoke. "Are you perhaps... an Irregr?" Irregr was a term used to describe those with unique abilities that couldn''t be categorized. However, Irregrs weren''t viewed favorably in the Central Continent. They were often ostracized and driven out of viges,beled as cursed beings. In fact, in his past life, there was a case where an Irregr caused the downfall of an entire kingdom and became a public enemy of the continent, so it wasn''t entirely without reason. Although Zeke knew about Irregrs, he feigned ignorance. "What''s an Irregr, Master?" Duke stroked his beard and pondered. "Well, you wouldn''t know, having juste out of the cradle." He looked at Zeke and said, "An Irregr refers to someone like you, who has unique abilities. The problem is..." Duke swallowed the words he was about to say. "Never mind. It''s nothing to worry about. But don''t reveal that you''re an Irregr to others." "Master. Then can''t I learn the Gale Force Technique?" Duke shook his head. "The Gale Force Technique is different from other Draker secret techniques. It''s a technique where drawing out the pure power of the body to its fullest is more important than the power of Aura." Hearing Duke''s words, Zeke realized his judgment was correct. ''Even before returning, I used healing to push my physical strength to the limit. I thought that with the Healing Factor and Infinite Stamina skills, I might be able to learn the Gale Force Technique without Aura, and thankfully, it seems possible.'' Duke looked at Zeke and said, "Now, watch what I do carefully." He moved erratically, changing directions and leaving footprints. He moved as if drawing a circle, then deviated in another direction, then returned to the original circle. After making those strange movements and leaving footprints, Duke returned to his original position. "Did you see the footwork I just performed?" "Yes." "Are you sure you saw it all?" "Yes, I saw it all." "Good. Then try walking along the footprints I made." Duke grinned and stepped aside. Zeke stared intently at the footprints Duke had made, then turned to Duke and said, "Master." "What is it? You''re not going to say you can''t do it now, are you?" "No, it''s not that. It''s just that your stride and mine are different. Can I try it next to you, adjusting to my stride?" "What?" Before Duke could say anything, Zeke started performing the footwork right next to him. He performed the same movements, drawing a circle, then changing direction to the side, and returning to the circle. First in the four cardinal directions, then in the eightpass directions, then in the sixty-four directions, returning to the starting point. It was a perfect disy of the Gale Force Technique''s essence. After performing the footwork and returning to his original position, Zeke frowned slightly. "Ah, I made a mistake here. I should have gone right instead of left." Seeing Zeke perform the perfect footwork in a single try, Duke was speechless. "Y-you... how..." With his constitution changed to Divine body, Zeke''s learning speed for martial arts had be faster than anyone else''s. The natural talent to replicate a technique with his body just by seeing it once. That was the ability of the Divine Body. Shocked after seeing Zeke perform the basic footwork of the Gale Force Technique in one go, Duke barely managed to collect himself. "W-wait a minute." Duke''s figure moved swiftly. Swish! He moved his feet rapidly, leaving footprints on the training ground. The range was wider and the changes moreplex than before. Soon, Duke''s footprints filled the entire training ground. Looking at Duke, who had returned to his original position, Zeke asked, "Do I have to follow this too?" Zeke asked with a sense of disbelief. "Yes, try it." Zeke pondered for a moment, then nodded. He slowly started to follow the series of Gale Force Technique footwork that Duke had performed. Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke''s figure flickered in and out of sight. Even though he was only performing the basic form, the Gale Force Technique was already starting to take root in his body. ''Insane... I''ve never seen or heard of such talent.'' Having trained his body to its limits in his past life, Zeke could feel the secrets contained within Duke''s footwork with his entire being. As he performed the ever-changing footwork, he instinctively grasped how to move if a hypothetical enemy were in front of him. Whoosh! Zeke''s movements became noticeably faster than when he started. As hepleted a full circuit of the training ground and returned to his original position, messages appeared before his eyes. [Special Skill category activated.] [You have learned the Special Skill Gale Force Technique (A-rank).] [Some of the Active Skills will be absorbed into the Special Skill.] [Reward: 50 points awarded for unlocking the Special category.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 20 - [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 20 Upon obtaining the Gale Force Technique, a special skill category appeared. ''Special skill? Does this mean a secret technique?'' As Duke approached, Zeke closed the message window. "I can''t believe it even after seeing it." Duke was genuinely surprised. It had already been over ten years since he retired from the ck Knights and secluded himself in the academy. He stayed to find a sessor, but now it was just a nominal reason; in reality, he had half given up. The Gale Force Technique he created was a technique with too many constraints to pass down to future generations. It was a secret technique he obtained by training his body to the limit to ovee the wall, as Duke himself had ordinary talent in aura. However, the talented individuals who came to the academy focused on training their aura power rather than their physical strength. He had tested a few talented individuals, but they couldn''t keep up and quickly dropped out. Naturally, he had almost given up on finding a sessor, but he happened to discover Zeke and saw the possibility of passing down the Gale Force Technique to him. Incredible recovery and stamina, and an unyielding will. He perfectly matched the talent Duke was looking for. ''And he''s an extraordinary genius? Ha, I must be in luck in my old age.'' Seeing Duke staring intently at him, Zeke opened his mouth. "What is it, Master?" "...." He was a good student, but his personality was a bit problematic. Still, Duke was satisfied that he could pass down the Gale Force Technique. He grinned. "Hehe. My beloved disciple. Let''s do well together from now on." Zeke got goosebumps from the sudden expression of affection. And from that day on, hellish training truly began. Overjoyed at finding a true sessor, Duke generously poured out all his knowledge. If it had been any other talented individual instead of Zeke, they would have given up and run away after just one day of training at that intensity. "From now on, the use of aura is prohibited during the training period." It was actually a good thing for Zeke, who hadn''t awakened his aura in the first ce. Since raising pure physical strength was the foundation of the Gale Force Technique, Zeke followed Duke''s training with his healing factor and infinite stamina. Actually, Zeke had briefly worked as a swordsmanship instructor in the North before his return. Based on that experience, Duke''s teaching method waspletely haphazard. ''At this rate, it''splete overwork. I can only endure it because it''s me. It''s the perfect training method to ruin someone else''s body.'' Because Duke became a ck Knight through his own efforts, he had a strong tendency to push hard with the mindset that anything was possible if you put your mind to it. Zeke modified Duke''s nonsensical, willpower-based training method on his own and filled in the gaps. Thus, Zeke received personal training from Duke all day long in the greenhouse training ground, except for themon sses for the special ss. And when he had received about a month of concentrated training from Duke, rumors began to spread in the academy. The rumors were that Zeke was receiving personal training from a high-ranking knight of his n. Zeke, who had no intention of making friends at the academy, didn''t even know that such rumors were circting. Moreover, he was too busy just digesting Duke''s insanely tough training to have time to pay attention to such rumors. Zeke, whose appetite had increased significantly since he started training in the Gale Force Technique, was once again at the cadet cafeteria, piling up three times the amount of food on his tray and wolfing it down. Just then, someone approached and sat across from Zeke. Zeke, who didn''t care who came, focused only on eating. "Zeke Draker." Only when the person who approached called his name did Zeke raise his head and look ahead. ''Andrei?'' A young man with delicate features, more befitting a mage than a knight. Andrei Draker spoke in a low voice. "Could you spare me a moment?" Since being exempted from the basic Dragon yer ss, there had been no particr reason to see Andrei. Zeke could sense the anxiety hidden beneath Andrei''s stiff expression. ''He must have learned that I became Duke''s disciple.'' Zeke picked up his tray and rose from his seat. "Let''s have some tea." Zeke and Andrei went up to the tinum Floor lounge. As they settled into the sky lounge with a view of the entire academy, the staff soon prepared and brought tea. Zeke, who enjoyed tea in his previous life as well, savored the aroma of the finest tea, which was not easily essible outside. Unlike the rxed Zeke, Andrei didn''t even touch his tea. "How did you persuade him?" Zeke asked as he took a sip of tea. "What are you talking about?" Andrei''s eyebrows twitched. "Are you going to y dumb?" Andrei, a knight from the main family, hade to ask Zeke, a much younger student, so Zeke could sense how desperate he was. Looking at Andrei, Zeke shook his head. "I never persuaded Master." At the word "Master," Andrei bit his lip. "You''re saying you didn''t persuade Duke to be his disciple?" "Yes. Rather, you could say that I was the one persuaded." It wasn''t wrong. Although it was due to Zeke''s scheme, Duke himself thought Zeke was the talent to inherit the Gale Force Technique and kept hovering around him. Andrei was at a loss for words at the unexpected answer. Andrei, who became a knight of the main family due to his outstanding talent, realized his limitations in the Four Seasons Fortress. Among his peers, there was no one who could rival him, but the continent was vast, and the Four Seasons Fortress was teeming with unbelievable monsters. Therefore, Andrei volunteered for the unpopr role of academy instructor instead of knightly duties that could increase his expertise. This was because it was secretly rumored in the Four Seasons Fortress that Duke, a former ck Knight, was living in seclusion at the academy. Duke Draker, amoner and an ordinary Awakened who became a ck Knight, was a legendary figure in the Four Seasons Fortress. Andrei believed that inheriting Duke Draker''s secret techniques was the only way to ovee the wall of pure-blooded Awakened. He followed Duke around and constantly asked to be epted as a disciple, but he was not allowed. Then, out of the blue, he heard the news that Duke had taken a new student as his disciple. He looked at Zeke with mixed feelings of disappointment, jealousy, and curiosity. Of all people, it was the pure-blooded Awakened who had gotten on his nerves from the first day of basic Dragon yer ss. He clenched his teeth. Just then, Zeke opened his mouth. "Instructor, why do you want to learn Master''s Gale Force Technique?" Andrei, with an even more hardened expression, slowly opened his mouth. "It''s only natural for a knight to want to be stronger. What''s wrong with that?" Zeke shook his head at his words. "No, you''re right, Instructor. But..." Zeke looked at Andrei and said, "I think the method is wrong." Andrei''s blood boiled as he was lectured by Zeke, who was much younger than him. ''Those damn pure-blooded Awakened...'' He forced himself to suppress his anger and asked Zeke, "What do you mean by the method being wrong, cadet?" "The Gale Force Technique doesn''t suit you, Instructor. If you want to be stronger, it''s better to learn a different technique." Upon hearing Zeke''s words, Andrei jumped to his feet. "I cannot tolerate any more insults." Zeke gazed at him intently and said, "I haven''t insulted you. If you felt that way, it''s because of your inferiorityplex about not being a pure-blooded Awakened." Andrei''s face flushed red at Zeke''s pointed remark that hit him where it hurt. Zeke was the first person to so bluntly point out hisplex. "Have you said your piece, cadet?" "No, I''m not finished yet." "Go on. Let''s see how far you''ll take your insolence." "Tell Master that you don''t need to be his disciple, just being by his side is enough." Andrei''s expression distorted at thosepletely unexpected words. "Are you telling me to be a squire now?" "No. You have a high opinion of yourself. I was thinking more along the lines of a servant." His blood boiled. Feeling there was no need to hear more, Andrei gritted his teeth and left his seat. Just then, Zeke called out to Andrei from behind. "Does that damn pride of yours make you stronger? Stop clinging to clothes that don''t fit and think about what you really need!" At those words, Andrei stopped for a moment. Then he turned his head to look at Zeke. After looking at Zeke in silence, he turned his head again and walked out of the lounge. Zeke shook his head as he watched Andrei leave the lounge without a word. "Sigh, I''ve done all I can." In his previous life, Andrei received teachings from Duke and earned the nickname "Crimson Knight." He had offered advice out of a bit of conscience for Andrei, whose future had changed because of him, but it was useless if Andrei couldn''t ept it. Zeke drained the rest of his tea and rose from his seat. * * * The next day, Zeke went to the greenhouse for training and gaped at the sight that unfolded before him. "Huff... Huff..." Andrei was running around the greenhouse training ground, drenched in sweat. Zeke looked at Duke with a dumbfounded expression. "Wh-what is it, Master?" Duke said while picking his ear with an annoyed expression. "That leech, for some reason, begged to stay by my side even as a servant, so I told him I''d ept him if he could run three hundredps without aura." For Draker knights, being told not to use aura was like being told to hold their breath. Andrei, who already had weak stamina, was running with a pale face. "How manyps has he done so far?" "Two hundred and ny-eightps. Ha, that guy is quite stubborn." Andrei, his face turning blue, desperately tried to block his aura andplete the run with pure physical strength. "Gasp... Gasp..." With onep left and his staminapletely depleted, he stumbled and practically crawled around the training ground. Seeing Andrei, Zeke realized he had misjudged him. ''I thought he was a greenhouse softie, but he has some backbone.'' Andrei, practically half-dead, finished thestp and crawled to Duke. He gasped for breath and said, "I-I finished... theps..." Duke clicked his tongue at the sight of Andrei. "A knight from the main family, panting like that after just running a bit. This is how the Four Seasons Fortress is going. In my day, we woke up in the morning and ran five hundredps around the central training ground of the Four Seasons Fortress without using aura!" Andrei, with a dying look on his face, opened his mouth. "Y-you... must keep your... promise." Duke nodded with a displeased expression. "Ugh, what a bother. I don''t know what''s gotten into you, but do as you please." Only after hearing those words did Andrei lose consciousness and copse. Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head at the sight of Andrei. "These young knights these days... In my day..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Enough about that. What are we learning today? I already learned all the applied movementsst time." "You impudent disciple! The Gale Force Technique has infinite variations, so there''s no end to its applications. You''re just a beginner, stop acting arrogant." Duke was deliberately finding fault with Zeke because his learning speed was so fast. The basics needed for the Gale Force Technique were taught in less than a week. Flustered, Duke brought out applied movements, but Zeke absorbed them all like a sponge, learning everything he was taught. Worried that he would run out of things to teach in less than a month, Duke was teaching as slowly as possible. "So what are we doing today?" Duke clicked his tongue at Zeke. "You naive brat. Review what you''ve learned today." "Huh? Why the sudden review?" "Something suddenly came up, I need to go somewhere for a bit." "Did you have work here, Master?" Zeke quickly dodged with footwork as Duke tried to flick his forehead in response to his sly remark. "That rascal, he''s only getting better at tricks!" Duke said with a displeased expression as he watched Zeke move with his footwork like a fluttering butterfly. "A troublesome fellow ising tomorrow. How tiring." "Who''sing that even requires you, Master?" Duke said while roughly picking his ear. "Who else but the great head of the Draker n, Arthur Draker." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 21 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 21 The entire academy was abuzz with the news of the sudden visit of Arthur Drakerr, the head of the Draker n. Led by Headmaster Howard Draker, the academy''s instructors and cadets lined up from the main gate to the za, awaiting Arthur Draker''s arrival. When the appointed time arrived, a thunderous sound echoed down the main road. Thud thud thud thud! Six massive ck horses pulled arge, heavy, ck carriage, far grander than any ordinary carriage. Emzoned on the side of the carriage was a Dragon yer''s emblem made of gold. It was the personal carriage of Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n. And hundreds of knights followed behind the carriage. The procession, which gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure, made not only the cadets but also the instructors tense.. Finally, the carriage stopped in the center of the za. The giant ck horses snorted and pawed the ground, their breathing out in ragged gasps. Headmaster Howard Draker approached the carriage. The door opened, and a man stepped out. ¡°Howard. It''s been a while.¡± A middle-aged man with an air of profound charisma, his gray hair slicked back. This man was Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker n, which stood at the pinnacle of the continent''s three transcendent ns, and one of the eight strongest individuals on the continent. Howard Draker, along with everyone gathered in the za, knelt before him. ¡°Greetings to the Lord of Draker!¡± Arthur Draker raised his hand in acknowledgment of their greetings. Then he ced a hand on Howard''s shoulder. ¡°You''ve been working hard.¡± ¡°It''s nothingpared to your efforts, Lord Draker.¡± ¡°You''re a great help.¡± Arthur Draker raised his head and looked at the young cadets lined up in the za. He slowly began to speak. ¡°Cadets. Rise.¡± He spoke normally, but his voice carried to every corner of the academy. The cadets, tense, rose to their feet. It was as if Arthur Draker''s voice was ringing right next to their ears. ¡°Young Dragon yers. You are the hope of our Draker n, the new seeds.¡± Everyone focused on the head of the n''s gentle yet powerful voice. They strained their ears, determined not to miss a single word. ¡°Devote yourselves to your training! Your growth will be the growth of our family.¡± When his short but impactful speech ended, the cadets saluted the head of the n. ¡°Sir!¡± Arthur smiled and returned their salute. ¡°You all have great spirit. Now, let''s go inside.¡± The Headmaster and Arthur Draker entered the main academy building. The cadets moved to their respective buildings to resume their sses. As they walked, the cadets were excited to have seen the head of the n in person. ¡°To see the head of the n in person¡­ The other siblings in the family will be so jealous!¡± ¡°I will definitely enter Valha and go to the Four Seasons Castle.¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°With your skills? In your dreams.¡± Amidst the excited cadets, Zeke tilted his head and headed towards the training ground. ''The head of the n never visited the academy before I regressed. What''s going on?'' He already knew that the future was changing little by little due to his regression. But he didn''t think that the change would extend to the head of the n, who resided in the Four Seasons Castle. Zeke tilted his head and returned to the tinum Floor. But soon, he had to go back outside. The head of the n had summoned him. * * * Zeke headed to the Headmaster''s office located in the main building. He hadn''t been fazed by much since his regression, but now, even his strong mental defenses weren''t much help. Thump thump thump! Standing in front of the Headmaster''s office door, he barely managed to calm his pounding heart. The door opened, and he took a deep breath and entered. There he was, inside the opulent Headmaster''s office. ¡°Come in.¡± Arthur Draker, who had changed into casual clothes instead of his uniform, greeted him warmly, sipping whiskey from a ss. Zeke immediately knelt and greeted him ording to the family''s etiquette. ¡°To Arthur Draker, the master of all knights and guardian of the honorable name of Dragon yer, Zeke Draker, a member of the n, offers his respects.¡± Seeing Zeke''s old-fashioned greeting, Arthur Drakerughed heartily. ¡°I haven''t seen anyone greet me in such an old-fashioned way, even in the Four Seasons Castle. Don''t make a fuss and have a seat.¡± Zeke couldn''t get used to Arthur Draker''s friendly demeanor. Thest time he remembered seeing the head of the n was when he was seven years old, before entering the cradle, when he was called in, briefly nced at, and then dismissed. Until he was expelled from the academy, Arthur had never contacted him or offered any help. In his previous life, he had barely seen his father, Arthur Draker, a few times, so he couldn''t even grasp what kind of person he was. As Zeke took a seat, Arthur ced a pre-prepared cup of tea in front of him. ¡°I hear you enjoy tea.¡± Zeke was startled by his words. It meant that even the information that he always ordered tea in the tinum Floor was reported to the head of the n. The saying that there was nothing the Emperor didn''t know, but even more so, nothing that the head of the Draker n didn''t know, hit home. Wary of the head of the n''s unreadable intentions, Zeke drank his tea. Then Arthur spoke first. ¡°So, I hear you''ve be Duke''s disciple.¡± Hearing those words, Zeke realized why he was here and why he had been summoned. ''In my previous life, the Gale Force Technique was not properly passed down and practically disappeared. Now that there''s a sessor to the ck Knight''s signature technique, it makes sense that he would take notice.'' Zeke looked at Arthur and nodded. ¡°The Gale Knight has shown me favor.¡± ¡°Duke said you were quite reluctant, which annoyed him.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He didn''t know that the esteemed ck Knight had such a loose tongue. Arthur said with a smile. ¡°Honestly, I didn''t think there would be a talent that could catch the eye of that picky fellow, Duke. Moreover, I certainly didn''t expect it to be my youngest son.¡± Zeke''s heart pounded at the words ''youngest son''. Arthur looked at Zeke and said. ¡°So, I''m curious about your goal. If you keep working hard like this, you can definitely enter Valha¡­¡± ¡°To be the strongest on the continent.¡± Arthur was momentarily speechless at Zeke''s words. Seeing Arthur''s reaction, he said once more. ¡°My goal is to be the strongest on the continent.¡± Arthur''s eyes changed in an instant. Then he burst intoughter. ¡°Bwahahahahahaha!¡± Wooong! An intangible energy emanated from Arthur''s body. Zeke gritted his teeth against the energy enveloping him. Wherever this energy reached was under Arthur''s control. It meant that he held the power of life and death over anyone within that range. ''He''s a monster, as expected.'' Despite his amiable face, the man in front of him was undeniably the strongest on the continent. Therefore, to be the strongest, Zeke had to ovee this mountain. Arthur Draker abruptly stoppedughing. He looked at Zeke and said. ¡°That''s the most interesting thing I''ve heardtely.¡± The energy that enveloped Zeke vanished instantly. Zeke''s entire body was drenched in cold sweat. Arthur Draker looked at Zeke with a satisfied expression. Then he took something out of his pocket. ¡°Originally, I was going to give you a gift to celebrate bing the sessor of the Gale Force¡­ but now I see that gift is not enough.¡± What Arthur took out was a palm-sized metal card. The Draker n''s Dragon yer emblem was delicately engraved on the surface of the card. Zeke was surprised to see the card. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I believe it''s a ck Card, issued only to the top VVIPs across the continent.¡± ¡°If you know, then there''s no need for exnation.¡± Arthur handed the ck Card to Zeke. ¡°It''s issued in my name, but I''ll transfer the ownership, so use it freely.¡± A ck Card, especially one used by the head of the Draker n, must have unimaginable benefits. Before his regression, Zeke had never received any attention. Now that he was a Pure-blooded Awakener and the sessor of the Gale Force, the situation waspletely different. If Zeke were an ordinary thirteen-year-old, he would have been overjoyed to receive the card. But Zeke immediately grasped Arthur''s intention hidden within the ck Card. ''It''s a card with enormous benefits, but it can be rendered useless at any moment with a single word from the head of the n.'' Moreover, every time the card was used, a record would remain, so his every move would be ryed to the head of the n. Zeke once again realized that the person in front of him was an omnipotent ruler who controlled the entire continent. Arthur Draker spoke again. ¡°I''d like to have a nice meal with you since we''ve met after so long, but I have another appointment and need to leave soon.¡± ¡°It was an honor just to see you.¡± ¡°You''ve certainly changed.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It''s nothing. You may go now. I can''t take up any more of the precious time of the future strongest on the continent.¡± With a gesture from Arthur, Zeke rose from his seat, bowed, and left the room. Arthur, left alone in the Headmaster''s office, downed the rest of his whiskey. Just then, someone emerged from the shadows in a corner of the room. ¡°Putting on a good show as a loving father, aren''t you?¡± It was none other than Duke Draker. Duke, casting aside any respect or formality towards the head of the n, plopped down in front of Arthur. Arthur grinned at Duke. ¡°Why are you so angry again?¡± ¡°Because it''s sickening to see you act like a caring father now, after neglecting him all his life in the cradle.¡± ¡°I could arrest you for insulting the head of the n, you know.¡± ¡°Go ahead, arrest me then.¡± Duke acted defiantly, and Arthur, watching him, stroked his neatly trimmed beard. ¡°So, do you think Zeke can inherit the legacy of the Gale Force?¡± ¡°How would I know? I need to teach him more to find out.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I was wondering why you took that trash, who couldn''t even awaken his aura, as your disciple.¡± Arthur''s eyes shed. ¡°After seeing him today, I think I understand. It''s been a while since I''ve seen someone withstand the Astral Sword''s energy, even if it was faint.¡± ¡°Your twisted hobbies are truly annoying.¡± ¡°I missed your harsh words. No one in the Four Seasons Castle talks to me like that.¡± ¡°My condolences to the knights who have to suffer because of their ill-tempered lord.¡± Arthur chuckled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a whiskey bottle from his subspace pocket. As he stretched out his hand, a ss from the cupboard slid towards him and was sucked into his hand. Arthur poured whiskey into the empty ss. As he swirled the ss of whiskey, ice formed within it. ¡°Let''s have a drink.¡± He handed the whiskey to Duke and poured himself a ss as well. They downed the whiskey in one gulp. ¡°Whew¡­ What is this? Dragon''s Breath, isn''t it? And Red, at that. Where did you get this precious stuff?¡± ¡°I brought it because I thought you''d like it.¡± ¡°Your personality is truly the worst, but it''s things like this that keep me from cutting ties with you. You annoying bastard.¡± Duke grumbled and then savored the whiskey. Then Arthur spoke again. ¡°Are you aware that the situation on the continent has been strangetely?¡± ¡°How would I know, wasting my time stuck in the backwater of Troy?¡± ¡°I know your eyes and ears are still active all over the continent.¡± ¡°If you know, why are you fishing for information? You sly fox.¡± Arthur swirled his whiskey ss and said, ¡°It seems something unusual is happening in the Rom Empire.¡± ¡°That crazy Emperor has been a troublemaker ever since he was the Crown Prince. What is it this time?¡± ¡°Duke, do you think immortality is possible?¡± ¡°Are you joking with me right now?¡± ¡°The Emperor seems to believe it''s possible.¡± ¡°Ha, he''spletely lost his mind.¡± ¡°The problem is that that madman is the Emperor , who upies half of the Central Continent. He even created an imperial unit called the Hounds.¡± ¡°The Hounds? The name itself is ominous.¡± ¡°The Emperor is using that unit to search for something.¡± ¡°What is he searching for?¡± ¡°An ancient artifact.¡± ¡°Surely he''s not looking for an artifact that grants immortality, is he?¡± ¡°Bad premonitions alwayse true, don''t they?¡± ¡°That''s¡­ not just a bad premonition.¡± Duke clicked his tongue as he finished his whiskey. He knew that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was superstitious and surrounded by suspicious individuals, but he didn''t expect him to go astray like this. ¡°Shouldn''t we put some pressure on him as a family?¡± ¡°It''s difficult to act strongly because we''re in an alliance to keep the Eastern Empire in check together.¡± ¡°Ha, you''ve really mellowed out. In the past, you would have just picked a fight.¡± ¡°Being the head of the n isn''t all sunshine and rainbows.¡± ¡°So what''s the main point? Why are you beating around the bush like this?¡± Arthur looked at Duke and said, ¡°I''m nning to leave the Four Seasons Castle for a while.¡± ¡°Why are you leaving the Four Seasons Castle when the Emperor of the Rom Empire has gone mad?¡± ¡°I''m going to the Ice Mountains to find the ancient artifact that the Emperor is looking for.¡± ¡°What? Are you crazy? Don''t tell me it''s because of that immortality¡­¡± ¡°There''s a possibility that the artifact is a trace of an Elder Dragon.¡± [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 22 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 22 At the mention of the Elder Dragon, Duke''s face hardened. Arthur slowly began to speak. ¡°No matter what, that artifact must never fall into the Emperor''s hands.¡± Duke nodded in agreement. Arthur rose from his seat. ¡°While I''m away, Duke, I''ll need your eyes and ears to keep watch on the Emperor.¡± ¡°You''re leaving me with all the troublesome tasks.¡± ¡°It''s not like you have to do the dirty work yourself. Stop whining and pay attention.¡± Duke clicked his tongue and shook his head. Simply being strong might make one the head of the Draker n, but it wasn''t enough tost long. The man in front of him had held the position of head of the Draker n for the longest time in its history. He was overly calcting, but it was precisely because of this that he had been able to handle so many enemies. Duke finished his whiskey and stood up. ¡°I won''t bother seeing you off. Take care.¡± And with that, Duke vanished. Arthur Draker, left alone, took a sip from his whiskey ss and then suddenly looked around. ''I felt something¡­ Was it my imagination?'' Arthur didn''t believe there could be a presence that could deceive his senses. * * * ''An artifact of the Elder Dragon?'' Zeke, who had left the Headmaster''s office after meeting with Arthur Draker, remained near the main building instead of leaving. Outside, he used ''Hearing'', the ability of his Soul Perception, to eavesdrop on the conversation between Arthur Draker and Duke. Wheeeeeen! Zeke, withdrawing his Hearing, felt a strong wave of dizziness. He had been able to use Soul Perception after absorbing the Heart of Bahamut, but the side effects hadn''tpletely disappeared. He closed his eyes for a moment and waited for the dizziness to subside, finally regaining hisposure. Soul Perception was a technique that used the power of the soul, not aura, so he was able to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two ck Knights. As Zeke returned to the tinum Floor, he reyed the conversation between Arthur and Duke in his mind. Knowing the future, Zeke knew better than anyone how cold and calcting Arthur Draker was. He wasn''t a thirteen-year-old kid. Having gone through all sorts of hardships, Zeke wasn''t naive enough to be fooled by a moment of kindness.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He suspected that the head of the n had some ulterior motive and had secretly eavesdropped on the conversation with Duke. Zeke pondered over the words ''artifact of the Elder Dragon'' and ''Ice Mountains'' that Arthur had mentioned. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to refer to the ck dragon statue he had brought back before his death. The problem was that Zeke had discovered that artifact in the Ice Mountains 19 years from now. He had no idea that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was already searching for the artifact at this point in time. Zeke recalled the time when he had found the artifact before his regression. ''Even if he is the head of the Draker n, it would be impossible to find where that artifact is hidden.'' Zeke himself had found the artifact through a series of coincidences. Thinking about the situation back then, he could somewhat understand why the Emperor hadn''t been able to find the artifact for over 19 years. After a moment of thought, Zeke opened his status window and read the title written on it. [Blessed by the Elder Dragon] It was certain that the artifact he had discovered was rted to the being called the Elder Dragon. However, he couldn''t figure out how this system, visible only to him, was rted to the immortality that the Rom Emperor desired. It seemed that the Emperor of the Rom Empire was on a wild goose chase. ''I guess I''ve gained a clue to figure out the true nature of that artifact.'' As Zeke left the main building, he reyed Arthur Draker''s words in his mind. The head of the n had called him trash who couldn''t even awaken his aura. Zeke clenched his fists. He no longer felt any fear or tension towards Arthur Draker. He reaffirmed his resolve to be the strongest, using the Draker n as a stepping stone to bring the entire continent under his feet. He aimed to be the absolute ruler, the strongest on the continent, epassing not only the Central Continent but also the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Continents. ''I''ll make the head of the Draker n, the Emperor, and everyone else kneel before me.'' * * * After the visit of the head of the n, Arthur Draker, the academy became busy with another matter. It was none other than the approaching semester evaluation period. As an educational institution created by the Draker n, with a foundation of thoroughpetition, the academy was filled with evaluations, big and small. Among them, the semester evaluation held the most significant weight in determining advancement. This was because if one failed to achieve excellent results here, it was impossible to advance to Valha. Graduating from the academy alone earned one good treatment in most kingdoms, but it was nothingpared to those who graduated from Valha. This was because entering Valha itself was seen as a guarantee of sess. The cadets of the special ss, who had an advantage in advancing to Valha, were also busy preparing for the semester evaluation. Those who received support from their families even hired knights for private tutoring. This was also the reason why Reina had offered Zeke her n''s support. Receiving tutoring from experienced knights and preparing ording to the semester evaluation criteria made it easier to manage grades, thus increasing the chances of exceeding Valha''s admission threshold. However, such things weren''t much of a problem for Zeke. ¡°Damn evaluation exams. I know everything, but it''s annoying to have to go through it again.¡± Zeke, who hadn''t awakened his aura, had been relentlessly bullied by the instructors. The instructors would give Zeke, who had failed, even more difficult additional tests, putting mental pressure on him. Since he was a direct descendant of the Draker n, they couldn''t expel him immediately, so they used that pressure to signal him to withdraw voluntarily. However, despite being bullied by the students and instructors, Zeke endured and held on, refusing to withdraw. In the end, though, Headmaster Howard himself stepped in and kicked him out of the academy. Zeke gritted his teeth as he thought about that time. "This time, it will never happen again." In the private training room, Zeke tirelessly honed his swordsmanship, wielding a practice ymore. The swordsmanship he was practicing was the Basic Dragon yer Technique, consisting of eight forms. The Basic Dragon yer Technique, which he had been steadily practicing since his previous life, was the swordsmanship Zeke had trained in for the longest time. He performed the Dragon yer Technique, raising his mana and oveying it with Soul Perception. Whoosh! The mana imbued with the will of ''Severing'' coated his sword. Zeke then performed the first form, first verse of the Dragon yer Technique, Sky Cleaving. Whoosh! The moment he performed the Dragon yer Technique, the mana coated on his sword scattered. Zeke looked down at his sword. "It''s not working, as expected." He had tried to see if the Dragon yer Technique, which should be performed using aura, was possible with mana, but it was impossible. The mana energy imbued in the sword scattered before he could even properly execute the Dragon yer Technique. Zeke held his sword and once again imbued it with the will of Severing. Whoosh! When he performed a normal horizontal sh instead of the Dragon yer Technique, the mana did not scatter. Zeke lowered his sword and sighed. Although he had learned Soul Perception from his master, whom he met in the forbidden Forest of the Forgotten, Zeke, who had broken his oath and left the restricted area in the middle of his training, had not learned all the techniques properly. Because he only knew half-baked Soul Perception, he was limited in performing high-level swordsmanship without the Sr Sword Gram, which converted mana into aura. The problem was the semester evaluation. In order for Zeke, who couldn''t use aura, to be evaluated, he needed Gelion''s sword, but even after several months, there was no news from him. If he took the evaluation in his current state, he would surely fail, just like in his previous life. However, in order to open Terakan Draker''s security vault, he had to go to Valha. Because it was forbidden to outsiders, the only way to enter was to be admitted. "It''s one mountain after another." Zeke gave up on performing the Dragon yer Technique with Soul Perception and devoted himself to swordsmanship training again. Having grasped the basic principles of the Gale Force, Zeke already possessed the skills of a Purple Knight. Zeke, who had already reached the level of a Red Knight in his previous life, bore fruit in his efforts to regain his former level as quickly as possible. After finishing his training and returning to the floor, Decker approached Zeke. "Young Master, a fellow student hase to see you." Zeke, who had no friends at the academy, had no one to call a fellow student. Puzzled, he went to the reception room and found an unexpected person waiting for him. "Liam Stone." Liam Stone, the future mercenary king, stood up with a stiff, nervous posture. Then he immediately walked up to Zeke and knelt. Zeke, seeing Liam like that, said, "What is this?" Liam raised his head and said to Zeke, "Please ept me." Zeke was taken aback by the unexpected words. "ept you? What do you mean?" "If you take me in, I will dedicate my loyalty to you." "Huh, you mean you want to be my subordinate?" "I will serve you as my lord." It was absurd for a mere thirteen-year-old to talk about loyalty and lordship. Zeke, looking at Liam, said, "Do you even know what an oath of loyalty means?" "I understand your concern. Although distant, I am also of Draker blood. I fully understand the weight of an oath of loyalty." Zeke criticized his past self for lecturing Liam Stone like an old man. He hadn''t expected Liam toe to him to pledge his loyalty. "Is it because of Leon''s group? If there has been continued unfair violence since then..." "It''s not because of an idiot like Leon Conrad. If I''m hit, I''ll get hit, and if I''m insulted, I''ll endure it." "Then there''s no need for you to do this." "I want to go to Valha." In his past life, Liam didn''t go to Valha. That was because Jakenn Vardec, who had taken him in, didn''t support him. Based on skill alone, there was no reason for Liam not to go to Valha. He had the ability to break through the barrier of a Red Knight on his own, without anyone else''s help. "You know my evaluation at the academy. It''s absurd to say you''ll pledge your loyalty to me and go to Valha. Do you have something in mind?" "It''s my gut feeling." "Gut feeling? You''re going to pledge your loyalty to me based on such an uncertain feeling?" "I''ve always had a good gut feeling. When I was with Jakenn Vardec, I wasn''t satisfied, but I felt like I would gain something if I stayed with him." "But that feeling was wrong. Are you sure you have a good gut feeling?" "If it wasn''t for the duel with you, Zeke, Jakenn wouldn''t have abandoned me." Jakenn pretended to be magnanimous, but he was the most petty among his cousins. This was evident from the fact that he immediately abandoned Liam after his defeat to Zeke in the Pankration. Zeke looked at Liam kneeling in front of him and pondered. ''Should I ept this guy?'' Zeke had many secrets that he couldn''t reveal to others. If his secret were to leak before he could properly develop his skills, he could die without a trace. Having experienced the rough storms of life, it was natural for Zeke to have such thoughts. Then Liam, looking at Zeke, said, "If you tell me to be mute, I''ll be mute, if you tell me to be blind, I''ll be blind, and if you tell me to be deaf, I''ll be deaf. Please, just take me in." Zeke sensed a desperation in Liam. He didn''t think the proud mercenary king would cling to him like this based on a mere feeling. He opened his mouth to speak to Liam. "Get up." Liam flinched and looked at Zeke. Zeke spoke again. "I said get up." Liam sprang to his feet. "Follow me." Zeke led Liam to the training room. Then he handed him a sword. "If you can withstand my attack, I''ll take you in." Liam was surprised by those words. "You''re saying I just have to endure it?" Liam had awakened his aura and even formed his Ether hall with his outstanding talent. He had heard that Zeke was receiving individual training from a high-ranking knight, but he didn''t think there would be such a big difference since they were the same age. Zeke said no more and raised his ymore. And he used the Draconian skill ''Dragon''s Majesty''. Saaaaaaaaaa! Liam almost dropped his sword from the oppressive pressure that tightened around his body and the murderous intent that pierced his lungs. He barely managed to hold onto his sword and gritted his teeth to resist the oppressive energy. Just then, Zeke stepped forward, holding his sword. Wheeee! He executed a high-speed movement skill mixed with the essence of the Gale Force. At the same time, the sword,den with heavy energy, fell towards the crown of Liam''s head. Liam forced his stiff muscles to move, raising his sword to block Zeke''s attack. ng! However, the moment he shed with Zeke''s sword, Liam couldn''t withstand the pressure and ended up dropping his sword. Simultaneously, the energy that was pressing down on him disappeared. "Gasp, gasp..." With his palmspletely torn from the momentary sh, Liam was drenched in cold sweat and gasping for breath. Liam trembled in fear as he looked at Zeke standing in front of him. Even though Zeke hadn''t used his aura, there was an insurmountable wall between them. Then Zeke said to Liam, "You''re pathetic." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 23 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 23 Upon hearing Zeke''s words, Liam immediately knelt. ¡°Master. Zeke, please give me one more chance.¡± Zeke slowly approached Liam. Looking down at him, he said, "Why should I?" "I will follow any order you give me, Master Zeke. Please give me one more chance." Zeke said to Liam, "Will you really listen to any order I give you?" "Yes." "Good. Then cut off your right arm." Liam suddenly looked up at Zeke. Zeke said with a cold expression, "Didn''t you say you''d follow anything?" At those words, Liam looked down at his right arm. Even if he cut it off, he could reattach it if he went to a healer quickly, but healing potions weren''t a cure-all. Especially with the right arm, in the worst case, even a single nerve being damaged could make it impossible to hold a sword. Liam''s hands trembled as he picked up the fallen sword. He gripped the sword, sweat dripping down his face. Liam looked at Zeke and said, "If I follow your order, will you take me in?" "Yes." "I understand." Suddenly, Liam''s expression changed. With a hardened face, he gripped the sword with his left hand and struck down at his right arm. Slice! An unpleasant sound pierced his ears. Liam looked at his right arm. "Huh?" He had clearly struck his arm with the sword, but it was fine. He then looked at his sword. Surprisingly, it wasn''t his arm that was cut, but the sword. The de, cut in half, was held in Zeke''s hand. "You idiot. What were you going to do if I didn''t ept you after you cut off your arm?" Zeke tossed the severed de. The de embedded itself deep into the hard stone wall. Such a feat was only possible for a Purple Knight, who could imbue their weapon with aura. ''Master Zeke has already surpassed the barrier of Purple.'' Zeke said to Liam in a low voice, "If you do such a foolish thing again, there will be no oath of loyalty or anything. Do you understand?" Liam, his face flushed, said, "Th-then, does that mean you''ll ept me?" "I''ll keep an eye on you." "Thank you! Thank you, Master! I will devote my loyalty to you!" Zeke smiled bitterly as he watched Liam readily bow his head before him. After returning to the reception room with Liam, he had a servant bring them warm tea. Sitting on the sofa, he said to Liam, "So, what is it?" "What do you mean?" "The reason why you have to go this far, Liam." He looked at Liam with sharp eyes and said, "Do you have a family member who is unwell?" Liam was startled and looked at Zeke. "H-how did you know?" It was just a deduction based on various circumstances, but even Zeke himself didn''t expect to get it right so quickly. Zeke nodded. "I knew it. Valha has various benefits. Medical benefits are one of them." Valha graduates receive the best treatment on the continent. And not only them, but their families also benefit. Medical benefits were included among them. The medical technology of the Draker n, which owned thergest general hospital in the entire continent, was something that the proud Rom Empire coveted. Liam lowered his head and said, "I recently received news that my mother has copsed." "So you wanted to go to Valha to receive medical benefits." "Yes. My mother raised me all by herself, going through a lot of hardship. Our family has fallen on hard times, so we can''t even afford proper medicine. I want to enter Valha and provide her with proper treatment." He didn''t know that the future mercenary king was such a devoted son. However, apart from that, he was quite naive about the ways of the world. "You idiot. When will you go to Valha and treat your mother''s illness?" He was still a first-year student, so even if he graduated early, it would take two more years before he was eligible to enter Valha. And not just anyone could go to Valha just by graduating. At Zeke''s sharp words, Liam clenched his fists. "It''s an illness that doesn''t respond to ordinary treatment, so there was nothing I could do. All the healers I called in immediately couldn''t even figure out what the illness was. It seems impossible to treat without the Draker n''s medical technology, and since it doesn''t seem critical right now, this was the conclusion I came to after much deliberation." Zeke''s expression changed subtly as he listened. "Is this illness by any chance... apanied by red spots on the body and periodic high fever?" Liam was surprised by Zeke''s words. "How did you know?" ''Hah, this is... Should I call this good luck?'' The illness that Liam''s mother had contracted was something that would be a major epidemic in the Central Continent five years from now. Although the fatality rate wasn''t high, it was highly contagious, causing many people to fall ill, and mainly the elderly and children with weak immune systems lost their lives. ''It was called Red Flower Disease, wasn''t it?'' It was named after the red rash that appeared on the face. In his past life, a cure was developed only after many people had died, finally bringing the disease under control. And luckily, Zeke knew how to make the cure for Red Flower Disease. Zeke said to Liam, "Well, that''s none of my business. How long has it been since the symptoms appeared?" "About a week." ''I need to act quickly before it gets any worse and bes difficult to treat.'' Zeke immediately had Decker gather the necessary medicinal herbs, make the Red Flower Disease treatment, and send it to the Stone n. "If she takes the medicine for about two months, she''ll get better." It was an illness that other healers had given up on, but Zeke not only knew the symptoms just by hearing about the situation, but also prepared the treatment medicine swiftly. In Liam''s eyes, Zeke was like a god. "Thank you! Thank you, Master! I will devote my loyalty to you!" "Of course you should, since you''ve pledged your loyalty. I''ll abandon you immediately if you get in my way, so do well." And so, the future Mercenary King, Liam Stone, became the first subordinate of Zeke Draker. * * * "Time''s up. Everyone, hand in your papers." The written exam for the Knighthood Culture subject was over. Theoretical subjects were no problem for Zeke. The real problem started with the practical exams. The first practical exam was held outside the academy. Both special and regr sses werebined, and the exam consisted of entering a test dungeon in pairs to hunt monsters. Most of the academy cadets gathered in front of the test dungeon had somewhat nervous expressions. On the other hand, the cadets who received support from their families were more rxed. They had already practiced dungeon exploration methods, monster handling methods, and even how to earn extra points with the help of their families. Among the cadets reacting in various ways, Zeke and Liam also stood in front of the dungeon, waiting their turn. Just then, someone approached from behind. "Unexpected. Abination of Zeke Draker and Liam Stone." The annoying, petty tone of voice was somewhat familiar. Looking back, as expected, Jakenn Vardec was standing there with his group. Zeke ignored Jakenn and concentrated on checking his equipment. Seeing Zeke like that, Jakenn said, "Zeke Draker, have you ever even seen a monster before?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om At those words, Zeke looked up and red at Jakenn. "Don''t bother me and just go away." Jakenn smirked at Zeke''s words. "They say most people wet their pants when they see a monster for the first time. Zeke, I look forward to seeing how you''ll react." Just then, the instructor''s voice rang out. "Zeke Draker! Liam Stone! Enter!" The two entered the entrance indicated by the instructor among the dozens of split dungeon entrances. Other families don''t conduct such dangerous practical training for thirteen-year-olds. But this was Draker. Such crazy things weremonce here, which made it possible. The dungeon exploration examsted for four days. The goal of this practical exam was not just to hunt monsters, but to safely escape the maze-like dungeon. Zeke and Liam slowly ventured deeper into the dungeon. Zeke checked the hidden markings throughout the dungeon and found his way. Liam was surprised to see Zeke like that. ''Has Master explored dungeons before?'' Zeke had mostly shown hiscking side in the cradle, so Liam still couldn''t get used to this sudden change. After walking through the dark cave for several hours, arge open space appeared inside. Zeke touched the moss on the walls of the open space and the soil on the floor, and even smelled them. "Let''s take a break here for a while." He took out the equipment he had brought from the Dragon yer''s tomb and set up a temporary base camp. He set up a simple tent to block the moisture and stretched wire around the area for vignce. Liam, who had been watching Zeke skillfully set up camp, approached awkwardly. "I-I''ll do it." "Never mind. I''ll take care of this, so go gather some appropriately sized stones nearby. Let''s make a firece and cook something to eat." The most important thing in dungeon exploration was stamina management. Of course, Zeke had the Infinite Stamina skill, but anything could happen in a dungeon, so he couldn''t let his guard down. When Liam brought the stones, Zeke arranged them and installed a magic tool that emitted heat inside. Perhaps because it was an ancient item, its performance was excellent. Zeke took out the instant food he had stored in his inventory and heated it on the firece. "Here, try it." Liam drank the soup Zeke handed him. It was so delicious that he couldn''t believe it was made in a dungeon. "It''s incredibly delicious, Master." It was possible because it was an instant meal made by specially ordering soup from the tinum Lounge, freezing it immediately, and storing it in his inventory. Since food stored in the inventory was preserved as it was, he could simply heat it up and enjoy the soup''s original vor. Zeke and Liam ate a proper meal and took a short rest in the base camp they had set up. They took turns keeping watch and guarding the surroundings, recovering their stamina, and then explored deeper into the dungeon. Zeke turned on the minimap to check if the markings and paths indicated in the cave matched. And at some point, Zeke noticed something strange and tilted his head. ''The direction the other cadets are going and the direction we''re going arepletely opposite.'' The minimap also showed the locations of the other cadets, and the red dots marking them were clustered on the left path. However, the path Zeke and Liam were on was marked to continue only to the right. Zeke sensed something was amiss. ''Could it be that those guys are already making their move?'' Growl! Just then, a strange sound suddenly came from deep within the cave. Sensing it, Zeke said to Liam, "Liam, put out the fire." Despite being in a dark cave, Liam didn''t question Zeke''s order to extinguish the fire and immediately did so. Zeke, with the fire out, focused on his sense of smell. ''This smell is...? The smell of sulfur?'' Zeke had experienced more than enough monster hunting due to his missions. ''Why is there a trace of a Hellhound in a test dungeon?'' The Hellhound, also known as the Infernal Hound, was ssified as a very dangerous monster even among adventurers. They had excellent senses, moved in packs, and relentlessly chased their prey until they seeded in hunting, making it difficult to escape. ''Don''t tell me they put a Hellhound in as a test monster?'' Even for a crazy n like the Drakers, that was going too far. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. "Liam, be on guard." Zeke warned Liam in a low voice. He took his sword and walked forward, leading the way. Screech! Just then, a Gremlin hiding behind a rock jumped out. Whoosh! Zeke swung his sword and immediately split the Gremlin''s body in half. Thud! The severed body of the Gremlin fell to the floor. Liam also blocked and dealt with the Gremlins popping out from other ces without panicking, using his sword. As long as they didn''t panic, they could handle Gremlins of that level with their skills. But then it happened. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Another sound came from deep within the cave. Zeke realized that the Gremlins were running away from the monster that was making this sound. At the same time, something ck darted out towards Zeke. ng! As Zeke expected, a Hellhound appeared and suddenly charged at him. Liam was startled and tried to approach and help Zeke. But Zeke''s sword struck down on the Hellhound''s head. Slice! With a powerful blow, the Hellhound''s head was immediately separated from its body. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have defeated a Hellhound. You have earned 15 Karma Points.] "Liam, turn on the light." At Zeke''smand, Liam immediately turned on the magicmp. A fairlyrge Hellhoundy copsed with its head severed. Just then, Zeke discovered something on the Hellhound. "This is...." "What''s wrong, Master?" Zeke pointed at the Hellhound''s belly. There were marks as if something had gnawed at it. "No wonder it was a bit slow." Kookookookookook! The tremors resonated once more. Thump! Thump! Thump! Something massive, shaking the entire cave, approached. Seeing its true form, Liam was utterly shocked. "A-a Troll?" A representative of mid-sized monsters with a gigantic physique and outstanding regenerative abilities. A high-risk monster that could easily make a snack out of a Hellhound appeared before them. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 24 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 24 Liam stood before Zeke, drenched in sweat. "Master, I''ll be the bait. In the meantime, please escape quickly." Zeke chuckled and pushed Liam back. "Thanks for the thought." Although Liam knew Zeke was at the Purple Knight level, fighting monsters was a different matter. There were countless cases of skilled knights losing their lives in battles against monsters. Moreover, there was no way Zeke, still an academy cadet, could handle a high-risk monster like a Troll. Before Liam could stop him, Zeke darted forward. "Gale Force: Phantom Step." Zeke''s body, leaving afterimages, slipped into the Troll''s blind spot. Kaaaaaaaak! The Troll swung its massive club. But it was impossible to catch Zeke''s movements as he moved swiftly with Phantom Step. Zeke had hunted countless Trolls in his previous life. Furthermore, it was easier to use Soul Perception now than in his past life. Zeke raised his mana and imbued his sword with the energy of Severing using Soul Perception. Whoosh! Then, he calmly circled the Troll, urately severing the tendons in its limbs. Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo! The entire cave shook as the Troll twisted its body. Zeke, not fooled by the Troll''s movements, stabbed its leg joints. Thud! The Troll, its joints destroyed, copsed under its own weight. However, its wounds began to heal due to the Troll''s unique regenerative abilities. Zeke didn''t miss that opening while the Troll was recovering. He thrust his ymore straight towards the Troll''s neck. Slice! The massive Troll''s head fell from its body. At the same time, letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have defeated a Troll. You have earned 30 Karma Points.] Both the Hellhound and the Troll awarded Karma Points. ''It seems that ''magic-wielding demonic beasts'' refers to all monsters in general.'' The Gremlins were probably too weak to be counted for points. Zeke wore a satisfied expression. If he could umte points by hunting monsters, it seemed possible to gather Karma Points much faster than expected. Zeke turned on the minimap and checked the locations of the surrounding monsters. He grinned and said to Liam, "Liam, collect their heads." "Understood. Should I collect the Gremlins'' heads too?" "Let''s just take the big ones." Zeke rotated his sword-wielding wrist and walked towards where the monsters were marked. This time, Goblins were gathered in one ce. They seemed to have been waiting for the Troll to pass. Zeke approached silently and swiftly beheaded the Goblins. Kyaak! The Goblins were turned into Zeke''s points before they could even scream properly. [You have defeated a Goblin. You have earned 5 Karma Points.] Having dealt with five Goblins, he had earned 25 points. ''How many points do I have now?'' [Current Karma Points: 165] Since there was no opportunity to go outside the dungeon, it seemed like a good idea to umte arge number of points this time. As he was making ns, new letters appeared before Zeke''s eyes. ¨DTutorial Sudden Mission¨D [Hunt 100 monsters of ten different types in the dungeon. Time limit: 72 hours] [Sudden Mission Reward: Double the acquired Karma Points / 2 Random Boxes] [Current Score: 3 types / 7 monsters] [Non-aggressive monsters are excluded from the count] ''Sudden Mission?'' A new type of mission appeared. Zeke grinned as he saw the reward for the Sudden Mission. It was a satisfactory reward, so he decided to act immediately. He needed to move quickly to seed in the mission within the time limit. "Liam, let''s move." Zeke moved through the dungeon like a skilled adventurer. By looking at the traces left in the dungeon, he quickly figured out which monsters were present. He continued hunting by having Liam attract the monsters'' attention from the front while he beheaded them from behind with his sword. sh! Once the hunt was over, Liam tied the heads of the monsters Zeke had in with a string and carried them on his back. They hunted the monsters in the dungeon, and when their stamina ran low, they set up a base camp again and rested. Even the Infinite Stamina skill couldn''t replenish hunger and sleep, so proper rest was essential. They repeated the cycle of resting and hunting, resting and hunting. In this way, Zeke swept through the dungeon, hunting 99 monsters of nine different types in three days. ''I just need to catch one more type.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was strange that there were so many types of high-risk monsters in a test dungeon. But Zeke was more concerned about the possibility of failing the Sudden Mission, licking his lips in regret. That''s when it happened. Crackle crackle crackle! Zeke sensed a strange sounding from beneath his feet. He shouted to Liam, "Liam! Throw me an Orc head and stay back!" Liam quickly followed Zeke''s instructions. Zeke took the Orc head Liam handed him and threw it towards where the sound wasing from. Then he held his breath and waited. A momentter, the ground shook. Crunch! A Dungeon Worm that had been underground had surfaced and devoured the Orc head Zeke had thrown with its sharp teeth. Zeke knew that oil was like poison to Dungeon Worms. He quickly took out some oil from his bag and applied it to his de. Immediately after, he approached the Dungeon Worm at high speed, using the Gale Force footwork. Then, he boldly stabbed the Dungeon Worm''s weak point, under its jaw, with his sword. Kaaaaak! Zeke''s sword pierced through the Dungeon Worm''s jaw and straight through to the top of its head. The Dungeon Worm struggled, trying to wrap its tail around Zeke. Crack! The powerful tail wrapped around Zeke, trying to crush him, but it was no use. Zeke''s Healing Factor activated, instantly regenerating his broken bones and muscles. "You damn worm!" Zeke concentrated his mana and imbued his sword with the will of Severing. His sword, now even more powerful, split the Dungeon Worm in two. sh! The Dungeon Worm, split in half, went limp and copsed on the floor. Zeke brushed off the Dungeon Worm''s tail that had wrapped around him and stood up. [Sudden Mission sessful.] [For the first Sudden Mission sess, low-grade potions and scrolls will be randomly awarded.] [Time Reduction Points will be added to the reward.] [Acquired Karma Points will be doubled as a reward.] [Two Random Boxes will be awarded as a reward.] The rewards were great, befitting the effort he had put in. * * * "Damn it, I thought I was going to die." The cadets who escaped through the dungeon exit within the time limit were all in a sorry state. Although there were only low-level monsters like Gremlins and Goblins, they had to push themselves for three days without proper sleep, not knowing when and where the monsters would pop out. Still, those who received support from their families seemed to be in rtively better shape. They brought out the heads or ears of the Gremlins and Goblins they had hunted, strung together. In particr, Jakenn Vardec brought out the head of a Hobgoblin. Since it was a ferocious and agile type even among Goblins, making it difficult to hunt, everyone looked at Jakenn with surprise. Jakenn, enjoying their attention, smirked. ''It was worth it to have practiced beforehand.'' That''s when it happened. "Oh, my..." Reina Draker emerged with the head of an Orc, dripping with blood. When she submitted the Orc head to the instructor, the instructor was shocked. "There was an Orc in the dungeon?" "I found strange traces and investigated, and a wild Orc had made a nest there, preying on other monsters." The instructor''s expression turned grave at those words. "Oh dear, it seems one of the wild monsters from the dangerous area escaped. Good work, Reina Draker." The cadets once again marveled, saying that Reina was indeed on a different level. The instructor checked his watch, confirming the cadets who had emerged and the remaining exam time. "Is the only pair that hasn''te out yet Zeke Draker and Liam Stone?" Zeke and Liam hadn''t returned even when all the other cadets had emerged. Jakenn and the other cadets mocked Zeke and Liam, who still hadn''te out. "Maybe they were eaten by a Goblin horde." "Or maybe they''re too scared to move." Just as the exam time was almost over, Zeke and Liam emerged through a different exit than the designated one. The instructor in charge, seeing Zeke and Liam, said, "Zeke, Liam! There''s a designated exit, why are youing out from there? This is grounds for a penalty." Just then, Zeke approached the instructor and dropped something with a thud. "What''s this?" It was the head of a monster. But it was unusuallyrge for an ordinary monster. The instructor was shocked when he confirmed the identity of the monster. "A-a Troll?" Ignoring the instructor''s surprise, Zeke opened the bag he had brought and rummaged through it. Starting with the Orc head, the Hellhound head, and everything else that came out were all heads of high-risk monsters. Zeke, having piled a dozen heads in front of the instructor, dusted off his hands and said, "There''s more, but I couldn''t fit them all in the bag, so I just brought what I could carry." The instructor stared nkly at the monster heads Zeke had brought. The surrounding cadets had simr expressions. Just then, Zeke looked around with sharp eyes. Owen Siemens'' expression, standing at the very back, caught his eye. ''It was him who yed this trick.'' While others were wearing expressions of disbelief, Owen, although trying to hide it, had a look of dismay. He had thought it strange that high-risk monsters were appearing one after another in the test dungeon. He wasn''t sure how, but Owen must have guided Zeke and Liam to the dungeon route where high-risk monsters appeared. ''Those Siemens guys are shady, as always.'' Zeke, having grasped the situation, looked at the instructor and said, "Is this enough to pass?" "Huh? Uh, y-yes." Hearing the answer, Zeke immediately returned to the academy with Liam. He was exhausted from hunting monsters for days and wanted to go back and rest quickly. * * * "It seems like it''s time." Zeke, having rested for a while and now in his private training room, looked at the letters floating before his eyes. ¨DDraconian Skill Level 1¨D Gluttony (Locked) Thanks to the massive amount of points he had acquired from hunting in the dungeon, he had a whopping 780 points avable. After some thought, Zeke decided to unlock the mysterious Gluttony skill. [Would you like to unlock the Draconian Skill Gluttony?] "Yes, unlock it." Zeke unlocked Gluttony and tried using the skill. Just then, letters appeared. ¨DGluttony Information¨D In the Gluttony state, it is possible to digest anything and convert it into energy. Also, when consuming a demonic beast with bloodline abilities, it is possible to absorb the abilities of that demonic beast. "What? What does this mean?" It was a preposterous exnation. Digesting anything he ate, converting it directly into energy, and even absorbing the bloodline abilities of monsters ¨C this was an ability he had never heard of or seen even in his previous life. "This is apletely insane ability." He now understood why it required 50 points. Zeke tried using the Gluttony skill as a test. Wooong! As the skill activated, Zeke''s shadow wavered. Zeke took out the remaining jerky from his inventory and tossed it on the floor. Then, ording to Zeke''s will, the shadow moved and swallowed the jerky whole. [Energy is converted to restore depleted mental strength.] He felt his mind clear in an instant. "Replenishing energy includes mental strength too?" With this skill, even in situations where he couldn''t sleep properly, he could endure by replenishing his mental strength. It also meant that during battle, if his stamina or mana ran low, he could immediately recover by absorbing and digesting anything with this skill. Zeke was once again reminded that none of the Draconian skills were useless. Zeke brought up the Draconian Skill window. [50 Karma Points required to unlock Skill Level 2] By investing 50 points, he could unlock new Draconian skills. He didn''t know what they would be, but they were likely to be better skills than Level 1, at least. ''Alright, let''s make a bold investment here.'' Just as Zeke was about to unlock Level 2 skills, Knock knock! Someone knocked on the door of Zeke''s private training room. Zeke, his excitement dampened, shouted, "Come in." Decker entered the training room. Zeke said in a slightly irritated voice, "Decker, when I''m in the training room, try not toe in..." ¡°I received a call from Gelion.¡± [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 25 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 25 As soon as Zeke received the message, he rushed to Gelion''s smithy. "Gelion!" Entering the smithy, he found Gelion, looking haggard in front of the magic forge , weakly greeting him. "My lord... You have arrived." Zeke was taken aback seeing Gelion half-dead. In his previous life, when the Sr Sword Gram was made, Gelion wasn''t in this state. ''Don''t tell me he failed?'' An anxious feeling washed over him. Zeke suppressed his impatience and asked Gelion as calmly as possible, "Is the swordplete?" Gelion nodded. Zeke breathed a sigh of relief. Gelion struggled to his feet and brought something from inside. Soon, Gelion ced a wooden box containing a sword covered with cloth in front of Zeke. Zeke slowly removed the cloth and checked the sword. "Huh?" Zeke was momentarily bewildered when he saw the sword inside the box. Its appearance was vastly different from the Sr Sword Gram he knew. The Sr Sword Gram was a famous sword with a snake coiled around its de. But the sword in front of him was all ck, with the hilt and de seamlessly connected. The strangest thing was something else. "Why isn''t the de sharpened?" A sword should be sharp. But the de of the sword in front of him was blunt, not sharpened at all. It seemed like it couldn''t even cut a radish. Gelion, standing beside him, said with a cold sweat, "That sword...is that kind of sword." Hearing Gelion''s cryptic words, Zeke turned to him and said, "Do you mean...that this form is the sword that suits me best?" At Zeke''s words, Gelion nodded vigorously again with a deeply moved expression. "As expected...! My lord is different. If it were any other noble, they would have dragged me out and whipped me. However... the form of the sword that best suits my lord, whom I have peered into, was this." An unimpressive sword with a dull ck de and no decorations. If this sword were ced in a weapon shop, no one would buy it. ''Why is it in this form, unlike the Gram of my past life? Is it because I used the Dragon''s fang as a material?'' Gram was also a sword made by mixing precious mithril and pure iron. Zeke tried to remain calm and asked Gelion, "...So, what''s the name of this sword?" Gelion shook his head. "I couldn''t name this sword." The Sr Sword Gram was named by Gelion, not Zeke. Zeke had no choice but to admit that this sword waspletely different from Gram. "You mean I have to name it." "This sword is like that." If these were the words of Gelion, the Soul cksmith, then it was surely a sword made to be that way. Zeke nodded. Then he rolled up his sleeve. He focused his mana on his wrist, imbued it with the will of Severing, and slit his wrist. Drip! A stream of blood flowed from Zeke''s wrist as he forcibly suppressed his Healing Factor. Drops of blood dripped onto the de. Gelion was surprised to see Zeke''s actions. ''He knows the procedure of the Sword Naming Ceremony. As expected, he is no ordinary person.'' The Sword Naming Ceremony, as the name suggests, was a ritual to give a name to a sword. It originated from the ancient rituals of the Dwarves, known as the cksmith race, but it was such an old tradition that even most cksmiths didn''t know about it. After bleeding onto the sword, Zeke ced his hand on the de. He closed his eyes and quietly sank into his inner self. He tried to retrieve from the abyss the name he would give to his new sword, not the Sr Sword Gram. Among the countless names floating in the abyss, one name came to him. Thump! Thump! Thump! Zeke''s heart pounded. He opened his eyes. "ck Sword Bahamut. I bestow this name upon you." Wooong! The moment Zeke gave it a name, the sword vibrated strongly. Simultaneously, Zeke''s blood on the de seeped into the sword. Woooong! The mark engraved on Zeke''s chest and the sword began to resonate. The sword rose on its own. Zeke reached out and grabbed Bahamut''s hilt. [ck Sword Bahamut has been registered as equipment.] [ck Sword Bahamut''s abilities have been unlocked.] [ck Sword Bahamut''s abilities will be sealed ording to the user''s stats.] [ck Sword Bahamut will grow along with the user''s growth.] Reading the letters that appeared, Zeke was surprised by the part that said Bahamut could grow. He had thought that growth-type weapons only existed in legends. Even the Sr Sword Gram, although a famous sword, was not a weapon that could grow. As Zeke was surprised, Bahamut''s information window appeared before his eyes. ¨Dck Sword Bahamut Information¨D Description: A sword forged from the hardest fang of the cursed evil Dragon Bahamut, tempered with the blue me of magic by a skilled craftsman with spiritual sight. Inherent Abilities: Indestructible, Aura Conversion Special Note: Sealed state (unsealed in stages ording to the user''s growth) ''Indestructible is an inherent ability?'' Although it was made from a dragon''s fang, he didn''t expect it to be an indestructible sword. In the past, Gram was sometimes damaged during battle, and Zeke would bring it to Gelion for repairs. However, with Bahamut''s indestructible characteristic, there would be no need to worry about it breaking or being damaged. But more than that, Zeke gulped at the inherent ability, Aura Conversion. He raised his mana and concentrated on Bahamut. Wooong! It was a simr sensation to when he held Gram. Zeke converted the condensed mana into aura. Swoosh! The invisible mana transformed into a vivid aura. Gelion, who was watching this, was startled. "A-aura." Seeing the clear aura surrounding Zeke''s sword, Gelion had an expression of disbelief. Being able to create such a vivid aura meant that Zeke was at least at the Purple Knight level. Zeke said to Gelion, "Gelion, may I test the sword?" "O-of course, my lord." Zeke picked up a failed sword piled up on one side of the forge and tossed it into the air. His sword, imbued with aura, moved swiftly. ng! In an instant, the sword was cut into ten pieces and fell to the floor. Although it was a failed product, it was a sword made of extremely hard pure iron. Seeing the skill of cutting it with a sword that wasn''t even sharpened, Gelion''s jaw dropped. Zeke repeated the process of tossing another broken swords into the air and cutting them with Bahamut. He could feel Bahamut bing more familiar to his hand. Only after cutting ten swords into pieces did Zeke sheathe his sword. Zeke stared at Gelion with renewed awe. ''He really made an incredible sword.'' Every time he swung it, he felt as if the sword was clinging to his hand. The Sr Sword Gram was good, but it was nothingpared to Bahamut. Although its appearance was crude, it was a peerless sword, the likes of which would never be seen again in this world. "You''ve really worked hard, Gelion." Zeke took out the things he had brought for Gelion. They contained precious gemstones he had brought from the Dragon yer''s tomb. "M-my lord, just making the forge for you was enough." "Take it. I''ll have another favor to ask of youter, so don''t feel burdened." Compared to Gelion''s hard work in creating such a legendary sword, this was nothing. Gelion''s eyes welled up with tears at Zeke''s kindness. Then, as if he suddenly remembered something, he asked Zeke to wait a moment and dashed inside, returning with something in his hand. What Gelion brought out was none other than a scabbard. "What''s this, Gelion?" "My master made this in the past. I want to give it to you, my lord." "Your master?" Even in his previous life, he had never heard Gelion mention his master. Inwardly surprised, he examined the scabbard Gelion handed him. A name was written on the scabbard in Dwarven. "Golin Yober? Is that Golin, by any chance?" Zeke was surprised to learn that Gelion''s master was the famous Dwarf cksmith Golin, and Gelion was surprised that Zeke could read Dwarven. Seeing Gelion nodding, Zeke said, "Are you sure you can give me something this precious?" "Of course, my lord. It''s nothingpared to the grace you have shown me..." The Dwarf cksmith Golin was a master at creating wondrous things using intricate mechanisms. There were even collectors who were willing to pay tens of thousands of gold to buy anything made by Golin. "This is a truly precious gift." "I''m d you like it, my lord. Let me show you how to use the scabbard." "Is there a separate way to use the scabbard? Ah, well, if it''s made by Golin, it must be something different." Gelion held the scabbard and turned the dial attached to the side. Suddenly, the scabbard unfolded, transforming into a shield that could cover half his body. "Oh my..." Zeke was startled to see the scabbard transform into a shield. Unlike typical shields, it wasn''t very heavy. "It''s a shield made using mithril, wyvern bone, and basilisk leather, so it''s light but more durable than a shield made of iron." Gelion turned the dial again, and the shield returned to its original scabbard form. Whatever the principle, it would certainly be very useful in battle. "Thank you, Gelion." Zeke sheathed Bahamut in the scabbard he received from Gelion. Bahamut, in the form of a ymore, fit perfectly. Gelion looked at Zeke, who was wearing Bahamut, with a proud expression. * * * Zeke, leaving Gelion''s forge, returned to his personal training ground and resumed the point tally he hadn''t finished. Zeke decided to open the Random Boxes first. He took out the two Random Boxes from his inventory and ced them on the floor of the training ground. The Random Boxes were simr to the Sealed Boxes found in dungeons. "Let''s see what''s inside." He muttered cheerfully and opened the Random Box on the left first. "What''s this?" Inside the box was a gauntlet. Zeke checked the information on the gauntlet with his dragon eyes. ¨DGauntlet Information¨D Description: A gauntlet made using hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. Zeke tried on the gauntlet. It was light yet sturdy, seeming like it would be easy to use. "Not a bad start." Zeke opened the Random Box next to it. Unexpectedly, what came out of the second box was a single sheet of paper. "What''s this?" Zeke took the paper out of the box. Then the system activated. [You have discovered a map containing traces of Grandmaster Kaisir.] [The system will automatically interpret and correct the damaged parts of the map.] [The location of the ancient ruins has been confirmed.] Seeing the automatically appearing letters, Zeke muttered in surprise, "Grandmaster Kaisir? Is that the legendary King Kaisir?" Simultaneously, a map appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Location confirmationplete.] The location indicated on the map was somewhere in the Giant Mountains. Zeke frowned as he saw the location. ''That''s barbarian territory.'' Before his regression, Zeke had practically lived in the Giant Mountains for a time. The barbarian tribes, living in istion from other nations and maintaining their own culture, were difficult to deal with. Just then, a message window popped up before Zeke''s eyes again. [Ending the tutorial ording to the user''s level.] [Starting Achievement Quest.] ¨DAchievement Quest Mission¨D [Obtain the secret left by Grandmaster Kaisir in the ruins where traces of Grandmaster Kaisir remain. (No time limit)] [Quest Mission Reward: System Administrator privileges upgrade] Zeke''s jaw dropped as he saw the letters that appeared. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 26 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 26 "King Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship manual and an upgrade to administrator privileges..." There was so much to gain from a single quest. Zeke pondered as he looked at the location of Kaisir''s ruins marked on the map. Although the barbarians were a concern, it wasn''t a ce he couldn''t go at all. If it was the secret swordsmanship of King Kaisir, it was worth the risk. When asked about the most famous hero before the Dragon yer Terakan Draker, everyone would name King Kaisir first. However, he was more of a legend than a historical figure, with feats bordering on the mythical, so there were many opinions on whether he was a real person. There wasn''t much known about the King, to the point that his existence was debated, and no ruins rted to him had ever been discovered. Therefore, the King''s ruins were sure to be filled with artifacts of immense value, not just a secret swordsmanship manual. Zeke memorized the location of Kaisir''s ruins and closed the map. Looking at his remaining 730 points, he spent 50 points to unlock Level 2 Draconian Skills. ¨DDraconian Skill Level 2¨D Dragon Scale Armor (Locked) / Dragon ws (Locked) 300 Karma Points required to unlock Skill Level 3 Zeke read the descriptions of the unlocked Dragonian Skills. ¨DIntroduction to Draconian Skill Level 2¨D Dragon Scale Armor: Dragon scales sprout on the skin, hardening it. Excellent effect against magic resistance. (80 points required to unlock) Dragon ws: Summons powerful dragon ws to strike down enemies in a single blow. (80 points required to unlock) Following Level 1, Level 2 skills also had many useful abilities. Zeke decided to unlock Dragon Scale Armor and Dragon ws first, as they were necessary forbat. Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Beginner) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Beginner) / Dragon ws (Beginner) Dragon Speech, obtained by absorbing Bahamut''s heart, was still locked. It seemed he would be able to use it once his Draconian Skill level increased further. Zeke purchased 120 points worth of necessary Enhancement Potions and decided to keep the remaining 400 points for now. He nned to use them as unlock points if the system functions were upgraded. Zeke immediately started training, using the unlocked Dragon Scale Armor and Dragon ws skills to master them for use inbat. In this way, he was growing into a master unmatched by any of his peers. * * * "We will now begin the Aura Practical Evaluation!" All the members of the special ss gathered at the central training ground. The instructor in charge shouted to the special ss cadets once again, "As you know, the most important part of the semester evaluation is the Aura Practical Evaluation! If you don''t get properly evaluated, you won''t be promoted, so do your best!" The cadets tensed up at the instructor''s stern words. The exam was conducted by having the students called one by one by the instructor to take the practical evaluation. To determine the degree of aura awakening, they first underwent a physical activation evaluation, and then they had to measure how long they could maintain aura imbued in their swords. The first cadet followed the instructor''s instructions and underwent various tests, such as a vertical jump and a long jump to test agility, and various strength measurement tests. The instructor recorded the cadet''s results with a sharp eye. "Take your sword and focus your aura." The cadet, breathing heavily, took his sword and drew up as much aura as possible from his Ether hall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Brrr! The sword shook a little, then soon lost its strength and went limp. The instructor recorded the duration of the aura. Watching the other cadets being evaluated, Zeke recalled old memories. ''Perhaps because it''s a special ss, it''s definitely different from the regr ss.'' When he was in the regr ss, not many cadets had opened their Ether hall, so it was rare to see them properly focus aura into their swords. However, all the special ss cadets, even if they couldn''t maintain it for long, showed that they had opened their ether hall and could focus aura into their swords. The difference in level was already starting to widen here. Even among the special ss cadets, who were all talented, there were differences in ability. The cadets who couldn''t properly draw out their aura due to nervousness received low scores and turned pale as if the world had ended. "Next! Owen Siemens." Owen Siemens stepped forward from among the other cadets. As the second son of the influential Siemens n appeared, everyone quietly focused their attention. Owen Siemens d his entire body in aura. Whoosh! With fluid, natural movements, he leaped into the air. His records for the long jump and strength measurement were also much higher than any previous records. "Whew..." Owen looked at his records with a satisfied expression. The Siemens n was particrly skilled in aura control, even among the influential families of the Draker. It was the Siemens n that created the aura training curriculum for the academy''s senior students. As such, all members of the Siemens bloodline had a talent for delicate aura control. Owen took his sword and focused his aura. Soon, the sword, infused with aura, trembled. Owen concentrated his aura into the sword for a noticeably longer time than the other cadets. Then, at some point, his sword began to vibrate differently than before. Wooong! As a clear sword cry rang out, the surrounding cadets were awestruck. "Oh my, it''s already at the stage where the sword cries." "That''s right before the Purple Knight stage." The instructors were just as surprised. This level of aura control, which would be considered genius-level even for an adult in a typical n, was disyed by a thirteen-year-old. Owen Siemens, with a satisfied expression, returned to his seat. Perhaps due to Owen''s surprising level, the other cadets were intimidated and couldn''t properly demonstrate their skills. After a few more took the test, it was Reina Draker''s turn. Reina said to the instructor, "Can I be evaluated with the Dragon yer Technique?" The instructor replied in a slightly flustered voice, "That''s the evaluation standard for senior students. If you can''t perform it properly, you might get a bad score." "I don''t mind." The instructor in charge pondered for a moment, then nodded. With the instructor''s permission, Reina took her sword and raised her aura. Wooong! As soon as she started, her sword let out a cry. "Huh...?" The instructor in charge, watching Reina, let out an exmation without realizing it. He couldn''t believe how naturally she handled the aura at that age. Soon, Reina held her sword and performed the Dragon yer Technique forms. Whoosh! Not only her sword, but her entire body was appropriately imbued with aura as she moved. The instructor''s jaw dropped at the sight of her movements, cleaner and more precise than even senior students. It wasn''t just using aura to jump or increase strength, but a level where she could apply it to swordsmanship. Whoosh! Reina finished all the basic forms of the Dragon yer Technique. Her movements were perfect, like a textbook example of the forms. The instructor in charge pped his hands without realizing it. "Unbelievable." Even among the senior students, few could perform the basic Dragon yer Technique forms so perfectly. Reina caught her breath and returned to her seat. The other cadets looked at her as if she were an unreachable being. Only one person, Owen Siemens, gritted his teeth and red at Reina. ''Damn it.'' He had thought that he would be ahead of Reina, a Pureblood Awakener, in terms of aura control. But the result only confirmed the difference in their skills. Owen red at the gloves on Reina''s hands. ''If I were a Pureblood Awakener, I would be better than you.'' Reina, however, didn''t care about Owen''s gaze. There was only one person she cared about. "Zeke Draker. Come forward." At the instructor''s call, Zeke slowly rose from his seat. He said to the instructor, "I also want to be evaluated with the Dragon yer Technique forms." The instructor frowned at Zeke''s words. "Do you think the semester evaluation is a joke?" "You didn''t say that to Reina Draker." The instructor looked displeased at Zeke''s words. He had let it slide for Reina, the daughter of the Turunn n, because she was known for being diligent and a genius. But Zeke had been consistently insincere, skipping aura practice sses as he pleased, so his request only seemed arrogant. The instructor said in an irritated voice, "If you can''t perform it properly, you''ll immediately fail, so be prepared." Zeke nodded and drew Bahamut from the scabbard hanging on his back. Bahamut was undoubtedly a legendary sword, but on the outside, it looked like a piece of junk. The other cadets sneered at Zeke holding Bahamut. "Ha, he thinks he can do it like Reina Draker just because he''s a Pureblood Awakener too." "Let''s see if he can even perform the Dragon yer Technique properly." Zeke ignored the voices around him. "Whew..." He slowly drew up his mana and infused it into Bahamut. Then he converted the mana into aura. Tsssss! As his aura was about to be revealed, Zeke quickly scattered his mana. ''It''s harder to hold back my power.'' Zeke immediately performed the Dragon yer Technique. Whoosh! During his two years at the academy before his regression, the basic forms of the Dragon yer Technique were all he had practiced. His body and hands moved before he could even think. Whoosh! He leaped into the air and shed at the empty space with his sword. Because the movements were so familiar, Zeke simply moved his sword without thinking. Whee! He carefully performed the forms, holding back, as he couldn''t reveal his full power yet. Afterpleting all the basic forms, he returned to his original position. He looked at the instructor in charge. The instructor was looking at Zeke with disbelief. "P-Purple Knight?" Zeke looked down at the spot where he had performed the forms. He had tried to hold back his power, but it seemed he had unconsciously released more aura. The floor of the training ground was cracked in the shape of the forms he had performed. ''I tried to match Reina''s level... Oh well.'' Zeke smirked as he saw the cadets staring at him in awe, Owen with a dumbfounded expression, and Reina burning with a sense of Jealousy towards him. Unlike his previous life, it seemed he wouldn''t have to struggle with the aura practical exam. * * * The problem arose the next day. Headmaster Howard Draker suddenly summoned Zeke. Zeke, who didn''t have good feelings towards Howard, went to the headmaster''s office with a hardened expression. "Wee, Zeke." Howard Draker greeted Zeke with a friendly smile. "Have a seat." Zeke, wary of the headmaster''s excessive kindness, sat on the sofa. The headmaster even poured tea for Zeke and ced it in front of him. "Thank you." Although he wasn''t grateful at all, Zeke gave his thanks superficially and left the tea untouched. Honestly, he wanted to throw the hot tea at Howard''s smug face. Howard looked at Zeke and began, "I received a report about yesterday''s practical evaluation. You achieved amazing results." "I was just lucky." "No, not luck. Awakening the aura of a Purple Knight at the age of thirteen is impossible with just luck." Despite the amicable atmosphere, Zeke saw the current Howard ovepping with the Howard who had expelled him from the academy before his regression. ''It''s a disgrace to have an unawakened person like you in this academy. As of today, you are no longer an academy cadet. Leave all your belongings, including your cadet ID, and leave immediately.'' ''H-Headmaster, please... Please give me one more chance. I will definitely awaken my aura next semester!'' In his past life, Zeke had begged Howard tearfully. But Howard had mercilessly expelled Zeke. And so, Zeke had to wander the continent with nothing, driven out from here. He had to live a life worse than death, erasing the name Draker. Zeke forcibly suppressed the murderous intent that surged within him. Just then, Howard brought up the main topic to Zeke. "So, Zeke. How about taking the grade skip exam?" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 27 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 27 "The grade skip exam, you say?" "Indeed. An outstanding cadet like you is certainly qualified to take the grade skip exam." I had given some thought to skipping grades. In my previous life, Reina had skipped grades and graduated early from the six-year academy program in just four years. Howard stroked his magnificent Kaiser beard as he looked at Zeke. "There''s no need to overthink it. I''m sure you''re more than capable..." "I''ll do it." Zeke answered before Howard could even finish his sentence. His eyes were burning with fierce determination. ''I wee any opportunity to graduate from the academy early.'' Howard gave a satisfied smile at Zeke''s answer. "Excellent. Very well, then I''ll have the grade skip exam prepared. Be sure to show us some impressive results." Zeke nodded and left the headmaster''s office. Howard, left alone, opened a drawer and took something out of a secretly hidden safe. It was amunication crystal ball connected to a secure line. He turned the dial and contacted someone. Bzzzt Static noise erupted from the crystal ball, which only disyed a ck screen. Then, a light indicating that the connection was established came on. Howard spoke into the receiver in a ndestine voice. "Both Pureblood Awakeners have agreed to take the exam." Someone on the other end of the receiver gave Howard instructions. He listened quietly to the instructions and nodded. "Understood. I''ll make those arrangements." As soon as Howard finished speaking, the light in the crystal ball went out. Howard put themunication crystal ball back in the safe. He stood up and, stroking his Kaiser beard, looked at his reflection in the window. "Things are getting interesting." * * * Three days after the meeting with the headmaster, Zeke received notification about the grade skip exam. And without even knowing what the exam entailed, he had to head to the senior cadet aura training room for the evaluation. When he went inside, Reina Draker was already there. She showed a burning fighting spirit towards Zeke. After the aura evaluation test, Reina''s sense of rivalry towards Zeke had grown even stronger. Zeke tried his best to avoid Reina''s gaze. ''This is tiring.'' Originally, Reina was talented enough to be recorded as one of the greatest geniuses in the academy''s history. However, because she was ced on the same level as Zeke, who should be treated as an exception, it felt like her abilities were being downyed. Yet, Reina herself, rather than being bothered by this, seemed to be burning with fighting spirit, considering Zeke as her rival. As the subtle war of nerves continued between Reina and Zeke, someone entered the training ground. Thump! It was the instructor in charge and a knight wearing Draker''s uniform. Zeke was momentarily surprised when he saw the knight behind the instructor. ''Willow Sword?'' Willow Sword, Aoul Draker. He was one of the few people from the Draker n that Zeke had a connection with before his regression. A giant physique with a sturdy-looking body, and arge scar across his face. Just by the aura he exuded, it was clear that he wasn''t someone who would be called in for a grade exam evaluation at the academy. The instructor in charge stepped forward and exined. "Zeke Draker, Reina Draker. Today, your grade exam evaluation will be conducted by Sir Aoul Draker, a senior knight from the main n." Reina and Zeke bowed their heads to Aoul in greeting. Aoul simply stared at them silently without saying a word. The instructor in charge continued his exnation. "The exam will consist of a spar. Show us everything you''ve got for ten minutes. Understood?" Reina replied loudly, and Zeke simply nodded. The instructor in charge asked Aoul, "Shall we begin right away?" Aoul nodded at the instructor''s words. He pointed to Reina first. Reina drew her sword and stood before Aoul. "Whew..." The basic requirement for a senior knight of the Draker n was to be at least a Blue Knight. The Blue Knight rank was just the minimum standard; each of them was a true expert with over ten years of experience in actualbat missions. They could be considered the pirs that actually supported the Draker n. As Reina took her stance, Aoul also drew his sword. However, Aoul''s sword wasn''t a typical arming sword, but a unique type. Zeke fell into thought as he saw Aoul''s sword. "They used the huandao (curved sword) of the Eastern Empire even back then." A strange weapon with a de only on one side. And it was longer than a typical sword. With Aoul''s tall stature andrge build, the fact that he was wielding such arge sword made him quite intimidating. However, Reina, known as one of the most talented among the Drakers, quickly shook off the intimidation and found her pace. She was the first to strike at Aoul. Whoosh! A clean thrust aimed at Aoul''s thigh flew towards him. Seeing Reina''s sword flying towards him, Aoul took a step back. Whiff! Reina''s sword pierced the air. She immediately changed her stance and attacked Aoul with the Dragon yer Technique. However, Aoul didn''t swing his sword; he simply moved his body and stepped back, dodging Reina''s sword. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Reina showed incredible movements for a first-year academy cadet. But she clearly had her limits. Aoul dodged Reina''s attack and turned his body, slipping into her blind spot and cing his foot between her legs. Thud! "Ugh!" With just that, Reina lost her bnce and fell. She quickly got back up and grabbed her sword. "Huff... Huff..." Because she had been attacking while trying to ovee Aoul''s intimidation, her stamina quickly depleted, and she was already out of breath. And at that moment, Aoul raised his sword for the first time. Thump! Aoul stepped forward and swung his sword. Reina quickly raised her sword to block Aoul''s sword. Crack! Reina, struck by the sword, was literally flung back, crashing into the wall of the training ground. Crash! The impact was so great that the wall of the training ground even cracked slightly. "Ugh..." Reina tried to get up, but her body wouldn''t listen; she could only tremble. A momentter, she lost consciousness. The healers who were on standby quickly ced Reina on a stretcher and transported her to the infirmary. ''That''s brutal.'' An unfeeling man like a stone statue, with no mercy. He was exactly as Zeke remembered Willow Sword Aoul Draker. Aoul returned to his original position and pointed at Zeke. Zeke drew Bahamut and said to Aoul, "Are there any specific evaluation criteria?" Even at Zeke''s question, Aoul didn''t answer. ''He''s really a difficult person to deal with.'' In Duke''s case, it was easier to read his intentions. But Aoul was like facing an irond tree. Aoul was the same when Zeke encountered him in the 3rd Continental War in his previous life. A true knight, impossible to read, but upright to a fault. In his previous life, although Aoul was his enemy, Zeke liked him because he wasn''t like the other Drakers. ''He was a person too good to die in such a trivial war.'' Zeke gripped Bahamut. Shaking off various emotions, he pointed his sword at Aoul. Simultaneously, his figure disappeared. Whoosh! Zeke used the Gale Force''s Phantom Step, leaving afterimages around Aoul and surrounding him. Shhh! Zeke''s sword aimed for Aoul''s openings. As with Reina, Aoul twisted his body and dodged Zeke''s sword. Whoosh! Whoosh! Zeke increased the speed of his Phantom Step. The afterimages increased from three to five. Simultaneously, five swords aimed for Aoul''s vital points. Wooong! Suddenly, Aoul raised his sword and blocked Zeke''s sword that was aiming for his back. Thud! Aoul turned around and pushed Zeke''s sword. Zeke deflected Aoul''s sword and dodged to the side. If he had been even a littlete, he would have been flung back like Reina. Aoul''s swordsmanship contained immense power in each seemingly simple movement. ''I can''t let my guard down.'' Since he couldn''t reveal his full strength, Zeke had to move while controlling his power as much as possible. However, if he showed himself to be too weak, he wouldn''t pass the grade skip evaluation, so it was important to strike a bnce. Zeke stepped back and caught his breath. Unlike with Reina, Aoul held his sword and took a ready stance. Then he took another step forward.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Thump! The pressure was immense, even though he had only taken a single step. Zeke couldn''t help but smile as he faced a strong opponent after a long time. A confrontation with a strong opponent was like a gateway to a new path. Wooong! Zeke''s sword let out a cry. He used Phantom Step and performed the Dragon yer Technique. Dragon yer Technique 3rd Form, 1st Verse Half Moon sh The Half Moon sh, imbued with aura, flew towards Aoul. Thud! Aoul tilted his sword sideways and blocked Zeke''s Half Moon sh. Zeke used the rebound from being blocked by Aoul''s sword to rotate his body. Dragon yer Technique 4th Form, 1st Verse Full Moon sh Immediately, Zeke''s sword drew arge full moon, gathering centrifugal force, and fell towards the top of Aoul''s head. Aoul fixed his lower body and swung his sword upwards from below. Crash! A huge crash resounded as Zeke''s Full Moon sh shed with Aoul''s upward swing. Zeke couldn''t deflect the full impact of the upward swing and was pushed back. ''Whew... It''s definitely tough while controlling my aura.'' That''s when it happened. Aoul spoke to Zeke. "Zeke Draker." He pointed his sword at Zeke. "Unleash your full strength." He had noticed that Zeke wasn''t showing his full power. At the same time, Aoul''s body moved. Whoosh! Unlike before, he swung his sword with an aggressive stance. Wooong! The sword flew towards Zeke from all directions. ng! Zeke raised his sword and blocked the sword. But the attacks continued endlessly. The sword twisted at strange angles, aiming for openings and attacking from unexpected directions. Zeke gritted his teeth as he blocked Aoul''s sword. ''He was using this strange Eastern swordsmanship even back then.'' He remembered struggling against this swordsmanship when he fought Aoul on the battlefield before his regression. When he thought it would strike from above, it would change trajectory ande from the side, and when it came from below, it would go back up. It was so unpredictable that it was difficult to defend against. Seeing Aoul using his full swordsmanship, Zeke thought he would have to use a bit more of his skills to pass the grade skip exam. Wooong! A strong vibration emanated from Zeke''s body, not his sword. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Phantom Step In an instant, Zeke''s body elerated to an invisible speed. Wooong! It was one of the Gale Force''s applications, a technique that strengthened muscles and joints by coating the entire body in aura, increasing sticity. The elerated Zeke dodged Aoul''s sword and slipped inside his guard. Whee! Zeke''s sword shot up, aiming for Aoul''s vital point. That''s when it happened. Thud! Aoul quickly stepped back half a step, creating an opening and drawing his sword towards Zeke. Crash! Zeke, blocking the powerful sword with his own, was pushed back by the rebound and, like Reina, flew towards the wall of the training ground. Rumble! The force was so strong that Zeke crashed through the wall. This meant the healers had to bustle about once more. Only then did Aoul lower his sword and stare intently at Zeke as he was being transported to the infirmary. Just then, "You rascal! You''vepletely wrecked my disciple." Duke, appearing out of nowhere,nded in front of Aoul. Aoul immediately bowed his head towards Duke. "Greetings, Duke Draker." "Aoul, you''re still as stiff as ever." "I''m d to see you in good health." "I''m someone who spends all his time ying around, so I have to be healthy at least. But more importantly..." Duke grinned and slung an arm around Aoul''s shoulder. "So, how is he, my disciple?" Aoul kept his mouth shut for a moment, then slowly said, "Disqualified." Duke was startled at his words. "What? You''re saying he''s disqualified?" Aoul shook his head. "No. I am disqualified as an evaluator." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 28 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 28 "Zeke Draker is beyond my capacity to evaluate." Duke said with a surprised expression, "Huh, is he really that good?" Aoul said with a serious expression, "My personal opinion is that ''he should be sent to Valha tomorrow.''" A man even more stoic than a statue. Hearing the evaluation from Aoul Drake, Duke had a bewildered expression. The instructor in charge, standing behind them, was equally perplexed. "D-do you really want me to ry that?" * * * After gathering the opinions of the headmaster and various department heads, it was decided that Zeke would skip to the 5th grade. He had skipped four grades at once. Zeke simply nodded quietly when Duke told him the result. "You don''t seem happy even though you skipped grades." "I''m happy." In truth, Zeke''s mind was filled with mixed emotions. It felt strange to go from being the trash of the academy to being talked about as a historic genius. At this rate, it was possible to graduate from the academy at the age of fifteen. ''In my previous life, I was expelled from the academy at the age of fifteen. The world is truly unpredictable.'' Since things had turned out this way, he decided to graduate from the academy as soon as possible. Reina skipped two grades, and Liam, who showed excellent results in the semester evaluation, was promoted from the regr ss to the special ss. Zeke, who had moved up to the 5th grade, lived a rtively quiet life at the academy. And during that time, he was able to learn the secret techniques containing the secrets of the Gale Force. With nothing more to teach Zeke, Duke spent his time casually looking after Andrei''s sword. He maintained a continuous rtionship with Professor Paynun, who had made the magic forge for him, but they became physically distant when Paynun moved to the Delfoa Royal Magic Research Institute and left the academy. He left Zeke a direct line, telling him to visit Delfoa sometime. Surprisingly, Aoul Draker visited once a quarter to spar with Zeke and then left. Under Duke Draker''s supervision, Zeke had to face Aoul. After facing Zeke for two years, Aoul seemed to have realized something and applied for a leave of absence from the Four Seasons Castle, confining himself in a closed training ground. After spending two years like this with various events, Zeke finally took the academy graduation exam. "Z-Zeke Drake. P-pass." Zeke set the record for the fastest passing time among all graduation exam takers in history. Zeke gave a wry smile as he looked at the academy graduation badge he received directly from the headmaster. ''I wanted this so badly before.'' He was finally able to erase the academy, which had long been a source of trauma, from his mind. With this feeling of relief, Zeke received another benefit along with his graduation. The headmaster personally wrote him a letter of rmendation for admission to Valha. It was a tremendous benefit, as there had never been a case of someone entering Valha at the age of fifteen. Zeke handed the letter of rmendation from Howard to Decker. "I''m so proud of you, Young Master." Unlike his usual stiff expression, Decker''s face was flushed as he received the letter of rmendation. "It''s nothing to be proud of." Zeke said with an indifferent expression. "When does the Valha semester start?" "It starts in March." "So there are about three months left." The graduation exam usually took about a month, but because Zeke finished it so quickly, he had some time left. After a moment of thought, he said to Decker, "Decker, go to As in advance and settle in. I have somewhere to go before the semester starts." "Where are you going, Young Master?" "I''m thinking of going to a resort to rest for a bit." "Then I''ll make the preparations." "Yes. It would be good to find a quiet ce in Argos." "Understood, Young Master." Just then, Liam came to the floor. "Master, you called for me?" Zeke handed Liam what he had prepared in advance. They were things Liam would need before graduating from the academy. Among them were cheat sheets for each semester''s evaluations. Zeke had personally prepared them for Liam, who didn''t receive family support. "If you keep this up, you''ll definitely be able to enter Valha. I have high hopes for you, Liam." "I won''t disappoint you, Master." "Good. And when you be a 4th year, you''ll need a proper sword to use. I''ve spoken to Gelion, so go to him and ask him to make a sword that suits you." Liam looked at Zeke with a touched expression at his words. "Don''t look at me like that, it''s burdensome. You can go now." "Understood, Master." * * * Even as he prepared for graduation and dealt with academy matters, Zeke didn''t neglect his personal training. Wooong! A strong sword cry arose from Zeke''s sword. Soon, his body disappeared, leaving only afterimages.N?v(el)B\\jnn Whirl! Zeke''s body appeared everywhere in the training ground at incredibly high speed. The Gale Force, Duke''s signature technique, was fully revealed through Zeke. A blue energy surged from Zeke''s sword as he moved like the wind. Wooong! A vivid aura de formed on Zeke''s sword. Zeke swung his sword. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Wind sh The sword of the gale split the air. Crackle, crackle, crackle! Simultaneously, a message window appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [Proficiency in the special skill Gale Force increases.] "Whew..." Zeke lowered his sword and opened his status window. [Junior Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Domination Constitution: Divine Body System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap / Beginner Quest Book Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Special Skill: Gale Force [A-grade (Expert)] Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Beginner) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Expert) / Dragon ws (Expert) Current Karma Points: 365 The Gale Force, which had remained at the beginner level, finally became expert level. Zeke held his sword and skillfully created an aura de. "Have I finally broken through the barrier of a Blue Knight?" Unlike in his previous life, he was paving a new path through systematic methods instead of the side-effect-heavy Soul Perception, so he hadn''t yet found the way to be a Red Knight. However, Zeke decided not to rush and to steadily take one step at a time. Excessively rapid growth could actually raise the wall to bing a ck Knight. Indeed, in his previous life, Zeke had tried everything to ovee the wall of the ck Knight, but his methods as a vagabond had clear limits. ''There''s no need to rush.'' During the past two years, he had brought most of his skills to the expert level, widening the range of techniques he could usepared to before his regression. Furthermore, the secret swordsmanship of Kaisir in the Giant Mountains and Terakan Draker''s security vault in Valha were sure to open the way for him to advance beyond the Red Knight and be a ck Knight. He picked up Bahamut again and swung his sword. His desire to be stronger filled the training ground. * * * Argos was a kingdom located at the northern end of the Central Continent, closest to the Northern Continent. The reason Argos, which didn''t have any particr strategic resources, was included among the four major kingdoms of the Central Continent, like Thebes, Delfoa, and Alencia, was due to its thriving dungeon-rted industry. From convenient facilities for adventurers gathering for dungeon exploration to various equipment and manpower required for party formation, everything needed for dungeon exploration could be found here. In particr, the Argos Adventurer''s Guild had a long tradition, boasting a thousand-year history. Although the Adventurer''s Guild had branches all over the continent, its headquarters was located in Argos. And since all adventurers were required to register at the Argos Guild headquarters, aspiring adventurers from all over the continent flocked to this ce. "Next, number 547." The staff member in charge of registration at the Argos Adventurer''s Guild called the next registrant in a business-like tone. The registrant who brought the documents looked quite young. At most, he appeared to be barely twenty years old. The young man with brown hair and green eyes handed the documents to the staff member. "Zeke Murray. Is that correct?" Zeke, who had dyed his hair and changed his eye color with lenses, nodded. He had submitted his registration to the Adventurer''s Guild using the pseudonym he used in his previous life. The staff member, after reviewing the documents and confirming there were no issues, stamped them. "Take this and they''ll give you your registration card. Next, number 548." Zeke took the stamped documents and received his guild membership registration card. There wouldn''t be any problems since he had entrusted the forgery of his identity to a reliable source he frequently used in his previous life. Thus, Zeke told Decker that he was going on vacation to Argos, and then secretly slipped away to create a separate adventurer ID. It was all for the purpose of finding king Kaisir''s ruins. With the ID in hand, Zeke immediately sought out a regr carriage heading to the base camp in the Giant Mountains. The Giant Mountains were a ce where countless dungeons were hidden. Among the ancient artifacts discovered there, some were rare items valuable enough to allow one to livefortably for the rest of their life. As a result, thousands of adventurers came seeking such a jackpot. Zeke, now one of them, had to go to the barbarian territory located deep within the Giant Mountains. Even for Zeke, who had the minimap, going into the rugged Giant Mountains without any preparation was practically suicide. The Giant Mountains were divided into hundreds of sections, and there were carriages that regrly traveled through them. Therefore, it was much more efficient to move to the base camp closest to the barbarian territory and search for Kaisir''s ruins from there. For this reason, Zeke looked for a separate carriage, but it wasn''t easy to find one as it was peak season for dungeon exploration. In the end, Zeke managed to secure a seat on a carriage shared with others, stayed overnight at an inn, and boarded the regr carriage departing at dawn. Looking at the people on the carriage with him, there were some who looked like adventurers, but most seemed to be merchants. They were people who wanted to purchase monster materials from the base camp or sell consumables needed by adventurers. As Zeke was observing the passengers, he spotted a young porter among the adventurers and merchants and fixed his gaze on him. He was lost in thought for a moment. After being expelled from the academy and wandering with nowhere to go, Zeke had seen an advertisement for a porter at an Argos dungeon and impulsively boarded a carriage heading there. He went there believing the promise of food and lodging in exchange for working as a porter. But when he got there, the treatment was abysmal, contrary to what was promised. He had to sleep curled up in a warehouse-like dorm, and he barely got one meal a day. Half of the money he earned working as a porter was taken by the boss as amission, and after deducting food and lodging expenses from the remaining half, there was very little left. The boss even forcibly took that remaining money, iming to save it for him. Zeke gritted his teeth as he thought about that time. Even in his previous life, the first thing he did after gaining strength was to find that boss, torture him Southern-style, and then kill him, so his resentment towards the man spoke for itself. It was around the time the carriage was almost reaching the base camp. One of the adventurers sitting across from him, a man with a sword, casually spoke to Zeke. "Are you an adventurer too?" Zeke didn''t answer and remained silent. The man leaned forward and said, "You should answer when someone speaks to you. You look like you''re going to a dungeon for the first time." Then the man slid closer to Zeke. "Speaking of which, how about joining our party for your first dungeon? I''m telling you this for your own good. Dungeons these days are dangerous, so if you just go in unprepared, you''ll easily be monster food." Zeke was annoyed by the loudmouth chattering beside him despite being ignored. This guy was most likely the type to deceive naive novice adventurers and exploit them. They would use them as bait for monsters or sell them to human traffickers. Since many people who entered dungeons didn''t return, they would make excuses about them being dead and sell them off,mitting such crimes without batting an eye. As Zeke was inwardly annoyed, the loudmouth acted friendly and slung an arm around his shoulder. Then the man subtly showed him the badge attached to his cor. "See this? I''m a graduate of the famous Draker Academy. You know, the Draker n? Have you heard the saying that the party you enter your first dungeon with determines half your adventurer life?" When Zeke still didn''t react, the man''s tone became rough, as if he was losing his temper. "Ha, does this kid have his mouth glued shut? Why aren''t you reacting? I''m a senior adventurer offering you a favor, you arrogant brat." Then Zeke opened his mouth. "Shut up for a second." The man''s eyes wavered. "What? You little punk, how dare you..." The man red at Zeke with a fierce expression. Just then, Zeke abruptly stood up. He stared in one direction. Then he said to the coachman driving the carriage, "There''s a monster appearing 500 meters behind us on the left. Looks like a group of Orcs. Is this a monster zone?" The adventurer behind him scoffed and said, "Kid, monsters can''t enter this zone. Don''t get cocky just because you''re excited about being an adventurer, and sit still." That''s when it happened. Roar! The Orcs'' war cry echoed from afar. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 29 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 29 The merchants and the coachman were startled by the sudden Orc war cry. "N-no way! How can there be Orcs in a safe zone?!" The coachman frantically whipped the horses. "Hurry up! Faster!" Roar! The Orcs'' war cry rang out once more. Neigh! The horses, startled by the cry, reared up in excitement. Crash! As the horses thrashed about, the carriage overturned. Zeke quickly jumped out of the carriage. Thud! The carriagepletely toppled over, and the horses also fell, their legs getting caught under the luggage. In this state, reaching the base camp was impossible. Orc cries could be heard from all directions. The adventurer who had been bragging in front of Zeke earlier was pale and trembling, holding his sword. ''Draker Academy graduate, my foot.'' Zeke hid behind a tree and observed the situation. A momentter, something emerged from the forest. Roar! A group of Orcs wieldingrge stone axes appeared and began attacking the people. "Argh! H-help me!" An Orc smashed a person''s head with its stone axe. The adventurers with weapons tried to resist the Orcs, but it was no use. "H-help me!" The bragging adventurer''s head was smashed by an Orc''s stone axe. The ground quickly became a sea of blood. Zeke, concealing his presence, watched the Orcs collect the bodies and belongings of the dead. If he intervened, it would leave traces, so he calmly waited for the Orcs to disappear. ''How did Orcs get into the safe zone?'' Argos, with its developed dungeon industry, thoroughly protected the safe zones at the national level to protect the merchantsing and going. ''Something must have happened at the base camp.'' As the Orcs passed, he concealed his presence, entered the forest path, and headed towards the base camp. The base camp he arrived at was indeed a gruesome sight. Perhaps swept by monsters, the fences were all broken, and blood-stained luggage was scattered about. Zeke examined the corpses. Among them were soldiers dispatched by the Kingdom of Argos. ''They should have been able to stop most monsters with this much force.'' Unable to understand the situation, Zeke examined the traces left at the base camp. His expression darkened as he checked the traces. This was because he found traces of ''humans'', not monsters, at the attack site. Although it was disguised as a monster attack, this was clearly a disaster caused by humans. It was clear that the base camp had been attacked, and then monsters, attracted by the smell of blood, had entered and looted the bodies and supplies. It seemed that the Orcs, havinge down to the mountain path, had attacked the regr carriage. Zeke dusted off his hands and stood up. ''For now, the important thing is to find Kaisir''s ruins.'' Zeke selected only the necessary supplies from the remaining materials in the messy base camp and immediately left. There was no point in staying here; it would only make him a suspect. He immediately turned on the minimap and headed towards the barbarian territory. As he climbed higher, the terrain became more rugged, slowing his progress. After traveling deep into the mountains for about two days, Zeke discovered something. ''It''s been a while since I''ve seen this.'' Hundreds of skulls hanging on tree branches. Not only human skulls, but also the skulls of various monsters were hung together. This was a sign marking the beginning of barbarian territory. Even monsters rarely entered the area where this sign was present. But Zeke didn''t hesitate and entered the barbarian territory. Just then, something caught Zeke''s senses. He felt a presence following him. At first, he thought it was barbarians, but then he shook his head. Barbarians never secretly chase intruders who enter their territory. If they saw them, they would immediately capture them and literally ''tear'' their limbs apart. Whoosh! Zeke leaped onto a tree and concealed himself. Then he took out a dagger from his pocket. As hepletely erased his presence, the figures chasing him revealed themselves. There were three of them, and they weren''t ordinary adventurers. ''They''re professionally trained knights.'' However, their movements were stealthy for knights. They must have been selected from among knight trainees and taught pursuit and assassination techniques. There was only one ce in Zeke''s memory where such madness urred. ''The Hounds... Why are the Imperials in Argos?'' The Hounds were a unit secretly organized by the Rom Emperor to collect ancient artifacts. In the previous life, these Hounds rose to be the main force of the Rom Empire. But for now, the Hounds were still veiled in secrecy, and few knew of their existence. At that moment, Zeke realized that the Hounds were also responsible for the annihtion of the base camp. It didn''t seem like a coincidence that the Hounds, who specialized in pursuing ancient artifacts, were near Kaisir''s ruins. For Zeke, who had been promoted to a Blue Knight, the Hounds were easily dealt with. ''I need to interrogate them and extract information.'' Whoosh! The situation reversed, and now Zeke was chasing the Hounds. He erased his presence and followed the Hounds for a long time, observing their range of activity. The Hounds moved in groups of at least twelve. Zeke, who had a deep connection with the Hounds in his previous life, knew a lot about them. He noticed that they were on perimeter security duty. ''At this level, the regr contact cycle would be quite long, so even if I kill them, it will take time for anyone to notice.'' Zeke patiently followed the Hounds. And finally, he was able to find the cave where they were stationed. He held his dagger and slowly approached the cave. Using his Dragon Eyes skill, he could clearly see in the darkness. Just then, one of them came out of the cave. Whoosh! Zeke covered his mouth from behind, stabbed him in the lungs with his dagger, and then slit his carotid artery. The Hound copsed without even screaming. Zeke moved the body to the side and searched his belongings. Perhaps because of his status, there wasn''t anything of note. Zeke stealthily entered the cave, checking the terrain with the minimap. The Hounds had modified the inside of the cave to create a base. ''This brings back memories. During my cartel days, I practically lived in jungle camps like this.'' Zeke had once been active as a killer for the infamous McCain Cartel, which ruled the Southern Continent. After being tricked by a dungeon guide and sold into very in the Southern Continent, he received killer training and was deployed on assassination missions. Though rusty, the skills he had learned at the Cradle and the academy were ingrained in his body, allowing him to somehow survive the harsh assassination missions. The cartel, finding this intriguing, formally trained him and made him an assassin for the organization. Thanks to this, Zeke spent five years in the midst of power struggles between cartels in the Southern Continent. Compared to the brutal cartel bosses, the still-inexperienced Hounds were easy targets. Zeke put on a mask to hide his face and stored Bahamut in his inventory. Fully prepared, he entered the cave. Whoosh! The dagger Zeke threw lodged itself in the neck of an unsuspecting Hound. He had already grasped the terrain and the locations of the Hounds with the minimap. Zeke immediately charged deeper into the cave. Two Hounds were on guard duty on the railing of a two-story building built against the cave wall. He took out daggers from his inventory and swiftly threw them with both hands. Thud! The two Hounds, struck by Zeke''s daggers, fell to the ground below. Hearing the unusual sound, the Hounds waiting inside rushed out. Zeke threw the daggers in his hands towards the Hounds running towards him. ng! One of them raised his sword, imbuing it with aura, and deflected Zeke''s daggers. And at that moment, a Hound lunged at Zeke from the side. Zeke lowered his stance and rolled on the ground. He took out a dagger and stabbed it into the Hound''s foot, then immediately took out another dagger and cut his Achilles tendon. "Argh!" Zeke circled behind the Hound and snapped his neck. It was exactly the way Southern assassins dealt with knights. "It''s a Southerner! Block the escape route and keep your distance! Shoot crossbows from afar!" Perhaps there were soldiers as well as knights, as soldiers with crossbows emerged from the building. Zeke ran forward at incredible speed. Whoosh! A rain of arrows poured towards Zeke, but as he moved in a zigzag pattern, they couldn''t aim properly and missedpletely. Before they knew it, Zeke was right in front of the crossbow-wielding soldiers. sh! Zeke beheaded one of the soldiers with a dagger and snatched his crossbow. He skillfully handled the crossbow and shot bolts at the other soldiers. Thud! The soldiers, with bolts embedded in their chests, copsed. While dealing with the soldiers with the crossbow and daggers, the Hounds swarmed around Zeke. Zeke took a stance with daggers in both hands. Then, the one who seemed to be the leader stepped forward and said to Zeke, "What''s a Southerner doing here?" They seemed to have mistaken Zeke for a Southern assassin. ''Let''s make things even more chaotic.'' He lowered his voice and spoke with a Southern ent. "Did you think you could touch McCain''s things and get away with it, you damn Imperials?" The leader of the Hounds said in a flustered voice, "McCain''s things? We haven''t touched anything belonging to them." "Take that up with your damn Emperor after you die." Zeke suddenly kicked up a stone at his feet. Whoosh! The hard stone lodged itself precisely in the leader''s left eye. "Argh!" Zeke, seizing the opportunity, lunged forward and shed the Hounds'' necks with his daggers. "Argh!" There was nothing easier to handle than a knight charging in with excitement. Zeke picked up the sword of a dead knight and threw it at another knight charging towards him. The sword, imbued with the will of Pration, pierced through the knight''s body and lodged itself in another knight behind him. Zeke swiftly annihted the Hounds, leaving only the leader, who had spoken to Zeke earlier. "You uncivilized Southern scum, how dare you!" Whoosh! Zeke dodged the leader''s sword and swung his dagger, severing his arm. "Ugh!" Thud! Zeke''s dagger pierced the leader''s lungs. Just before he died, Zeke said to the leader, "Damn Imperials, Kaisir''s ruins belong to our McCain Cartel." The leader''s eyes wavered at his words. "What nonsense..." The leader of the Hounds died with a look of confusion on his face. Zeke realized from the leader''s reaction that they weren''t after Kaisar''s legacy. "Then why are these bastards here?" Zeke went up to the second floor of the camp and investigated their traces. And he found a letter written in code, delivered from their superiors. The code used by the Imperial Knights was incrediblyplex and sophisticated, making it nearly impossible to decipher. However, Zeke knew how to decipher the Imperial code thanks to his battlefield experience in his previous life. He quickly scanned the letter and checked its contents. ''These bastards are blindly searching for ancient ruins on the Emperor''s orders without even knowing what''s here.'' It seemed that the Rom Emperor, obsessed with immortality, was searching every corner of the continent to collect ancient artifacts. The Hounds were deployed to any ce that might have ancient ruins. Zeke clicked his tongue after reading the letter. "That Emperor has really lost his mind." Now that he knew the Hounds didn''t know about Kaisir''s ruins, there was no need to dy any longer. Zeke left traces behind and exited the cave. He turned on the minimap again and was about to head towards the location of the ruins. That''s when it happened. Whoosh! A chilling sound echoed from the sky.N?v(el)B\\jnn Zeke knew this sound all too well. It was the signal for the Hounds'' inescapable to activate. [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 30 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 30 Whoosh! Zeke ran deeper into the forest, avoiding the swarming Hounds. ''Persistent bastards.'' Zeke had already experienced more than enough of how tenacious the Hounds were in his previous life. He turned on the minimap and counted how many Hounds were chasing him. A total of thirty-six Hounds were on his tail. It was clear that the number of pursuing Hounds would only increase with time. Just then, a new Hound unit appeared in front of Zeke. sh! They must have been specifically trained in assassination techniques, as their movements were simr to those of assassins from the desert regions. Whoosh! Zeke twisted his body in mid-air to avoid the attack and retreated. Thanks to his infinite stamina, he wasn''t tired, but there was no way the Hounds would back down now. ''Should I just kill them all?'' The problem was that if any trace of Zeke Draker was left behind, things could getplicated. He had to leave only enough traces to be identified as a hitman from the Southern Continent''s cartel. Dozens of Hounds surrounded Zeke, their eyes fixed on him with sharp gazes. He, too, red at the Hounds and held daggers in both hands. "Haaa!" The knights at the front lunged at Zeke first. Zeke skillfully dodged the knight''s sword, rolled on the ground, and aimed for his Achilles tendon. Whoosh! Perhaps experienced in fighting Southern ouws, the Hounds jumped to avoid the attack. Zeke lowered his stance as much as possible, held his daggers, red at the Hounds, and said, "Damn Imperials, even if I die here today, the McCain Cartel will have their bloody revenge." Despite Zeke''s words, the Hounds remained silent. He had provoked them to get more information, but the Hounds didn''t take the bait. If he were a real McCain assassin, he would have taken poison andmitted suicide or made a deal to hand over information, but Zeke made a different choice. He took something out of his pocket and quickly blew on it. Boooooo! A loud sound, unimaginable from such a small horn, echoed through the entire forest. The Hounds were startled by the sudden noise and looked around cautiously. But nothing happened, and the one who appeared to be the deputymander nodded, signaling to capture Zeke. Several Hounds approached Zeke. Just then, Zeke threw something in front of them. Whoosh! It was five smoke bombs he had taken out from his inventory. Smoke billowed up,pletely blocking their vision. Zeke concealed his presence and quickly escaped. The deputymander, sensing this, shouted, "Catch him now!" But something happened that made that impossible. Crash! They appeared, pulling trees out of the ground. Over two meters tall, with muscles covering their bodies like armor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Their bare skin, adorned with menacing tattoos, was d in their unique attire made of monster hides. They were the barbarians, the true masters of the Giant Mountains. "Haaaaaaa!" The barbarians'' war cry shook the entire forest. The Hounds were flustered by the sudden appearance of the barbarians. "Kill those savages!" The Hounds charged at the barbarians who appeared from all directions. The knight who ran at the forefront tried to cut a barbarian. ng! "Huh?" Surprisingly, the knight''s sword couldn''t pierce the muscles and bounced off. The barbarian warrior grabbed the knight''s arms and legs and literally twisted and crushed them. Crack! The knight, unable to resist, had his limbs torn off and died. The deputymander shouted in a panic, "Aura! Use aura! Swords without aura won''t work against barbarians!" The knights imbued their swords with aura and charged at the barbarians. The swords, concentrated with aura, were able to pierce the barbarians'' thick muscles. But the problem came after that. "Ugh!" The barbarians, having defended their territory for a long time, had learned to fight against knights who used aura. They sacrificed flesh to gain an advantage. They used their strong muscles to grab the swords that pierced their bodies, preventing them from being pulled out. And then they struck the knights'' heads with their powerful fists. Thud! The barbarians'' fists, possessing unbelievable strength, were like maces wielded by trained knights. Everywhere, barbarians grabbed the knights'' swords, closed in, and smashed their heads. As the barbarians pushed the knights back in hand-to-handbat, the Hound unitmander soon ordered a retreat. "Fall back! Fall back!" But the barbarians were no less tenacious than the Hounds. They didn''t just watch the Hounds flee; they began to chase them. The Giant Mountains were like their backyard. Like a raging storm, the barbarians chased the Hounds with shouts. Zeke, watching from afar, slowly revealed himself. ''It worked better than I thought.'' Zeke fiddled with the horn that had summoned the barbarians. In his previous life, he had fought against barbarians, but when monsters appeared that were too difficult to handle alone, he had also formed a united front with them. The Mohakin tribe, one of the tribes he met at that time, had a very friendly rtionship with Zeke. Zeke was able to learn how to make the horns used by barbarians and their signal system from the Mohakin tribe. The signal Zeke had sent with the horn earlier meant, "A foreign group has invaded the sacred mothend. They are here." Although they appeared to be simple savages on the outside, the barbarians were people who lived with their own culture within their traditions. It was only in the Central Continent, where only human nations existed, that they were dismissed and ostracized as uncivilized. "If you mess with the barbarians, you''re dead that day." Zeke turned back in the opposite direction from the Hounds who were fleeing from the barbarians. He, too, wanted to avoid bing a target of the barbarians'' pursuit. After putting some distance between them, Zeke turned on the minimap and headed straight for Kaisir''s ruins. Since it was located deep in the Giant Mountains, the terrain was rough, making the journey itself an ordeal. He asionally entered caves to eat the food he had brought to satisfy his hunger, and when fatigue umted, he used Gluttony to hunt and consume monsters to replenish his mental strength. After climbing the mountain for several days, he finally reached the entrance to the ruins. "This cave seems to be the entrance." The entrance itself was hidden by giant trees, so if it weren''t for the minimap and the guidance function, it would have been impossible to find even after months of searching. Zeke cautiously entered the cave. The cave was no different from an ordinary dungeon. Zeke proceeded cautiously, following the path indicated by the minimap. There were asional forks in the road, but thanks to the guidance function, he was able to find his way without getting lost. He encountered monsters from time to time along the way. And they were all turned into Zeke''s precious points. The journey was easier than expected. Soon, the cave ended, and the floor changed to a hard brick path. Underground structures in artificial caves, such as ruins, were usually constructed like this. Zeke approached the entrance to the ruins while checking the map. But at some point, Zeke tilted his head in confusion as he looked at the map. ''What''s this?'' A red dot was blinking continuously in front of the entrance to the ruins. It was apletely different reaction than anything that had been disyed on the map so far. Zeke sensed that something ominous was present at the entrance. He immediately took out Bahamut and cautiously entered. It was then, as he turned a corner and arrived in front of Kaisir''s ruins, ''Damn it. I thought things were going too smoothly.'' Growl! A giant Hydra was sitting in front of the entrance to the ruins. Judging by the size of its body and its nine heads, it seemed to be at least a few hundred years old. Just then, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [A fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy has been detected.] ''Fallen dragon?'' He couldn''t understand why the system was suddenly showing this message. Zeke shook his head and pondered as he watched the Hydra guarding the area. ''How do I get past that thing?'' His goal was to find Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship manual, so there was no need to go out of his way to fight the Hydra. Zeke, recalling his experience in the Dragon yer''s tomb, gave an order to the system. ''System, can you open that door?'' As Zeke asked, letters appeared. [essing the control device as requested by the administrator.] [essed the administration system of King Kaisir''s resting ce.] [Entry permission granted.] [Opening the entrance.] Simultaneously, the tightly closed door behind the Hydra began to open. The Hydra, which had been guarding the entrance, rose from its spot. Roar! The nine heads roared and shook their bodies. The entire cave began to shake. ''Oh, damn it.'' Zeke quickly used the Gale Force while the Hydra was roaring. Dragon yer Technique Application Gale Force Phantom Step Zeke''s body floated into the air and flew towards the door like the wind. Roar! But the Hydra wouldn''t let the intruder enter the door so easily. One of the Hydra''s nine heads descended towards Zeke and opened its massive jaws. Zeke gripped Bahamut and focused his aura. A blue aura de surged. Zeke raised Bahamut, enveloped in the aura de, and swung it towards the Hydra. Dragon yer Technique 7th Form, 1st Verse Dragon Head Beheading The Dragon yer Technique originated from sword techniques created to y dragons. The forms of the Dragon yer Technique, characterized byrge movements, weren''t suitable for battles against humans, but they were perfect for fighting giant monsters. Crash! The massive aura de sliced through the Hydra''s mouth. Roar! The Hydra, its mouth cut, roared in pain. Blood gushed from the wound, sttering everywhere. The Hydra''s blood, with its strong acidic properties, corroded the hard stone floor. Whoosh! Zeke''s Flight Step didn''t stop and elerated forward. Then, the Hydra blocked the open door of the ruins with its body. Zeke pointed Bahamut at the Hydra and raised his energy. Wooong! A massive aura de surged. The Hydra''s heads lunged at Zeke. The moment the Hydra''s heads got close, Zeke used the Draconian skill Dragon''s Majesty. Thud! The Hydra, feeling the Dragon''s Majesty, trembled in fear and retreated. Zeke didn''t miss that opening. In that split second, heunched the aura de surrounding his sword towards the Hydra. Dragon yer Technique 3rd Form, 2nd Verse Half Moon Throw Wooong! A crescent-shaped aura de shot out from Zeke''s sword. Whoosh! The rotating crescent moon cut off three of the Hydra''s heads. Roar! Acidic blood gushed from the severed necks and poured down on Zeke. Sizzle! The acidic blood immediately burned Zeke''s skin. If it were an ordinary person, their bones would have melted, but Zeke was different. His Healing Factor immediately healed him. "Tsk!" Zeke immediately jumped through the open doorway. And as soon as he entered, he shouted, "System! Close the door!" [Closing the entrance as requested by the administrator.] Rumble! The door to the ruins began to close again. Then, the Hydra''s heads squeezed through the gap in the door. Roar! Three heads forced their way through the door and lunged at Zeke. "Get out of here, you snake bastards!" Zeke leaped into the air with Bahamut. The Hydra''s heads spewed poisonous fumes towards Zeke, but Zeke, trusting his Healing Factor, charged through the poisonous fumes. An aura de over 3 meters long formed on his sword. Dragon yer Technique 1st Form, 1st Verse Sky Cleaving Crash! The massive aura de cleaved through the three heads stuck in the doorway, from top to bottom. Slice! The Hydra''s heads were split vertically. Zeke red at the Hydra, sword still in hand. It seemed like the creature wasn''t dead yet, as its body outside the door was still writhing. Growl A momentter, the other heads tried to force their way through the gap again. "Persistent snake bastards..." As he muttered and prepared to attack again, a message appeared before Zeke''s eyes. [You have instilled fear in the fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy.] [Inherent Authority Dragon Domination activates.] [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 31 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 31 Zeke''s unique ability, ''Dragon Domination'', obtained by absorbing Bahamut''s heart, activated. [Do you wish to subdue the target dragon?] "I don''t know what it is, but let''s try it." But soon a warning message popped up. [Your authority is insufficient to subdue the target dragon.] [Failed to subdue the fallen dragon.] It seemed that even with the authority, he couldn''t subdue just any dragon. Just then, a thumping sound echoed from outside the door, as if the Hydra had abandoned its severed heads and left. Zeke looked at the Hydra heads stuck in the door and pondered what to do, then used the Gluttony skill. Rumble! Zeke''s shadow wavered and spread out towards the Hydra heads. The three severed Hydra heads slowly sank into the shadow as if being swallowed by a ck swamp. It took quite a while to absorb all three Hydra heads. When the absorption wasplete, a message popped up. [You have devoured the severed heads of the fallen dragon corrupted by tainted energy.] [Your depleted stamina, mental strength, and mana are restored.] [As a reward for devouring a designated extermination target, your Gluttony skill level increases.] [You have imperfectly absorbed the bloodline ability of the devoured creature, gaining the constitution of Poison Immunity.] After devouring the Hydra heads, his depleted energy was replenished. Zeke confirmed that ''Poison Immunity'' had been added to his constitution category. In addition, his Gluttony skill level increased from beginner to expert. "Designated extermination target. Does that mean the reward is higher for eliminating dragon-type monsters like the Hydra?" Zeke closed the status window and, after confirming that the door waspletely closed, finally entered the ruins. The structure of the ruins was simr to the Dragon yer''s resting ce. While the Dragon yer''s resting ce was mostly made of gray material, Kaisir''s ruins were made of a smooth, white material. ording to legend,King Kaisir was a half-human, half-elf born between a wise sage and an elf king. However, due to the scheme of an evil wizard, Kaisir was separated from his parents and abandoned alone in the mountains. A sacred wolf found the young Kaisir crying in the mountains, nursed him with her milk, and raised him, allowing him to grow up safely. Kaisir used his unparalleled strength to save persecuted humans and established ''Chronos'', a kingdom exclusively for humans, in the Central Continent. Of course, since the Chronos kingdom was also a nation from legends, it was unknown whether it actually existed. However, the royal family of the Rom Empire had long imed to be descendants of King Kaisir. The sacred wolf, the symbol of the Rom Empire, originated from this legend. Although the King and the Chronos kingdom remained as legendary figures, these ruins were evidence that the Chronos kingdom might have actually existed. Zeke marveled at the solid structure with its high ceiling. It was surprising that a structure built more than two thousand years ago was still intact. He opened the minimap and went deeper into the ruins. A long corridor stretched between the giant pirs lined up on both sides. Zeke walked down the corridor cautiously. As he went further down the corridor, he came across a door. When Zeke reached out to the door, a message popped up. [Opening the resting ce of King Kaisir.] Simultaneously, the door opened. The space inside was unexpectedly small. It was a circr space made entirely of white material, with an altar-like structure in the center. The map indicated the altar as the destination. Zeke cautiously crossed the space, climbed the stairs, and went up to the altar. When he reached the altar, he saw a pedestal in the center. Arge, iridescent sky-blue gem was floating on the pedestal. ''A gem? Not the King''s secret swordsmanship manual?'' He had to find the swordsmanship manual toplete the mission. Zeke looked all over the pedestal, but the swordsmanship manual was nowhere to be found. Then, as Zeke''s hand reached towards the gem, [You have found a permanent record left by King Kaisir.] [Transferring and saving the permanent record to the system.] Seeing the system message, Zeke looked at the gem on the pedestal. [The message left by King Kaisir will automatically y.] At that moment, a video appeared before Zeke''s eyes. The face of a delicate young man with snow-white hair and eyebrows appeared on the screen. The young man''s eyes shone beautifully with a clear sky-blue color. His appearance was reminiscent of a legendary elf. The young man in the video began to speak. However, Zeke couldn''t understand a word he was saying. As he frowned in frustration, a message popped up. [Ancient Chronosnguage detected. Automatically converting to themonnguage of the Central Continent.] Simultaneously, the young man''s words began to be tranted into themonnguage. "So, I climbed the mountain and said, ''Hey, are you the Giant King?'' And he immediately tried to mess with me, right? In the past, I would have just grabbed him by the neck and smashed his head! But at that time, I had a family to take care of, and I had a reputation to uphold. So I asked him politely, ''Why do you keep crossing into our territory?'' Then he rolled his eyes and started acting crazy. So I... Hey, hey, hold it steady! The screen is shaking. Saturn, damn it! Are you going to keep messing around? Where was I? Oh, man, you made me forget!" Zeke blinked. He was confused about what he had just heard. Judging from the situation, the foul-mouthed man in the video seemed to be the King Kaisir, but something felt off. "The records and Kaisir''s face are too different. Besides, if that''s Saturn, he''s the most loyal knight of the Clock Tower and a symbol of nobility..." For the next thirty minutes, Kaisir continued his tirade, a mix of colorful curses, self-praise, and harsh criticism of Saturn. [You have finished watching 1 of 546 episodes of the King Kaisir Chronicles. Do you wish to continue watching?] Zeke, finally seeing the message that appeared after the video ended, was shocked to learn that there were over five hundred such videos. Moreover, he was so bewildered by how different Kaisir was from what he had imagined that he couldn''t think straight. In any case, the important thing was Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship. Zeke held his aching head and said to the system, "Find me information about Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship here." Zeke was now getting the hang of using the system. Then a message appeared. [Searching for videos about secret swordsmanship in 546 chronicle videos.] [12 videos found.] Zeke was surprised to see the search results. "There are over five hundred videos, but only twelve are about secret swordsmanship?" His already aching head started to hurt even more. He had to watch the twelve videos that were found, so he started ying them. Soon, Kaisir appeared on the screen again. Unlike before, he was holding a sword. He looked at the screen and raised his sword. "What is a sword? A sword is a sword, what else would it be? It''s because those old geezers who don''t even know how to swing a sword spout nonsense that the kids get confused. A sword is just something you can stab and sh well with. There''s no need to overthink it, that''s what I''m saying. Hey, that was good. Saturn, write this down in the annalster. What? The annals aren''t an autobiography? Just do it when I tell you to, why are you so talkative? Just shut up and do as you''re told, damn it!" Kaisir continued to curse at Saturn for a while, then, perhaps having vented enough, he suddenly grabbed his sword and stood up again. "So, that''s what a sword is. Then how do you use a sword well? Just swing it hard and often. That''s all there is to it. Just swing it. Like this!" Kaisir suddenly took a stance with his sword. Wooong! Something like heat haze emanated from his body. The heat haze enveloped Kaisir''s body and his sword. In that state, he swung his sword. Whoosh! Zeke felt as if his neck had been cut by Kaisir''s sword in the video. "Gasp!" Zeke unconsciously used Phantom Step and jumped back. That''s how much momentum was contained in Kaisir''s sword. Zeke paused the video. "Wh-what was that? That just now... It didn''t seem like he used aura." Zeke rewound the video and watched Kaisir''s sword strike again. It was a chilling movement, even on second viewing. Just then, a system message appeared. ¨DSudden Chain Mission¨D [Learn the secret swordsmanship left by King Kaisir. No time limit.]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Sudden Mission Reward: Tears of the Elf King] [Caution: You cannot leave Kaisir''s resting ce until you learn the secret swordsmanship.] "What the...?" Zeke looked bewildered at the sudden chain mission that had appeared. It came with the condition that he couldn''t leave this ce until he learned Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship. "This is crazy! How am I supposed to learn Kaisir''s secret swordsmanship just by watching this video!" Although there was no one to hear him, Zeke shouted in frustration. He turned off the video and tried to open the door by controlling the system. [A mission is currently underway. You cannot open the door until you clear the mission.] "This is driving me insane." It was a frustrating situation, but he couldn''t stay discouraged forever. Zeke came down from the pedestal and decided to explore the space first. There were three doors on the circr wall, and they opened automatically as Zeke approached. The first one seemed to be a food storage. Various foods were stored in thousands of preservation boxes. The second room was a space for sleeping and washing. Thest room contained various weapons, armor, and books from the Chronos era. Kaisir''s name was written on each item, as if he had used and read them all. The books were written in ancient Chronosnguage, but fortunately, they were automatically tranted thanks to the system correction, making them readable. It was as if everything had been prepared in advance for him to train in seclusion here. It seemed he was stuck here, forced to train. Zeke let out a deep sigh and yed the video again. Sword in hand, Zeke followed Kaisir''s movements one by one, appropriately skipping the useless curses in the video. This was possible thanks to Zeke''s Divine Body. After watching all twelve videos and familiarizing himself with the forms of the swordsmanship, Zeke tried to perform the movements from beginning to end as he had learned them. But no matter how much he swung his sword, he couldn''t replicate the feeling of Kaisir in the video. Just then, a message appeared again. [You have learned the basic form of the Elemental Sword left by King Kaisir.] [The basic stage isplete, moving on to the practical stage.] [Summoning the Hero King''s spirit.] Rumble! Suddenly, the altar in the center of the space began to descend. When the altar hadpletely descended, only the pedestal with the sky-blue gem floating on it remained in the center of the space. Soon, light flickered from the sky-blue gem, and something appeared in front of it. "Wh-what''s this?" A human figure gradually formed within the light. Surprisingly, it was Kaisir from the video, appearing right there. Zeke, utterly astonished, gaped at Kaisir before him. "I-is that really Kaisir?" Kaisir frowned, then immediately drew his sword from its scabbard and swung it towards Zeke. Whoosh! Zeke hurriedly raised Bahamut and blocked Kaisir''s sword. ng! The force contained in Kaisir''s sword was so strong that Zeke was sent flying and crashed into the wall. Crash! Kaisir, casually resting his sword on his shoulder, said to the fallen Zeke, "Get up this instant." A stern rebuke pierced Zeke. "With those skills, you dare try to learn my swordsmanship? The knights of old would be rolling in their graves." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 32 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 32 ''Is that really Kaisir?'' Zeke''s hand, still gripping Bahamut, was tingling. As Zeke remained dazed and didn''t get up, Kaisir charged at him again with his sword. Crash! He swung his sword towards Zeke without hesitation. "Ugh!" Zeke desperately dodged Kaisir''s sword with PhantomStep. Kaisir showed no mercy. He simply pressed on relentlessly. "I don''t know if you''re real, a ghost, or what, but let''s do this." Wooong! An aura de surged from Zeke''s sword. Kaisir looked at Zeke''s sword and tilted his head. "Are you a disciple of Saturn?" Zeke didn''t answer and dashed forward. Crash! Zeke''s aura de shed with Kaisir''s sword. Kaisir, looking curiously at Zeke''s aura de, swung his sword naturally. "That''s quite fascinating. It''s not elemental power, nor magical power, yet it maintains its form without scattering." Kaisir was very rxed, but Zeke, facing him, felt like he was dying. Every time he shed with Kaisir''s sword, his whole body tingled. It seemed like Kaisir was swinging his sword lightly, yet a heavy force was contained within it. "Interesting. Let''s y a bit more." Suddenly, Kaisir''s movements became faster. Whoosh! Kaisir''s sword moved so fast it was almost invisible. Zeke used Phantom Step, trying to keep up with Kaisir''s movements. ''Ugh!'' The muscles in his body screamed from the strain of the excessive movements. And in the midst of all this, Kaisir''s sword flew at him from his blind spot. Crash! Zeke managed to block the sword with Bahamut, but his entire body was pushed back. Defense was impossible. ''He''s not even using aura, so how...?'' Just then, someone came to Zeke''s mind. The one and only being who wielded power beyond aura without using it. ''Master?'' Not Duke Drake, but the master who taught him how to open his Ether hall and use Soul Perception. Zeke saw the image of his past master in Kaisir. "Whew..." Zeke deactivated the aura de. Instead, he focused his mana on Bahamut and used Soul Perception, imbuing it with his will. Wooong! Instead of an aura de, Zeke''s will, contained in mana, dwelled in his sword. Seeing this, Kaisir was surprised once again. "You can use elemental power? Saturn''s techniques and elemental power on top of that. You''re an interesting one." Kaisir raised his sword again. Rumble! Apletely different energy could be felt. It was the same momentum he had seen in the video. It was as if a giant, the mountain itself, was pressing down on him. "Tsk!" Zeke was the first to charge at Kaisir. Soul Perception The Will of Severance Zeke''s sword, imbued with the will to cut, flew towards Kaisir. At the same time, a huge storm surged from Kaisir''s sword. Elemental Sword Chapter of Wind Power Storm Sword Literally the power of a storm engulfed Zeke. Zeke lost consciousness, swept away by that tremendous power. * * * "Ugh..." Zeke finally regained consciousness. He opened his eyes to see the pure white space. He remembered being struck by Kaisir''s sword and losing consciousness. Zeke sat up and looked around, finding Kaisir in a strange posture with his eyes closed. He was floating in the air with his legs crossed. Perhaps sensing that Zeke had regained consciousness, Kaisir opened his eyes. "You''ve finally awakened. You weakling." Kaisir threw harsh words at him. Zeke asked Kaisir, "Are you... truly the King Kaisir?" Kaisir lifted his chin with an arrogant expression and replied, "What does it matter if I''m real or not?" Such an attitude... Zeke once again realized how fabricated the legend of the King was. Just then, Kaisir stretched out his hand. Bahamut, which was lying next to Zeke, was sucked into his hand. "What are you doing...!?" As Zeke lunged to retrieve Bahamut, Kaisir snapped his fingers. Instantly, Zeke''s body felt heavy, and he couldn''t move. "Ugh..." Kaisir examined Bahamut, floating it in the air. "It''s faint, but I can sense Bahamut''s energy. How is this possible?" Zeke gritted his teeth and red at Kaisir. "What does it matter?" Zeke threw back the same words he had heard earlier. Kaisir smirked and snapped his fingers again. The oppressive force that had bound Zeke disappeared. But Zeke still red at Kaisir with venomous eyes. Seizing the opportunity, he used the Draconian skill ''Dragon ws'' towards Kaisir. sh! An invisible force was summoned from thin air, tearing apart the space where Kaisir stood. "Huh?" Kaisir reacted with a dumbfounded expression and raised his hand, creating a translucent barrier. The Dragon ws couldn''t prate the barrier and vanished. Even the Dragon ws, which could easily tear through steel tes, were useless against Kaisir. Kaisir approached Zeke and said, "You''re a fascinating one. You possess Saturn''s skills, use elemental power, and wield the power of dragons even though you''re not one." He stretched out his hand, and Zeke floated into the air. A powerful force bound his entire body. "Ugh..." Kaisir ced his palm on Zeke''s chest, and strange letters appeared on his clothes. It was the pattern engraved when he absorbed Bahamut''s heart. Kaisir, confirming the letters that appeared, looked at Zeke with interest. "You''re a human who has crossed the boundary of death countless times, and a part of your soul is connected to the spirit world. That''s why you can use elemental power. I never thought it would be possible for a human to use a dragon''s heart like this." He lowered his hand, and Zeke fell to the floor. Kaisir, with an amused expression, looked at Zeke and handed him Bahamut. "Alright. I''m in a good mood because I saw something interesting after a long time. I''ll teach you the Elemental Sword." Kaisir did whatever he wanted, without any rhyme or reason. "Take your sword and stand up." As Zeke staggered to his feet, Kaisir said to him, "Unleash your elemental power." "You keep saying elemental power, what is that?" "You don''t even know what it is, even though you''re using it?" "Are you perhaps talking about mana?" "Mana? What''s that?" It seemed they were using different terms because they were from different eras. Zeke concentrated mana in his body. Kaisir nodded. "Ah, I see. That''s called mana. I didn''t have a particr name for it. Alright, convert that mana into elemental power." Zeke understood Kaisir''s cryptic words and concentrated his mana into his sword using Soul Perception. Then Kaisir suddenly approached and hit Zeke''s head with his scabbard. Whack! "Wh-what was that for!?" "I told you to use elemental power, and you''re using some pseudo-technique that imitates Dragon Speech."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "That''s how I learned it in the first ce." "Tsk, tsk, stop it. Humans can''t use Dragon Speech in the first ce. The vessel of the soul itself is different. Even I, who inherited the blood of the Elf King, am half-human and cannot use Dragon Speech." Hearing Kaisir''s words, Zeke recalled the side effects he suffered every time he used Soul Perception in his previous life. At the same time, he thought of the Draconian skill ''Dragon Speech'' that appeared after absorbing Bahamut''s heart. ''If I can use that skill, I might be able to use true Soul Perception.'' Just then, Kaisir said to Zeke, "Elemental power refers to the pure power that makes up all things. The most efficient ones are fire, water, earth, and wind. You draw out that power based on the four basic elements. Watch carefully." Wooong! Mana gathered in Kaisir''s sword, and then that power transformed into a storm. It was the same power that had knocked Zeke unconscious earlier. He realized the nature of the power gathered in Kaisir''s sword. "The power of wind?" The wind power vanished in an instant, and a new energy surged forth. The power of zing fire, the gentle power of water, and even the heavy power of earth ¨C the powers of the four elements were imbued in the sword. ''But isn''t this more magic than swordsmanship?'' That was his first thought upon seeing Kaisir''s power. Wizards generate magical power through a circle created in their hearts. Unlike dragons, who can naturally generate magical power from their hearts, humans cannot create magical power without creating a circle. The more circles created in the heart, the stronger the magical power that can be used, and thus, the higher the recognition as a wizard. When the magical power generated from the circles isbined with magic circuits and forms, magic ispleted. To Zeke, Kaisir''s Elemental Sword seemed closer to magic than swordsmanship. "Now, you''ve seen it. Try it. If you can''t, there''s no teaching or anything." "How am I supposed to try it with just that exnation?" "What do you mean? I''ve shown you enough. What more do you want?" "You haven''t exined the core part of how to convert mana into elemental power by concentrating it." Kaisir looked annoyed as he listened to Zeke''s detailed questions. "Ha, you brat. You sound just like that Saturn guy, it''s annoying." He held his sword and created wind, then fire, then water, repeatedly. Then, at some point, he had a troubled expression. "This... it just happens. How do I exin it?" Zeke looked at Kaisir with a dubious expression and opened his mouth. "I''m curious, has there been even a single person who has learned this technique?" Kaisir replied with a confident expression. "Of course not! No one can just learn the Elemental Sword created by this great genius, the first Grandmaster." "What about the noble knight Saturn? ording to legend, you handed over the kingdom and everything to him." ording to legend, after Kaisir established the Chronos kingdom, he handed over the throne to the noble knight Saturn and returned to thend of the elves. "Saturn? I gave him the throne. Humans can''t learn the Elemental Sword even if I teach them. Maybe elves could." "Elves? Do elves use swords?" "So you''re saying elves don''t use swords?" "The books mostly say they use bows. I''ve never seen an elf myself, so I don''t know." "Why haven''t you seen an elf? They''re all over the ce if you go outside." "What era are you talking about? It''s been hundreds of years since elves disappeared from the world." "What? What kind of nonsense is that? What year is it now?" "It''s the year 1038 of the Liberation Era." "What''s the Liberation Era? Speak in Chronos calendar." "Chronos is a legendary kingdom to us. No one counts the years based on that." "This is crazy." Just then, as if he remembered something, Zeke asked the system, ''System, what year is it in the Chronos calendar?'' A message appeared. [It is the year 2120 of the Chronos calendar.] Zeke said to Kaisir, "It seems to be around the year 2120 of the Chronos calendar." "What? So it''s been 2,000 years since I left the kingdom?" Kaisir had a shocked expression. "Crazy! Even if I was in a spirit state, does it make sense that there was no one to inherit my legacy for 2,000 years?" "You said humans can''t learn the Elemental Sword earlier. Then how can there be a sessor?" "That Saturn guy should have found someone!" "Seriously, that''spletely absurd." Ignoring Zeke''s words, Kaisir gritted his teeth and jumped around. "That damn Saturn! He must have been so busy creating his own swordsmanship that he didn''t care about my sessor at all. Damn it, what was it... Oh yeah, I shouldn''t have helped him when he was researching aura or whatever!" Zeke was surprised to hear those words. "Did you just say aura?" Kaisir nodded. "Yeah, that. Humans like Saturn couldn''t learn my Elemental Sword, so he worked hard to create an alternative technique. Thanks to that, he was able to be a Swordmaster, but it''s just a cheap trick." Zeke held his sword and created an aura de. Kaisir nodded. "Yeah, that. But what you created is a bit different from what Saturn made. He said he draws energy from the Ether hall or something." "That''s how it''s supposed to be. My case is special." Kaisir gritted his teeth as he looked at the aura de Zeke created. "That damn Saturn! Passing down only his own technique to future generations! Not caring about mine at all!" And after hearing Kaisir''s next words, Zeke was more shocked than he had been since meeting him. "That Saturn Draker bastard! I won''t let him off if I catch him!" [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 33 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 33 ''Saturn Draker?'' It was shocking enough that Saturn was the one who first created the aura cultivation technique. But he had never imagined that the noble knight Saturn was actually a descendant of Draker. ''Why wasn''t this fact known toter generations?'' Until now, the origin of the aura cultivation technique itself was unclear. It was simply thought that each n inherited and developed the cultivation techniques passed down through their lineage. This was the moment the secret of the origin of the aura cultivation technique was revealed. Zeke, recovering from the shock, calmed down the agitated Kaisir. And by gently coaxing him, he began to extract information about the Elemental Sword. * * * Kaisir was foul-mouthed, but he tried his best to share what he knew. "Hmm, you''re a bit better than the others. You understand what I''m saying." For the next few weeks, Zeke was able to learn the theory of the Elemental Sword from Kaisir. Surprisingly, the Elemental Sword was a much more systematic swordsmanship than he had expected, and many of Kaisir''s legendary feats had been downyed. "You say you defeated the Gorgon alone, Your Majesty? The legend says that all twelve knights of the Clock Tower joined forces to defeat it." "Knights of the Clock Tower? I don''t know what that is, but anyway, I went there and wiped them out in one go. The others probably just cleaned up afterward." Listening to Kaisir''s detailed ount of the unrecorded history of the past, Zeke couldn''t help but believe that the person in front of him was indeed Kaisir himself, in spirit form. Once he left his physical body and went to the spirit world where the elves resided, it was impossible to return to the physical world. However, he had ced restrictions on himself to remain in this ce as a spirit and prepared the ruins. "How is that possible?" Kaisir said in a casual tone, "It was possible because the dragons helped me." "What? Dragons?" Seeing Zeke''s surprise, Kaisir was even more surprised. "Why are you surprised that dragons helped me?" "Well, dragons are enemies of humans." "What are you talking about? Why would dragons be enemies of humans? There''s no being that cherishes humans more than dragons." Kaisir pointed at Zeke''s sword and said, "Didn''t Bahamut give you that sword and heart?" Zeke''s eyes wavered intensely. "W-well, yes." If he misspoke here and provoked Kaisir, all his efforts to appease him could go to waste. Zeke cautiously asked Kaisir, "Your Majesty, have you ever... heard of Dragon yers?" Kaisir gritted his teeth at those words. "Are you talking about those damn Dragon yers who act all high and mighty? I remember when they sneaked into air, captured a precious hatchling, and bragged about hunting dragons. I went and chopped off all their heads." Zeke remained silent. If he said that his ancestor had cut off Bahamut''s head and disyed his fang and heart, Kaisir might do the same to him as he did to those Dragon yers. Kaisir, quickly calming his anger at Zeke''s silence, suddenly looked at Zeke with curiosity and asked, "By the way, how did you get the fang and heart from that ill-tempered Bahamut? He''s the most disagreeable dragon I''ve ever met." Zeke lied without batting an eye. "My Murray n has been friends with Lord Bahamut for generations. As you can see, my constitution is unique. He found me interesting and shared his fang and heart with me." Kaisir nodded at his words. "Well, he was indeed interested in things that seemed interesting. That''s why Chronos scolded him a lot." ''Chronos?'' Judging from the context, it seemed to be the name of a dragon. It was a name that didn''t appear in the Dragon yer records. Zeke cautiously asked Kaisir, "Was the Chronos kingdom named after Lord Chronos?" "Well, yes. Since I was Chronos'' contractor, I received a lot of help when establishing the kingdom. I was thinking about what to name the kingdom, and since Chronos was hovering around, I just decided to name it Chronos because it was convenient." It was absurd to learn that the name of the legendary kingdom was chosen for such a trivial reason. ''But a contractor of Chronos... Can dragons make contracts with humans?'' He wanted to ask many questions, but Zeke was worried that if he asked too deeply, he might reveal that he was a descendant of the Dragon yer n, so he cautiously asked questions as if he were simply curious. After a long conversation, based on Kaisir''s words, it seemed that in his time, humans and dragons had a very good rtionship, and dragons helped humans a lot as they were less civilized. The dragons at that time yed the role of ''world adjusters'', so they couldn''t provide unconditional help to the physical world. He said that only after making a contract with a human, polymorphing into a human form, and cing restrictions on themselves could they help their contractor. Otherwise, the bnce of the world could be disrupted, endangering the physical world. ''This is so different from what I know.'' There were many records of the history after the Evil Dragon Bahamut was in by Terakan Draker and the continent was saved from crisis, but the history before that was mostly lost. Because so little was known, some schrs even argued that ancient civilizations were far more advanced than the present. And listening to Kaisir, Zeke felt once again how little information there was about ancient times. At that time, there were dragon contractors everywhere, and the polymorphed dragons seemed to have helped humans greatly, to the extent of influencing human history. Among the ancient items discovered in ancient ruins, there were some that couldn''t be understood with current magical knowledge, and Zeke wondered if they were perhaps created with the help of dragons. Zeke was curious about why the rtionship between humans and dragons, which had been so close, became so distant. ''I should watch the chronicle videos left by Kaisirter.'' After organizing his thoughts, Zeke decided to focus onpletely mastering the Elemental Sword first. He had told everyone he was in Argos for a vacation to avoid the eyes of his n, so there wouldn''t be any major problems, but he had to return to As before the Valha semester started. Mastering the Elemental Sword went more smoothly than expected. However, Zeke unexpectedly struggled at a certain stage. "Hey, hey, that''s not it. You''re doing everything else well, so why do you keep getting this wrong?" He couldn''t quite grasp the ''Chapter of Water Power'', which dealt with the power of water among the four elements. Zeke once again drew upon the power of water and swung his sword. A powerful force, like a waterfall crashing down, swept through the surroundings. Kaisir whacked Zeke''s head with his scabbard. "You idiot! Is this the power of water or the power of a waterfall! The essence of water power is gentleness. Don''t you know the saying that gentleness ovees hardness?" "I''ve never heard that before." "This brat... It seems like he just says he doesn''t know anything that''s disadvantageous to him. Anyway, the power of water isn''t just about using force. Look here." Kaisir raised his sword and drew upon the power of water. His sword flowed calmly, like a still water surface. It flowed leisurely like a flowing river, sometimes slowly like a calmke, and sometimes struck powerfully like a waterfall. Kaisir sheathed his sword and said, "All four elements are important, but water is the most important of them all. Life began from water, and over 70% of our body is made up of water. Do you understand, you idiot?" In his previous life, Zeke had pursued extreme strength with the determination to survive, driven by the need to be stronger. It was only natural that he wasn''t ustomed to swordsmanship that emphasized yielding and gentleness. His head and body understood the movements, but his heart couldn''t fully grasp the concept. Kaisir decided to start again from the basics. Because of this, Zeke had to sit in a cross-legged position, like Kaisir, and meditate for hours every day. He was frustrated because he had to sit still for hours when he needed to quickly master the Elemental Sword and go to Valha. Whack! Whenever he had distracting thoughts, Kaisir''s scabbard would hit his head. "Clear your mind and look deep within yourself." Kaisir spoke like a priest, which didn''t suit him at all. Just like that, a month passed. Despite this, Zeke still couldn''t understand the power of water. On the contrary, his impatience only increased his distracting thoughts, and he ended up getting hit on the back of his head even more by Kaisir. In the end, Kaisir decided to take a different approach. "I can''t believe the only one who can inherit my legacy is such an idiot." "Perhaps there''s a problem with Your Majesty''s teaching method?" "Shut up. This won''t do. You''ll have to learn in a different way." "Was there a different way? Why didn''t you teach me that from the beginning? We''ve wasted so much time." "You''ll regret those words." Kaisir''s method was simple. The key to the power of water was ''rxation''. In other words, it was important to release power, and Kaisir''s method was to forcibly exhaust the body and instill rxation. Zeke smirked as he listened to Kaisir. He had the passive skill Infinite Stamina, so he couldn''t feel the sensation of fatigue. But that was Zeke''s misconception. "Gasp! Gasp!" Intense training that even Infinite Stamina couldn''t keep up with began. It was endless sparring with Kaisir. Without eating or sleeping, he had to fight and fight against Kaisir without rest. On top of that, Kaisir used the ''Chapter of Metal Power'' to increase the gravity on Zeke''s body tenfold. With his heavy body, he had to somehow dodge or block Kaisir''s attacks. "Move faster!" Crash! The Storm Sword, using the Chapter of Wind Power, swept towards Zeke. Zeke also used the Chapter of Wind Power to block the Storm Sword. However, Zeke''s elemental power was no match for Kaisir''s power. He was swept away and crashed into the wall. Perhaps because he had grown stronger than before, he thankfully didn''t lose consciousness. And Kaisir didn''t let Zeke rest. He made him get up and pummeled him with new techniques. After realizing that Zeke had Healing Factor and Infinite Stamina, which healed most wounds instantly, he was having even more fun beating him up. "This is fun! This kind of stimtion is hard toe by in the boring spirit world!" Zeke was tormented by Kaisir for a whole month, forcibly instilled with rxation. At the moment when he felt like he couldn''t move a finger, Zeke swung his sword and practiced his footwork with his bodypletely rxed. Swinging his sword in a state of utter exhaustion, he couldn''t tell if he was the sword or the sword was him. It was a sensation he had never experienced in his previous life. Zeke swung his sword, lost in a trance. When hepletely rxed his body, the sword softly and smoothly found its own path. He understood the forms that made up the ''Chapter of Water Power'', which he couldn''t grasp no matter how hard he tried. At that moment, enlightenment came to Zeke. Wooong! Zeke, having grasped the principle of rxation, swung his sword in a different way than usual. He used the Elemental Sword, then the Gale Force, and even used the Dragon yer Technique by raising his aura. Unconsciously, his hands moved and moved as they pleased. The energy that had been swirling around Zeke''s body was then contained within him. He had broken through the wall of the Red Knight, surpassing the Blue Knight. Zeke opened his eyes. [Sudden Chain Mission sessful.] [Tears of the Elf King awarded as a reward.] [500 Karma Points awarded as a reward.] [Main Quest Mission sessful.] [System administrator privileges upgraded to intermediate administrator as a reward.] [Intermediate administrator system privileges activated.] [System functions have been unlocked as you have been promoted to intermediate administrator.] [Beginner Quest Book changed to Intermediate Quest Book.] [System linkage function activated.] [Skill shortcut slots unlocked. (Only active skills can be used)] [Item shortcut slots unlocked. (Automatic equipment and potion consumption enabled)] [Portal movement system on the minimap activated.] [500 Karma Points awarded as a reward.] [Three Random Skill Cards and three Random Boxes awarded as a reward.] Messages continued to appear. [You have learned King Kaisir''s Elemental Sword.] [Elemental Sword (S-grade) added to special skills.] [Your soul has grown.] [The power of your inherent authority has grown stronger.]n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om [The seal on Bahamut''s heart has been partially released due to the growth of your soul. Currentpression seal level is 90%.] ''This is amazing.'' [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 34 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 34 It seemed like many functions had been added with the promotion to intermediate administrator. Zeke opened his status window after a long time. [Intermediate Administrator Status Window] Name: Zeke Draker ss: Immortal (Unique) Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Heir of Terakan Draker Authority: Dragon Control Constitution: Divine Body, Poison Immunity System Functions: Inventory (100 slots) / Minimap (Portal Movement) / Intermediate Quest Book / Skill Shortcut Slots / Potion Shortcut Slots / Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Steadfast Mental Defense / Infinite Stamina / Combat Sense Special Skill: Gale Force [A-rank (Expert)] / Elemental Sword [S-rank (Beginner)] Active Skills: Precise Stab [E-rank (Expert)] / Continuous sh [D-rank (Beginner)] / Critical Strike [D-rank (Proficient)] / High-Speed Movement [C-rank (Beginner)] / Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area of Effect Buff (Beginner)] Draconian Skills (Level 2 unlocked): Dragon Eyes (Expert) / Dragon''s Majesty (Expert) / Gluttony (Expert) / Dragon Speech (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Expert) / Dragon ws (Expert) Current Karma Points: 1365 The blocked wall had been broken through, and he had alsopleted the quest mission by acquiring the Elemental Sword. Zeke could feel that he had broken through the wall and reached the level of a Red Knight. Seeing Zeke, Kaisir crossed his arms and nodded. "Yes, you need to be at least this strong to be called my sessor. Although you''re stillcking." Zeke asked Kaisir, "Doesn''t the Elemental Sword have any application techniques? If there are any special moves or ultimate moves, I''d like to learn those too." "You idiot. If you wield it properly, you can create storms and split the earth, so why would you need an ultimate move? Only those whock skill seek special moves or ultimate moves." As expected, Kaisir was full of himself. Still, with Kaisir''s skills, Zeke could understand why he would say that. "What will happen to Your Majesty now?" "Now that I''ve passed on the Elemental Sword, I must return to the spirit world." "Can you not return to the physical world from the spirit world?" "If a powerful spirit like me descends recklessly, thews of the world will crumble. Karma won''t allow it." Zeke was surprised by Kaisir''s words. "Did you say karma? What does that mean...?" Suddenly, Kaisir''s body began to turn transparent. "I''ll be going now. Don''t be an idiot and get beaten up somewhere. And make sure to tell the people of the world about my great achievements." Kaisir was the same when he left as when he arrived, only saying what he wanted to say. Soon, Kaisirpletely disappeared, and the sky-blue gem on the pedestal lost its light at the same time. "What a personality. I wonder if he can even get along with the elves." After Kaisir left, Zeke entered the room and put everything he could carry into his inventory. And after a few months, he was able to open the door to the ruins ande out. He wanted to test his new power and fight the Hydra, but it was nowhere to be seen. Zeke left the ruins and turned on the minimap to descend the mountain. Just then, a new function on the map was activated. [A new function has been activated, enabling portal movement.] [Locations that can be essed via portal among the ces the administrator has visited will be marked on the map.] ''Portal movement is possible?'' Zeke checked the map. Among the areas he had visited, the ones where portal movement was possible were marked with a blinking light. He checked the portal-essible areas from Argos. [Point deduction for portal use: 150] As he clicked on various locations, it seemed like the deducted points varied depending on the distance. Since the Hounds were roaming the Giant Mountains and he was alreadyte for the start of the Valha semester, Zeke decided to use the portal by consuming points. [Moving to the designated area.] [Activating portal.] His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt dizzy. The unique nausea of using a portal washed over him. When Zeke looked up, he was already near the old ruins of Argos. "Oh my god." Although it consumed points, it seemed like he could freely move anywhere on the continent using this function. Zeke returned to the resort where he was staying and prepared to leave for As. It had already been a month since the Valha entrance ceremony. He hurried to As, thergest city in the Central Continent and the heart of Mind. * * * "In my ten years at Valha, I''ve never seen anything like this." An elderly knight in a suit looked at Zeke with a stern expression. He was ubert Borges, the headmaster of Valha, a ce every knight dreamed of entering. ubert was elected as the headmaster of Valha despite not being from the Draker n. He was a knight respected throughout the continent, to the point that there was no opposition when he became the headmaster. As the longest-serving captain of the Royal Guard in the Kingdom of Thebes, with a long tradition, he was a person of outstanding skill and reputation. Because of this, the anecdote about Arthur Draker visiting him three times to ask him to be the headmaster of Valha was still being told today. Thanks to this, Valha''s reputation soared even higher after ubert became the headmaster. ubert, famous as an outstanding knight and a principled man, looked alternately at the letter of rmendation in front of him and Zeke standing before him. "So why are youte? You surely didn''t forget that the semester starts in March, did you?" Since he couldn''t say that he was caught by King Kaisir in the ruins and had to train, Zeke slightly altered the truth. "I went to Argos for closed training and became so engrossed in my training that I lost track of time." ubert looked at Zeke with sharp eyes. "Are you implying that your closed training was more valuable than a month at Valha?" "That''s not what I meant. I was simply so focused on finding the path of the sword I sought that I lost track of time." "Hmm..." ubert was a principled man, but he wasn''t inflexible. He was also an outstanding knight, so he could understand Zeke''s exnation to some extent. ubert nodded and said, "There''s some truth to your words, but Valha has its own principles." He looked at Zeke and said, "I''ll judge based on the results of the training you did in Argos. If I deem that training more valuable than a month at Valha, I''ll permit your enrollment." "You mean you want me to show you the results of my training?" "Indeed. Why, Do youck confidence?" Zeke shook his head. "No, sir. Shall we start right now?" ubert shook his head and rang a bell. Someone entered the room. "Find an empty training room and take Zeke Draker there. And contact the professors of each department and tell them to gather at the training room immediately." Zeke followed the headmaster''s secretary to the training room. He had never been inside Valha, even in his previous life, so the unfamiliar buildings seemed fascinating to him. "This way, sir." For an empty training room, its size and facilities were impressive. ''As expected of Valha.'' As he was looking around the training room, Headmaster ubert arrived with other professors. Each professor was a renowned knight on the continent. Zeke stood in the center of the training ground, and the headmaster, sitting in the spectator seats, said to Zeke with a gleam in his eyes,N?v(el)B\\jnn "Show us the results of your training. The professors of each department will evaluate it and make the final decision." Zeke, standing alone in the training ground, pondered the headmaster''s words. He couldn''t gauge what he should show to satisfy the strict headmaster. ''I can''t show the Elemental Sword here either. This is troubling.'' Zeke decided to simply demonstrate the Gale Force and the Dragon yer Technique. He took out Bahamut and assumed a stance. The headmaster and the professors of each department watched Zeke with sharp eyes. Their gazes seemed to say, "Let''s see what you can do." Zeke focused his energy on Bahamut, and an aura de surged forth. Just as he was about to demonstrate the Gale Force technique, "Oh my god!" Someone eximed before he could even do anything. Zeke turned his head to see what was happening, and he saw the professors all staring at his aura de with astonished expressions. ''Oops.'' When he was with King Kaisir, the aura de was considered a trivial technique, and he was treated as a slow learner. But back in reality, he had be an unparalleled genius who created an aura de at the age of fifteen. Zeke closed his eyes tightly andmented his mistake. There was nothing he could do about the water that had already been spilled. He withdrew the aura de and bowed politely. "My skills are too embarrassing to show to the headmaster and the esteemed professors." The professors were once again impressed by the politeness of the Pureblood Awakener of Draker, who had be a Blue Knight at the age of fifteen. The headmaster said in a much softer voice, "It seems that month was for gaining valuable enlightenment." "I was foolish and struggled to grasp the elusive clues, so I lost track of time. I apologize once again." The headmaster also seemed to havepletely calmed down, as he said with a smile, "Haha, if you''re foolish, then what are we?" The other professors alsoughed heartily at the headmaster''s words. The evaluation ended smoothly in a friendly atmosphere, and Zeke was granted permission to enroll in Valha. After the matter was settled, he moved to the lodging in As that Decker had secured in advance. With the ck Card he received from the head of the n, he was able to acquire a luxurious mansion not far from Valha. "Wee." As Zeke entered the mansion, the servants greeted him. Decker, the servant who was more knight-like than a knight, also bowed his head to Zeke. "How was Valha, Young Master?" "It was fine. They told me toe next week. They''ll send the necessary documents for enrollment here, so please take care of it." "Understood, Young Master." Zeke went straight up to his room. As soon as he arrived, he remembered the Random Boxes and Random Skill Cards he hadn''t opened yet because of his urgent trip to Valha. ''Three Random Boxes and three Random Skill Cards.'' He had experience opening Random Boxes before. But this was his first time with Random Skill Cards. Zeke decided to open the Random Boxes first. Boots, lower body armor, and an earring came out, one of each. ¨DBoots Information¨D Description: Boots made using hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. -Lower Body Armor Information- Description: Lower body armor made of hard yet light meteoric iron. Inherent Abilities: None Special Note: Inherent abilities activate when the full meteoric iron set is equipped. ¨DEarring Information¨D Description: Earrings delicately crafted from crystal. Inherent Ability: Increases mana recovery speed by 15%. Special Note: Goes well with a red dress. They were rather ordinary items. Following the gauntlets, he now had boots and lower body armor made of meteoric iron. He thought that maybe someday he wouldplete the full set. He decided to open the Random Skill Cards next. It was his first time, so he felt a bit cautious. The cards emitted light, and soon a message appeared. [Opening Random Skill Cards.] [Active skill ''Static Electricity (C-rank)'' registered.] [Active skill ''shbang (C-rank)'' registered.] [Active skill ''Discord (C-rank)'' registered.] A total of three active skills were registered. Zeke read the skill descriptions. ¨DStatic Electricity: Imbues a weapon with electric shock. ¨Dshbang: Fires an intensely bright light to block the enemy''s vision. ¨DDiscord: Makes an unpleasant sound to confuse enemies. Zeke then checked the newly unlocked skill shortcut slot function. Three empty slots appeared before his eyes. When he pressed a slot, he could select and ce one of his active skills in it. Zeke ced shbang, Discord, and Static Electricity in the slots in order. [Skills ced in the slots can be used just by thinking.] After confirming the message, he held a dagger and thought about using Static Electricity, and immediately, an electric current flowed through the de. "Oh, that''s interesting." Once a skill was used, he had to wait a certain amount of time before he could use it again. Zeke simrly activated the potion slots. This function allowed him to consume potions just by thinking, after cing the desired potions in the three slots. It seemed like it would be useful in urgent situations during battle. While checking his potions to fill the slots, Zeke found the bottle containing the Tears of the Elf King he had received as a reward for the Sudden Mission. ''Come to think of it, what is this?'' Zeke read the description of the Tears of the Elf King. ¨DTears of the Elf King: Can summon the Elf King from the spirit world once. "Summon the Elf King?" In legends, the Elf King appeared as a being who granted wishes to humans. ''So I can summon the Elf King with this and make a wish?'' After some thought, Zeke carefully put the Tears of the Elf King back into his inventory. He felt like there would be a time when it would be useful, even if he didn''t know when. Knock, knock! There was a knock, and when Zeke gave permission, Decker entered the room. "What is it?" Decker approached Zeke and said, "Young Master, you have a visitor." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 35 [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] Chapter 35 Zeke asked with a puzzled expression, "A visitor? There shouldn''t be anyone who would visit me in As." Zeke left his room and went to the reception room where the visitors were. "Master? And Instructor Andrei?" Surprisingly, Duke Draker and Andrei Draker were in the reception room. Duke waved his hand and said to Zeke, "My disciple, you really are something else. I''ve never seen anyone skip out on Valha enrollment. Didn''t that stubborn old ubert say anything?" Zeke sat down with a tired expression and said, "I just finished taking a special exam." "Really? Then I guess there was no problem." Duke, who knew Zeke''s skills better than anyone, wasn''t too worried. Zeke looked at the two and said, "But what are you two doing here? What about the academy?" Duke said with an indifferent expression, "Shouldn''t a master be where his disciple is? As for the academy, well, Howard will manage it somehow." Duke was someone who didn''t do much anyway, just used up potions. "I understand about Master, but... why is Instructor Andrei here...?" Andrei had a slightly embarrassed expression. Seeing that, Duke said as if exasperated,n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Ugh, that leech. He keeps following me around even though I told him I have nothing more to teach him." Despite his words, Duke seemed to have grown fond of Andrei and didn''tpletely reject him. "So you''re both staying in As?" "Yeah, you got a big mansion anyway, so let''s stay here for a while." There was no reason for Zeke to refuse. Thanks to this, Duke and Andrei also became members of the household. Zeke asked Andrei, "Instructor, are you going back to the Four Seasons Castle then?" Andrei shook his head. "No, I was appointed as an assistant professor at Valha." Considering Andrei''s young age, bing an assistant professor at Valha meant that his skills had improved dramatically. Duke, saying it was good to see him after a long time, started drinking heavily even though the sun hadn''t set yet. Zeke kept Dukepany for a while, then left him with Andrei and returned to his room to prepare for his night time outing. And when the secret night fell and everyone in the mansion was asleep, Zeke used the ghost Step, a movement technique that left no trace, and went outside. * * * He knew the dark underworld hidden beneath the morous metropolis of As very well. Zeke entered a secluded alley on the outskirts of the city, where ordinary people rarely ventured. And he went into a bar with a faded sign. Inside the bar, people with dangerous auras were drinking. Zeke scanned the bar, then went to the counter and sat down. He said to the bartender, "Give me a ss of dark beer. And..." He ced a gold coin on the counter and continued, "Go and tell Kay that I want to meet him." At his words, not only the bartender but also the dangerous-looking men around him turned their attention to Zeke. Zeke, receiving their attention, smirked. "Don''t get hurt for nothing and just go tell him quietly. Zeke Draker wants to make a deal with the Syndicate." As soon as the name Draker came up, the bartender gestured to a man near the counter. The man went inside and then beckoned Zeke. It seemed permission had been granted from above. Zeke followed the man inside the bar. As expected of the Syndicate, a smuggling organization, they led Zeke to a passage leading underground. After passing through several tightly secured doors and numerous forks in the path, they finally came to a building that looked like a huge warehouse. They passed through the entrance, guarded by several rough-looking men, and went inside where the goods were stored. "Wait here for a moment." The man went inside first. A momentter, the door opened, and the man beckoned Zeke to enter. Inside, all sorts of goods and cargo boxes were piled up. There was a table between the cargo boxes, and Kay was sitting there. A seductive woman with wavy red hair and a low-cut dress that revealed her cleavage. ''Her taste in clothes is the same as before.'' Kay stared intently at Zeke''s gloves. Then she pointed to the seat across from her. "Have a seat." As Zeke sat down, Kay took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. After exhaling a cloud of thick smoke, she opened her mouth again. "So, what is the reason why the supernova of the Draker n wants to see me?" When asked to name the best intelligence agencies on the continent, people usually name two. One was the Draker n''s ck Stage, and the other was the Rom Empire''s Intelligence Agency. And then there was an intelligence organization that wasn''t widely known, and that was the Syndicate. The Syndicate initially started as a gathering of smugglers from each region, but it was rapidly growing as it became a major carrier of narcotics from the Southern Continent. Zeke had a connection with this Syndicate, and Kay in particr, in his previous life. Back then, Kay was an executive of the Syndicate. In his past life, she was the one who first approached Zeke with a request, and by securing a crucial transportation route through him, she built a solid career within the Syndicate. Thanks to this, Zeke was able to easily ess important information across the continent through her. ''I wouldn''t have found the Elder Dragon artifact before I died if it wasn''t for Kay.'' She wasn''t an executive yet, but she was capable enough, so building a good rtionship with her from now on would definitely be a great help. Zeke took off his gloves and used the Mana Reflection skill. Crackle! The magicmps within the range of the skill flickered violently. Zeke put his gloves back on and stopped the skill. The magicmps returned to normal. "I showed you that because I don''t want to waste time with pointless suspicions, so let''s skip the posturing." Kay realized that this youngest son of the Draker n sitting in front of her was no ordinary person. Zeke looked at Kay and said directly, "I want to make a deal." Kay frowned at his words. "Draker wants to make a deal with us? I''d sooner believe the Rom Emperor would donate to the Holy Kingdom." "Does Draker care where the moneyes from? Whether it''s earned from selling Soma or killing people, money is money." At the mention of Soma, Kay''s expression hardened. It hadn''t been long since the Syndicate started bringing Soma from the Southern Continent to the Central Continent. It was a top secret within the organization. A dangerous aura emanated from Kay and the men around her. "Are you trying to get me killed?" Suddenly, a tremendous force erupted from Zeke''s body. The Syndicate members hidden throughout the warehouse couldn''t move a finger against the murderous intent emanating from Zeke. Kay cursed inwardly, realizing that this young Draker was more dangerous than rumored. ''Damn Drakers.'' Just then, Zeke took something out of his pocket and tossed it over. Kay was surprised to see a pair of earrings on the table. "Artifacts?" Even the young Kay had a good eye, just like her future self. Zeke smirked and said, "They''re popr ancient items at auction houses. You''ll be even more surprised when you see the magic attached to them." Kay, with a dubious expression, took the earrings and put them on. Then she raised her mana to check their function. "...Mana recovery?" Zeke smirked. With modern magic technology, it was impossible to create magic items with this level of efficiency, so their value was immense. She quietly put down the earrings and said, "Is this what you meant by wanting to make a deal?" "This is just the beginning. I have quite a few items that are even better than this. Keep an eye on the market and gradually release them at the Dorta Auction House to turn them into cash." "As a Pureblood Awakener of Draker, you shouldn''t have any worries about money. Why are you doing this?" "I don''t think I need to tell you that." Zeke took out a document with his disguised identity, Zeke Murray''s, details and handed it to Kay. "Open a clean ount with this and put the money there. You''ll find a trade agreement at the back. The items are in the Northern Bank, so transfer them afterpleting the procedures. The salesmission is 10% per item, and I''ll pay an additional incentive for every 10,000 gold." Kay checked the contract Zeke brought. It was a detailed and well-organized contract, as if this wasn''t his first time making such a deal. Kay looked at Zeke and asked, "Who the hell are you?" "You ask even though you know I''m Zeke Draker. I revealed my identity to build trust. Of course, I trust you''ll keep your subordinates in line." Kay looked at the identification and the contract in front of her and pondered. Then she nodded. She stood up. "Follow me." Kay led Zeke to the back of the warehouse. There was an office prepared for Kay inside. It seemed to be a space used for dealing with particrly important clients, as soundproofing magic and security magic were cast everywhere. As Zeke sat down, Kay brought something. "An oath of promise. This is a very wizardly item." Kay wasn''t surprised that Zeke knew she was a wizard. Kay had already guessed that Zeke knew who she was and hade intentionally when he brought the magic items. She unfolded the contract containing the oath of promise and picked up a pen. "I hope you don''t take this the wrong way, but this means I acknowledge you as a true partner for the first time." Zeke didn''t find it strange because he had made an oath of promise with Kay in his previous life as well. Kay pricked her finger on the needle attached to the pen. Then she signed with the blood that flowed down to the nib. Following her, Zeke also signed in the same way. Then, each of their signatures was engraved on the inside of their wrists. ''Huh?'' But Zeke noticed something strange about the signature engraved on his wrist. It was as if two signatures were ovepping. ''Is it because the oath of promise from my previous life is ovepping?'' If the oath of promise made in blood was broken, the signature engraved on the wrist would disappear. This was how they could tell if the person they made the contract with had betrayed them. Zeke flinched at the sight of the ovepping signatures, but Kay didn''t seem to mind. After confirming the signatures engraved on each other''s wrists, the two decided to form a partnership. "Now that we''re partners, can you tell me why a Pureblood Awakener of Draker is trying to sell stolen goods?" Zeke said to Kay, "First, those aren''t stolen goods. They''re ancient items I found. I won''t tell you where I found them, so don''t ask. Second, not all Pureblood Awakeners are rich. You need a wealthy sponsor n for that." It was an internal matter of the Draker n that was difficult for most people to know, so Kay listened to Zeke with a curious expression. Then Zeke said to Kay, "Is the McCain Cartel currently trading with the Syndicate?" Kay''s expression hardened again at his words. "How do you know such confidential information within the organization? Even I, the branch manager, haven''t known for long." She continued, as if there was no point in hiding it, "As you said, we''re trading with McCain. But these days, we''re having trouble because of pressure from the Fav Cartel. They''re telling us to stop trading with McCain and transport their goods instead." Currently, a three-way war was taking ce in the Southern Continent between the giant cartels Fav, McCain, and Tahuani. In the Southern Continent, which was close to awless zone, the kingdoms were practically powerless. The cartels'' military power was dozens of times stronger than that of the Southern Continent''s royal knights. Based on this military power, they produced the drug Soma in the jungle and brought it into the Central Continent. The biggest consumer of Soma was the Rom Empire, so transporting it to the Central Continent was crucial. The border area, which was originally used as a transportation route, waspletely blocked when the Ishtaar n, who had settled there, issued an expulsion order. Even the reckless cartels didn''t want to cause friction with Ishtaar, one of the Transcendent Families, so they had to find another route. That''s how they came to join hands with the Syndicate, a smuggling organization. They were transporting Soma through the South Sea, across the desert, and distributing it to the Rom Empire, the Central Kingdoms, and even the Northern Continent. Since it was known that Soma not only caused hallucinations but also had the effect of increasing magical power, it was very popr among wizards, so there was always an overflowing demand. Thanks to this, the Syndicate, which had monopolized the transportation of the cartels'' goods, was making an enormous amount of money by establishing distribution and salesworks in each region of the continent. Zeke, who had personally experienced this situation in his previous life, knew the circumstances of the Southern cartels very well. Zeke, organizing his memories from his past life, looked at Kay and said, "Hey, Kay. I want to make you an offer." "What kind of offer?" Zeke said with a calm smile, "Put me in touch with Don Juan." Kay was so surprised by his words that she raised her voice without realizing it. "You want to meet the boss of the McCain Cartel?" Zeke nodded. "Yes, and if you do that for me, I''ll make you the boss of the Syndicate." [Trantor - Peptobismal] [Proofreader - Max] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!