Draconic King of Shadows-Chapter 36: Burning Ambition

A few students appeared in the hall after their fight.

Number 11 had been taken away by the other robots to the Advanced AI Developing Class to be repaired, so there were no signs of their battle.

Hakuro sat the two boys down and began to point out the errors they made during the fight. He gave them exercises to do in order to fix their flaws, and he even brought up the idea of them working together more.

Both of them outright rejected the idea, unwilling to partner up and fight together. Their rivalry had only just begun, yet it was already so fierce.

Hakuro hinted at the victory they had over Number 11 after working together, still, their mind was set and nothing could shake them.

Hakuro dropped the idea after receiving no positive response, quite unlike him. He delved deeper into their combat strengths instead, and began to show them things they should have done and things they shouldn’t.

He pointed out the mistakes made and vehemently warned them of some bad habits they needed to stop as soon as possible.

He lectured them for one long hour, until more students pooled into the class. With a stern tone, he then told them of something they both needed to know, or rather, something Damion wanted to know.

"The Training Program isn’t too far anymore, and the hidden prodigies would start surfacing," Hakuro said, his voice somewhat grim. "They are far stronger than you both combined, so you better take your training seriously," 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I took both of you under me because I saw potential. Waste it, and you’ll face me!"

Hakuro then got up, facing the students in the class as he stood. "You both did well today, so I’ll teach you the Phantom Slash in our next lesson. Join the rest."

Damion sat there for a second more, then stood up agilely.

Kenzo went to take his sword where he had left it and fixed it to his waist as he put on his robes properly.

Damion’s mind worked quickly as he thought of something interesting.

’So that’s why every strong student is ’missing’...’ He clenched his fists as he had this thought. ’They would definitely be a better challenge for me than all the students I’ve been facing, so I need to up my game and get stronger!’

He remembered the quest he had received two hours ago, and a dangerous light flashed in his eyes.

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[Quest Description- What’s a Dragon King without Authority, Respect... and Fear?

Instill the feeling of Dread into the hearts of 10 individuals]

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"This would be a good start," he said as he joined the rest of the students, the area around him clearing under his oppressing aura.

Throughout the rest of the day, Damion’s mind wasn’t focused on any class he attended. His demeanor had changed, and something dark was blooming within.

He completed his Daily Quests quickly, finishing up for the day and going to a part of the academy where clothing was sold.

The academy was just like a small city of its own. There was nothing the students lacked, and nearly nothing they couldn’t have. The academy provided everything from grand training facilities to decent dormitories, creating a place where learning was easy. However, the strong preyed on the weak, creating a flaw in the system.

Damion was a victim of the system’s flaws, so he knew just how bad things could get. It was only because he was lucky, strong hearted and unwilling to go out like a wimp that he wasn’t among those who had suddenly gone ’missing’, their dead bodies not even found.

He strolled through the store, roaming around with a nonchalant expression plastered on his face. He exuded a cold aura, making him unapproachable, not that anyone was going to approach him in the first place.

He stopped before a row of clothes, then began to rummage through. He paused after not finding what he wanted and resumed his walk.

A few minutes later he stopped and repeated the same thing again, all this while he was being watched intently by a drone.

Damion ignored the annoying buzz of the machine and kept at his actions. Soon, though, he stopped before another set of clothes, searching for a while before pulling out a long and heavy midnight-black leather coat.

The coat had intricate green embroidery, depicting the image of a burning flame.

Damion immediately liked it, not just for that reason though. What really made him love it was that it was a Beast Equipment, forged with a Beast Core and granted a single skill.

"Skin Morphing," Damion muttered, staring at the interface before him.

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[Beast Clothing]

[Lower Rank 1]

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[Skills]

[Skin Morphing(Active): This coat can change its color]

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"Just one skill, but useful," Damion commented with a smile. "How lucky."

Damion took the coat to the counter and handed it over to the sales person.

The student behind the counter did her work, asking him if he wanted to purchase anything else.

Damion declined, paying 200 credits for the coat with a swift transaction.

With the coat in hand, Damion left the store, walking outside confidently.

As he left, the coat disappeared into his storage, making it look as if he had left empty handed.

He made his way through the academy grounds, retracing his footsteps back to his dorm and into his room. He immediately retrieved the Coat from his storage and began to examine it.

Damion’s hands moved over its surface, feeling the smooth material in his hands.

A mirror in the room reflected his looks, and Damion began to fiddle around with the only skill it had. He switched colors, ranging from fiery reds to bright pinks, laughing at himself sometimes even.

It took him a while to decide, but he finally stopped at a color, leaving the Coat that way and taking it off.

As he returned the Coat into his storage once again, he began to finalize his plans. He had decided on something, and he was going to execute it tonight.

He needed strength, and the best way to get it was through countless battles. A good sword was forged in hot flames, and tempered in cold darkness, its strength and resilience forged in the fiery depths of the earth and honed by the patient hand of a master craftsman...