Draconic King of Shadows-Chapter 37: Into the Forest

As nightfall descended upon the academy, the air grew thick with eerie silence, the last batches of students scrambling to their dorms to make it before curfew.

Some students, exhausted from a long day of classes and training, trudged wearily to their dorms in search of rest. Others, driven by ambition and the thirst for more strength, practiced in the dorms, honing their skills and leveling up their Abilities.

It was at this hour that Damion sat up from his lying position, looked around, before taking the necklace hanging from his neck into his hands, examining it under his room’s white light.

The necklace was military equipment, a mix of Magic and Technology, and it had proven to be very valuable lots of times.

The number of students whose lives had been saved due to the timely response of the necklace to their critical state was too much to count. The necklace was tied to each student, and their vitality was being monitored day in, day out.

If their health was dropping, either slowly or rapidly, with no signs of it rising back up, a healing team would be signaled immediately.

However, that wasn’t why Damion was scrutinizing it. There was a curfew, and in order to get out, he needed to find a way to circumvent the second and third function of the necklace... Tracking and Presence Detection.

If he left the dorm, it would undoubtedly be known to whoever was watching him using the tracking feature of the necklace, and his location would be updated in real time.

If Damion chose to remove the necklace though, the Presence Detection function would trigger an alarm, prompting the authorities to apprehend him. He would then be taken into custody, and his reasons for removing the necklace would be asked. Failure to provide a satisfactory answer would lead to consequences he didn’t know of.

Damion had witnessed students breaking this rule and getting taken away, only for them to return a day later, acting as if nothing serious had occurred.

He had always wanted to know what they had gone through, why they had been released, and what their verdict was, but he never got the chance to.

Damion knew it was nothing good nonetheless, and his morale took a subtle hit upon having this thought. However, his eyes flashed with determination and his aura soared. He began to concentrate his Will on the necklace, forcing his intentions on it.

"I hope this works," Damion voiced out as he pressed down with Dragon’s Authority activated at full power, his eyes blazing like two purple flames and the gravity in the surrounding 25 meters increasing by a little margin.

Damion had done some research on the unique powers of Dragon’s Authority, just like he said he would. Dragon’s Authority could affect the world around him either positively or negatively, as long as it was from his intention.

He could use it to slightly alter the reaction of an object to stimuli, or even cause an object to deviate from its normal path if he willed it, though not easily.

This skill had been leveled up multiple times already, and with each new level, his understanding of the workings of the skill grew. He had been enlightened to the new and unique ways he could use it, and he was putting it to test.

The force of his Will wasn’t so overwhelming, but in only a few seconds, the device in his hand began to spark, its components malfunctioning.

Damion poured more Mana into Dragon’s Authority without meaning to, pushing down as hard as he could and making the necklace rattle in his palm.

He was taking a gamble and hoped that his luck would come through for him, because what he was doing was risky. He was actively trying to make the device stop sending signals to wherever it did.

Damion knew that trying to cause the necklace to malfunction was going to be hard, so he took his time, slowly but forcefully bending the device in his hands.

The device proved to be stronger than he imagined, and he resisted the urge to just smash it there and then.

Destruction of the device would lead to a series of events he wouldn’t be able to control.

It took him some time to concentrate and get into the zone, but he was able to pull it off nonetheless, causing the inconspicuous green glow coming from the device to blink out.

Damion immediately took the necklace into his storage, summoned the Jaws of Ophidia, and in one fluid motion, slipped out of the window and jumped.

As soon as he landed, the coat he had bought earlier today appeared on his body, reaching just below his knees.

It had a collar that stood straight, almost going above his head even. A slit separated the back of the coat up to the waist, leaving the twin flaps to fly back as he moved.

Its dark black color made for easy blending with the environment, and the purple flame embroidery on the back added to its beauty.

Damion looked around, before falling through his shadow, reappearing a few meters ahead.

[Shadow Walk Level Up]

Damion smiled contentedly and moved on silently, hiding between buildings, and dark, hidden paths.

The influence of his Ability was manifesting. His stealth was very commendable for someone who didn’t train in espionage and assassination.

He was already good at making himself less noticeable when he was abilityless, to avoid unnecessary bullying. Now having the Shadow power which was good for stealth, speed and quick dealing of attacks, that ability he had was growing.

He made use of Shadow Walk at intervals, and he was quickly getting to his destination.

"The security is fairly lax in this place," Damion said through his mask. "Perfect."

His speed doubled as he ran ahead, moving at his top speed. It was only now that he realised just how fast he was. He could probably beat a cyclist in a straight line speed if he went all out.

Damion sized the wall he was approaching, searching for footholds and cracks he could make use of.

As he closed in rapidly, he jumped and latched into the wall, and like a monkey, he agilely scaled the 50 feet high wall and landed on top.

He paused for a second after that, and stood to his full height, taking in deep breaths.

There was silence for a whole minute as Damion stood there, staring at the forest ahead of him.

The silence was like the calm before the storm, because he knew just how deadly the forest surrounding the academy was.

True strength was gained through constant life and death experiences —at least to him. He wished to get stronger and be able to protect himself and those he loved, and how to do so was right before him.

As Damion leaped forward, he cast a final glance over his shoulder.

In that instant, he spotted a figure standing in the distance, its gaze fixed intently on him.

Damion furrowed his brow, but before he could fully make out who the mysterious individual was, gravity took him down, the wall blocking his vision and leaving him with questions unanswered.