Dragon Necromancer: Starting With First Dragon Bloodline-Chapter 44: Guards

The boys exchanged glances.

They knew it was coming when the instructor paired them, but actually standing face to face in the arena felt awkward.

Though it hadn’t even been a day since they first met each other, it still wasn’t easy to attack someone you shared a room with. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Especially for Kael.

He was an outgoing type who cherished every relationship he had forged.

But now he was tasked with proving his worth and possibly eliminating his new friend from the academy.

Marlo had the balls and the means to refuse it.

He wasn’t so lucky.

Lior, on the other hand, appeared less affected by the situation.

Yes, it did leave a foul taste in his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to change that—they both knew the stakes.

So instead of wasting time, he breathed in and flicked his fingers. The surrounding air shifted for a moment, making a way for his beast.

Seeing this, Kael sighed and repeated the process.

Less than ten seconds later, the boys looked at each other, their beasts already at their sides.

Everything needed for the spar to begin was already completed.

"Don’t go easy on me," Kael asked, cracking his neck.

"I won’t," Lior answered, his tiny creature hovering higher, its wings releasing affected mana into threads.

Suddenly, his arms were covered in wind, and he dashed.

His speed was enhanced as the air pushed him forward, helping him close the distance even faster.

Kael waited.

At the last second, he shifted left and aimed a heavy punch at the boy.

It connected.

Lior bit his lip in pain, but didn’t stop his advance. He twisted his body in mid-motion, aiming currents of wind at Kael’s shoulders.

From the sidelines, Noa watched in silence.

Although Kael was stronger and had more experience, the difference between uncommon and common beasts wasn’t something he could overcome so easily.

Yes, he was strong and had connected more than one strike, but Lior quickly regained his momentum and counterattacked.

The outcome was plain to see.

Still, the boys didn’t give up.

They fought with everything they had and didn’t hold back one bit.

One minute later, Kael lost all strength to continue the battle, his shoulder too injured from the repeated wind strikes.

"Enough," the instructor yelled.

She pointed at Lior and announced the winner, but no one knew who would be expelled before the class ended.

Meanwhile, she was also kind enough to mend Kael’s wound, but she also ignored everyone with minor injuries.

"This is where it ends, huh?" Kael said, his lips barely smiling. "Should I be thankful that it happened in the first place and be done with that?"

He was questioning what to do, the reality already settling.

"But I am glad you were the one to bring me down from my dreams," he said to Lior and offered him a handshake.

It sounded like a farewell, as if he had already accepted his demise.

"We don’t know about the results yet," Noa said, putting a stop to his dejected actions. "And don’t say that you are already expelled because you lost. Marlo the Shitface hadn’t even fought. There is still some hope."

The boy looked at him with complicated emotions.

It was highly unlikely that a common-ranked beast bearer who had lost the match and didn’t even display any worth would survive.

Everyone knew that.

Noa was no exception, but he hated it when people gave up halfway.

So he gave a word of encouragement and watched the next battle with the same unbroken attentiveness as before.

Some lost spectacularly.

They, too, shared Kael’s opinion and stared at the ceiling as if they would rather it had crumbled.

The winners, on the other hand, looked like they had conquered the world itself, and nothing could stand in their way.

After a long ten minutes, every pair had fought, concluding the first practice session.

The instructor was brutal.

Just like she promised, she forced some students to leave the academy even if they had won the match.

The weaker ones with less talent and potential weren’t shown any mercy either.

Only the students she deemed worthy remained in the hall.

Others were escorted away by guards, forbidden from setting foot on the academy grounds ever again. The fees they had paid for enrollment? Not a single coin would be returned.

"Wait! I-I am not expelled?" Kael exclaimed when he wasn’t on the list.

The students who also expected their demise blurted out as well, the excitement surging through their hearts.

"If you are here, it means I saw something," the instructor said, her tail shining brighter than before. "But each month, I will check your conditions again. If I see stagnation or a lack of training, nothing will keep you here."

With that, she swept a final glance over the crowd, nodded, and left the hall.

She had done everything she needed to do here. Now, it was time to mark the students for their rankings and deal with the troublemaker.

Marlo followed behind her, glancing at his friends as if he were about to die by her hands.

Unfortunately for him, others ignored his cry for help.

"Told you," Noa said to Kael, bumping him with his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah," the boy sighed and regained his usual composure. "I really did it... Thanks."

Then they stepped out of the arena and headed straight for the cafeteria.

"Lunch before the next class?" Lior asked.

"Definitely," Noa replied. "I need food for my brain to function for the next class." Then he looked at Thalia and said, "After that, we need to talk about your dreams."

The girl nodded, images of her recent dream flashing through her mind.

"That’s the one about the spells, right?" Kael asked. "I can’t wait to learn how to shape mana into whatever I want."

Their conversation was brief.

It was interrupted by two armored guards who wore blue uniforms, the Arcane Council’s crest glowing on their chests.

"Noa Osborn," one of them uttered, scanning Noa. "The Council is asking for your presence. You are coming with us."

The hallway fell silent.

Thalia immediately clenched his hand, as if refusing to let go of him.

He, however, sighed and nodded to the girl. "It’s okay. I will be right back." Then he looked back at the guards. "Lead the way."