'Performance!?' Drayken's dragon head turned toward the group. He could feel it—these people were far, far stronger than him.
The sheer difference in power was overwhelming. It felt as though they could crush him with just a finger. This sensation didn't just weigh on him—it permeated his entire being, as if it reached into the very essence of his soul.
It was suffocating.
But, strangely, Drayken sensed that he could control the pressure they exerted on him.
Is this the effect of the title?
The thought crossed his mind, but outwardly, he remained as calm as a rock, his expression utterly unfazed.
Eleanor still wore a smile, but it seemed forced and cramped. Her left brow twitched ever so slightly as she spoke in a chilling tone:
"You guys have gotten a lot bolder, huh?"
Silence.
The pressure on Drayken vanished instantly, disappearing without a trace. No one dared to speak.
"It seems I need to clean the house again."
She was still smiling, but now, that smile felt like the devil's.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew heavy and suffocating. Unlike before, however, this weight wasn't the overwhelming pressure of a higher-bloodline dragon suppressing a lower one. This was something else entirely: pure, undeniable power.
'So, this is the power of a Rank-7 Dragon, huh?' Drayken thought. 'I don't know the purity of her Dragon bloodline, but it must be high if she holds such a title.'
As he observed her, Eleanor examined his dragon form with amusement.
"So, you're a Golden Dragon?"
"It seems so." Drayken raised a claw, studying the golden scales that covered him.
"You look rather beautiful," she mused before frowning. "But at the same time, ugly. Your pitiful height and wingspan are disgusting to see."
"I see."
Drayken's body glowed brightly, and in the next moment, he had already reverted to his human form.
This time, however, things were different. Scales appeared at the corners of his cheeks, covering more of his body. His wings had also grown slightly larger. And he was...
Completely naked!
Lilia hurriedly flew down, handing him a ring. Without hesitation, Drayken retrieved clothes from it and dressed himself.
A black robe draped over him, paired with simple black pants. It was a plain outfit, but he preferred simplicity.
"So, what's this about me going to the Academy for a tournament?" Drayken asked with a shrug.
"There is an Academy where our dragon seedlings receive basic education in magic and other subjects," Lilia explained. "This place is crucial for the future of our kind, so all resources are concentrated there. However, competition is fierce."
"Every ten years, it is decided that each Dragon Lord will send a candidate to compete against the Academy's students. If their candidate wins, they earn additional resources."
Silence filled the air.
"I see," Drayken nodded thoughtfully. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "What will I get if I win?"
The moment those words left his mouth, the ground trembled violently. A suffocating pressure crashed down on him, this time, it was different.
This was the pressure from the Dragon of Winter Gale herself.
"You are a mere servant! How dare you question Her Majesty?" Lilia shouted.
Drayken remained silent. Even as the crushing pressure bore down on him, he didn't waver. He had faced life and death in that cave, and had come so close to dying. If he hadn't broken then, what was this mere pressure to him?
Eleanor chuckled as she observed his unwavering expression.
"I will grant you your second spell after Aura—and knowledge."
"Knowledge?"
"Yes. Access to our library, which holds everything you need to know."
"I see." Drayken accepted the offer, then asked, "When does the tournament begin?"
"In a week."
"I don't have a lot of time," Drayken said, frowning. "How strong will they be?"
"At least Rank Two Dragons," Eleanor replied, her gaze calm and cold. "Most of them possess a Fledgling Dragon Bloodline and have reached at least Rank Two, and some of the more talented ones have even reached Rank Three." (Look at power system for explanation in auxiliary ch for explanation)
Drayken's face remained expressionless.
'What kind of shitty setup is this?! You're telling me I have to fight Rank Three dragons, while my bloodline is weaker than theirs and my spells are lacking?'
For an ordinary dragon, this challenge would be impossible. Drayken had only recently broken through from the Duckling Bloodline to Rank One, but now he was expected to face monsters who had trained their entire lives.
But…
Drayken wasn't ordinary.
Steadying his mind, he bowed and left.
Lilia followed behind him, and as the door shut, silence filled the room.
"Milord, why allow such an insect to represent us?"
"He may be a dragon now, but he was human before, and…"
Disdain dripped from every word as the Dragon's presented their opinion one by one.
Hearing it, Eleanor felt only disappointment.
'We, dragons are too consumed by our own pride and arrogance, refusing to listen to out weakness.'
…
Drayken sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in meditation. A glowing circle surrounded him, forming a strange spherical domain in the air. Within this domain, the surrounding energy was rapidly absorbed, increasing his absorption rate by at least five times.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, six days had already gone by.
Drayken's eyes snapped open as he sensed his core. A satisfied smile crossed his lips.
"I finally filled my mana completely."
He looked at his trembling hands.
"Without mana control and the title's effect, accumulating this much would've been nearly impossible."
The more mana one stored in their core, the harder it became to gather more. As a mere Rank One Dragon, Drayken's absorption would have been severely hindered under normal circumstances.
"Now, it's time to choose my second spell."