Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Overwhelming Gap (5)

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[Tutorial Quest #17]

Gain recognition from the Dragon Slayer.

· Difficulty: S-

· Reward: 1 coin

· Failure: ■■

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‘Dragon Slayer? And the difficulty is S-?’

For a moment, Theo felt an indescribable wave of intense anxiety.

Dragon Slayer.

It literally meant someone who slays dragons.

For Ragnar, who prided himself on being a descendant of dragons, was there any title more ominous than this?

However—

Theo thought there wasn’t a more fitting title for Kyle.

Yet, the level of difficulty, which he was seeing for the first time, bothered him.

‘I’ve already earned Father’s acknowledgment through our sword duel. I’ve even witnessed Dragon Flash. And yet, recognition is supposed to be this difficult?’

Could there be another secret in this Third Blossoming Ceremony that he wasn’t aware of?

‘In my past life, I didn’t make it to the third round, but... from what I know, unlike the second round, which had several hidden pieces, the third shouldn’t have any.’

He was certain of this because he had been involved with Black Snow.

The very reason the Third Blossoming Ceremony was established was to give the head of the family a chance to personally select suitable candidates.

If a candidate wasn’t chosen by the head here, other units would step in to recruit the remaining hopefuls.

‘There could be an error in the message... For now, I should head up.’

In that moment, a sharp gleam appeared in Theo’s eyes.

Yellow lightning crackled in his gaze.

[You activate ‘Skill: Lesser Drake’s Fear’ to overcome the Curse of Fear!]

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump-!

His heart began to pound faster, and his magic power started rotating at a rapid pace.

As his Dragon’s Heart resonated with his dantian, he unleashed Dragon Slayer Aura from his body.

Rrrrrr!

The Dragon Slayer Aura clashed with another of its kind.

While the gap between them was too great to fully overcome, it was enough for Theo to create a space where he could move freely.

“Hoo...!”

Theo took a deep breath and quickly scanned his surroundings.

Wellington and Erika were holding up, but just barely. Their struggle was clear.

Both of them showed signs of extreme exhaustion.

However, there was someone suffering even more than those two, and it was none other than Holcus.

Quietly, Theo stepped to stand beside Ray.

Her already pale complexion had turned even paler than usual.

Sssss-

Even uncontrolled cold energy was leaking from her body.

It looked as if she was experiencing a seizure from the Nine-Syllable Pulse again.

Ray’s face was drenched in cold sweat before they knew it.

“Close your eyes and focus on your magic circulation.”

Ray tightly closed her eyes as Theo instructed.

Theo placed his palm on Ray’s back and infused her with his magic power.

He was using Thunder Qi to forcibly stimulate the nerve cells paralyzed by fear.

The symptoms resembling the Nine-Syllable Pulse were a side effect of poor magic control.

Crackle!

As the thunder-attribute magic permeated her, Ray’s hunched back straightened up.

Soon, color returned to her previously pale face.

“Haa...!”

Ray exhaled a long sigh, and her breathing became much more relaxed.

Theo quietly withdrew his hand, staying by her side to help her gather her scattered magic fully.

There was also something he wanted to ask her privately.

“Why didn’t you tell me about getting the Attribute Breathing Technique?”

“...I wanted to surprise you.”

“Did you think I’d believe you were hiding it on purpose?”

“I did.”

“And what did you think?”

“Opportunities like that aren’t something you usually share with others.”

“So, you thought I was hiding it?”

Ray shook her head.

“Then?”

“At first, I thought that way... But then I realized it wasn’t true. Because you’re a kind person, Theo.”

Theo let out a bitter smile.

What would the dead Axion say if he heard this?

After regressing, Theo had only acted for his own benefit.

Yet, it seemed Ray still didn’t see him that way.

“So, I figured you’d tell me when the time was right.”

“...”

Boundless trust and goodwill.

Theo wasn’t sure how to react to this.

In both his past and present lives, there had rarely been anyone like this.

Her gaze, now calm and focused, no longer showed any sign of being oppressed by Dragon Fear.

Her eyes softened as they met Theo’s.

“As expected.”

“As expected?”

“Theo is kind.”

“...”

Flick!

“You hit me... again.”

Ray groaned, holding her forehead in pain, but she couldn’t help noticing that Theo’s ears had turned red as he turned his back to her.

“Yes, Lord Theo is quite the gentle soul,” came a sly voice.

Wellington approached them with a grin.

“...What are you here for?”

“To tease?”

Theo’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Oh my, scary. Don’t glare at me like that. Besides, you might want to do something about that red face of yours.”

Sigh!

Theo let out a deep sigh as he looked at Wellington’s smug grin.

However, even through the banter, Theo noticed Wellington had overcome Dragon Fear without any particular assistance.

‘He’s much stronger than he was at this time in my previous life. With the insights he gained from his secluded training and the addition of the breathing technique, his growth has been explosive.’

Wellington’s presence was now beyond that of an ordinary training knight. He had reached the level of a practical knight, a title reserved for those who had surpassed the average knight.

It was hard to believe that he had only opened his Aura Hall two weeks ago.

At this rate, Willington will catch up in no time.

A rival.

Theo recalled what Wellington had said earlier.

‘I can’t afford to lose focus now.’

“Theo.”

“...?”

“Do you have a way to get us up there?”

Wellington asked in a serious tone, staring at the lodge perched atop the mountain.

While the three of them were currently managing to resist Dragon Fear, the pressure would only increase the closer they got to the lodge.

Wellington was asking how they would overcome that and reach the top.

“You said we should move separately during the Blossoming Ceremony since we’re rivals, didn’t you?”

“In the face of great obstacles, even sworn enemies join hands. Why wouldn’t friends do the same?”

Theo’s teasing remark was met with a bold, shameless response from Wellington.

Theo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

“So, do you have a plan?”

Theo glanced at the Overseer and the examiners. They were watching the group with keen interest, waiting to see how they would overcome this challenge.

‘Who said the final trial would end quicker than the second one?’

It might end faster, but it seemed twice as difficult.

Just as Theo clicked his tongue, about to say something—

Fwoosh!

Theo swiftly drew Drake’s Blade from his back and swung it in the opposite direction.

Clang!

Ray and Wellington turned their attention in the same direction.

“Hey, top student.”

It was Erika and Holcus Ranke, the siblings who had already overcome Dragon Fear, watching them from a distance.

No, to be precise, it was Erika Ranke who was glaring at them.

Her hostility was unmistakable.

With a height and build comparable to her brother Holcus, Erika cut a fierce figure, her tangled hair resembling a lion’s mane. The aggressive air she exuded was as if she was ready to start a bloody brawl at any moment.

Shing!

Ray and Wellington also quietly unsheathed their swords.

However, Erika’s gaze wasn’t fixed on them. It was locked firmly on Theo.

One corner of her mouth twisted upwards.

“You’re pretty good, huh?”

“So what?”

It seemed she was referring to the previous battle during the second trial, where Theo had faced the Thunder Dragon.

From her perspective, Theo had ended up taking the top spot, reducing her role to that of a mere bystander. It was only natural for her to be furious.

Theo was well aware of Erika’s personality, notorious for her reckless nature even within the House of Ranke.

With a quiet resolve, Theo raised Drake’s Blade.

If it came down to a confrontation, he had no intention of backing down.

Seeing his stance, Erika’s expression grew even more savage, seemingly pleased by his defiance.

Between Erika’s slightly parted lips, her bear-like fangs gleamed unusually.

But then—

“So, you pass.”

“...What?”

Out of nowhere, she said something completely unexpected.

What did she just say?

Theo tilted his head in confusion, but Erika’s grin only widened.

It was a mischievous smile, almost playful.

“As my future husband.”

“...!?”

Theo was left speechless.