บท 26: Novel 9-Unleashed upon the world
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/Ten years later…/
/Sheen… Clink!/
"It is done. But I must ask, is this even necessary?"
"Yeah grandpa, I don't want to gather too much attention just yet. Let's start slow."
"Humph… Its your choice, I won't interfere. As you requested, two seals have been placed upon your horns, limiting your Demonic Power to around that of a… "Intermediate" Rank as you like to say it."
"It feels like I'm wearing a sweater… In summer."
"Thats normal. Even if you're suppressing your power, you're doing too much. Jumping down several grades will take its toll on your body, even with how much you trained it."
"Aside from that, the formation has been inscribed on your body. It consumes the lingering Demonic Power you naturally release and uses it to power a defensive spell around your body that can block the might of a "High" Rank Demon. But its may purpuse is to reinforce the idea you're an Intermediate Rank to others trying to peer into you."
"That's great. Intermediate is just right for a someone my age."
"..."
"Anyhow… The two spells you asked for have also been inscribed in your hands. They're ready to use but I don't see the point in you having them."
"It's just an excuse gramps. A Noble should have a trump card…"
"How can you call something you can do with your eyes closed a "trump card"?"
"What matters is how others perceive it. I'm supposed to be an Intermediate Demon, remember?"
"Hum…"
'I wonder… Have we made the child fearful? Timid? With all his training, he should be confident in his ability, arrogant even…'
'At this rate, when will he learn?...'
"Whatever makes you happy."
"Thanks gramps. I'll be back in no time but… Do I have to go? It feels like such a waste…"
"You can chose to stay, and while you'll break through with time, that much is a guarantee given your innate Demonic Power, if you wish to surpass our ancestors and reach the pinnacle of your power, then you need to step into the Dragon Vaults."
"No matter how much we teach you, all of the libraries you've visited to study, they're but a tiny fraction of whats contained within them. We're but a few Noble families within a single country within the Empire of Horned Demons… Our territory isn't even that wide nor is it that important in the grand scheme of things."
"Our history is barely a few thousand years old… Some Noble Species are older then that… And for them, anything before the 72-Great Lords is nothing."
"Horned Demons are relatively new in history. We went from nothing but uncivilzed beasts to what we are today is less then ten thousand years… But we barely have anything written down before the time of the Great Lords."
"How can we compare to the Noble Species whose history spans several times that?"
"If you wish to grow even further, then even if not for competition, seek out their vaults. Out of all Noble species, the Dragons are the sole ones willing to give other species the mere opportunity to gaze upon their records."
"Of course… If a life of honor and power in this tiny place is enough for you, then you may consider staying, but even so, how long will you stay there? A few years? Maybe just about the same time you spent training with us…"
"How can such little time compare to your whole life? Especially something that…"
"Okay, I understand grandpa… I wasn't really planning on not going anyway…" Draxon replied with a sigh as he reached for his hair
Draxon had grown considerably in the last ten years.
His hair was now long, reaching his shoulders, being as black as charcoal.
His straight long horns were now around the same size as his head, piercing toward the clouds…
His purple eyes had become deep and profound, their childlike nature gone.
His facial features had grown sharp, maturing into the face of a man.
Broad shoulders and strong muscles, his body wasn't overly large, but underneath his clothes was flesh subjected to many years of intense struggle.
Finally, with a pair of round glasses resting on his nose, he had a ukept appearance akin to that of a nobleman, unthreatenly and undemon-like.
"I'm just a little bored. Thinking about having to deal with children just to sit down and study… It doesn't exactly fills me with the desire to go."
"... But that is life, child. No one will ever be fine with someone else doing their own thing, regardless of how much they remain quiet."
"You'll have to struggle, even if little to preserve your right to learn. It has always been like that, even as you came to us to train."
"It may be an annoyance, but you can't let others take advantage of you. They won't let go once they do so."
"... I understand."
Draxon remained quiet for a moment while Datyvilos looked at a floating clock on the side.
"It's almost time. You'll be joining this year's opening ceremony in the Dragon Palace, so get ready, you'll be leaving in ten minutes."
"Me? You aren't coming?"
"You're not a child anymore Draxon. You'll be making this journey on your own… Or does the outside scares you more then the children you'll face out there?"
"I'm not scared… It just feels a little abrupt."
"If we had the time, we would've had you spent some more time outside… Alas, we only had so much time on our hands." Datyvilos said as he shook his head
"Hm… Speaking of outside, I have some news to relay to you…"
"News? Is it about my parents? Can I visit them before…"
"Let's see… First, that girl you used to play with when you were younger?"
"Oh! Freena, we exchanged letters until a few years ago… I think she stopped sending letters when we were eight…" Draxon thought as he frowned
"Correct, she has already entered the Floating City. Today will mark her third year inside."
"Third? So she entered when she was thirteen? Quite bold…"
"Fifteen. She's one year older then you. Not one year younger."
"... What? I always thought…"
"That's what you get for being so self centered. You don't understand those around you even though you think you do… Anyhow, she's eighteen now and from what I've heard, she's been doing extremely well in there."
"There's also the first daughter of the Wezolpol Household. She's said to be extremely talented…"
"... Why are you talking about her?"
"Because she's a possible partner to be your first wife. This has been discussed for ages… And while the Wezolpol House hasn't agreed with even considering you two a match. You should think about proving them wrong."
"... If I have the time to think about romance, then I'd say I'm doing well. But its not my priority."
"Haa… So be it, child."
"Is there anything else?"
"You'll likely be meeting some relatives in the Floating City. If you can hand them a hand, do consider the possibility as they'll be in charge of their respective families and clans in the future. They should be the easiest ones to convince about taking your side."
"In there, you'll need people to handle simple tasks for you… A faction if you will. And there isn't many things better then kin for that."
"However, even tough we severely limited the news, while many are aware of your talents, I can't say all agree with the news… You may be challenged by them or brought into question."
"You can chose to reply or not, just think about the future consequences of your actions, after all, even if not in a few hundred years, you'll eventually be the Patriarch of the Clan…"
'Although I have the belief you'll end up ignoring all of those children's remarks… And worse… Skipping your duties as the Patriarch… Sigh…'
"... I'll think about it. I don't like trouble but I dislike hearing people talking behind my back all the time. If they aren't obvious, I don't care, but if they dirt my name or my family's before me… I'll remind them of the consequences of such."
"Even if not directly." Draxon said as he smiled evily
"..."
'Right, he's still someone who carries the blood of the 9-Kings… He isn't someone I should be concerned with.'
"Then go. I have already given and taught you everything I can…"
"That isn't true though."
"Ahem… It's a figure of speech. Teaching you everything I know would take an entire century so just leave and go study from the Dragon Vaults. Within a decade or two you'll reach the same point!"
"... See ya gramps. Don't die on me while I'm out there. I'll find out a way to make you live past 1000."
"Humph. Think about yourself first boy. I've already told you I accepted what I've become…"
"But I don't accept it." Draxon said as he turned around, leaving the room
"..."
'Child… Maybe I shouldn't be so concerned…'
He looked at a painting on the wall, thinking about the past.
"A storm is brewing."
…
"... Do we have time to visit my parents? It's been years since we last met…"
"Unfortunately we do not M'Lord. The opening ceremony in the Dragon Palace is today. We shall be making use of the Aurorean Vein network to quickly move to our location. If we miss the timing, we'd only reach the Floating City next year at the earliest."
"Sigh… This place is too fucking big…"
"I agree sir."
"Then… I'll have to visit them some other time…"
"From what I know, pardon if my information is incorrect, but I believe the students of the Floating City are allowed free use of the Aurorean Vein network if they reach the 3rd Gate. Once you reach it, you can return at any time."
"That's right… So I have a goal. Let's move with haste, I wouldn't want to get late for the exam."
"Understood sir."
/Snap!/
/Fwoosh!/
/KOWWAA!!/
The flying carriage sped up in the sky as the coachdriver urged the monstrous birds to flap their wings.
Three hours later, they landed inside a large city with a massive tower at its center.
In the sky, the tip of the tower seemed to pierce into the void, connecting to a strange prismatic space…
Meanwhile, in the middle of the tower, multiple landing platforms could be seen like fungus growing on a tree.
In one of them, Draxon's carriage landed amidst a few others…
"... We're here sir, your guides should be arriving… There they are."
"You're right on time, the ignition will occur within ten minutes, may we?"
A clerk stepped out from the side, approaching them as they held a strange creature akin to an octopus.
The creature inspected the carriage, blinking its sole eye in approval as a rune appeared in its iris.
"Let's go."
Draxon did not waste any time.
Upon tipping the carriage driver, he left with the clerk toward the center of the tower.
…
The Aurorean Vein was a type of ancient ritual that span across the entire landmass of Gehenia.
Similar to the void beyond accessible through Contract magic, the Aurorean Vein was a void space between worlds used for quick transportation between extreme distances, usually managed by the Sidhe, one of the Higher Species of the Demon Realm.
The Sidge are very arrogant and it was with much resentment that they allowed other species to use their structures. However, it was under this same threatie that they were allowed to expand their network across the land.
'... Although when they first made the Aurorean Towers, they had another use entirely…'
/Crackle…/
In the center of the tower, a large circular hall housing a few hundred people began to rumble.
[A disclaimer to all passengers…]
"It's starting."
A voice echoed in the air…
[The Aurorean passage has opened]
[Destination, Dragon Land, Dovu-Ah. The Floating City of Fargrox-Jiqil]
/Buzzz…/
The whole room began to quake. Some managed to hold just fine but others had to hold onto handrails scattered across the place…
/JUMP!/
Suddenly, a feeling of weightlessness… And a heavy impact!
/BLAM!/
The room stopped shaking, they had arrived.
"Humph… Sidge magic sure is flamboyant…"
'Time to go.'
Draxon followed the crowd outside through a series of corridors and elevators, stepping outside into the mythical land of Dragons:
"So this is Dovu-Ah, the land of Dragons… It sure is impressive."
A city that reminded him of pre modern Earth with tall buildings, wide streets, and many glowy and attention-seeking signs.
However, true to its name, the city extended not only through land but air as well as many buildings floated in the air, connected through bridges and stairs in a rather orderly chaos.
Multiples small islands floated gently in the air, some bound to the ground or massive spires through thick metal chains.
'The Floating City… To think this entire place is floating on one singular block of stone…'
As he took in the mystery of the land, he began following the crowd, knowing exactly where to go.
'Acording to legend, the floating city used to be a Dragon Nest. To be precise, a Sky Dragon. The first Dragon Lord of their race.'
'As his power grew, more Sky Dragons began following him. As centuries passed, an entire community of Dragons came to live in these floating mountains. That was when the scattered tribes of Sky Dragons bended together to form their civilization…'
'Millenia later, upon noticing the rise of other species, the elderly Dragon Lord thought that it was time to mediate in their struggles, and by gathering other noble species including those of his species, by using themselves as reference, the Demonic Ranking came to be by analizing this ancient power within them.'
'Since the Nobles species are the strongest of all beings, it just made sense to base their power which was at the end of one extreme as a base for all Demons.'
'Millenia later, the Dragon Lord, at the end of his life, decided to open his land for other species to lay upon, and while there was some resistance, most Sky Dragons went on with their Lord's decision.'
'This was how the Floating City came to be. From there, the Dragon Lord opened the Dragon Palace where members of their species studied and grew to other species. And while there was extreme backlash, he managed to convince them before passing away.'
'Over the centuries, the Dragon Palace became what it known today, being populated by multiple species rather then just Dragons in general. It's a throve of knowledge, wealth, power, and prestige that all Demons seek.'
'The Dragon Palace is divided into ten gates. Each Gate being akin to a school grade. If you can reach and graduate a Gate, your name is tied to it, which is in itself a form of identity.'
'Most experts and masters in the world have competed to receive the qualifications to enter the first Gate. But if we take only the Noble child alone, that'd be in the tens of thousands… It's impossible for them to house so many individuals.'
'So that's why despite how long has passed, only the strongest members of the Noble Races are given the chance to attempt the gates.'
'For someone of another species to attempt and succeed in entering it, that'd mean their potential is on par with the Noble species, making them an irregular not often seen.'
'The most competitive place in the entire continent where the most talented of each species gather, this is what the Dragon Palace is about.'
'My goal is pretty simple… To reach the 10th gate and graduate, nothing else.'
'Most fail around the third to fourth gate, after all, this is where the most talented gather. They wouldn't fail at just the first gate.'
'However, I've heard that they've been increasing the number of allotted spaces in the first gate to try and increase the number of students.'
'From what I know, every two months, you can challenge a new gate and rise to the next level. And for the first gate, this means that a few months, it would be completely empty, this isn't what the Dragon Palace wants.'
'However, I can't tell if those rumors are correct though… Anyhow, I'm not in aa hurry.'
'You have three years to complete each gate, which means you have three years to absorb one year of knowledge, its pretty ample.'
'Above that, you have a year of buffer time between each gate to prepare for the next one, after all, if you entered a gate at the end of the year, wouldn't you lose a year of attempts for nothing?'
'Of course, the Dragon Palace isn't charity, if you fail you do, but they still give everyone their fair chance.'
'If say you have four years on each gate, by the time you reach the 10th, you'd already be staying here for 36 years… That's longer the entire lifespan of some species…'
'That's over double my entire life… That when put in Earth years is about 34 years… I've lived more training and studying then I lived my entire previous life… Quite sad…'
'There is one thing to consider about the Palace… And is that no one there is an adult. The main condition to apply is to be considered a teenager or less by your species' standards.'
'If you become an adult in the meantime, you'll be moved to another provisory Palace where the requirements are harsher. That's why most try to pass through the gates as fast as they can… Aside from long living species like Dragons who take decades to mature, much longer then Capra Demons.'
'It's not entirely fair for species with a low lifespan, but what cab you do? It's their fate to be born grow, reproduce, grow old, and die before I even reach maturity… There isn't a way to make it any fairer for them…'
'I'm currently seventeen and I'll reach adulthood in about seven years around my mid twenties so I have time.'
"... Excuse me sir. Is this group going to the Dragon Palace?" Draxon asked as he tapped a horned demon's shoulder before him
"Hm? Mind your business pal."
"..."
'It seems things won't be easy around here…'
After shaking his head in disappointment, Draxon followed his grandfather's directions and reached a grand palace floating in the distance.
…
/Later…/
/Chattering…/
"Oh? This must the first test."
At the city center, a massive plaza opened to the skies.
The status of a massive creature had been erected at its center. That being was…
'The First Dragon Lord of the Sky Dragons.'
Draxon looked at the side where he saw a staircase leading to a floating palace.
'The Dragon Palace… Well, a replica of it.'
'The Dragon Palace, while used to refer to this entire place as a whole only refers to the Headmaster's office high in the clouds beyond the 10th gate.'
'This… Academy… Is divided into gates, that everyone knows. But each Gate is like a small city floating high in the clouds.'
'We cannot see the gates because of the magic in place, but they're there, I can feel their presence even if faint.'
'To reach the first gate, we must attend the Cerymony in the Dragon Palace to get the qualifications to ascend. This is what this Academy is all about.'
'If you cannot pass it, then you're destined to remain on the ground, only looking up at the stars in the sky… They call these people 0th Gate graduates as a way to mock them.'
'For those who cannot get a recommendation, they must pass through multiple tests to even be given the chance to attempt this stage. Oftentimes, if they show incredible talent, they may be allowed to skip this test due to its extreme requirements…'
'I don't have the time to wait, however.'
Draxon walked through the crowd, reach the first step leading to the Dragon Palace.
One thousand white steps awaited him. If he could reach their end, he would be admitted.
The first test began now.
/Step…/
Draxon took his step first together with many. After all, they were all late.
The ceryomony was about to start, if they did not hurry, forget about joining this year.
'I was a little complacent, I should've come a little earlier and gone through this at my own pace… Forget it, everyone commits mistakes.'
/Step step step…/
Draxon rushed through the steps, not caring about the others in the slightest.
'There's a faint pressure around me, but it's barely that of a Low Rank, at this place, by the time I reach the top, would it would be around that of an Advanced Rank? Maybe a High Rank at the highest…'
'I wonder how they did this. I'm curious… I want to learn it.'
Draxon had grown to love magic and the arcane arts of this realm, wanting to learn them all, wanting to master everything…
This was what drove him, this desire for power and self fullfillment.
/Step…/
'One hundred steps… The pressure has grown a little. Nothing much.'
'There's an issue though, my Demonic power is sealed and at this rate the little I can manifest will be strained… No matter. I can make do with my physical strength… But that may be too high profile… Sigh…'
'The consequences of my own actions.'
/Step…/
100… 200… 300… 500… 700…
With a constant pace, Draxon skipped through the steps as if the pressure around him was non-existant…
While he had gathered some attention, given there were thousands trying to do the same, most ignored him… Until…
/Fwoosh!/
/Thud!/
"Watch where you're going loser!"
Someone sped by him, knocking him aside, almost sending him flying down were not for his balance.
Not that he was ever threatened since he could just fly back if necessary, but still… Rude.
"..."
'There are idiots everywhere… No… This is a Demon's true nature.'
'So far, I've grown in an incredibly sheltered environment where everyone respected me regardless of age. But out here, people don't care about who I am unless I give them a reason to care.'
'Demons aren't polite by nature, that's a sign of weakness and even something unatractive to some species. Similar to how Horned Demons see beauty in the shape and lengthy of one's horns.'
'I can understand now why my grandparents were so stern with me. They were likely trying to have me give my Demonic side some space since I've been suppressing it for ages now.'
'I do think I've greatly matured over the years, but its been difficult to let go of my Human side, and to some degree, I shall never give it up. But I can't remain like this for long. Being sheepish like this won't lead me very far in their society. Not if I wish to make use of them.'
'To reap the biggest rewards I must excel. Doing so attracts attention both positive and negative. The issue is that the positive reaction may come in the forms of other Demons challenging me as well. If I keep backing off like this for the sake of preserving my low profile image, it'll only backfire.'
'This must be why my ancestor was so confused with me sealing myself like this. He must've wondered why do so when my Demonic Power was already so great… Maybe he thinks I'm trying to be the wolf amidst sheep and avoid the tigers… To some degree he's right.'
'I'm fearful of those who carry immense potential. I'd prefer if I could raise at my own pace without having to compete with others on these nonsensical subjects… But that's only a sign of weakness.'
'... I'll have to think about this. It may sound obvious but I have my goals, above all, I have no intention in becoming the center of everyone's conversations.'
'What I want to be… Is a Demon who devours everything before its prey can even notice it.'
'A monster prowling in the depths… Urg… I'm too old to think like this…'
/Step…/
Draxon followed the runners. However, the higher they climbed, less and less remained until only a handful crossed over the last few steps.
/Climb…/
"Huff… Huff…"
At the very top, dozens of Demons of all shapes and sizes could be seen resting as they recovered from the pressure of the last few steps.
'At the very end, the pressure sharply rose from Advanced to High. If your mind was sturdy enough, that would've been enough to shake you off the track. And even if you could resist it, only with immense determination could someone go beyond and climb to this position.'
'Of course, the higher your rank the better your chances… Although no one here seems have reached the Advanced Rank, only Intermediary and below. Those above should be already inside.'
/Walk…/
His arms on his back, Draxon walked inside the gorgeous Palace, unaffected by the atmosphere at all.
…
/… CLACK!/
"?..."
'Strange. Was I transported somewhere?'
As he walked through a dark corridor, Draxon suddenly felt a strange force tug on his body, and before he knew, he crossed through a door leading to a wide office with several old Demons sitting side by side.
From left to right: A tall Bull-like Demon with a large snout, a slender Demon with an insect's head, two horned Demons, one with thick goat horns and another with flat horns going around their head and finally, a man with a falcon's head.
The Bull Demon pulled a small sheet of paper from the side, reading it out loud:
"Let's see… Candidate number #063.342… Birth name: Draxon Galvidol Tirgath."
"Entrance through recommendation of several parties including a previous 5th Gate Holder and one 7th Gate Holder."
"Method of admission… Exposure to a Balor's pressure. All in agreement?"
""...""
/Nod…/
The other Demons nodded after reading through the file, putting it aside as they waited for the Bull to continue.
"Very well. Candidate, step onto the circle. You shall endure the standardized pressure of a Balor Rank Demon for ten seconds. If you can remain conscious, you shall be admitted onto the first Gate."
"You have one minute to prepare."
"... I'm ready."
"Then…"
"Wait… Remove your hood."
The falcon Demon frowned as he looked at Draxon.
"... What are those things on your horns?" He asked as he pointed at the two rings around his horns
"These? Just ornaments." He replied as he took them off without a care
As nothing seemed to happen, the falcon nodded in satisfaction as he saw Draxon store the rings on his pockets.
However, this wasn't over yet. The Demon with the goat horns pointed at him, ordering:
"... Show me your hands."
/Raise…/
Draxon raised his hands to the man, showing the two spells inscribed in each of his palms.
"... A barrier spell and an offensive one. Nothing special, at most High Rank." He said as he gestured with his hand, ordering for him to put them down
"... Are all judges done with their examinations?" The bull demon asked as he looked at the side
/Nod…/
"Then we shall begin."
/Buzz…/
Red light lit up on his feet, and soon enough, like water falling from the sky, his body was slowly pressed down by a formless force.
"..."
One second… Three seconds…
Draxon's shoulders began to tilt…
Five seconds…
His head fell slightly…
Seven seconds…
His knees bend as he clenched his fists…
Ten seconds.
/Stop…/
The pressure vanished and Draxon breathed in relief as a bead of sweat fell on the ground.
"The examination has been concluded. Do you thereby admit to have resisted to the pressure without the assistance of anything beyond your own creation?" The bull demon asked as he looked at Draxon
"I consent."
/Burn…/
The paper on his hands burned, leaving behind a small card.
"Then we welcome you to the first gate student. Walk through the door and wait for the end of the opening ceremony."
/Bow…/
Draxon bowed slightly to the Demons, taking his card and leaving without saying a word.
""...""
"That boy… Those rings on his horns. Were they not sealing bands?" The demon with the flat horns asked as he looked at the one on his side
"I'm pretty sure they were, but when nothing changed, I wondered if I was seeing things right…"
"Doesss it matterrr? He passed the trialll. Let'sss move on."
The insect Demon didn't seem as interested in the subject as the horned demons. As such, just like that, they brushed off the subject without paying too much attention to it.
…
/Meanwhile…/
"..."
'This is uncomfortable, when will they end sorting through the students?'
In a large hall, Draxon sat on the corner of a series of chairs, waiting for them to be filled up with students.
The issue was that the Demons around him were all seemingly competing with each other for whom could unleash the greatest aura, with those with the strongest ranks sitting toward the front while those unable to bear sitting toward the end like him.
'Annoying, bunch of kinds can't keep quiet… Anyhow, some of these kids are quite something.'
Draxon focused his attention at the first three rolls of seats.
Demons of all kinds sat there as they unleashed their inner energy… Not all as some just sat there waiting for the others to arrive.
"Let's see…"
'So many species… Some I've only heard of… This will be fun.'
He looked around the place, smiling lightly as he identified the species.
'It's my first time seeing one but they have Cat girls here, huh… Its not as magical as I thought it would be…'
'There are quite a few dragons around, but that's expected. Around a third of all Demons here are like that.'
'Most Dragons have similar lifecycles but the exact times may change…'
'They usually take a century to hatch but they usually fall within the fifty years and two century range.'
'Then it takes them around three decades to reach childhood and five to reach their teenage years. From there, it can take anothe century for them to reach adulthood.'
'This means most Dragons here have been training and studying for around eighty years if not longer… To think their eggs were conceived over a century ago…'
'At the very least Dragons are know to be lazy thanks to their immense power. And they usually hibernate for decades during those growth years.'
'If a Dragon is eighty years old, then they likely slept for half of that. Even then, if we disconsider the time they were toddlers and thus unable to study properly, they'd still have around my age as time for them to study… And while that may be little. I've been studying ever since I realized who I was.'
'Dragons on the other hand learn from other ancient Dragons…The difference is astounding.'
"Sigh…"
/Thud!/
"Heh, watch where you stand weakling." A young demon said as they bumped into his chair, walking closer to the front
"..."
'At this point in time it doesn't even fucking matter what I do these idiots will come after me…'
He wasn't the only one being picked on. Every single Demon sitting on the last few rolls were being singled out.
Draxon thought about sitting around the middle, but he saw how everyone treated each other there too. It was better being down there.
He just had to take a deep breath and let this pass. Once he was up there, things would be take their course, but he still sat more to the side, getting out of the corner.
/Thud!/
Just as he did so, another poor soul was attacked instead of him. Really now, did these guys have nothing to do?
/Time passed…/
…
After some time, one thousand students gathered in the hall, occupying every single seat.
/Crack!/
The ceiling cracked open, revealing a distant inslant in the sky.
/Rise…/
The ground moved, slowly ascending upward.
"I see. That's why they call this ascension."
'How self gloating…'
The 1000 students rose to the top. How many would pass to the second gate? How many would remain and how many would fall?
Everything would be revealed in two months…
…
/Clack…/
"Annnd… It begins. My academic life, once again!"
'I'm quite excited… But at the same time not. My memories of university in earth aren't quite pleasant… Because they're boring.'
"At least they give each student a room for them. Quite generous given there are over 1000 students in the year. At least no one ever repeats the first gate…" He said as he looked around
A rather simple room with the basic needs of a student. A bathroom, a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and so on. Nothing more or less.
"Class only starts tomorrow but I could go do something I guess."
'Things here are simple. You aren't required to attend anything and there aren't homeworks or anything of the like within the first few Gates, likely because everyone knows this isn't the place most end up stuck at.'
'You just choose which classes to attend and that's where you go. Each professor has their curriculum which they'll follow regardless of who listens to them. So if you lose a class, its on you.'
'Once two months pass, you can take on the exams to graduate the Gate, doing so gives you the chance to climb to the next Gate where you can either start immediately or wait for the next year.'
'I don't plan on staying in the lower Gates for long. It's a rush all the way to the third gate.'
'That's because there are three libraries in the Academy. One library for first and second gate students, one for third, fourth, and fifth gate students, and one for the sixth, seventh, and eight gate students.'
'Ninth and tenth gate students are special, they won't matter right now.'
"From what my grandfather told me, everything I've learned so far can likely be found within the first two libraries, this means that everything after contains new information I can incorporate into my throve of knowledge and use it to progress even further."
'The only thing I can about is the knowledge the Dragons have collected, nothing else.'
'Recognition? Respect? I'll get all of those once I asncend to even higher Levels of power. I don't need to lower myself to follow the traditional path, not when I have my old body…'
'In these last few years I've consumed millions of Souls as I've improved my methods.'
'Just going by my old, passive absorption rate, I'd have consumed over 2 million souls by now. However, the true amount is far greater then that…'
'Not only have I used multiple rituals and methods to strengthen my old body, by performing the meditation where I give back part of my Soul power to my body, this cycle has greatly increased the potency of the Soul it forms. And now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say each cycle grants me five times that thanks to all of my efforts.'
'All of this Soul power was used to increase not only my Rank but every aspect of my body, especially my bloodlines.'
'While I have awakened dozens of bloodlines, I've focused on a set few thanks to the Elders mastery over them, allowing me to progress through them with greater ease.'
'For me to master the others properly, merely strengthening the bloodlines wouldn't do. In fact, it could be dangerous, that's why the knowledhe in the Dragon Vault is so important to me as it would signify me recovering the means to master all of the bloodlines within me.'
'There isn't really an order, but I've mastered five bloodlines:'
'The bloodline of Orobas grants me his gaze, said to be able to pierce falsehood and reveal the truth and fate. And while I can't say if that is true or not, it does have some of those capabilities, at least at its current Level.'
'Orobas' Gaze manifests as a slit of energy in the forehead, granting its user extensive perception. However, that is only a decadent form of the ability, weakened as the bloodline thinned out… Like most bloodlines.'
'Through training, mastery, or awakening, one can awaken Orobas' Eye in their forehead, and by training even further, manifest his eye as it was described in the archives. However, that is only a superficial manifestation of the bloodline, true mastery comes in awakening the bloodline as it is.'
/Transform…/
Draxon's pupils changed, becoming akin to two six pointed stars.
'This is the true form of Orabas' power, however, its still not there yet… Because I'm not strong enough. Because I don't know how to properly use it… And because there's still more to this power left to awaken. Once I do so, I'd have reached the same level as the 72-Great Lords.'
'When I first awakened my ability over eight years ago, it manifested in the form of an eye in my forehead. But after gathering over three million Souls, I managed to awaken its current form.'
'To push it further, I believe I'd need over a dozen times that if not more… However, while I could gather that much, I don't possess the qualifications to wield it so I chose to focus my Souls elsewhere. After all, I don't want to give other Demons a reason to gauge my eyes out…'
/Transform…/
His eyes went back to normal as he rubbed them gently.
'My second ability came from Furfur's bloodline. The ability to manipulate elements like lightning, storms, hail, and fire.'
'However, this bloodline has depreciated to such a degree only the fiery aspect of it remains, it is no different for me despite having purified and strengthened it to this degree.'
'It mainly manifests as a pair of flames burning around my horns, which is quite cool but inconvenient since it can easily burn anything that's not me. Including my clothes.'
'Obviously, this bloodline grants me resistance to those particular aspects. Although I can't say it works for any fire.'
'The first stage is a mild red fire, turning yellow as one grows stronger like ordinary flames. This means you can attain blue and orange flames but they only represent intensity, not anything else.'
'This was how my bloodline first manifested and its how most do so as well… After gathering around half a million Souls, it transformed.'
'If you awaken a greater form of the bloodline, the fire will attain a magical property, becoming stronger, hoter, and grant the user a greater affinity and control over flames.'
'This form hasn't been achieved by anyone in the family ever since it was first introduced by one of the ancestors long ago…'
'The next stage, which took me five millions souls to achieve turns the magical flame into Hellfire, an incredible flame that never extinguishes.'
'This flame is actually the same one Lord Furfur could command. However, its far weaker then the one he could control.'
'I know I can push this bloodline further. So it'll either become one of two things: I'll either evolve the bloodline or awaken its other aspects forgotten to time.'
'Either of them would be excellent but I can't imagine how much I'd need for that… Fifty million? One hundred million Souls? The numbers are getting ridiculous… But not unattainable.'
'My third bloodline of choice was Astaroth's. His bloodline holds the power of his ancient Seal that was the pinnacle of his research.'
'Depending on how much you can awaken of his bloodline, instead of manifesting as anything special, you're only granted heightened senses and talent towards the Arcane.'
'It's true name has been forgotten, as such it became Astaroth's Arcane Seal.'
'I can't say if this bloodline has stages since there isn't a way to gauge them. However, after investing eleven million Souls on the bloodline, the ancient seal manifested once again!'
'I can still remember their faces when I brought it forward for the first time… Good times.'
As he thought of that, he raised his hand, causing an exoteric nine node magical circle to rise above his palm.
It was dark and full of unknown symbols. And even he with his throve of knowledge, Draxon couldn't make head or tails about it.
'With this much I can already perform a variety of complex spells others wouldn't be able to, it's an excellent support tool that can help me push myself beyond my level.'
'Even then, this isn't the true form of the seal… I can feel something slumbering within me, waiting to awaken… I've tried to gauge how much it would take for me to awaken it by pouring a million Souls into it but failed to even feel anything…'
'So this means it would either take me an unbelievable amount of Souls or a hidden condition for me to awaken Astaroth's Seal.'
/Close…/
Draxon closed his hand, dissipating the seal.
'My fourth bloodline belongs to Amon. It takes the shape… Of nothing. Because the holder is the form of the bloodline.'
'It grants the user the ability to take upon their "True Form", even if momentarily.'
'In simpler terms, it allows me to reach my peak potential, which in my case, given how many Souls I've invested into myself… Is quite frightening.'
'I like to think this allows me to take on the form of an Ancient Demon. Studying this form may grant me a clue into understanding why no one in the recent millennium has been able to become a Baol.'
'Like the Astaroth's, there's no way to tell the stages between this bloodline as it had completely vanished prior to me awakening it again. It was only after spending nine million Souls on it that it awakened like this, granting me the ability to transform.'
'Before, tapping onto it gave me heightened senses and power, as if raising my overall stats.'
'Right now transforming takes a toll on my body so I dislike doing it, however, its an intrinsic power as it allows me to maintain multiple bloodlines activated at once as usually it takes me a lot of effort to bring forth more then one at once.'
'I believe that mastering this bloodline will instead of give me any incredible power, ascend me to the state of an Ancient Capra Demon, giving me the chance to pursue the same state as the 72-Great Lords.'
"And lastly… The last bloodline I chose to pursue… One only my Ancestor knows…"
/Manifest…/
/Shaa…/
A translucent book with golden etchings manifested before him.
Strange symbols were written over its surface with the image of a regal crown stamped at its center…
'The bloodline of the 9-Kings, Paimon the one who holds knowledge. Grimoire.'
"You called me, Master?" The book asked as it opened
It had a deep male voice, calm and composed but powerful.
"Given the environment, I suspect us to be within the famed Dragon Palace. Most likely within a dormitory within the first Gate, correct?"
"Indeed. I've called you to inform you of that fact. I'm just finishing settling down and once I do so I'll depart for the library as planed."
"Excelent. I'll prepare on my end as well."
"... How's the research going?"
"Progress has been smooth and we're ready for action but I'd recommend to postpone things as I said before."
"We should aim to reach the third Gate and assimilate the information we have access to before proceeding with real experimentation."
"Keep up the good work. I'll move on my end to acquire more information… Now that we're within the Academy, there'll be no shortage of such opportunities."
"That's certain."
/Close/
Draxon closed the grimoire, having it dissipate as it returned to where it belonged.
'Paimon's bloodline. The Grimoire, my greatest aid.'
'The Grimoire was originally a kind of authority that allowed Paimon to be the wisest of all Great Lords as it was said he possessed all of the information in the world in the palm of his hand, mastering the Arcane to the point even the Dragons had to admit to it.'
'In my case, the Grimoire manifested without any knowledge whatsoever. Everything it knows was taught to it over time…'
'I believe this may be due to the nature of Paimon's authority, that the Grimoire was meant to be empty and built into a strong power over time.'
'However, I believe that some of its functions were not original to the bloodline. Or in other words… The bloodline mutated due to my unique Soul.'
'The Grimoire is now a kind of familiar to me, being able to absorb and process information like a supercomputer. The more it absorbs the better it can do and faster.'
'This could be likely due to my memories from Earth… And I have the belief this won't be the first time this will happen.'
'My main goal with the Academy is to feed all of the knowledge accumulated by the Dragons into it and create the ultimate archive. All the while feeding it Souls in order to bring forth its next evolution.'
'This way, I can study anywhere without caring about my surroundings.'
'I'm unsure if this is the true form of Paimon's bloodline but I know it took me around five million Souls to bring it forth, and despite spending an even greater amount to enhance it, I feel no change in it, which either means this is the true form of the bloodline, or that Paimon's true power was that immeasurable.'
'So far, I've fed the Grimoire multiple libraries from dozens of Noble families connected to the Galvidol Clan, and with my ancestor's help, I've received access to many secretive libraries throughout the Kingdom, further boosting its inventory.'
'It took years to sort through it all and given I constantly fed it more info, this process is still ongoing, even so, its something I've never even dreamt of doing.'
'Either way, my entire reason to feed it knowledge it to boost my research. The more I improve the quality and size of the souls I can absorb, the better it'll be.'
'So far, the main target of our efforts has been in turning my old body into that of a Legendary Human Hero, strengthening it over and over again while maintaining its purity.'
'Unfortunately, no matter what, the more I strengthen the body, the longer it takes for the Soul to form even if the efficiency increases. The only way to maintain this process is by achieving the "vortex" method by meditating alongside it. However, that requires me to remain by its side at all times.'
'And right now, we're reaching the next step of this research. If successful, I may be able to constantly receive the maximum effects of my old body without needing to meditate, which is essencial since I need to train and practive.'
'Even if the Grimoire can assist me, there's a limit to how well it can teach me things.'
"Five bloodlines… More than enough for me."
'Although I have plans to awaken more if fate permits it.'
"Well… I'll take a bath first. No hurry…"
/Shoosh…/
Taking off his clothes, Draxon went to the bathroom, leaving soon after, beelining to the library…
…
"It's quite empty…"
After walking through a series of corridors and exiting his dormitory, he entered the main building where after a few extra turns, finally led him to his destination.
A five floor building with a concave glass ceiling where light fell through a circular hole between the floors.
'Five entire floors full of books… This is quite the throve.'
/Manifest…/
'... Master.'
'We're here. And as expected, the collection is quite substantial.'
'... If my calculations are to be correct, this library has more books then all of the others we visited so far combined. It may even be triple that.'
'If we take there aren't repeated books inside and that the books are mostly of the basics, then the difference is even higher as more advanced books would be contained within the other libraries.'
'Is it possible to scan them?'
'So far I haven't noticed any wards preventing me from doing so, however, that doesn't mean there aren't.'
'That's a pretty simple thing to test I imagine.'
/Grab…/
There was no clerk in the library, which only led Draxon to believe there was some sort of mechanism to prevent the books from being stolen or misplaced.
After grabbing a book, he opened it on the spot, letting his grimoire scan it.
'Anything interesting?'
'From what I can detect, there are multiple wards on the book but none of them will interfere with our work.'
'Let's try scanning a shelf then, if that triggers nothing, we'll slowly spand our reach.'
Given his Grimoire's appearance, no one would think of it as anything but a strange book. Especially if he kept it on hand rather then letting it speak and fly around.
/Shine…/
A quick flash of light scanned the shelf before him. And soon enough, a positive result came.
Smiling, Draxon began scanning the entire library, stopping only many hours later to rest so he could prepare for tomorrow.
His Academy life was just beginning…
…
"Let's see… How many Credits can we make in this Gate alone?"
"Not much I'm afraid… Probably only a couple thousand at most."
"Hm…"
'Credits are the Academy's currency. It's used to buy resources and access to special laboratories and opportunities. It's not essencial now, but I'll need a lab in the future.'
'Credits can be acquired in three ways, by getting high scores in the exams every two months, by completing Assignments, and by trading with other students.'
'Technically, you can't buy Credits from the outside, however, the Academy doesn't care how they flow inside its premices as long as you maintain a certain degree of decency.'
'You can also acquire Credits through special means but those are unreliable and often one time things here and there…'
'For me, the easiest way to acquire Credits right now is by acing every single subjects on the exams in two months, that should net me a couple thousand points.'
'In the Academy, you aren't obliged to participate in any Class, however, to rank up to the next Gate, you must reach a certain mastery of the necessary subjects.'
'If you achieve One Star in a subject, it means you have understood the basics to progress, if you reach Two Stars, it means you have completely mastered it. And if you reach Three Stars, it means you have reached a level of mastery compared to the next Gate.'
'Each subject has its own difficulty and Credit award score for each level of completion. My goal is to ace every subject and get the maximum amount of points possible.'
'Also, if I rank up a gate in the first round of exams, I'll also be given a bonus ammount of Credits, and if I skip the one year wait time between Gates, I'll also be given extra Credits.'
'My goal is to gather as many Credits as I can following this process until I can't anymore.'
"We're not entirely obligated to participate in the Classess but if I don't it would be a little too weird, besides, its information we're talking about."
"Is what I asked before feasible?"
"Of course. The creation of multiple clones is more the feasible, its an easy process."
"However, the type of clone may be a problem. I believe going with the energy base clone is the safest option. Store enough energy within them and it should be fine. As long as they're connected to me everything they learn will be transferred to me, although there's the risk of the source being tracked if someone finds out about it."
"The safest route is thus making them independent. And every we can collect their information in key spaces. Thus reducing the risk of exposure but increasing the risk of loss of information."
"Hm… Let's go with the second option. It's important to know what each professor is discussing, it helps us have a subject to speak of in case someone asks us and it also helps us learn more about others."
'When there's so many important Demons here, we must learn as much as we can about them so we aren't pressed against the wall if they end up standing in our way.'
"We'll have to see if those plans of ours are possible as well, but this one comes first."
/Shoom…/
Draxon opened the Grimoire, manifesting Astaroth's seal above it.
"If I'm not mistaken, there are about thirty seven subjects on the first Gate with around twelve of them being purely "hands on" subject like Physical and Arcane Combat. However, the subjects don't happen all at once at all."
'According to the weekly schedule, the largest number of classes at once is six and one of them is a repeat of another subject but with another professor so there's no need to conjure too many.'
"Let's go with five clones with a high, Intermediate Rank Demoning Power. And let's change their appearances to something inconspicuous."
"Processing… Calculations finished. Conjuring method materialized."
"~*!@#(&$!@#~"
/Shine!/
Draxon chanted in a strange tongue, raising his hands to surrounding the Grimoire as it floated in the air.
/Conjure!/
/Rise…/
A Demon rose from a dark pool of water, standing face to face with him.
"Hm… Perfect. But let's not make them all horned Demons. If we suddenly introduce five Capra Demons into the Academy we would likely be doubling our numbers just like that, its a tad too much…"
'Individuls like me shouldn't be common in my race to begin with.'
"Let's finish this today. I still want to go to sleep so we can continue scanning the library tomorrow."
/Shine!/
The ritual continue, filling the room with Demons of all shapes and sizes…
…
/Meanwhile…/
"..."
"... hey…"
"..."
"Hey."
"..."
"Freena. It's time for our nightshift, how long are you going to stare at the sky?"
"..."
"Are you still thinking of your boyfriend? Take it easy girl, it happens…"
"He isn't my boyfriend I already told you that multiple times."
"Meh, isn't fiance the same thing? If you keep acting like this it means its more then an agreement, right?"
"Humph."
"From the looks of it you're waiting to check the records of all the newcomers, aren't you? You do this every year."
"..."
"Girl, you have to let him go. If after all this time he hasn't joined the Palace then it means…"
"No… You don't understand."
"You are the one who doesn't understand girl. You've been waiting years for someone that hasn't come. Even if he's around how old would he be? He's too late in the game to join. If he does so he'll just end up thrown in the grown up section or whatever they call it."
"Say, if you finally accept reality. Give me a call and I'll help you match up with one of the seniors, some of them are interested in you since not many Capra Demons make it all the way to the Sixth gate."
"... I have no interest in fools who stopped trying to improve. And you should mean the things you say, virgin succubus." She said with a scoff as she turned around, going for the door
"Hey! We aren't the same as we were in the past you know! I have my own standards…"
/Creak…/
"... Come on lass, this is your second year trying to reach the Seventh Gate, isn't it time to settle down and network?"
"... If I don't work hard now, once he arrives, I won't be able to keep up with him..."
/Clack!/
"Sigh. So stubborn… No matter how talented he was in the past, there's no way no one would've heard of him."
"Only a handful of Capra Demons have ever reached the 7th Gate ever since the Palace's inception, we would've heard of such a talent since Noble families often love to glaze themselves… Yet there's nothing."
"He likely turned out to be a dud, just how long will she limit herself like that?... Oh well, I've antagonized her enough… And honestly, I'm curious."
"How great would this man be to make her like this? I hope he doesn't disappoint~..."
/Clack…/
…
/The next day…/
"... Is it working?" Draxon asked as he sat on his bed
"All clones have already left the dormitory and made their way to their respective classes following the "
...
.
.
.
Notes
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