Novel Wait
Chapter 62 Luminari Academy Competition (4)
Aooooo!!!
The mournful cry of a wolf echoed through the forest. A silver-haired young man stood beside it, watching as it gave up the ghost.
Ding!
[You have killed a Lvl 27 Gold Shadow Wolf. You are rewarded 370 EXP and 50 PP] ×20
[You have plundered Shadow Attribute (+2), Luck (+1)]
[You have leveled up, +1 to overall stats] ×20
---
**STATUS:**
**Host Name:** Draco Xandros
**Race:** Human [25%], Dragon [25%], Phoenix [25%], Demon [25%]
**Level:** 30
**EXP:** 6,900/ 22,000,000
**Class:** Plunderer, Dragonborn, Demon Lord, Phoenixborn
**Talent:** Plunder, ????? Dragon Power, ????? Phoenix Power
**Skills:** Plunder, Dragon Power, Phoenix Power, Appraisal
**Physique:** None
**Affinity (Energy/Element):** Fire, Earth, Water, Wood, Wind, Sword, Archer, Spear, Lightning, Draconic, Demonic, Phoenix, Dark...
**HP:** 20,000 / 20,000 (10,000/10,000)
**MP:** 20,000 / 20,000 (10,000/10,000)
**STR:** 1,200 (600)
**AGI:** 1,180 (590)
**INT:** 1,140 (570)
**DEX:** 1,160 (580)
**STA:** 1,200 (600)
**DEF:** 1,300 (650)
**Luck:** 16
**Stats Points:** 0
**SP:** 0
**PP:** 23,301,200
**Inventory:** Bronze Sword, Weapon of Plunder, Hand Gear...
---
Draco took a deep breath. The next required EXP to level up was a whopping 22 million.
He shook his head, wondering how much EXP would be required when he reached Level 50.
"It's better to leave that for the future," Draco muttered, nearly getting a headache from the thought.
It had been more than five hours since he started hunting, and by now, he had a general overview of the forest.
He was still at the forest's periphery, where Silver- and Gold-ranked Volkoid were common. In fact, Gold-ranked Volkoid outnumbered Silver-ranked ones in this area.
This made Draco realize just how dangerous the forest was. If the periphery had such high-ranked Volkoid, what kind of monsters awaited him at the center?
The thought made his blood boil in anticipation. He couldn't wait to fight them.
Looking at his rank, he saw that he was now 18th. He hadn't planned to climb so high in the rankings, but the system had ruined his plan.
Ding!
[Mission: Rank first in the second selection]
Reward: You can pick one item from the shop for freen/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Penalty: Deduction of Level [-5]
This system-issued mission made Draco feel like crying. He had planned to stay low-key, but the system clearly had other plans for him.
If he failed to secure first place, his level would be reduced by five—a punishment he deemed grossly unfair.
He had ranted to Xylara about it, but she claimed she wasn't responsible for issuing missions. Her role, she explained, was akin to a manager assisting a director in an organization.
She wasn't the one giving orders; that was the system's prerogative.
When Draco heard this, he gave up. It seemed he had no choice but to complete the mission. The reward, at least, was promising.
He stored the weapon he had obtained from the wolf. It was useless to him, and so was the accompanying skill.
Determined, he walked deeper into the forest. The beasts at the periphery weren't enough to ignite Draco's battle spirit.
He wasn't alone in this sentiment.
Elsewhere in the forest, a blonde-haired young man flickering with thunder stood atop the carcass of a Golden-Colored Bee.
"This is boring," he muttered before heading deeper into the forest.
In another area:
A green-haired young man bent space to his will, teleporting as he moved deeper...
A black-haired young lady surrounded by silvery energy strode forward, heading deeper...
A red-haired young man, his hair aflame, advanced toward the forest's depths...
A brown-haired young man stood before the carcass of a Volkoid, clutching his sword as he pressed onward...
There were countless others.
The beasts at the periphery weren't strong enough to force them to reveal their true strength.
Those who shared this mindset ventured deeper into the forest, where the real challenge awaited them.
\\\\\\
BATTLE ARENA, LUMINARI ACADEMY
Numerous screens floated, showing the progress of the first-year students. Everyone in the arena watched intently—how Volkoid were hunted and killed by students, how students were hunted and killed by Volkoid, and even how some students hunted and killed their fellow students for points.
Some moved alone, while others moved in groups, knowing their individual strength wasn't enough to survive in this forest.
The blue-haired referee didn't say anything about these events, so it was clear this was allowed.
The forest had turned into a place of slaughter and battle. If you weren't careful, even if you claimed to be strong, you could quickly become prey.
"Papa, go!" Whenever Draco appeared on the screen, this was what Lyraea would shout. The crowd had taken notice of this three-year-old child.
However, they were confused about Draco's age. There was a striking resemblance between him and Lyraea, but how could he have a daughter if he was less than 18 years old? No one could make sense of it.
Even the Vice Chancellor and the elders were puzzled. The thought crossing their minds was that Draco might have tricked them. This prompted them to summon Alya, the one who had brought Draco to the academy, to explain herself.
"I heard I was called," Alya said in a neutral tone as she approached where the elders and Vice Chancellor were seated.
To the other teachers and students, the people before her seemed great and awe-inspiring, but to Alya, who had awakened her memories, these people were insignificant. Their strength amounted to nothing compared to a god, and Alya's past life was that of a god. If not for her current limited strength, she wouldn't have even bothered giving them any face.
The elders raised their eyebrows at Alya's attitude. This wasn't the first time she had acted this way, but because of her grandfather's influence and her own strength, they always let it slide.
"I heard you were the one who brought that silver-haired boy," the Vice Chancellor said.
"Yes, I did," Alya replied, raising her eyebrows.
As expected, they called me because of Master, she thought.
"Do you know his origin or background?" Old Yamato asked.
"Yes, he's also my hidden student," Alya said.
"During my travels, I met him," she added solemnly, her tone exuding an aura of storytelling that drew the elders' attention.
"He was poorer than a church mouse. Do you know what he ate and drank?" Alya asked dramatically.
The elders, for some inexplicable reason, found themselves curious and leaned in.
"He drank urine and ate his own feces, yet he remained happy doing so," Alya said, tears streaming down her face.
The elders and the Vice Chancellor turned their gazes to Draco, who was busy hunting Volkoid. They could imagine this poor boy's pitiful life, surviving on such means...
If Draco had been present to hear this, he would have ravaged Alya with a beating. Of all the stories to fabricate, why would she claim he drank urine and ate feces?
But Draco, oblivious to this, was busy hunting Volkoid, unaware that his reputation was being destroyed.
"…That's why I took him as my student and cared for him. When he turned fifteen, I tested him, and it turned out he was a hidden gem."
"You did well to accept him. I never imagined he had such a life," one of the elders, a lady, said while wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
The other elders agreed and praised Alya for her actions.
Phew, that was close. I'm sure Master will praise me for this, Alya thought, feeling like she had completed a heavenly mission.
Praise, my foot! Draco would have shouted had he heard her thoughts. She had truly ruined his reputation.
"Who is that little girl calling him 'Papa'?" the Vice Chancellor asked.
Alya sighed. The elders felt another story coming and prepared to listen attentively.
"She's his younger sister. She barely survived after their mother gave birth to her. Their mother later passed away when Lyraea was one year old…" Alya began another tale.
Huuuh-Huuuh!!!
The entire group of elders was sniffing by now. What a sad life these two children had, they thought.
"What are their names?" Dr. Shaw asked Alya.
"His name is Simeon, and she's called Lyraea," Alya replied, deciding to give Draco a fake name but not bothering to alter Lyraea's.
The elders turned their gaze to Lyraea, who was sitting behind Alya, and then to Draco on the screen.
If one looked closely at Lyraea, they would see her frowning and her face twitching as Alya began her stories.
This was a depressing situation! Alya clearly didn't know how to craft believable tales.
And of course, such emotional manipulation shouldn't have affected the elders and Vice Chancellor, who stood at the peak of cultivation in Calonia.
It was Alya's charm at work—a horrifying skill of a Charm Demon, capable of swaying emotions and manipulating people with ease.
Meanwhile, the second selection continued.
Fifteen percent of the students had already been eliminated—some by Volkoid, others by their fellow students.
Draco had moved deeper into the forest, eliminating Platinum-ranked Volkoid (Lvl 30) and gathering valuable herbs.
He had climbed into the top ten, ranked 8th. Above him were Rose (1st), Adrianna (2nd), Ming (3rd), Blum (4th), Daniel (5th), Sharon (6th), and Slyph (7th).
Draco's points trailed just slightly behind Slyph's, and he was closing the gap.
"Hey," Draco heard a malicious voice behind him. He turned to see...