Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Zeke headed towards the circular training ground where the year-end evaluation would take place, passing through the bleak corridor.
As he walked, he looked around at his surroundings.
'It's exactly the same as my past memories. Suffocating as ever.'
Shields bearing the Draker family crest were hung throughout the corridor.
The crest depicted a dragon with chains around its neck and a sword pierced through its heart.
This was the Draker family crest, known as the Dragon Slayer Shield.
Zeke frowned as he looked at the crest.
'Never thought I'd see this again while alive.'
To Zeke, the Draker family was both a trauma and an indelible object of admiration.
A wall that was impossible to overcome.
He thought that if he gained the strongest power on the continent, he could completely erase the shadow of Draker.
Perhaps that's why he had struggled so desperately.
He roughly pushed open the door at the end of the corridor and went inside.
Bang!
The circular training ground was already filled with children around Zeke's age.
Everyone was wrapping leather straps around their hands for Pankration, one of the year-end evaluation events.
'Hmm...'
The gathered children began murmuring at Zeke's appearance.
Ignoring them, he looked around the arena.
It felt nostalgic to be back at the Pankration arena after so long.
"Ah, this brings back memories."
In his childhood, Zeke extremely disliked Pankration.
This was because he was unbelievably small and physically weak for a direct descendant of the Draker family.
The young bloodline members of the Draker family, regardless of whether they were direct or collateral descendants, begin living together when they turn seven.
And in the communal living area called the 'Cradle,' they undergo five years of strict rules, disciplined life, and harsh training.
Before the blessing ceremony, they receive basic training in swordsmanship, martial arts, and physical conditioning, with Pankration being one of the most important training methods.
In particular, the Draker family's Pankration was a no-rules match close to actual combat.
Although this resulted in many injuries, it didn't matter because top-grade recovery potions were always kept in stock.
This kind of practice was only possible within the Draker family throughout the entire continent.
"Whew..."
Zeke took a breath while loosening his muscles here and there.
Other children kept glancing at him, seemingly finding his behavior strange.
That's when it happened.
"Oh? How unusual to see you show up instead of running away today."
When Zeke turned his head, he saw a red-haired boy covered in freckles standing there.
Behind him stood two well-built boys, showing off their broad shoulders with arrogant postures.
'Who was this again?'
Then he soon realized who the boy was..
"Ah, it's you. Leon Conrad."
At those words, the red-haired boy's face turned bright red and he gritted his teeth.
Leon grabbed Zeke's shoulder and spoke menacingly.
"You recessive bastard, are you crazy?"
That's when it happened.
GRAB!
Zeke firmly gripped Leon's wrist that was holding his shoulder.
CRACK!
Leon's eyes widened as he shook off Zeke's hand that was gripping his wrist.
Leon glared at Zeke and shouted.
"How dare you! Do you want to die, you recessive bastard?!"
Zeke looked at Leon with calm eyes and thought.
'Should I kill him?'
Before his regression, Zeke had experienced all sorts of hardships while wandering the continent.
Killing a twelve-year-old kid who hadn't even awakened as an Aura user would be nothing.
As Leon huffed and puffed in front of Zeke, other children quietly watched the situation.
That's when it happened.
DING!
The evaluation bell rang.
Zeke licked his lips as he watched Leon back away.
He recalled how Leon had continuously bullied him during their time in the Cradle and Academy.
'Leon Conrad’
That damn bastard was one of my cousins too.
Zeke had four siblings and more than ten cousins.
Excluding the direct bloodline relatives whom he rarely met, most of his cousins were annoying incarnations of Draker.
As Zeke was ruminating on these memories, the instructor came up to the training ground.
At his appearance, the children lined up in front of the circular arena.
Their movements were so swift it was hard to believe they were twelve-year-olds.
Zeke recalled the instructor's name.
'Fan Mark. He was the responsible instructor for this class.'
Fan Mark, who had come up to the arena, shouted.
"This year-end evaluation will consist of Pankration and sword fighting matches, same as last year."
The children tensed up and focused at Fan's words.
The evaluation at the Cradle was linked to class placement in the Academy they would enter next year.
After completing the blessing ceremony, the trainees would awaken as Aura users and enter the Academy as ‘Yellow Knights’.
And at this time, they would be assigned to classes based on their year-end evaluation results from the Cradle.
The higher the class grade, the more opportunities they would have to learn higher-grade dragon-slaying techniques, so the children had no choice but to desperately chase after scores.
Zeke clicked his tongue as he witnessed this vicious competition system again after 20 years.
'How did I even survive here before?'
When he was young, Zeke had been weak in both body and mind.
In his childhood, the Cradle and Academy were nothing short of hell for him.
As Zeke was thinking about the past, Fan Mark called out the first evaluees.
"Aaron! Gota!"
Aaron and Gota came up to the arena.
Gota was one of the well-built boys who had been standing behind Leon earlier.
Both looked to be in similar weight classes with their good builds.
Fan blew the whistle.
Tweeet!
Aaron and Gota lowered their stances and glared at each other.
After a moment, Gota charged first, trying to grab Aaron's knee.
In that instant, Aaron quickly changed direction and grabbed Gota's waist.
Aaron lifted Gota's body and flipped him over.
BANG!
Gota, who had been slammed onto the arena floor in one go, got up while breathing heavily.
"You commoner bastard..."
Aaron maintained his stance with a relaxed expression.
Although Gota attempted several more attacks, they were all blocked by Aaron's defense.
The match ended anticlimactically with Aaron's victory.
'Hmm...'
Zeke wore a bored expression while watching Aaron and Gota's match.
'Maybe because it's kids fighting. Why is it so amateur?'
Pankration was something he used to hate to the point of shuddering when he was young.
But now looking at it, it seemed like child's play.
Leon, who was sitting opposite, glared at Zeke with murderous intent as he kept yawning.
After several matches, Fan Mark called out the next competitors.
"Zeke! And..."
Fan hesitated before speaking.
"Leon! Come out."
Judging by Leon's excited expression, it seemed he had arranged something with the instructor beforehand.
House Draker outwardly proclaimed to be a noble knight family, but behind the scenes, they were full of schemes and tricks.
'And then they would ramble that overcoming plots and schemes is what makes a true dragon slayer.'
Leon climbed onto the arena and pounded his fists together.
Zeke trudged onto the arena without enthusiasm.
Leon spoke while looking at such a Zeke.
"You recessive gene bastard. You're dead today."
Zeke opened his mouth while looking at Leon.
"Hey."
Leon was looking at his fist but raised his head to look at Zeke.
"If you mention recessive gene one more time, I'll really kill you."
Leon flinched at the killing intent felt in Zeke's eyes.
Realizing that he had been momentarily intimidated by Zeke, Leon shouted even louder.
"You recessive..."
Swoosh!
At that moment, Zeke's fist cut through the air.
BANG!
Leon felt like half of his face had disappeared for a moment.
He collapsed onto the arena floor.
"Huh, huh... my, my face."
Leon clutched his face while fallen.
Zeke recalled the text that appeared when he planted his punch in Leon's face.
[Skill Fatal Strike has been activated.]
'So this is how active skills are activated.'
Tweeeeet!
At that moment, a whistle sound rang out.
Fan Mark shouted at Zeke.
"What are you doing when the match hasn't even started?!"
Then Zeke stared at Fan and said.
"On the battlefield, who says 'Start!' before swinging their sword. Whoever strikes first wins."
Fan was startled by the rough way of speaking that came from Zeke's mouth.
'A guy who usually only runs away, suddenly what...?'
That's when Leon got up while breathing heavily.
"Instructor! Please start again! I'm going to kill that recessive bastard!"
Fan thought for a moment and blew the whistle again.
"Match start!"
Leon tightened his guard and charged at Zeke.
'Looks like earlier was just a lucky punch. This time I'll completely break your arms and legs.'
Although Leon was small in build, he showed exceptional talent in pankration.
Even guys with big builds had their shoulders dislocated because they couldn't keep up with Leon's fighting sense.
Moreover, he was so cruel in his techniques that even when opponents tapped out, he wouldn't let go and would end up breaking their arms and legs, so other children who faced him tended to be passive.
Leon, who had regained his confidence, lowered his stance and charged straight at Zeke.
However, unlike usual, there seemed to be no openings in Zeke who was just standing still.
'What's this?'
And then, Zeke's left hand moved.
THUD!
Even though it shouldn't have been within reach, Zeke's jab struck Leon's face.
"You bastard!"
Whenever Leon charged in, Zeke's jab would inevitably fly.
THUD!
"Ugh!"
Though it was a light jab, because the fist was tightly wrapped in leather straps, when hit, it would tear the skin and make the head ring.
Leon tightened his guard around his face and dove into Zeke's range to grab his waist.
"Got you, you bastard!"
Once he grabbed and threw him down, it would be over after breaking his joints.
When trying to throw Zeke backwards, strangely he wouldn't budge at all.
'Wh-what is this...?'
Zeke spoke into Leon's ear.
"I told you. If you mention recessive one more time, I'll kill you."
Suddenly getting goosebumps all over his body, Leon hurriedly tried to back away.
WHOOSH!
But from the close distance, Zeke kicked Leon's thigh.
"Kuk!"
It was such a heavy attack that one wouldn't think it was a low kick from an unstable position.
When Leon's balance was disrupted, Zeke hooked his leg inside and threw him down.
THUD!
Zeke fell down together with Leon while striking his ribs with his elbow.
[Vital Strike skill has been activated.]
"Kaheok!"
Leon with his ribs broken couldn't breathe.
Zeke mounted on top of Leon, grabbed one arm with his leg and pressed down on the other shoulder with his knee.
After taking the mount position, Zeke looked down at Leon while clenching his fist.
Then he struck Leon's face with his fist.
[Slash skill has been activated.]
THUD! THUD!
Zeke's fists relentlessly pounded Leon's face.
"Kek, kek! St-stop!"
Despite Leon's pleas, Zeke's fists didn't stop.
Leon, who had been struggling, soon lost consciousness from Zeke's merciless beating.
Only when Leon lost consciousness did Zeke slowly stand up.
"Nothing but a worthless bastard running his mouth."
The standby medical staff dragged the unconscious Leon off the arena.
Zeke, who had turned Leon into a bloody mess in an instant, returned to his original seat.
Other children exchanged glances trying to assess the situation at Zeke's sudden change.
That's when Zeke's voice rang out.
"You bastards. I can hear the sound of your eyeballs rolling."
The children's gazes uniformly focused on Zeke.
Zeke continued speaking while smirking.
"Now that I've worked up a sweat, my head's finally starting to work. I'm beginning to recognize who's who too."
Despite not understanding what he was saying, the children could only silently stare at Zeke.
"If you have something to say, come and say it. Stop rolling your eyes around."
That was when it happened.
"Instructor."
A boy with sharp, pale white eyes raised his hand.
"May I designate ‘Zeke’ as my evaluation opponent?"
Zeke recognized the boy who raised his hand.
'I remember. His name was... yes. Jacken Valdek. Another cousin has appeared.'
In response to Jacken's words, Fan turned his head toward Zeke.
"Zeke. What are you going to do?"
After thinking for a moment, Zeke stood up from his seat.
"Whatever, I'll just sweat a bit more. But you know what."
He pointed at Jacken while speaking.
"You alone would be too bland."
Zeke pointed at the boy sitting next to Jacken.
"Liam Stone."
The boy who had been sitting silently next to Jacken quietly raised his head.
Zeke spoke while looking at him.
"Both of you come at me."
Zeke grinned.
"That should make things a bit more interesting ."