Chapter 201: The Dragon Blood Academy's Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201: The Dragon Blood Academy's Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony
The moment I soared into the high heavens, I felt an unprecedented pressure bear down on my entire body, as if the air itself were trying to crush me back down.
A no-fly zone?
No, it felt more like an altitude ceiling.
Once I had uncontrollably descended to a certain height, the sensation vanished. I could still fly, just not very high.
I didn't recall any height limit rules for the Central Ancient Battlefield.
Cursing under my breath, I leveled off at the required altitude and was forced to fly in the opposite direction of the sandstorm.
Actually, the rules did mention that the Central Ancient Battlefield could produce various anomalies due to simulated Ley Line effects. Perhaps this height limit was one of them?
I wasn't sure if this restriction was permanent or temporary.
If I couldn't fly high enough, I wouldn't be able to scout from a distance to pinpoint my exact location. While it wouldn't stop me from finding landmarks and teleportation landmarks, it would certainly make things much more difficult and waste the golden development time at the start of the match.
Then again, this height limit wouldn't affect most contestants much. Only a few races could fly anyway. I wondered if it would trip up those guys from the Holy Angel Academy.
Still, the force of the height limit was relatively gentle; one could likely adjust their posture and land safely before hitting the ground.
However, I started worrying about my teammates. Not many of them had their flight licenses. Some had just crammed at the last minute to learn the basics. Without advanced flying techniques, wouldn't falling from that height mean starting the match with a major injury?
I hoped their start wasn't that disastrous.
After flying in this direction for a while, I spotted some recorded terrain features and confirmed my position on the map.
My current location was a bit remote. If I followed Tan Han’s plan to hold the Witch Tea Party at the Forging Ancient City Ruins, I would be one of the ones traveling the furthest to get there.
Though, at flight speeds, even a long distance wouldn't take too much time.
The map's area seemed significantly larger than I had imagined, but that was only relative to being unable to fly.
I waved my hand to open the public display information, which recorded the real-time academy rankings and individual rankings.
Right now, everyone had just arrived. No one had started killing yet, so everyone’s score was zero. Perhaps they just hadn't had the chance.
Just as I was debating whether to head straight for the Forging Ancient City Ruins or take the opportunity to cause some trouble for others, a pillar of light erupted from the map and shot into the sky.
Even from this distance, the phenomenon was clear as day—a marker visible across the entire map. Someone was already preparing a ritual?
I pulled out my map to check the coordinates. That direction didn't seem to be where the witches were holding their Witch Tea Party.
In fact, it wasn't in the direction of any of the Three Great Rivers' academies. Which academy was this?
To have the luck to land and immediately start a ritual...
Aren't they afraid of being swarmed?
I hopped on my broom and headed straight for it. Circling around the sandstorm to get there would likely cost me quite a bit of time.
But if they thought they could waste this early-game window when everyone is busy to finish their ritual without harassment, they were dead wrong. Other academies might stay out of it for various reasons, but the Witch Academy certainly wouldn't.
True, our original plan was to hold the Witch Tea Party at the ruins, but plans change. Someone was trying to get a head start while our tea party was still a distant prospect. I didn't mind traveling the extra distance to close the gap. After all, once a Witch Tea Party is prepared, other witches need to arrive from a certain distance away. So, really, isn't this ritual a deliberate provocation against our Witch Academy?
"That direction... it looks like that living volcano. The Dragon Blood Nest?"
As I drew closer, I quickly identified the location.
There were two academies in this region: the orthodox Dragon Blood Academy and the Wyrm Blood Affiliated Academy. Judging by the names, the relationship between these two was likely very close, which reminded me of that Vampire.
That little Vampire loli could command students from other academies as if they were her servants.
Would the Dragon Blood Academy be the same?
If so, some academies would be even more troublesome than cheaters.
Those main academies and their affiliated schools were natural allies.
And the Dragon Blood Academy was the least of it; the Beast Academy was the truly terrifying one. A significant portion of the academies in this exchange competition belonged to the Beast Academy faction. While I doubted they could all stay united, what if they did? That would be ten academies working together.
As I entered the region of the living volcano, the heat waves hit me full force. Thick black smoke billowed from the highest peak in the distance, looking as if it might erupt at any moment. Dark red lava flowed from fissures, forming crimson "rivers" that crisscrossed the landscape.
I wondered if these living volcanoes would actually erupt during the competition. That would be quite a spectacle, wouldn't it?
Should I give them a hand? Go up there and toss a Fireball Spell?
No, that would be too dangerous. Volcanic eruptions aren't actually that spectacular in terms of the blast; it's mostly about the splashing lava. Lava doesn't shoot into the sky in massive pillars like in cartoons, and it wouldn't even destroy the entire living volcano area—at most, it would affect the neighboring regions. The worst part would be the volcanic ash...
Wait, volcanic ash? If the wind was right, I could use that. Unfortunately, none of the Three Great Rivers were near the living volcano. The surrounding areas were all small academies, and the area behind it was open sea, which wouldn't affect the Sea Clan at all.
No wonder the Dragon Blood Academy was being so bold. They must feel they have plenty of time to prepare their ritual without fear of interference.
Plus, the terrain here was indeed advantageous. Among the many volcanic clusters, I could see a massive skeleton from high up. That must be the fallen Ancient Dragon from the lore, right?
The massive Ancient Dragon skull was facing the largest volcanic crater. Its flesh had long since melted away, leaving only bleached white bones. The ribs arching across the sky were truly a magnificent sight.
Come to think of it, this place would be a great spot for a Witch Tea Party too.
These were the remains of an Ancient Dragon, after all.
As I hurried toward the ritual site, I finally spotted a living person—or rather, not quite a person. It was a student from the Dragon Blood Academy. They had already undergone Dragon Transformation; their clothes were shredded, and dense dragon scales covered their back. Even their head had transformed into the hideous visage of a vicious dragon. A pair of dragon wings, spanning about two or three meters, were spread behind them, though those alone shouldn't have been enough to support flight.
What was even more ridiculous was that this guy was currently facing a mountain hollow filled with a "gold coin pool" that looked like a small pond. It wasn't just gold coins; there were jewels, diamonds, and all sorts of shiny things that were practically blinding.
Even when I landed nearby, he didn't seem to care. He was too busy experiencing the wonderful sensation of gold coins sliding over his dragon scales.
"I say... do you even realize you're in an exchange competition?"
I spoke up, questioning him directly. Didn't he know everyone had a live stream camera following them?
How could he do something so embarrassing with such enjoyment?
"Who? What!"
The guy was clearly startled. He scrambled and rolled around in the gold coins, unable to hide his sudden shock and the embarrassment of being caught.
"A witch? You—how did you get here so fast!" He recognized my outfit and immediately began questioning me.
"Your Dragon Blood Academy started the Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony, didn't it? If I recall correctly, that's what it's called. Why aren't you over there helping?"
"I... I am helping! The Feast needs... needs treasure. I'm gathering materials for the ritual!"
"Pathetic," I muttered. With a flick of my wand, a Torrent Spell pierced through his body. His fearsome dragon scales didn't cover his entire body, and the strike went right through an unprotected spot.
"Agh... damn you! Who starts a fight right off the bat? Even as a battle-hungry dragon, I was trying to be reasonable with you!" The guy was furious. Although his vital areas were protected by scales and the wound wasn't fatal, the severe piercing pain was enough to make him nearly lose his mind.
Looking at his body, I marveled at his powerful life force; he was still so energetic even after that.
Facing the charging half-dragon, I didn't panic. Against such mindless attacks, I only needed to cast a body strengthening spell on myself to dodge at close range without taking a scratch. Using the footwork from my wand combat techniques, I successfully tagged his legs twice with Fireball Spells.
I had already checked this brute with Spirit Vision. He didn't seem to have a vital core inside him; his power came from the immense strength and physique granted by his dragon blood. There was a trace of transcendent energy in him, but the idiot didn't know how to use it—or perhaps he just hadn't had the chance.
Having been crippled to this extent in a single exchange, the guy grew terrified.
He remembered his teacher telling him to be careful of witches before they arrived. Only now did he realize that the "tiny, weak" creature before him was actually a monster.
He immediately chose to beg for mercy. He didn't want to lose his first life like this. If I let him go, he could slowly heal using his dragon blood. He might even be able to use the power of the Ancient Dragon bloodline here to regrow his limbs. As a Wyrmkin, he was well aware of this.
"Quiet down. Are you a contestant from the Dragon Blood Academy?" I interrupted his rambling and got straight to the point.
"I'm a student from the Wyrm Blood Affiliated Academy, hiss..."
"An affiliated academy student, huh? So you're not important. Let me ask you this: is that ritual for the Dragon Blood Academy or your academy?" I continued.
Even if they were the same type of academy, they were fundamentally different institutions, and their rituals would differ.
"I—I am important! Even if I'm from the Wyrm Blood Affiliated Academy, we have an obligation to help the Dragon Blood Academy with their ritual. Only after the main school completes their ritual are we eligible to perform ours..."
"So you're just a beggar on your knees?" My retort left him stunned.
Though he probably wanted to say that was exactly the case, dragons were all about bloodline suppression. Some academies were only able to establish themselves in this Main World by relying on a main school; that's how affiliated academies came to be. Without the main school, they essentially had no right to stand in the Main World.
Even as a freshman, he knew this well. Or rather, once the dragon blood entered his body, he no longer had a choice.
"Miss Witch, please, don't kill me. How about we ally? Yes, an alliance! You help us finish the ritual, and we dragons will help you too."
"Join forces? An alliance? Great idea. But I might not do it quite the way you expect." I smiled as I "accepted" his suggestion, but to the Wyrmkin, that smile looked purely calculating.
A moment later, I knocked him unconscious with a single blow. Silence and Binding spells—the full service.
I didn't want to kill him just yet because a kill would trigger a notification and show up on the rankings. More importantly, I didn't know where this guy would respawn, and he might mess up my plans.
I did want an alliance, but not the kind he envisioned.
I wasn't interested in a single point; I was after the heads of the entire group preparing the ritual.
So, I'll just wait here for a bit.
I'll fill your body with the gold coins here. Once I've handled things, I'll come back and finish you off.
After dealing with him, I hopped on my broom and sped toward the site of the Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony. The ritual wasn't finished yet, and even if it were, completing it would take time. It could still be sabotaged.
As long as it wasn't fully completed, no points would be awarded, and all their effort would be for nothing.
As I got closer, I gave up on flying and chose to walk. By my side now stood a figure identical to the Wyrmkin from before—my Illusion Clone. My control over the Illusion Clone had already surpassed the original spell's parameters. I was even constantly updating my methods for inflicting illusions; now, people could fall under the spell just by looking at me, and the success rate was extremely high.
"It's up to you. Make sure you act the way they expect."
"Of course, Miss Witch," the Illusion Clone said with a fawning smile.
Only then did I set off.
"Halt! You're... a witch! Ene—"
"Wait! She's an ally!" Just as the Wyrmkin responsible for perimeter security was about to shout "enemy attack," another Wyrmkin suddenly cried out from a spot he hadn't noticed.
"You... wait, Dana? What's going on? Why are you with her?" Clearly, this Wyrmkin recognized the guy I was impersonating; they were from the same academy, after all.
"This is a student from the Witch Academy. She came from the battlefield and wants to join forces with us dragons!"
"Hello. I am Yang Yuehan of the Witch Academy. As he said, I saw you were preparing a ritual. While you have the geographical advantage, you'll undoubtedly face trouble. Therefore, I wish to represent the Witch Academy in an alliance with the Dragon Blood Academy. I will help ensure your Dragon Blood Feast Ceremony is held safely, and in return, you will provide..." I gave him an elegant bow—a very high-standard gesture of etiquette. I had to show some "sincerity," after all.
"Wait... I can't decide something like this..." The Wyrmkin looked troubled and quickly interrupted me.
Judging by his expression, my smile didn't waver. It seemed there was room for negotiation; otherwise, I'd have to resort to the worst-case scenario.
Looking at it this way, my Illusion Clone was quite useful.
It was just that the way he looked at me was a bit disgusting. As expected, are dragons naturally lecherous?
"Then please, kind sir, take me to see someone from the Dragon Blood Academy who can make the call. I'm sure you won't refuse assistance from the Witch Academy."
"Yeah, the boss will definitely agree. Don't you trust me?" the clone added from the side.
"I suppose... fine. I'll take you, but you aren't allowed to make a single move on the way!"
"This is Dragon Blood Academy territory. If I caused too much of a scene, I wouldn't be confident in my ability to escape," I said, smiling as I shook my head and waved my hand dismissively.
This guy actually believed me?
Not even a hint of suspicion?
Someone says they want an alliance and he just lets them in? I thought that, given dragon pride, he'd just say "we don't need you."
If he had, I would have had to put in some effort to force my way in.
Or maybe I should have taken him down too and replaced him with another Illusion Clone?
No, that was a poor plan. The more Illusion Clones there were, the higher the chance of being exposed. Better not to take the risk. I'll go see what kind of character this "boss" of the Dragon Blood Academy is.
I'd already experienced the combat power of a Wyrmkin; I wondered how the pure-blood Dragon Blood Academy students would compare.
They should be a bit stronger. I wondered if they could handle a "BUG" like me.
I was already looking forward to seeing their faces when I activated the Elemental Spirit's blessing in front of everyone. Of course, it would be best to gain their trust first, then stab them in the back.
As I followed him, another pillar of light shot into the sky in the distance. Another academy was starting a ritual... Looking at the direction, it didn't seem to be the Witch Academy. Logically, it had been quite a while now.
But this was fine too. It would put more pressure on the Dragon Blood Academy. If they were too arrogant to accept my help, I'd just have to go "Dynasty Warriors" on them.
If things went south, I still had my flying broom to escape. I wasn't sure if the wings on the backs of pure-blood Dragonkin were just for show.
But even if they weren't, flight based on aerodynamics certainly couldn't beat a flying broom. One should never underestimate the flight speed of the academy's latest broom model!