Chapter 3: The Steed Black Dragon
Chapter 3: The Steed Black Dragon
Early the next morning, I set out on the road toward Dragon City. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I put my bamboo hat back on again. There was no helping it—being too handsome could be troublesome.
The order and security of the Dragon God Empire were far better than those of the Beastmen Kingdom. I had already traveled for five days without encountering a single bandit group. No wonder the Dragon God Empire could stand against the other two Great Races. It truly had its own advantages.
The gradually heating air reminded me that it was already noon. My stomach had long run out of food. Fortunately, there was a small roadside restaurant ahead.
Ever since arriving in the Dragon God Empire, I had become particularly fascinated by the food here. Compared with what I had eaten in the Beastmen Kingdom before, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.
As soon as I stepped into the small restaurant, a rich aroma rushed toward me, instantly making my appetite surge.
Although the place was not luxurious, it was very clean. Business seemed quite good—about sixty to seventy percent of the tables were already occupied.
I found a quiet table near the side and sat down.
A waiter walked over, handed me a menu, and asked,
“Sir, what would you like to order?”
I flipped through the menu and casually chose several dishes I had never tried before, along with one jin of steamed buns.
Soon, all my dishes were served.
With a steamed bun in my left hand and chopsticks in my right, I began attacking the food.
Meanwhile, more customers gradually filled the restaurant until every seat was taken.
A young warrior walked in from outside. He was about 1.8 meters tall and wore a moon-white warrior’s outfit. He looked quite strong and carried a long sword on his back. He seemed like a spirited young man.
After entering and seeing that no tables were available, he walked over to my table and said politely,
“Big brother, there aren’t any seats left. May I sit here with you?”
I was sitting at a table meant for four people, but I was alone. I nodded and continued eating without looking up.
The warrior called out,
“Waiter, bring me one jin of good wine, two small dishes, and one jin of steamed buns.”
After ordering, he turned to me and said,
“Big brother, judging from your appearance, you must be traveling far.”
Although I had not removed my bamboo hat, I had lifted the veil in order to eat.
Were all humans this enthusiastic?
I raised my head and glanced at him coldly before nodding once more.
When he saw my handsome yet cold face, he was momentarily startled.
I continued eating without paying him any further attention.
Having been brushed off, he laughed awkwardly.
By the time his food arrived, I had already finished eating. I casually left a silver coin on the table, stood up, slung my pack over my shoulder, and strode out of the restaurant.
I had noticed that in the Dragon God Empire many people traveled on horseback, and they moved very quickly.
I wanted to try getting a horse as well. That way, I could probably reach Dragon City sooner.
I stopped a passerby and asked,
“Excuse me, where can I buy a horse?”
The man frowned at first when I grabbed him, but seeing my tall and imposing figure, he did not dare say anything rude. He pointed ahead and said,
“At the next intersection, turn left. Walk about two kilometers and you’ll find a horse ranch where you can buy one.”
I nodded to him and walked in the direction he indicated.
The horse ranch was truly large. In the center was a racetrack of nearly one thousand mu, while the left side contained the area where horses and riding equipment were sold.
I went to the place where the horses were sold and asked the horse trader,
“Which horses here are for sale?”
The trader could immediately tell that I was an outsider who knew nothing about horses. He smiled contemptuously and said,
“As long as you can pay the price, every horse you see here is for sale.”
I gave a brief nod and began looking around to see if I could find a horse I liked.
Suddenly, I noticed that everyone was gathering toward the western side of the ranch. Curious, I grabbed someone nearby to ask what was happening.
It turned out that the ranch owner had captured a wild horse a few days earlier after bringing many people along.
The wild horse had an extremely violent temperament. No one had been able to tame it. When they captured it, they had only succeeded by using blow darts coated with anesthetic.
Today, the ranch owner had invited several famous horse trainers to attempt to tame it.
Such a fierce horse naturally piqued my curiosity.
I followed the crowd to the western training ground. It was already packed with people.
Although I stood relatively far back, my height allowed me to clearly see the center of the field.
In the middle stood six or seven people dressed in neat riding attire, surrounding a black steed.
Even though I knew little about horses, I could tell this one was extraordinary.
Its black mane gleamed with an oily sheen like black satin. With its head held high in pride, it snorted loudly again and again, showing clear impatience and hostility toward the people around it.
The sky gradually darkened as large clouds gathered overhead.
Although the sun was now hidden, the air did not feel cooler. Instead, it felt even more stifling.
The men surrounding the horse tried to throw rope loops around it so they could climb onto its back.
But the black horse was extremely agile. Again and again it dodged the attacks of the horse trainers.
The crowd around the field began murmuring among themselves, saying that this attempt would probably fail as well.
At that moment, one of the middle-aged trainers suddenly threw his lasso.
To everyone’s surprise, it landed perfectly around the black horse’s neck.
The horse immediately became violent.
It raised its front legs high into the air and let out a clear, piercing neigh.
The trainer’s skills were truly impressive. Using the momentum of the rope, he leapt onto the horse’s back and wrapped his arms tightly around its neck.
“Good job! Hold on! Hold on!”
The surrounding crowd began cheering loudly.
The black horse jumped and bucked wildly, trying to throw the man off its back.
Because of its violent movements, the other trainers were forced to retreat to the outer edges of the field.
Now the man on the horse’s back was struggling alone.
After bucking for a long time and failing to throw him off, the black horse gradually seemed to calm down. It stopped kicking and jumping.
It seemed that no matter how fierce it was, it would eventually be tamed.
The surrounding crowd began shouting the trainer’s name.
Only then did I learn that he was the ranch owner’s son.
The man on the horse proudly raised both hands.
At that very moment, something unexpected happened.
The black horse suddenly collapsed to the ground as if it had stumbled.
The trainer was startled and quickly jumped off the horse to check on it. After all, he did not want such a fine horse to be injured.
But the moment he jumped down, the black horse suddenly sprang back up.
Bracing itself with its front legs, it kicked its powerful hind legs straight into the trainer’s chest.
Even from where I stood, I could clearly hear the sound of his chest bones shattering.
He let out a long scream as he was kicked far away.
It was obvious he would not survive.
In truth, the entire sequence had happened in only a few blinks of an eye.
The crowd immediately erupted into chaos.
Several other trainers in the field hurried over and dragged the injured man to the side.
A richly dressed man rushed out from the side and shouted in grief and rage,
“Give me back my son’s life! Kill that vicious horse!”
It seemed he was the owner of the ranch. His son’s death had already driven him mad with grief.
Immediately, many ranch workers rushed out holding various weapons, preparing to kill the horse.
The black steed still stood in the field with its head held high, completely unaware that the fate of death was about to descend upon it.
For some reason, the moment I first saw that magnificent black horse, I felt an inexplicable fondness for it.
It seemed that it was time for me to step forward.
I shouted loudly, “Wait!”
Pushing aside the crowd in front of me with both arms, I walked into the field. Thousands of eyes immediately turned toward me.
I walked up to the ranch owner. He was lying over his son’s body, crying bitterly. I lowered my head and checked the son’s injuries first.
He was already dead.
Blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his chest had completely collapsed inward.
I could not help shaking my head.
“Give me a chance. Let me tame this horse.”
The ranch owner cried out through his tears,
“No! I will use its corpse to honor my son’s spirit.”
I frowned and said coldly,
“What did the horse do wrong? If you hadn’t overestimated yourselves and tried to tame it, this would never have happened.”
The ranch owner flew into a rage.
“Who are you to cause trouble here? Men, throw him out!”
I snorted coldly and ignored him, turning instead to walk toward the black horse.
After taking only two steps, several ranch workers surrounded me.
I removed my bamboo hat and slung it behind my back.
“Don’t force me to hurt people.”
The workers paid no attention. Hearing my arrogant words, they rushed forward immediately. Four or five people grabbed me at once.
Fortunately, they did not use weapons. It seemed they only wanted to beat me up to vent their boss’s anger.
But with their level of skill, how could they possibly threaten me?
With a burst of strength from my arms, I shook them all off and sent them flying.
Seeing that they still wanted to attack, I snorted heavily. My eyes flashed with cold authority as I shouted,
“Do you want to come forward and die?”
I smashed my fist heavily into the ground.
Boom!
Dust exploded into the air, and a crater one meter in diameter and half a meter deep appeared in the previously flat ground.
I brushed the dust off my body and ignored the stunned crowd as I walked straight toward the black horse.
The black horse seemed to sense danger as well. Its large eyes fixed on me while its left forehoof pawed the ground restlessly.
I stopped about two meters away and gave it a mocking smile.
With strength capable of tearing apart tigers and leopards, why would I fear a horse?
Perhaps it understood my smile.
With an angry neigh, the horse reared up on its hind legs and slammed its front hooves down toward me.
I lowered my stance, planted my feet firmly, and raised both arms.
Grabbing both descending hooves, I caught them mid-strike.
The impact was extremely powerful. My arms were forced slightly backward before I immediately stabilized them with my strength.
Gasps erupted from the crowd.
“What incredible strength! He actually blocked the horse’s stomp!”
“Did you see that crater he made earlier? He must be a high-level warrior!”
“Is he even human? Can a human have that much strength?”
Sorry—but I couldn’t really be considered entirely human.
At least not when it came to strength.
I twisted my waist and flung the black horse outward.
It crashed to the ground, rolling once before letting out a pained whinny. After struggling for a moment, it managed to stand again.
I walked up to it once more, staring directly into its eyes.
“Do you submit? With your strength, you can’t possibly compete with me.”
To my surprise, it seemed to understand my words.
The horse nodded its head slightly and looked at me with pitiful eyes. Then it slowly walked up and rubbed its large head against my chest.
I gently patted its head, a rare smile appearing on my face.
“From now on, you’ll be my best partner. How about I call you Black Dragon?”
The horse gave a joyful neigh, clearly approving of the name.
Turning toward the ranch owner, I shouted,
“Owner, sorry about this. I’m taking this horse.”
Without waiting for their response, I pulled out a pouch of gold coins from my chest—about fifty coins—and tossed it to them.
Then I leapt onto the horse’s back.
Only after mounting did I realize something: I had never actually ridden a horse before.
(After all, beasts among the beastmen didn’t ride horses.)
Well—whatever.
I clamped my legs tightly around Black Dragon’s belly and grabbed its long mane.
Black Dragon needed no urging. It dashed forward at full speed.
When we reached the fence, I chopped forward with my palm, shattering the top two rails. With a powerful leap, Black Dragon jumped over the barrier and galloped away with its inexperienced rider.
Rain gradually began to fall from the sky.
Although my clothes slowly became soaked, the cool sensation felt extremely refreshing.
Since it was my first time riding a horse, I felt a little nervous at first. But after a while that feeling disappeared.
Sitting on Black Dragon’s back was surprisingly stable, with only a slight bouncing motion. The scenery on both sides rushed past like lightning.
Leaning forward over its body, I gradually discovered that when I tilted my body to the left, Black Dragon turned left. When I tilted right, it ran right.
It was actually quite fun.
After all, I was only sixteen years old.
Playing around like that, I completely forgot about my direction. It wasn’t until dusk approached that I realized I was lost.
Dense forests surrounded me on all sides.
Fortunately, there was still a small road beneath us. Otherwise I wouldn’t even know which direction to go.
Forget it. I decided to continue along this road and ask someone for directions when I reached a settlement.
After riding Black Dragon for another two hours, we finally arrived at a town.
I tugged gently on its mane, and Black Dragon gradually slowed down.
Once inside the town, I jumped off its back. My trousers were already soaked with Black Dragon’s sweat.
I patted its large head affectionately and walked into town.
The town was quite large.
Various shops lined the roads, giving the place a lively atmosphere. Black Dragon followed behind me step by step.
I soon found an inn.
The attendant at the entrance hurried over with a flattering smile.
“Sir, please stay at our inn. We have complete facilities, low prices, excellent service—”
I raised my hand impatiently to stop him.
“Find a place to settle my horse first.”
The attendant looked at Black Dragon behind me and said sincerely,
“What a fine horse you have, sir. But… why doesn’t it have a saddle or bridle?”
A saddle and bridle? What are those? I wondered, though I didn’t ask.
“Do you have them here? I was planning to equip it properly.”
“We don’t sell them here,” the attendant said. “But over there is a shop that specializes in saddles and bridles. Their goods are excellent and reasonably priced.”
“Take me there. I want a full set.”
The attendant looked hesitant.
“But I’m currently on duty here…”
I sneered and tossed him a silver coin.
“Are you busy now?”
The attendant caught the coin and immediately beamed with delight.
“Not busy! Not busy at all! Please wait a moment.”
He ran back inside to notify another attendant before eagerly leading me to the tack shop.
I spent ten gold coins to buy Black Dragon the best saddle, bridle, horseshoes, and related equipment.
I didn’t buy a riding whip—I felt I wouldn’t need one.
With the new equipment on, Black Dragon looked even more magnificent.
The shop assistants kept praising the horse. However, apart from me, Black Dragon refused to let anyone approach.
Only after I held its head firmly did it reluctantly allow the assistants to put the equipment on.
Afterward, I followed the inn attendant to the stable behind the inn.
I personally brushed and cleaned Black Dragon, fed it high-quality fodder, and only then returned to the inn to rest.
After resting for a night, I asked for directions to Dragon City, located my current position on the map, and set out again. Fortunately, I hadn’t been traveling in the opposite direction. Although I had deviated a little, once I corrected my course I quickly returned to the right road.
With the saddle and bridle equipped, riding Black Dragon became far more comfortable. I loosened the reins, set the direction, and let Black Dragon gallop on its own.
When there were few people around, Black Dragon maintained a moderate speed. But whenever it saw another horse, it immediately accelerated, determined to overtake it. I never expected a horse to have such a strong competitive spirit.
With Black Dragon, my speed increased greatly. The remaining 3,000 kilometers took only a little over ten days to travel. That was even with me deliberately slowing down because I was worried about tiring it.
At last, I arrived at Dragon City.
Although it didn’t appear as tall as our Beast Emperor City, it was still extremely magnificent. The city wall stood eight zhang high, built entirely from thick granite blocks. Dragons of many different shapes were carved into the stone, and high above the wall flew the national flag of the Dragon God Empire.
Perhaps because the city lay deep inland, security was rather relaxed. Without undergoing any inspection, I was able to enter the city smoothly.
Dragon City was enormous—several times larger than the beastmen’s imperial capital. It took me three full days just to explore it roughly.
Tiandu Academy was extremely famous here. Asking anyone easily revealed its location.
I went to Tiandu Academy first and registered. I learned that the entrance exam would not begin for another month. Since I still had plenty of time, I decided to settle down for the time being. There were many inns around the academy, and I chose a relatively clean one.
Every morning I practiced Heavenly Thunder Armor Removal for a while.
In the afternoon I rode Black Dragon around the city. Sometimes I even took it outside the city for exercise. Otherwise, if it only ate and slept every day, it would eventually grow fat.
At night I focused on practicing the Heavenly Demon Technique.
Since I was in an enemy nation, it would be best to reach the strength of a Two-Winged Fallen Angel as soon as possible. If my identity were exposed, at least I would have the strength to fight.
More than a month passed like this.
Although I trained diligently, the Heavenly Demon Technique still remained in the late stage of the second layer. Transformation was still far away. Only by completing the third layer could I transform. It seemed there was no use rushing things. I would have to wait until I entered Tiandu Academy to see what happened next.
During this month of living in Dragon City, I discovered that there were a great many warriors and mages here.
Although I had never fought a mage before, I encountered several wearing magic robes. Even from a distance, I could faintly sense how frightening they were. The warriors also appeared to possess very high levels of skill.
As expected of a powerful empire.
Originally I had been full of confidence, but after observing them for a month, even I began to feel somewhat uneasy.
Within the Dragon God Empire, warriors were divided into ten ranks:
Apprentice Warrior
Beginner Warrior
Intermediate Warrior
Advanced Warrior
Swordmaster
Great Swordmaster
Earth Knight
Radiant Knight
Sword Saint
War God
Beginning from Swordmaster, each rank was further divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper tiers.
Mages were also divided into ten ranks:
Apprentice Mage
Beginner Mage
Intermediate Mage
Advanced Mage
Grand Mage
Magister
Grand Magister
Archmage
Grand Archmage
Saint Archmage
Similarly, beginning from Grand Mage, they were also divided into Lower, Middle, and Upper tiers.
After estimating my strength, I concluded that if I were judged purely by my human body, my current level would probably only be a Lower-tier Swordmaster.
However, if my powerful physique and incredible defensive ability were included, I should at least count as a Lower-tier Great Swordmaster.
The most ordinary Dragon Knight would roughly be a Middle-tier Radiant Knight, not counting the dragon itself.
The most ordinary Fallen Angel would also be about a Lower-tier Radiant Knight while simultaneously being a Middle-tier Dark Magister. With dark magic and the power of a dragon-mounted Radiant Knight, they could compete with Dragon Knights.
As for me, my strength was roughly equivalent to that of an ordinary Behemoth without entering berserk. Yet even that only equaled a Lower-tier Great Swordmaster.
The gap between us and them was simply too large.
No wonder it took more than two thousand Behemoth warriors together with over thirty Fallen Angels just to contend with a little more than one hundred Dragon Knights.
Tomorrow would be the entrance examination.
I didn’t know whether I would succeed in entering Tiandu Academy, but I had to keep strengthening myself. Otherwise, how would the Beastman race ever have a chance to rise?
With uneasy anticipation, I began my final practice of the Heavenly Demon Technique before the exam.
What I didn’t know was that the Dragon God Empire had its own difficulties as well.
Although Dragon Knights were extremely powerful, they were not like Behemoths, who were born with immense strength and could enter battle after only a little training.
Training a Dragon Knight was extremely difficult.
The Dragon God Empire had spent countless resources and immense effort just to maintain a force of about one hundred Dragon Knights.
This was also why they did not dare to rashly attack the Demon race or the Beastman race. If their Dragon Knights were wiped out, they would lose their greatest advantage and would inevitably be defeated by the combined armies of demons and beasts.
I woke from my cultivation, changed into a brand-new warrior’s outfit, ate a hearty meal, and then headed toward the destination of my journey—
Tiandu Academy.
But the moment I arrived at the academy gate, I froze.
Was this a joke?
There were thousands of people gathered there, packed so densely that the crowd stretched as far as the eye could see. Yet when I registered earlier, I had been told that only three hundred students would be admitted.
In other words, roughly one out of every ten applicants would pass.
I held the admission token I received during registration—a small wooden plaque.
On the front was carved the number 1. Since I registered more than a month earlier, of course I was number one.
On the back were engraved the words Tiandu Academy.
After entering the academy grounds, I saw that the training field was enormo
The exam had not started yet. The candidates gathered in small groups, discussing among themselves—probably speculating about the test questions.
A clear voice suddenly rang out:
“All candidates participating in the examination, please pay attention. Please remain quiet and line up according to your number plates from east to west. Each row should contain fifty people.”
I hurriedly looked around for the person speaking.
What a powerful voice.
Who could possess such immense internal strength?
Later I learned that it was actually a magical broadcasting device created with an amplification magic stone, capable of magnifying a person’s voice dozens or even hundreds of times.
After searching for a long time and failing to find the speaker, I gave up and went to line up.
Since I was number one, I should stand at the very front of the first row.
Soon the same voice sounded again with the exact same words:
“All candidates participating in the examination, please pay attention. Please remain quiet and line up according to your number plates from east to west. Each row should contain fifty people.”
After repeating this three times, the formation was finally organized.
I roughly counted.
There were more than sixty rows, meaning over three thousand candidates.
So it really was one out of ten.
Tiandu Academy was truly famous if even its entrance examination was this difficult.
(In the Dragon God Empire, almost all military commanders graduated from the Four Great Academies, especially the Dragon Knights. Dragon Knights were no longer merely symbols of strength—they also represented honor and authority. Within the Dragon God Empire, Dragon Knights possessed enormous power. Even the lowest title granted to them was Viscount. The Three Grand Marshals, being pillars of the empire, held the rank of Duke. For a commoner wishing to become a noble, cultivating oneself into a Dragon Knight was absolutely the best path. And the Four Great Academies were the most solid stepping stone toward that goal.)
“Alright, everyone spread out a bit—front, back, left, and right. Keep about one and a half meters between each person.”
Before long, all the candidates on the field had arranged themselves according to the instructions.
At that moment, more than twenty people arrived. They appeared to be the proctors, though no one knew what the test would involve.
“From now on, all candidates must remain still. Maintain a standing posture and do not move at all. Continue standing until you can no longer support yourselves. The last one thousand candidates remaining will advance to the next round.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field exploded into noise. Every candidate began discussing it loudly.
“What kind of exam is this? It’s basically punishment by standing!”
“Damn, I’ve never heard of a test where you just stand.”
“What kind of ridiculous academy is this? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come all this way.”
I also thought to myself that this seemed too easy.
What was so difficult about standing still? Fine—standing it is.
“Candidates, please be quiet. Standing tests both physical endurance and willpower. Whether studying combat techniques or magic, neither can be achieved without strong stamina and firm determination. Any candidate dissatisfied with the academy’s examination method may withdraw at any time.”
Impressive. It truly lived up to being a great academy.
Stand it is.
Although everyone had been loudly complaining just moments ago, after hearing that statement not a single person withdrew. After all, quitting before even showing one’s abilities would be too humiliating.
At the beginning, everyone still felt relatively relaxed. Although it was summer, the morning air remained fairly cool.
But as time slowly passed, the sun gradually climbed directly overhead. The temperature on the field began rising sharply.
Sweat streamed down my face. Although I didn’t feel too uncomfortable physically, the stifling heat still made me uneasy. Fortunately, I was wearing a light-colored warrior’s outfit today. Otherwise, it would have been even worse.
I secretly glanced around at the other candidates.
Their overall quality was surprisingly high.
From morning until now, more than two hours had already passed, yet not a single person had withdrawn.
The proctors were divided into two groups. Each group supervised for about an hour before switching to rest.
At one point, a female candidate moved slightly.
A middle-aged proctor immediately noticed and pointed at her.
“You. Eliminated.”
The rules were extremely strict. Even the slightest movement was not allowed.
Another two hours passed.
As the sun began descending, the temperature gradually dropped. However, standing the entire day without food or water while enduring the heat made my stomach protest loudly.
“Grrr… grrr…”
Such sounds continuously echoed across the field.
Going without food wasn’t too bad, but after sweating all day without drinking water, I was beginning to feel quite uncomfortable.
By this point, more than two hundred candidates had already withdrawn.
Yet that still wasn’t even a tenth of the total.
How long would we have to stand like this?
Time passed agonizingly slowly.
At last, night arrived.
A gentle breeze blew across the field, bringing considerable relief.
Practicing the Heavenly Demon Technique every night had already become a habit for me. Since standing was required anyway, I might as well cultivate.
I glanced to both sides. Almost every candidate had their eyes closed, struggling against the limits of their bodies.
I closed my eyes as well and quietly began circulating the dark power within my body.
During the first stage of the Heavenly Demon Technique, no external energy was released during cultivation, so I wasn’t worried about anyone detecting it from the outside.
I felt the surrounding dark elements gathering toward me.
A cool sensation seeped through my skin into my meridians, then slowly circulated along the path of my cultivation technique.
It felt incredibly comfortable.
It was as if the fatigue of the entire day had vanished. Even my need for food and water weakened significantly.
So the Heavenly Demon Technique had this benefit as well.
I guided the technique along its fixed circulation route, gradually focusing my mind until I entered a meditative state.
When I awakened from meditation, it was already morning.
Aside from some hunger and thirst, my body felt fine.
Looking around, although not many more people had withdrawn, all the candidates looked like they were on the verge of collapse. Their faces were pale.
I quietly inhaled and closed my eyes again.
Soon it was noon again.
Today was still beautiful weather. The sun hung high in the sky—but for us candidates, that was definitely not good news.
Remembering last night’s experience, I quickly drew out my dark power.
Although cultivating the Heavenly Demon Technique during the daytime was far less effective, the cool sensation it produced helped me cope with the heat far more easily than the previous day.
By the afternoon, candidates began withdrawing in large numbers.
Most of them were carried away.
As the sun slowly set, the clouds on the distant horizon glowed beautifully in the evening light.
“Candidates, you have worked hard. The first round of the examination is now over. Please take your number plates and register with the proctors, then return to rest. The second round of the examination will take place the day after tomorrow.”
So only one thousand people remained.
All the candidates collectively sighed in relief and collapsed onto the ground.
I was no exception.
Although my stamina had held up better than most, my limbs had not moved for two days and one night. They had already become stiff and numb.
Sitting on the ground, I slowly stretched and loosened my aching body.
“Candidates, please pay attention. The proctors will now come to you one by one to register your information. Please cooperate.”
Sure enough, more than ten proctors began spreading out to register the remaining candidates.
Of course, I was the first.
I handed over my number plate.
“I’m number one.”
The proctor glanced at me and smiled.
“Young man, you’re quite sturdy.”
I simply smiled back without replying.
At that moment, a group of people dressed in chef uniforms suddenly appeared from somewhere. They carried large trays covered with cloth, as well as big buckets and bowls.
Were they bringing food?
Sure enough, the clear voice announced:
“The academy has prepared porridge and steamed buns for all candidates. After eating, please return quickly to rest.”
Food.
Because I was standing near the front, I rushed forward first. Grabbing a large bowl, I scooped a bowl of porridge from the bucket and gulped it down.
Delicious.
Absolutely delicious.
I had never felt that porridge could taste so good.
Before the others fully crowded around, I quickly drank three more bowls. Then I filled another bowl and grabbed three steamed buns before running off to the side to finish eating.
With food in my stomach, my strength gradually returned.
Then I suddenly remembered—
It had already been two days, and I hadn’t fed Black Dragon yet.
I need to hurry back. It must be angry with me by now.
Returning to the inn, I quickly requested some fodder and rushed to the stable.
When Black Dragon saw me, it let out a joyful neigh and began licking my face with its large tongue.
“You’ve suffered a lot. Hurry and eat—this is the best fodder.”
After taking care of Black Dragon, exhaustion finally overwhelmed me.
I collapsed onto a pile of hay in the stable and fell asleep immediately.