A Dragonslayer’s Peerless Regression

Chapter 11

Zeke was momentarily startled by the drunken man’s words.

‘Did he notice the Healing Factor?’

In the sudden turn of events, his pupils contracted, and his muscles tensed.

However, the Unyielding Mental Defense skill quickly activated, allowing him to regain his composure.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” he said.

He didn’t know who the man in front of him was. Acting clueless seemed like the better option for now, rather than speaking rashly.

The drunkard smacked his lips, searching for any leftover drink, then brushed his hands together.

“Hmm… so you’re going to play dumb?”

And then, it happened.

The drunken man suddenly lunged at Zeke.

‘An attack?’

Before Zeke could even process the assault, the man’s sharp hand chop was already flying toward his face.

Zeke rolled off the bed, avoiding the chop, and dropped to the floor. At the same time, he kicked the mattress upward to block the man’s line of sight.

As soon as he landed on the ground, he extended his foot under the bed and struck at the man’s knee.

Bang!

The drunken man leapt into the air, nullifying Zeke’s attack.

Without hesitation, Zeke slid under the bed and kicked it upward.

Crash!

The steel bed frame lifted into the air.

Whoosh!

Zeke rolled his body and quickly moved toward the door leading outside.

As he stood up, he grabbed the claymore that had been propped beside him.

Clang!

Drawing the claymore, Zeke was taken aback by what he saw.

‘What the…?’

The man was balancing upside down on the edge of the airborne bed frame as if performing a circus act.

After stabilizing his stance mid-air, the man casually nudged the frame with his foot, returning the bed to its original position.

This was not the movement of an ordinary knight.

Holding the claymore, Zeke directed his words toward the man.

“Who sent you? Are you an assassin?”

He considered the possibility that this was an assassin sent by other direct-line purebloods aiming to neutralize him.

The man, tilting his head and picking at his ear, ignored Zeke’s question.

“The more I look at you, the more unusual you seem,” the man muttered.

Instead of answering, the man slowly approached Zeke.

Zeke closed the gap in an instant with quick strides and unleashed a Critical Strike.

Whoosh!

The combination of rapid movement, Critical Strike, and his overwhelming strength created an attack with terrifying power.

But the man casually extended his hand and caught Zeke’s sword between his fingers.

“Hm…”

Zeke tried to yank the sword free from the man’s grip, but it didn’t budge an inch.

‘This isn’t just an ordinary assassin.’

Realizing this, Zeke immediately released the sword and stepped back.

The man looked at the claymore wedged between his fingers, then glanced at Zeke with curiosity.

“A Draker abandoning his sword and retreating?”

His voice held more interest than reproach.

Whoosh!

With a flick of his wrist, the claymore was suddenly in the man’s grasp.

Adjusting his approach, Zeke addressed him cautiously.

“May I ask who you are?”

For someone of this caliber, he had to be at least on par with a Blue Knight or higher.

Initially, Zeke had assumed the man was an assassin disguised as a healer. However, his behavior suggested he had no intention of killing Zeke.

‘If he had meant to kill me, I’d already be dead.’

The disparity in skill between them was unmistakable.

The man scratched his scruffy beard and tossed the claymore back to Zeke.

Thud!

Zeke caught the heavy weapon with ease.

And then it happened.

The man standing before him disappeared.

‘Behind me?’

In an instant, Zeke realized the man had moved behind him.

‘At this level, he could even be a Red Knight.’

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Placing a hand on Zeke’s shoulder, the man spoke.

“My name is Dexter.”

It was a name Zeke had never encountered, even in his previous life.

Leaning in as if to whisper, Dexter added, “Kid, if you ever feel like having a chat, come find me in the greenhouse on the western side of the academy.”

With that, Dexter’s presence vanished.

When Zeke turned around, the man was gone, as if he had never been there.

‘Just who is he?’

Beads of cold sweat formed on Zeke’s back.

It was the first time since his regression that he felt such despair.

In his previous life, there had been only one other instance when he had felt this way.

‘The last time was with my master.’

Even accounting for his current skills falling far short of his past life’s, Dexter’s abilities were far beyond ordinary.

As Zeke sheathed his sword, he combed through the information from his past life, searching for anything that matched this man.

‘There’s nothing that perfectly aligns with someone named Dexter.’

But then, a thought crossed his mind.

‘Wait, could it be… that person?’

If his hunch was correct, it might also explain why Andre was currently at the academy.

Zeke’s eyes gleamed with renewed intensity.

* * *

A week had passed since Zeke’s encounter with Dexter.

During that time, Zeke behaved as though nothing had happened, avoiding even a glance toward the greenhouse in the west. He quietly focused on attending his classes.

During the basic training sessions for the Dragonslaying Art, he practiced his Ether Hall techniques in a private training room on the Platinum Floor. He only left the room to attend other classes.

Zeke was currently searching for the large lecture hall to attend one of the few lecture-style classes at the academy—Mana Theory.

In the tiered classroom, the instructor was passionately lecturing on the properties of mana and the theoretical principles behind the manifestation of magic.

The other students, however, showed little interest in the theory class. After all, what truly mattered was practical experience.

But Zeke, surprisingly, was diligently taking notes while listening intently to the Mana Theory lecture.

It was to the extent that other groups of students, who didn’t particularly like Zeke, found it curious and stared at him in disbelief.

‘I didn’t realize it when I took this class before, but listening to it again now, there’s a lot of useful information.’

In his past life, he had suffered so much harassment and struggled to keep up with the practical classes that he didn’t have the luxury to focus on theory.

After leaving the academy, he learned almost everything through hands-on experience in the field.

He never had another opportunity to attend systematic theory classes.

Now, with a body seasoned by practical experience, reviewing the systematically organized theories made the concepts he had understood instinctively much clearer.

‘Ah, so that’s why striking a mana formula haphazardly with a shield can result in backlash damage due to counterforce.’

Zeke surmised that the lecturer wasn’t just an ordinary mage.

As expected, the instructor for Mana Theory, Fainon, was a graduate scholar from the National Magic University of Delfoa, known as the sovereign nation of magic.

However, Fainon had grown weary of working at the academy, a space designed exclusively for knights, by knights, and focused solely on knights.

Despite being renowned as a genius during his time at Delfoa’s Magic University, he had chosen the academy to secure a stable research environment.

For this reason, Fainon had accepted a teaching position at the academy despite the advice and objections from many of his seniors.

‘Hah… my seniors tried to stop me for a reason.’

The Mana Theory class was mostly conducted as a formality, so expecting enthusiasm from knight-aspirant students was unrealistic.

Consequently, Fainon had also fallen into the routine of delivering his lectures mechanically over time.

But then, it happened.

“Professor, I have a question.”

Fainon thought he had misheard.

‘Ha, I’m even hearing things now.’

But then the voice echoed again.

“I didn’t quite understand the mana conversion drive you just explained.”

Startled, Fainon turned around abruptly.

A student had actually asked a question during the lecture.

Adjusting his glasses, Fainon, still somewhat flustered, stammered as he responded.

“Ma… Mana Conversion Drive? Which part?”

Zeke calmly and clearly asked the specific part he was curious about.

“Ah, that part. Well, you need to adjust the mana constant value.”

Understanding Fainon’s detailed explanation, Zeke nodded.

Seeing Zeke grasp the concept with just one explanation, Fainon felt a surge of emotion.

“Is there… perhaps anything else you don’t understand?”

At his question, Zeke asked a few more things he was curious about.

Listening to Zeke’s inquiries, Fainon was slightly astonished.

‘Considering he doesn’t know basic formulas, these questions are surprisingly insightful.’

Before they knew it, the lecture had turned into a back-and-forth dialogue between Fainon and Zeke.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

The bell rang, signaling the end of the theory class. The students got up from their seats to head to their next practical class.

After asking Fainon a few more necessary questions, Zeke finally rose to leave.

“Wait a moment, Zeke.”

Fainon called out, and Zeke turned around.

“If you have any more questions, feel free to visit my office anytime. It’s in the research building, basement level 2, at the very end of the hallway.”

“Understood, professor.”

Receiving Fainon’s affectionate gaze, Zeke left the lecture hall.

“He’s quite passionate for a young professor.”

Zeke wasn’t sure if he would have more questions later, but his principle was that befriending a mage could never be a bad thing.

‘There’s nothing as useful as a mage when it comes to allies.’

Mages were quick thinkers, adept at handling situations, and could adapt flexibly anywhere.

Knights, on the other hand, were often rigid, focusing only on swordsmanship. In crisis situations, they frequently ended up as burdens.

Recalling the content he had learned from Fainon, Zeke stepped outside the building.

Outside, someone was lying on a bench in the courtyard.

‘That person…’

As Zeke exited the building, Dexter slowly rose from his spot.

Scratching his unkempt beard, he looked at Zeke and spoke.

“The more I see you, the more interesting you get, kid.”

Zeke responded as he faced Dexter.

“What brings you here, sir?”

Rising to his feet, Dexter replied.

“Kid, didn’t you hear what I told you back then?”

Zeke looked him straight in the eye and answered.

“I did, sir.”

Dexter gave him a baffled look.

“Hah… then why didn’t you come to the greenhouse?”

With a calm voice, Zeke replied.

“I was busy with personal training.”

Hearing this, Dexter’s jaw dropped.

After a moment of stunned silence, he closed his mouth, seemingly deep in thought. Then, he raised his head and stared at Zeke, as if pondering something.

“Is that so.”

In an instant, Dexter’s body vanished.

Even though Zeke heightened his senses using his Combat Instinct, he couldn’t track Dexter’s movements.

Suddenly, Dexter appeared behind him and lightly tapped Zeke on the neck.

“You…”

Damn it.

Before Zeke could finish his sentence, his body gave out, and he collapsed.

Dexter picked up the fallen Zeke and disappeared to an unknown location.

* * *

“Ugh…”

Zeke barely regained consciousness.

As he opened his eyes, the sharp scent of grass and the sight of lush green leaves greeted him.

Zeke shot up to his feet.

‘Was I kidnapped?’

He scanned his surroundings.

“Where is this?”

Inside what appeared to be a glass-walled structure, countless plants and trees were growing.

“You’re awake, kid?”

Turning his head, Zeke saw Dexter watering the plants.

After finishing, Dexter gulped down a potion mixed with alcohol.

“Gah!”

The pungent stench of strong liquor filled the air.

Zeke glared at Dexter and asked, “Did you kidnap me?”

Dexter put down the watering can and replied casually, “Yeah. Kidnapping.”

Remaining calm, Zeke began to survey his surroundings.

‘There are escape routes—one behind me, one to the east, and one on the opposite side.’

Instinctively identifying potential exits, Zeke subtly started to shift his body.

Seeing this, Dexter smirked.

“Trying to run, huh?”

Dexter’s form disappeared again.

Zeke instinctively rolled to the side.

“Hey, I’m right here.”

Dexter appeared precisely where Zeke had rolled to.

Zeke steadied himself, maintaining a defensive stance as he scrutinized Dexter.

“Who are you, really?”

Dexter grinned widely.

“Catch me even once, and I’ll tell you.”

He gestured, daring Zeke to try.

However, Zeke’s thoughts were elsewhere as he observed Dexter.

‘Good. He took the bait.’

Though he appeared to be a 13-year-old boy on the outside, Zeke was, at heart, a seasoned warrior who had lived through countless battles.

‘Dexter is just an alias.’

Zeke already knew his true identity.

That’s why he deliberately avoided the greenhouse, forcing him to come to Zeke instead.

‘His real name is the Knight of Gale—Duke Draker.’

Zeke swallowed nervously as he looked at him.

‘The former Black Knight of the Draker Household…’