ALL NOVEL Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“Zeke Draker is beyond my ability to evaluate.”
Duke spoke with a surprised expression.
“Ha, are you saying it’s to that extent?”
Owl replied with a serious look.
“My personal opinion is, ‘He should be sent to Valhalla immediately.’”
A man more stoic than any stone.
Hearing such an evaluation from Owl Draker left Duke dumbfounded.
The supervising instructor standing behind them was equally flustered.
“D-Do you really want me to relay it like that?”
* * *
After collecting the opinions of the principal and the heads of various departments, it was decided that Zeke would skip directly to the fifth year.
He had effectively skipped four entire grades.
When Duke informed Zeke of the decision, Zeke merely nodded silently.
“You don’t seem happy even though you’ve advanced so much.”
“I’m happy.”
In truth, Zeke’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
The drastic shift from being seen as the academy’s trash to being hailed as an unprecedented genius left him feeling out of place.
At this rate, it seemed possible for him to graduate from the academy at the age of fifteen.
‘In my past life, I was expelled from the academy at fifteen. Life truly is unpredictable.’
Given how things had turned out, Zeke resolved to graduate from the academy as quickly as possible.
Reina skipped two grades, while Liam, who had achieved outstanding results in the semester evaluations, was promoted from the general class to the special class.
Now a fifth-year student, Zeke led a relatively quiet life at the academy.
During this time, he also managed to learn the secret techniques contained in the Swift Wind Technique.
When Duke found there was nothing more to teach Zeke, he spent his free time casually observing Andre’s swordsmanship.
Zeke maintained a consistent relationship with Professor Fainon, who had created a magical furnace for him. However, as Fainon relocated to the Royal Mana Research Institute in Delfoa, their interactions became less frequent. Before departing, Fainon left Zeke with a direct communication line, urging him to visit Delfoa someday.
Surprisingly, Owl Draker began visiting Zeke once every quarter for a sparring session.
Under Duke Draker’s supervision, Zeke had to face Owl directly.
After two years of sparring with Zeke, Owl seemed to have an epiphany and applied for a leave of absence from the Four Constellations, secluding himself in a closed training hall.
Thus, two eventful years passed, and Zeke faced the academy’s graduation examination.
“Z-Zeke Draker… p-passed.”
Zeke set the record for the fastest graduation in the academy’s history.
Looking at the academy’s graduation badge, personally handed to him by the principal, Zeke gave a bitter smile.
‘There was a time when I wanted this so badly.’
The academy, which had long been a source of trauma, could finally be erased from Zeke’s heart.
With that sense of relief, Zeke received another benefit along with his graduation.
The principal personally wrote him a letter of recommendation for admission to Valhalla.
It was an extraordinary privilege, as there had never been a case of a fifteen-year-old entering Valhalla before.
Zeke handed the letter of recommendation, delivered by Howard, to Decker.
“I’m truly proud of you, young master.”
Decker, who usually wore a stoic expression, accepted the letter with a flushed face.
“This is nothing to be proud of.”
Zeke replied with a nonchalant expression.
“When does the Valhalla semester begin?”
“It starts in March.”
“So, there’s about three months left.”
Normally, the graduation exams would take at least a month, but since Zeke had completed them so quickly, he found himself with extra time.
After thinking for a moment, Zeke spoke to Decker.
“Decker, head to Atlas in advance and secure a place for me. There’s somewhere I need to visit before the semester begins.”
“Where will you be going, young master?”
“I’m thinking of going to a resort to relax for a bit.”
“Then I’ll make the arrangements.”
“Good. Find a quiet place near Argos.”
“Understood, young master.”
Just then, Liam entered the room.
“You called for me, my lord?”
Zeke handed over something he had prepared in advance for Liam.
These were items Liam would need until he graduated from the academy. Among them were detailed guides for each semester’s evaluations.
They were personally compiled by Zeke, specifically to support Liam, who lacked family sponsorship.
“If you continue as you are, you’ll be able to enter Valhalla. I’m looking forward to it, Liam.”
“I won’t betray your expectations, my lord.”
“Good. When you reach your fourth year, you’ll need a proper sword. I’ve spoken to Gelion about it, so go to him and have a sword tailored to your needs.”
Hearing this, Liam looked at Zeke with a gaze full of emotion.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s overwhelming. Now, get going.”
“Yes, my lord.”
* * *
As Zeke prepared for his departure from the academy, he continued to focus on his personal training.
Wooong!
A powerful resonance emanated from Zeke’s sword.
In an instant, his figure vanished, leaving only afterimages behind.
Whirrr!
Moving at an incredible speed, Zeke appeared throughout the training hall in quick succession.
Duke’s *True Mountain Breaching Technique*, the Swift Wind Technique, had fully manifested through Zeke.
As Zeke’s sword moved with the swiftness of the wind, a blue aura surged from it.
Wooong!
A distinct aura blade formed on Zeke’s sword.
Zeke swung his sword.
Dragonslaying Art Application
Swift Wind Technique
Wind Cleave
The blade, infused with the energy of the Swift Wind Technique, sliced through the air.
Kwakwakwakwa!
Simultaneously, a message window appeared before Zeke’s eyes.
[Proficiency in the special skill Swift Wind Technique has increased.]
“Hoo…”
Lowering his sword, Zeke opened his status window to inspect his progress.
[Junior Administrator Status Window]
Name: Zeke Draker
Class: Immortal (Unique Grade)
Title: Blessed by the Ancient Dragon, Terakan Draker’s Successor
Authority: Dragonkin Domination
Physique: Divine Body
System Features: Inventory (100 slots) / Mini-map / Beginner’s Questbook
Passive Skills: Healing Factor / Unyielding Mental Defense / Endless Stamina / Combat Instinct
Special Skills: Swift Wind Technique [A-rank (Skilled)]
Active Skills: Mana Reflection [A-rank (Beginner)] / Area Buff [A-rank (Beginner)]
Draconian Skills (Phase 2 Unlocked): Dragon’s Eye (Skilled) / Dragon’s Majesty (Skilled) / Gluttony (Beginner) / Incantation (Locked) / Dragon Scale Armor (Skilled) / Dragon’s Claw (Skilled)
Karma Points: 365
The Swift Wind Technique, which had remained at the beginner level, had finally advanced to the skilled rank.
Zeke raised his sword again, effortlessly forming an aura blade.
“Have I finally broken through the barrier of the Blue Knight?”
Unlike his previous life, where he had relied on the side effects of the Soul-Body Technique, he was now carving a new path through systematic methods. However, he had not yet found the way to become a Red Knight.
Zeke, though, chose not to rush. He resolved to proceed methodically, step by step.
Excessively rapid growth could potentially make the barrier to becoming a Black Knight even higher.
In his previous life, Zeke had struggled to overcome the wall of the Black Knight, but the methods he had employed as a wanderer were inherently limited.
“There’s no need to be impatient.”
Over the past two years, most of his skills had reached the skilled rank, significantly broadening the range of techniques he could use compared to his previous life.
Additionally, with the secret swordsmanship of Kysir in the Giant Mountain Range and Terakan Draker’s Secure Archive in Valhalla, Zeke was confident he would find a way to surpass the Red Knight and advance to the Black Knight.
Gripping Bahamut tightly, he swung his sword once more.
His burning desire to grow stronger filled the training hall.
* * *
Argos, a kingdom located in the northernmost part of the central continent, bordered the northern continent more closely than any other region.
Despite lacking significant strategic resources, Argos was recognized as one of the four central kingdoms alongside Thebea, Delfoa, and Alencia due to its thriving dungeon-related industries.
The area provided everything adventurers needed for dungeon exploration: convenience facilities, various equipment, personnel required for party formation, and more. All necessary items for dungeon expeditions could be found here.
The Adventurer’s Guild in Argos, in particular, was a prestigious institution with a history spanning a thousand years.
While the guild had branches throughout the continent, its main headquarters was located in Argos.
Every aspiring adventurer was required to register at this main branch in Argos, making it a magnet for adventurer hopefuls from across the continent.
“Next, number 547.”
An employee handling registrations at the Argos Adventurer’s Guild called out the next number in a businesslike tone.
The registrant, holding a set of documents, appeared quite youthful.
At most, they looked barely twenty years old.
The young man, with brown hair and green eyes, handed over his documents to the guild official.
“Zeke Murray. Is that correct?”
Zeke, having dyed his hair and changed his eye color with lenses, nodded.
He had submitted his registration under an alias he had used in his previous life.
The official reviewed the paperwork, confirmed there were no issues, and stamped it.
“Take this to the counter, and they’ll issue your registration card. Next, number 548.”
Zeke took the stamped documents and received his guild membership card.
Having entrusted his forged identity to a reliable source he had used before his regression, he had no concerns about being caught.
Thus, while telling Decker he was going to Argos for a vacation, Zeke discreetly slipped away to register as an adventurer.
The reason was to search for Kysir’s ruins.
With the registration card in hand, Zeke immediately sought the regular carriage heading to the base camp in the Giant Mountain Range.
The Giant Mountain Range was home to countless hidden dungeons.
Among the ancient artifacts discovered there, some were so valuable that owning just one could provide a lifetime of wealth and leisure.
As a result, thousands of adventurers flocked to the area, hoping for such fortune.
Zeke, now one of those adventurers, was heading to a specific destination deep within the Giant Mountain Range—the Barbarian’s Territory.
Even with his mini-map, venturing into the treacherous terrain of the Giant Mountain Range without proper preparation was tantamount to suicide.
The range was divided into hundreds of zones, with regular transport carriages traveling to specific base camps.
Thus, the most efficient approach was to travel to the base camp closest to the Barbarian’s Territory and begin the search for Kysir’s ruins from there.
Because of this, Zeke searched for a private transport carriage, but with dungeon exploration in peak season, finding one wasn’t easy.
In the end, he barely managed to secure a spot on a shared carriage. After spending the night at an inn, he boarded the regular transport carriage that departed at dawn.
Among his fellow passengers, some appeared to be adventurers, but most seemed to be traveling merchants.
These merchants were likely heading to the base camp to either purchase monster byproducts or sell consumable supplies needed by adventurers.
As Zeke observed the passengers, his gaze stopped on a young porter nestled between the adventurers and merchants.
For a moment, he was lost in thought, reminiscing about his past.
After being expelled from the academy and wandering aimlessly, Zeke had seen an ad for porters needed in the dungeons of Argos. He had impulsively taken a carriage to the site.
The ad had promised room and board in exchange for work as a porter.
But upon arrival, the reality was far worse than advertised.
Porters were forced to sleep in warehouse-like accommodations, curled up on cramped floors, and barely received one meal a day, if that.
Half of their earnings were taken as “service fees” by the employer, and from the remaining half, food and lodging costs were deducted, leaving almost nothing.
Even that little bit of money was forcibly seized under the guise of “savings management” by the employer.
Thinking about those times, Zeke clenched his teeth.
In his previous life, one of the first things he did after gaining power was track down that employer, subject him to brutal southern-style torture, and kill him. Zeke harbored no regrets about that grudge.
As the carriage neared the base camp, a swordsman from an adventurer party sitting across from Zeke suddenly struck up a conversation.
“Hey, are you an adventurer too?”
Zeke ignored him, staying silent.
Unfazed, the swordsman leaned forward and spoke again.
“When someone talks to you, you should respond. By the looks of it, this must be your first time in a dungeon.”
The man then casually shifted closer to Zeke.
“Speaking of which, if it’s your first time, how about joining our party? I’m saying this for your own good. These dungeons are rough these days. If you just wander in alone, you’ll end up as monster food in no time.”
Zeke, annoyed by the persistent chatter, continued to ignore him, but the man’s incessant yammering grated on his nerves.
Such men were almost always predators who preyed on naïve beginner adventurers.
They would use others as bait when monsters appeared or sell them to human traffickers for a profit. Since many who entered dungeons never returned, it was easy to claim the person had died and engage in such heinous acts without raising suspicion.
As Zeke silently fumed, the man put on a friendly act and slung an arm around his shoulders.
Then, he subtly showed a badge pinned to his collar.
“See this? I’m a graduate of the famous Draker Academy. You’ve heard of it, right? The Draker Household. They say joining the right party for your first dungeon can make or break half your adventurer career.”
When Zeke still showed no reaction, the man’s irritation seemed to grow, and his tone became harsher.
“Ha! What’s wrong with you? Got your lips glued shut? A senior adventurer is offering you a hand, and you’re acting all high and mighty?”
Finally, Zeke opened his mouth.
“Why don’t you shut up for a second.”
The man’s eyes wavered in surprise.
“What? You little brat, how dare you—”
The man glared at Zeke with a scowl.
At that moment, Zeke suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on something.
He spoke to the driver of the carriage.
“Five hundred meters to the left, behind us. Monsters have appeared. It looks like a group of orcs. Is this area a known monster zone?”
Hearing this, the adventurer behind him chuckled mockingly.
“Kid, monsters can’t come into this area. Stop pretending to be some hotshot adventurer and just sit down quietly.”
And then—
Kraaaaahhh!
From afar, the battle cries of orcs echoed loudly, shaking the air.