Dragonslayer’s Class Regression Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Zeke went up to the top floor where there was a lounge exclusively for Platinum Floor residents.

Following the servant’s guidance to the lounge, he found Reina Draker already seated in one corner.

Several senior students who followed Tourn were standing behind Reina.

Seeing this sight, Zeke laughed inwardly.

‘Are they trying to act like cartel members or what?’

To Zeke, it seemed like child’s play.

When Reina gestured, the Tourn students withdrew.

Zeke sat across from Reina.

“Sorry about that. The people from our family tend to be overzealous.”

Reina had grown out her hair from the shaved head of the cradle days into a short cut.

Wearing the student uniform of Draker and gloves symbolizing pure awakening, Reina looked like a typical knight of the Draker family brought to life.

‘Impressive.’

Through the energy he sensed from Reina, Zeke realized she had already opened her lower energy center and begun aura training.

Once again, Zeke felt that the Draker family was truly a den of monsters.

“Why did you call me?”

Zeke asked Reina directly.

Though his curiosity about the Flash Knight, who had been the strongest among knights of his age in his previous life, prevented him from declining the invitation, he didn’t want to waste time on unnecessary matters.

At that moment, servants began bringing in the prepared food.

Plates containing several thick steaks were placed in front of Reina and Zeke.

“Let’s talk about that while we eat.”

Zeke was slightly surprised by the large amount of steak placed in front of Reina.

‘Is she going to eat all of that by herself?’

While he wasn’t a light eater himself, Reina’s appetite was beyond common sense.

She cut into the dripping rare steak and put it in her mouth.

Reina finished one piece of steak cleanly in an instant.

Seeing Zeke staring at her eating without touching his own steak, Reina asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. So why did you call me?”

Reina wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at Zeke.

“Zeke Draker. I’ll be direct. Accept Tourn’s sponsorship.”

The words to accept sponsorship meant becoming Tourn’s person.

Zeke clicked his tongue at Reina’s words.

“Did you call me just to say that? How disappointing.”

“Graduating from the academy without a sponsoring family isn’t easy. Especially if you’re aiming for Valhalla.”

Valhalla.

It was the highest educational institution located in Atlas, the largest city at the center of Midland, the central continent’s heart.

Like the academy where they were now, Valhalla was also operated by the Draker family.

Valhalla was the finest knight training institution where just getting in guaranteed one’s future.

Over 70% of the knight commanders in kingdoms located in the central continent were Valhalla graduates.

And being of Draker blood alone didn’t guarantee entry to Valhalla.

Only the best of the best talents could enter.

Zeke looked at Reina and said.

“Did I look like I couldn’t enter Valhalla because I don’t have a maternal family giving me allowance?”

Zeke and the other direct bloodline members were all half-siblings with different mothers.

In the case of Abel Draker, the second son, his mother was from the Jiemens family, so he received their sponsorship.

While other direct bloodline members all had powerful families backing them, Zeke had no maternal family to support him.

His mother passed away from illness when he was young, and either she wasn’t from a notable family or there was so little known about her that nothing could be found out.

Because of this, receiving sponsorship from any forces related to his mother was impossible.

And knowing that Zeke had no sponsoring family, Reina had first proposed Tourn’s sponsorship.

Reina spoke while chewing and swallowing another steak.

“Tourn’s sponsorship shouldn’t be a bad condition. Unless you already have arrangements with another family.”

Reina wasn’t wrong.

Tourn was one of the major vassal families of the Draker family.

Tourn of Power.

Jiemens of Knowledge.

Valdeck of Gold.

As one of the three families supporting Draker, Tourn’s power would certainly be a great help for Zeke’s growth.

But Zeke firmly declined Reina’s proposal.

“No. It’s the same with any family. I just don’t feel the need for sponsorship.”

When Zeke rejected outright, Reina, who had been continuing her meal, stopped in slight surprise.

She hadn’t expected Zeke to refuse her proposal.

Looking at Reina, Zeke recalled memories of House Tourn..

‘Getting involved with Tourn here could hold me back for life.’

One of the other names for House Tourn was ‘The Persistent Tourn.’

Known for their organizational nature, House Tourn with their strongest loyalty never let go of anything once they set it as their target.

There was a reason why House Tourn had been leading the dreaded pursuit unit of House Draker, the ‘Hunting Corps,’ for generations.

For Zeke, who planned to quickly graduate from the academy and leave House Draker after getting what he needed from Valhalla, Tourn was more like a chain that would hold him back rather than a reliable supporter.

‘Though I’m curious about House Tourn’s secret techniques, learning them would cost more than what I’d gain.’

Having finished the steak on her plate, Reina looked at Zeke and said.

“You keep surprising me, Zeke Draker.”

“You’ll be even more surprised in the future.”

As Zeke got up to leave, he paused.

Then he turned to Reina and said.

“Reina Draker. I’ll give you one piece of advice out of goodwill.”

Reina looked at him.

“Your current swordsmanship is too rigid. From what I see, your strength isn’t in brute force but in the flexibility that comes from your uniquely elastic body. No need to force yourself to be strong like other men. If you utilize your natural elasticity, you could become several times stronger than you are now.”

Reina had a blank expression at Zeke’s words.

Known as a genius since childhood, this was the first time someone had given her such direct advice.

After giving his advice, Zeke left the lounge.

Left alone, Reina finally gathered her thoughts and pondered Zeke’s words.

‘I was conscious of other men?’

It was something she had never thought about before.

House Tourn was symbolized by strength.

She had simply followed that family tradition.

‘No, perhaps I was unconsciously aware of it.’

A genius was different.

Reina acknowledged her shortcomings as soon as she recognized them.

She had quickly grasped an opportunity to become stronger than she was now.

She looked at the lounge entrance where Zeke had disappeared.

‘Zeke Draker. What do your eyes see?’

* * *

The next day, the academy’s first semester classes began.

The class Zeke was assigned to was called the ‘Special Class,’ where the most exceptional elites are  gathered.

He walked around the campus, looking at his surroundings.

‘Ah, it’s been a while.’

In his previous life, this place only held bad memories, but after awakening his pureblood abilities, there was no better paradise than this place.

‘Indeed, power and authority must be experienced to be understood.’

Unlike where regular students attended classes, the Special Class had its own separate building.

Having never been there in his previous life, he climbed the stairs with curious eyes.

The Special Class building came into view as he climbed the stairs.

‘That must be the building.’

Though smaller than the regular student building that accommodated thousands, it was enormous considering it was exclusively for the Special Class of only hundreds.

As Zeke was about to enter the building.

“Zeke Draker.”

A voice called out to him.

Zeke turned around.

“Owen.”

Owen Jiemens was standing with several other students.

Looking at their uniforms, they wore badges symbolizing House Jiemens.

They appeared to be students affiliated with House Jiemens.

They glared at Zeke with suspicion.

Zeke inwardly sneered at this.

‘Already forming cliques? This damn family is rotten even from childhood.’

Looking around, most Special Class students had formed their own groups, large or small.

Zeke was the only one alone without a group.

Owen approached Zeke.

He slowly opened his mouth.

“I invited you to last night’s banquet but received no response. Perhaps you didn’t get the message?”

Zeke said to Owen.

“No, I received it.”

Owen spoke in a calm voice.

“Then why was there no response?”

Zeke replied to Owen.

“You’re funny. Do I have to respond to everyone who asks me to eat with them?”

At Zeke’s sharp voice, one of the senior House Jimenez students behind Owen stepped forward.

His muscles bulged beneath his uniform.

“You’re being too disrespectful to the young master’s goodwill.”

Zeke said to him.

“Who are you?”

He frowned and said.

“Huh. A freshman doesn’t know me? Well this is…”

Zeke didn’t want to exchange more words and turned around.

At that moment.

Whoosh!

A water blade flew toward Zeke.

He reflexively reached out and caught it.

Woong!

‘Aura?’

The water blade contained aura power.

Zeke blocked the water blade with the edge of his hand, dispersed the power, and stepped back using Flash steps.

“How’s that, are you more alert now?”

The senior student who threw the water blade flexed his hands with a confident expression.

“My name is Derban Rothwell. Here, I’m known as ‘Slash Derban.’ I’m the one who will teach you manners on behalf of Young Master Owen.”

‘Slash Derban?’

Zeke thought it was ridiculous for students who weren’t even qualified as knights to talk about titles.

Zeke looked at Owen standing behind Derban in disbelief.

Rather than try to stop Derban, Owen was observing Zeke’s reaction.

‘So this bastard wants to play it this way.’

Zeke didn’t like how Owen was scheming from behind, true to Jiemens style.

Zeke clenched his fists and said, “I’m your manners teacher today. Grit your teeth.”

At that moment, Zeke’s form disappeared.

Swoosh!

Zeke weaved and drove into Derban’s inner body.

Seeing Zeke’s fist flying toward his abdomen, Derban smiled confidently.

‘How cute. A freshman’s punch.’

Derban concentrated aura on his abdomen.

His abs became hard as steel when the aura was added.

It was obvious that a rookie’s chicken-like punch would shatter instantly.

Whoosh!

‘Huh?’

Derban doubted his ears.

Something sounded strange.

Zeke’s fist, which cut through the wind, properly struck Derban’s abdomen.

Bang!

Crack!

Kuhurk!

Derban thought his entire abdomen had been torn away.

Zeke’s attacking rush didn’t stop.

After closing the gap with Flash steps, he immediately turned to the other side and swept Derban’s thigh with a low kick.

Whoosh!

Bang!

The same sound rang out as before.

“Unnngh…”

Derban collapsed, unable to stand due to the vibrating impact in his thigh.

Zeke’s attack was too fast for him to even attempt protecting his thigh with aura.

Derban’s face turned pale blue.

‘Is… is it broken?’

Zeke approached the fallen Derban with both fists clenched.

Derban waved his hands in panic.

“W-wait!”

Since Derban had started the conflict anyway, Zeke had no reason to show him mercy.

‘’Slash Derban? What nonsense!”

With Derban’s ribs dislocated and thigh bone shattered, Zeke literally ground him down step by step.

Owen and the other senior students simply watched Zeke’s beating without saying anything.

After pummeling Derban enough, Zeke pressed hard on his injured leg.

“Kyaaaargh!”

Derban’s scream filled the special class courtyard.

The Other students watched the scene with interest.

Zeke spoke toward Owen.

“Who’s behind Slash Derban? Come out quickly. I’m busy.”

Owen glanced at the fallen Derban before turning away.

He said to Zeke.

“Zeke Draker. You’re quite arrogant.”

Zeke looked at Owen with an annoyed expression.

“Talking nonsense. You old-faced bastard.”

Owen stared at Zeke steadily before silently leading the other Jiemens senior students into the special class building.

Slash Derban was abandoned, only groaning under Zeke’s foot.

Watching Owen’s back, Zeke clicked his tongue.

“As always, all these Jiemens guys are such jerks.”

By then, Derban was dragging his leg trying to escape.

Zeke saw this, approached him and kicked his side once more.

“Kyak!”

Derban’s scream echoed through the courtyard again.