At dawn the following day, the open field east of Dragonspire Village was bustling with youths, as usual. Draven and the other two instructors had yet to arrive, so the children chatted energetically about the previous day's extraordinary battle. "That magical beast was unbelievably powerful. When Uncle Draven and the others stood their ground, I watched from a distance. You wouldn't believe it—just a swipe of its claws shattered the stone road and demolished the houses like they were made of sand," Jared boasted, gesturing animatedly as if he had witnessed it all firsthand. The other children listened, wide-eyed.
"Jared, you were on the east side with us. How could you see all that?" a thirteen-year-old with brown hair, Aflicka, challenged. Older children were less gullible than the younger ones. Jared looked at Aflicka, his eyes widening in mock surprise. "Aflicka, you don't believe me? When have I ever lied?" Aflicka sneered, "Everyone knows how you exaggerate. Have you ever spoken the truth? Hey, everyone, has Jared ever been honest?" The older kids laughed, siding with Aflicka.
Jared, frustrated, turned to Renji for help. "But you all know Renji was there too. He saw everything. Let him tell you if I'm lying!" The children turned to Renji, who was well-respected as the heir to the Reshin clan and admired for his prowess, even as an eight-year-old. "If Young Master Renji says so, we'll believe him," they agreed.
"Tell them, Renji! Was I lying?" Jared urged, grabbing Renji's hand and winking. Renji sighed, feeling cornered by Jared's antics. "The beast you saw was a Dragon King, a seventh-rank magical beast. It's incredibly powerful, covered in tough scales, and capable of causing destruction with its claws and tail. It can even breathe fire hot enough to crack stones," Renji explained. The children listened intently. "You all saw how fearsome the Dragon King was when it appeared. There's no need for further details," Renji added with a smile. The older children nodded in agreement.
Jared triumphantly declared, "See? I told you that Dragon King was incredible!" Aflicka was about to retort when Renji interrupted, "Uncle Draven is arriving." The children quickly fell into an orderly line as Draven, Lorry, and Roger approached.
Draven, facing the lined-up children, addressed them. "You all know about yesterday's events, right?" The children answered enthusiastically. Draven's demeanor grew serious. "The Dragon King was an immensely powerful beast, and the magus who controlled it had to rise through the ranks over many years to gain such power. To achieve that level of strength, you must also dedicate yourselves to hard work!" His intense gaze swept over the children. "Everyone has the potential to be great, but it depends on how much effort you're willing to put in."
The children fell silent, absorbed in their own thoughts and aspirations. "Now, let's start our morning exercises—same as always. Face the sun and begin the 'qi-absorbing stance'," Draven directed. The children began their exercises with renewed enthusiasm, each squad following their specific training routines under the supervision of the three adults. Today's training was intense, with almost no complaints. Each child worked with a determined spirit.
Renji, performing five-finger push-ups, counted silently while maintaining his focus. This exercise built palm, finger, and elbow strength—essential for those like Renji who, due to his Dragonblood, could not practice battle-qi. "Since my body is strengthened by Dragonblood, I have to exceed everyone else in physical strength," Renji thought, pushing through the exercise and impressing his peers with his endurance.
As Draven announced the end of morning exercises, he pondered what story to share next. However, before he could begin, the children's attention was drawn to the east. Draven, Roger, and Lorry also looked and were struck with awe. In the sky, about two or three hundred meters up, coiled a colossal ebony dragon—the Dark Dragon. Its enormous eyes, large as cartwheels, and its shimmering black scales were a sight to behold. The Dark Dragon's massive wings flapped with an awe-inspiring power.