Lily wasn't satisfied with that answer, but in the end, she let it go, seeing that Zaroth was reluctant to share.
After making sure he was fine, Sylvia let him go to his apartment, where he was now sitting on his bed, reading the books he had gotten from the library.
"These things actually work," he muttered under his breath.
"What did I tell you?" Luna responded with a smirk.
'She was right. I can combine the information in these books in a coherent way and apply it to my class,' Zaroth thought.
"By the way…" Luna began, which made Zaroth shift his attention from the book.
"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I think I'm able to come outside now."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that if other people see me, they won't recognize that I'm a dragon. They'll just think I'm an incredibly strong, beautiful human."
Zaroth, not expecting this information, put his book down and focused on Luna. "How did you learn that?"
"What? Did you think I was merely playing all this time when I was outside your soul? No, I was trying to control my aura so it looks human. I guess I just succeeded," she said with a hint of pride.
'This… is unexpected, but a welcome surprise nonetheless,' Zaroth thought, returning to the books.
As the night set, his fourth day at the academy came to an end, and he went to sleep.
*****
The next few days were quite normal. Zaroth attended his lectures, trained his body's muscles and stamina, had lunch with his friends, practiced in the Live Combat room with them—refining his mastery over several melee weapons and the spell Fireball—then went home and read books until he fell asleep.
Of course, Zaroth, Zack, Roran, and Lily had notified a teacher that they would be participating in the upcoming hunting competition as a team.
On the seventh day, he woke up, stripped off his clothes, and approached a full-body mirror to inspect himself.
A grin found its way onto his face. He no longer looked like a malnourished child. He had gained a good amount of muscle and a little bit of fat, giving him an athletic appearance.
Grinning as he inspected his body, he felt proud of himself. He still had a long way to go, but it was clear his training was bearing fruit.
Suddenly, he was caught in the embrace of a woman over twenty centimeters taller than him. She pressed him hard against her body, letting out a quiet, almost moaning sound.
Placing her mouth dangerously close to his ear, Luna whispered,
"Get stronger, faster, okay? I'm not sure how much longer I can contain myself."
Zaroth didn't particularly mind the situation, so he didn't move. He could feel Luna's heartbeat through the thin fabric of her clothes.
'This is like heaven,' he thought, until his golden bracelet shone, displaying an announcement.
-----
[Announcement]
To every student,
Today we head toward the forest near the capital for the hunting competition challenge. There will be a camp where you'll have time to prepare with your team before searching for prey.
The hunting competition will last fourteen days. During this time, you are to hunt as many powerful beasts as you can to earn a higher score, increasing your chance to participate in the tournament.
I, along with other teachers, will be spread around the forest, while some will remain at the camp in case of emergencies.
IMPORTANT,
Requesting rescue for yourself or a member of your squad will result in disqualification for you and your entire team.
Happy hunting!
From, Elysia.
-----
"So, it's starting, huh?" Zaroth muttered under his breath. Getting out of Luna's embrace, he got dressed, had breakfast, and headed to the auditorium where everyone was supposed to gather.
*****
Zaroth was waiting patiently for his friends before going in.
"Where the hell are they?!" he muttered irritably. Usually, he was the one who was late, so having to wait felt quite unpleasant.
Finally, after some time, he saw Lily and Roran walking toward him.
Weirdly enough, Lily seemed to be in quite a good mood, even though her hair looked a bit messy—like she had styled it quickly after waking up. Meanwhile, Roran looked tired and exhausted, as if he had just run a marathon that morning.
"Yo, guys! Why are you so late, and why do you look so different?" Zaroth asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lily crossed her arms, but her tone was surprisingly pleasant, which was unexpected since she was often cold. "What? Can't I be in a good mood for once?"
Not buying it, Zaroth shifted his gaze to Roran, silently waiting for an explanation.
Roran threw an irritated look at Lily before explaining, "Well… someone woke up today and didn't let me leave until she'd had 'enough.' I'll let you interpret that however you like."
"I see," Zaroth scratched his cheek awkwardly, thinking inwardly,
'So, they were fucking.'
'Fucking indeed,' Luna immediately agreed.
'Lucky bastard,' Zaroth thought, feeling quite frustrated by Luna's actions earlier that morning. 'It must be nice to do it whenever they want... SHIT! I have to get stronger, faster!'
A few minutes later, Zack finally showed up. He was bleeding a little from his left palm, which was surprising since he almost never did. Naturally, they asked him what had happened.
"Let's just say it was a complicated family matter," he said, heading into the auditorium, clearly unwilling to explain further.
Now the four of them stood amidst the thousands of students at the academy. Maybe because it was so packed, or because everyone was too nervous about the upcoming competition, no one bothered with their usual hostile gazes.
When Elysia stepped onto the podium, her cold and harsh voice silenced the auditorium instantly, drawing everyone's attention.
"You already know the rules, so without further ado, get ready to be teleported," she announced.
'Teleported?' Zaroth was surprised. He had never experienced teleportation before, and he'd heard that the first time could make you dizzy.
"Don't worry about it," Zack said, noticing Zaroth's unease. "As long as you don't move, you should be fine."
The next moment, the entire auditorium shone brightly as the teleportation magic activated. Zaroth held his breath in anticipation.
'So it's really starting… the hunting competition.'