The Tales of Draconic Warlock

Today is the monthly exam, which will determine the top ranks of our class.

We all gathered in the training hall as we did before. We have done this four times before, so we already know the procedure pretty much.

Unlike last semester, there is a lot of tension between among my classmates this time. Everyone has come prepared to gain better ranks than before and many seemed confident that they can achieve good results.

Even my neighbor rank Malia seemed to be prepared for everything. For her, I am the only obstacle in front of her in the entire first year. I believe defeating me should be her short-term goal.

If she can overcome me, she can then look towards achieving other goals.

I know that she is from a Military family and in families such as those, only the strength has the right to speak and Might is right.

Though one may consider that they appear a bit conservative, they are not.

Unlike some families where the girls born in the family have to listen to their elders and marry some noble kid, even if he is a disgusting one in order to gain some benefits for the family.

In these military families, the girls can have a voice as long as they are strong enough. If they can show that they have the strength, the family will support their decision instead of imposing the family's decision on them.

In that aspect they are different.

Even though my family is heavily involved in the military, it is not like other military families.

Look at me. My father made a marriage pact with his friend that I and his friend's daughter would get married. This was lying tying a rope around one's neck.

The girl was not interested and seemed to be in love with another. This is a trouble that my father created for me even before I could properly train and come out of the academy.

William is considered as a once in a century genius. I heard many things about him after I came to the academy. Many say that he has a high chance of reaching Tier-9. It was said that he was already at peak Tier-3, waiting to complete his promotion mission.

Once he completes that, he would be regarded as the youngest Tier-4 in the history of the kingdom. Though that was wrong, I wouldn't correct it for the time being.

Anyway, he would be a thorn in my side. The worrying thing was that he hadn't made any moves against me as of yet or did he make moves but I didn't see them?

I don't know but I will be ready nonetheless.

---

A few minutes later, Angela walked in.

"You already know why you are here today. So I won't waste any time. I'll call the names, as before they would fight each other. According to your performance, I would rank you", she briefly told us and started to call names.

The matches are boring to watch as they appear to be fights among children. They lack fighting each other. They might have cleared dungeons or were carried through ranks but fighting other awakeners is a different thing. They should have understood that by now.

They should have but it looks like they don't.

The academy has a protection mechanism when students fight. The most they can do to each other was hurt each other badly enough and that would be it.

The academy protects them from dying. Many here shouldn't have faced fighting other humans in a death match. It would be different when the outcome of a match is decided based on who can come out alive.

In the matches where the academy protects the students, they could still slack. The most that they would lose was a match and a few points.

In death matches, even a mistake can end your life. Once you die that would be the end of the matter for you. You have to go through the cycle of reincarnation unless if there is a skill that resurrects the dead.

I am not sure about that. This world after all is magical and there should be such skills. Maybe not in this era but at least should have existed in the ancient era.

Thinking about those resurrection skills, they might appear as OP skills, but there should be a limitation to them. There is nothing with its own limitations.

Everything in this world has limitations, even my supposedly OP physique which can give me attributes when I consume something. As I grew, I saw the limitation. It wouldn't endlessly give me those attributes.

As my attributes became huge, the attributes I gained from eating low-level food decreased. As time went on, increasing the quality of food was the only way to gain attributes. One day even eating a Tier-9 monster meat may not yield any attributes.

When I saw my physique, I thought I could gain a million attribute points just by eating but I was wrong. I couldn't get any points at all for eating Tierless and Tier-1 meat. Only Tier-2 and above yield some results at this point.

Tier-2 meat appears to be a small issue but eating it every day would burn away even a count's treasure house. Tierless monster meat every day, with Tier-1 meat every few days was the best my house could afford now.

Anyway, the only reason why I watch these matches is to see various skills and their limitations. It would be very useful if I ever faced an enemy with those skills.

---

"Next up, Magnus Vs Malia"

Oh, it looks like I have to fight with the second ranker this time. She should be trying her best to overcome me but she doesn't know that I have already reached Tier-4.

It is a disadvantage to anyone in her position.

Though she was cold and didn't socialize much, she never provoked anybody or looked down on others.

Unlike some idiots, she has a good character. I should go easy on her.

If I defeat her too easily, she may lose the will to strive. It's good to destroy idiots but not someone who works diligently has a good character.

Let's make it good so that she would convince herself that there is a possibility that she can reach me.