The Tales of Draconic Warlock

Months disappeared before I could count them. Not one or two but four months were gone in the blink of an eye and the time for the secret realm is here.

As usual, at the end of every month, there was a monthly exam and as predicted I took the top position every time. Malia took second place after me but the surprising part was Dorian reached fourth place in the class exam.

He quickly improved himself.

The problem was that he ignored many of the commoner student issues, which he used to take upon himself.

Something changed after he settled with that noble kid or something changed that led him to make a settlement with the noble kid.

When I learned about that, I had a bad premonition. So I kept an eye on Dorian but he didn't make any wrong moves. Every day, he would attend class or go to grinding in dungeons or training grounds. Except for those three things he did nothing else.

I couldn't find what was wrong. I couldn't figure out why I had this bad feeling in my heart until last month.

During last month's class exam, he was able to secure fourth rank, a rank that he shouldn't have reached by now unless he gained something big.

I know that he has a system but I felt that the system shouldn't have a power that can improve skill levels. From what felt a few months ago when we clashed in the duels, and from what I saw last month, there was a qualitative change.

If the system could have done that, what didn't it do until now?

Due to my INT, I remember everything I saw or heard. I recalled everything about Dorian in the entire year. Though I didn't like to waste time, I attended every class's monthly exam at one time or another.

Dorian is in my class, so it was mandatory to attend, as I too participated in that exam.

I remembered that he was not that skilled back then. He was wild and unrefined but now that was not the case.

It was common among commoner children. As they don't have personal trainers, the wilds are where they learn to fight and survive. So their skill levels will be low when they enter the academy and that was not a surprise for me.

That would change as time goes on. If that was the case, I wouldn't doubt anything but that was not the case.

After the holidays, there was a lot of change in Doian but he covered it up. I didn't properly analyze his actions but looking at them now, there was fishy about how he did things in the training hall and monthly exams.

I was improving myself too and paid not much attention to him in training as I did in the exam. Even then when I saw his clumsiness, I started to ignore him and that was a mistake.

I say mistake because I am sure that someone trained him.

There was no way that the system could have helped him. If it has such power, why didn't it help him before? I believe that he had the system by the time we met. If not why would be so arrogant at the gate and try to enter Winter City through the noble's gate?

Though I didn't know that he had the system at that time, I could say with a hundred percent surety that he had the system by that time. Only that could answer why he was so arrogant back then.

If his system has the power to upgrade his skills faster, then he should have done it before he entered the academy. He could have been the top ranker. Probably they could have miscalculated but what about the next five months?

At the semester exam, I fought with him and I didn't see anything that could impress me. It all changed after the holidays.

Did he find something good in those holidays?

I never heard about any resource that can upgrade skill levels. Sure there are resources that can refill stamina, magic power and reduce fatigue. With those one can continuously train but a month's training shouldn't have done that.

Did he find an ancient ruin where time flows differently from the world?

If that was the case, then even without the help from others or even the system, he could have upgraded his skills faster.

If that is the case, then why didn't he stay behind? Why return to the academy?

Is that because of the secret realm?

Possibly. There are not many known secret realms in the world and most of them are occupied by powerful forces and only they can enter those realms. Outsiders are not allowed in.

Even this secret realm is occupied by the Royal Academy and most of the spots to enter it belong to the academy itself.

The main question was why did he tried to hide his skills?

He could have gained a lot of points if he had ranked at the top, but he didn't try to do so. Instead, he showed that he was in the same boat as many of them.

Why go to such lengths in covering?

If he has strength, he should show it. Only then he would be treated well and that was a point he knew well enough. It was not like mine, where others might covet your body to dissect and study it.

When he arrived at the academy he didn't try to be this low-key but did things in a high-profile manner but everything changed after the first few months.

These questions ravaged my mind for a month long without any answers and then the answer appeared. Everything became clear after that.

He was certainly trained and I know who.

I now know why I had a bad premonition.

It was all because of him.

William Rutgurd.

I was right to doubt him. He was not someone who wouldn't let others get what he wanted.

He made his move and now it's my turn.