Ancient Dragon in Arknights

First, a beautiful and sweet-voiced female teacher came on stage to greet everyone and give an opening speech. Then, the principal, who hadn't been seen for several days, came on stage to recount the "school violence" incident from a few days ago and to announce the punishments. Naturally, all the punishments were biased towards Seria's side.

Next, Toby and his friends, along with their parents, went on stage to issue a public apology. It's worth mentioning that several parents, concerned about their image, wore masks and sunglasses to cover themselves—which made many students in the audience laugh.

The shrill laughter made the three children so ashamed and angry that they wanted to crawl into the ground, while the protagonist of the other side, Saria, did not lose her composure amidst the noise and commotion. On the contrary, she appeared extremely calm at this moment.

Nesario sat in a chair with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed; Saria sat to his right, her posture upright and her expression calm, unlike her brother's unruly behavior. The two siblings were sitting in the middle of a crowd, but they seemed out of place in the noisy, bustling environment, as if they were destined to be from two different worlds.

After the meeting, Toby and his two friends' seats were empty. Instead of returning to the classroom, they tucked their tails between their legs and ran away.

Nesario did not encounter him again during that time.

"Toby... is like a little pebble I kicked on the street today."

Nesario remarked to his sister that he felt the whole thing looked ridiculous and laughable.

Nesario and Saria are still just children, and their lives are far from over. Although the Vayvans are not a fantasy race, their lifespan far exceeds that of ordinary races.

Toby is nothing more than an insignificant pebble on the road of life.

Nesario and Saria will encounter countless "Toby"s in the future, who will only become stronger, more dangerous, and more ruthless. If they remain stagnant, they will only be defeated.

"Sister, are you planning to go to the gym again today?"

"Of course."

"Hmph... As a senior, I welcome your challenge at any time."

"..."

Saria clenched her fists, eager to try.

Although Nesario said that, he immediately started catching up on sleep after returning to the classroom. The teacher wanted to warn him about this behavior, but Nesario was still able to answer all the questions, even some of which were beyond the scope of the curriculum.

Colombia is not a rigid country; it is a place that openly displays the gap between the rich and poor and the social status.

Nesario possesses formidable strength, thus he can fight for his own privileges.

In the days to come, Nesario will probably be able to sleep freely again.

However, he probably didn't intend to do that, since sleeping on the classroom desks was really uncomfortable.

"Classmates, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you at today's assembly."

Nesario's class teacher was a rather young-looking Miss Rupert. She had a very gentle personality, so the atmosphere in the class was very comfortable, and everyone was a sensible and well-behaved child.

If we're talking about the only bad kid, then it's probably Nesario.

"Teacher! Neltharion is asleep!"

A girl who wanted to get Nesario's attention chose to "report" him to the teacher.

Young girls who have never experienced love can only use romance comics as a reference, and Columbia's current romance comics are all popular in the "bickering lovers" genre.

The male and female protagonists usually make an impression on each other because of some minor frictions, and then go through many things, in which they recognize each other and eventually get together.

The little girl was currently fantasizing about living happily ever after with Nesario.

Little did she know that Nesario had already made a mental note of her – she was a tattletale and not to be trusted.

Chapter Twelve: The New Enemy

"Science is not just words in books, but a truth that exists in our lives. Students, we must have the ability to discover and experience science."

"So schools often organize social practice activities at specific times—we'll leave the classroom and go outdoors. Then you'll use your clever little eyes to discover the scientific things around you, and finally submit an observation report to your teacher. Can you do it?"

"can!"

"Okay, remember to tell your parents about this when you get home today, and make the necessary preparations when you come to school tomorrow."

The above is a summary of what Saria relayed to Nesario: the social practice is about to begin, and students of all grades throughout the school will be involved in this activity.

It was a spring outing with a distinctly Colombian flair.

This activity may seem a bit difficult, but it's actually not a big deal. Science and technology are everywhere in life.

The irregular patterns on the road surface, the working principle of streetlights, the working principle of fountains... what is truly tested is the ability to judge.

Some things may seem simple, but the science and technology behind them are extremely complex, and no paper can explain them all. This workload is definitely not something a primary school student can do.

"Sister, what topic are you going to choose?"

"The basic principle of the internal combustion engine in a car."

Saria probably chose this topic because she learned about the basic principles of internal combustion engines while making a toy car model some time ago... Is there any difference between Originium engines and traditional internal combustion engines?

"I choose..."

For a moment, Nesario was actually unable to decide which project to take; having too many options made it difficult to make a decision.

Let's analyze the principles of crossbow bolts.

Nesario originally intended to choose the working principle of "firearms", but there is no such concept as "firearms" in Terra.

Terra's long-range weapons are guns and crossbows. Guns are unique to Laterano, and other countries would be investigated simply for appearing in them, let alone trying to copy them.

'If I were to publish the principles of firearms, the Lateran Pope would probably personally invite me to Lateran to sample their local delicacies.'

There is one thing that remains unclear about Nesario: the "true nature" of the gun—it is merely a staff with a unique shape. After all, the gun is not powered by gunpowder; it still relies on the Originium Arts circuits that are the mainstream on Terra.

There won't be any problems after switching to crossbows. Even thugs in the wilderness can make these things, they're just of poor quality.

It's normal for boys to be interested in these weapons and equipment, isn't it?

Nesario and Saria thus easily decided on their respective tasks.

Then came the usual routine of going home after school and going to the gym.

Tonight, Nesario did not reach that space again; clearly, he was unable to enter when his strength was insufficient.

The sun rose as usual on the second day, and the social practice began as scheduled.

After a good night's rest, Nesario fully recovered and once again adopted his usual arrogant demeanor, to which Saria made no comment.

Because she has also undergone many changes at this moment.

In the past, Saria would respond to any external provocation, whether friendly or malicious.

This passive way of communicating is also the reason why she, despite being very outstanding, could not enter the center of the class circle.

Humans are strange creatures. Sometimes, if you speak to them kindly, they won't appreciate it; but if you slap them, they'll start to fawn over you.

Saria had always been like this; she was too gentle with those around her, so much so that she was looked down upon by others, who were completely unaware that this Vaivan girl was destined to be worlds apart from them.

Nesario's indifferent yet repulsive attitude towards those around him resulted in him being labeled as aloof and powerful.

Now Saria has also learned this trick. Her timidity has begun to disappear, replaced by a poker face with no expression—this gives her a unique charm, and the students around her have adopted a sense of awe.

"Students, you are now free to explore. But please remember—don't wander too far, and stay with your classmates. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the teachers. The teachers will be here to help you."

"Yes!"

The students gathered together looked like a huge, dense crowd, but when they dispersed, they disappeared into the street like flowing water.

Saria and Nesario found each other precisely; no one dared to approach them to team up, and they didn't need any other burdens.

......

As the students began to move freely, the darkness in the shadows also began to stir.

Recently, several cases of human trafficking and kidnapping have occurred in various regions of Colombia. However, since such incidents are not uncommon in Colombia and are concentrated in one state, they have not received much attention.

But there are indeed some connections between these things.

"Boss, are we really going to make our move in the city?"

"Nonsense, we've come this far. Just be careful and don't let me down at the crucial moment."

"But......"

Two Rupert men were plotting something at a small table on the street, and their conversation sounded very dangerous.

They were two kidnappers—being a kidnapper in Terra was a serious matter, because many Terrans were known for their martial spirit, and kidnappers who were caught faced certain death.

So if kidnappers are better equipped, they can probably also work as hitmen.

Although the two Rupert men had sins on their hands, they looked like best friends at first glance, dressed in suits and ties, one tall and thin and the other short and fat.

This is what sets them apart from other kidnappers; they specialize in committing crimes within cities, and their targets are mostly children from wealthy families.

These kinds of guys can be used in many group conflicts and family disputes.

Human trafficking has recently become popular on Colombia's black market—but the hot-selling items are clean children without Oripathy.

This has posed a significant challenge for many human traffickers—those they manage to acquire are either disabled or infected individuals.

You really can't find a clean and healthy child like that anytime soon.

That's why the two brothers had the opportunity to make a profit.

No one knows better than them how to ensure the cleanliness and safety of the "goods".

"According to my investigation, these kids were organized by the school. It's not like they'll notice if one or two go missing in a short time. So, you get it?"

Chapter Thirteen: Perfect Teamwork

Nesario was unaware of the approaching danger; he was currently shopping leisurely with Saria in the same shop he had visited before.

"Young master, have your Originium Arts awakened?"

The witch sister was curious about this. Everyone's Originium Arts are as unique as their personality. With so many people in the world, there will always be a few special people who acquire unique Originium Arts.

His unique Originium Arts may make him a distinctive magic master, or perhaps even break the limits of a certain field.

Just like Originium Arts for medical purposes—before its advent, people could only rely on medicine and self-healing to treat physical injuries.

However, since the advent of Originium Arts for medical use, the limits of medicine have been broken.

Powerful sorcerers can regenerate flesh from bones and regrow severed limbs—of course, masters of that level are extremely rare, almost legendary. Most medical sorcerers can only quickly stop bleeding and treat wounds, among other things.

But that's enough, since in some situations, being able to slow down the injury is the greatest help.

On the battlefield, healers are generally not attacked. After their troops are defeated, healers are given special treatment, enjoying the same treatment as soldiers, so that they can heal their own wounded.

"Unfortunately, I don't seem to have any talent for Originium Arts, but I believe my sister can."