Ancient Dragon in Arknights

These were Neltharion's last thoughts before he lost consciousness—his previous guess was inaccurate, and there was another possibility: that the ancient dragons had killed him first.

......

Open your eyes, wake up.

Nesario lay on the bed, unwilling to move. He stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind replaying the last scene before his consciousness faded into darkness.

"Remember this—go around groups of ancient dragons in the future. Because their abilities may be able to combine in threes to unleash incredible combined attacks."

Neltharion stood in front of the mirror to check his condition—the traces of Nergigante had not increased, probably because it hadn't directly fought Neltharion.

"I wonder if that guy is dead or not... If he is dead, where should I go to find peace of mind?"

The thought of Nergigante's cells fully reviving within his body, leading to the appearance of the first Nergigante on Terra, sent chills down Neltharion's spine. He greatly admired its power, but he couldn't accept its attempt to seize control of his body.

"By the Azure Star that guides the way—please protect the Extinction Dragon, at least spare its life."

Azure Star: ?

Neltharion was probably the first hunter to pray for a monster, and this peculiar phenomenon is likely unique in the world.

With several Nergigante investigations underway, half of the holiday has already passed.

With one month left, Neltharion must strive to completely tame the Nergigante's genes within this month, otherwise he will be exposed sooner or later.

At that time, what awaits me will not be those amiable scholars from the investigation team.

The moral bottom line of the Terrans is very flexible. The person in the white coat may be a benevolent savior, but more likely he is a devil who will smile and cut open your body.

Chapter 129 Academic Planning

After about a week of free time, the holiday was drawing to a close, and Ms. Angelia, who had disappeared for the entire holiday, reappeared on campus.

Since the other students hadn't returned yet, she could only kill time by staying on campus with Nesario.

Thump—clang! Clang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed throughout the training ground—Nesario and Angelia were sparring. This time, they weren't holding any unsharpened toys, but real combat equipment, all top-quality goods from the highest-grade armory in Londinium. These weapons could fetch high prices on the black market in most parts of Terra.

Because all nations are well aware of Victoria's superior quality in the Originium industry—these weapons are absolutely top-notch and can significantly enhance a mercenary's strength in the hands of a skilled mercenary.

But for Nesario, it's not a problem at all—as long as he ignites his tail, the high temperature and the strength of D32 steel can definitely destroy the opponent's weapon quickly; unfortunately, this is not a life-or-death battle, so he needs to hold back.

"Hmph... You still haven't mastered your Originium Arts?"

"Hmm. I have no clue whatsoever, and I haven't sensed any so-called Originium energy at all."

"But with your current strength, even if I use Originium Arts, I will have difficulty resisting you."

After the battle, both sides rested—Nesario only needed to adjust his breathing, while Angelia needed to recover from the fatigue of using Originium Arts to enhance her body.

It's hard to imagine—just a year ago, when Nesario had just enrolled, she only needed to use Originium Arts to suppress him; although her hand bones were fractured at the time, Angelia still had the strength to spare.

Now... Angelia thought that even if she equipped herself with the highest level of gear, if she couldn't kill Neltharion from a distance, she would definitely be the one to die once he got close.

'Even for Vayvan, this rate of growth is simply unbelievable. No wonder the military is interested...'

Angelia wasn't stupid. On the contrary, she had seen the Sarkaz with their unique bloodlines and the surgically modified Colombian "weapons" on the battlefield—all of which told her about Nesario's extraordinary nature.

"Kid, you didn't go home for the holidays, choosing to stay at school...are you being watched?"

"Yes. Some big shot has his eye on me, but I'm hiding in Lentinium, so they don't dare to make a move."

"Ugh... This is really troublesome."

Angelia strongly suspected that she might be summoned again in the near future, and the content would definitely be related to the boy in front of her.

"Teacher, could you give us a sneak peek at the curriculum for the second semester?"

"The first semester mainly focused on teaching you the most basic military skills. You top students could probably adapt quickly and even make contributions if you were thrown into the battlefield. But don't you feel like something is missing?"

"...Tactical literacy and skills; these are things that every soldier must master. But we are not yet capable of commanding the battlefield and maneuvering the battle situation."

"Yes, the second semester begins. You will be divided into three training tracks based on your personal preferences: guards, officers, and sergeants."

As a military academy, Victoria naturally trains officers and special forces personnel. As for ordinary soldiers who charge into battle and ultimately become expendable resources? Which military base can't produce such soldiers? Why waste so many resources on the Royal Academy?

Could you explain the differences in detail?

"After graduating, the duties of guards are mostly to serve as bodyguards for royalty, nobles, and important officials. Therefore, they must have keen observation skills and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. When necessary, they must also serve as a ceremonial guard to enhance the image of the family."

"This is not suitable for me."

"It goes without saying that Victoria would not hire a foreigner as a guard."

Judging from Angelia's tone, she herself doesn't seem to like this direction either—after all, anyone who has had even a little contact with high society knows exactly what a "guard officer" does.

The nobleman's dog—or perhaps the nobleman himself.

There are only a few possible outcomes for commoners who become guards without money. One is that they are transferred to a nobleman's position and work for a high salary, eventually rising and falling with that nobleman. Another is that they cannot understand the rules and eventually make a wrong move, falling into an abyss. Of course, there are also some lucky ones who can have something happen with noble ladies, but what happens after that is unknown.

As for the sons of nobles... they obtain officer status, then can legitimately wear military uniforms to various parties and banquets, and combined with their family's resources, eventually begin to carry their family's reputation in social circles. It's what's known as gilding the lily... Of course, the Royal Academy's educational quality is indeed guaranteed; some academic qualifications certainly do go into it.

"The officer of the guard is the least popular choice; most students at the Royal Guard Academy prefer the second option."

"officer?"

"Yes, officers are battlefield commanders. After graduation, those with powerful family connections might follow a general as a think tank to learn from his experience; those without connections start as second lieutenants and gradually climb the ranks."

This certainly meets the needs of most Royal Guard Academy students, who don't need to rush into the front lines but can instead sit in the rear and give orders—the tactical materials taught at the Royal Guard Academy are top-notch.

"The last category... is the path I chose. Sergeant-in-Chief—the commander of the main battlefield, the initiator of the charge and breakthrough. A class with both high casualty rates and high honor rates. A powerful squad led by an excellent sergeant can sometimes easily turn the tide of a battle; behind enemy lines, stronghold sabotage, road closures, intelligence reconnaissance, decapitation strikes... most of the ingenious tactics in textbooks are carried out by sergeant-in-chief."

"This is more to my liking."

But Nesario's original dream was to become a general—the path to becoming a general should be that of a sergeant, and the ultimate goal of an officer is to become a general.

“That’s true. You and I are very similar, both in terms of fighting style and courage. If you’re planning to join Victoria, I can write you a letter of recommendation for my former team—the Iron Fist Squad.”

"Never heard of it, could it be some lowly unit?"

*Thump*—Nesario was punished by Iron Fist as soon as he finished speaking.

"The Iron Fist Squad is one of the best in the Victoria Special Forces. But you bunch of kids who've never even been inside a military camp wouldn't understand. What special forces intelligence is something you can just talk about!"

Clearly, Angelia has a deep affection for the Iron Fist Squad. She can't even tolerate joking teasing. Seeing her like this makes one really want to explore her past; it would definitely be a very rich biography.

Chapter 130 United Front

Three more days passed, during which Nesario carefully studied the differences between sergeants and officers—ultimately, he chose the sergeant route.

The reason is simple: the battlefield command, overall situation awareness, and mastery of various battle situations that officers learn are just book knowledge. To truly become a great general, one needs to experience the battlefield firsthand.

However, there is a major problem at present, which is "connections".

Angelia also said that those who could work directly by the general's side after graduation all had powerful backers; following the general, keeping quiet, and learning more would be a great help.

Nesario clearly doesn't qualify. While he may currently be considered the first person at the Royal Guard Academy, don't forget that his family is just a modest middle-class Colombian family. Without the resources of the academy, even joining the military becomes a problem for him. If he wants to join the Colombian army, a degree from the Royal Guard Academy might give him a slightly higher starting point, but not by much.

The path of a non-commissioned officer, which involves real combat on the battlefield, is more in line with his needs. Truly powerful generals never stay in tents; they are ruthless individuals who lead the charge.

"I can try again tonight... I hope Nergigante is still alive, or at least I can finish it off."

Neltharion's prediction was quite accurate. When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in the familiar Elder's Recess—he had been there so many times recently that he was almost more familiar with the place than with Lontinim.

"Nergigante, I've come to play with you."

Neltharion always woke up completely unharmed and full of energy. If it weren't for the less-than-ideal progress of the corruption on Terra, he could probably have driven Nergigante crazy just by relentlessly harassing it every three days.

It now remembers Nesario; even an ant that it has crushed several times should leave an impression.

As Neltharion slowly walked along the familiar road, he would occasionally encounter other inhabitants of the Elder's Recess—sometimes a Brute Wyvern that coiled its body into a wheel-like shape, rolling around while releasing explosives; other times, he would see a chubby blue dragon sleeping in a pile of shattered rocks, looking quite adorable and completely lacking the fearsome aura of a dragon.

Following the "Welcome Avenue" carved out by Nergigante himself, Neltharion walked briskly into the depths, as if this were not a battle of life and death, but an ordinary outing.

In fact, the second time he came here, he realized that putting immense pressure on himself before facing Nergigante was an extremely unwise choice; subsequently, he approached it with a relaxed attitude, and Nergigante's roar lost its effect.

Thump—! Swish—! Crunch, crunch!

As I approached Nergigante's lair, I heard a variety of sounds—familiar heavy blows shaking my body, and... the sharp sound of metal scraping together?

What's going on? Did Nergigante prey on Kushala Daora? But isn't this Nergigante's territory?

Nesario quickened his pace and finally saw the current state of the battlefield after turning a corner—tornadoes connected the sky and the earth, two giant dragons flew in the sky, and after several collisions, shattered black thorns and... rusty steel scales fell down?

These are Steelix scales, right...?

Neltharion knew too little about the Steel Dragon; otherwise, he would have known that he was facing the Steel Dragon at its most dangerous moment.

The steel dragon's exoskeleton is the result of the oxidation of its scales and the air. Normally, the steel dragon will continuously supply energy and nutrients to its scales to ensure that they do not oxidize and rust excessively. However, the steel dragon is not a machine; it is a living, breathing creature, so it also grows.

Whenever its body size is about to break through the limitations of its exoskeleton, it will molt like an insect—the exoskeleton on its body surface will be unable to absorb nutrients and energy due to the obstruction of the new scales; the originally shiny steel shell will slowly rust, weaken, and eventually break.

Logically speaking, a rusty exoskeleton would weaken a steel dragon's strength, but the friction and constriction of the rusty exoskeleton would cause the steel dragon to be constantly tormented by pain. Under prolonged torment, it would become irritable and easily agitated; creatures that would not normally be considered a threat would be torn to shreds by it.

Therefore, the scene before us is not hard to explain—the Steel Dragon is actively attacking the Elder Dragon Slayer.

Its throat roared incessantly, the sound mingling with the scraping of rusty metal, creating a terrifying roar, like the death knell in the sky.

Normally, Nergigante wouldn't be afraid of a fragile and temperamental Steel Dragon; but now, still bearing the injuries it sustained in battle with the Rathalos couple... it seems somewhat powerless to defend itself against the Steel Dragon's attack.

"Damn, I slept too soundly, and Kushala Daora was chasing after Nergigante and beating it up..."

Neltharion watched as Kushala Daora knocked Nergigante down from the sky—and faced with the fallen Nergigante, the enraged Kushala Daora decided to kill it outright.

The rusty steel tail slammed into Nergigante's neck, and Nergigante hurriedly surrounded its vital areas with its thorns—but could it stop it?

"Damn it! I didn't expect they'd actually have to make a move!"

The rusty tail was cut off halfway by the burning steel tail, and Nesario felt his tailbone go numb from the shock.

Neltharion landed nimbly between the two dragons, facing the Steel Dragon with heightened vigilance, while his back was wide open for the Nergigante.

The scene froze for a moment—both Elder Dragons had been beaten by human hunters, and neither liked these "very threatening ants." But now, the ants were actually protecting the Nergigante?

Even the Nergigante was now in a state of chaos, its pupils constantly contracting and dilating, a testament to the extent of its master's confusion.

"Roar!"

The stainless steel dragon was extremely irritable and violent at this moment. Normally, it might have assessed the level of danger, but right now, it only wanted to tear the two guys in front of it to pieces!

The rusty tornado hurtled toward Neltharion and Nergigante—the former nimbly leaped away, while the latter scrambled to his feet to create distance.

Suddenly, a person and a dragon stood side by side, their four eyes met for a moment, and then they awkwardly looked away.