Vol 8. Chapter 21: Max-Level Boss Dragon Wandering the Novice Village - UPDATED

That little pink-haired one was obviously sharp, so there was no way she’d just blurt out her “secret.”

Orion didn’t press further.

And since Hefei had only herself to blame for carelessly stepping into the trap, it counted as part of the exam. Orion, as proctor, wasn’t going to interfere.

Aurora turned back toward Hefei.

“Alright then, I’m taking your point cards now~”

Of course Hefei wasn’t about to give up. She tried to gather dragon flame in her palm and burn through the rope on her ankle. But strangely, no matter how she drew on her power, nothing formed—not even the tiniest spark.

She stared in shock at her hand.

“How could this be...”

“Give it up, Hefei. This isn’t an ordinary rope. It’s a binding rope. I dug it out from my mom and dad’s bedroom storeroom.”

Aurora spoke in a casual tone, like someone showing off trinkets from a corner stash.

“I don’t know why that storeroom’s always filled with weird stuff, but whenever I—or my sisters—need handy little tools, I go rummaging there. And every time, I find something fun.”

Hefei had no choice but to yield. This pink fluffball had even gone so far as to raid her family’s things just to catch her.

What more was there to say?

“Take the cards then!”

Her eyes brimmed with tears of resignation as she sighed.

“Fine, I slipped up. I admit defeat. Aurora-sis, take my point cards.”

Accepting loss with dignity—this was a hallmark of Constantine’s family.

Aurora smiled, and without hesitation reached into Hefei’s pocket. She pulled out a few cards, then glanced over them. A crooked, self-mocking smile tugged her lips.

“Look at my luck. They’re all three-pointers. This is way too little.”

Hefei peeked at the cards in Aurora’s hand.

Sure enough—four cards, each worth only three points.

Altogether twelve points, barely a scratch for Hefei, who had been first place in the ranking.

“Aurora-sis.”

“Mm?”

“I’ve done lots of tasks. I still have plenty more in my pocket—”

“Eh—” Orion, hearing Hefei about to hand over cards voluntarily, wanted to stop this silly, straightforward girl.

But she was too slow.

“There are still plenty in my pocket.”

Aurora smirked, lightly tapping Hefei’s cheek with the cards.

“The academy rules say that even if we catch you hatchlings, we can’t take all your cards. You need to take some losses, and learn a lesson—but it’s supposed to be just a small setback. A warning to patch your defenses.

Basically it’s a way to control the exam’s difficulty. Sure, the Youth Division elites can easily find clever ways to scam and trap the Hatchling Division juniors.

Especially since the moment they meet, the Youth Division already knows they’re here to steal cards, while the hatchlings think the upperclassmen are coming to ‘encourage them.’ That information gap alone creates a heavy imbalance.

So I’ll just take four cards and leave it at that. Whether I was unlucky and only got the lowest-value ones, or whether I was secretly going easy on you with a new ability, well—that’s for you to wonder.”

“Anyway, I’m off to scam some other juniors.”

Aurora pocketed the cards, turned, and dashed into the bushes.

She’d barely gotten far when Hefei shouted from behind:

“Let me down from the rope, Aurora-sis!”

“Oh, right, almost forgot.”

Aurora braked on the spot, turned, and flicked out a dragon flame. The fireball shot over, severed the rope, and freed Hefei at last.

When Hefei scrambled to her feet and looked, the pink-haired girl was already gone.

Hefei let out a breath. She wasn’t too discouraged. The exam had plenty of time left, and she hadn’t lost much.

Besides, Aurora had probably gone easy on her. With her prankster’s personality, she’d have taken more if she’d wanted to. Four lowest-value cards was nothing.

Orion stepped up beside her.

“Next time you run into someone you know, be more cautious.”

“Mmhm, I know, Orion-sis.”

Orion’s thoughts stirred. She recalled her earlier questions—Aurora had given no real answers, only that it was a secret.

Her curiosity nagged at her, so she hesitated, then asked Hefei:

“By the way, Hefei, how did that Aurora know your name? And... she only set one trap under that tree, yet you stepped into it as if she’d... predicted it?”

Hefei blinked and scratched her head.

“Predicted... actually, Aurora-sis has been obsessed with fortune-telling lately. Like guessing what the cafeteria will serve at lunch, or whether it’ll rain in a few minutes...”

“Is it divination? Or some other kind of magic?” Orion asked.

Hefei shook her head.

“Not sure. But once, Moon-sis asked her when winter break would start, and Aurora said she didn’t know. So maybe Aurora can only sense things a few minutes into the future.”

Orion nodded thoughtfully. After all, dragons were descendants of primordial divinities. Every so often, one like that pink-haired girl appeared, gifted with peculiar talents.

She didn’t think further on it, and said:

“Let’s get back to tasks. We’ll make up the lost points.”

Hefei nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, okay!”

With Aurora’s lesson behind her, Hefei would surely be more alert now. She couldn’t trust any familiar faces. But what worried her most wasn’t another backstab.

Because betrayal only made sense when the opponent’s strength was close enough. Only then would they set traps or use tricks to snatch cards.

If the opponent’s strength completely outclassed hers, they wouldn’t bother with schemes. They’d just take them by force.

And across the whole Youth Division, there was only one person Hefei knew of who had both the guts and the power for that.

The one she least wanted to meet...

......

Noa stood in the middle of the mountain path, arms folded, face impassive. And wouldn’t you know it—opposite her stood Constantine and Anton as a pair.

Anton scratched his hair as he stared at the small figure ahead.

“Uncle Constantine, why doesn’t that little girl have a proctor with her?”

Constantine’s expression was grave. He pondered a moment, then said quietly:

“She’s not like you. She didn’t come here to take the exam.”

“Then she’s...”

Before old Con could answer, Noa’s footsteps began to sound.

She drew near and lifted an arm.

“Hand over your point cards.”

Her tone was cool. She was clearly “robbing” them, yet she had the unruffled air of a princess reclaiming tribute.

Anton clenched his teeth. He knew perfectly well who this road-blocking little girl was, but if she wanted his points—no chance!

Seeing Anton not only refuse but even itching for a fight, Noa stopped where she was.

“Looks like you intend to resist.”

“Hmph. If you’re robbing me, of course I’m going to resist!”

Anton set his stance, both hands coming up in his opening form.

“Just a little brat who hasn’t even grown up. I’ll give you three free moves and you still won’t beat me!”

Constantine half-squinted at the cocky kid who didn’t know his place. He hesitated, then couldn’t help reminding him:

“Anton, keep a cool head. If you don’t know the opponent’s strength, it’s wiser to avoid the edge.”

Anton: “Avoid her edge? Me?!”

Old Con: ...

“Hmph, Orion-sis taught me magic and combat herself. Dealing with a little girl is more than easy. I’m going in!”

Constantine silently closed his eyes and counted three numbers in his heart.

“Three—two—”

“Argh!”

Less than three seconds earlier, Anton had been charging in hot-blooded. In the blink of an eye, he’d been booted back.

The boy lay at Constantine’s feet, stars in his eyes, skull ringing.

Constantine gave Anton a helpless look, then raised his gaze to Noa.

“Was that a little heavy?”

“I controlled my strength, Uncle Constantine.”

Noa’s bearing didn’t show a crack as she answered politely. Constantine blinked, then glanced down at the fallen Anton.

Noa repeated herself.

“Hand over your point cards. I won’t say it a third time.”

Gritting his teeth, Anton pushed himself up, slapped the dust from his clothes, and replied stubbornly:

“Hmph, that one doesn’t count. I wasn’t steady. Again!”

He charged in again.

Then got KO’d again;

then rushed again,

then got KO’d again.

...

After a few rounds, Anton finally accepted reality and ran out of ways to insist.

Flat on his back, the kid could only silently regret not listening to Uncle Con.

Noa stepped up and took a few point cards from Anton’s pocket.

They were all three-pointers, roughly fifty points in total.

Just like Aurora earlier, Noa didn’t take every one of Anton’s cards.

“Alright. Good luck with the rest of the exam.”

She straightened, slipped the cards into her pack, paused, then asked:

“By the way, have you seen your friends Jane and Claire?”

When the Youth Division troopers set out, Noa had glanced at the current rankings. She’d immediately spotted her mom and dad up top, as well as the candidates from their families.

Which was why she could name Jane and Claire outright now.

Anton bit down hard and answered with spine:

“Even if you rob me of every card and I have to withdraw, I, Anton, will never betray my friends!”

Noa lowered her eyes at him and said softly:

“They were already ranked above you. And now I’ve taken this many points from you, so—”

“They went east after entering the valley, ma’am!”

“Very good. Here’s a point.”

Noa drew out a ten-point card and set it on Anton’s chest.

Watching Noa handle the kid so easily, Constantine couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

“Leon Casmod, look at the daughter you’ve raised!”

After recalling the direction her parents had headed for their bout, Noa immediately set off that way.

And along the road, she ran into quite a few examinees.

To ensure the joint exam’s fairness, difficulty, and realism—and out of a conscientious sense of duty—Comrade Noa chose the best approach: relieve the burden of every examinee she met along the way. Truly a people’s princess, truly the organization’s overachiever.

“Demon! There’s a black-and-white-haired demon prowling the test grounds!”

“Run! She’s back!”

...

Leon and Rosvisser were still watching Jane and Claire milling around the medium-difficulty zone when a commotion rose nearby.

In no time, a dozen-odd examinees burst out of the brush.

Dragons and Blazing Sun Clan alike.

The couple blinked, not sure what was going on.

“Another accident?”

“Hold on, my lord—Noa—”

Leon stopped one of the fleeing dragon examinees—Zorn, Muse and Hefei’s classmate, the same kid who’d dragged Hefei to the Steelwing Scorpions’ cave last time.

He, panicking, hadn’t recognized Leon at first. When he did, he exhaled in relief.

“What are you all running from? Some powerful dangerous beast?” Leon asked.

Zorn shook his head, scalp prickling tight.

“Worse than a dangerous beast, Uncle Leon.”

“Then what is it?...”

“Your eldest daughter.”

Leon & Rosvisser: “Huh?”

“In short, run, Uncle Leon. Senior Noa’s gone on a rampage!”

With that, Zorn didn’t linger. He sprinted off with the crowd.

Their accompanying proctors followed at an unhurried pace.

Leon stood and looked to Rosvisser.

“What’s going on? Is Noa taking the exam too?”

“I...”

Rosvisser started to answer, then stopped short. Her gaze passed over Leon’s shoulder; a knowing smile touched her lips.

“Ask her yourself. Ah—she’s right behind you.”

Leon turned, heat rising in his face. Sure enough, his precious daughter was already standing silently in the road ahead of them.

.....

“You too? Why are you here?”

“Taking the exam.”

“You’re already in the Youth Division though... what, is this a makeup test? Huh—”

“Idiot. Noa’s grades have never fallen out of the top two. How could she possibly need a makeup test?”

Rosvisser rapped the silly general on the head, then looked at her eldest daughter standing a short distance ahead.

“You’ve come for another reason, haven’t you, Noa?”

The overachiever’s face stayed blank as she nodded.

“Yes. Mom, you’re way sharper than Dad.”

The old father: ...

“I just didn’t ask right away what you were here for! I’m smart too, okay!” Leon tried to salvage his dignity.

But daughters grow up. And in teasing their father, they start taking after their mother.

Noa let a small smile slip. Then she reached into her pack and pulled something out.

Her parents, along with Hefei and Claire, peered closer. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) What Noa revealed was... A thick stack of point cards!

Dozens of them, at least.

“Where did you get all those cards, Noa?” Rosvisser asked.

“Robbed them,” the overachiever answered flatly.

Leon blinked.

“R–robbed them?”

The couple exchanged a glance. They could guess Noa’s real purpose for being here.

“The academy sent you to make the exam harder, didn’t they?” Leon said.

“Mm.”

With that confirmation, Noa’s eyes turned toward Claire, the blazing sun girl beside Rosvisser, then shifted to Jane standing off to the side.

Claire instinctively stepped back half a pace. Jane’s eyes showed wariness too, though he forced himself to stand forward and say:

“I get it. You’re here to rob us of our cards. I won’t let you succeed.”

“Are you crazy, Jane! Look at how many cards she has already. She’s clearly plundered loads of examinees. You’re no match for her.” Claire hissed.

Jane swallowed nervously, but forced himself to steady.

“S–so what? If the two of us work together, we can definitely beat her!”

“Really, Jane...”

“Really!”

Hearing his high spirit, Leon couldn’t help but sigh inside. He quietly moved closer, resting a hand on Jane’s shoulder, speaking earnestly:

“Jane, I’m not saying this because she’s my daughter. But even if you and Claire fight together—even if you joined forces with all the hatchlings and dragon candidates—you still wouldn’t be her match.”

Jane froze.

“Then... what do we do?”

“Well, there’s hardly a way around it. No one expected the academy to add a hidden twist like this.

Letting other Youth Division kids join was one thing—the hatchlings and blazing sun candidates could still resist. But letting Noa join? That’s just a max-level boss descending on the starter village.”

After pondering a bit, the old general slapped his thigh. And in fact, he’d thought of a good idea!