Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1229: Defeating Vale’s Disciple!
Previously on Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy...
With the competition drawing nearer, an increasing number of students learned the details about those taking part...
Within the selections for the Combat Arts Path, three individuals particularly caught attention.
Rice, whose ties to Vale were already widely known, Tracy, a ferocious combatant boasting incredible swiftness, and at last Sora, the reserved yet resolute young man who had been covertly accepted by Chad, the Dragon Immortal and a close ally of Vale.
Sora wasn't the noisiest, nor the one receiving the most acclaim.
Unlike Rice, he didn't bear the whispers of serving as Vale's disciple, and he lacked Tracy's fame for nimbleness and shrewdness. Yet he possessed another quality, one much more uncommon. He held the favor of Chad, a former human who had risen to immortality via dragon blood and sheer determination.
Each week, Sora would rendezvous with Chad at the isolated practice area outside the academy's boundaries. This spot remained concealed, a valley equipped with a Formation Array infused by draconic energy.
Chad's mere existence wasn't quite as intimidating as many might picture... That said, during every session, he consistently challenged Sora using his Draconic Aura to help him adapt.
"Your body remains frail," Chad instructed him in their initial month. "Aura originates from the soul, yet the soul can't radiate if its container is brittle. Fortify your frame. Toughen your skeleton. Tighten your sinews. Just then can the dragon's blood establish itself."
Thus, Sora pushed himself without cease. His days started prior to sunrise, dashing through the academy's paved yards...
He hoisted burdens crafted from magical metal, clashed with practice figures bolstered by mystical barriers, and drank elixirs Chad concocted. These were harsh mixtures that scorched his gullet yet surged his bloodstream with life force.
At the close of that first month, Chad presented him with one droplet of dragon's blood. This wasn't Chad's own, but rather Orden's.
It shimmered softly within a small container, red tinged with golden threads.
"Don't hurry," Chad cautioned. "You'll take this in gradually..."
Sora required two full months to integrate that lone drop completely. His evenings brimmed with heat, his form quivered while fleeting scales appeared on his flesh then vanished.
His slumber was plagued by growls and flapping appendages, along with sights of flames and heavens.
Nevertheless, all of it proved essential... Fortunately, he persevered!
He persisted, and as the third month concluded, his height increased a bit, while his Combat Aura emerged!
Absolutely! The regimen under Chad had triumphed! Sora now wielded his personal Combat Aura, specifically the Draconic Aura.
In contrast to the remaining Paths, Combat Arts didn't depend on Arcane Energy. Such energy arose internally, coursing akin to a stream via channels and meridians.
Aura differed entirely. It stemmed from the soul. This force represented the pure expression of resolve, honed through rigor, tempered in conflict.
"I actually accomplished it, master!" Sora exclaimed in joy, unable to contain his excitement.
His routine, naturally, grew far more exhausting...
The mornings went toward the academy's Combat Arts lessons, in which teachers hammered home skills in arms handling, movement techniques, and strategic setups.
Rice overpowered all practice bouts in those periods... His aura had been polished via Vale's hidden sessions.
Tracy moved swift as a bolt, her aura equally keen.
Sora, on the other hand, concealed his prowess. In fights, he held back, avoiding any display of his Draconic Aura's complete fury.
As a result, nobody anticipated his ability to contend in the forthcoming Competition!
Afternoons saw him participating in the Combat Arts Club, where pupils engaged in mock combats and challenged their stamina.
He practiced in silence, frequently teaming up with less skilled peers, which allowed him to refine his posture and technique all while masking his progress. He aimed to keep Rice and Tracy from sensing his true might for the time being...
Evenings were reserved for Chad, or his designated drills should Chad be absent.
Even so, the Dragon Immortal intensified his demands with every weekly encounter...
They dueled for no less than two or three hours each evening!
Moreover, the potency of Chad's Draconic Aura escalated whenever Sora adapted to it.
"You're progressing nicely, but don't be afraid of me," Chad advised...
"Fear signifies frailty. Dragons never yield. They ascend! You need to adopt such a mindset."
Sora gave a bitter smile and inclined his head.
Through these instructions, however, he mastered directing his aura toward attacks...
He discovered how to toughen his hide, with aura creating scaly layers that repelled impacts. He figured out roaring, his cry empowered by soul essence, rattling the earth—and against inferior foes, he realized it could daze them.
Every teaching etched him further along the Combat Arts route.
Another pair of months elapsed, boosting Sora's assurance.
He recognized Rice's power, maybe beyond what others foresaw, yet he also understood that Rice had yet to confront genuine Draconic Aura.
Tracy's velocity posed a threat, but mere quickness wouldn't suffice versus an dominating force.
Sora intended to astonish them during the competition's start. He'd restrain himself until the ideal instant, then release his aura's total inferno, unveiling the inner dragon.
He envisioned the battleground, Rice's stunned look as blows bounced off, Tracy's gaze expanding when her pace crumbled before his bellow.
He envisioned triumph, demonstrating that Chad's guidance hadn't been squandered.
Yet it appeared the moment would arrive shortly, beyond the Academy Competition!
Three weeks prior to the event, Chad called him to the valley.
"You've developed," Chad remarked. "Your Draconic Aura has become tolerable at last..."
Sora lowered his gaze. "I'll keep training."
Chad grinned. "Not right now, though. Prior to the competition's launch, you need to battle Rice."
Sora went rigid. "Rice?"
"Correct," Chad replied. "Vale's disciple. Or prospective one. It makes no difference. He's powerful, surpassing Tracy. And you have to confront him... and defeat him."
Sora's pulse raced.
"You must win," Chad stressed, underscoring the victory's weight.
"Don't view this as mere practice. See it as a fight for life. With Dragon Blood coursing in your veins, defeat isn't an option... Victory will affirm your worth, not only to me, but to Vale and the whole academy."