Dragon Necromancer: Starting With First Dragon Bloodline-Chapter 29: Arcane Academy

"This is huge!" Thalia exclaimed, sitting inside the carriage and looking out the window.

Noa glanced at her, smirking.

"Yeah. This is bigger than I expected," he said, shifting his gaze back to the Arcane Academy, a towering presence that loomed above everything near it.

They both were fascinated by the sheer size of the building.

Not only was it tall, but it was also vast, surrounded by tower-like wings that stretched across the horizon.

Every small structure looked like a limb of a giant.

The gates were obsidian, mixed with a hint of silver and gold, proudly showcasing polished stones behind them.

Etched into the metal, the runes glowed periodically.

According to the books Noa had read before coming here, these runes were defensive formations, keeping uninvited beasts and humans away.

Thalia leaned out of the window. "I can’t believe humans built something so mesmerizing."

Noa pushed the door open and hopped down.

Like a true gentleman, he offered the girl his hand and helped her step out.

The maid accepted his aid.

After changing clothes, Thalia looked like an ordinary student, and still staring at the courtyard ahead, she muttered, "We really are going to live here?"

Noa nodded slightly.

Without wasting a breath, he guided her towards the gates, his gaze lingering on the students.

They walked in small groups across the grounds, dressed in tailored bluish uniforms.

Some crossed their paths silently, others walked with beasts at their side, or discussed theories while holding thick, leather-bound books.

Ashe and Luna both shifted, trembling in sync.

Sensing the sheer density of mana that pulsed through the air made them excited.

Noa had read about it.

The main reason this famous academy was built in this exact location was the tombs beneath it.

Not only did it have naturally high-quality mana for almost every element, but it also held important and infamous dungeons that students could raid.

That wasn’t all.

There was more than one elemental cave scattered around.

Some of them even held neutral mana essence that was usable by anyone, regardless of their elemental affinity.

The previous king of Eldros himself had ordered the academy’s founding.

Since then, it had strived, drawing young tamers from across the continent and offering everything they might need for growth.

That’s why the fees were so pricey.

Though the exams weren’t easy either.

"We are here to enroll," Noa said to the guard standing in front of the gate.

"Names?" the man asked, looking almost indifferent.

"Noa Osborn and Thalia Moretti," he answered, handing over their IDs.

The guard took it and disappeared into his den. He was checking whether the fee had been paid through the bank, taking his sweet time.

Others waited behind Noa, also here for the examination.

They calmly observed the vast world before them.

’Kaelor would have paid, right?’ Noa asked himself, a trace of doubt creeping into his heart. ’There is no way he wouldn’t have.’

Just then—

The guard left his lair. "You two can go in. Good luck!"

Hearing this, Noa sighed in relief, nodding at the man and immediately crossing the gate.

There were three separate paths he could take.

One of them would directly take them to the courtyard where the already enrolled students were playing around.

The second road was to reach the main building.

As for the last path, it was split into more than ten branches, guiding students from one smaller building to the next.

Even the tombs could be found from there.

But no one was allowed to enter it without an instructor—the rules were particularly strict about it.

"Let’s go," Noa said to Thalia and followed the second path.

Boys and girls of the same age also walked beside them; they all came with a single purpose of acing the exams.

There wasn’t much known about them.

It had been changing almost every year, and no one could predict what the instructors might have in mind.

However, actually being accepted wasn’t that hard.

Just being contracted to a beast was enough.

No one really cared about one’s talent and actual strength before the tier 2.

What mattered for the enrollment was basic theory knowledge and a good understanding of the tamed beast.

But—

Life itself was hell for the weak in the academy.

Just because you got accepted didn’t mean you could graduate just as easily.

The exams were harsh.

The requirements for advancing classes were even harder.

Mental and body thresholds played a huge role, as well as how fast your beast could evolve compared to the others.

It was the battleground, just like the old alchemist had told Noa.

And even a single misstep could cause an exclusion.

However, what scared the students the most was the ancient tombs they had to raid for treasure.

These tombs had a high mortality rate.

Students of every talent and strength were at risk, and no one could guarantee their safety.

That’s why, despite how easily the Arcane Academy admitted students, it lost just as many to failed exams and a high death rate.

Still—

"There are so many of them!" Thalia exclaimed upon entering the main building.

Applicants were in the hundreds.

Only 50 to 40% of them would be accepted, but 5% would be able to graduate at best.

Noa nodded at her words.

’It’s loud,’ he thought, waiting for the instructors to show up and guide them to the examination classroom.

Half an hour later, a tall woman with a silky white robe and hair showed up.

She was holding a green lantern in her left hand.

Though it looked like a simple object, Noa recognized it was a rare, ranked beast named Lantherion.

They had fire elemental affinities, but instead of offering a strong, destructive power, their everlasting green flame had high defensive properties.

"My name is Irina," she said, her sharp gaze scanning the silenced crowd. "My job is to help you find your classrooms and oversee the examination process.

Find your name and number. Then go to the classroom with the matching number and sit anywhere."

As she said it, the enormous hall shook.

Suddenly, with green letters etched into it, a metallic slate materialized out of thin air.

’Here we go,’ Noa muttered and searched for his name.