Dragon Necromancer: Starting With First Dragon Bloodline-Chapter 43: Compliments

"We have a winner," the instructor announced loudly. "As for his expulsion..." she started and paused, glancing over the crowd.

Everyone had seen how well Noa had fought against Anine.

Though they didn’t know her background, seeing her epic-ranked beast in action was more than enough.

Still, Noa triumphed over her.

He had drained her energy and slowly exhausted her mana reserve until she had nothing left.

This wasn’t something an average tamer with a common beast could achieve. And Noa had Graveworm—the creature that offered him almost nothing.

"He won?" someone muttered, refusing to believe the outcome.

"He did it without help from a beast."

"Damn. That’s tough, no doubt. But... there’s no way he could have done it. He must have used some trick or artifact—just like he did earlier with Instructor Zen."

They thought Noa had cheated. Again.

There was no doubt in their minds that someone as weak as he could never beat Anine.

Hence, the crowd erupted in another wave of discussion.

"Let him have the temporary fame. He is going to be expelled anyway."

"Then why aren’t they punishing him now?"

Questions were asked.

Some ridiculed and insulted Noa, convinced it was only a matter of time before the academy acted against him.

Others thought that the teacher would be the one to expel him.

"He is allowed to attend my classes. He has proven his potential and worth. I am intrigued to see more of him," the instructor continued, disregarding the confused stares she was receiving.

There was no backlash.

The students just sighed and gasped in disappointment.

Noa had won the battle, and whether it had been fair or not, that was for the academy to decide.

Then, without wasting time, the instructor called the next pair forward to fight, shifting the crowd’s attention.

Noa, meanwhile, was greeted by Thalia.

"You did great," she said, patting his shoulder. "But does it hurt?" she asked, pointing at his burn marks.

He shook his head. "It’s alright. This kind of pain is nothing."

"What an amazing lad," Marlo suddenly said, appearing beside him and raising his hands toward Noa’s shoulders when Thalia’s glare stopped him mid-movement.

The boy gulped and stepped back.

Noa ignored him altogether, his eyes landing on Selaira to gauge her reaction.

She met his gaze, her expression cold as ever, and her gray eyes steady. For a moment, she didn’t comment, only observing him in silence.

"That..." she began and turned around. "That was worth watching."

Without another word, she walked off, silence stretched over her every step, leaving flabbergasted students behind.

No one expected this aloof beauty to compliment Noa.

Envy, jealousy, and hate for him increased in instant and piercing stares burned holes in his back.

Thankfully, the next battle began shortly after, and silence settled over the hall.

One by one, the instructor signaled the pairs to fight, and everyone, including Noa, held their breath.

Not only was it entertaining to watch, but it also showed him how others fought and what kind of beasts they owned.

Everything he saw was within his expectations.

Some beasts might have caught him off guard, but with ancient knowledge filling his head, Noa even knew how to evolve every single one of them.

Thalia was the first one in Noa’s group to step forward.

Her opponent was a boy with a bulky ape, its arms thicker than a boulder. She didn’t try to overpower the opponent directly, her strength falling short compared to a warrior boy.

But there was something she could gain an advantage in, and with a swift response to the continuous attacks she was under, she danced around it.

The snow gave her speed while also slowing her opponent.

Using precise strikes and controlled mana patterns, she wielded offensive spells no other student in her class could.

With a precise aim and burst of snowflakes, the boy yielded.

It didn’t even take her much effort, as the boy was too overwhelmed by her superior power.

"It’s not common to see a tier 2 tamer with the same control," the instructor complimented her. "You did well. I am inclined to see more of you in the future."

Hearing these words, Thalia’s first reaction was to peek at Noa.

As soon as they made eye contact, she grinned, looking for a compliment from him more than from anyone else.

Noa, however, let his eyes linger on her.

At first, he smiled and fist-bumped her. "If I had known my maid had been this strong all along, I wouldn’t have been so daring with," he whispered in her ear, making her blush.

Thalia’s cheeks reddened even more when Noa pinched them.

For this scene, he had made the resentful students throw even more insults at him.

Noa cared for none of them.

But one boy who badmouthed him stood right next to him, his voice laced with hatred. "I may like your guts," Marlo said, still glaring at him. "But I really hate everything else about you."

Noa snorted. "A little jealous boy," he said, massaging his jaw. "If you agree to be my lackey, I might share my teachings."

"Wait, for real?" Marlo exclaimed, looking excited as if he would gladly do it.

"Gross! Go away," Noa shook his head and shooed the boy away.

Fortunately, before the conversation could get any more awkward, the instructor called Marlo and urged him to start the battle.

"Nah," the boy answered. "I concede."

The air shifted momentarily.

Not a single student had defied the instructor’s orders until this moment.

Now, Marlo blatantly refused to fight and didn’t even consider fighting against his opponent.

His thinking process was fairly straightforward.

What could the academy do to punish him? Would they really expel an epic-ranked beast bearer just for refusing to beat his classmate senseless?

What’s more, Irina was a respected instructor, and even if she held little power, the council would still take her name into account.

"You will stay after the class," the instructor said to him, rubbing her fists against each other. "We will have a nice, long, and friendly conversation."

Hearing this, Marlo gulped.

He knew he would have a tough time surviving against this teacher.

But as he was contemplating his demise, the woman signaled the next pair to come forward and fight.

There was a slight problem with the match—she had just called for Noa’s two remaining roommates, Kael and Lior.