Ancient Dragon in Arknights

“Nesario, my lecture may be boring, but on the battlefield, your current distraction will cost you your life.”

When his name was called, Nesario quickly stood up, and in an instant, everyone in the classroom reacted in different ways.

Rita and Chen Wei sighed. This guy had rushed off to deal with something on Saturday, and then they couldn't find him on Sunday.

Now that classes have started on Monday, he seems to have been distracted all day.

"Reporting to the teacher, Nesario's Originium Arts adaptability is flawed. He can't understand a large part of your lessons."

With fame comes trouble. Nesario stole the show in the first week, and although he made a fool of himself during the Originium Arts test, his subsequent sparring with his teacher quickly overshadowed the negative impact. Now that there's finally a chance to kick him while he's down, some fearless individuals are jumping out to try and sabotage him.

“Originium Arts can be improved through training; temporary hardship cannot confine a person for life.”

Rita was very unhappy with the ridicule she received, and she stood up to speak for Nesario. Although Chen and Fiona did not speak directly, their slightly furrowed brows suggested that Nesario was being protected.

“What this student said is very good. In fact, that’s exactly what I’m like. When I first enlisted, my Originium Arts talent was just average, but now—I can stand behind the podium and teach you.”

“A lack of ability can be improved through training, but self-degradation will prevent you from making leaps forward. Nesario, you must be wary of the decline of your will.”

In universities, the practice of standing at the back of the classroom to listen to lectures is no longer common. The teacher has already said everything that needs to be said, and whether Nesario listens or not is none of his business.

The Royal Guard Academy recruits talented individuals and graduates as elites, while the less capable are continuously weeded out over the four years.

Whether Nesario has fallen will be revealed in next year's roster.

Nesario, who had inexplicably become the center of attention, was somewhat helpless. He admitted that he had been distracted first, but the truth was not what everyone imagined.

Self-degradation was never a thing for him; he was simply preoccupied with matters of his own evolution.

......

"So, what exactly happened to you? I'd be happy to help if you need any assistance."

On their way out of the teaching building, the group of four lost their usual lively atmosphere, with the three girls all concerned about what had happened to Nesario.

Regarding Originium Arts, Fiona could only share her insights with Nesario, hoping for some resonance between the Vayvans; Chen, on the other hand, was reflecting on which of the skills she had learned were permissible to be passed on and helpful in manipulating Originium Arts; as for Rita... she could only be a teacher for now.

"No, no, it's not as serious as you think, you don't need to worry."

"I hope what you're saying is true. We're friends and can help each other."

"Of course I know, thank you."

After finishing their meal, the group parted ways.

In fact, the Royal Guard School's "nightlife" is also quite exciting; the vast library contains the knowledge of countless wise men, and one can acquire this invaluable wealth simply by calming down and reading; the training grounds have the most advanced training equipment, and after sweating it out for hours, taking a shower and going to sleep is quite comfortable...

If all else fails, you can always try dating.

Young masters from prestigious families, noble ladies, and wealthy scions—this is where Victoria's elite gather; their wealth, resources, connections, and abilities are things that many can only dream of.

If Nesario had used his abilities, he could have achieved something in any of the above-mentioned ways of life; but he chose the most unambitious one—going back to his dorm to sleep!

It's worth noting that Fiona, Chen, and Rita are all diligently training and studying hard, while Nesario is practically a nobody compared to them.

"Welcome back, but please don't disturb me now, it will disrupt my train of thought."

Fisher was standing at the table in the living room, with a lot of clues or information about people laid out in front of him—many different colored threads were used as markers, which looked like espionage work.

"What are you doing?"

"..."

Fisher looked helplessly at Nesario; he had just specifically reminded him not to make a sound!

"We received an economic fraud case, but the relationships were complicated and the perpetrators were cunning, so the police have put it on hold."

"Then why did it end up in your hands?"

"Of course, it's because I have the ability."

As Fisher spoke, he took out an identification card from a bag to the side. Nesario looked closely and saw that the card clearly stated "City Police Detective".

"The cops?"

"Cooperative relationship".

"To be honest, I've never actually done detective work. Most of my knowledge comes from those Columbia Pictures movies, which aren't really relevant to my research."

Nesario clicked his tongue in amazement. He could take down an outpost by himself if he were to fight, but he couldn't do things like searching for clues and collecting evidence.

"A small number of suspense films are valuable for reference because their scripts may be adapted from real events. In the past, some directors have wanted to draw inspiration from my work."

"And what was the final result?"

"I explained it three times, but he still didn't understand the whole thing, so we parted on bad terms... That's enough of the chit-chat, my train of thought is completely broken."

Okay, Nesario understands; he doesn't want to be disturbed while he's working either.

After washing up and returning to his room, Nesario went straight to bed.

As her consciousness drifted away, she awoke to find herself in a unique training ground.

"Meow, let's continue training today!"

"Please give me more advice."

The follower cat was also there; yes, this was Neltharion's training session.

On Sunday, he returned to the Sadion district to work closely with the Elf cats.

The companion cat and Nesario trust each other deeply because of their camaraderie, and the other two simple-minded cats accept this relationship without hesitation.

Nesario had asked the Craftsman Cat to come up with a solution for his tail, but because the minerals on Terra were different from those the Craftsman Cat was familiar with, he needed some time.

As for his companion, he said he wanted to train Neltharion to become a qualified hunter.

That very evening, the two re-entered the consciousness space, this time appearing in the training ground.

Facing the massive, scarred wooden stake, Nesario gripped his weapon and began his training for the day.

There's a clue in Chapter 44!?

Time flies by when you're studying and training.

Another weekend arrived, and on Saturday, to make up for leaving without saying goodbye the previous week, Nesario specially invited Rita and the others to visit Londinium again.

The three of them did not refuse, as Nesario's previous slump was truly worrying; however, fortunately he recovered quickly, and in the days that followed, he rarely experienced a lack of concentration.

So where do we go now?

In reality, the three girls had no intention of going out to play—the competition within the Imperial Guard Academy was intense, and everyone was desperately trying to improve themselves; once you got used to this pace, you couldn't help but become addicted.

Rather than going out shopping or strolling around, the three of them now prefer to practice more simulated battles in the training ground. Rita's steady offensive rhythm and excellent tactical skills, Fiona's bold and unique fighting style, and Chen's mastery of the Crimson Sky Sword Technique are incredibly domineering—by learning from each other and improving together, their student years will definitely create a bright future.

"No rush, everyone. As compensation, I'll be your opponent in the next sparring session. It'll be three against one."

Nesario smiled and promised, and the three girls clearly became interested upon hearing his words.

"You said it yourself, so don't blame us if we lose."

Chen was eager to fight. For martial artists, fighting was commonplace. Although it was a kind of unruly and roguish nature, it had to be admitted that all martial arts masters were forged through fighting.

You can't become a master by driving wooden stakes into the ground.

Nesario is currently the strongest fighter they can reach; most of the teachers in the academy wouldn't be a match for him in a one-on-one fight. Many people have wanted to spar with him for a long time, but he's always ignored them. This time, the three of them finally got their chance.

'Heh, you silly girls, keep laughing like idiots. Once my sharpened blade is ready, you'll be the first ones I beat up.'

Well, it's just a little bit of fun between good friends.

The three girls were among the few friends Nesario had ever had. Their friendship and chivalrous nature prevented him from deliberately bullying them. The real targets of his beatings were those ungrateful bastards who tried to take advantage of him. Nesario had a strong mentality; ordinary provocations and jealousy couldn't sway him, but that didn't mean he was weak or afraid of trouble!

Responding to every provocation would only lower his status; he needs to start with the toughest challenges to establish his authority.

"During that first week, I found a very nice cake shop in Lentinium. The head chef there seemed to be a very famous baker; even noble ladies went there specifically to buy cakes."

"Cake... I'm not really used to that kind of sweet stuff."

"I prefer cream in soups."

"I really like white chocolate cake."

Neither Chen nor Fiona were used to such sweet and cloying things, but Rita, as a noble lady, unsurprisingly liked it.

"Not all cakes are all sweet and cloying. We can choose carefully when the time comes, right?"

When Nesario passed by the Association of Messengers of All Nations, he casually dropped a letter into it—the recipient was naturally his most outstanding sister.

If you have any questions about science and technology, just ask Saria. Nesario has been racking his brains but hasn't been able to come up with any high-energy substances other than Originium; Saria might have some clue.

......

"Scholar Meow, what are we doing here?"

On the bustling streets of the Otcliff district, Craftsman Meow and Scholar Meow are at work—a green guidefly slowly flies forward, indicating that something is attracting it.

This is so strange! The reason why Neltharion can attract Scouts has been solved, but now—a new target has emerged!

"Last time we met Nesario, who knows what we'll meet this time."

That's the downside of Scholar Cat; once they discover something worth studying, they'll throw themselves into it without hesitation. Everything in Terra is new to them, and these past few days, Craftsman Cat and Scholar Cat have spent almost every day in a state of excitement.

As for his companion cat? He's summarizing his hunter experience and systematically arranging it to facilitate the teaching mission.

To be honest, I've never seen such a peculiar relationship.

Hunters and Palicoes are the closest of partners. Some of them grow from inexperienced novices to seasoned veterans together, while others form temporary teams and develop into partners.

A hunter becoming an apprentice of a Palico and having it teach him hunting skills... that's probably never happened before.

"Meow! The reaction is even stronger now!"

"This means the target is very close to us, meow!"

The two kittens followed the green glow and eventually arrived at a beautiful manor.

"This looks like the residence of an important person, meow! Scholar meow, we can't go any further, it'll only cause trouble for Neltharion, meow."

"But the guideworm is right there..."

A green glow entered through the gate, passed over the neat, beautiful garden and white flagstone path, and disappeared behind the solemn gate at the end of the courtyard.

What exactly did the guidefly discover? What secrets are hidden in this courtyard? The scholar cat felt an unbearable itch in its heart, as if it were being scratched by other Palicoes.

"Let's go back, we can't cause trouble for Nesario, meow."