Dragon Master: The SSS-Ranked School Belle Asked Me To Contract Her

Aurora was right about the assassination attempt as they were able to sleep peacefully, and nobody attacked them. They had also switched shifts with Rain to allow her some rest, as she had been practicing for hours the previous night.

She wanted to get back in shape as quickly as possible, so she was trying her best. Veer also noticed that she had begun to gain weight, as her body no longer looked as scrawny as he remembered.

The day started as usual, with the three of them having nonsensical conversations while eating breakfast. Though, before that, they had to thank Aurora for bringing a temporary toilet with her.

It had really helped them a lot.

After freshening up, they left the cave and found the Seeker Academy group waiting for them. Not wanting to waste time on unnecessary talk, the group set off towards the hill once again.

The day was harsher than before, and they had to take multiple breaks just to travel half the distance they had covered on the first day. After all, they were encountering Intermediate Stage Magical Creatures more often as they got closer to the hill.

By the time the sun bade them goodbye, they had covered a significant distance. Due to the growing darkness, they were forced to stop, but they welcomed the pause, as they were too exhausted to continue.

Day two ended with them sleeping without any dinner, as nobody had the energy to cook. The only thing they consumed was Synth Soup, which was only palatable for Veer's group, thanks to his special powder.

The third day started as usual, and the group set off again. This time, their speed was much slower, as they were keeping their guard up against the increasingly powerful Magical Creatures.

The terrain had also changed, and the Magical Creatures they encountered began to vary. Instead of direct beast-type creatures, they encountered Tree Magical Creatures, which slowed their progress even more.

Only because of a student from Seeker Academy, who had an Aspect allowing him to detect life signs, were they able to maintain a somewhat steady pace. But even then, they didn't fully trust his ability and moved with vigilance.

By the end of the third day, they had even exhausted their Mana Pools, so they decided to call off the fourth day. There was no point in pushing forward in such a state, as it would only get them killed.

On the fourth day, the group spent their time resting and sharing observations about the forest. As night approached, they made a small bonfire and sat around it. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Jonathan rubbed his hands together and said, "What kind of monsters are you three?"

As Rain was busy munching on her meal and Veer was studying something in his hand, Aurora decided to take over the conversation. She was the best at it anyway.

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said," Jonathan shook his head. "We actually expected to travel for weeks before reaching the tomb and prepared accordingly, but because of you guys, we're almost there."

Even though it would still take a few more days to reach the base of the hill, they had covered a significant distance already.

The leader of the Seeker Academy group gave Veer a side glance and said, "Especially that guy. What kind of monster is he? Last time, he fought two Intermediate Stage Magical Creatures all by himself."

"It's because he knew he had us at his back. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done something so foolish. Even he can't kill them alone. The most he can do is hold them back," Aurora smiled, though she wondered what Jonathan's reaction would be if he knew Veer's true strength. After all, he had only shown his Tank and fighter side to them.

"It's still a lot, considering how young he is," Jonathan said. "I guess that's an S-Rank Aspect for you."

"You guys don't need to flatter me so much," Veer chuckled and put away the object he was studying. "I already have a girlfriend, you know."

Everyone gave him a speechless look but quickly ignored him. They were already used to his behavior, so it didn't surprise them anymore.

"What do we do from tomorrow, though?" Amelia asked. "The Magical Creatures are just getting stronger and stronger. I've even seen a pack of Mountain White Wolves in my vision. All of them were very powerful, at least Intermediate Stage."

The group fell silent. They had started out great, thinking they had found a solution to bypass the hill, but it seemed even getting there would be a challenge.

Hesitating a little, David raised his hand and said, "Boss, how about we use my Aspect to travel?"

Jonathan glared at David, making him flinch and shrink in fear as he realized he had spoken more than he should have. However, the arrow had already been fired, so there was no taking it back.

Aurora raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh! Care to explain?"

After glaring at David once more, Jonathan sighed and said, "It's very simple, actually. David's Aspect allows him to absorb darkness and use it to conceal a certain area around him. It's risky and exhausting, which could result in his death, so we didn't consider using it."

Aurora smiled and said, "You have my thanks, and there's no need to worry about exhaustion. I have an artifact that boosts Vitality, so he'll be fine."

Sighing in defeat, Jonathan nodded and said, "Fine! We'll use David's Aspect to get as far as possible."

After some more discussion about how they would proceed, the group decided to call it a day and went back to their respective caves. They also extinguished the fire, which had only been hidden because of Aurora's artifact; otherwise, many Magical Creatures might have already attacked them.

As Veer sat at the entrance, as it was his turn to watch, Rain came to sit beside him and said, "They were lying, right, Boss?"

"Of course, they were," Veer chuckled softly. "I don't know why they did it, but it was definitely intentional."

Rain hummed and dozed off while sitting there, making Veer roll his eyes. He shifted her back inside and kept watch over the entrance and his surroundings.

"El, Lilly, just wait for me," he muttered quietly.