Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

After dinner, Mevis returned to her teacher’s quarters, and Noa headed to the rooftop of the training hall.
It was Friday, and most students had gone home for the weekend, leaving the rooftop unusually quiet—a perfect setting for Noa to focus on controlling her Primordial Mode.
As usual, she ensured the rooftop was empty, locked the access door, and moved to the center of the open space.

With practiced ease, Noa began channeling the Primordial Power within her, allowing it to flow through her magical circuits.
However, before she could gather enough energy to fully activate Primordial Mode, she felt something strange and immediately stopped.
“What’s wrong, Noa?” the ancient dragon’s voice echoed in her mind.
Noa frowned, glancing down at her palms, trying to pinpoint the sensation coursing through her magical circuits.
“I’m not sure… Something about my magical circuits feels off.”

“Off? In what way?”
Noa pursed her lips, contemplating, before replying,
“It’s hard to describe. They feel… softer, somehow.”
“Soft? Like they’re weakening?”

“That’s an old dragon condition,” Noa retorted dryly. “I’m seven.”
She shook her head, trying to dispel the unease.
“It’s fine. The feeling isn’t that strong—it won’t affect my training.”
“Alright. But if anything feels wrong, stop immediately.”
“Got it.”

Taking a deep breath, Noa refocused, gathering her strength.
Soon, the Primordial Power coursed smoothly through her circuits. As the power enveloped her, she entered Primordial Mode, her body radiating with controlled energy.
Maintaining this state required immense concentration. Following the ancient dragon’s advice, Noa focused on controlling her innate magic, preventing it from clashing with the Primordial Power—a critical factor in extending her time in this mode.

Lost in her training, Noa didn’t notice the passage of time. When her body finally reached its limit, she exited Primordial Mode, stumbling slightly but managing to steady herself without collapsing.
“How long this time?” she asked, panting.
The ancient dragon, ever the observer, replied teasingly,
“Guess.”

“Thirty minutes?”
“Nope.”
“Thirty-five?”
“Still nope.”
Noa’s brows furrowed.
“Don’t tell me it was less than thirty…”
Given the strange sensation in her magical circuits earlier, Noa worried her performance had dropped. But the dragon’s response surprised her.
“Forty-five minutes.”

Noa’s eyes widened as the dragon continued, pride evident in her tone.
“From ten minutes during our first attempt to thirty minutes last week—it took you three years to make that progress. But from thirty to forty-five minutes? Just one week.”
The dragon added mischievously,
“At this rate, give it a hundred years, and your body will be mine!”
“Cough, I mean, you’ll be able to maintain Primordial Mode even longer.”
Noa rolled her eyes at the dragon’s joke but remained thoughtful.
“I can feel it… That strange sensation in my magical circuits—it’s stronger now.”

The dragon’s tone shifted to seriousness as she analyzed,
“Perhaps it’s because of my suggestion last week—to focus on controlling your innate magic and prevent it from resisting the Primordial Power. That might have given you more energy to sustain the mode.”
“I did follow your advice,” Noa admitted, “but this was my first attempt. I haven’t perfected the method, so the progress seems too fast.”
She was right. Progressing fifteen minutes in one week, when her last improvement had taken years, was unprecedented.

“Coincidence?”
“Maybe.”
The dragon hummed thoughtfully.
“Either way, the method seems effective.”
Noa nodded, though she remained cautious.
“I’ll keep practicing. Even if this was a fluke, I can’t get complacent.”

The dragon chuckled.
“You really are relentless, Noa. Always pushing forward, never settling for less.”
“I have to be,” Noa replied.
The dragon paused before suggesting,
“If this method works, but you still struggle with controlling your innate magic, why not seek some… external assistance?”

“External assistance? Like what?” Noa asked, raising an eyebrow.
The dragon’s voice grew mysterious.
“I remembered something while pondering how to help you control your magic more precisely. There’s a rare herb called Blue Jade ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Ganoderma. It enhances a mage’s ability to manipulate magic with precision.”
“Blue Jade Ganoderma?” Noa thought for a moment before shaking her head.
“I’ve never read about it in my textbooks.”

“That’s not surprising,” the dragon replied. “Even in my time, it was rare. After thousands of years, it’s likely even scarcer now.”
Noa sighed, her shoulders slumping.
“So, you’re telling me about something that might not even exist anymore…”
“Not necessarily. Why not check the library? You might find a clue.”
“Alright.”

Determined, Noa headed to the academy’s library. She greeted the librarian, who was familiar with her frequent visits, and made her way to the section on magical herbs.
Settling by a window, she began leafing through books, searching for any mention of Blue Jade Ganoderma.
Hours passed, and the sky grew dark. Finally, in an ancient text, she found a description:

“Blue Jade Ganoderma, a rare herb from the ancient Dragon Era, known for its ability to soothe magical circuits and enhance the precision of magic manipulation.
However, wild Blue Jade Ganoderma is now extinct.”
Noa’s heart sank as she read those words.
“So it really is gone…”

“Keep reading, kid,” the dragon urged.
Turning the page, Noa’s eyes lit up.
“Due to its incredible benefits for mages, the Dragon Clan began attempting to cultivate Blue Jade Ganoderma over 1,300 years ago.

After countless efforts, Dragon Clan herbalists succeeded in reviving seeds identical to those from ancient times. However, the herb takes at least 50 years to mature.
Records indicate that successful cultivation began 30 years ago.”
“Fifty years to mature… but it’s only been 30 years since they started.”

The dragon sighed.
“So we’ll need to wait another 20 years? That’s… not ideal.”
“By then, your parents will probably have raised a football team,” the dragon joked, though this time it wasn’t entirely an exaggeration.
Noa closed the book, exhaling deeply.
“It’s fine. I’ll figure it out myself.”

The dragon couldn’t help but admire Noa’s resilience. With her talent and determination, Noa would eventually master Primordial Mode without external help.
But time wasn’t on their side. The looming dangers left little room for prolonged training…