Chapter 13

Days flew by, and finally, tomorrow was the day for the combat assessment.

This month, Loya led a fulfilling life.

Morning Routine: Wash up, have breakfast, then grab a bucket and mop to clean the toilet. As a side activity, he used his freezing ability to play pranks on the new recruits, like freezing the urine stream, and watching their bewildered expressions.

Noon Activities: After a refreshing bath, head to lunch, and chat with Ms. S about the most delectable dishes, deciding on tomorrow's lunch menu. Winning the duel granted Loya the privilege of choosing the menu.

Afternoon Schedule: Post-cleaning and shower, enjoy dinner, exchange combat techniques and philosophies with the instructor, only to be thrown out by the irate teacher. These instructors were no joke, masters in every skill.

Evening Sessions: Dragged by Kuzan to the small square, they'd experiment with the freezing ability and test how to increase human resistance to cold...with Loya as the guinea pig.

This month, Loya's days were quite enjoyable.

"Tomorrow's the big day, kid. Gotta snag one of those top three spots if you want in the elite camp," Kuzan drawled, leaning against the wall. His blindfold was down, giving him a casual air as he addressed Loya, who was hunched over his books, deep in study.

Loya's head snapped up. Without warning, he flung an ice cone straight at Kuzan.

"Whoa there!" Kuzan tilted his head, barely dodging. He opened his mouth to say more, but instinct kicked in. Using Shave, he zipped away just as an explosion rocked the room, leaving a gaping hole in the wall.

Kuzan reappeared behind Loya, hands raised. "You lookin' for another ass-kicking? Fine by me. Ice Ball!"

Ten icicles shot from his palms, aiming for Loya's back.

Loya didn't flinch. "Ice Make, Orochi!" he shouted, summoning a shimmering blue energy shield.

Kuzan's eyebrows shot up. "The hell? That flimsy thing ain't gonna stop my ice." He smirked, willing the icicles to speed up. Even if they pierced Loya, the kid would heal. Unless...

As the icicles met the blue energy, Kuzan felt his control slip away. "What the—" He cut the connection, leaping back.

The energy behind Loya shifted, taking shape. A massive snake coiled around the boy, its eerie blue-white eyes fixed on Kuzan.

Loya turned, blue patterns flickering across his skin. He grinned. "Like it, teach? Cooked this up just for you."

"An ice dragon, huh?" Kuzan pushed up his blindfold, eyeing the ice snake and the blown-out wall. "Orochi, Frost Bomb... You got a grudge against me or something?"

Loya stroked the energy snake. "Nah, it's not like that. I needed a challenge, you know? And you, teach... you're the perfect target."

Kuzan yawned, but his eyes were sharp. Loya, knowing his teacher well, sensed the anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Uh... too much?" Loya asked, suddenly uncertain.

Kuzan's response was an overwhelming blast of cold. "Ice Age!"

When the frost cleared, Kuzan stood over a frozen Loya. "Your move's solid. You'll ace that test, no sweat. When you make it to elite camp, Zephyr'll teach you the six naval techniques." He paused, then added gruffly, "Get some sleep... Lord Loya."

With that, Kuzan vanished into the night, leaving behind an icy wonderland and a very cold student.

After Kuzan left, Zephyr materialized, inspecting the frozen Loya. He nodded approvingly. "Still kicking... as expected of an ice dragon. Surviving Kuzan's 'training' is no small feat."

Zephyr's eyes narrowed. "Kuzan held back, though. The kid's ability activation is too slow. Gotta work on those close combat skills."

With one last glance at Loya, bathed in moonlight, Zephyr departed.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the windows, ready to melt away the night's icy aftermath.

After being frozen all night, Loya thawed under the next day's warm sun, sneezing violently and shivering non-stop.

"Seriously, Kuzan? Do you have to be so merciless? An Ice Age move, just like that? It could've killed me!"

He glanced at the sun and slapped his forehead in frustration. "Oh no! I was supposed to meet up this morning to board the ship! What time is it?!"

He leaped into the air, stepping on the ice and speeding towards the port.

In the past month, Loya's progress was substantial, not just in ability development, but his dragon slayer system had seen remarkable improvements as well.

Name: Christopher Loya

Energy Stage: Second Stage Fifth Layer

Energy Value: 420/900

Mana: 8000/8000

Mana Recovery Speed: 750/m

Compared to a month ago, his mana had nearly doubled, allowing him to use the ice dragon slayer magic more freely without needing to conserve his energy so meticulously. This newfound power meant his attacks were no longer just basic shape magic.

Additionally, Loya's dragon form increased by two percentage points, now at 20%. This seemingly minor 2% improvement marked a critical point where his strength tripled! It took him several days to control this newfound power.

With the enhanced ice armor's robust features, Loya could now smash through steel even without using his dominance.

However, this progress came at a cost. No matter what he ate now, his energy value wouldn't increase. This was consistent with his earlier suspicions.

Fortunately, the power of the dragon, which Loya was most worried about, did not escalate with the energy level. But frequent use of the simplified version while sparring with Kuzan led to a rapid rise in the dragon's power, now at 5%.

The power of Dragon Slayer Magic had indeed increased, but not in the way Loya had hoped. Nonetheless, there was nothing he could do. With no one in this world to guide him on the journey of a wizard, he relied solely on his own experiments.

The sun beat down mercilessly on the naval headquarters' port. Seven massive warships stood in neat rows, ready to ferry this year's recruits to their combat assessment. On deck, teams of sweaty recruits fidgeted in formation, their uniforms stained with salt from the sea breeze.

"Where the hell is Loya?" a recruit muttered.

"Shh! The instructor looks like he's about to blow a gasket," another whispered.

"Guys, shut it! General Zephyr's watching us," a third hissed.

The air was thick with impatience. Even the admirals were starting to look antsy. Loya's talent was undeniable, but his chronic lateness was pushing everyone's buttons.

On the seventh ship, a major-general approached Zephyr, saluting stiffly. "Sir, perhaps the other ships should depart first? We can wait here."

Zephyr puffed on his cigar, a vein throbbing in his temple. "Let 'em go. We'll give it ten more minutes. If that kid doesn't show..." He left the threat hanging.

Nearby, Mole sidled up to Zephyr. "What's the deal with Loya? He get cold feet or something?"

Zephyr snorted. "Cold feet? More like frozen solid. He and Kuzan had it out last night. I figured the Ice Age would wear off by now, but..." He massaged his forehead. "Damn kid."

Mole blinked, processing this. "So... we're waiting because you let Kuzan turn him into a popsicle?"

"You offering commentary or cigars, Mole?" Zephyr growled.

Just then, a figure dropped from the sky, pulling off an unnecessarily flashy landing complete with a 720-degree spin.

Loya popped up, grinning from ear to ear. "Morning, everyone! Sorry I'm late. You would not believe the night I had!"

The deck fell silent, a mixture of relief and exasperation washing over the crowd. Zephyr's cigar snapped in half.

"Loya!" the major-general instructor barked. "Care to explain why you've kept an entire fleet waiting?"

Loya's grin faltered slightly. "Well, sir, it's a funny story actually. You see, there was this ice cube..."