An Extra’s POV

It was a completely random encounter.

"Why do you look so troubled, young one?" The voice came from an elderly man who sat on a bench by the roadside. He had red hair, ebony skin, and crimson eyes. He wore a dark robe, holding his walking stick very tightly as he looked at Adonis on that fateful day.

The old man had two horns, which should have made him a lower-middle-class member of society, yet he seemed a little too posh for that. Still, his appearance was the least suspicious thing about him.

It was the way he smiled.

Perhaps it was because Adonis was growing frustrated with planning, or because he was growing increasingly worried about his friends back in the Capital, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy when he looked into the man's eyes.

Still, he knew better than to act on how he felt.

Doing so would only make him appear suspicious, and that would taint his cover.

"It's nothing." Adonis replied with a shrug and began walking away. In his mind, he already crossed the encounter off as completely unimportant, and he had more important things to deal with.

Besides, merely talking to Dragons disgusted him beyond words.

If only he knew how much he would owe to the old man once the next words came out of his mouth… he wouldn't have been so hasty to walk away.

"You remind me of my kid. He's doing his best in the Academy right now… working hard for the sake of the Emperor."

'We look nothing alike! Stop talking nonsense!' Adonis thought to himself, wondering how he could possibly remind him of his son.

The man appeared old, which meant he must have lived for several centuries at least.

How could his kid look like him?

There were so many holes in the old man's words that made Adonis grow increasingly more upset, but he controlled his temper and kept walking away.

He had nothing to say to a senile old Dragon.

"My boy… if he proves himself in that Academy… he could finally be taken to the Capital—to serve the Emperor."

as Adonis heard this, he

'Academy… Capital… Emperor…?!'

It was also where the power of the

surprise that the

purpose or the other there. They either served their Empire exceptionally well in wars, or

another way for someone to get into the Academy, hence his

are you talking

else? Internship, of course! My son's performance is great, you know? Once you reach the

Capital." Adonis muttered, his eyes wide

Class… so my son is working very hard to reach Class A before moving to Stage 3. Ahh… the

this, he smiled at a Dragon for the first time in

"Indeed… it is."

**************

that encounter, Adonis combed through the closest library he could find and researched for the validity of the information he

amazement, everything was

old man… he wasn't

Capital. If he could secure a role in his desired location, then he could easily increase the proximity between himself

within that Chamber… the key to

could do it on his own if he had enough time. All of a sudden, a viable path opened for him, and he could see his dreams coming to

man to thank. I never even considered the Academy in all my reasoning. How long would it have taken me before I thought in that direction?' He still despised Dragons to death, and he recognized that the old Dragon was

be living a

was indebted to the

Regression… I'll be sure

sure to learn as much as he could about the school's requirements for entry—which was perhaps the easiest part

he didn't advance too quickly. At the same

rationale,

was scheduled—down to the littlest of details—all to ensure he stuck to his plan and completed everything on

Training. Study. Classes.

and Adonis could feel himself making progress

B—which he got into after his Entrance Exams, he was able to make it to Class A