"Students, this is the location of your advancement exam—the Demonic Moon Forest."
A teacher's voice rang out, addressing the gathered young dragons. "After three years of learning, you are now equipped with the skills necessary to hunt dangerous creatures. This exam will comprehensively assess everything you have learned."
"The exam will test your abilities in hunting, combat, teamwork, and resource allocation."
"Here are the rules:" the teacher continued. "The Demonic Moon Forest contains dangerous creatures classified as C, B, and A levels. The difficulty and rewards increase with each grade."
"C-level creatures: 10 points each."
"B-level creatures: 30 points each."
"A-level creatures: 50 points each."
"To pass the exam, you must score 100 points within three hours."
"Before departing, each of you has been given a measurement crystal. After defeating a creature, inject its energy core into the crystal to record your points."
"Does anyone have any questions?"
After a brief silence, a student raised their hand. "Teacher!"
"Go ahead."
"I heard from upperclassmen that the young dragon advancement exams weren't like this in the past."
"Yeah, yeah!" another student chimed in. "Didn't we used to spar against people in black armor? The scores were based on performance in those matches."
"Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember! Is this the first reformed exam?"
The students burst into lively chatter, filling the air with excited murmurs.
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Noah stood quietly to the side, listening intently.
"Black armor..." she thought to herself.
Her best friend, Helena, leaned in to explain. "I heard about that too, but I didn't really understand until the teachers clarified. The 'black armor' refers to a special elite unit among the human dragon slayers. They were incredibly powerful—so strong they were almost terrifying. During the human-dragon war, their presence made an enormous impact on the battlefield."
She paused for dramatic effect. "Humans used to call them 'killing machines.' That's why the academy used them in the advancement exams back then, to sharpen the young dragons' combat awareness and survival instincts."
"Oh, I see!" Helena said, finally understanding. As a member of the neutral Sea Dragon Clan, which had largely stayed out of the conflicts, her tribe had little direct experience with the war. It made sense that she hadn't heard of the black-armored warriors before.
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Noah, however, was fascinated. She had always wanted to see what these legendary figures, who could strike fear into the hearts of dragons, looked like in action.
Helena, noticing Noah's deep thought, teased her gently. "So, Noah, who's stronger? The black-armored warriors or your dad, Uncle Leon?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Noah replied, "My dad, of course."
Helena chuckled and affectionately ruffled Noah's silver hair. "Of course, you'd say that."
[Author's Note: Who's going to tell her the infamous 'Black Armor' is actually her very own dad?]
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The teacher called the students to attention once more. "The academy indeed used black-armored sparring partners for exams during the war. It was a necessary measure to instill combat readiness from a young age. However, now that the human-dragon war has formally ended, continuing such practices might strain the current peace. As such, the exam format has been changed."
"Understood, teacher!" the students replied in unison.
Noah sighed inwardly. Although she had no desire to reignite the war, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. The end of the conflict meant she would likely never meet the legendary strongest human warrior. She had secretly dreamed of testing her skills against someone so formidable.
"Your exam will begin in 15 minutes. Use this time to form your teams."
Naturally, Noah and Helena partnered up. With their team already decided, the two used the extra time to strategize.
"A C-level creature is worth 10 points, a B-level is 30, and an A-level is 50. We only need to hunt 10 C-levels or four B-levels to pass," Helena calculated aloud.
Noah nodded, but her expression remained thoughtful.
"What's wrong, Noah? Do you have another idea?" Helena asked.
"Hmm... I read up on the Demonic Moon Forest before coming here," Noah explained. "While it's said to have many dangerous creatures, most of them are C-level and are very good at hiding. We could end up wasting a lot of time just searching for them."
"Lower-level creatures are weaker but harder to find," she continued. "In contrast, A-level creatures are larger and more powerful, making their presence much easier to detect, even if there are fewer of them."
"So, my idea is to prioritize finding an A-level creature first. If we succeed, we'll gain a 50-point head start. After that, we would only need to hunt two B-levels to pass."
Helena considered Noah's bold plan, then nodded with determination. "Let's go with your strategy. You're right—this isn't just about passing. It's about pushing ourselves and seeing what we're truly capable of. Let's make it exciting!"
Noah's eyes lit up with appreciation. "Thanks, Helena. I didn't think you'd agree to something so risky."
"Of course I would. I know you've been looking forward to this exam, not just to pass but to genuinely grow stronger. So, let's take the risk and aim high together!"
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As they approached the forest entrance, Noah suddenly felt a familiar presence stir within her consciousness.
It was her Ancestor.
In her mind's eye, a beautiful woman with long white hair appeared, sitting gracefully on a shimmering, illusory water surface, her long, elegant tail curling lazily beside her. "What a sickly sweet friendship," the Ancestor remarked with mock disdain. "It's utterly disgusting."
Noah replied with her typical cool composure. "Hmm."
The Ancestor couldn't fathom concepts like friendship or camaraderie. As a solitary ruler in her primordial era, such bonds were foreign and irrelevant to her.
"Ah, forget it. Call me old-fashioned. I won't argue with you about it, Noah," she muttered, waving a dismissive hand.
Noah allowed a small smirk to touch her lips. "Thanks for your understanding, oh wise elder."
The Ancestor rolled her eyes dramatically. "You've grown much colder, haven't you?"
"Growing up comes at a price," Noah replied flatly.
"...Could you at least try not to say things like that with a child's face? It's deeply unsettling."
Noah's smirk widened slightly. "So, what do you want? Surely you didn't appear just to lecture me about my friendships."
Shaking her head, the Ancestor's tone shifted to one of mild approval. "This exam mirrors the ancient dragon coming-of-age trials. Your strategy to target A-level creatures first is bold. I approve—true dragons shouldn't waste their time nibbling on crumbs."
"But," her tone then became serious, "a test like this involves countless uncertainties. You will face unexpected challenges and must make your own decisions. Remember, I cannot intervene directly."
"I know," Noah replied, her own resolve firming. "Just watch me from here."
The Ancestor smiled a faint, almost imperceptible smile. Despite her harsh exterior, she deeply admired Noah's determination and strength of will. "Good. Go forth then, child of the Silver Dragons, and face your destiny."
"...It's just an academy exam. Could you tone down the dramatics?" Noah quipped, shaking her head as the vision faded from her mind.
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As the exam was about to begin, Noah and Helena stood ready at the forest's edge, their expressions set with determination. They were prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the shadowy depths of the Demonic Moon Forest.