Dragon Necromancer: Starting With First Dragon Bloodline-Chapter 57: Tomb

The second day was for more practical training.

Instead of studying magic theory or combat techniques, the students had to dive deep into tombs.

Everyone was excited about it.

Noa’s classmates initially talked about him, but the moment Instructor Delilah appeared, the conversation shifted.

They all shared information about the tombs.

"They are ancient burials built like mazes, right? Hearing stories from my brother, I can’t wait to experience them."

"It’s scary."

"They are filled with deadly traps, and we might not even make it back."

"Not just traps. Corrupted beasts that haven’t seen the sun for centuries are also present."

The students also mentioned the riches they could stumble upon in these tombs.

It didn’t just end with gold coins and pretty jewels.

They could even discover crystal shards pulsing with dormant power, elemental essences for beasts to evolve, spell scrolls, and even equipment.

Noa listened to them absent-mindedly.

His focus was on the girls and the teacher standing before him.

He knew it wouldn’t be an ordinary trip, and he had to be ready if things went south.

Suddenly, Instructor Delilah’s sharp voice was heard. Again.

"Four-man squads will be assigned once we arrive. Safety keys will be distributed, but don’t rely on them too much. Your ability to survive and get stronger is the only thing that can keep you alive there."

Hearing her words, the excitement didn’t vanish.

Nor did the tension fade, leaving creeping silence in the hallway.

The students began leaving toward the courtyard when Noa spotted Selaira crossing her arms, still eyeing Noa and Thalia closely.

"Be careful out there. It’s harder than you think. But with your capabilities, it shouldn’t be too hard."

Her words cut through the hall.

Yet she wasn’t done.

"I expect you to be back in one piece for tonight’s training," she added calmly, as if just saying it to scare them.

Selaira then gave them a casual wave and disappeared into the crowd.

Noa and Thalia exchanged glances.

"You ready?" the former asked, walking beside her and following the teacher to the underground chambers.

The girl nodded.

Her eyes shone in their usual color, showing thrill for the danger ahead.

A moment later, Kael, Marlo, and Lior arrived and joined them just before reaching the ancient staircase.

Kael looked eager.

Lior was as unreadable as ever.

And Marlo,

Well, Marlo looked like he hoped a trap would ’accidentally’ be triggered and take Noa out.

"Let’s move," Delilah ordered and opened the chained gate.

The path they took led out of the academy grounds and grew darker the further down they went until an ancient stone entrance emerged from the ground.

It appeared out of nowhere.

There were no signs of it materializing and blocking the path ahead.

Still, it was there, pulsing and vibrating in six different colors. Each one led to a different section, showing narrow, crumbling runes they had to explore.

"The first path is for first years," the instructor explained, pointing to the green lantern. "This is the safest one to investigate, and where your studies truly begin."

The green light showed the road they had to take.

Slowly, the students found their path and followed Delilah closely.

Her temperament was apparent for everyone to see, and even a simple reason might be enough to irk her.

That’s why they obeyed her every command.

Listening to her instructions carefully, Noa and the gang finally reached their destination.

It was another gate.

This one was taller, sturdier, and emitted a stronger green light. The air was heavy with a damp smell. It also exuded a mix of moss and old dust, making everyone who caught a whiff feel dizzy.

Immediately, Delilah barked orders.

She helped the students form squads and gave them even deeper instructions.

According to her, only Tier 1 and Tier 2 combatants could enter the green tomb—anyone above that rank would be killed by pure pressure.

Also, no more than four people could enter it at a time.

The moment a squad stepped through the gate, the tomb would split reality, creating a mirrored dimension just for them.

Others could enter immediately after.

But under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be able to meet the previous group inside.

The tomb would simply drop them into their own version of the maze.

It would have almost the same layout, the same dangers, and similar chances for treasures. This kind of system made clearing tombs hard.

Because the teams had no one else but themselves to depend on.

The students quickly formed groups, anticipating their first tomb experience.

Noa found himself standing with Thalia.

It wasn’t even a question. If they had to go alone, they would gladly do it. As long as they were together.

Kael and Lior took their side as well, completing the squad.

Marlo, on the other hand, was left alone. There was no place for him, and the moment he realized it, he casually brushed it off by looking for another vacant spot.

He had an epic-ranked beast. How hard could it have been for others to let him in?

Yet—

It was harder than he had thought.

One minute was enough for him to realize he was destined to be left alone, his head bowed in dejection.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Kael asked.

He was worried about the boy, especially when Marlo’s hand still looked battered.

"You two," Noa said to him and Lior after getting a nod from Thalia. "You can join and help his sorry ass."

Just before Kael could argue, Marlo spawned right in front of him.

"Really?" he exclaimed. "You aren’t leaving me alone?"

The way he acted like a poor kid looked forced. Everyone could see through his poor acting, but no one pointed it out.

"What about you two then?" Lior questioned, observing the duo.

Thalia took Noa’s hand firmly. "It’s okay. We can handle more than that," she declared proudly, not letting his hand go.

The chaos before the tomb entrance lasted for a moment.

Noa and Thalia didn’t have the most impressive track record, and like Marlo, neither had a single student offering to join their team.

Minutes passed by quickly, and almost everyone had found their team.

Just as Noa braced himself to stay with Thalia alone, two unfamiliar girls approached.

"You can join us," one of them offered, giggling.

The other nodded, not denying her friend’s words.

Seeing the unexpected encounter and noticing the obvious falseness in their smiles, Noa glanced at Thalia, eyes narrowing.

"Do you know these dolls?" he whispered.

The girl nodded softly.

"They are my roommates. The bitches I mentioned, remember?" She reminded Noa of why she had made no female friends on the first day. "But they have been acting strange since this morning."

"I see," Noa muttered, glancing back at the girls.

The first was chubby, with big, round glasses and thick makeup.

The other one was taller. She had silky blonde hair and natural beauty. Her legs were long, her robes tightly wrapped around her elegant figure.

Despite that, they both looked fake.

They had intentions that Noa had easily read through.

’After seeing we’re friends with Selaira, they want to get points with us,’ he noted, plastering a smile on his face.

Then he nodded. "Wow. Can we really?"

The girls didn’t seem to notice his fake smile. They just looked at each other and offered Noa a handshake.

He took it with the same grin. "Let’s do our best, shall we?"

Soon, the squads vanished into the green light.

Each time someone stepped through the gate, the lantern above shimmered for a heartbeat. It quickly dimmed right after, going back to its steady glow.

Noa’s turn came quickly.

The beasts of his team drifted around them, the two girls whispered to each other while Noa and Thalia kept their gaze forward. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The former ignored Marlo’s smug expression from the other squad.

"You ready?" Thalia asked.

Her tone was just as soft as Luna sitting on her shoulders.

Noa didn’t answer.

He just stepped forward without hesitation and allowed the light to swallow him whole.

In an instant, the world he was used to rippled like water.

Everything else besides Ashe blended into nothingness before reforming into cold, dark corridors he couldn’t recognize.

’It’s cold,’ he thought, his vision coming back.

Then something flashed behind him, showing Thalia and the two girls.

Everyone except the former maid and her creature was feeling cold.

"What is this place?" the chubby girl named Liz asked, noticing the stone walls and unseen darkness beyond.

Just then—

Familiar sounds rang in Noa’s head.

[Ding!]

[Special location discovered]

[Danger level: moderate]

[Objective: Explore and destroy the Tomb’s core fragment]

[Warning: Death here will be permanent]

Noa blinked.

Staring at the floating text before him, he muttered, "Looks great. Now let’s see what this infamous dungeon has to offer."

"This place feels alive," Thalia said and began the exploration.

Lily, the other girl, agreed immediately. "You have keen eyes. I knew we could depend on you!"

Noa cringed at her voice.

It was laced with ass-kissing he wasn’t fond of.

Still, he closed his eyes and brushed his fingers against the rough surface of the wall. The faint vibrations beneath his skin felt like the world was breathing.

The first intersection split into three identical paths.

Twisting stones, low grass, dim light, and stillness.

It was about instincts as they had to guide them to the destination. There was no map they could follow.

"The middle one," Thalia advised, winking at Noa.

’She knows what she is doing,’ Noa nodded, deciding to follow the only prophet of the team.

But the instant his boots touched the grass, something stirred in his head.

This time it was different.

Instead of the familiar ringing sound, something ancient spoke to him