feed on dragons

"The notes are beautifully written."

Another speech was over, and when Julian was packing his stationery and notes and preparing to leave with Dai Ning, a man's voice suddenly came from behind him.Startled, he turned to see Manderon standing behind him.

"Lord Manderon."

The two apprentices quickly stood up and saluted, Julian thanked the man a little shyly: "Thank you for your compliment."

Mandron showed a gentle smile and asked, "What do you think of today's content? Is there anything you don't understand?"

Julian and Dai Ning looked at each other, thinking about how to answer this question.This week's theme is Assistive Magic, and today Manderon happens to be speaking.This magician is good at advanced illusion, which is a very practical type of magic, whether it is in actual combat or other aspects, it has a wide range of applications.However, compared with the previous speakers, Julian vaguely felt that Manderon was not so much sharing his skills as showing off his experience; when he really discussed the skills, he talked too hard , for Julian who has not been in-depth contact with the field of advanced illusion, it can only be understood half-understood.

Of course, these words cannot be said in person.The two exchanged some polite words and a few compliments, which seemed to be very useful to Manderon. He nodded in satisfaction, and then patted Julian on the shoulder.

"You two are very good, serious, and smart. These are the basic requirements for academicians. After graduation, you can go to my side. Okay, I'll go first, and you can always find me if you don't understand anything. We are all one country, so don’t be too restrictive.”

The man left after speaking.Julian saw Carter, who had been standing far behind, chasing after him. The boy glanced back at him. Against the light, Julian couldn't see his expression clearly.

"Master Mandron seems to... take special care of my studies. When he sees me on the road, he will stop to say hello to me..." Julian scratched his cheeks, looked at the direction the two left, and spoke with Doubtful.

"Yeah, I really don't know what his plan is... ahhh..."

As soon as Mandron left, the business-like smile on Daining's face immediately disappeared. He bared his teeth and sat back on the chair with his back leaning on his back. "He came over suddenly just now, so I had to stand up, my waist was almost broken, and I had to listen to him talking nonsense... I have remembered this account..."

Julian looked at his friend worriedly.Dai Ning seems to be very irritable today. Normally, even if he is dissatisfied, he would not say it so blatantly, at most he would say a few cool words.But just now, when Manderon left, he only managed to swear.

"Daining, are you really okay? When did you come back yesterday? When I knocked on your door before going to bed, no one answered..."

"It's okay, really, it's just a little pain in my waist. I'll be fine if I sit down again." Dai Ning forced a smile at Julian. "Yesterday...I probably came back after you fell asleep yesterday. I talked with Dylan for a while."

I was so worried yesterday that I didn't sleep well at night. If you come back, I will hear the sound of the door opening... Julian thought so.He originally wanted to continue asking, but after thinking about it, he decided to forget it.How to put it, it is Dai Ning's private matter after all, anyway, it would be nice if he showed up the next morning.

In fact, even Dai Ning himself was baffled as to how and when he came back.After being ravaged by Dylan last night, he was so tired that he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes in the morning, he found that he was already on the bed in the dormitory.He checked it and found that his whole body was clean. If it wasn't for the strong soreness in his back, back and buttocks, and the subtle feeling of the place on the back where he couldn't speak, he would have thought that the crazy night yesterday was a Dream.

In the end, I still had a lot of things I didn't ask... Thinking of this, Dai Ning couldn't help but sigh.It’s true for me, when I was scared by Dylan’s “no”, my mind went blank, and after being pulled back by the man, all I was left with was “That’s great, he likes me too”...

Too useless.

"Daining? You... what trouble do you have, do you want to tell me?"

Seeing his friend sighing solemnly without saying a word, Julian suddenly regretted his decision not to pursue. "I can help you find a way together, we are friends, right?"

Dai Ning looked up at Julian and couldn't help laughing.

"It's okay, I was just thinking, I didn't ask Dylan about some things yesterday. I will ask him when I have time."

"What do you want to ask Dylan?"

"Isn't his attitude a bit strange when he mentioned the Starfall Ruins yesterday? I want to ask him why. And...strange? I always feel like I forgot another thing."

The boy tilted his head seriously and thought about it. He usually has a good memory, but for some reason, when he thought of this incident, his memory was a little fuzzy.

It seems that there is another very important thing to ask him... What is it?

"What's it about?" Julian asked curiously. "Maybe I can help you."

"It's okay, anyway, if it's important enough, I will definitely remember it." Dai Ning shrugged and decided not to get entangled in this issue.He stood up slowly while leaning on the handle of the chair, and said, "Okay, I've had enough rest, let's go, go to the library. Didn't you say you want to look up actual combat materials?"

"Well, go if you're okay."

Seeing that his friends don't care, Julian is no longer troublesome.The two teenagers walked out of the lecture hall together.

"By the way, what's going on with your waist...?"

This question suffocated Julian all day.He didn't come to ask in the morning, but now seeing Dai Ning limping around, he still couldn't help asking.

"Bitten by someone."

Dai Ning replied angrily.

After the two entered Olsen's library, they went straight to the high-level library that required confirmation of identity to enter.The magic area of ​​the advanced library contains more difficult magic books and various original materials, many of which require a special library card to read.Here, there is a rune lock on the back cover of each book. Those who want to read this book must use their own library card to unlock it, so that they can open the book.

Because Julian and Dai Ning are apprentices who participated in the Magician Summit, they have the qualifications to enter the high-level library, but their borrowing cards can only view less restrictive texts.Fortunately, what they want to check is not confidential, and the borrowing level is not high, so the two of them can handle it with the borrowing cards in their hands.

"It's...here, I found it."

The two walked lightly among the huge bookcases and slowly searched, and soon found the required information.In addition to the text of the target, they found a few more books that seemed to be used as references, walked to the middle reading area and sat down, flipping through and discussing.

"Hmm... As far as I know, Huang is good at offensive potions, and Yue is good at hindering potions. Considering the preservation of the ruins, I think the teachers will not allow us to use too many offensive potions magic…"

"Well, but they may also create an enchantment, so we don't have to worry about us destroying it. Anyway, it's a little difficult for us to break the enchantment made by a regular magician."

"It's possible for you to say that...but at least you won't put any monsters in it, it's too difficult to control. I guess it will focus on solving problems? For example, you have to complete complex diagrams to pass."

"It's common, but it sounds very likely..."

The two made wild guesses about the possible level content.While chatting, Julian suddenly thought of something important.

"By the way...Actually, we should also find Carter, right?"

Hear this sentence.Dai Ning froze for a moment, then frowned and thought about it.Neither of them had much friendship with Carter, and to Carter, one was an enemy and the other was a thorn in his side. Except when he had to say something, he would say a few words, and he usually regarded them as nothing.For a moment, neither of them thought that they had such a teammate.

"...Yeah..." The young master was silent for a while, and finally nodded, "We still have to ask him. He is Manderon's disciple, maybe he has some information that we don't know about."

Thinking of this, Julian began to feel nervous again.He suddenly felt that no matter what test or magic test, it was nothing, because... for her, the hardest part of this activity was probably "fighting with Carter"...

"Oh, it's you two, are you discussing something?"

Just as the two were chatting about the friendly match, a familiar voice sounded from the side.The two turned their heads at the same time, and saw Tifeng standing next to them, the young man was holding a book in his hand, smiling gently as usual.

"Master Tifeng, here are some clues."

Dai Ning looked at him, with an obvious intentional smile on his face, "Lord Tifeng, let me reveal a little detail. I know you are one of the mages responsible for planning the topic."

"what?"

When these words came out, not only Tifeng, but even Julian gasped.When did Dai Ning know about it?The news was just announced yesterday, and then Dai Ning went to find Dylan, and he hasn't come back for nearly a night. How can he be sure that Tifeng is one of the questioners?

"This, this, I..."

Tifeng blushed and shook his head in a panic, "I...I can't say."

"You really are... Am I right?"

The young master smiled wickedly.Only then did the two realize that what he said was just a test, they dug a hole for the wind to jump into, but the magician really jumped in by himself.Tifeng smiled wryly, and said: "Really, you actually tricked me so much, I misjudged you."

"Don't say that, hurry up, Lord Lun doesn't say anything, and you can't ask, our eyes are really dark, and we don't even know which direction we are going to prepare... You should have some information to tell us, right? ?”

Dai Ning persisted in asking.Tifeng obviously didn't know how to deal with it. He looked at the two distressedly, and shook his head vigorously, "Don't, don't press me like this, I won't say anything. Really, it's not good for the other person like this. The team is not fair."

Seeing that Tifeng was about to cry, it seemed that there was really nothing to disclose, so Dai Ning gave up his plan to ask something from him.In fact, he didn't really want to know anything, he just wanted to bully Tifeng.This person is too honest, if he really wants to lie, he can get a rough idea with just a few words.

"Then I won't ask. But can we make an agreement? If you accidentally get tricked by the other team, tell us. It's fair."

Even if he didn't plan to repeat the routine, Dai Ning still made an insurance policy.Tifeng breathed a sigh of relief, and said with a wry smile: "It seems that I'd better not get too close to you for the past two weeks. One is better than the other, it's terrible."

"It's all for the competition." Dai Ning chuckled.

Julian can't get involved in this kind of thing, he can only watch Dai Ning perform alone.The only thing he can do is to look at Tifeng with pure and innocent eyes, to put some pressure on him.In terms of magic power, Julian can definitely be among the best apprentices, and may even surpass some regular mages; but in terms of speaking skills, Dai Ning is definitely better than him.

"I can feel your emotions. But don't be too nervous. After all, the subject is an apprentice, and the topic won't be too exaggerated." Tifeng said with a smile.

"By the way, what is that book in your hand?" Dai Ning suddenly changed the topic to the book he was holding, "Is it related to the title?"

"It's irrelevant! Dai Ning, you are too scary."

Tifeng couldn't laugh or cry.He showed the cover of the book to the two of them, and the apprentices leaned forward. It was a thread-bound document. It didn't look like a book, but it looked like some kind of information. On the cover, the words "Exploration Record of Starfall Ruins" were written. .

"It was the first time I saw such a large-scale relic when I went there with the teachers who made the question. After I asked, I realized that there were such things in all countries. I was very curious, so I borrowed it here at that time. Let’s take a look at the detailed exploration records.”

"Enos has already discovered two such relics." Julian asked suspiciously, "Isn't there any in Horrant?"

Hearing the news, he thought about it in silence.

"We don't have them in our territory. But...it doesn't seem to be correct to say they don't."

"?"

Both Julian and Dai Ning showed puzzled expressions.Is it there or not?

"Haha, you must find it very strange. The reason for saying this is that almost no one has seen that ruin with their own eyes..."

Tifeng raised his head, as if recalling an ancient legend, his expression was a little confused.

"The ruins of Horent, it is said... is right in the middle of the dark desert."

"In the middle?"

Julian and Dai Ning exclaimed in unison, and then immediately realized that they were in the library, and they both covered their mouths in embarrassment.Fortunately, there are not many people in the senior library today, and no one protested their noise.

"In the middle of the dark desert...Has anyone been there? Even if someone has been there, there will be such a legend...It seems that there is no light at all, and everything will be swallowed by darkness?"

Julian lowered his voice.

Let alone whether someone has actually been there, where there is no light, and where you can't see your fingers, how do you know if there are any relics?

"Well, there is such a saying. This is a legend that has been circulated in the caravan a long time ago. I don't know who left it behind. Anyway, everyone believes it... because no one who wanted to find out has ever returned. of."

Tifeng smiled, and continued: "However, apart from the 'darkness that swallows any light', there is also a legend that is less known, that is, 'there is a ruin there'. If there is a ruin, there are many things It can all be explained.”

"A lot of things can be explained? How to say?" Dai Ning asked curiously.

"Hmm... do you know this statement? "The so-called ruins are actually palaces built by dragons before the War of Annihilation". Although almost all the historical materials before the War of Annihilation have been destroyed, this can be verified. There is not much evidence for the statement, but I personally believe it. And it can be deduced from this point, that is to say, where there are relics, there used to be dragons there.”

Julian and Daining looked at each other.They remembered what Dylan had said about it.

Pretty much the exact same corollary...

Julian didn't know Dylan's identity yet, but Dai Ning did.This statement was uttered by a dragon who promised not to tell lies, so there was no need to question its credibility.

In other words, there is Dylan Gai's...

Dai Ning secretly made up his mind, and felt that it was necessary to ask Dylan about this next time.

Noticing anything unusual about Dai Ning at all, Tifeng continued: "If it's the remains of a dragon, then it wouldn't be surprising if there were any abnormalities. According to legend, dragons are a race with power that rivals gods. They were conceived and born from the earth when they first opened. Their age is almost as long as this land, and some people say that the current prosperous country is built on the bones of dragons, relying on their inheritance to develop to this day."

"Yes, it should not be a corpse."

Julian couldn't help interrupting Tifeng.The latter showed no displeasure, just looked at him curiously.Julian saw that the magician was not angry, so he continued: "The dragon should...shouldn't be dead. Such a powerful creature will not die casually. So...we should have been under the shadow of the dragon. They still exist and shelter the humans who live in their land."

Speaking of dragons, Julian couldn't help but think of Hal.In fact, the latter part of the "Shadow of the Dragon" and the like were all made up by him casually, and the only thing he wanted to correct was the argument that "the dragon is dead".Julian couldn't imagine Hal's death, it would have frightened him so much that he couldn't resist speaking out.

"Hmm... that's also possible."

Tifeng didn't think too much about why he said that, but was more interested in his point of view.The magician thought for a moment, then smiled wryly.

"If that's the case, it's really sad."

"Huh…?"

Tifeng paused, lowered his eyes, and looked a little sad.

"The dragon left you treasure and continues to overshadow you..."

"However, if the ruins in the center of the dark desert really exist...then the dragons of Horent left us with only one difficult obstacle and a cold and dark weather..."