Chapter 260: Daily Life With Akari [2]

"WHOOOOOO!!"

Noah’s excited shout echoed across the endless forest.

His snow-white hair whipped wildly in the rushing wind as an enormous grin spread across his face.

His blue eyes sparkled with pure excitement. The reason was simple. For the first time in his life he was riding a real dragon.

High above the endless sea of emerald trees, a colossal dragon soared through the sky.

Its wings stretched nearly fifty meters from tip to tip, each powerful beat sending violent gusts sweeping across the forest below. Every movement carried overwhelming grace, as though the creature itself commanded the heavens.

Dark sapphire-blue scales covered its entire body. They weren’t simply blue.

Under the morning sunlight, each scale shimmered with shades of midnight, cobalt, and violet, reflecting the light like countless polished gemstones. Whenever the dragon tilted its body, the scales gleamed beautifully, resembling an ocean beneath a storm.

Its elegant neck curved proudly through the sky.

Two magnificent horns arched backward from its head, smooth and dark as polished obsidian, faint streaks of blue lightning dancing between them every few seconds.

Its eyes, they were enormous.

Brilliant sapphire eyes with narrow vertical pupils, calm yet majestic enough to make anyone instinctively lower their gaze.

Behind it, a powerful tail stretched gracefully through the air, nearly half the creature’s total length. Every gentle swing helped guide its flight with effortless precision.

Around its body tiny arcs of blue lightning occasionally flickered between its scales before disappearing into the rushing wind.

The dragon itself radiated an overwhelming aura.

She was majestic. She looked ancient. And very beautiful.

A true ruler of storms. It was none other than Akari. In her complete dragon form.

Thirty-five meters from the tip of her snout to the end of her tail.

Noah sat securely near the base of her neck, gripping one of her sturdy scales for balance.

The wind roared around him.

Below the forest looked no larger than patches of green moss. Rivers shimmered like silver threads weaving across the landscape.

The breathtaking scenery stole his breath away.

Akari’s deep, resonant voice reached him over the wind.

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

Even in her dragon form, her voice retained its familiar gentleness.

Noah laughed loudly.

"Enjoying? This is amazing! I’ve dreamed to ride a dragon! I never thought I’d actually get to ride a dragon!"

Akari let out a soft rumbling laugh.

"I’m glad."

The giant dragon banked gently, gliding above another stretch of forest.

"So where are we going?" Noah shouted over the rushing wind.

"I’m taking you somewhere suitable for today’s training."

"Oh?"

His curiosity immediately piqued.

"What kind of place?"

"You’ll see soon."

Several minutes later Akari began descending. Her massive wings spread even wider.

With every beat, hurricane-like gusts swept across the treetops below.

Branches bent violently. Leaves spiraled into the air. Small animals scattered in every direction.

The sheer pressure generated by her landing was enough to shake the surrounding forest.

Boom.

Her enormous body landed gracefully in a wide clearing. Despite her incredible size, the impact was surprisingly controlled.

Noah jumped from her body and landed on grass.

She folded her wings against her body. A gentle sapphire light slowly enveloped her. The gigantic dragon began shrinking. Her scales dissolved into streams of shimmering blue mana.

Her wings faded. Her horns disappeared. Within moments standing where the dragon had been was Akari once again.

She wore the same elegant blue-and-black kimono as before. Not even a single strand of her hair appeared out of place.

Noah blinked several times. "...That’s unbelievable."

He couldn’t help staring.

’Every time she transforms, her clothes disappear... Then reappear perfectly once she’s human again. Dragon transformation is seriously unfair. A morph ability I guess.’

He almost wanted that ability for himself.

Akari noticed his curious expression and smiled knowingly.

"What is it?"

"No..."

He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I was just amazed by your transformation. It looks incredible."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Thank you."

She then turned toward the entrance of a dense section of the forest.

Her expression became slightly more serious.

"Today’s training begins here."

Noah immediately straightened. "What will I be doing?"

Akari pointed deeper into the forest.

"Run."

"...Run?"

"Yes."

"Inside this forest live mostly plant-type monsters. There are also a few ordinary low-ranked monsters."

She looked directly into his eyes.

"Your objective is simple. Enter from this side. Then survive. And reach the opposite side of the forest."

Noah smiled confidently. "That doesn’t sound too difficult."

Akari raised one finger. "There are conditions."

His smile slowly faded. "...I knew there’d be a catch."

She nodded. "You are forbidden from attacking. No magic. No weapons. No offensive abilities. You may only use mana to strengthen your body and improve your movement.Nothing else."

Noah blinked. "That actually sounds difficult."

"It is." Akari nodded.

"The purpose isn’t to defeat enemies. It’s to sharpen your survival instincts. Learn to read danger. Learn to evade. Learn when to move. Learn how to sneak away when face strong monsters. And most importantly..."

She smiled reassuringly.

"I’ll be watching. If your life is ever truly in danger. I’ll save you. So don’t worry."

Noah grinned.

"Understood."

He gave her an exaggerated salute.

"Yes, Master!"

Akari couldn’t help smiling at his enthusiasm.

"Good."

She folded her arms. "Now...Tell me. Are you ready?"

"Yes." Noah took a deep breath. "I’m ready."

Akari gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Then go."

Without another word, Noah pushed off the ground.

Whoosh!

His body shot toward the dense forest. Within moments, the open clearing disappeared behind him.

Ancient trees surrounded him from every direction.

Towering trunks stretched high into the sky, their branches weaving together into a thick canopy that blocked much of the sunlight. Shafts of golden light pierced through occasional gaps, creating shifting patterns across the forest floor.

Crunch.

Crunch.

His footsteps echoed softly as he ran across fallen leaves and tangled roots. His breathing remained steady.

’Nothing yet...’

He cautiously observed his surroundings while maintaining a moderate pace. Every sense remained alert. The forest was unnaturally quiet.

There were no birds. There were no insects. Only the sound of his own footsteps.

Mana flowed from his core. A pale blue aura wrapped around his legs, strengthening every muscle. His speed steadily increased.

Whoosh!

He weaved between trees with practiced movements. Then his eyes narrowed.

Up ahead several enormous flowers stood silently among the trees. Each one towered over him, nearly twice his height.

Their thick green stalks resembled tree trunks.

Large crimson petals surrounded a circular center lined with dozens of folded spikes that looked disturbingly similar to teeth.

Their roots remained buried in the earth.

They couldn’t walk at first glance. They looked like ordinary giant flowers.

Noah slowed slightly. He knew they were not normal since he had faced them before.

’Plant-type monsters...Just like Akari mentioned. Also, I had encountered similar monsters on first day.’