I stuck my hand into the terminal and overrode the stupid restrictions. I already knew which books I needed for my plans. With an effort of will, I searched through the catalogue and picked all that was needed for the next stage.

  Chosen Books: 6

  -Mastery of Poison Techniques (Onyx)

  -Combat Mobility Methods for Initiates to Knights (Sapphire)

  -How to Cast Artillery Techniques and Survive

  -Optimized Defense and Attack: Combat Rhythm for Feeble Sapphires

  -Killing the Fiends. Historical Retrospective on Winning Against Overwhelming Odds.

  -Methods for Technique Recursion

  -Compulsion Techniques (Sapphire-Onyx)

  Prepare for integration!

  Prepare for integration wasn’t just a warning. Archive Surfing warned me that I should reinforce my mind now for optimal integration. “Hold for 30 seconds.”

  Accepted. Waiting…

  Mind Acceleration fired off at full strength. Reality itself became sharp as my awareness extended everywhere. Every breath, every sound, all were fully understood by me. I flexed my muscles, directing the attention to the flows.

  I didn’t need to just make my mind faster; I needed to make it better. The flow of starpower shifted slightly the structure gained minuscule twists and turns. Within my brain, catalytic acceleration was doing its job; I needed it to do more – to tap into the resources that strengthening provided.

  My breathing merged the flows deeper, entwining deep on such a level that they became indistinguishable.

  Your mastery of Catalytic Acceleration Form has reached Adept!

  Your mastery of Mind Acceleration has reached Adept!

  The world became still. My thoughts expanded outwards, as if the processing power itself was put on starpower surging in my head. It took me five mental seconds to smile.

  Prepare for integration!

  This time, the current of information wasn’t lightning fast. The pages simply appeared in my brain one by one. It was fast, fast enough that a thought was enough for the page to pass, but I could perceive them.

  While I didn’t get much information, I got the general gist of the content. The ideas crystallized and gave me the direction I so desperately needed. In but a few mental minutes, the contents were fully transcribed into my mind.

  I broke mind acceleration and exhaled. “Fuck…” Some blood from my nose dripped on the floor. I opened the jar of healing pills and ate one of the three remaining. Some more would be required to push past the limits, especially if Betrayer were to attack me.

  My ears stopped ringing, and the headache went away. The Archive was as loud as ever… I proceeded with the next step of my plan.

  __

  With frantic fervor, Kory glanced at the guards; her steps were slow and sheepish. Her expression was more pale than ever. This corridor was dark and uninviting; the draconic engravings on the wall looked more like horror pieces of possessed artists.

  “M-magnus, I don’t think this is a good idea…”

  “It’s not just a good idea, it’s an excellent one. I’m sure you’ll rank up your skills faster that way, and we need some private time for discussion.”

  I counted the numbers on the doors. 9921, 9922, 9923… We were really close.

  “So, why didn’t you tell me you were always hanging out in the R&H room 4?”

  She gulped. “I didn’t want Steel to visit.”

  “You think I can’t keep a secret? Come on, we’re a team. I’m trying to save our lives here.”

  “I g-guess.”

  We have arrived – door 9927 in its full glory. The same as all other second-year student doors.

  “Let’s make an entrance, shall we?”

  “Maybe not-”

  I knocked and opened the door with deliberate slowness.

  “Finally, you’re here.” Lying on the bed was Mitzi, her eyes were sunken and lifeless. “I’ve been waiting for far too l-long…” She loudly gasped, her face turned pale, as she grasped her chest.

  “Hello there!” My smile grew wider. “My friend and I came to heal you.”

  Kory peeked from behind me.

  “N-no… No. I gave up already, d-don’t do this. Please, I beg you!” Mitzi wasn’t listening.

  “Healer.” I snapped my fingers. “Administer the calming form; the patient is panicking.”

  “Get away, get away!”

  “I’m sorry.” Kory’s hands moved rapidly, and then a faint cyan light shone on Mitzi. Her panicked screaming ceased.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “I just wanted a mind healer… What are you going to do to me?” Under the calming form, she couldn’t even cry.

  I spread my hands wide, projecting confidence. “You see, Mitzi, we are here to fix all your mental problems and turn you into a proper dragon!”

  She hugged her knees and closed her eyes. “Y-you’re lying. It’s human trickery.”

  “I’m not lying. I’m here with Kory to help you. She has the highest rank healing techniques in her class. She’s incredibly skilled.”

  Ever so slowly, Mitzi’s aura rose like a snake that got stepped on. “Why are you here then?”

  The anticipation was killing me. “I want you to join our study group and shed your weakness. With my and Kory’s help, you’ll be reborn.” I needed someone to test my techniques on.

  Kory bumped my shoulder. “Indoctrination is illegal for mind healers…” Her dilated pupils betrayed her nervousness.

  “I’m not a mind healer,” I whispered.

  Mitzi’s aura fully manifested. Unlike mine, Steel’s or Kory’s, her flow was unfocused and weak – a sign of mental weakness… That term sounded too disturbing.

  “So you aren’t here to kill me?”

  I gasped. “How could you say that? Despite what rumors say, I strive to become the best dragon and win the first-year exam. I’m here to apologize for my outburst the best way that I can – by helping you become strong.”

  Finally, Mitzi’s eyes met mine. “I d-don’t want the help of a human.”

  I turned around, making my cape unfurl. “Well, if you don’t want to become strong, who am I to judge you? Weakness is natural to cowards.” I shrugged and, with slow steps, walked away.

  Kory glanced between me and the girl. Like soft billowing of the wind, I could feel Mitzi’s aura expand. “Wait…” She stood up. “I’ll do it. I’ll join your study group.”

  It worked. It took me everything to hold back my malicious grin. “I knew you had the spark. Let’s go to the training room. I’ll teach you how to go beyond your limits.”

  Despite my gentle voice, Mitzi shivered.

  __

  A round table made out of my starpower shone lightly in the middle of the training room. Kory glanced over the stacks of paper with form diagrams on them. It took me only two hours to read the necessary books. I measure that accelerated mind slowed my perception by ten times, and it was glorious… If I ignored the fact that I needed Kory to constantly heal me, lest I risked brain damage.

  “How are you holding up, Mitzi~”

  Mitzi was encased in a coffin of ice, only her face showed. She shivered, scowling like a crazed beast, despite that, she maintained a heating form. “T-the ice is winning…”

  “Persevere, and great strength awaits you. It’s just some cold.”

  The ice wasn’t melting fast enough, and so, second by second, it was covering more of her face. The technique was working as intended.

  “Maybe I should heal her again?” Kory said.

  “Nope, unless she is near death, there will be no healing.” I nodded. “My headache is getting worse, zap me.”

  With a groan, Kory put a hand over my skull and channeled a refreshing current that cleared away the mental exhaustion. “I don’t think we should use the mental healing time on… this. I don’t want to be expelled from restoration and healing.”

  “This is healing; we’re helping Mitzi heal her weakness.”

  “M-my SE isn’t rising fast enough. I-i don’t want to die, please.” Her begging was getting on my nerves.

  “Rise or die – that’s what true dragons do.”

  Her teeth chattered louder.

  “Anyway, I don’t think we should focus on paralysis; it has to be necrosis all the way with the infection baseline.”

  Kory averted her eyes from Mitzi and shook her head. “The trait clearly states immunity to alteration. The infection will fail against the true dragon’s immunity.”

  “Maybe, but the trait’s workings are still based on starpower. Look at this.” I pointed at the neat diagram, which cleanly combined compression form with absorption form. “If the flow was altered and disrupted, it has to bypass the trait resistance.”

  “I guess you can try that, but the infusion is really unnecessary. You need to apply the poison just once. Why would you waste mental power to support a recursive construct?”

  “Because Ivaldie never attacks first. She always gives the opportunity for the first strike. This will make even my weakest attacks deadly, and I’ll be able to just aerosolize the poison with a form.”

  Kory sighed. “I guess we’re going with this design then.” She plucked a paper, drawing over it with an eternal quill.

  A muted plea tickled the corner of my ears. “Can’t breathe…”

  Kory and I jumped into action, nearly breaking the table construct. Mitzi was fully covered in ice, and yet her aura still shone. Dispelling forms occupied my hands. I lunged forward, striking at the spot in the ice where the absorption fractal was located.

  The ice exploded into purple light, and cracks spread all over the coffin. The break was followed by a loud screech. “I live!” I switched to heating forms, projecting a wave of heat towards the girl. At the same time, Kory weaved a general restoration, shining the healing light at her.

  She screamed in agony and curled in on herself, constantly muttering the same number – 34. Her SE grew rapidly.

  “Speak to me, Mitzi! Speak!”

  “I c-can’t. I can’t…” The tears froze in her eyes, and her shaking intensified.

  Kory hugged the girl. “You can, don’t give up!” That was the phrase they drilled into young mind healers. So primitive, but you didn’t need more when you have magic.

  “Think of all the power you’ll have. This is your way,” I said. The heating form turned her body from a numb chunk of flesh into living tissue again. Kory’s healing already approached knight.

  The session of moral support and heating continued until she stopped shaking and started crying tears of water.

  “It’s okay, I’m here for you. You don’t need to fear anymore.” Kory said with a gentle voice. It wasn’t necessary, considering she also used the calming form.

  I couldn’t be bothered to watch this spectacle. It was pitiful, but she brought this on herself. It was a good time to try those compulsion techniques. Or at least a form. Putting four fingers to my mouth, I moved my lips in a specific way and infused them with special starpower. The energy gathered at the tips of my fingers, it gleamed with pink light…

  I planted the form right at Mitzi’s skull. The girl let out a loud yelp, and her whole body shivered.

  Happiness Form learned at Initiate rank!

  “Are you done wallowing in misery, Mitzi?”

  “What did you do? What was that?” She wiped her tears, panting between each word.

  “A form to shock you back into action. It worked, didn’t it?”

  “Never do that again.” She clenched her fists.

  Kory gave me a stink-eye. “Don’t do that. These things are not a good idea.” She managed to scout the form while still healing Mitzi, remarkable.

  “Fine.” I shrugged. “So, did you like the gains from your first true dragon training session?”

  Her hands dug into the metal of the ground, and the aura grew stronger around her. “No… no, no, no.” With wide eyes, she stared at me. “If this is what it takes to be a true dragon, I don’t want that. I don’t!”

  “What, are you going to quit halfway? Where is your pride? Where is that valor you used to spar with me?”

  She reeled back, but Kory held her shoulder. “D-don’t look at me like that. I’m not like you. I understand the lesson. I won’t ever touch anyone again, and I won’t spar. Leave me alone.”

  “Kory, are you sure Ivaldie shares the same original as Mitzi does? I’m pretty sure that girl wouldn’t even blink at this level of pain.”

  “Each clone has more genetic differences than any two humans. You can’t just assume everyone is like Ivaldie.” Kory petted Mitzi’s back; her eyes spoke of disappointment.

  “Doesn’t matter.” I rolled my eyes. “I guess that’s it. Mitzi, you can go and enjoy your growth of 5 SE, oh wait, it’s 6 actually. Congratulations on becoming much stronger.”

  Mitzi didn’t look up from the floor. Now, a crawling worm found its way towards my stomach – guilt. I never thought that dragons would be so vulnerable. All of them acted like complete freaks. Or maybe that was the kind of company I attracted.

  “Since I couldn’t really help, you can have this.” I reached towards the core bag and grabbed the core of Sired Flesh. The core hit her arm and fell on the floor. “Kory, why did she go non-verbal?”

  “Can you shut up, Magnus, you damn bitch/snake! I’m trying to heal her.”

  Mitzi clenched her fists. Her aura rose high, and darkness seeped out of her skin. Tears splashed on the ground. Mitzi slapped Kory’s hand away and jumped to her feet.

  Without saying a word, she ran out.

  “That’s not good…”