Dark Dragon: The Summoned Hero Is A Villain-Chapter 3: Dark Dragon Awakens

The crystal pulsed under Noah’s hand.

Then it dimmed.

The glow that had erupted for Ben now flickered weakly, like a dying candle. It gave off a dull, greyish light, as if unsure whether to shine or fade completely.

The golden script appeared above it, slow and awkward.

[Name: Noah Webb]

[Potential: FFF Rank]

[Race: Dark Dragon]

[Affinities: Darkness, Fire, Void, Decay, Hunger]

[Skill Unlocked: Roar (FFF Rank)]

The silence that followed didn’t last long.

Laughter erupted like a dam breaking.

Ben let out a loud bark of amusement. "FFF rank?! That’s like the bottom of the barrel!"

"Five affinities and he still flopped?" Someone snorted.

"I’ve never heard of a Dark Dragon before." A noble muttered from the balcony above. "Are those even real dragons? With FFF rank potential, they must just be corrupted lizards or something."

Noah’s eyes remained on the screen. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t speak.

Master Edric stepped forward, squinting at the hovering display. "There must be a mistake..."

He waved his hand, casting a spell. The crystal glowed briefly again, confirming the result. FFF. The worst possible potential. The weakest skill. The most bizarre combination of affinities.

"Impossible." Edric whispered. "Such numerous and high level affinities paired with that potential... The stone must be..."

But he didn’t finish.

The stone was never wrong.

And the nobles knew it.

Murmurs filled the hall. They shook their heads, frowning. Some scoffed. Some turned away in disgust.

"And I thought he was smart." A student chuckled mockingly. "Now we know why he got the scholarship. Pity points."

Ben clutched his sides, laughing hard. "Roar? That’s his big skill? What’s he gonna do, scare toddlers?"

A ripple of laughter followed from both the students and the commoners in the gallery.

Noah let his hand drop from the stone. He said nothing. His face didn’t change.

He simply turned and walked back toward the line of students.

Ben stepped into his path. "Hey, dragon boy. Want me to get you a leash? Maybe we’ll keep you as a pet."

Another wave of laughter.

Noah walked past him without slowing.

But inside, the fire was growing.

He had felt it since the darkness. Since that voice.

Something old and quiet stirred behind his ribs. It didn’t burn hot. Not yet. But it was watching.

Waiting.

He reached his spot at the back of the group, ignoring the looks and the whispers. His fists remained at his sides, loose and steady.

He had been mocked before. He had been humiliated before.

But this time, he wasn’t the same.

This time, he wasn’t alone.

He opened his status screen.

[Status:]

[Noah Webb]

[Race: Dark Dragon]

[Rank: FFF]

[Potential: FFF]

[Affinities: Darkness, Fire, Void, Decay, Hunger.]

[Core Attributes:]

[Strength: FFF]

[Endurance: FFF+]

[Agility: FF-]

[Mana Capacity: S]

[Magic Control: S]

[Skills: Roar (FFF Rank)]

[Spells: N/A]

He stared at the stats, focusing on what others had missed.

His strength and agility were bad. The kind of bad that made people laugh.

But his mana capacity and control?

S Rank.

Two stats that shouldn’t exist on someone with FFF potential.

He selected the skill, Roar, and read the description.

[Roar – Unleashes a dragon’s cry to stun weak-minded or low-rank enemies for a few seconds.]

A basic skill. Pointless, unless facing other FFF rank opponents. What use would it be in a fight?

Then he checked his race.

[Race: Dark Dragon]

[Dark Dragons are the abyss-born kin of ancient flame dragons, touched by void and decay. They hunger, but are never satisfied. Feared by the gods, they were sealed away.]

[Race Effects: All readings of your strength will appear suppressed unless willingly revealed.]

[True Potential: SSS Rank (Concealed)]

[Base Attributes: E rank.]

Noah exhaled through his nose.

The crystal hadn’t lied. But it hadn’t seen the whole truth.

His potential wasn’t FFF. It was SSS, the peak of all rankings. His real self was hidden behind a barrier, one that even the Awakening Stone couldn’t pierce.

His attributes were weak, but being a Dark Dragon meant having his base attributes as E rank.

The attributes shown in his stats were just what he had in addition to his base attributes. Other people couldn’t see it, but it was there.

Let them laugh.

He tapped the screen and closed it.

One day, they would scream instead.

The rest of the awakening passed in a blur.

No one ranked lower than B. Some even earned rare skills. The crowd clapped for each student. Encouraged them. Praised them.

Noah stood in the back, forgotten.

When the last student finished, King Cillian stood again.

"You have all been blessed in different ways. Together, you are Camelot’s hope. The demons gather in the north, but you will rise to meet them."

He raised a goblet. "You will be trained at the Royal Academy. There, you will grow in power and learn to master your gifts. The demon tide seeks to erase the human race. You must become the sword that pushes them back."

The nobles clapped, cheering on their new heroes.

The students looked around, uncertain, but hopeful. Even the weak ones among them were stronger than ever before.

Noah stayed silent.

They were led out of the throne room and into a different wing of the castle.

There, they ate dinner.

When that was done, Master Edric guided them through the long corridors of the royal palace, speaking as he walked.

"You will all be given quarters for the night." He said. "In the morning, we journey to the capital’s edge. The academy waits for you there."

The group was split. The ten boys to the right hall, and the ten girls to the left.

Noah was with the boys.

Their room was a long stone chamber with bunks lining both sides. Each bed had clean sheets, a trunk, and a lantern stand.

Noah found a bed in the corner and sat down.

The others were still talking, bragging about potentials, ranks, and skills.

Then Ben’s voice cut through the noise.

"Alright, listen up."

All heads turned.

Ben stood near the center, arms crossed. His fangs flashed in a smirk. "Before we settle in, there’s one thing I need to take care of."

He pointed at Noah.

"Hey, charity case. Or should I say, FFF failure?"

A few chuckles echoed from the bunks.

"Did you think I forgot?" Ben stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "You broke my nose. You made me look bad. And back home, that kind of thing gets punished."

Noah stood up. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Not fast. Not slow.

Just enough to make the room quiet again.

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Oho? You gonna use that Roar of yours?"

Laughter filled the room.

Noah said nothing.

Ben took another step. "I think it’s time you learned your place."