First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System-Chapter 287: Arriving at Academy

"Uncle Edgar," Orion began softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, "did anything special happen around the estate or academy during the time I was unconscious? Any interesting events or visitors?"

Edgar met Orion’s gaze with a gentle, knowing smile. He nodded thoughtfully, reflecting for a moment before beginning to speak, his voice calm yet tinged with a subtle warmth. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Indeed, Young Master. Quite a few things happened, but most notably, each of your club members paid visits to our estate," Edgar explained, his expression softening as he remembered their visits. "They were quite worried about you, you know. Each of them came personally to ask about your condition."

Orion’s lips curved gently upward, his heart filling with warmth. He leaned back slightly, silently urging Edgar to continue.

Edgar then proceeded to tell Orion about the visit and what they had asked him to tell Orion.

***

As Edgar finished recounting everyone’s visits, a calm silence gently filled the carriage. Orion, now absorbed in thought, gazed thoughtfully out at the bustling cityscape passing by.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Orion softly addressed Lumi, his mental tone gently reflective.

’Lumi,’ Orion asked softly, eyes fixed contemplatively outside, ’What do you think? How do you think Nyss will react once she learns about my current state and all that happened?’

Lumi’s voice responded quickly, gentle sadness evident within her usually cheerful tone.

[That poor girl might start blaming herself again, Master. She’s already prone to carrying such burdens. Though I have to admit, your luck has been pretty rocky since you met her.]

Orion chuckled lightly, shaking his head gently as a calm smile formed on his lips. ’True, perhaps. But not rocky enough to blame her or anyone else. This wasn’t Nyss’s fault. Everything that happened was a result of my choices, and I must carry the weight of those consequences myself.’

Lumi’s floating screen abruptly appeared in front of Orion, her kaomoji face beaming brightly with pride and admiration.

[Hehe! That’s exactly why you’re the best, Master! Taking responsibility like a true leader! Alright then, let’s hurry back and reassure everyone with your glorious return~!]

Orion chuckled softly, ’Glorious return with this broken body?’

[(⌒_⌒;)]

Shaking his head lightly, he returned his gaze thoughtfully outside.

The carriage soon rolled smoothly to a halt before the grand gates of Thunderpeak Royal Academy. Orion gracefully descended from the carriage, immediately drawing attention from nearby students.

Quiet gasps of shock and awe whispered softly around him, curious eyes widening in astonishment.

Orion’s drastically changed appearance, his mature figure, striking features, and the heterochromatic eyes caught everyone off guard, igniting quiet murmurs of disbelief and excitement.

"Isn’t that Orion Helstorm? He’s finally back?"

"By the elements, he looks completely different!"

Ignoring their astonishment, Orion calmly retrieved his student badge, presenting it smoothly to the guards at the gate.

They swiftly verified his identity, greeting him respectfully and stepping aside to let him pass.

Entering the academy grounds, Orion took a deep breath, savoring the familiar atmosphere. The academy remained unchanged—vast, bustling with students, scholars, and instructors. The sounds of laughter, chatter, and distant lectures filled the air with familiar comfort.

But now he could distinctly feel that everyone had grown considerably stronger than eight months ago. Just with a casual glance, he spotted a lot of students at the Fourth Tier of the Awakened Realm.

But ignoring them all, he walked calmly through the main path, the murmurs around him growing louder as more students noticed his arrival.

Orion met their gazes with calmness but didn’t pause, moving steadily toward the garden, wanting to meet with his old friends and club members quickly.

Inside his mind, Lumi spoke excitedly, her screen gently floating beside him, invisible to all others.

[Hehe, Master~ Look at everyone’s reactions! Your grand return is even more dramatic than Lumi expected!]

Orion chuckled quietly, responding warmly in his mind, ’Yes, because they don’t know my condition. But let them be, I had thought they might have forgotten who I am by now.’

Stepping further into the academy grounds, Orion moved gracefully along the familiar pathways toward the garden area where his club often gathered.

The soft murmurs and whispers gradually faded into the background as he approached the serene garden, a place etched deeply within his memory.

Arriving at the heart of the garden, Orion paused, his gaze lingering thoughtfully upon the majestic cherry blossom tree at its very center.

Its vibrant pink blossoms gently fluttered in the breeze, occasionally drifting downward in graceful arcs to carpet the grass beneath. Yet despite its beauty, the space felt strangely empty—none of his familiar friends appeared present.

He softly murmured inwardly, brows knitted gently in contemplation, ’I wonder if none of them have come, or perhaps they’re somewhere else.’

Lumi’s bright voice chimed gently in his Sea of Consciousness, her kaomoji face hovering playfully at the edge of his vision.

[Master, maybe they’re somewhere more exciting, like the main building! Shall we check there? (⌒ω⌒)]

Orion smiled faintly, giving a gentle nod. ’You might be right, Lumi. Let’s have a look.’

Turning away from the tranquil yet lonely cherry blossom tree, Orion calmly strode towards the towering main building at the heart of Thunderpeak Royal Academy.

Students he passed continued casting astonished glances his way, whispers trailing in his wake.

Traversing the academy grounds, Orion admired how serene the academy was, still proudly majestic, with beautifully ornate halls bustling with students and instructors.

’These guys really trained hard, huh, so many of them reached Tier 4 and 5. If this continues, they might reach Tier 5 and 6 by the time the test arrives.’

[Hehe, who doesn’t fear death? They’re just training as much as they can lest they die out there. (≧◡≦)]

Continuing onward, Orion heard faint sounds echoing from the distant Practice Arena, intriguing him immediately. He veered gently toward the arena, curiosity guiding his steps, wondering whether his club members or friends were present there.

Approaching the Practice Arena, Orion found a dense crowd of students gathered near one of the combat fields, their backs blocking his view.

Sounds of excitement and shouts of encouragement rose and fell rhythmically, clearly indicating an ongoing match. Curiosity sparked further within him as Orion gently moved toward the commotion.

Reaching the edge of the crowd, Orion lightly patted the shoulder of a student standing close by, intending to ask what was happening. The student spun around sharply, his face contorting briefly with annoyance at the interruption.

"What—?" the student began irritably, but his words died abruptly upon recognizing Orion. His eyes widened dramatically, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly before hurriedly stepping aside. "O-Orion?! Y-you’re back!"

Nearby students immediately turned their attention toward Orion upon hearing the commotion, quickly realizing his presence.

A collective gasp rippled softly through the crowd, which instinctively parted to clear a direct path toward the front of the arena.

"Look! It’s Orion Helstorm! He’s finally returned!"

"Make way for Young Master Orion! Move aside quickly!"

Ignoring their astonished whispers, Orion calmly stepped forward, gently acknowledging the awed gazes and quiet greetings with faint nods. Soon, he stood at the very front, finally gaining a clear view of the intense duel unfolding within the arena.

Orion’s dual-colored eyes widened slightly in astonishment, immediately recognizing the student fighting bravely against a senior-year student.

It was unmistakably Elias, one of his club members and friends. Elias, who once struggled with self-confidence, now stood boldly, his aura vibrant and powerful, clearly revealing he had impressively reached the Sixth Tier of the Awakening Realm.

In the arena, Elias stood poised with an air of unwavering focus, his dark robes billowing gently around him. His opponent, a senior with dual elemental affinities for Thunder and Wind, glared fiercely, sparks and wind currents swirling around him.