"HAHAHAHAHA!" Joe laughed loudly as he unleashed a series of punches on Rocky, making the bruises on his body worse.
Meanwhile, Shawn smirked as he delivered an accurate and cruel kick to Rocky's chest, sending him skidding across the ground before slamming into the hallway wall.
Cuthbert chuckled while cracking his fists, preparing for his turn to batter Rocky.
A few days had passed. Ever since Rocky arrived at the academy, he had been bullying openly by them.
Maybe he spent more time in the medical room than in the classroom or his dorm. No one dared to interfere, not even the professors. After all, they didn't want to get involved in the affairs of a great Clan.
The only thing keeping him alive here was the deal his big sister had made with the branch Clan.
Bang!
"Weakling!"
"You should've died with your pet."
…
Bang!
"Let me tell you one thing… We ate your dog. Indeed, dog meat is always delicious when it comes from an enemy."
Bang!
Rocky staggered, but he kept his calm and focus, forcing himself to stand up. He didn't want to show weakness in front of those bastards, even if it meant dying.
But how ironic—he was just an ordinary human.
Again!
Shawn sent a brutal kick at Rocky, making him tumble several times before stopping near a girl.
"Hey, bitch! Step aside."
Shawn scolded the girl, his face twisted. But just half a second later, his expression froze when he realized who she was.
That was Scarlet Kirk… the first daughter of the great Clan, where all members had high compatibility with ancient dragons.
The three bullies hurried over and bowed their heads politely.
"It's an honor to meet you, Lady Scarlet."
Shawn gulped nervously. After all, he had just insulted her.
All of them wondered why she appeared here, since she shouldn't have been at the academy.
No, maybe she was the one the professor had mentioned in the morning.
He didn't know, but if she wanted, she could finish him off right now. Even the branch Clan wouldn't be able to save him from such a stupid act.
He sneaked a glance at her, trying to read her mood.
But instead, he spaced out, stunned by her beauty.
Her long scarlet hair, combined with the seductive curves of her body, left him frozen.
Instinctively, he blushed… but his face turned pale as death when he noticed the small dragon on her shoulder, glaring at him with killing intent.
Scarlet narrowed her eyes in discomfort as she looked at the bullies. Then she turned her attention to Rocky, who was groaning and writhing in agony.
She already knew about his tragedy, but… it was hard to put in words. Her parents had ordered the entire Clan to absolutely avoid any trouble with the Stephens Clan.
She admired Rocky's parents, who had sacrificed themselves in the last battle against the Pride Demon King. Yet, the outcome had come far too fast.
Even if another great Clan wanted to interfere with the branch Clan, it would cause serious trouble. After all, they had already signed a peace treaty.
Moreover, the branch Clan was still a part of the Stephens Clan, not some terrorist organization they had the right to eliminate.
(It's a shame, but that tragedy is something only he can handle… but those bastards insulted me, didn't they?)
Scarlet nodded to her pet. The red dragon nodded back in understanding before turning invisible in the air.
She continued walking, ignoring the three bullies.
Meanwhile, the three bullies let out relieved breaths. They had worried she would punish them for what they had done, yet luckily, she simply smiled and left.
Shawn's face slowly twisted with rage as he glanced at Rocky's battered body, his jaw clenching.
"It's all your fault. I'll crush you."
He rushed forward, about to deliver a cruel kick to Rocky's face. But this time, Rocky caught Shawn's foot.
A wave of pain shot through Shawn's leg as Rocky gripped it tightly, making him scream in agony.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
Rocky frowned in confusion when he sensed a surge of mana flooding his body.
His Beast Tamer power had returned.
He had no idea why, but it no longer mattered. He had to crush those bastards. Seizing the moment, Rocky pushed himself up and drove a sharp elbow into Shawn's face, cracking his skull and knocking him down.
But he didn't stop. He quickly grabbed Shawn's right leg, brutally slamming him into the ground before tossing him outside, shattering the glass window.
Shawn plunged from the second floor to the first, his deafening, panicked screams echoing everywhere before abruptly cutting off.
"Im-Impossible. He shouldn't be able to do that. He's not a Beast Tamer anymore." Cuthbert scowled in disbelief.
Maybe Shawn had just let his guard down, but no matter what, they wouldn't let it happen again.
Cuthbert and Joe quickly commanded their beasts. In moments, the small creatures on their shoulders expanded to three times their size, directing their rage and violence toward Rocky.
But just half a second later, both of them staggered, then collapsed and passed out without knowing why.
"W-What the fuck did you do to my beast? Some cheap trick?!" Joe screamed in rage, but his face twisted the next instant as Rocky's knee slammed into him.
His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw was Rocky's hand coming at him. His head smashed straight through the classroom wall, startling students who were in the middle of a test.
He went limp and passed out.
Joe roared in fury and swung a punch at Rocky.
"You're just lucky!"
Rocky spat out a mouthful of blood in anger before grabbing Joe by the throat. He lifted that bastard up, letting him thrash helplessly in midair, like prey before a vicious hunter.
Rocky tightened his grip, making him writhe even more in agony before passing out from lack of oxygen.
At that moment, he suddenly felt the mana in his body vanish.
He became an ordinary human again.
He released Joe and dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Thank you."
Just like that, Rocky passed out. Meanwhile, Scarlet slowly emerged from a corner of the hallway.
She slightly raised her lips, remembering what Rocky had said before. It seemed he had known she had an influence on the battle.
Plus, his skillful combat was very impressive—and seductive. Tch, she shouldn't have doubted the combat skill of a hero's son.
'He is smart, and a good man.'
She commanded her pet.
'Hector, carry him to the medical room… remember, treat him carefully.'
The red dragon's face twitched, annoyed. It had already hoped she would pet it for what it had done, but instead, she showed care and interest toward a stranger.
It didn't know it yet, but from that moment on, it saw Rocky as a love rival.