"Avatar"

"So, in summary, we cannot kill a prepared Dragon King. Those First-Generation Species can always be reborn from cocoons hidden in advance. But that happens to reveal the only way to truly kill them: destroy their cocoons, or cut off their heads before they can form one."

"Unfortunately, immortality and reincarnation come at a price. This means that their souls and bodies cannot fully synchronize the moment they emerge from their cocoons. Before a First Generation dragon recovers its power and memories, it will 'grow' an entirely new self, one indistinguishable from an ordinary person. So we have never truly found a definite opportunity to kill a First Generation dragon."

"Perhaps they are living in some small town in Chicago right now, living among us..."

"..."

The old man strolled along the aisle of the curved lecture hall. Light reflected in his pupils like burning torches.

As the class neared its end, the dragon slayer who had lectured on history for a full hour suddenly shed an educator's mild manner and revealed the bloodshed seeping between the lines of the textbooks.

No matter how relaxed and peaceful Cassel College seemed, no matter what major they chose, the young people graduating from here would eventually throw themselves onto the battlefield against dragons.

Angers lowered his head to glance at the pocket watch that had slipped from his sleeve, then returned to the podium. He picked up the textbook on the desk and tapped the blackboard with it.

"Class dismissed."

As his words fell, the bell rang over the broadcast at just the right moment.

A sparse rustling immediately rose around the room as the students began packing their bags for the break.

Li Lin had originally intended to leave as well, but the moment he stood up, Xia Mi tugged at the corner of his clothes.

"Hey, in fifteen minutes, this classroom has a third-year Word Spiritology class. Where are you planning to go?"

Xia Mi looked at Li Lin with a mischievous, impish smile.

Li Lin had rarely listened seriously through an entire class, and only now did he belatedly remember that he had signed up for exactly the same schedule as Xia Mi...

Li Lin had rarely listened seriously through an entire class, and only now did he belatedly remember that he had signed up for exactly the same schedule as Xia Mi...

Li Lin sat back down with a dark expression. The manga he had just bought had gone unread last class anyway, so at worst he could continue reading it this period.

So he put Dragon Family Genealogy back into his bag, then pulled out an equally thick copy of Word Spiritology and propped it up in front of the manga.

But as Li Lin opened Word Spiritology and pretended to listen, he suddenly hesitated. Looking at the passage that read, "Most First Generation dragons, as descendants of the Black King, can freely control the four basic elements," he felt an intense sense of déjà vu.

Th-this was Avatar King, wasn't it?!

Although Li Lin had been born blind in his previous life, he had not only heard the stories of Avatar since childhood, but had also accompanied the current Avatar in the war against the Fire Nation.

Legend had it that every so often, an Avatar would be born into the world, someone naturally gifted in mastering all four bending arts.

Just as First Generation dragons could achieve reincarnation and rebirth through forming cocoons.

The Avatar also reincarnated continuously. Every generation of Avatar could inherit all the bending techniques and combat experience of every past life.

Li Lin suddenly remembered that he too was a reincarnator, yet he was merely an ordinary human with very little dragon blood.

Then was it possible that, from this moment on, he was the first generation of Avatar in this world...

Could it be that, from now on, he would be this world's first "Avatar"......

This world did not have a convenient concept like bending.

Although abilities to control elements did exist, they were entirely achieved through Word Spirits or alchemy.

Li Lin thought that if he truly awakened a Word Spirit during the exam that could control every element within its domain, he would probably be mistaken for an awakened Dragon King and hunted down by the entire school within a minute.

But the strength of the Word Spirit he might awaken in the future still seemed to depend on Xia Mi's performance.

Remembering the mysterious Dragon-Slaying Binding System, he turned to look at Xia Mi.

"Xia Mi, next Monday is the 3E Exam."

"Mm-hm?"

"Whatever you do, don't awaken some especially overpowered Word Spirit."

"Like what?"

"Like one that creates a domain and directly controls all four basic elements."

The moment he finished speaking, Xia Mi slapped Li Lin across the back.

"Hey! Don't tell me you listened to that pervy old man's class and started suspecting that I'm a dragon disguised as a hybrid?!"

"So hybrids can't awaken that kind of power?"

"Of course not! That's the privilege of sovereigns! Even normal Second Generation dragons can't possess that kind of power!"

Xia Mi hummed smugly as she showed off the "preview results" of her studies, making Li Lin unable to resist provoking her.

"It's fine. I could tell at a glance that you aren't human."

"Of course. I'm as beautiful as a demon."

Xia Mi did not take the bait and casually borrowed a line from Legend of the White Snake.

Then she changed the subject and looked at Li Lin with a cheerful smile.

"If I really were a First Generation or Second Generation dragon disguised as a human, you wouldn't have made it out of the school gates ten years ago."

Not necessarily. Li Lin caught sight of a system pop-up in the corner of his vision.

[Your understanding of Dragon Family Genealogy has improved slightly.]

After thinking for a moment, he spoke in a sincere tone.

"Actually... if you were a dragon, that would be fine too."

"You really can't let this topic go, can you?! Fine, just wait to die! If I really am a dragon and my identity gets exposed, you'll be the first one I kill!"

Seeing that Xia Mi seemed a little angry, Li Lin quickly turned away and began flipping through his book as though nothing had happened.

Xia Mi's little temper always came quickly and went even faster. Before the class bell even rang, she leaned close to Li Lin and whispered to him.

"Don't say things like that carelessly in the future. You know Cassel College is backed by the Secret Party. They're extremely sensitive about these subjects."

"I get it. You're afraid they'll force a confession."

"Exactly, exactly... Wherever there are people, there are conflicts. Besides, Europe made a huge fuss over witch hunts in the Middle Ages. I'd say those Mixed-Blood old masters are all genuine, pure-blooded aristocrats. Who knows, maybe they inherited their ancestors' fine traditions."

By then, several third-year students had already taken their seats in the classroom. Though they were surprised and excited by Li Lin and Xia Mi's presence, the seniors facing the pressure of graduation did not eagerly crowd around them with class about to begin.

Suddenly, a gray-haired old man returned to the classroom and beckoned to the two preparatory students seated in the back.

"Li Lin, Xia Mi, I suggest you skip this class and come to my office to discuss the exam."

At once, the course instructor beside Angers cast a somewhat displeased look their way.