Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner

Noah stepped into his domain, expecting the familiar sight of verdant grass, towering trees, and the carefully crafted dens he'd made for his companions. The larger one for Nyx, majestic and imposing, and the smaller one for Storm, perfectly sized for the wyvern.

But something was wrong.

The air shimmered with heat, distorting his vision. Waves of scorching temperature rolled across the landscape, and at the center of it all was Nyx. The massive dragon was circling Storm's den, releasing controlled bursts of flame that created a perfect ring of fire around the smaller structure.

"Nyx?" Noah called out, stepping forward. "What are you—"

The dragon's head whipped around, and for the first time since their bonding, Nyx positioned himself between Noah and his target. The message was clear: stay back.

"Where's Storm?" Noah tried to move around, anxiety building in his chest. The wyvern was nowhere to be seen, and Nyx's unusual behavior was setting off alarm bells in his mind.

He tried to approach again, but Nyx's tail swept across the ground, creating another barrier of flame.

[Evolution in Progress]

[Subject: Storm - Azure storm wyvern

[Status: Critical Phase]

The blue window materialized before Noah's eyes, and suddenly pieces started falling into place. This was why Nyx had refused to fully emerge during the fight with Diana. The dragon had been monitoring something here, something critical.

Noah circled wider, trying to get a better view of Storm's den. Through the waves of heat, he noticed something odd. The smoke rising from around the structure... it wasn't smoke at all.

"Is that... ice vapor?"

The mist swirled unnaturally, defying the intense heat Nyx was producing. It clung to the den's walls, creating crystalline patterns that seemed to pulse with an inner light.

Understanding dawned slowly. Nyx wasn't trying to burn the den—the dragon was maintaining a precise balance. Heat and cold, fire and ice, locked in a delicate dance around Storm's evolution.

But as Noah watched the process unfold, one question still nagged at him: what exactly was Storm evolving into that required such extreme conditions?

The vapor continued to rise, meeting Nyx's flames in a spectacular collision of elements, and somewhere within that chaos, Storm was changing. Growing. Becoming something else entirely.

Noah could only watch and wait, trust in Nyx's instincts, and hope that whatever was happening inside that den, his friend would emerge stronger for it.

Noah watched the mesmerizing display before him, pieces clicking into place as another system window materialized:

[Evolution Detected: Azure Storm Wyvern]

[Incubation Period Required: 30 Days]

[Status: Natural Evolution Process - Non-Critical]

[Note: Traditional incubation requires maternal superheating of self-generated ice shell. Current process maintains optimal conditions through substitute heat source.]

Noah leaned back against a nearby tree, understanding washing over him. The system hadn't alerted him because there was nothing for him to do—nothing he could do. Nature, or whatever passed for nature in this domain, was taking its course.

His eyes drifted to Nyx, the massive Red Death Dragon maintaining a perfect circle of flame around Storm's ice-encrusted den. Something about the sight made his chest tight with unexpected emotion.

"So that's why you've been sleeping since Cannadah," Noah murmured, more to himself than to Nyx. "You sensed this coming, didn't you?"

The pieces fell together in his mind: Storm must have begun the transformation while Noah was away, instinctively creating the ice shell that would protect it during evolution. And Nyx, despite being a creature of pure destruction—a Red Death Dragon, one of the most feared species—had immediately stepped in to play the role of surrogate mother.

What amazed Noah most was the precision of it all. Nyx hadn't just blasted the area with flames; the dragon was maintaining exact temperatures, perfectly mimicking what an Azure Storm Wyvern mother would do for her infant. How did Nyx even know to do this?

Finding a comfortable perch on a raised rock formation, Noah settled in to watch. The scene before him was oddly touching—Nyx, his first companion, protecting Storm's vulnerable evolution with the same fierce dedication he showed in battle. They'd gotten Nyx's egg first, and already the larger dragon had taken on the role of protective older sibling.

Steam continued to rise where flame met ice, creating an ethereal dance of elements. Noah smiled, realizing that for the next month, this would be Nyx's primary concern. No wonder the dragon hadn't fully emerged during their raid on School 8—there were more important matters to attend to here.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you?" Noah said softly, watching Nyx adjust the intensity of his flames with careful precision. The dragon spared him a brief glance, as if to say 'Obviously,' before returning to its self-appointed task.

Sometimes, Noah realized, the fiercest creatures could also be the most gentle, when protecting what they considered their own.

Noah emerged from his domain back into the bathroom, his mind still processing the sight of Nyx's protective vigil over Storm's evolution. The hot shower helped clear his head, washing away the night's intensity—the fight with Diana, the red mist, the calculated violence.

No sleep for twenty-four hours, he mused as he pulled on his uniform. At least the day's classes would be interesting enough to keep him awake. The thought of their successful raid on School 8 brought a slight smile to his face.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Kelvin's exclamation cut through the morning quiet. Noah turned to find his roommate bolt upright in bed, tablet gripped tightly in his hands, eyes wide with disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked, adjusting his tie.

"School 8..." Kelvin's voice trembled with excitement.

Noah's smile widened slightly. So the news had already hit the school servers. He wondered which of them had posted about it—probably Lucas, making sure School 8's humiliation was properly documented. Or maybe Bailey, she loved keeping the school records updated...

"They hit us again!" Kelvin thrust the tablet forward. "Last night! School 8 launched another raid on School 12!"

Noah's hands froze on his tie. "What?"

"Look at this headline: 'School 8 Strikes School 12 Again in Daring Night Raid.'"

The words didn't make sense. Noah read them once, twice, three times, but they refused to align with reality. They had been the ones to raid School 8. He had personally taken down their Number 2. Lucas had faced off against Jayden. The whole team had been there.

How could School 8 have attacked them when they were the ones doing the attacking?

Unless...

A knock immediately sounded through the door. Noah turned the direction and started walking to check who it was.@@novelbin@@

Noah's hand had barely touched the doorknob when the sharp knock came. Opening it revealed Lucas, his usual composed demeanor replaced by barely contained tension. He thrust a tablet into Noah's face, displaying the same headline.

"They hit the cafeteria," Lucas said without preamble. "Completely trashed it. Every ingredient, every piece of equipment—destroyed." He grabbed Noah's arm. "Come on. We need to talk, now."

"I—hold on," Noah adjusted his tie, hurrying to keep up with Lucas's stride. Outside, he spotted the others clustered near the corner of the dorm building. Oba, Bailey, and Micah were engaged in what looked like a heated discussion.

"Everyone, quiet," Lucas commanded as they approached. The group fell silent, tension thick in the morning air. "This couldn't have happened without inside help. Jayden had to have known our movements."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, slowly, every head except Lucas's turned toward Noah.

Micah was the first to speak, his voice sharp. "Well, isn't it obvious? We've got one junior among us. One person who just happened to join right before this went down."

"Watch it," Lucas warned, but Micah pressed on.

"No, let's address this. We had a plan, and suddenly School 8 knows exactly when we're gone? When the campus is vulnerable to attacks? Because this happened precisely when we all left not even while we were there!"

Oba stepped forward, his approach gentler. "Noah, did you tell anyone about our plans before we left? Anyone at all?"

"Just Sophie," Noah replied, maintaining his composure. "And she's off campus. She's an upperclassman like you guys—"

"Oh, Sophie Reign," Micah cut in with a sneer. "Yeah, because Little Miss Popular and her army of Barbies couldn't possibly have spread the word—"

Noah took a step forward, fists clenching. "Watch your mouth when you talk about her."

"Or what, first-year?"

"Enough!" Bailey interjected. "Look, I hate to say this, but what about the driver? The security arrangement Lucas made?"

"That was through official channels," Oba argued. "If there was a leak there—"

"Then the whole security system is compromised," Micah finished. "Great. Even better."

The accusations flew back and forth, voices rising with each exchange. Noah stood his ground, anger building at Micah's insinuations about Sophie, while Bailey tried to reason through the possibilities and Oba attempted to keep the peace.

"ENOUGH!" Lucas's voice cut through the chaos. "I have my suspicions, but now isn't the time. Everyone, dismissed. Get to class. We'll deal with this later."

The group dispersed reluctantly, Micah throwing one last suspicious glance at Noah before walking away. Lucas took a few steps, then turned back.

"Noah," he called, gesturing him over.

Noah approached, and Lucas fixed him with an intense stare that seemed to pierce right through him.

"We need to talk," Lucas said, his voice low and serious.

"What? You think I did this? Or Sophie did?!" Noah said, anger bubbling.

"It's about your blonde girlfriend. How much do you know about her?"