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

The pod struck the ground with devastating force, scattering debris in a perfect circle. Steam hissed from its metallic surface, now scarred and dented from atmospheric entry. Unlike the scout they'd just killed, this arrival wanted to be seen.

'Great. Because one wasn't enough.' Noah watched smoke curl up from the pod's seams. 'Universe really wants to make sure we earn our grades today.'

The pod split open with hydraulic precision. First came the legs - massive, armored things that made the scout look like a hatchling. Then arms that could have crushed tanks. Finally, that terrible head emerged through the smoke.

Its skin was ash-gray like a rhino's hide but scaled like a reptile's. The signature tail whipped behind it with lethal grace. But what caught Noah's attention, what made his blood run cold, were the horns. Two of them. Perfect obsidian crowns rising from its skull.

The realization hit like a physical blow. The first one, the one whose head he'd just erased, had been a scout. Its lean build, its camouflage ability, the absence of a pod - all pointed to an advance unit. Which made this...

"A hunter," Lucas whispered beside him, blood still dripping from multiple wounds. "We just killed a scout, and now..."

'Now big brother's come to play.' Noah tried pushing away the system messages still floating in his vision, but they persisted like angry hornets:

[ERROR: Energy critically low]

[WARNING: All combat abilities temporarily disabled]

[ALERT: Recharge required for null strike activation]

[NOTICE: Void blink unavailable]

'Thanks for the update, system. Really helpful. Maybe next you can tell me how screwed we are on a scale of one to absolutely.'

Around them, the less-dead students had begun their desperate attempts at escape. Some crawled, others limped, a few even managed something approaching a run. It would have been almost comical if it wasn't so terrifying.

The hunter stood eight feet tall, its presence making the scout look like a practice dummy. Each movement spoke of raw power rather than the scout's fluid grace.

'And me without my null strike.' Noah felt his grip tighten on the eclipse blade - his last remaining weapon. 'Just a broken arm, depleted energy, and two fantastic meat shields. Well, one and a half. Micah doesn't count as a full shield.'

Speaking of Micah, the number five had managed to go even paler. His pristine, bloodless gear stood out like a banner of cowardice among their battle-ravaged group.

Lucas straightened despite his injuries, electricity still weakly crackling around him. Always the responsible one. Always the hero.

The hunter's voice rumbled like distant artillery: "Which of you earth soldiers dispatched my brother?"

The Harbinger stood motionless, twin horns casting long shadows in the filtered sunlight. Its question had left the clearing deathly silent, save for the weak groans of the dying.

"Then you all die."

The words fell like stones into still water. It began walking, each step a deliberate display of power. A student lay in its path, trying desperately to drag himself away on broken limbs. But with the gaping hole in his jaw, it was obvious the poor guy had taken quite the beating. Noah didn't recognize the guy so his guess was it was an upperclassman.

The Harbinger didn't even break stride - its foot descended with casual indifference. The wet crack that followed turned Noah's stomach.

He forced himself to watch, to think. He could run now, turn around and just run. This was technically not his fight, right?

'I joined the military. This...this is my reality,' he thought, not one to lie to himself.

Not to mention, Kelvin was still out there somewhere on this island. Probably helping evacuate the younger students, doing the right thing like always. The thought of his friend - perhaps his only real friend besides Mrs. Harper - made Noah's chest tight with an unfamiliar feeling. It was strange, having a reason to stay beyond mere survival.

"Any brilliant ideas?" Lucas's voice cut through Noah's thoughts. The number one student was addressing Micah.

Micah's silence spoke volumes. Lucas stared at his fellow year three student and pure disdain colored his face.

"If I survive this," Lucas continued, his voice taking on an edge Noah hadn't heard before, "I'll make sure to attend your funeral, Micah. And trust me, it won't be the Harbinger that puts you there. You're being an absolute disgrace to your rank."

"You don't understand," Micah's voice cracked. "This isn't like the simulations, Lucas. That's a two-horned Harbinger. Do you even comprehend what that means? Double crowns!! We're first-line cadets facing an elite hunter. We should be running, regrouping with the teachers, not standing here pretending we're-"

"Finish that sentence," Lucas cut in, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, "and I promise you, I'll save this oversized lizard the trouble. You're a soldier of Earth. Start acting like one, or I'll personally ensure your death certificate reads 'training accident.'"

Something in Lucas's tone made Micah straighten, though fear still radiated from him in waves. "Fine. But our best strategy is still retreat. We lack the firepower to-"

"Noah's blade." Lucas turned to where Noah stood a step behind them. "It cuts them. Stops their regeneration. We've seen it work." His eyes met Noah's, exhaustion warring with determination. "I hate asking this of you again, but we need your help."

Noah gave a simple nod, even as his mind raced through calculations:

'Lucas is running on fumes and adrenaline. Those lightning strikes earlier took everything he had. One more hit and he's done. And those injuries...' he preferred not to think about it. The number one was only a few hits from being cancelled from his existence plans.

The white lines surrounding this Harbinger were different compared to the scout. It went in every direction like a deadly spiderweb of killing strikes that seemed to cover every possible angle. No blind spots. No weaknesses. Just death in every direction.

'And Micah...' Noah watched the number five student's trembling hands. 'He'll hesitate. Break formation. Get in the way of whatever rhythm Lucas and I might find. Three isn't always better than two - especially when the third is more liability than asset.'

He studied the Harbinger's approach, noting how it moved with absolute certainty. He needed a plan.

His eyes drifted to the scout's corpse behind them. Something red caught his attention - a glow that hadn't been there before.

[+750 XP]

[Rare Core Available for Extraction]

The interface notification hung in his vision, red instead of the usual blue that accompanied a XP when he killed a beast. Another piece to the puzzle of what these creatures really were. Another opportunity - if they survived long enough to seize it.

The Harbinger kept advancing, crushing debris and bodies with equal disregard. Each step brought it closer, its presence seeming to draw the very warmth from the air. Those twin horns - so different from the scout's single crown - spoke of power on an entirely different scale.

"We're soldiers," Lucas declared, weak sparks still dancing around his clenched fists. "This is what we trained for. We're the top 25 of Earth's eastern sector Academy. If we die here, we die standing."

Noble sentiment. But Noah had seen what Harbingers did to noble soldiers. He had heard of how they tore through Earth's defenses like paper. And today was a clear demonstration. One horn or two, they were death given form.

'Domain.'

The word formed in his mind with crystalline clarity. The void responded, darkness beginning to creep at the edges of his vision. Lucas and Micah wouldn't see it - to them, he'd simply seem to fade away. But the Harbinger... its head snapped toward him, sensing the dimensional shift.

"At least one of you shows tactical intelligence." Its voice carried something almost like approval as it turned back to the others. "The rest of you... I'll make this relatively quick."

The last thing Noah saw was Lucas's face. There was no surprise there, no betrayal - just grim acceptance. As if he'd expected nothing less from a first year survivor.

Darkness enveloped him completely. Whether this was tactical retreat or cowardice hardly mattered. There was a core to collect and a two-horned monster to deal with. But first, he needed to think. To plan. To find a way to survive what came next.

The void welcomed him like an old friend, and Noah left the others to face death alone.

For now.

---

The void shimmered and reshaped itself around Noah, transforming into his personal domain. Lush greenery sprouted from nothing, a stark contrast to the blood-soaked battlefield he'd left behind. Here, at least, he could think.

A blur of red and azure streaked towards him - Storm and Nyx, his unlikely companions. Storm, the azure wyvern, was barely larger than a kitten, tumbling over his own wings in excitement. Nyx, the red death dragon, bounded forward with more grace despite his puppy-like enthusiasm, already nearly twice Storm's size.

The pulsing green core in his hands drew their immediate attention. It was massive compared to the usual beast cores - easily the size of a basketball, with an inner light that seemed almost alive. Noah had never seen anything quite like it.

[Item Acquired: Harbinger Core]

[WARNING: Unknown properties detected]

[Options Available:

1. Store in Void Storage

2. Feed immediately]

Noah looked at the options for a moment and thought of something.

"I need to see their growth,"

[Summons growth]

[Name : Nyx]

[Race: Dragon]

[Specie- Red death]

[Evolution Progress: 75%]

[Name : Storm]

[Race : Wyvern]

[Specie- Azure storm]

[ Evolution Progress: 18%]

Noah rubbed both of their heads as he read through it. Clearly, Nyx was close to the edge than storm was.

He watched his companions' eager faces, their chirping filling the peaceful domain. He'd spent the last three days methodically feeding beast cores to Nyx, carefully monitoring his growth. The dragon had been responding well, each core bringing him closer to evolution.

'But this...' He turned the massive core in his hands, studying its alien glow. 'This is different. No data, no precedent. If it's toxic to him...'

The thought of harming Nyx made his stomach turn. These weren't just pets or tools - they were his first real allies in this world. Loyal. Trustworthy. Unlike the two he'd just left behind to face death.

Time wasn't on his side though. Somewhere above, a two-horned Harbinger was probably already tearing through Lucas and Micah. If Noah wanted to survive what came next, he needed Nyx at full strength.

"Sorry, little guy," he said to Storm, who tilted his head in confusion. "Big brother gets this one."

He tossed the core high. Both creatures shot after it like excited puppies chasing a ball, chirping and playfully shoving each other. Nyx, with his longer stride, quickly took the lead.

Noah crossed his fingers, watching his dragon close in on the mysterious core. Here in his domain, he was safe - nothing could touch him. But soon he'd have to leave, have to face that monster again. And when that moment came...

'Come on, Nyx. Don't let me down. We're going to need every advantage we can get.'

The scene played out before him like a held breath, everything hanging on what happened next.@@novelbin@@