Watson grabbed Augustus’ head and pressed his entire body to the floor. His expression was calm.
“What? Young Master Augustus was defeated? Truly?”
“I know that Watson is Antonio and the Sword Saint’s disciple. He must be very powerful, but I did not expect him to be so powerful.”
Augustus’s followers were discussing among themselves, their faces filled with disbelief.
They were all noblemen in the royal city. Due to family reasons or other factors, they were prepared to get close to Duke Campbell. They knew Augustus very well. Usually, Augustus was an overbearing person, as long as it was something he wanted to do, he would do it no matter what.
If there were no place for him to eat, Augustus would hit the person who occupied his table. Everyone thought that the result would be the same as before. They did not expect Augustus to be pressed to the ground instead.
“D*mn it, let go of me! Otherwise, I will turn you into charcoal.”
Augustus raised his hand to wipe the blood off his face. His eyes reddened as he spoke harshly to Watson.
As the Campbell family’s top member, he could do whatever he wanted in the entire capital. Those he taught a lesson could only consider themselves unlucky, even if they were noblemen. When had they ever suffered such a loss?
While he was unhappy, Augustus was also a little surprised. Even though the platinum-tier magic he used on Watson was not his full strength, its power was not weak either. Watson had been able to withstand it so easily, so he must be a platinum-tier elite, at least.
“So what if you’re a platinum-tier elite? You still have to bow at my feet,” Augustus muttered to himself. Then, a scarlet light flashed in his reddened eyes. Two long curved horns grew from the top of his head. Those two curved horns looked like dragon horns—a ball of golden-red flames floated in the middle of the two horns. It seemed to have a life of its own, constantly changing its shape.
A pair of wings covered in scales emerged from Augustus’ back, which was also made of flames, extended outward and pushed Watson away.
The fire python was wrapped around Augustus’ body. The clothes on his body were burned to ashes, revealing his strong muscles. Mysterious red patterns extended from his chest area to his entire body.
“Watson, you’re the second person to force me into this form, other than that annoying girl from the Saint Laurent family, Nia. You should be proud of yourself! This is my second form, the Flaming Dragon. Under this form, I can temporarily advance to platinum-tier. Do you know why I was assigned to the warrior class even though I have a platinum-tier spell?”
After transforming, Augustus’ voice became low and hoarse.
“I’m sorry, I don’t want to know.”
Watson was very calm. When the noblemen saw that scene, their expressions were filled with shock and a hint of fear.
“Young Master Augustus had released his second form. They say that when Augustus was young, he went out hunting with the head of the Campbell family and encountered an ancient hellfire dragon that had just awakened! The Campbell family’s followers killed that dragon. The head of the family smeared the dragon’s blood on Augustus’s body, allowing him to possess the blood of a dragon.”
“Let’s leave this place quickly. Since Young Master Augustus has released his second form, then this situation will surely escalate. I’m afraid the entire Holy Dragon Tavern will be burned to the ground.”
More than ten noblemen discussed among themselves and quickly retreated outside. Augustus’ dragon form allowed him to possess strength that was not inferior to a real dragon. The magic that Augustus released during the academy’s assessment was not the usual human magic but dragon magic. Dragons were not only good at close combat but also magic. Those were collectively known as the power of dragons. Therefore, it was not against the rules for Augustus to release magic during the warrior assessment.
That terrifying power had descended in front of Watson. The illusory gigantic dragon with craters on its body appeared behind Augustus. It lowered its huge head and let out a terrifying roar at Watson. Every fang in its mouth was red and filled with a scorching aura.
“Watson, even if you’re afraid now, it’s already too late. Unless you kneel and beg for mercy, otherwise—”
Augustus stood under the illusory gigantic dragon in a dignified manner and sneered at Watson.
“Otherwise, what?”
“I won’t let you off so easily. I’ll break all the bones in your body, then hang you up and put you outside the tavern. I’ll let all the passersby see your miserable appearance and let them know that Antonio and the Sword Saint’s disciple is very average.”
“If you can do it, just give it a try.”
Watson’s expressionless response made Augustus snort coldly. “Watson, since you’re still holding on, then I won’t be polite! The Hellfire Dragon was a peak platinum-tier dragon when it was alive. You probably haven’t seen a dragon of that level before, right? Oh, right! I almost forgot. You came from the remote border. You probably haven’t seen an ordinary dragon! Hellfire Dragon, tear him apart!”
After giving the order to the Hellfire Dragon, the illusory beast immediately spread its wings and flew in front of Watson. The crater-shaped holes on its body shot out scorching flames. At the same time, it opened its huge mouth. Its razor-sharp teeth had a fiery red color as if it wanted to bite Watson’s neck.
“I’ve never seen a platinum-tier dragon before because—”
Watson stopped mid-sentence. The Hellfire Dragon’s huge head came right above his head. “All the Dragons I’ve seen are at least diamond-tier.”
Roar!
Roar!
Two different illusory dragons suddenly appeared behind Watson. That was the power of the contracted magical beast that he had summoned using the Druid’s secret skill.
The two dragons were not as complete as the one Augustus had summoned. Only half a head appeared, but that half a head was even more terrifying than a full dragon.
The space was crushed and shattered by an unknown force as silver-white and black vertical pupils revealed themselves. One eyeball was the size of a house, and around the eyeball were diamond or pitch-black scales. The nebula and the black fog that symbolized death were wrapped around them, respectively.
Watson had raised two dragons, the Diamond Star Dragon and the Death Omen Star Dragon.
At that moment, the power of those two dragons descended at the same time. The pressure from their eyes made the Hellfire Dragon that was biting Watson’s head wail in pain, and its body collapsed while trembling.
“That is the power of the dragon race. Why do you also have their power? That’s impossible!”
Augustus, who had been very arrogant, suddenly paled.
“Nothing is impossible. Not only do I have the power of the dragon race, but I can also transform into a giant dragon.”
As Watson spoke, he took a step forward. Black and white scales grew on his body. One of his eyes turned silver-white while the other turned black. Even his eyebrows and eyelashes were dyed the same color, and the twelve completely different wings on his back spread open. Four pitch-black stars danced above his head, and bright starlight flowed under his feet.
At that moment, Watson had transformed into half a Diamond Star Dragon and half a Death Omen Star Dragon. That dragon form was many times more brilliant and powerful than Augustus’ dragon, which only had curved horns and red patterns.
After transforming into a dragon, Watson did not hesitate. He arrived in front of Augustus at a breakneck speed. He lifted his hand and strangled Augustus’s neck, slamming him to the ground.
Bang!
Augustus spat out a mouthful of blood. His body was once again covered in wounds. The red patterns and the dragon horns on his head gradually faded away. That meant Augustus’ dragon form had been broken.
The noblemen, who had been preparing to escape when Augustus activated his second form, heard the loud sound behind them. They turned their heads to look. They were shocked when they realized that the person lying on the ground was not Watson but Augustus. They stopped in their tracks.
Soon, they saw an even more shocking scene.
After Watson threw Augustus to the ground, he did not give him a chance to resist. He reached his hand outward and grabbed Augustus’ neck, smashing him into the ground. He did that more than ten times until Augustus’ limbs became limp and his eyes blurred. At the last moment, Watson stopped. He grabbed Augustus’ messy long red hair and dragged his body out.
During that process, a long red, bloodied scar was left on the ground.
“The Campbell family’s successor and Watson had a conflict after coming out for a meal. That is really troublesome! Also, what did Watson do? It doesn’t seem like magic or fighting skills. Does he have other abilities?”
Christina did not say a word when Watson was beating Augustus. In her opinion, the outcome had long been decided. The reason she did not stop him was that Augustus had been very arrogant. She also wanted to beat him up to vent her anger.
“Watson, what are you doing? It’s about time. Augustus will die if we continue fighting.”
After thinking for a while, Christina threw those thoughts to the back of her mind and shouted at Watson, who was walking outside.
“Don’t worry, Lady Swordmistress. I know what I’m doing. This guy won’t die.”
Watson grabbed Augustus. He had just arrived at the dining hall and caused a sensation.
“Isn’t that the Campbell family’s young master, Augustus? How did he get beaten up to such a state and even get caught? Who beat him up? Does he want to die?” A nobleman saw that tragic scene. He hurriedly got up from his seat and even forgot to wipe his mouth.
Another table of customers carefully identified Augustus and Watson. They said, “The youth who beat him seems to be Antonio and the Sword Saint’s disciple. I don’t know what happened between him and Augustus. Why did they fight? But no matter what happens, it’s better for us to stay out of the matters between big shots like them.”
If they did not get involved, then it would not affect them. All the customers in the hall watched nervously as Watson, in his dragon form, dragged Augustus, who was covered in blood, out of the tavern and threw him into the sky. Augustus’ body flew up limply until it got stuck on the plaque.
After doing all that, Watson clapped and deactivated his dragonification. He said, “The most outstanding genius of the Campbell family—doesn’t look like much.”
Originally, Augustus had said those harsh words to him. Augustus also said that he would make a fool of Watson by hanging him on the plaque. So, Watson decided to help Augustus to fulfill that wish.
“I told you not to provoke Watson. Watson is a monster without common sense. It’s useless to tell him about the noblemen’s etiquette! He won’t care whether you are the descendant of the count or the duke. As long as you provoke him, he will beat you up.”
Casey stood with more than ten noblemen. When they saw Casey, they glanced at his right hand, which was covered in bandages, and then looked at the door with a hint of pity.
Lana stood behind him. She stroked her lips with her fingers, her gaze fixed on Watson. “As expected, Watson is still the person I remember. He does as he pleases and has no fear. It seems like I won’t be bored in the capital!”
“Watson, isn’t that inappropriate?”
While the people around were whispering, Christina took the opportunity to walk to Watson’s side and lowered her voice.
“What’s so bad about it?”
“Augustus is the Campbell family’s young master, after all. He’s also the genius who is most likely to inherit the Campbell family in the future. If you hit him, it’s equivalent to disrespecting his family. What do you think they’d do?”
“Lady Swordmistress, your words have reminded me that respect is crucial for a nobleman.
Watson nodded modestly and politely. Before Christina could let out a sigh of relief, he turned around and bowed to everyone in the restaurant. “Everyone, I’m sorry to disturb your meal. I’m here to announce something. This is purely a personal grudge. It has nothing to do with the Campbell family.”
“Hey Watson, did I tell you to do that? I told you to let Augustus go.” Christina frowned.
“Of course, we have to let him go, but not now!”
Watson waved his hand and called for the person in charge of the reception in the pub. “Wait for the Campbell family to come here. Ask them to compensate for the damages to the Holy Dragon pub. Then I will consider letting him go. When this place is repaired, we will let him go. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Young Master Watson.” The maid was the woman who had just taken Watson and Christina to the Red Dragon dining area.
“If that’s the case, then it’s fine. Lady Swordmistress, let’s go somewhere else to eat.”
Watson nodded to the maid and left the Holy Dragon Tavern with Christina. In the process, Christina looked at Watson and the maid suspiciously. She felt that the relationship between Watson and the maid was not ordinary. Watson spoke in a commanding tone, and the maid of the tavern was very respectful to Watson. She even readily agreed to the order that would offend the Campbell family.
“Does Watson and the people from the tavern know each other?”
That thought appeared in Christina’s mind, but she quickly dispelled it. Watson had never been to the capital, so how could he know the people in the Holy Dragon Tavern? The reason the maids in the tavern were so respectful to Watson might have been led by Watson’s fame and the strength he displayed.
…
While Watson and Christina were in the Holy Dragon Tavern, the two older gentlemen were somewhere nearby. They were in another tavern in a hidden alley.
“Antonio, is there anything you haven’t told me about Watson? Explain it to me right now.”
Reid held half a glass of red wine and shook it gently. He looked at the young man with platinum hair, leaning on a cane with a depressed expression.
That tavern was a place that Reid and Antonio often frequented. The environment was perfect, and there were not many guests. The two of them had used a simple disguise when they went out, so no one recognized them.
Antonio, who was disguised as a dark-skinned, ordinary-looking young man, smiled. “Reid, it seems that Watson has also punished you! When I told you that Watson’s learning ability was very strong, you ridiculed me and said that the things I taught were too simple. Do you still feel that way now?”
Antonio cheered in his heart.
That was great. Finally, someone could understand him. The greatest mage in the kingdom, who had countless disciples, was repeatedly frustrated when he taught Watson.
“A monster who can learn everything at once and can even refine it to a higher level. Anyone who has such a disciple would feel uncomfortable. He learned the Kingdom of the Sword in just one day from understanding just half of the sword technique. It’s a starlight-tier technique. If this goes on, he might surpass me in two to three days. I will lose my reputation as a Sword Saint!”
Reid sighed.
He had fought with Antonio for a long time. No matter what it was, the two of them always held opposite views. However, they had reached an agreement on the question about Watson.
“Antonio, it must have been hard for you to be a teacher for that monster for a few years. How did you do it?”
“Do you want to hear it? If you want to hear it, give me another bottle of 20-year-old red wine.”
“20-year-old red wine? You’re really asking for a lot. A normal bottle is worth a few thousand gold coins. Even if the tavern is holding an event, a bottle of red wine of the same quality can only be sold for 500 gold coins; that’s still not a small amount.”
As Reid spoke, he downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp and clicked his tongue. “Speaking of which, I come to this tavern several times a month. Their wine was clearly not as good. The wine is exquisite, but the price has also become much cheaper. It’s even comparable to the most famous Lafayette Winer. Did the tavern get some good recipes?”
“I don’t know what kind of good recipe the tavern has. I only know that if you don’t give me any wine, you won’t know how I’ve been Watson’s teacher for a few years.”
Glaring at Antonio, Reid beckoned for the waiter to bring a bottle of new 20-year-old red wine and patted the bag of 500 gold coins on the table. “Well, can you tell me now?”
“The solution is very simple. I just need to reduce the number of things that I teach Watson every day! For example, if I mastered a thousand spells, then I can only teach one a day or even once a week. Anyway, no matter how much I teach Watson, he will be able to learn it. So, why don’t I teach him less? Then, I can be his master for a long time.”
“Yes, why didn’t I think of such a simple solution?”
Reid took the red wine that he had pushed in front of Antonio. “Your method is too simple. I don’t think it’s worth the price of this bottle of wine. The bet doesn’t count.”
“You’re shameless, Reid! You went back on your word! Originally, I only wanted to tell you more about Watson on account of your treat. Then, I won’t tell you anymore.” Antonio slammed on the table angrily. In return, Reid’s disdain was reciprocated. “Other than telling me to be a long-term master, what else can you teach me?”
Antonio’s eyes were filled with pity. “Reid, you don’t know much about Watson! You don’t know how many spells I can teach him every day, but thinking about that is actually the easiest thing. You might not understand now, but it won’t be long before you understand the fear of Watson’s dominance.”
