Shut Up, Malevolent Dragon! I Don’t Want to Have Any More Children With You

Vol 9. Chapter 43: The First Place You Took My Body

Going out on a mission right after being promoted to the adult dragon division was nothing unusual for the academy.

And for these already-adult young dragons, back when they were in the young dragon division, they would occasionally carry out missions with relatively low danger as well.

So compared to nervousness or helpless confusion, what filled their hearts was anticipation.

"All trainees, get ready. The purpose of this mission is the border on the eastern side, at the junction between human and dragon territory."

The instructor leading the team gave the mission briefing on the field.

"On their return after completing a mission, Senior Yuna and her group were attacked by a super S-rank peril-form, the Phantom-Shadow Demon Spider, and are now trapped near the border in Demonmoon Forest. Our primary objective this time is to rescue Yuna and the rest of the team.

Remember: do not get dragged into a fight. According to the information Yuna sent back, this Phantom-Shadow Demon Spider is not ordinary. Its strength is extremely high. During the mission, you must be extremely careful.

The mission hasn’t even begun yet. I hope all of you have already mastered Flight Magic. This is a real battlefield. Nobody is going to teach you while you’re fighting to the death. Okay. Now, everyone, move out."

As soon as the words fell, the instructor spread his dragon wings, transformed into a giant dragon, and rose steadily into the air.

The other trainees immediately transformed into dragon form as well, eager and impatient, and followed close behind.

In an instant, a shockingly powerful scene appeared on the academy field—dozens of giant dragons taking off one after another, wings unfurling, blotting out the sky.

Even the students who were in class inside the teaching buildings were startled and curious, crowding the windows to watch.

But once they looked, they noticed something else.

Two people still hadn’t moved.

Noa stood on the grass, watching her companions fly away one by one. Her gaze was complex in a way that was hard to read, and it carried a trace of helplessness.

"Let’s go, Noa. I’ll fly with you."

Just as the overachiever snapped out of it, a slender hand reached out in front of her.

She looked up, meeting the eyes of the hand’s owner.

Helena blinked and smiled. "I’m an adult now too. And my mom already taught me how to transform. I can take you there."

A glimmer of light flashed through Noa’s dispirited eyes. She nodded hard.

"Okay!"

Helena smiled, then transformed into a sea-blue sea dragon.

The sea dragon clan’s dragon form differed from conventional dragons. After transforming, their bodies were slimmer and more elongated. Their physical toughness was not as high as that of conventional dragons, but they made up for it with agility and speed.

Each had their strengths.

Noa leapt onto Helena’s back. Helena immediately took off, chasing after the main force ahead.

Naturally, the children in the teaching building saw that scene as well.

"Why can that senior transform into a dragon by herself?"

"She’s not even an adult. How can she transform?"

"Really... but after you become an adult, isn’t shapeshifting magic easy to learn? That senior can’t even learn that?"

The children chattered among themselves.

Until a freshman who looked a little more sensible spoke up.

"Do you seriously not know, or are you pretending?"

"You know? Then say it."

"That’s Senior Noa. The youngest trainee in the adult dragon division’s history—and the only one who isn’t an adult. Of course she can’t transform into a dragon."

"Getting promoted to the adult dragon division before adulthood? That’s ridiculous. It’s impossible."

"She doesn’t even look that strong..."

The freshmen wanted to keep talking, but the instructor at the front of the classroom rapped on the blackboard.

"Alright, little ones. Show’s over. We’re continuing class. Everyone, back to your seats."

At the same time, the Melkvey family also saw the awkward position Noa was in because she couldn’t transform.

"Now big sister is just like Dad and has her own dedicated sitting posture."

Aurora said in a gloomy tone.

Muse blinked, then turned and said seriously:

"Third sister, Dad has a dedicated mount because he can’t fly at all. Big sister is just not old enough yet."

Leon patted his youngest daughter’s head.

"In our family, you’re the best at stabbing Dad right where it hurts. Keep it up."

The daughters joked around.

But Leon and Rosvisser couldn’t really laugh.

Children’s minds weren’t that complicated. Naturally, they couldn’t grasp how awkward Noa’s situation was about to be.

"Don’t push yourself, Noa..."

Rosvisser hopped lightly and hooked her arm around Leon’s, watching their daughter’s figure grow more and more distant as she murmured.

...

A few hours later, at the border between human and dragon territory—Demonmoon Forest.

The trainees landed and transformed back into human form one after another.

Noa jumped down from Helena’s back, took a few steps forward, and stood at the forest entrance, looking inward.

Deep, eerie, and oppressive.

Past memories surfaced slowly in her mind. Noa clenched her fist and murmured under her breath:

"Demonmoon Forest..."

"Looks like you remember this place well, kid."

A familiar voice—an old woman’s voice.

"Back then, this was the first place I took your body."

"...Stop talking like that, you fossil."

But what Noa said was also true.

Back then, this was where they had run into Adam, the Warhammer Dragon King who was experimenting with black dragon scales. To protect Helena, Noa had done everything she could to stall him.

Of course, the Noa of that time was still young. How could she possibly be a match for a Dragon King?

In the end, it was the ancestor taking over her body that held on until Leon and Constantine arrived to save them.

Fortunately, no one was injured in the end.

"Senior Yuna’s team is trapped somewhere inside Demonmoon Forest. I need you to split into groups yourselves, teams of three. Search in different directions for the trapped trainees."

After speaking, the instructor snapped his fingers, and an assistant immediately came over carrying a wooden box.

He opened it. Inside were dozens of recording stones.

"Everyone, come here and take your communication recording stone. The moment you find anything, use it to notify the others. Do not fight as a single team. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Did you skip breakfast? Louder!"

"UNDERSTOOD!!"

"Good. Take your recording stones, then split into teams."

The trainees stepped forward one after another, each taking a recording stone.

Then, under the assistant’s guidance, they injected their personal symbol into it.

Like "registering an account."

Noa and Helena also took their recording stones.

Helena’s symbol was a wave.

"What’s your symbol, Noa?"

As she spoke, Helena leaned close and looked at the stone in Noa’s hand.

"Ohh—it's a black moon. That’s so cool~"

It wasn’t a pure black moon. The outline had a faint glow, mimicking the visual effect of a real moon.

Noa put the recording stone away and said:

"The two of us—and then we find one more person to form a team."

"Mm-hm, okay~"

But just as the two best friends were unsure whom to pick, a boy walked toward them.

"Helena, you go team up with Fio and Ethan."

"Noa, you’re joining my team."

They both looked at him.

Helena frowned slightly. "The instructor just said we split up ourselves. Why are you deciding for us? And who are you?"

"My name is Tucker."

He answered in a low voice. "I was specially recruited into the adult dragon division. Before this, I’ve already carried out missions many times. And having me assign teams is absolutely reasonable. I won’t form teams recklessly based on personal feelings."

The emphasis at the end was clearly aimed at Noa and Helena, as if they were the ones acting on impulse.

Helena retorted:

"So what if you’ve done a few more missions? It’s not that big a difference. And why do you think your assignments are automatically reasonable? I think it’s reasonable for me to be with Noa."

Tucker’s gaze darkened, and his tone sank.

"She’s the only minor here. She can’t transform into a dragon or fly. Her capability is inevitably lacking. So she should team up with stronger trainees."

"Her capability is lacking?!"

Helena threw out the kind of gesture people make when someone claims there are no perfect people in the world.

"Look at her properly. Where on her does it say ‘lacking’?! And who do you even think you’re talking about? She is..."

"I know who she is. Just like I know you’re Vice Principal Claudia’s daughter."

Tucker spoke unhurriedly.

"But this is a mission, not a contest of parents and backgrounds. People can get hurt, or even die. So we must assign teams in the most reasonable way."

Hearing what he called "reasonable," Helena caught the meaning between his lines.

"So you’re saying Noa is weak, so she has to team up with you people who look so impressive?"

Tucker shrugged, effectively admitting it.

"Get lost."

"Enough, Helena."

Noa grabbed her best friend’s wrist, stopping the argument from escalating.

"We’re here to rescue Senior Yuna and the others, not to argue. Since Senior Tucker wants to assign it this way, we’ll listen."

Helena shot him a glare but didn’t say anything more.

"If I’m not at your side, be careful. If anything happens, use the recording stone to contact me immediately," Helena warned.

Noa smiled and nodded. "Okay. You too."

"Mm-hm."

After teams were set, each squad entered Demonmoon Forest one after another, searching from different directions for Yuna and her companions.

Besides Tucker and Noa, Noa’s squad also had a girl named Vivian.

She looked quiet and reserved, the type who didn’t talk much.

Tucker led Noa and Vivian deeper into Demonmoon Forest.

Along the way, Vivian looked nervous. She kept glancing around, rubbing and twisting her fingers.

Noa noticed the small movements and understood she was afraid.

After all, it was her first real combat mission. Under tension, fear naturally showed.

Noa was about to say a few words to comfort her and help her relax, when Tucker up ahead suddenly stopped and said in a low voice:

"If you’re scared, you can turn back right now."

Vivian paused. She wanted to argue, but instead she said:

"I... I’m scared, but I won’t go back. I came to the adult dragon division because I want to overcome this flaw of being cowardly."

Tucker turned slowly, expression still blank.

"Someone who grew up in a comfortable place like Sky City—how could they ever get used to the stink of blood on a real battlefield. You can’t overcome it, Vivian. I advise you to go back to Sky City after the mission and find an easy job."

"I..."

"And you, Noa."

Tucker didn’t let Vivian keep explaining. He shifted his gaze to Noa.

"I know your grades in the hatchling and young dragon divisions were outstanding. But this is the adult dragon division—this is a place where strength speaks. And you aren’t even an adult."

Noa kept both hands in her trouser pockets. Her expression was steady, and there was a trace of impatience in her eyes. Her posture and bearing were strikingly similar to Mevis from back then.

"So what? You said I’m lacking earlier, and now you’re saying outright I’m not qualified to be in the adult dragon division. Is that what you mean?"

Tucker didn’t answer directly. He only gave her the same kind of judgment he’d given Vivian.

"I also advise you to leave here after the mission ends. Come back after you reach adulthood."

With that, Tucker turned and continued walking forward.

Even with Noa’s usual composure, she felt anger welling up.

She stared at Tucker’s back, considering whether to give him a kick.

Dragon of Ascension and all.

"Actually... actually I’ve known about you, Noa."

Vivian’s words cut through the rising urge for revenge.

Noa shook her head, forced down the fighting impulse in her blood, and turned to Vivian.

"What?"

"I said I knew about you before, Noa."

Noa raised an eyebrow.

"Aren’t you from Sky City? How would you know me?"

"Because I’m from Sky City."

Vivian said:

"Back then, when Dimo gathered so many people in Sky City to fight that black monster, I knew you were there too. So don’t listen to Tucker’s nonsense. I know your strength better than anyone."

"That counts as you speaking up for me," Noa said.

That finally eased the overachiever’s mood a little.

"Then let’s go. We still need to find Senior Yuna and the others as soon as possible."

"Okay."