Following the bracelet's guidance, the group made their way to a desolate area.

Of course, "desolate" was relative; in this barren, uninhabited northern region, as far as the eye could see, everything was blanketed in snow. One place hardly differed from another.

As they trekked through the snow, Senior Diane pulled a compass from her pocket.

The compass had directional pointers marked, as well as a series of numbers.

"Do we really need to press on? The locator compass indicates we’ve already ventured far from where the professor is," Yuna said.

These compasses were provided especially for students who hadn’t yet mastered navigational magic, to prevent them from getting lost in the snowy wastelands.

Yuna looked down at her bracelet. The blinking light was now flashing at an incredibly fast rate.

To the point that it might as well have been a steady glow.

This meant that the “thing” they were searching for was now very near.

Yet, when they looked around, there were no visible landmarks or structures.

"Could this bracelet just be blinking at random?" Anton asked.

Yuna sighed. "It seems we got excited for nothing. There’s nothing here at all."

She traced a finger gently along the bracelet, a gift from her father, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Not only have we been excited for nothing, but we’ve also wasted a lot of time we could’ve spent capturing Dangerous Beasts."

Anton snorted. "Well, say goodbye to any decent exam scores this time around."

Once someone in a group started complaining, the morale quickly took a dive.

Even though they were used to bickering amongst themselves, in a "losing both the wife and the soldiers" type of scenario like this, they could only let Anton keep grumbling by himself.

But Noa wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

She carefully scanned the surroundings, her gaze falling on nothing but pure white snow.

When Senior Yuna took a few steps further ahead, the bracelet would stop glowing steadily and change back to a rapid flicker.

This meant that whatever the bracelet was pointing to must be in this exact spot. Walking further ahead or back would take them out of its range.

However, since there was no sign of any special buildings nearby...

Deep in thought, Noa turned her gaze skyward, then slowly lowered her eyes to the snow-covered ground.

She knelt down and began brushing away layers of snow with her hands. Then she turned to Yuna.

"Senior, can you try placing your bracelet here?"

"Oh, sure."

Yuna quickly moved closer, crouching down beside Noa and tentatively placing the bracelet onto the spot.

Just as Noa had anticipated, the bracelet's glow intensified, almost as if it were shouting, "Here! It’s right here!"

"We don’t see what the bracelet wants us to find because it’s buried beneath the snow," Noa said, standing up and addressing the others.

"Let’s use Dragon Flame to melt the snow and see if there’s anything hidden here."

Yuna, Diane, and Raymond had no objections to this plan.

Anton grumbled about "why we’re listening to a kid," but even he readied his Dragon Flame obediently.

Even Helena rubbed her hands together to conjure a small fire spell.

"You can’t use Dragon Flame?" Yuna asked Noa.

Hearing this, Anton seized the opportunity. "For a student in the Young Dragons Division, not knowing Dragon Flame is a pretty big fail, don’t you think? When I was in the Young Dragons Division, I already—"

Anton’s boasting was cut short by a sharp, crackling bird-like sound.

Noa was holding a ball of lightning in her hand, its blue glow illuminating her cold, expressionless face. "My primary magic is lightning," she said. "I haven’t yet opted to study a secondary magical attribute, so I’ll have to leave this part up to you all."

"To use Thunder Thrust so proficiently at such a young age..." Yuna murmured in admiration. "If my dad saw you, he’d definitely try to recruit you."

Noa dismissed her magic and shook off the remaining sparks from her hand. "You’re too kind, Senior. Let’s move quickly. If we don’t find anything, we’ll need to head back soon."

The group got to work without further delay.

Dragon Flame shot out, gradually melting the snow beneath their feet.

Before long, they realized that the magic flames were hitting some kind of impenetrable "barrier."

Stopping their spellcasting, they waited for the rest of the snow to melt away. Once it did, a massive stone slab emerged from beneath the ice.

"There really was something here!" Diane exclaimed excitedly.

"But what’s this stone slab for?" Raymond asked.

"Only one way to find out."

As he spoke, Anton jumped down onto the stone slab and squatted down to examine it.

The slab was inscribed with numerous ancient Dragon Clan characters and intricate magical runes.

"These characters seem to record a piece of history... a history about the Dragon Clan’s ancestors," Anton observed. "And as for these runes... they look like some kind of seal. It probably requires special energy to activate."

After finished speaking, Anton tried prying up the slab. "Rather than a slab, it’s more like a door. And beneath this door lies the real object the bracelet wanted us to see."

Noa blinked and leaned closer to whisper in Yuna’s ear, "He sure knows a lot."

Yuna chuckled. "Anton comes from a very old tribe. He’s an expert on things like this."

Noa nodded in understanding.

Annoying as he could be, Anton did seem to have some skills.

The group followed Anton and hopped onto the stone slab.

"So, how do we open this door?" Diane asked.

Anton turned, holding out his hand towards Yuna.

"What are you doing?"

"Give me the bracelet."

"Oh. Be careful with it, okay? If you break it, my dad will kill me."

Yuna removed her bracelet as she spoke.

"Relax. If it breaks, I’ll replace it."

Taking the bracelet, Anton knelt down and pressed it to the center of the stone slab.

They waited.

Nothing happened.

They waited some more.

Still nothing.

"Well, looks like this treasure hunt is officially over," Raymond quipped.

The others couldn’t hide their disappointment.

But just as they were about to leave, the stone slab beneath them began to tremble violently.

"Wow—what’s going on? An earthquake?!"

"Hey, genius, this is a snowy mountain. No earthquakes. Just avalanches."

"Oh, that’s a relief. As long as it’s not an earthquake—"

"An avalanche can kill you too, you know!"

In a panic, the group hurried to climb back to solid ground. But before they could, the stone slab beneath their feet suddenly split apart, causing them to lose their footing.

Gravity took over immediately, and the six of them plummeted into the dark abyss below.

Their screams echoed upward, only to be swallowed by the howling wind and snow.

---

It was unclear how much time had passed before Noa slowly opened her eyes.

"Ugh..."

She sat up groggily, her vision clearing as she took in her surroundings.

They were inside an enormous, majestic structure. The stone steps and pillars were carved with more ancient Dragon Clan writing, and the space was illuminated by torches mounted on the walls. In this flickering light, Noa could make out life-like reliefs of dragons adorning the walls of the building.

The ground was made of some kind of polished, reflective material unlike anything Noa had seen before. Judging by its fine craftsmanship, this place must have been at least thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years old.

Shifting her gaze, she saw Yuna and Anton lying unconscious not far from her. But Helena, Diane, and Raymond were nowhere to be seen.

Panic stirred in Noa’s chest. She gritted her teeth against the pain coursing through her body and forced herself to stand.

"Helena! Helena, where are you?!"

Her lonely cries echoed through the massive hall, but there was no reply.

At that moment, Yuna and Anton began to stir.

"Ugh... damn, that fall was rough," Anton groaned as he got to his feet. He looked around, bewildered. "Where... where are we?"

"Beneath the door," Yuna answered, pausing before adding, "Or perhaps, beneath the ice of the northern wasteland."

"What the hell is this place? It’s completely deserted," Anton muttered as he scanned the area around him. Then he turned and noticed three people were missing. "Where are Raymond and the others?"

Yuna shook her head. "They might have gotten separated when we fell."

"Helena!" Noa’s shout interrupted their conversation.

They turned toward that small figure, which is now heading toward the structure’s only visible doorway.

"Noa! Stop! We have no idea what might be behind that door," Yuna called out. "Remember the rules of the exam. If we encounter an unexpected situation, we’re supposed to confirm the area’s safety, then stay put and wait for rescue."

Standing atop the stone steps, Noa turned to face them, her voice firm. "I’m going to find Helena. She came here because of me, and I won’t let her get hurt."

"But—"

Before Yuna could argue further, the ground beneath them trembled again.

Bending into a crouch, Anton tried to stabilize himself. "Oh, come on! Are you kidding me? We can’t even fly yet!"

Dragon Clan youths wouldn’t begin to learn how to transform or fly until they turned twenty. If they had been able to fly, they wouldn’t have fallen so far earlier.

But this time, the ground didn’t cave in. Nor did another random door open unexpectedly.

Thud. Thud.

Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed from behind the doorway.

The three of them froze, eyes locked on the towering door.

Boom.

The door slowly opened with a deep, resonant rumble.

What emerged from behind it was a massive stone giant, its every step causing tremors to ripple across the floor.

The construct stood over ten meters tall, rivaling the size of a fully grown dragon in its true form.

Its eyes glowed with an eerie white light, and a luminous crystal shimmered on its forehead.

Each thunderous step it took sent shockwaves of tension through the air, and a suffocating weight bore down on Noa’s group.

"H-hey, this has got to be a joke, right? There’s no way this thing is a Dangerous Beast!" Anton stammered, backing away.

"Yuna, let’s get out of here!"

"Get out of here? Where could we possibly escape to? The only exit here is that door behind the giant. We can only leave through there!"

As she spoke, Yuna summoned a Dragon Flame and hurled it toward the stone giant.

But the flames dissipated upon contact with the giant's body, disappearing in an instant.

This attack, however, seemed to thoroughly enrage the giant. It quickened its pace, charging toward the trio.

Both Yuna and Anton immediately launched counterattacks.

"Kid! Get out of the way, don't block me!"

Anton shouted as he flung two Dragon Flames toward the giant.

But just like before, the result was the same. The combined strength of the two young dragons' attacks was insufficient to deal any substantial damage to the stone giant in front of them.

"Damn it... Not even a scratch?" Yuna's expression turned grave.

Anton, already sweating profusely, swallowed nervously, fear written all over his face. "W-What do we do? What should we do?"

While Yuna wanted to take the opportunity to throw a jab at Anton, it was evident that now was not the time.

They had to figure out a way to get rid of this giant, or they'd inevitably be crushed into paste.

As thoughts raced through their minds, two streaks of lightning suddenly flashed by, striking the giant's body.

Yet the giant remained unscathed.

"Kid, stop messing around! Get out of there!" Anton shouted.

Noa cast him an indifferent glance. How peculiar—despite being so scared that he was practically drenched in sweat, he still had the energy to scold someone else for "causing trouble."

She withdrew her gaze and refocused on examining the giant before her.

Noa recalled an incident not long ago at Aunt Isa's Red Dragon Sanctuary. On that fateful night, the Dragon King named Constantine, dragging along his grotesquely modified body, launched a surprise attack on them.

That body—primarily reinforced with steel and rock from a mammoth—had its defenses greatly enhanced, rendering most conventional magical attacks ineffective. Lightning magic even proved entirely futile.

This meant that the only things capable of penetrating such a body, besides her mother's Primordial Magic, were...

Physical techniques.

"I wonder if the Nine Hells Gate technique my dad taught me might work. And if I combine it with the piercing power of Thunder Thrust..."

With this thought, Noa immediately turned and sprinted toward the other side, widening the distance between herself and the stone giant.

"Wow, kid! You're really quick when it comes to running away! I didn't even get the chance to watch you cry!" Anton teased.

"Anton!" Yuna snapped.

"What?" he retorted.

"Noa isn't running away."

"Not running away? Then what is she—what is she doing? That stance... Is she...?"

A sharp, piercing sound—like an eagle's cry—suddenly rang out, echoing throughout the massive structure.

Explosive arcs of electrified energy coursed beneath Noa's feet, sending bursts of dust flying into the air.

Noa bent slightly, gripping her right wrist tightly in her left hand. A dim, ghostly blue lightning flickered in her palm.

"This distance... is enough!"

The Nine Hells Gate was a technique Noa had only just begun practicing. At her current level, it only allowed her to achieve a moderate degree of physical reinforcement.

But if paired with the piercing attributes of Thunder Thrust...

The likelihood of success increased significantly.

Of course, the consequences of failure would be devastating.

Yet, if it meant finding Helena as quickly as possible, Noa was willing to take the gamble.

Dragging Thunder Thrust along the ground, the sheer intensity of its power caused tiles and debris to explode upward in her wake.

The small figure vanished in the blink of an eye, accelerating into a streaking blur as she charged headlong toward the gargantuan giant.

The giant, sluggish in its movements, had no time to intercept Noa's sudden assault.

In an instant, the girl leapt high into the air, her lightning-infused hand resembling a blade of energy. She thrust it straight at the giant's chest.

Boom!—

A thunderous explosion erupted, the burst of lightning scattering into a staggering cloud of dust and debris.

"Noa!" Yuna called out, rushing toward her younger companion.

As the thick cloud of smoke gradually cleared, the slender silhouette of Noa stood in the midst of shattered stones, her labored breaths breaking the silence. Her right hand trembled slightly, which was a residual effect from the attack she had unleashed.

"Noa... Are you okay?" Yuna asked with concern.

Noa slowly bent down to pick up the small white crystal that had once rested on the giant's forehead. Giving it only a cursory glance, she stuffed it into her pocket.

"I'm fine, Senior. Let's hurry and find the others," Noa said.

Wiping the dust from her face, she stepped over the piles of rubble, ascended the nearby platform, and made her way toward the lone door—their only path forward.

Yuna turned to Anton with a wry smile. "Guess you’re the one dragging us down, huh, kid?"

Anton flushed crimson, his mouth opening but no retort forthcoming.

The pair quickly followed Noa, passing through the doorway and venturing deeper into the mysterious complex.

"Helena! Helena, where are you?!"

"Diane! Raymond! Can you hear us?!"

"..."

But their calls were met with silence. Only the hollow echoes of their voices rebounded off the ancient stone walls.

The group pressed onward, advancing further down the dimly lit corridor. After several minutes, Anton abruptly halted.

"What's wrong?" Yuna asked, glancing back.

"Yuna... what if... they're already—"

"Shut your mouth, idiot. We're going to find them," Yuna retorted sharply.

Anton threw up his hands in frustration. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that? We’re wandering around aimlessly here! No backup, no map. We don’t even know where we’re going. If another giant shows up, do you think we can handle it? Or are you expecting that kid to pull off another one of those insane stunts? If she tries something like that again, her right hand might be permanently crippled!"

The oppressive atmosphere hung over them, causing tempers to flare and cracks to appear in their resolve. The teasing banter devolved into an outright argument.

"So what do you suggest we do? Stand here and wait to die?"

"Continuing on is just as much of a death sentence. What’s the difference?"

"At least moving forward gives us a chance, no matter how slim! It’s better than standing here waiting to get crushed by another giant!"

"......"

Their argument grew louder, voices filled with frustration and fear.

Noa, however, paid no attention to their verbal sparring. She had no energy left to mediate.

She was exhausted—so exhausted that she wanted to collapse right there against the wall and surrender to sleep.

The last attack had drained her of almost all her magical reserves. And who knew how many more enemies like that giant lay ahead?

Would they find her friends before disaster struck?

She didn’t know.

All she knew was that stopping—or worse, turning back—was not an option.

She had to keep pushing forward. Only by doing so could they cling to any thread of hope.

Dragging her weary body forward, Noa forced herself to take another step.

But then, the world around her seemed to tilt as darkness threatened to swallow her vision. She stumbled, leaning heavily against the wall for support.

Noa crouched down, attempting to catch her breath and ease her fatigue.

That’s when she noticed something. Her sharp, keen eyes caught a faint trace—an almost imperceptible strand.

A strand of hair.

Narrowing her eyes, Noa plucked the delicate strand from the floor and held it up to inspect it.

"Blue hair... It’s Helena’s!"

This was a clue, left by Helena as a sign for them to follow!

Clutching onto newfound hope, Noa rose to her feet, her determination renewed.

She followed Helena’s trail—a thin thread leading them deeper into the labyrinth.

Behind her, the bickering pair noticed her sudden shift and hurried to catch up, leaving their quarrel unresolved.

The trail carried on, weaving through endless corridors and pointing them toward their destination.

They passed through a series of jagged pathways. Torches mysteriously flickered to life one by one as they proceeded. They evaded a few more stone giants and navigated around numerous traps.

Noa's instincts told her that Helena was close—just beyond their reach.

"Stop!" Noa suddenly raised her hand.

"What is it?" Yuna asked.

"There’s someone in the next room," Noa replied, nodding toward the area ahead.

Yuna and Anton both followed her gaze. Sure enough, a flicker of light emanated from the chamber at the end of the hallway. Faint voices could also be heard, echoing outward.

Noa tucked the strands of Helena’s hair safely into her pocket before quietly making her way toward the room. Her footsteps were light and cautious.

The other two did the same, closely trailing behind her.

Reaching the doorway, they finally managed to catch snippets of conversation from within.

"So this is the Primordial Dragon King... Noa?"

"Judging by the ancient inscriptions and mural carvings on these walls, this is indeed the place where Noa sealed himself away."

"I can feel it... That immense Primordial Power... It’s surging right there."

"Master Constantine, this tremendous power is about to fall into your hands!"

"Ah, Fael, I must thank you. Without your help, this would not have been possible—ah, wait. It seems we have some new guests."

The three outside instantly tensed, realizing they had been discovered.

Escape was no longer an option.

Before they could even react, a group of Dragon Clan guards emerged from the shadows. Overpowered and exhausted, the trio stood no chance and were swiftly restrained and dragged into the room.

Though they struggled briefly, it was futile. They were entirely spent and helpless against the fully grown, highly trained dragons.

"More interlopers. It seems we aren’t the only ones seeking the Primordial Power," Fael remarked with an unsettling calmness.

Constantine?

Hearing the name, Noa abruptly ceased struggling. She raised her head to stare at the two figures before them.

One of them was none other than the legendary Dragon Clan hero who had been featured prominently in textbooks—only later to be defeated twice by her father—the Crimson Flame Dragon King.

Noa’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Constantine... You... again?"

The imposing figure symbolizing destruction and flame took a single step forward. His voice was deep and commanding.

"Indeed, children, I have returned."