Rebirth of the Ruined Noble

Five minutes had passed since Lloyd had embarked on the intense battle. In such a short span of time, his mana reserves were rapidly dwindling, straining under the weight of the Domain Declaration he had unleashed. Despite his recent advancement to the 8-star realm, his mastery was not yet stable, making this fight a risky endeavor. But at present, he had no other choice.

'Damn it! Domain Declaration is draining my mana too quickly,' Lloyd exclaimed, frustration evident in his face.

As the students of Frejlord Academy and the royal soldiers fought valiantly by his side, their collective strength seemed insignificant against the relentless horde of monsters. Despite the valiant efforts of Instructor Isabella, who fearlessly defended her comrades and kept a watchful eye on endangered students, their firepower proved insufficient. The sheer number of monsters overwhelmed them, and only through Lloyd's domain declaration and unyielding curses were they able to hold off complete annihilation.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that professor Lloyd was single handedly holding back the monsters maintaining the defense against their onslaught.

However, he was human too. The mana reserves inside him getting drained too quickly, especially due to his newly acquired 'Domain Declaration' skill.

He was yet to get used to the skill so currently the mana was being drained like water from broken bucket.

'But I can't dispel it,' Lloyd muttered with a sense of resignation.

Even if he knew that dispelling the domain declaration could lessen the mana burden on him, it was not a feasible option in the heat of battle.

Though numerous students of Freljord Academy and royal soldiers fought alongside him, their individual capabilities were limited. With the exception of Instructor Isabella, their firepower fell short. They could handle one or two monsters at best, but against a group, they were utterly helpless. If not for Lloyd's domain declaration and relentless curses, the monsters would have torn through their ranks long ago.

The constant curses he casted weakened the monsters helping the soldiers and students fight against the Purblinds. It it wasn't for his domain declaration, the fight would have become unbelievably harder.

'Let's hope the reinforcements arrive soon,' Lloyd thought, his voice filled with a glimmer of hope. It was their only chance at turning the tide of the battle. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Lloyd resumed his casting without hesitation.

However, before he could fully immerse himself in the spell, a dagger hurtled toward him, its trajectory aimed directly at his head. Caught off guard, Lloyd reacted instinctively, attempting to dodge the deadly projectile. Despite his efforts, he failed to evade it completely. The dagger found its mark, grazing his shoulder.

"Argh!"

Lloyd winced in pain, feeling the sting radiate through his body.

"Professor Lloyd!"

Professor Isabella was the first to react, her eyes immediately drawn to Lloyd's injured form. The commotion captured the attention of those around them, momentarily distracting them from the ongoing battle.

Lloyd lifted his head, his gaze meeting the sight of a middle-aged man rushing toward him. In his right hand, the man wielded a sword, while his left hand gripped another dagger ready for throwing. Realizing the imminent threat, Lloyd swiftly completed the casting of two spells.

In an instant, the spells <Pain Tolerance> and <Cursed Shield> activated. A shield materialized around Lloyd, and the <pain Tolerance> spell allowed him to stand and endure the pain from his injury.

The middle-aged man's dagger struck the shield but failed to inflict any significant harm.

"Tch! As expected of a genius."

The middle-aged man remarked, closing the distance between them. With his sword aimed at Lloyd's vulnerable points, he attacked with relentless intent.

The shield of the professor Llyod held on for few seconds before shattering into pieces as a result of the middle aged man's precise attacks.

Frustrated, professor Lloyd tried to cast another spell but the middle aged man was faster, his sword aimed at professor Lloyd's neck came threatening him before he could realize it.

However, before the middle aged man's blade could reach its target, his sword clashed with another sword resulting in a resounding collision.

-Tang!

The clash resounded through the museum, drawing the attention of all who witnessed it. Lloyd, his eyes fixed on the individual who had intercepted the attack, nodded in both relief and admiration. 'I was wondering where that brat had gone, but it seems he was observing the situation after all,' Lloyd thought, observing the carefree young man before him.

"I thought I could just watch over the fight, but it seems I can't", the young man said in a carefree tone despite facing an opponent much stronger than him.

Despite his sword being initially overpowered by the middle-aged man's assault, the young man deftly sidestepped, leveraging the force of the attack against his opponent. The middle-aged man's sword slid off course, but he quickly recovered and stepped back, prepared to engage once more.

Now free from the imminent danger the middle aged man watched the one who had stopped his attack.

With unkempt black hair, piercing black eyes, and a strikingly handsome face stood a young man.

It was none other than the first ranked freshman of the Freljord Academy – Zephyr.

***

Esmerald cautiously secured the container holding the dragon heart, carefully concealing it within her sub-space.

Her task had become a thousand times more easier as the chaos of battle had diverted the attention of the guards responsible for safeguarding the precious artifacts, facilitating Esmerald's swift and stealthy acquisition of the Dragon Heart.

With the dragon heart now safely stored, Esmerald blended seamlessly among the crowd of individuals seeking refuge within the palace. Having successfully accomplished all her assigned tasks, there remained but one final step—safely exiting the royal palace and delivering the dragon heart to her master.

'He will be delighted!'

Excitement coursed through Esmerald's veins as she envisioned her master's delighted expression upon receiving the treasured artifact. The fulfillment of her mission drew closer with each passing moment.

---***---

Daily Chapter Release~