Zara

Luke got into the pod and was about to start the game when a translucent window suddenly popped in his line of view. 

He wasn't too surprised, since he already expected something like this to show up at some point.

[System Notice]

{After reaching 10 Percent Synchronization Rate, Time Dilation effect has been substantially reduced}

'It's a good thing I decided to read through the stuff on the forum, else this could confuse me…' He smiled to himself.

Even though the System didn't specify the new rate at which time would flow, Luke already knew the answer since he could rely on the experiences of his predecessors. He had already learned of this long before he reached 10 Percent Synchronization.

'Before a Player reaches 10 Percent, the rate is 24:1. In essence, for every 24 hours spent in the game, only 1 hour would pass in the real world. However, after 10 Percent, it becomes 2.5 hours.'

And the interesting part?

For every 10 Percent Synchronization Rate, the number increased by 2.5 hours.

In essence, while the rate was 24: 2.5 at the moment, it would become 24:5 once he reached 20 Percent Synchronization Rate. 30 Percent would increase the hours passed on Earth to 7.5, 40 Percent would increase it to 10… and so on.

Eventually, it would all balance out at 100 Percent, when the rate would be about 24:25, which would eventually equalize to 24:24 or 1:1. Luke was still very far away from that, though. For him, if he spent ten days in the game, that would only be about a day in the real world. He had never spent that long in Hunters & Dragons, so he wasn't too worried.

All he could think about was SP as he entered the world of the game.

[Welcome back, Player]

Without any hesitation, he accepted the message and closed his eyes.

Then—

Draco opened his eyes.

"Hmm…" 

Draco, who had been asleep, slowly sat upright and sighed mildly. His dark hair swayed mildly as his azure eyes captured the dull light in the small, sparsely furnished room that he occupied.

He was perfectly calm, as he recognized this place and everything around him.

This was to be expected.

He was in Argo.

'After the attack of those Grayscale Candiru, we repaired our ship and set sail for Argo. It's been about a week since we arrived, and I have been here during that time.' He nodded, successfully recounting his experiences with no difficulty. 'The Dragon Academy is located here, and it has given its students two weeks to return to their families and inform them of the results before coming back to the Academy so we can fully begin training as future Dragon Hunters.'

Naturally, Draco could have returned to his hometown and returned to Argo later, but he chose not to. A week had already passed, which meant there was only one left before he would have to enroll in the Dragon Academy.

Right as he was still wrapped up in recollecting his past memories, a translucent tab suddenly obscured his vision.

[Welcome back, Legendary Dragon Tamer]

A small smile formed on his face at that moment.

'Yeah… it's good to be back!'

Anytime Luke logged out of the game, Draco would lose all knowledge of the System and would simply operate as if he was on autopilot. He would act in ways that he normally would without relying on the System. 

And, without knowing of his status as a Dragon Tamer.

However, with Luke back in the game, Draco was fully aware of his other half, the System, and the perks that all of that brought to him. Without hesitation, he spoke.

"Status Information."

[STATUS WINDOW]

- Name: Draco (Lvl: 10)

- Race: Human

- Class: Legendary Dragon Tamer 

- Integrity: 10

- Physique: 10

- Aptitude: 10 (100% Essence)

- S Points: 0

- Quest Completion Rate: 0%

[Current Quest Information]

Primary Quest: None

Secondary Quest: None

Hidden Quest: None

[Synchronization Rate: 10%]

'Damn that Luke… why didn't he use any of the S Points to increase our abilities?' Draco growled in frustration. Naturally, he possessed Luke's memories, so he knew that the System Shop had means to strengthen the Player.

However, Luke did not opt for any of those and instead chose to enrich his pockets.

Draco could not understand it.

This was simply because only memories were transmitted and not pure emotions. Draco could not fully empathize with Luke because his mindset was different, and since he didn't actually know how Luke 'felt', he could only use his own perspective to judge all of his actions.

To Draco, seeing his stats stagnate even after an entire week had passed, was unacceptable.

He wanted to grow stronger… and he wanted it now.

"Should I check out my gains? I still haven't explored some things…" He smiled and asked the System to show him more details, especially regarding the Dragons in his possession.

[Captured Dragons]

Rank: Unknown (Variant)

Status: Ally (Injured and Recovering)

Breath: Let There Be Light

Rank: 3 (Nightcrawler)

Status: Subordinate (Active)

Breath: Into The Shadows

Rank: 1 (Nightcrawler)

Status: Subordinate (Active)

Breath: None

[Note: Captured Dragons can not be expelled without consent from both parties]

'Since two of my three captured Dragons are Active, it means I can summon them if I wish.' He could either use Dragon Manifestation or Dragon Summoning to communicate with them, and he was tempted to do so at the moment.

However, right as he was still exploring the System, he heard his door creak open.

'Ah…!'

He swiftly closed all of the System tabs, even though he knew the person who entered his room wouldn't be able to see it. She had short brown hair, with a cute face that would melt any heart. There was a modesty about her beauty that wasn't too showy or glamorous, but still made everyone admire her. Even Draco's expression instantly softened the moment he saw her, though this only lasted for a moment.

"Zara! Why didn't you knock?!" He yelled out, surprising himself as well. It was almost as if she had caught him naked, but even during the times that she had in the past, he never reacted so passionately before.

The intruding girl cocked her head as she fully entered the room. She was initially silent, but after his unsightly reaction, she couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Pffft!"

A snicker echoed, tainting her previously innocent gaze.

"What's with you? Were you doing something I shouldn't be aware of?" She raised her brow and stared at him, particularly his lower region, knowingly. "I understand… you're a guy, and you've reached that age where you—"

"Just shut up already!" Draco jumped to his feet and slapped his face.

Zara, as usual, remained very vulgar and unladylike despite being blessed with such good looks.

"Hehe… I was spot-on, wasn't I?" She chuckled. 

"No, you weren't! I'm a warrior, and I don't engage in such shameless acts." Draco folded his arms and sighed. "If that's what you like to do in your free time, I won't judge you. But just because you do it, doesn't mean others indulge in the same behavior."

In all honesty, Draco wasn't wrong.

He had never engaged in the act of masturbation, and he never intended to. However, he had Luke's memories, and he had seen the shameful things that boy had done in the solace of his room. Because it was a memory, it was almost as if Draco himself had engaged in the act himself.

This added to his embarrassment, causing him to fumble with his words—something he would normally never do.

"Tch…" Zara clicked her tongue, not even denying the allegations.

Perhaps he was spot on about her.

"If this is how you treat your best friend, I wonder how you treat normal people…" She sighed, shaking her head as she looked at him with mock concern. "I worry for you, you need to fix that nasty attitude of yours."

"Shut up! If you had knocked like a normal person, I would have welcomed you… with dignity and grace."

"Asshole."

"Bitch!"

"Call me that again!" Zara charged towards Draco, her threatening eyes flashing with both excitement and scheming anticipation.

Draco knew he was going to fall for her trap if he continued, so he simply sighed and chose to be the bigger person. He actually was—even in height.

Zara was, at most, 5'5, but he was over 6 feet tall. His muscular, perfectly toned body also made him appear taller than he actually was. For a girl like Zara, who could hardly be called a warrior, there was no way she could compete.

"So why did you enter my room unannounced?" Drao asked, collapsing on his bed with a calm voice. To be honest, this wasn't even his bed.

It used to belong to Zara's older brother, but he died in the line of duty several years ago.

Since Zara's family lived in Argo, Draco was staying with them instead of returning to his hometown. As for why he chose not to return, it had less to do with the long journey involved, but more to do with how stressful it would be to deal with every single member of his hometown.

Getting admission into the Dragon Hunter Academy was a very big deal in the Southern Territory. It was the greatest honor for humans to become Dragon Hunters, and those who managed to become one earned glory, fame, and prestige that made the dangers they encountered extremely worth it.

Not only did Draco pass the Cave of Trials, but he actually took first place.

That was glorious!

If he returned to his hometown, his house would be swarmed with guests throughout his stay there. Many townsfolk would try to forge connections with him, since that would mean having a relationship with a future Dragon Hunter, and he would be bombarded with too many gifts from too many people.

Even now, he was certain that his mother was receiving all sorts of attention, but that woman thrived in that sort of thing.

Draco did not.

He held no interest in interactions like that since they were merely superficial and didn't benefit him in any way. What he sought was strength and true camaraderie. This was why he was always so blunt and unapproachable, ensuring the circle around him remained as small and tightly knit as possible.

Zara called herself his best friend, but in reality… she was his only friend.

Every other person was an acquaintance at best.