Rise Of The Dragon Emperor

( Chanakya’s POV)

Ronan was practicing fire spells in the training grounds at 1 am, in the dead of night. It was already past student curfew, and legally, he should not be there. However, Ronan was so lost in his practice that he had forgotten about the curfew.

He was not suited for fire spells due to only having a 5% fire elemental affinity. The fire spells took extremely long for Ronan to materialize, and even then, the power displayed was not up to the mark.

Had it been anyone else, they would most likely ignore their minor elemental affinity, especially when it was a basic affinity compared to their major superior affinity.

In Chanakya’s eyes, Ronan was wasting his time, energy, and potential by learning fire spells when he should be mastering thunder.

Not only was thunder unquestionably stronger than fire and thunder elemental users being much more respected and sought after, but practicing it would see Ronan have a much faster and more smooth journey to getting extremely powerful.

To Chanakya, it was a mystery as to why Ronan was always learning fire spells and not being interested in thunder. Ronan was not from a family that would lack the basic thunder spells either, which meant that his behaviour was by choice and not compulsion._.

Thunder spells were incredibly rare, their value being ten to twelve times the same level of fire spells. Hence, for poor commoners who came from nothing, affording such spells for their children, even if they were fortunate enough to be born with a thunder element, was extremely difficult.

But Ronan was a Draco, the prince of Avalon. If anyone in the kingdom could have access to the best thunder spells, it should have been him. But then, why was Ronan always practicing fire spells? This question baffled Chanakya’s mind.

Chanakya had high hopes and an even higher evaluation of Ronan Draco, whose activities he paid close attention to throughout the day.

The more he observed Ronan, the more impressed Chanakya became; the kid was undoubtedly one of a kind. However, seeing him practice the D-ranked spell ‘Fireball’ time and time again while failing to manifest it half the time and otherwise only managing to summon a weak flame that could maybe set a bush ablaze at best, hurt Chanakaya gravely. He could see Ronan wasting his potential.

Even level 5 kids with 60% fire affinity could easily make a Fireball much stronger than Ronan’s. The disparity was obvious. Ronan was not suited for fire. Yet, in the three hours that Chanakya observed him, the only thing that Ronan practiced was fire and nothing else.

Finally, when he could not take it anymore, he came out and interrupted Ronan’s practice, saying, “It’s 2:15 am. Why are you here, student?”

Ronan jolted awake from his stupor as he stopped chanting midway. He turned around to look at an angry headmaster.

“Greetings, Sir Principal.” said Ronan, bowing politely.

“You did not answer me, kiddo. Why are you here so late?” Chanakya asked even though he knew very well why Ronan was here.

“I lost track of time. Apologies, Sir Principal. I will head back now.” Ronan said, not daring to look into Chanakya’s eyes as he wanted to bolt out from the situation.

However, just as he turned to go, Chanakya stopped him.

“Wait! Are you not a thunder element user? Why practice fire spells?” Chanakya asked in a reprimanding tone. He was angry at Ronan.

Ronan could feel his chest tighten at the question. It was something he had also long figured out. His obsession with fire spells was slowing down his own progress. At Chanakya’s reprimanding words , Ronan was reminded of the thunder spell he learned at the palace; ‘Lightning Field’ which he had mastered in a single day , having a 100% success rate after only practicing all afternoon .

However, after one and a half years spent into trying to master fireball, his success ratio was 40%, and the power of the move was pitiful. It could be said that he had wasted his time in trying to master something that was simply not meant for him. However, his obsession with fire was strong. Even though he knew it was irrational for him to spend so much time with it, he wanted to master it… Master it any way possible.

The story behind Ronan’s obsession came from a passing comment by Grandpa Augustus, when he first gave Ronan the spell manual, “Every Draco can produce a fireball that can melt walls! We have the blood of the phoenix in our veins. Our fire is much stronger than what other fire elementals can ever have!”

It was something that Augustus had said as he prided over Percy’s Fireball, which he had mastered at age 6. Although not at the level to melt walls yet, Percy’s spell could turn a tree to ash within seconds.

However, Ronan was not the same. For the first six months, he could not even mobilize fire elements at all, as 5% was too pitiful of an elemental affinity for him to have great control over the element.

Maybe if Ronan was a level 140 veteran who had understood the fundamentals of elements themselves, he could make use of his 5% affinity to produce a powerful fireball. However, even then, no matter how far he tried to make progress with it, even at level 140, one cannot master a B-ranked fire spell without having 60% affinity for the element.

That is just how the world worked. That is why pure elemental affinity users were so sought after and why Ronan’s path was so detrimental to his own growth.

With a 95% thunder affinity, Ronan could even master the most demanding SSS rated spells, which even elemental users with an 80% affinity could not.

He was blessed by the gods with pure thunder mana flowing through his veins, yet the kid voluntarily chose to ignore his gifts and focus on what he did not have. A behaviour that Chanakya could just not fathom.

Chanakya spoke again, interrupting Ronan out of his thoughts, “I’m waiting for your answer.”

Ronan sheepishly replied, “I’m a Draco, Sir. What kind of a Draco cannot produce a fireball capable of melting walls? I don’t want to be the black sheep of my family.”

Ronan’s answer completely stunned Chanakaya as he realized the point he was missing when trying to understand Ronan’s actions. It was a matter of familial pride for Ronan. However, he did not understand whether to laugh or to cry at Ronan’s logic, as he found himself neck deep in frustration over the innocence of this stupid student.

Taking a deep breath, Chanakya said, “Listen, kid. There is no sweet way to make you understand this, so let me give you the harsh reality. You are not like the other Draco’s . You don’t have pure phoenix fire in your veins. No matter how much you wish you were one, you are not. You are Ronan Draco, the only thunder element user in your family. However, here is where you get it wrong. Being different does not make you an outcast or the black sheep. It just hurts me to see you waste your potential like this. However, I know that it is your own decision in the end, so let me put it to you like this.

“DO YOU WANT TO BECOME THE NEXT AUGUSTUS DRACO? THE NEXT ALEXANDER DRACO? OR THE NEXT PERCY DRACO?” Chanakya roared, his voice echoing in Ronan’s mind.

“Or do you want to become the one and only Ronan Draco?” He spoke, his voice turning soft.

“They studied and mastered arts suited for them, and you are mastering the same arts that are suited for them and not you.

“In trying to become like your family, are you not losing the sense of your own self? Think about it, boy, when you go to bed today.”

Ronan was given a thought-provoking question, and it was for his own good. However, even when the rationale in his mind told him that the Principal was absolutely right, to let go of his obsession with the element of fire felt like him giving up on his identity as a Draco.

***

Going to bed, Ronan’s mind was a mess of emotions. On one side, his goal was to get stronger by all means necessary, yet on the other, he spent his days learning spells that did not resonate with his natural talents, slowing down that very goal.

He was at a crossroads in life. However, a little nudge by a mentor in the right direction, who wanted nothing but the best for Ronan, would hopefully steer him towards making the correct decision.

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