Chapter 366: Chance
At three hundred and forty thousand acres, the campus of the Rising Dragon Academy was even larger than the Toaruverse’s Academy City and far larger than the average across Invirtua. However, as some of the students attending it would have the power to destroy cities by the time they graduated—if not considerably more—this was determined by Sona to be a conservative estimate of the land needed to accommodate races ranging from comparably ordinary humans to Dragons.
Since the Rising Dragon Academy’s curriculum was designed to teach students the skills they would need to survive and thrive in a variety of settings and environments, the campus was divided into seven distinct biomes with more than ninety percent of its land dedicated to farmland and training facilities. The remaining ten percent was split between five lots and a large lake. The main school and administrative building was at the center of the campus, resembling a massive, four-story schoolhouse in the style of Kuoh Academy. Behind it was a large quad lined by evenly spaced trees, and flanking that were eight luxurious dorm buildings, split between boys on one side and girls on the other. Further beyond that was an enormous domed dining and recreational facility, serving cuisines from twenty-seven separate worlds and hosting a spacious auditorium capable of holding 5,900 people.
Although Vahn felt it was unnecessary, the final facility, located atop a cliff and resembling a modern acropolis complex, was a series of temples dedicated—not just to him—but to the growing number of Gods who had affiliated themselves with the Pavilion. This was where students with an interest in religion, Healing Magic, or monasticism could live and develop their faith and abilities. However, to become a resident, one had to be at least twelve years old to enroll, sixteen to make any vows, and twenty to acquire a license as an Apostle.
Though it was expected that children from diverse backgrounds and races would have drastically different learning speeds and proficiencies, students attending the Rising Dragon Academy were expected to remain in the same Class for the duration of their enrollment. To compensate for this, Sona and Medaka, with input from many others, had come up with a special Licensing System that was planned to be rolled out to the entirety of Termina.
To explain things simply, so long as someone demonstrated proficiency in a certain field, they could receive a license that permitted them access to resources and opportunities they could pursue outside of their mandated classes, which primarily revolved around foundational literacy, learning to live healthily, and simply playing with other children for a minimum of four hours a day, six days a week. This requirement would gradually decrease from the fifth year on, allowing students to pick and choose their fields of study, but only until they were thirteen years old. Starting from when they turned twelve, students attending the Rising Dragon Academy would have three options to continue their studies: joining a specialty school to hone a specific skill or aptitude, remaining at the Academy for an additional six years to learn everything they would need to establish and grow a village, or becoming a Young Dragon, where they would learn and compete with their fellows for the top spot in one of seven categories—with the highest among them gaining recognition as True Dragons...
...
..
.
[January 6th DxD/August 29th DBT]
With the Rising Dragon Academy officially opening and accepting its first batch of one hundred and ninety-two students, Vahn, after accompanying Naruto throughout his orientation, was full of reluctance but was doing his best to appear strong.
"Dad...can’t I just stay home and learn with everyone else? What if the other kids are mean to me?" asked Naruto, his blue eyes glistening with tears and his nose leaking snot that invariably got all over Vahn’s yukata as the tall, maroon-haired Uzumaki clung to him.
"You’ll be fine, Naruto...just believe in yourself as your mother and I do. Before you know it, you’ll have as many friends as there are stars in the sky..." hummed Vahn, his tone deep but soothing as he hugged Naruto’s head to his left shoulder and caressed his back in the young Uzumaki’s dorm. He shared the space with Mikoto’s son, Itachi, but each had their own room within a suite-like dwelling that featured a kitchen, a living and dining area, a study room with books related to the Academy’s curriculum, and a spacious bathroom with two sinks, a toilet, a large bath, and a tiled shower station.
"But I already have you, Mom, and all my brothers and sisters..." cried Naruto, sniffling loudly in a vain attempt to stymy the snot leaking from his nose. Vahn’s heart warmed when he heard this, but as someone who had missed out on the opportunity to attend school, twice, he believed it was for the best that Naruto and all his children spent time away from the palace and learned to interact with people outside their expanded family. Being too protective during their formative years, according to Misla and his own research, would hinder their mental and emotional growth in both the short and long term.
Believing he knew what Naruto needed to hear, Vahn loosened his hold on the young Uzumaki and met his gaze with a proud smile, his hands gently squeezing the former’s shoulders as he said, "Be strong, my son. Because it is only with strength that we’re able to protect the people and things we care about. Your brothers and sisters will be enrolling in the Academy just as you are now, so I’m relying on you to set an example for them to follow. Can you do that for me?"
Though he sniffed loudly and took a moment to wipe his nose with his left hand, causing Vahn’s right eye to twitch slightly, Naruto ultimately nodded and responded, "I can do it..."
"I know you can..." affirmed Vahn, his smile broadening as he used his left hand to affectionately ruffle Naruto’s hair. Then, as he didn’t want to leave the maroon-haired toddler immediately after their exchange, Vahn walked Naruto next door to Itachi’s room, where the raven-haired, obsidian-eyed Uchiha was meditating atop a crimson floor cushion. In the Naruto canon, Itachi had graduated from Konoha’s Shinobi Academy at the young age of seven. He was only six now, but compared to Naruto, he appeared at ease with his situation. The truth was that he was under substantial pressure to secure the top spot in his grade, but since his father, Fugaku, framed it as him paving the way for his younger brother, Sasuke, he was determined to give his studies and training everything he had...
...
..
.
At the same time that he was accompanying Naruto for his first day at the Rising Dragon Academy, Vahn was also testing the transdimensional gate tech that would allow Millicas’s budding group and others to enter worlds other than their own. Allowing high-ranked individuals to enter worlds and settings far below them could destabilize and ultimately collapse them, so the former Walkure, Rossweisse, had been working with the mustachioed Tessei to modify the Soul Society’s Senkaimon (World Penetration Gates) and Gentei Reiin (Spirit Restriction Seal) tech to restrict the capabilities of Ascendees and License-holders who would be using the Pavilion’s gates to access worlds other than their own.
’It feels like I’m wrapped in a thick layer of film...it’s not unbearable, but it will definitely take some getting used to...’ noted Vahn, staring down at his body and flexing his hands open and closed. If he desired, he could shed the restriction on him immediately, but he allowed his powers to be sealed to the upper limits of the F-Rank setting he had entered.
(And, just as you had requested, the gate you traveled through linked to a completely random world) chimed Sis, her voice giving the impression she was smiling as she added (Unless you request or proactively search for information through The Path, this setting and its plots are unknown to us both.)
’Excellent...’ responded Vahn, adopting a faint smile as he inspected his revised Status.
--------------------------------------------
Name: [Vahn Mason]
Title(s): [Dragon God of Infinite Possibilities], [God of Intertwining Fates], [One Who Cultivates Flowers], [Champion of the Downtrodden], [One Who Maintains Balance], [Dragon’s Champion], [Devilish Lover], [Wife Hunter], [Lucky Bastard], [Object of Envy], [Phenex Bane], [The One Who Watches], [Interloper], +21...
Race: Human, (????)
Age: 44 Height: 188cm Weight: 98kg B/W/H: 90/72/91
Origin: Termina
[Parameters]
Power Level: (28)339
Strength: (E)B+
Dexterity: (E)B+
Constitution: (E)A+
Intelligence: B+
Wisdom: B+
Charisma: S+
Luck: A+
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Soul Tier: 2 (Hero Soul)
Karma: 201,786,536
OP: 383,481,887
[Skills]
[Will of the Emperor: Innate(SSS)], [Stalwart Adonis: Innate(C)], [Tiamat’s Territorial Mark(SS)], [Aura of Karmic Protection(S)], [Chainbreaker(S)], Veil of the Traveler(S)], [Pain Tolerance(S)], [Bedroom Arts(S)], [Petting(S)], [Aura Conversion(S)], [Wound Transfer(A)], [Spearmanship(A)], [Battle Focus(A)], [Keen Senses(A)], [Treasure Sense(A)], [Meditation(A)], [Martial Arts(A)], [Devil Magic(A)], [Holy Magic(A)], [Cooking(A)], [Telekinesis(B)], [Parallel Processing(B)], +153...
--------------------------------------------
Seeing that he had a Power Level of 28 and noticing that his Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution were E-Rank, Vahn confusedly asked, ’Wasn’t this world F-Rank? Why are my physical parameters E-Rank?’
(I can’t say for certain without tapping into them, but I can sense a complex network of encrypted electromagnetic frequencies pervading this room we appeared in and far beyond) answered Sis, supposing (It’s likely that this world has advanced technology, possibly even cybernetics that drastically increase human capabilities.)
’So something similar to Ghost in the Shell...’ concluded Vahn, opening his Map interface to find out that he and Sis were on the 39th floor of a hotel in a world called CP-3071. The CP evidently stood for Cyberpunk, so even without having Sis interface with the networks overlapping them like tens of thousands of weightless sheets, it was safe to assume her assessment was correct.
Looking around the relatively spartan room he was in, Vahn took note of the matte white metallic walls, the pale yellow light strip that ran around the entire room at shin level, and the messy raised bed next to him. There was what looked like an AC unit on the wall, but while it blew out cool air, it appeared to have other functions, as there was a display and numerous panels he couldn’t make sense of at a glance. And as he looked around at the orange, cone-shaped lamp and other electronics present, he noticed that every one of them had an access port for a USB or something similar.
’There’s no obvious bathroom or sink...’ noted Vahn, attempting to spread his domain before immediately retracting it as he experienced an influx of information flowing into his brain. He knew that The Path could interface with wireless networks and computer systems since he once used it to access the internet while in class, but the amount of data flowing through the networks currently accessible to him was several orders of magnitude greater. And that wasn’t all...
(It was brief, but I detected an astonishing amount of AIs ranging from simple algorithmic models to significantly more advanced variants that far surpass the limitations of standard neurological models) stated Sis, her voice tinged with a touch of awe as she speculated (As outlandish as this sounds, we may have found ourselves in a setting where the natives have normalized having their brains and bodies interface with technology. The only other explanation I can think of is that the natives themselves are a form of AI. But if that were the case, it would make more sense for them to have evolved into a unified collective similar to the VIRM from Darling in the Franxx.)
’Well, the second-easiest way to find out is to head out and see things for ourselves...’ contended Vahn, the easiest method obviously being to have Sis interface with the countless networks to gather all the intel they could possibly require. That would defeat the purpose of entering a world blind, so after having his Shop filter for clothing only available within the setting, he picked a predominantly black outfit he thought looked fashionable and attempted to leave the room.
///CRTITICAL ERROR///OCCUPANT CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED////NCPD HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND WILL ARRIVE WITHIN SIX MINUTES///DO NOT ATTEMPT TO VACCATE THE PREMISES///
Seeing the bright red holographic text flashing in front of him as he tried to leave through the room’s sliding metal door, Vahn raised his right brow and deliberated waiting around. He assumed that NCPD meant Night City Police Department based on his Map listing the hotel as being located in the Free City of Night City, California. However, as he had no interest in being detained and interrogated, he didn’t hesitate before teleporting to the opposite side of the reinforced door, bypassing the lockdown protocol that had caused metallic shutters to descend over the windows and thick metal bolts to seal the door closed along its edges...
...
..
.