Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me

Chapter 87: The River Of Dragon’s Tear

Sunlight gently poured through the windows and landed on Danielʼs face, waking him up. Due to yesterdayʼs exhaustion, he had slept in a little later than usual.

He headed to the hall to check if Eva was awake, and fortunately, she was. The two of them went downstairs to the innʼs dining area and had breakfast together.

After finishing breakfast, Daniel handed her a few gold coins and told her she could explore the town until he returned. Then, he said goodbye and made his way toward the Magic Tower.

Unlike the previous day, this time the two guards immediately bowed and opened the way for him upon seeing him.

”Looks like youʼve learned your lesson, huh?” Daniel chuckled and entered the Magic Tower. The first place he found himself in was the ground floor of the tower.

”So, how do I get to Mr. Atlas?” Luckily, he didnʼt need to think much—moments later, the space in front of him distorted.

No one came out of it, and with a bit of hesitation, Daniel stepped in. His surroundings instantly changed, and he found himself inside the office of the Magic Towerʼs leader.

”Greetings, Mr. Atlas.” Daniel bowed slightly upon seeing the great wizard.

”Haha, welcome, little friend. Did you rest well yesterday?” Atlas walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.

”More or less. So, when are we leaving?”

”Right now. But before that, I need to tell you something. Youʼll be facing some of the most well-known prodigies of the Empire. The River of Dragonʼs Tear doesnʼt involve fighting or combat, but how much benefit you gain from it depends on your own potential and talent.” Atlas explained, and as he finished, the space in front of them twisted.

”Ready to go?”

Daniel nodded, and the two disappeared. A moment later, Daniel found himself standing atop a forest-covered mountain. He could see a dome surrounding the entire mountain range, as if protecting it.

”This is Dragonʼs Fang Mountain. The source of the River of Dragonʼs Tear is here. Even though we call it a river, itʼs more like a spring, but the nameʼs been passed down for so long that we never bothered changing it,” Atlas said while glancing around.

Trees of various kinds surrounded them, and a bit further ahead, there was a spring emerging from the heart of the mountain.

Daniel and Atlas headed toward it, and there they saw Eltha along with five other students. All five wore uniforms identical to ones Daniel had seen before.

ʼHuh? Where did I see those uniforms?ʼ Daniel thought for a moment and remembered—the arrogant boy from yesterday who appeared before Eva was kidnapped had worn the same uniform.

”So you finally arrived?” Eltha walked up to Atlas and Daniel, greeting them both.

The students quickly bowed out of respect upon seeing the Magic Tower leader and then stared in awe at both him and Daniel.

They hadnʼt expected the Tower Leader to personally come here today—let alone with some unknown boy beside him.

”So, they havenʼt entered the river yet, huh?” Atlas asked with a smile.

”We were waiting for you. I havenʼt even given them the necessary explanation yet,” Eltha replied, then turned to the students.

”Iʼm sure youʼve all heard about this place. The River of Dragonʼs Tear is one of the most important locations in the Elthanor Empire. Itʼs so significant that itʼs personally protected by the royal family.”

”You see that dome surrounding the mountain? Thatʼs a rank-7 protection array. Iʼm sure youʼre aware of how rare and valuable those are—that alone should tell you how important this place is.”

”There are many rumors about this place. One says the river was created by the tear of an ancestral dragon. Another says the founder of the Celestial Domain mistakenly entered the river as a child and was blessed by it.”

”But today, weʼre not here to talk about rumors. The River of Dragonʼs Tear greatly enhances and refines oneʼs spiritual power—provided you can withstand its mental effects.”

”If youʼre lucky and strong enough, it might even raise the quality of your spiritual power by a full rank. The usage is simple too—you just have to step into the river,” Eltha explained loudly, then paused to let the students process the information.

”Any questions?” she asked afterward.

”Maʼam, how long can we stay inside?” one of the students asked. He was a tall boy with short, long hair, a handsome face, and blue eyes.

Elthaʼs expression softened slightly when her eyes landed on him—he was one of the academyʼs top students, and naturally deserved better treatment.

”Thereʼs no specific time limit. It depends on how long you can endure. Just so you have a reference, the record so far is thirty-five minutes and eight seconds.”

”Excuse me, maʼam, I also have a question. Rapid spiritual power growth in a short time can be dangerous—does the river have any negative effects?” another student asked.

”Thereʼs no need to worry. The only effect is while youʼre inside. Once you exit, youʼll just feel a bit tired for a short time,” Eltha answered calmly, then scanned everyone again, including Daniel.

”I have a question too, Lady Eltha,” Daniel said in a calm tone, then continued.

”Whatʼs the known limit for increasing oneʼs spiritual power? And does our spiritual power before entering affect the outcome?” His current spiritual power was far beyond rank D.

In both quantity and quality, he doubted there was any other rank D Climber whose spiritual power could match his.

Thatʼs why he wanted to know whether he could still improve his spiritual power with his current strength—or if there was some kind of cap.

”Good question. The most Iʼve seen someone improve was by a full rank. That person was at the peak of rank D, and after exiting the river, their spiritual power was comparable to a peak rank C Climber.”

”As for your second question—no, even Atlas and I occasionally enter the river to strengthen our spiritual power. Though I doubt it has much effect on rank S individuals.”

”Thanks for the answer.” Daniel let out a relaxed sigh. Thankfully, there was nothing to worry about.

”Well, if there are no more questions, then itʼs time—” Before Eltha could finish her sentence, a girlʼs voice cut her off.

”I have a question, Headmistress. Who is this guy that gets to enter alongside us? We went through a lot of effort and hardship to earn this chance—why is he here?”