The Almighty Dragon Rider Returns

Nymeria just stood at the door without saying anything. She then brought down her head in deep thought.

After few minutes, she finally stepped inside.

She walked past the boy and then pushed out the chair opposite to the boy that was resting at the window wall.

The boy let out a low chuckle and pushed his chair back into place. He looked at Nymeria for a while, and without saying anything, he slid the chess board and the card game to the side of her table.

"Pick a game," he muttered.

Nymeria’s eyes shifted between the two items. She swallowed once, then said, "Chess."

The boy let out a sound low in his throat. He shifted the card game aside without looking at it.

"May the best win," he said, and reached for the white pieces.

The first round started.

The boy made a move first. He slid his pawn from E2 to E4, and the wood clicked soft against the board.

Nymeria studied it for a second, with one hand resting against her lips, before she then move her pawn from E7 to E5.

He rolled his shoulder once before he reached out and brought his knight from G1 to F3.

Nymeria’s fingers tapped her chin twice before she moved her own knight, C6, guarding the pawn the boy was after.

He tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck before sliding his bishop from F1 to C4.

Nymeria’s hand pressed flat against her lips for a second. She was like that for a while before she pull her bishop out from F8 to C5.

The game dragged on. Both of them taking long pauses before making any move.

The boy breathed out as he rested his chin on his knuckles before he brought his queen out from D1 to H5.

Nymeria frowned faintly as she chew inside of her cheek, and then she move her knight, G8 to F6.

The boy only smiled and pulled the queen back from H5 to F3.

Nymeria moved her pawn, D7 to D6, without thinking..

The boy slid his queen from F3 straight down to F7.

"Checkmate," he said.

Nymeria let out a short chuckle, trying to keep her face calm.

The boy whistled, pleased with himself, as he started resetting the pieces.

The second round started.

Nymeria’s leg was already to bounce under the table.

She stopped it and instead started tapping her foot against the floor under the table.

The boy opened again with his pawn to E4. Nymeria moved hers to C5, her hand brushing her lips before she let go of the piece.

The boy pause with his chin resting on his fist, as he stared at the board. Then he slid his knight from G1 to F3.

Nymeria’s fingers drummed once against the table before she pushed her pawn from D7 to D6, opening a lane for her bishop.

The boy moved his knight from F3 to D4, deep into Nymeria side of the board.

Nymeria moved her knight, B8 to C6, without pausing to think it through.

The boy swung his knight from D4 to C6, taking her piece clean off the board.

Two moves later his rook slid open down the D file, and Nymeria king had no square left to run.

"Checkmate," he said.

Nymeria forced a smile. "You win again."

The boy said nothing as he just smiled.

The third round started.

Two minutes into the third round, sweat was already sliding down the side of Nymeria’s neck. She wiped it away with the back of her hand, quickly.

The truth was simple. There was no way she could win against him clean and fair. He was the master of gamble and she was not master of gamble.

Nymeria breathed in slowly, Then, as if scratching the back of her neck, her fingers brushed the collar lock resting on her skin.

The collar let out a very low sound that the boy did not hear.

Holy flame. Turns out the master of gamble was a loud player in his head. His thoughts were very easy to read.

His thoughts about his next move sounded loud in Nymeria’s mind.

Knight to F3, then trap the queen.

Nymeria took a slow breath as she tried to calm herself.

"Your turn," the boy said, snapping her back.

"Yeah." She swallowed hard, then bit down gently on the side of her finger, as if she was thinking.

She moved her queen first, out of the square his knight was about to land on.

The boy’s brow twitched, for a seconds. He rested his hand on his cheek and moved his knight to F3 anyway, like he still believed the trap would work.

Nymeria bit her finger again. Then she slid her rook from A8 down to D8.

A few moves later, his king had nowhere to run.

"Checkmate," Nymeria said.

The boy’s eyes went wide for a second before he recovered quickly and smoothed his face back to calm.

Nymeria shrugged. "Lucky me."

The fourth rounded started.

The boy’s chin stayed on his fist the whole time. His thoughts were very loud— bishop pins the knight, then queen finishes it.

Nymeria chuckled before she move her pawn.

After few move, she won.

"Guess that’s a tie," Nymeria said, letting out a small laugh.

The boy leaned back in his chair. "Yeah. Winner takes it all this round, then."

The final round started. Nymeria did not rush to win.

She read his thoughts and then play around.

Finally, she brought her own queen down the open file to E7, and three moves later, there was nowhere left for his king to hide.

"Checkmate."

The boy stared at the board for a second.

"Fu*k" He knocked his king over with the back of his hand and sending somw pieces scattered on the board.

"Guess I will be seeing you at the tournament then, Richard," Nymeria said.

Richard did not answer. His head was down.

​Nymeria stood up, brushed her hands off on her dress and then head towards the door.

"How did you do it?"

His voice stopped her before she reached the door.

"Did you cheat?" he asked again. "There is no way you could’ve beat me clean and fair like that." He pause and then added. "You know, for a moment, i thought you used your mind magic, but there is no way you could have bypass the collar lock." He paused again. "And we both know there is no such thing as luck, Nymeria. So how did you win?"

Nymeria let out a forced smile as she turned to face Richard

"Just like you said. There is no way I could’ve bypass the collar lock, and I don’t cheat." She paused. "But everyone got a trick or two up their sleeve they pull out now and then... You of all people should know that."

She let out a breath. "I will see you at the tournament grounds."

She walked out without another word.

As she left, Richard rotate his chair back to face the window. He picked up the fallen king from the table and rolled it slowly between his fingers.

Location: Magic user building.

Reynold was in his first magic-user class, sitting on a wooden bench.

His eyes were scanning the hall to see if he could see Gwyn, but she was not in the hall.

His eyes then shifted to that brown-bag boy with the street accent.

Cool. So the kid’s a magic user too.

At the front of the hall, the professor’s voice sounded. "That is all for today. Next class will be on the training ground. Let’s see how far we can push you beyond your limits."

Reynold gathered his things and walked over to the brown-bag boy’s desk.

"Hello," he said.

The boy looked up blinking. "Oi, mate."

He was kind of surprised that Reynold was talking to him.

"What’s your name?" Reynold asked.

"Toby," the boy said, leaning back in his chair.

Reynold bent his head slightly, hesitating, before he finally said. "Do you... know the Noble-High student who broke Gwyn’s arm?"

Toby’s face turn into a grin. He opened his palm and stretched it out.

"What?" Reynold asked.

"Nothing’s free, mate."

Reynold looked at the open hand for a moment. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out two coins, and dropped them into Toby’s palm.

Toby closed his fingers around the coins and leaned in. "Since you’re asking... it was Callum. He is the one who broke her arm."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!