Chapter 287: Who Told You Not to Take the Side Quest?

Chapter 287: Who Told You Not to Take the Side Quest?

Countless nights, Chu Zihan would always recall a scene that he could never forget.

He was driving a speeding Maybach sedan, and when he looked back, he saw his father leaping into the air with a long sword, while a self-proclaimed deity named "Odin" extended a pale hand from within a deep blue cloak...

He should have died with his father on the night Typhoon "Dandelion" made landfall, perishing on that overpass. But in his youthful cowardice, he had fled while his father blocked Odin, and he broke through the curtain of rain...

And so, he had been regretting it ever since.

...

"Chu, how are you going to hold it back? Do you have some hidden reserve energy?"

Lu Mingfei's face turned pale. Compared to the baby red dragon that Professor Guderian had shown him, this thirty-meter-long creature was far more ferocious.

Caesar's face darkened as he pulled out a small black box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a crystal-clear bullet-shaped red gemstone that sparkled brilliantly.

The Philosopher's Stone, which condensed the fifth element of spirit beyond the four elements of earth, water, wind, and fire, had many names: ether, red potion, stone from heaven, and the fifth entity...

This was the Gattuso family's trump card, a lethal weapon capable of slaying a first-generation species. But when the intangible spirit solidified into a physical form, it was no longer invincible. To kill a first-generation species, one needed to break through its defenses and hit the core.

"One bullet won't be enough."

"I know, so I'll hold it back while you guys run."

Chu Zihan closed his eyes and then opened them again, and his ever-burning Golden Eye erupted with dazzling light.

Blood Burst!

Grasping the Divine Blade Murasame, his heartbeat quickened, and his purified bloodline surged throughout his body. As his muscles swelled, fine, light gray scales appeared on his skin, a symbol that usually only appeared on Deathstalkers when their bloodline went out of control.

"Go!"

A hoarse voice sounded, and Chu Zihan planted his feet, using his body as an axis to swing the two connected bodies backward with great force.

At this moment, even Caesar was a little surprised by Chu Zihan's strength.

It seemed that the Lionheart Society's rumored refined bloodline technique was real.

In the giant dragon's pupils, there was neither cruelty nor mockery, nor kindness or leniency. It was like an emotionless machine, indifferently observing everything, and then it opened its mouth and exhaled a white smoke.

It was an extremely cold aura, and after being exhaled by the dragon, the white smoke covered everything in its path, freezing and cracking it.

Chu Zihan stood in front, and the ancient language began to chant, growing louder and faster, rapidly expanding his domain.

Incantation "Blazing Sovereign"!

The high-risk incantation, ranked 89th, was released with Chu Zihan at its center, and scorching flames swept away the chill within the domain, as if a detonated gasoline bomb had been set off, and flames raged wildly.

Caesar landed steadily, holding Lu Mingfei in a princess carry, and without looking back, he sprinted away. Lu Mingfei struggled to look back, and the fire consumed his vision.

Things happened too fast, and for a moment, Lu Mingfei couldn't react.

"Are we just going to let Chu cover us?"

"Then, do you want me to put you down so you can keep Chu company?"

Caesar squeezed out these words through gritted teeth. For him, running away was embarrassing, especially when Chu Zihan was covering them. But Chu Zihan wasn't his friend or family, nor was he a teammate he was responsible for, and he was a man, so there was no reason to die with him.

"No, I know you're powerful, but it's not like you'd keep a dragon as a pet."

"Halfbreeds and the Dragon Clan can't coexist peacefully, but this situation has already occurred."

Caesar also didn't understand why a dragon, at least a second-generation species, would appear in Norton Hall... or rather, in what Chu Zihan called the Otherworld.

Lu Mingfei struggled fiercely and shouted with all his might.

"But that dragon is a Lamia Dragon!!!"

Caesar's sprinting steps slowed slightly, and he looked intently at Lu Mingfei, asking in a low voice.

"What do you mean?"

"I was scared and didn't react at first, but now I think about it, that's the final boss of Monster Hunter P3 by CAPCOM—the Lamia Dragon, the malicious Tianjin God residing atop the spiritual peak."

Lu Mingfei was certain, "Although the ice breath doesn't match, the features are mostly there, maybe it's some kind of variant. You said you understand games, right?"

"I only know a little. I've only played Devil May Cry 5 from CAPCOM. Also, you should be referring to the Malicious Tianjin God, not the Tianjin God. 'Malicious' means bringing calamity, and there shouldn't be a 'Tianjin' in Japanese."

"Just call it whatever sounds cool. Are you all this good at Chinese?"

Lu Mingfei shrunk his neck, having nearly exhausted his courage from his previous shout.

Hearing this, Caesar also noticed that the dragon they had just encountered was quite different from the dragons mentioned in dragon clan history, with many details not matching up, like the absence of wings and the slight degeneration of the hind legs.

It was impossible for a game dragon to appear in reality, so from the start, Chu Zihan had made a mistake. This wasn't an Otherworld but a hard-to-distinguish illusion!

Although the illusion was so real that it caused doubt, it was also incredible that the illusions of several people were linked together. But it wasn't impossible for alchemy to create an illusion and cause spiritual resonance.

At least, it was more plausible than Chu Zihan's outrageous theory.

"I don't think the boss will let you die in vain. There must be a chance to win.

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, his tone sincere, "The boss is a good person."

Caesar: "..."

There were too many things to point out, and Lu Mingfei was, after all, an S-class. How could he call someone else 'boss' so smoothly? What had Lu Ke done for him that made him so loyal?

He recalled their previous bet on the rooftop, where the alchemical puppet had plummeted, and that feeling of life force coursing through his fingertips was unforgettable.

Caesar furrowed his brows and sighed inwardly, changing direction. He grabbed Lu Mingfei with one hand and stuffed the Philosopher's Stone into the Desert Eagle with the other.

"Do you know how to use a gun?"

Lu Mingfei lowered his head in embarrassment, "Does playing CF count?"

"Of course it counts! Why wouldn't it?"

Caesar, his face turning green, handed the gun over.

If he had a choice, he would have preferred a more reliable teammate, but there was no other option. With Lu Mingfei's small frame, fighting a dragon was out of the question. They needed to focus on other tasks.

"Wait here. Chu Zihan and I will figure out a way to break through the defense. You find the right moment to shoot."

He sprinted with all his might, faster than when they had left, and within a dozen breaths, they were back at the scene. He placed Lu Mingfei at a distance.

"This Desert Eagle has been modified by the Equipment Department. It has a range of 300 meters. Find the right moment to take the shot. Don't worry about the range or the gun's power. The main damage comes from the Philosopher's Stone, not the impact of the firearm. Remember, hitting the target means victory."

Lu Mingfei's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He never expected to be entrusted with such a crucial task.

"What if..."

"There are no 'what ifs'. In this situation, you can only think of one thing: hitting the target!"

Caesar patted Lu Mingfei's shoulder, "I don't know why you came to Cassel, but since you're here, do your best and don't embarrass yourself."

After saying this, Caesar dashed towards the battlefield, leaving Lu Mingfei holding the Desert Eagle, his gaze gradually focusing, and at some point, a golden light sparkled in his eyes.

The time they were away was brief, and Chu Zihan's aura remained as powerful as ever. He was like a sharp blade piercing through the Lamia Dragon's pressure, with the Blazing Sovereign attached to Murasame. The scorching blade slashed at the scaly armor, sparking countless dense embers.

The dragon wriggled its body, its movements stiff and slow, seemingly affected by the extreme cold temperature, which had little impact on the tiny creature on its back. Chu Zihan held onto the dragon's scales, and Murasame repeatedly attempted to break through the dragon's defense.

This action finally stirred a faint trace of anger in the dragon, and invisible winds transformed into several deadly wind blades shooting towards Chu Zihan. He instinctively dodged, but his shoulders, calves, and chest were all slashed, blood dripping and splattering. The corrosive, scorching blood landed on the scales, emitting puffs of white smoke.

As the blood gushed from his wounds, Chu Zihan was thrown into the air, falling from a height of over twenty meters. The feeling of weightlessness set in, but a pair of sturdy arms caught him mid-air, cushioning the fall for both of them as they landed on the ground.

Blood poured from Chu Zihan's nose and mouth, and the parts of his back and legs that touched the arms made a creaking sound. If it weren't for his hybrid body's resilience, he would have been dead. Caesar was in a similar state, as a normal person would have had their arms torn off from such an impact, but he only suffered a minor fracture and could still fight.

"Didn't I tell you to leave?"

Chu Zihan struggled to get up, his voice hoarse. He wiped the blood from his face and warily watched the Lamia Dragon, which seemed to notice something else. It looked in Lu Mingfei's direction but didn't move.

"Is Lu Mingfei back too?"

Caesar, gritting his teeth against the pain, drew out Dick Treadwell, and chuckled, "Lu Mingfei said this dragon is just a game monster. I think this is just an illusion created by Lu Ke, and the creature over there might not be a pureblood dragon. We might not actually die."

"An illusion...?" Chu Zihan's eyes clouded with uncertainty for a moment, then became resolute. He had once believed that 'Odin' only existed in myths, but the truth proved that 'Gods' truly existed. However, after coming to Cassel Academy, he suspected that 'Odin' was probably an impostor, a First Generation Sovereign in disguise.

"Caesar, even if this is an illusion, how can you be sure that if we die in here, we won't die in reality? Lu Ke mentioned there might be casualties. You shouldn't have returned."

In this world, the spirit was real, and the Philosopher's Stone was a perfect example. Spiritual death meant either physical death or becoming an empty shell.

"Let's bet that Lu Ke won't let us die. Anyway, I don't want to lose a good opponent. The Lionheart Society would be boring without you."

Caesar glanced at him, "Since when did you become so talkative?"

Chu Zihan fell silent, took a deep breath, and swallowed the sweet and bloody taste in his mouth. His dim golden eyes shone brighter than before.

Second Blood Burst!

His bloodline was further purified, and the high-pressure blood flow washed over his entire body, bringing incredible subtle changes to every cell. The power coursing through his veins was as potent as wine.

"Use your Uchiha Itachi to find the weak spot, and I'll break through."

"Okay."

The Blazing Sovereign ignited again, and a black-red stream of air danced along the edge of the domain, resembling countless semi-transparent snakes. Chu Zihan dimmed, but the surroundings were engulfed in blazing flames! At the same time, Uchiha Itachi's domain expanded, and the wind's airflow provided Caesar with all the details. He carefully analyzed each sound wave's information and finally identified the dragon's head and neck as weak points. Caesar aimed the Desert Eagle.

"Bang!"

With the gunshot, a bullet pierced through the wind and snow, hitting its target precisely. The bullet ricocheted off the dragon's scales, leaving a white mark on the spot it struck.

Chu Zihan's body underwent further dragonification, with more scales and a fluid-like adjustment to his structure, making him resemble a dragon even more. With a powerful leap, his twice-exploded blood state granted him an astonishing jumping ability, easily reaching a height of several dozen meters. Murasame, infused with the Incantation "Blazing Sovereign," pierced Caesar's marked spot with a fierce thrust.

Crack!

Murasame shattered in Chu Zihan's narrowed pupils, but his dragon scales remained intact. He lifted his head, and Lamia Dragon's eyes remained calm, as if watching a dull performance.

If Caesar had been more cautious and inquired more about Lamia Dragon from Lu Mingfei, he would have known that Lamia Dragon was the master of wind.

Weasel had already betrayed his master, and every piece of information he received was false, so the markings he made were naturally fake.

Time was of the essence.

Caesar had no time to ask for more intelligence; any delay would have put Chu Zihan in greater danger.

The dragon's claws viciously struck towards Chu Zihan. In this critical moment, Chu Zihan decisively contracted his domain at an incredible speed, causing the surrounding Incantation "Blazing Sovereign" to collapse and explode! The powerful impact deflected the dragon's claws, but Chu Zihan himself was also injured by the blast, damaging his internal organs. He stared at the broken Murasame, his eyes dimming and turning red, and once again, he pushed his blood to its limits.

A third blood explosion!

With his mixed heritage, he was infinitely approaching the bloodline of the Dragon King.

Chu Zihan's scales opened and closed, revealing blood-stained bone spikes protruding from his body. The muscles beneath his scales undulated like flowing water and then tensed and formed into shape.

His eyes showed only the whites, saliva dribbled from his mouth, and his entire body lost consciousness, becoming half a Deathstalker. His sturdy body tensed, aiming at his neck, and he stabbed downward with all his might!

"—"

Lamia Dragon let out a cry that was difficult to describe. It had been injured, albeit only slightly, as its scales and high-hardness skin were broken, revealing the fresh red flesh beneath.

Finally, it showed a hint of anger. A towering dragon cyclone, centered on Lamia Dragon, began to bloom, sucking in all the falling snowflakes in the air. Within a few breaths, an extremely low-temperature ice storm was formed! In the instant the ice storm appeared, Chu Zihan's body froze solid, and the conscious Caesar quickly moved away, but witnessing such a grand spectacle, he also felt despair.

The dragon from earlier had not used any Incantations; it had merely toyed with them like a playful performance.

The ice storm rapidly expanded, as if it wanted to freeze the entire world. Caesar, who had managed to hold on for a few seconds, was also drawn into it and turned into a crystal ice sculpture, just like Chu Zihan.

Not far away, Lu Mingfei's eyes gleamed with a golden light. Unlike his usual timid self, he stood tall, his slender body exuding an imposing presence like a true emperor. He extended his left hand towards the dancing Lamia Dragon.

"Revoke!"

The ice storm paused, and the wind elements in the air seemed to be in a stalemate, with the two forces engaging in a tug-of-war.

The Lamia Dragon's gaze turned cold, and its ice-covered skull revealed a human-like expression of contempt. Just as it was about to exert more force, a voice sounded by its ear.

"Big Brother, forget it. If you use a little more strength, they'll all be wiped out."

"..."

The ice storm shattered with a boom, and Lamia Dragon fell from the sky, landing on the ground in a dazed state, unable to move for a moment. Moreover, it was in a position with its head tilted back, exposing the small wound.

Lu Mingfei's gaze was focused entirely on the wound, and he pulled the trigger. The powerful recoil from the shot caused his entire body to fall backward and slam into the ground.

Bang!

After a few seconds, Lu Mingfei rubbed his aching head and dazedly climbed to his feet.

Touching the hot gun barrel, his face changed. He had just been dazed for a moment; could he have fired the only bullet? "It's over, I'm a sinner now."

"Not yet, not yet."

A clear male voice sounded, and Lu Mingfei looked up.

The man before him was in his early twenties, with a pair of deep eyes, thick eyebrows that exuded a noble air, a straight nose, slightly pursed thin lips, and a smooth chin. The man who had appeared on the screen moments ago was now looking down at him, seemingly observing his condition.

Lu Mingfei, surprised, hugged Lu Ke's thigh.

"Big Brother! I finally get to see you!"

"Hmm."

Lu Ke squatted down and patted the boy's head, his expression thoughtful.

Even without the little devil by his side, Lu Mingfei entered a special state, demonstrating control over the wind elements in the air, which was quite interesting.

"Big Brother, are Caesar and Chu Shixiong okay?"

"They're fine now that I'm here. But why did you go straight for the boss without doing any side quests?"

Lu Mingfei was stunned. "There are side quests?"

"There are your special weapons in the other three directions. I didn't expect you to go straight for the boss."

Lu Ke clicked his tongue in amazement. He hadn't played a pirated version of "Breath of the Wild," yet this group had gone straight for the boss.

"This... Big Brother, your guidance isn't very good. I felt the same way about 'Black Myth.'" Lu Mingfei was a bit dazed.

"It's mainly because Chu Shixiong said you don't like detours."

Playing a game and making a game are two different things.

Lu Ke rolled his eyes. "When you play a romantic visual novel, which character do you project yourself as?"

"Er, the protagonist."

"And when you play a non-targeted rape game?"

"Blondie... No, I've never played that kind of game!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end