Chapter 298: A Slap in the Face, Unprepared

Chapter 298: A Slap in the Face, Unprepared

As a figure approached, Norton felt his life slipping away with each step, sensing the aura of death.

At that moment, a small hand reached out and held his, leading him to a certain place—the vital gate on Constantine's forehead.

He lowered his head and saw his brother, who had just awakened, lying with his eyes closed, his body relaxed like a sacrificial lamb, having exhausted the power of the Vermilion Dragon.

"Eat me, brother."

"If you eat me, you'll regain your strength and become stronger. No cage will be able to stop you then."

Constantine closed his eyes, waiting for the dragon's fangs to consume him, but the hand merely stroked his forehead gently and withdrew. He opened his eyes in surprise, and his calm-faced brother remained motionless.

"I can't bear to do it."

Norton sighed, knowing he could never bring himself to eat his brother. In the endless darkness, on the lonely throne, only his brother had been by his side, the two of them warming each other with their body heat.

In a daze, time seemed to shift. They returned to their home from over two thousand years ago, facing the raging fire once more, back to the brink of death. But this time, there would be no "cocoon" to allow them to be reborn.

Norton embraced Constantine, no longer resisting. Rather than eat his brother and engage in a deadly battle, he preferred to die together.

This behavior went against the nature of dragons, which should be fierce, cruel, and self-centered.

Perhaps, over the long years, through countless experiences of becoming human and countless separations, Norton's body had developed some malfunctions.

Norton thought silently.

"Your deep brotherly love makes me seem like the villain, but in nature, it's survival of the fittest. The strong dragon eats the weak, and the one who eats the most wins, reaching the top of the food chain..."

Luke paused, frowning, as his thoughts drifted towards an old pervert. Shaking his head, he quickly moved on.

His body rapidly expanded and grew, revealing its true form.

The golden sacred horns and the flowing feather-like wings remained as they were, but the once-mature body, which should have been within thirty meters, had expanded to nearly a hundred meters. The scales covering its body, the developed limbs, and the enormous wings that blocked out the sun all testified to how different this dragon was from the Lamia Dragon.

If the Lamia Dragon had once possessed a divine quality, this dragon now exuded an awe-inspiring sense of divine punishment.

Norton stared at the enormous dragon before him, a sense of absurdity washing over him.

"What exactly are you?"

Even a Dragon King should adhere to the basic laws. To hatch such a massive dragon body required sufficient energy and material accumulation to form a cocoon, as well as ample time to reshape its body. But the dragon before him had skipped this process in the blink of an eye.

Whether viewed from a scientific, incantation, or alchemical perspective, none of it made sense!

The unknown dragon did not answer Norton's question. Instead, it pondered whether it should give the Lamia Dragon a new name while casually opening and closing its dragon maw.

Gulp—

A swallowing sound echoed.

The two brothers, tightly embracing each other, were enveloped in a blue glow and then disappeared from their original spot, leaving no trace behind.

The dragon's amber-colored eyes turned, gazing at the broken yet still aesthetically pleasing Bronze City. It gently swam its body, and a green aura centered on its body enveloped the entire city.

Broken pillars stood upright again, frost and flames slowly receded, the melted bronze returned to its original state, and the ancient murals slowly reassembled, as time in the entire Bronze City began to rewind.

In a moment, the majestic Bronze City reappeared, only to disappear again soon after.

At the center of the massive dragon body, an invisible black domain expanded, engulfing the unresisting Nibelheim without resistance. It was quickly eroded and occupied, and when the last glimmer of bronze light vanished, only emptiness remained in the empty waters.

...

The following day, at noon, upstream of the Yangtze River.

The "Monarch" chose a time with favorable weather conditions to prepare for its descent, simultaneously contacting the local meteorological bureau for the most precise predictions.

They were well aware that the previous day's anomaly was caused by the disturbances within the Bronze City, and they sought a mental reassurance.

Luke and Caesar's second underwater mission began. The two figures jumped into the water again, but this time, they resurfaced within just ten minutes.

Professor Mans listened to Caesar's report and fell into deep thought. "You're saying the Bronze City disappeared?"

Caesar carefully removed his diving suit, avoiding the cold water. He nodded slowly.

"When we returned to yesterday's location, the Bronze City was already gone, leaving a massive crater on the ground, clearly a remnant of the Bronze City's presence."

"Even a small city is still a city, so how does a massive Bronze City move?"

Lu Ke sat down on a stool, leisurely stretching his legs. He spoke nonchalantly, "Who knows? Perhaps Norton sensed an external threat and installed a giant propulsion system on the bronze artifacts."

"Setting aside whether Norton has such capabilities, a moving city would undoubtedly cause a huge commotion. Just the impact of the propulsion system's reaction force on the underwater environment would leave traces, which is already implausible."

Professor Mans frowned and shook his head, dismissing the hypothesis.

Lu Mingfei, who had been listening in, chimed in with a sarcastic remark, "Moreover, a propulsion system of that caliber only exists in science fiction. It's more believable if you say that Digga transforms and flies toward the stars while dragging Bronze City."

"You lack imagination. After we return, I'll invest in 'The Wandering Earth' to broaden your horizons."

Lu Ke patted Lu Mingfei's head and lifted his chin, "Moving a small city is nothing. Human imagination is boundless. As long as we want to survive, even the Earth can be moved."

Zero glanced at Lu Ke, asking a critical question.

"If Bronze City were to disappear, would the possible Bronze and Flame King within it also disappear along with it?"

Bronze City wasn't important; what mattered was the potential Dragon King inside.

"Perhaps no one can answer this question."

Lu Ke shrugged as if it were none of his concern. He leaned to the side, gazing leisurely outside the ship. The sunlight scattered like shattered gold, and the breeze ruffled the water's surface, creating a shimmering effect. Everything appeared serene and beautiful.

"Dragonkind's awakening is measured in centuries. If we miss this opportunity, we may never receive news again in our lifetime."

Professor Mans sighed, "Countless dragon mysteries will only increase, and there are already too many to begin with. It's a headache."

As the leader of this operation, how should the captain of the "Monarch" write the case file for this incident, "The Mystery of the Disappearance of Bronze City"? It felt like it would be a chapter in a book of ten thousand questions.

The good news was that Caesar's photographs of the dragon murals might prove valuable, potentially the greatest discovery for Cassel Academy in recent years. However, compared to locating the Dragon King, this discovery seemed insignificant.

Regardless, the disappearance of Bronze City signified the end of this exploration.

Professor Mans, still determined, dispatched several other teams, including Lu Mingfei and Zero, to investigate further. However, this was merely to ascertain the truth, as he already believed it to a large extent, at most holding onto a glimmer of hope and preparing additional material for his report.

The exploration team followed the route provided by Caesar and arrived at the massive pit, where they found traces of Bronze City. However, all they were left with was an endless pit.

As the sun rose and set, Professor Mans had to accept reality when night fell and announce the end of the mission, preparing for their return the next day.

...

Late at night, Lu Mingfei hesitantly knocked on Lu Ke's door.

When the door opened, he stammered, "Boss, there's something I'd like to ask for your help with."

Leaning against the door frame, Lu Ke said, "Tell me."

"I made plans to meet a friend, but I can't reach him now, and he hasn't posted in our gaming group either..."

"A friend? Have you met him in person?"

Lu Mingfei scratched his head, "No, but we chat often."

"Oh, just an online friend. It's hard to distinguish truth from fiction in the virtual world. Maybe he simply doesn't want to talk to you anymore. Let it go."

Sensing Lu Ke's indifference, Lu Mingfei fell silent for a moment before speaking earnestly.

"Boss, he's my friend. Before I met you and came to Cassel Academy, he was my only friend. Can you... can you ask Professor Mans for two days off for me? I want to go and find him."

The last message from Old Tang mentioned that he was near the Three Gorges Dam, and he also sent a selfie. Based on the background, he was in a bus traveling through a forest. With this clue, the chances of finding him were high.

Lu Ke stared at him for a few seconds, then reached into his pocket and lit a high-quality cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, he said calmly, "Do you really want to find him that badly?"

Lu Mingfei nodded vigorously, his eyes pleading, "Please, Boss, I'm willing to do anything."

Lu Ke ruffled his hair and took out his phone. NoMa's girl image appeared on the screen.

"NoMa, send an email to Professor Mans on my behalf, a leave request for Lu Mingfei. Fill in one week for the leave duration. Zoom in on the photos from Lu Mingfei's phone and compare them with satellite images for navigation."

"Done. Already executed.

Unexpected support made Lu Mingfei's eyes well up as he looked at Lu Ke.

"Thank you, boss. I'm so touched that I might just offer myself to you."

Lu Ke waved dismissively, "Don't look at me with such disgusting eyes. Offering oneself is a woman's option; men can only repay kindness by being a beast of burden."

Pausing, he continued, "Also, you should prepare yourself mentally, or you might be disappointed later."

...

The setting sun sank slowly, painting the sky crimson. The dense forest, bathed in this bloody sunset, seemed unusually quiet. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a mottled light and shadow.

"Walk forward for a hundred meters, then turn right."

Lu Mingfei, carrying a backpack full of supplies, followed the sweet voice of NoMa, taking each step carefully. He reached a spot in the forest and stopped, his body trembling slightly at the scene before him.

"What on earth happened here?"

The ground was charred black. The bus's body resembled melted chocolate, flowing onto the ground and solidifying, merging with the top layer of soil.

Lu Mingfei clenched his teeth, his mind in turmoil. He didn't want to consider the worst possibilities. He softly called out to his enigmatic younger brother.

"Lu Mingze."

"I'm here, brother."

The little devil, with a faint smile, had somehow appeared before him. He was dressed in a crisp suit, his expression unreadable, holding a bouquet of white roses for a funeral.

"Do you know what happened to this bus?"

"Who knows? Maybe a gas explosion."

The little devil gently placed the white roses on the bus wreckage, as if offering them at a grave. He then hugged Lu Mingfei from behind, his tone filled with pity.

"Don't look for her, brother. The person you're searching for is already dead. Even if she's not, she's probably in the belly of a beast by now."

He sang softly, "Perhaps it's due to unknown dreams, the wandering soul chases after phantoms."

Hearing this mournful eulogy, Lu Mingfei suddenly felt sad. Tears dropped one by one, wetting the ground.

He remembered the night before confessing to Chen Wenwen, when he and Old Tang worked together to improve their rankings. He recalled how Old Tang called him "Mingming" and promised to introduce him to the boss.

Old Tang also said he'd wait for him.

Why was it so sudden...

A warm, large hand rested on Lu Mingfei's head, patting it gently. He looked up with red-rimmed eyes and saw a wild man, dirty and disheveled.

"Do you have any food?"

"Wild man" responded weakly.

Lu Mingfei was so startled that he fell to the ground, desperately trying to move away. His sadness vanished, and he blurted out, "What the hell are you?! Fingal?"

"It's me, Mingming."

The wild man pushed aside his messy hair, revealing Old Tang's face. But at this moment, his complexion was especially haggard, and he looked unwell.

"You finally came. I almost died here..."

Lu Mingfei turned his head and saw Lu Mingze, also looking embarrassed.

It was like when you proudly announce your answer in class, only to realize you're the one who's wrong, or when you confidently predict a stock market boom, urging others to buy, only for the market to crash after the National Day, leaving you too embarrassed to show your face.

Lu Mingze's face turned red, and he disappeared from the spot, along with his white roses.

Lu Mingfei snapped out of his thoughts and quickly helped the man up. He took out food and water from his backpack and handed them over, asking, "What exactly happened to you?"

Old Tang accepted the food and devoured it, explaining with a full mouth, "There was this smelly girl on the bus. Instead of doing something good, she lit a fire near a leaking gas tank, and then it exploded..."

"I barely escaped with my life. I lost my luggage, my clothes are torn, and I can't even tell the way. I've been starving for three days."

So, it was a gas explosion!

As Lu Mingfei struggled with a mix of laughter and tears, a string of questions flooded his mind: Why was there a gas tank, a dangerous item, on the bus? Why would a dangerous person appear in peaceful times? Why didn't Old Tang try to find a way out of the forest? Why wasn't there any notification from relevant departments about the bus accident...

"You're alive."

A satisfied sigh interrupted Lu Mingfei's thoughts. Old Tang patted his belly contentedly, "Let's go. You promised to take me sightseeing."

Lu Mingfei fell silent for a moment, then nodded with a smile, choosing to cast his doubts aside.

Oh well, if there can be dragons in this world, anything is possible.

In any case, being alive is good.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end