Chapter 299: The Sudden Team Battle

Chapter 299: The Sudden Team Battle

The vast and desolate world was enveloped in frost, the sky above dark and dreary as if it never saw the light of day. Thick snowflakes fell endlessly, yet strangely, only a thin layer of snow covered the ground.

A figure shrouded in crimson and white flames appeared without a sound, and the moment he arrived, the air grew warmer, causing the snow on the ground to melt and evaporate.

In the fiery glow, a familiar face came into view, but instead of the usual carefree smile, it wore an air of superiority and indifference.

Norton surveyed his surroundings. In the center of this space was the Bronze City he had crafted, and beside it stood a mountain nearly a thousand meters high. The mountain's terrain was typical of Danxia landforms, steep and rugged, but the path winding up was gentle. A bustling Daoist temple stood out among the peaks.

Looking down, a street resembling a time-worn, outdated Japanese shopping district came into view. Next to the commercial street was a sizable academy with the words "Tokyo Metropolitan High School of High Sorcery" engraved above its entrance.

There were other sights to behold, but before Norton could examine them, approaching footsteps from behind interrupted his gaze.

Norton turned to face the newcomer, his expression complex.

When he regained consciousness and woke up again, he and Constantin had arrived in this mysterious space, deeper and more enigmatic than Nibelheim. It was filled with various oddities and continued to grow.

Their Dragon Bone Cross had been removed; it was the symbol of the Monarch's power and the source of their strength. At this point, aside from their souls, knowledge, and control surpassing that of the First Generation Sovereigns, they could no longer be called First Generation Sovereigns.

The dragon they defeated did not devour them immediately but paused to think for a moment before allowing them to fulfill a promise—a promise made when Norton was still "Old Tang," with his gaming partner, "Mingming."

Unexpectedly, the personality without original memories had become a bargaining chip to save himself and his brother.

Norton asked, "You seem to value Lu Mingfei highly?"

"Value him? I value his physique, which can't even beat up bullies, and his grades, which are failing in every subject."

Lu Ke stretched lazively, "If I have to say, it's sympathy."

"Sympathy?"

"A terrible home life, living as a dependent, mediocre academic performance, secretly admiring a girl who doesn't belong to you, and being unable to respond to her expectations... Lu Mingfei has many traits that resonate with people."

Lu Ke's voice was calm, "For example, my childhood was also spent growing up in the mud. I, too, had a crush on a pretty girl in school but was too shy to confess. I also used to buy a book with my saved-up money and sit on a rooftop for hours. Only, he reads 'Novel Illustrations,' and I read 'Know-It-All Comics.'"

Norton paused, "The information you're giving me is a bit different from what I've learned in the past seven days."

Considering that the Dragon Race could cocoon and be reborn repeatedly, Norton guessed that Lu Ke might be referring to a past life or even the one before that. But did they have youthful reading materials like 'Know-It-All Comics' in the past?

He sighed, "Mingming is an upper-level being who can defeat me and Constantin... I never expected there to be a Dragon as emotionally sensitive as you in the Dragon Race."

"Who said I'm a Dragon? I'm human." Lu Ke rolled his eyes, disregarding the rest of Lu Ke's words. Before his golden finger awakening, he was a genuine human.

Norton: "..."

If everyone were like you, the Black King of the prophecy, destined to destroy the world, would probably be reduced to selling cuteness at the zoo.

"That's about right. There are two types of people in this world. One type wants to pass on their experiences of hardship so that others can learn from them. The other type hopes that future generations won't repeat their mistakes."

"So, you're the latter."

Lu Ke thought seriously, "No, I have a flexible moral bottom line. Whether I become one type of person or do something depends on my mood. Specifically, regarding Lu Mingfei, I genuinely hope this poor kid can find some happiness."

After a moment of silence, Norton continued, "What do you plan to do with me and Constantin now?"

He added, "I've already told Lu Mingfei that I'll be busy with real-life matters for a long time, so you don't need to worry."

Lu Ke raised an eyebrow at this, "I think the best course of action is to keep Lu Mingfei close, giving you something to worry about. Although there's a chance I might eat you both on a whim, this way, we'll live a little longer."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'll keep my promise, not because I fear death or intend to escape my fate.

"Norton's indifferent response carried an air of regal authority. Even without the Dragon Bone Cross, he remained one of the Four Great Kings, the Bronze and Flame King. He would face his destiny head-on rather than choose to be a parasite."

Upon witnessing Norton's resolute demeanor, Lu Ke nodded in approval, "Indeed, I admire your principles as a dragon."

With a snap of his fingers, Constantine appeared beside Norton, his eyes glazed over.

"You and your brother are the finest alchemists. You've personally accomplished great feats like the construction of Bronze City. You are a rare talent...a dragon talent."

"You want us to submit to you?" Norton's expression turned cold. "Even if you are stronger than us, it's impossible for the Four Great Kings to bow down. We would rather die than grovel."

Constantine nodded in agreement after hearing this.

"I'm the same as my brother."

Lu Ke laughed and shook his head, reaching into thin air and producing a piece of paper covered in intricate writing, which he handed over.

"The age of savagery is long gone. What's this talk of groveling? It's just an employment contract. Just sign it."

Norton hesitated for a moment. He sensed an extraordinary power in that piece of paper, similar to the blood oaths among dragons, but even more solid, powerful, and unbreakable.

After much deliberation, he took the paper to see what Lu Ke was offering.

Constantine, curious, moved closer to read it, but the intricate font made it challenging. Norton, with his modern memories, read the title word for word.

"Lu Corporation Engineering Department Job Offer?"

He skimmed through the document, and his expression turned perplexed.

"What does the work time '697' mean?"

"Oh, that's our special term. Simply put, it means working from 6 AM to 9 PM for seven consecutive days."

"And the break time is one day off per month?"

"You can take a loan for a day's rest each month. You pay for the day you take off."

"The salary is 3,000 per month. 3,000 Euros?"

"No, RMB."

"..."

"I'm letting you off easy. Your lives are already mine. Why ask for wages? What do two dragons need money for anyway?"

Lu Ke sighed, seemingly perplexed by Norton's audacity in asking such a question.

Norton: (￢_￢)



Lu Ke: (σ`)σ

Finally, upon reading "Lu Ke holds the final decision-making power," Norton could no longer contain himself.

"This isn't a labor contract; it's a slavery contract! You don't want us to submit; you want to enslave me and Constantine!"

Lu Ke shook his head, smiling, and looked at them sincerely. "Labor contract... labor contract. It's a civilized agreement; how can you call it slavery?"

"I won't sign, and neither will Constantine!"

Lu Ke sighed in exasperation, then flashed a standard villainous smile and scolded them harshly.

"I knew I couldn't reason with you two brother-controlled oviparous creatures. You're prisoners of war; you have no say in this!"

Pointing at Constantine, he threatened Norton, "I'm not a nice guy. If you don't behave, have you thought about what might happen to your brother?"

Norton's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.

"I'm not afraid to die!"

Constantine, still in his boyish form, bravely stood up, defiantly resisting. For the first time, he displayed the valor of a Dragon King, and Norton smiled in relief.

After over two thousand years, his brother had finally grown up.

"Then I'll find a group of priests to hold a mass for him!"

Norton's smile froze on his face, and he retracted his words without expression.

Perhaps it's better if he doesn't grow up.

Having lived in modern times for decades, Norton naturally understood the joke Lu Ke was making. Aside from priests and boys, there were countless unsavory practices in the modern world.

In his past life as Tang, Norton had critically reviewed such distasteful works, and now, in retrospect, he could only praise humanity's imagination.

Constantine looked at Norton in confusion, "Brother, what's a priest?"

Norton struggled to explain, furrowing his brows in silence for a while before giving up.

"..."

"Sign the contract."

Constantine stared at his brother in disbelief, "Brother!"

"Anyway, sign first."

As soon as Norton and Constantine signed the contract, they immediately felt a powerful binding force enveloping them. They no longer needed to consider the consequences of breaking their oath because they couldn't even fathom the act of disobedience.

"From now on, we're our own dragons."

"Lu Ke nodded in satisfaction as he put away the contract, and after arranging for the construction of various facilities within the space, he returned to his room, leaving the two dragons with sullen faces.

"Now, this is what you call a real Norton Hall."

With his tasks finally completed, Lu Ke allowed himself a moment of relaxation. Just as he was about to contact his girlfriends to unwind, his phone started vibrating non-stop with new messages.

He took out his phone and saw that his girlfriends were bombarding him with messages, each one more frantic than the last. The relentless text bombardment showed no signs of stopping, and soon, he heard the sound of the door opening.

What was going on? Lu Ke had set up Norton Hall so that his girlfriends could only enter when he was home. But now, he heard a continuous stream of footsteps, as if a large group of people were waiting outside.

Lu Ke blinked in confusion. Before he could figure out what was happening, the door to the game room suddenly opened, and a girl in a sexy lace dress appeared, gazing at him with adoration.

"Sally, what are you doing here?"

Sally shyly lowered her head. "I just missed you."

Before she could finish, another girlfriend walked in.

"Uh, Susan, why are you..."

"I missed you."

A chorus of "I missed you" echoed through the spacious game room as a crowd of girls poured in, each one eyeing Lu Ke like he was a prized possession.

Their faces flushed, seemingly excited, they skipped the usual flirting and boldly began to disrobe, revealing black lace, white bras, and even a butterfly-shaped lingerie...

The room was filled with the captivating scent of femininity as lingerie scattered across the floor. One girl, experienced in such matters, called out loudly.

"Norma, initiate Midnight Mode and block all light in Norton Hall."

"Okay."

The room plunged into darkness, and the girls became even bolder. In an instant, Lu Ke found himself surrounded by soft, fragrant bodies.

Lu Ke scratched his head, wondering if he had sent a message inviting them over. He hadn't planned for another 'Hundred-Person Battle' so soon.

Using his night vision, Lu Ke spotted a shadowy red figure—it was Nonno, but how could she have agreed so quickly? Then, he noticed a second unexpected guest, Elizabeth, the young co-director of Cassel Academy whom he had recently befriended.

Had girlfriends from other countries come too? Lu Ke was truly bewildered. According to his senses, all two hundred of his girlfriends were present, not a single one absent.

...

That night seemed to stretch on forever, and the entire Norton Hall seemed to vibrate in rhythm.

When the last girl finally succumbed to exhaustion, hundreds of clones collapsed.

"Whew~"

The overwhelming sensory input left Lu Ke's mind blank for a moment. It took him over ten minutes to regain his composure. He slowly moved away from the long-unconscious Nonno, rolled over, and lay on the floor, panting heavily.

"What just happened?"

After a short rest, Lu Ke finally had time to check his phone. A new email caught his eye.

Dear Son,

Greetings.

Your mother and I have been traveling the world, currently gliding through narrow waterways on a gondola. Our next stop is the Uffizi Gallery, where we will immerse ourselves in the artistic treasures of the Renaissance.

It's been half a year since my last letter. Your mother has been constantly worried about how you're doing at Cassel Academy, if you're being bullied. I always knew that a mother's view of her son is filtered, but I never imagined the filter could be as thick as the sky, worrying that you might be bullied.

As a father, I see things differently. Since you were young, I've known you're extraordinary, not just in your business acumen and foresight, but also in the spoiled temperament we've indulged.

You, you little rascal, even the dogs on the street would bark at you. And now, you've grown into such a handsome young man. I've been worried about two things: whether you'd cause a fatal incident at school, and why you haven't caused one yet.

Your classmate, Fingal, told me you're quite the ladies' man at school, but haven't gotten anyone pregnant yet. As a father, I want to scold you as a stud, but it doesn't quite fit, so I'll settle for calling you a jerk.

If you have health issues, go to the hospital for a check-up. If not, don't wear it all the time; your mother wants to hold her grandson soon. You predicted a future population decline, remember? It's time to make a contribution; the family fines aren't that hard to pay.

Lastly, I've asked Fingal to post a notice: whoever gets pregnant first will have their engagement party arranged by me.

Your loving father.

Lu Ke: ???

Fingal, how dare you!

(End of Chapter)"

Chapter end