Dragons begin with courage

Fingel's devilish whispers still buzzed in Lu Mingfei's mind. The forbidden fantasies about Nono and that "three-month privilege" were like a poisoned candy thrown into his heart, radiating an alluring yet dangerous glow. He shook his head, trying to shake off these chaotic thoughts.

Just then, a knock on the door saved his overheated brain.

Professor Guderian practically burst into the dormitory, his face beaming with the excitement of someone who had discovered a new continent, clutching a heavy silver envelope tightly in his hand. Without a word, he gave Lu Mingfei a firm bear hug, so strong that Lu Mingfei wondered if his ribs were groaning.

"Mingfei! My star, my pride!" Guderian's voice trembled with excitement. "In just one day! You have overturned the landscape of Kassel that has existed for so many years! Your name will be written into the annals of 'A Day of Freedom,' alongside legends of all ages!"

"Professor... I think even if I blew up the Statue of Liberty, the effect would probably be about the same..." Lu Mingfei weakly broke free from the embrace, feeling a little short of breath.

"No, no, no, that's too vulgar, not even a fraction of what you've accomplished today!" Professor Guderian waved his arms, then remembered his business and solemnly handed the envelope bearing the exquisite half-decayed World Tree emblem to Lu Mingfei. "Your student ID, child. The chip inside records your 'S' level access; it's your identity and key to the academy. Please keep it safe."

His expression then shifted to a mixture of anticipation and seriousness: "And tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, you will face the real key—the 3E exam. This is the ritual to unlock the power deep within your bloodline, and the ultimate yardstick to verify the purity of your lineage. Are you ready?"

3E Exam!

Lu Mingfei jolted awake, finally snapping out of the dizziness of "Bugatti" and "privilege." Chu Zihang's words of advice still echoed in his ears! He suddenly looked at Fingel, his eyes filled with a silent cry of "It's your turn."

Fortunately, there was a "reliable" professor in front of me.

Guderian clearly misunderstood the urgency in Lu Mingfei's eyes, mistaking it for the nervousness of a freshman facing an unknown exam. He cleared his throat and pressed his hands firmly on Lu Mingfei's shoulders, trying to convey a sense of reassurance.

"Don't worry, child. The 3E exam isn't scary; it's more like a... resonance test. Dragon runes are the language of dragon power, and hybrid bloodlines react to specific dragon runes—we call it 'spiritual vision.' During the exam, we'll play a dragon rune chant, and you just need to draw what you 'see' on paper. The higher the bloodline, the clearer the vision and the stronger the resonance."

To give Lu Mingfei a general idea, Professor Guderian decided to give a "mini demonstration" beforehand. His expression became extremely solemn, even carrying a hint of holiness.

"Now, concentrate, child. Listen to this ancient call from the source of your bloodline—"

He took a deep breath, his chest resonating, and a series of extremely strange, hoarse, and majestic syllables burst forth from the depths of his throat! It was a sound that the human vocal cords could not easily imitate; it seemed to carry the rust of bronze, the thunder of ancient times, and the will to rule the world, instantly filling the small dormitory space. The air seemed to thicken and become heavy.

Word of Power: Emperor!

Professor Guderian closed his eyes, immersed in the ritualistic guidance of ancient power. A few seconds later, he opened them, looking at Lu Mingfei with anticipation: "How was it? Did you feel a certain stirring? Did blurry images or words appear in your mind? That's the beginning of 'spiritual vision'!"

Lu Mingfei was stunned. He blinked and then carefully "sense" it again.

Apart from the professor's face, slightly flushed from exertion, and a lingering awkward silence in the air... there was nothing else.

There was no emotion, no imagery, no words. Just a blank, a deathly blank.

A chilling panic gripped his heart, quickly spreading to every part of his body. The familiar, ever-present shadow of that loser seemed to have silently enveloped him once more.

"I...I didn't see anything." Lu Mingfei's voice was dry, with a barely perceptible tremor. "I didn't feel anything. Professor, did I...make a mistake? Maybe Kassel College got the wrong person? I'm not an S-rank at all, and I don't have any hybrid power..."

His voice trailed off as he spoke, and his head drooped. He was terrified, utterly terrified. Terrified that all these astonishing twists and turns—his senior's approval, the enormous "wealth," the S-rank title, even the qualification to enter this bizarre world—were nothing but a far too real dream, the cruelest joke fate had ever played on this loser.

Professor Guderian was dumbfounded, his mouth slightly agape, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "This... how is this possible?! The 'Emperor' has a forced summoning effect on all dragon bloodlines, and it has never failed! Unless..." He gasped sharply, as if realizing something, his shock quickly replaced by a feverish excitement, as if he had discovered a world-shaking secret!

He grabbed Lu Mingfei's arm with such force that Lu Mingfei cried out in pain.

"Ignoring the 'Emperor'! Directly immune to the highest-level Dragon Resonance Summoning! Lu Mingfei, my child, you're not unresponsive; you've developed an unprecedented 'resistance'! This might be due to an extremely special benign mutation in your bloodline, or..." He was so excited he was incoherent, "Your bloodline level might be older and closer to the source than we imagined, to the point that the 'Emperor' has no effect on you! This is a major discovery! Absolutely!"

Compared to Lu Mingfei's fear and Guderian's ecstasy, Fingel, who had been watching the spectacle from the doorway, subtly changed his expression. His usual nonchalant attitude gradually disappeared, replaced by a sharp scrutiny. He could clearly see that the speed, strength, and almost instinctive fighting instincts Lu Mingfei displayed during "A Day of Freedom" were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. He was undoubtedly a hybrid.

However, a powerful hybrid showed no reaction to the "Emperor".

"Interesting...very interesting." Fingel muttered to himself, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. "Perhaps the true meaning of 'S' rank is far more complex than what's stated in the files."

Professor Guderian excitedly rushed out of the dormitory with his "major discovery," clamoring to go to the library immediately to consult ancient books, leaving Lu Mingfei in a state of utter confusion and Fingel deep in thought.

"Don't look at me like it's the end of the world, Junior Brother Lu." Fingel walked over and patted Lu Mingfei on the back in a carefree manner, almost knocking him over. "It's just a 3E exam, no big deal. Your senior brother here has been in this ivory tower for eight years, what haven't I seen? I'll take care of it for you in no time."

Lu Mingfei grasped at this as if it were a lifeline: "Senior brother, do you have a way? Is it possible to pass without that 'spiritual vision' thing?"

"Hehe," Fingel rubbed his fingers together, revealing his classic sly grin, "There's always a way. But, it's the middle of the night, and mental work is incredibly taxing... Look at that pizzeria downstairs that's open all night, their cheese and sausage supreme pizza..."

"My treat! Double portions! Double cheese!" Lu Mingfei said without hesitation.

"Great!" Fingel beamed. "It's settled then, I'll take care of it!"

Lu Mingfei never expected that Fingel's method would be to hack into the academy's computer system and directly help him change his grades to cheat.