Dragons begin with courage

At this moment, Lu Mingfei's feelings could be described precisely as follows: it's like a newbie in an online game who has just finished creating their character, left the starting village, and is still figuring out how to fight slimes, when suddenly the top player in the entire server, whose equipment is gleaming with gold, pats him on the shoulder and asks in a calm tone, "Junior brother, how's the game going? Need materials to make equipment? Sure, log in this weekend if you're free, I'll take you to run a raid."

The difference is that a top player in an online game might at least exchange a few polite words. But in reality, Chu Zihang, after throwing out the words "I'll take you to slay the dragon," turned and left as decisively as he had come, leaving Lu Mingfei with only a cold, aloof back view and a mind full of "???".

Coming to his senses, Lu Mingfei realized that he hadn't even been given the option to refuse—of course, he probably didn't really want to refuse anyway.

The first week of school was indeed "mild" in its curriculum. "Introduction to Dragon Genealogy" felt like a lecture on archaeology of mysterious creatures; "Alchemy and Scientific Engineering Applications" mixed strange chemistry with even stranger "materials science"; the blueprints for "Magical Mechanical Design" were filled with incomprehensible dragon-script energy circuits; and "Introduction to Cold Weapon Combat" featured Chu Zihang personally demonstrating the most basic knife grip and footwork. Everything proceeded smoothly, slowly unveiling a corner of this hidden world for him.

However, while other freshmen were still immersed in identifying dinosaur skeleton diagrams or carefully preparing "basic dragon blood solvent" (a safe and harmless teaching version), Lu Mingfei's weekend schedule had already been arranged by his highly motivated senior to be a "hands-on observation of dinosaur ecology and material recycling practice class".

Abbreviation: Dragon Slayer Apprentice.

On Saturday morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Mingfei sprang out of bed with a start. His heart pounded in his chest, half with an instinctive fear of unknown danger, and the other half with an irrepressible, boiling excitement and curiosity. This feeling was both strange and familiar, somewhat like the night before a school field trip the next day. He knew he might be exhausted from hiking, but the thought of escaping the mundane and exploring new horizons made the anticipation overwhelm everything else.

"Ugh...Is there an early class today?" Fingel, who was sleeping in the opposite bed, was awakened by the sunlight streaming through the curtains. He groaned, clutching his head, which felt like it was about to split open—he had gotten some cheap tequila from somewhere last night and was suffering from a severe hangover.

"No classes, Saturday. Lionheart Academy has some activities, I'll go check it out." Lu Mingfei quickly put on his brand-new Kassel school uniform. Closing the door, shutting out Fingel's painful mutterings behind him, he took a deep breath of the cool morning air and strode towards the depths of the academy.

The target was not the old building where the Lionheart Society was temporarily stationed, but rather—the Norton Building.

Since Lu Mingfei joined the Lionheart and won back the right to use Norton Hall with his victory in "Freedom Day," the oldest and most magnificent fraternity hall in Kassel College has once again been adorned with the majestic lion emblem.

After all, to use the Norton House, one would first have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to renovate the furniture, as well as the expensive heating and property taxes, which Lu Mingfei couldn't afford.

Standing in front of the newly renovated Norton Building for the first time, Lu Mingfei was still awestruck.

This is a massive stone building blending Gothic and Classical styles. The marks of time give it a weighty and silent air, yet the meticulously maintained details reveal an unspoken nobility. Above the main entrance, a huge gilded lion's head emblem gleams in the morning light, its eyes seemingly inlaid with real gemstones, surveying every visitor with disdain. In terms of historical depth and symbolic significance, perhaps only the library, housing countless forbidden treasures, and the enigmatic Valhalla can compare. Norton Hall is the embodiment of the Lionheart's glory, the supreme throne of Kassel's oldest fraternity.

"Is this what the Lionheart Society originally looked like? So domineering."

"Hey, Junior Brother Lu, so early? Looks like you couldn't wait either." A slightly hoarse male voice rang out. A third-year senior brother wearing a bathrobe and with messy hair swayed out from the side door carrying a bag of trash, looking like he had just gotten up to do his "morning sewage disposal".

Core members of the Lionheart Society enjoy the privilege of staying in suites within the Norton Mansion—provided they can afford the accommodation fees, which are comparable to those of a five-star hotel's presidential suite. It's said that during Caesar's reign, he long occupied the top-floor suite with the best view. Lu Mingfei patted his empty wallet and decisively extinguished any unrealistic fantasies.

"Can't wait?" Lu Mingfei thought to himself, his senior brother must be referring to the dragon-slaying quest. He nodded and asked, "Is Senior Brother Chu Zihang here? I'm looking for him."

"President," the senior brother yawned, pointing to the ground, "at this hour, he's definitely in his private training room on the basement level. Without fail, he swings his sword at least a thousand times a day, as disciplined as a machine."

The underground training room at Norton Hall was more of a small martial arts arena than a room. The walls were made of a special sound-absorbing stone, and the floor was covered with highly elastic black mats. At this moment, the only sound inside was a rhythmic, almost chilling, whooshing sound.

Chu Zihang was shirtless, wearing only black training trousers. His muscles taut and stretched smoothly with each swing of his sword. Sweat trickled down his back, splashing onto the ground. His gaze was fixed, as if the entire world consisted only of the sword in his hand, named "Murasame," and the invisible "enemy" before him.

Just as one of the swords reached its zenith and the tip trembled slightly, Chu Zihang's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly.

Clang—!

A clear, crisp sound of a sword being sheathed rang out almost simultaneously with a knock on the door. Chu Zihang sheathed his sword and stood up, his breathing steady, his gaze fixed on the heavy metal door of the training room. The next second, the door was gently pushed open, and Lu Mingfei peeked in, the timing so coincidental it seemed meticulously calculated.

"You're here." Chu Zihang's greeting was as concise as a telegram. He bent down to pick up a tablet computer from the ground, tossed it to Lu Mingfei without even glancing at it, "Read the mission briefing first. I'm going to change my clothes."

Lu Mingfei hurriedly caught the tablet. The screen lit up, displaying a clear title below the bright red "Execution Department" emblem:

[Tier B Mission: Dragon Extermination]

Target: Third-generation sub-dragon

Location: US-Mexico border, edge of the Sonoran Desert

Intelligence Summary: Seventy-two hours ago, the Executive Department's Intelligence Section detected unusual energy fluctuations and signs of dragon activity. This has resulted in the disappearance of at least seventeen illegal border crossers in the area. High concentrations of dragon DNA and potent toxins were detected at the site where the remains were found. The target is highly aggressive and elusive.

Task requirements: Clear the target, recover core biological tissue samples, and assess the possibility of potential external interference.

The US-Mexico border? Illegal immigrants? Desert? These words combined instantly pulled Lu Mingfei from the tranquil campus to the dangerous and unknown wilderness border that he only saw in the news.