Dragons begin with courage

Boom-! ! !

The bell tolled deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable sense of solemnity, reverberating continuously without any sign of ceasing. Lu Mingfei shrank back under the covers, trying to block out the noise, but suddenly noticed something amiss—it was too quiet. Apart from the bell tolling, there was none of Fingel's usual grumbling or snoring after being woken up.

Not right.

He slowly lifted the covers, his bare feet touching the cold floor. Having tried to slay the dragon, Lu Mingfei moved nimbly and cautiously, glancing around. Everything in the room was as usual; Fingel's bed was in disarray, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi, over here."

A calm, slightly childish voice came from the window.

Lu Mingfei suddenly turned his head, and sure enough, it was his "word magic" at work.

On the windowsill sat the little boy named Lu Mingze. As always, he wore a black suit, a crisp white silk shirt, and shiny square-toed leather shoes.

"Are you a ghost?" Lu Mingfei frowned, his voice deepening, "or my Word of Power?"

He had been enrolled for some time and was no longer the clueless kid who knew nothing about the Dragon Clan world. He had read the materials and consulted Chu Zihang. Words of power were incredibly diverse, their serial numbers arranged like the periodic table of elements, their abilities vastly different. Chu Zihang's "Monarch Flame" (Sequence 89) could ignite a raging inferno, while the interviewer Ye Sheng's "Snake" (Sequence 37) could release invisible messengers to explore the unknown. Not all words of power were for destruction; some, like the "Snake," were used for reconnaissance, assistance, and even communication.

Lu Mingfei had always suspected that his delayed manifestation of the Word of Power, which remained unresponsive to the Emperor's summons, might be the phantom-like little boy before him—a special summon with its own consciousness, capable of communication, and even able to peer into his mind. A…ghostly guide, or monitor.

"Hahaha..." Lu Mingze suddenly laughed, his laughter sounding particularly abrupt and eerie against the backdrop of the continuous chiming of the bells. "A ghost? That's an interesting idea." He laughed so hard he almost fell over, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world. After a long while, he wiped away non-existent tears. "Perhaps, a remnant of the past that refuses to dissipate... You're right, and not entirely wrong."

His smile faded, and his pale golden pupils turned to Lu Mingfei, a deep light swirling within them. "Perhaps we're already dead. Maggots are having a party in our corpses, like greedy insects burrowing into a piece of slowly rotting cheese—so gleeful."

"But you're right about one thing, I am indeed here to 'give' you something—about your Word of Power."

"Give?" Lu Mingfei caught the word. Word magic could "give"? This contradicted all the common sense he had learned.

"Time is short, so let's get straight to the point." Lu Mingze's tone carried an unusual sense of urgency. "Something is happening, and it's worse than you can imagine. You need to be prepared."

Lu Mingfei's pupils contracted slightly. Almost instinctively, he lowered his body slightly, adjusted his center of gravity, and sharply scanned his surroundings—even though this "dream" or "domain" appeared to consist of only the two of them. This was a defensive reaction ingrained in his body after practical combat training.

"Oh?" Lu Mingze's eyes lit up slightly, as if he had discovered some interesting change. "In such a short time, you really have... changed."

"Stop talking nonsense, what is it?" Lu Mingfei asked impatiently.

"The tolling of the bell is an omen." Lu Mingze pointed out the window, although the clock tower wasn't visible from this angle. "Listen, the first ability I'm 'giving' you, or rather... the 'cheat code'—'black sheep wall'."

Lu Mingfei was taken aback. An interstellar manual?

"It will unfold a 'map' of your surroundings, revealing hidden paths and the truth." Lu Mingze's voice was low, carrying both seduction and warning. "Now, it's unlocked for you. But remember, don't abuse it. If you use it too frequently, you'll be 'discovered.'" He curled his lips into that signature, enigmatic smile.

"Discovered?" Lu Mingfei keenly grasped the key phrase, his mind racing with alarm bells. "Discovered by whom?"

"Shh—" Lu Mingze put his index finger to his lips, his smile deepening. "Spoilers would ruin the fun. Just remember, 'Black Sheep Wall.' When you need it most...you'll need it very soon."

After saying that, he lightly jumped off the windowsill as if he had just made a casual visit and headed straight for the dormitory door. He opened the door, glanced back at Lu Mingfei with a complex and unreadable expression, and then his figure disappeared into the light and shadow of the corridor outside.

The door closed gently.

A deathly silence instantly engulfed the entire room. The clock had stopped chiming sometime earlier, and the sunlight outside the window was blindingly white.

Lu Mingfei rushed to the door and flung it open—

Buzz—!!!

The ear-piercing alarm ripped through the silence without warning, like millions of metal bees flapping their wings simultaneously, instantly engulfing the entire Kassel College! The sound was sharper and more urgent than the previous bell tolls, carrying a sense of impending doom and panic!

The sudden sound made Lu Mingfei's eardrums ache, and he instinctively closed his eyes and turned his head away. In that instant, he felt a very slight dizziness, as if space itself was being folded and unfolded.

When he opened his eyes again, he was stunned.

The familiar dormitory corridor has vanished. Before me stands a tall, solemn archway, beneath my feet is a polished marble floor, and the air is filled with the tranquil scent of old books, paper, and wood—this is the main entrance to the Kassel Library.

His pajamas had somehow transformed into the Kassel College uniform, and he was dressed neatly.

"What's going on?!" Lu Mingfei looked at his hands in astonishment, then suddenly looked up and around. Time seemed to have been fast-forwarded by an invisible hand, "throwing" him directly from his dormitory where he was taking a nap to this place.

"Hey! Are you still half asleep? What are you standing there daydreaming about!" A crisp female voice, tinged with a hint of impatience, rang out from the side.

Lu Mingfei turned his head and saw that Nuonuo had been standing beside him at some point. She was wearing a fitted school uniform skirt, her dark red long hair tied into a neat ponytail, and she was looking at him with her bright eyes that were filled with doubt. She even reached out and patted his cheek without any politeness.

The cool touch and slight pain brought him fully "awakened"—or rather, forcibly anchored him back to this "reality".

"Senior Sister Nuonuo? I... how did I get here?" Lu Mingfei asked blankly.

"I was about to ask you that!" Nono withdrew her hand, crossed her arms, and looked around. "With the alarm going off like that, anyone would know to gather at the library. Did you run here instinctively, or did you sleepwalk here?"

Nono immediately noticed that something was wrong with Lu Mingfei. He seemed to have suddenly come to his senses after sleepwalking, and his eyes were full of confusion.