Dragons begin with courage

Chu Zihang's words interrupted his thoughts: "However, I don't recommend you exchange it for cash. Contribution points are worth far more than the equivalent amount of money within the academy. Especially for freshmen, one of the most practical ways to use them is to exchange them for 'customized services'."

"Customized services?" Lu Mingfei asked curiously.

"For example," Chu Zihang's hand naturally rested on the hilt of the long Japanese sword at his waist, "to find the equipment department to customize or modify weapons for you."

Chu Zihang exerted a little force, and accompanied by a clear, melodious sound like a dragon's roar, a stream of light, like autumn water, flowed out from the sheath.

Even with just a fleeting glimpse, Lu Mingfei could sense that the sword "Murasame" exuded an aura far beyond that of an ordinary weapon. It was a living being, forged through countless trials and tribulations, imbued with the wisdom of alchemy and the will to kill.

Lu Mingfei had not forgotten the scene of Chu Zihang decapitating that bus-sized third-generation Zerg with a single stroke, as if a god had descended from the heavens. The ease with which the knife sliced ​​through the Zerg's shell and bones showed that it was no ordinary weapon.

Caesar and Chu Zihang made a bet about this knife. If we measure it by Caesar's Bugatti Veyron, Chu Zihang's Murasame knife is worth six million US dollars, or six thousand points. That's equivalent to having to fight dragons to the death dozens of times and perfectly complete the mission each time.

"Although 'Muramasame' was a gift from my father, this sword was also an alchemical weapon crafted by the alchemical engineers of the Equipment Department. The main material used is a single tusk from a second-generation species of dragon. Its equipment level is A+." Chu Zihang sheathed the sword, his movements as fluid as breathing. "A suitable weapon is an extension of one's limbs, a manifestation of one's will, and sometimes it can even determine life and death. Although we can apply for weapons from the Equipment Department when we carry out missions, those weapons are relatively basic alchemical equipment and may not be suitable for us."

Having a suitable alchemical weapon will make missions easier and better protect you. In the future, I may not be by your side during missions; you'll need to rely on yourself.

Lu Mingfei shifted his gaze from Murasame. He understood his senior brother's words: this B-rank mission could take you along, but not every one. One day you would have to face powerful dragons on your own. Good equipment could protect you.

A faint path seemed to unfold before him. In this world filled with dragons and mysteries, he needed power, weapons, and something truly his own.

And the contribution points are the initial capital that enables all of this.

"Understood, Senior Brother."

Chu Zihang nodded and said, "There's no need to rush to the Equipment Department. I don't recommend that you forge alchemical equipment below Grade A. Those equipment will be difficult to use even against third-generation species. Although you can use contribution points to have the alchemical engineers in the Equipment Department for you to forge it, you still need to provide the materials yourself. Buying materials requires a lot of contribution points. Generally, the materials for second-generation species require several thousand or even tens of thousands of contribution points."

"Tens of thousands?! May I ask, how much does the first generation cost?"

Chu Zihang revealed a meaningful smile and said, "I haven't seen any materials from the first generation yet, not even scraps."

"No?"

"Even if Kassel College has it, I doubt they'll bring it out."

Afterwards, Lu Mingfei followed Chu Zihang for a short stroll around the Execution Department before leaving. After all, Lu Mingfei hadn't been an alumnus for very long, and his most important task right now was to learn about dragons and attend classes diligently.

Over the next few days, Lu Mingfei began his normal university classes, much like in the Harry Potter movies, except for the absence of classmates. However, Lu Mingfei didn't mind whether he had classmates or not, because Fingel was with him in his dorm, and he would go to the Lionheart Club after class.

A week later.

Principal's Office.

The heavy, carved wooden door closed silently behind us, completely shutting out the dim light and sounds from the outdoor corridor.

Inside the office, Ye Sheng and Professor Mans Lundstedt, who had been recuperating for a week, stood at the edge of the thick carpet, both of them still wrapped in bandages. In front of them, behind the large mahogany desk, Principal Angers was looking up from a yellowed copy of an ancient book in his hand.

"You've had a tough time, Mans and Ye Sheng. It's better that you're back alive than anything else." Angers' calm and gentle voice broke the silence. "Sit down. What would you like to drink? I have some good Port wine, or... Chinese Longjing tea? Perhaps it can help you ward off the chill from the riverbed."

"Thank you." Mans and Ye Sheng sat down, and after taking a sip of hot tea, Mans said, "The mission failed. The bronze jar is missing. Although no one was injured, the result did not meet expectations." He succinctly placed a paper mission briefing on the table.

Angers didn't look at the briefing immediately. He picked up the silver cigar cutter on the corner of the table and slowly and deliberately processed a dark brown Havana cigar with elegant and precise movements.

"No one was injured, that's the greatest success." He lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled the smoke, which carried a sweet honey and woody aroma. "Ye Sheng, Jiu Deyaji, they are both invaluable assets to the academy. It's a miracle that they came back alive from Norton's palace. Tell me the specifics of what happened—especially the last moment."

Angers emphasized the phrase "the last moment," then turned his gaze to Ye Sheng, with encouragement but also an undeniable scrutiny.

Ye Sheng's Adam's apple bobbed as he organized his thoughts: "We initially found the place based on Norma's mission posture and successfully retrieved what was placed there. There was a bronze jar and a box. Then, following the guidance of the final dynamic map, we found the escape route. But the oxygen was running out; there was only enough for Aki and me." He paused. "We were preparing to make our final decision. Just then, the Dragon King Norton... awoke. The oppressive aura almost immobilized us."

Angers shook his cigar, exhaled a long puff of smoke, and denied, "No, the one you met wasn't the Dragon King Norton. If it really was the Dragon King, then both you and the guy who casually saved you would have died in the Three Gorges."

"Does the principal know who that mysterious person is?"

"There aren't many time-related incantations to begin with. The only one capable of teleporting you two instantly is 'Time Zero,' and there are only a handful of people in the world who possess it. I have a pretty good idea who it is," Angers continued. "While Time Zero is powerful, capable of constructing a domain centered on the caster and slowing down the flow of time within that domain, it's ineffective against the Dragon King. If it really is Norton who has awakened, then you're already dead. It's probably a second-generation species whose strength is infinitely close to that of the first generation, or perhaps it should be called the Dragon Guard Samson."