Dragons begin with courage

The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, the outer assembly area of ​​the Moniach.

A biting river wind, carrying the chill of late autumn and the fishy smell of the water, swept over the crowd gathered at the makeshift dock. The elites of Kassel College had once again gathered here, but the atmosphere was completely different from that during the "Bronze Gate" mission. Gone was the solemnity of exploring the unknown; replaced by the urgency of rescuing their comrades, and... a lingering fear of the Dragon King's awakening.

Professor Manstein stood on the high point of the dock, his face somber. Beside him stood Executive Director von Schneider, his stern gaze sweeping over the agents who were boarding the ship or conducting final equipment checks. Besides the two professors, there were several other professors, as well as Ye Sheng, Jiu Deya, Ling, and many other elite executives drawn from around the world, all already in place. Caesar Gattuso stood surrounded by student council members, his golden eyes burning with suppressed anger and self-reproach. He held Dick Tudor in his hand, his knuckles white.

This is the strongest rescue team that Kassel can temporarily mobilize.

Chu Zihang leaped from a speeding black SUV, his back bound with a strip of cloth. He walked straight to the crowd, nodded in greeting, and silently stood at the front of the assembled group. His arrival caused a murmur—the Lionheart Society's president, a top-tier A-level combatant, his fighting prowess was a crucial guarantee for this operation.

"Chu Zihang has arrived." Schneider whispered to Manstein, "Time is running out. Every second we delay increases the danger for Chen Motong and the greater the chance that Dragon King Norton will fully recover."

"Our goal this time is not only to rescue Chen Motong, but also to prevent Norton's complete resurrection. It is still in human form and it will take some time before it fully recovers into the Dragon King. The principal is already gathering dragon-slaying families from all over the world. We must buy the principal time and prevent Norton from being fully resurrected."

Professor Manstein glanced at his watch, then looked up at the only road leading to the dock, his brow furrowed. He was waiting for the last person, the theoretically most important person in this "break-in" operation—Lu Mingfei.

Although he didn't know why the principal cared so much about Lu Mingfei, the principal had specified that Lu Mingfei needed to be present.

Time ticked by. Ten minutes had passed since the scheduled assembly time.

A disturbance began to arise in the crowd.

"Where's Lu Mingfei? That S-level freshman?" A senior specialist transferred from the European branch couldn't help but speak up, his tone impatient. "Wasn't it said that his 'Spiritual Vision' was the key to locating the internal structure of Bronze City? Did he desert his post?"

"Hmph, S-rank?" another student council member familiar with Pacino sneered, his voice not loud, but loud enough for those around to hear. "He only got the rank by cheating with Word of Power. When it really came down to risking his life, he chickened out. Senior Pacino and Senior Nono even..." He choked up, the rest of his words turning into deeper resentment.

"He's a freshman after all; it's not surprising he's terrified of the Dragon King's imposing presence," someone whispered in agreement. "I heard he rejected the 'Bronze Project' before and went into hiding. This time, it's probably another..."

The discussions, like poisonous vines, sprouted and spread on the soil of anxiety.

Caesar's face grew even uglier, but he didn't speak up to stop them. His gaze remained fixed on the end of the road, waiting for Lu Mingfei to appear. Chu Zihang, on the other hand, seemed not to hear any of the discussion. He simply stood quietly, like a cold statue, with only a very subtle understanding flashing deep in his eyes. He knew that Lu Mingfei was absolutely impossible to appear.

Lu Mingfei will come, but he won't appear in front of everyone. Only by breaking the rules can the situation be broken, although neither Chu Zihang nor Lu Mingfei knows who is behind this scheme. However, as long as things don't go their way, that's a good thing.

After all, Lu Mingfei can't tell who is friend and who is foe right now, so the best way is to trust no one.

Time ticked by, and Caesar said through gritted teeth, "Professor, we cannot waste any more time on a man without honor. I propose we attack the Nibelungen now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in Kassel agreed with Caesar. After all, in their eyes, Lu Mingfei was a coward and a loser who had shirked the Bronze Gate mission, and they despised him.

In the distance, on the edge of a cliff overlooking the entire pier.

Mai Shude knelt on one knee behind a rock, her grey-brown camouflage uniform blending seamlessly with the surroundings. She held up high-powered tactical observation goggles, her beautiful eyes behind the lenses slowly scanning every face and every detail on the dock.

Her gaze lingered on Chu Zihang for a moment, confirming the presence of this dangerous individual. Then, she began searching for the more crucial target—Lu Mingfei.

Once, twice.

No.

The figure of the black-haired boy, who always looked a bit downcast, was nowhere to be seen in the crowd, in the Kassel procession, or even in the shadows around the dock.

Mai Shude frowned, a rare look of surprise and doubt replacing her usual composure.

"Feeding potato chips, something's not right." She whispered into the miniature microphone hidden under her collar, her voice tense. "That jerk didn't show up at the assembly point. Repeat, Lu Mingfei isn't here."

"What?!" Su Enxi's voice rang out immediately, the background keyboard clicks abruptly stopping. "Are you sure? From all angles? Could he be faking it? Or is he late?"

"I checked three times. Chu Zihang arrived, but Lu Mingfei wasn't there. Caesar and the others' reactions also indicate they didn't see him." Jiude Mai's speech quickened. "He wouldn't really back down completely, would he?"

"He couldn't possibly not have received the news that Chen Motong was trapped. I've already bought all the time slots on every TV channel in the country to report this news. He should definitely see it." Su Enxi murmured, "Could it really be that bad? She was the senior sister who made such a cool entrance back then. This loser can't possibly be indifferent."

Su Enxi was also panicking, because based on her observation and speculation about Lu Mingfei, that loser, he might really be hiding at home drinking beer and playing StarCraft, using alcohol to numb himself and escape reality!

"There's another possibility." Mai Shude put down her observation glasses, her eyes flashing, and she frowned as she said, "He might have rushed in alone to rescue people."

"Huh?" Su Enxi asked in confusion, "He's that brave?"

At this very moment, in a secluded backwater bay several kilometers away from the main pier, unnoticed by anyone...

Beneath the icy river water, a figure carrying a heavy bronze sword case, like a swimming fish, silently and resolutely dives towards a specific location on the riverbed, concealed by the turbulent currents and unique rock structures.

Lu Mingfei did not use the diving alchemy equipment from the Kassel Equipment Department, but only the simplest diving equipment. There was no fear in his eyes, only a resolute coldness.

He mustered his courage!