Dragon Raja: Reboot

"If you drank the cola I stole, you owe me a favor. Help me out more often in the future," Xia Mi said.

The three people were dragging their luggage out.

Lu Mingfei patted his chest and assured him, "Of course! Your senior brother will definitely take care of you. Who else would he take care of if not you?"

He deliberately lagged behind, watching his senior brother and junior sister walk side by side, and squinted as he looked up.

The weather is great today, the sun is blazing, and the warm sunshine makes people feel lazy.

At this juncture, everything has yet to officially begin, yet it has already slowly unfolded along its predetermined path.

He stands here, at a pivotal point in his destiny, and is determined to use power and violence to force the goddess of fate to reverse the predetermined future.

So-called destiny is always something you have to take into your own hands!

……

……

In a room at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Lu Mingfei lounged lazily on the sofa, his right leg crossed over his left, his posture extremely carefree.

This famous hotel is located on the banks of the Chicago River, where you can see white cruise ships slowly passing by on the water, with an enthusiastic, portly black tour guide on the bow describing the city's golden age to a group of foreign tourists.

"Senior brother, another day of freedom is coming soon, isn't it?" Lu Mingfei asked casually, constantly switching channels.

Time flies, and it's another year of new students starting their studies. Naturally, we can't miss Kassel College's fine tradition of "Free Day".

As someone who successfully debuted from "Freedom Day" and reached the peak of his career immediately, Lu Mingfei expressed great concern about this.

"Yes, Professor Manstein is already preparing for Freedom Day. It's said to be very strict this year, declaring that we can forget about getting any more Frigga bullets," Chu Zihang said, looking down.

He was standing against the wall, flipping through an ancient book with annotations on the Jade Record, a reference book for "Level 3 Alchemy Chemistry".

The so-called "Emerald Book" is a book inscribed on emerald tablets around 1900 BC. The author claims to be Hermes, one of the triune gods in Egyptian mythology. It is one of the oldest surviving alchemical texts, consisting of only 13 sentences, yet containing all the truths of alchemy. Professors at Kassel College, however, believe it is actually a fragment of a dragon's tome.

Lu Mingfei glanced at the book cover and lost interest.

The ultimate alchemy is also the ultimate power of the dragon race. Its essence is to control the elements of heaven and earth with one's own will, thereby rewriting the rules.

Humans can learn parts from ancient books, but they can never grasp their essence, because the most precious and essential part is passed down only through bloodlines and cannot be learned.

"But Professor Manstein claims this every year, doesn't he?"

"Yes, most people at the school, except for Professor Manstein, really enjoy a free day, including some professors and the equipment department."

"Poor Professor Manstein, he's been ostracized."

"It wasn't so much about exclusion, but the post-war expenses were a huge burden every year, and Professor Manstein was in charge of the school's accounts; everyone had their own responsibilities."

"I understand, she's such a busybody!"

"Hmm... that's not wrong either."

"Senior, will you be participating in Freedom Day this year?"

Upon hearing this question, Chu Zihang looked up and pondered for a moment before replying, "If nothing unexpected happens, it will still be divided into the student council and the Lionheart Society. What, junior brother, do you also want to join?"

He thought to himself, "If you, junior brother, are also going to participate, then Lionheart Society should just vote for us this year. It's not shameful."

Lu Mingfei paused for a moment, recalling a day of freedom he experienced during his sophomore year of college in his previous life.

What was I doing at that time?

Oh...it seems I was dragged by Finn to go drinking with the paparazzi from the news department.

It has to be said that the guys in the news department are all talented. They are witty and humorous, and each one of them can do the work of two people. The only problem is that when it comes to paying the bill, they all get drunk faster than the last.

"I probably won't participate," Lu Mingfei said awkwardly.

"That's good..." Chu Zihang said, then lowered his head again to study the ancient book.

The sound of running water came from next door; Xia Mi was taking a shower in the bathroom.

They were supposed to be in two separate rooms, but the lovely junior sister said she already felt bad about her senior brother paying for it, and that it would be too much of a favor to share a room with him. She preferred to camp in the park instead.

And so, the pleasant days of sharing an apartment suddenly began.

"Ascend from the earth to the heavens, and descend from the heavens, gaining power over both. In this way, one can obtain the glory of the world and escape darkness and ignorance."

Chu Zihang read aloud two obscure lines from the "Jade Record" while casually making notes.

Lu Mingfei picked at his ear, pretending not to hear.

If it were last time, he wouldn't have felt anything, he would just think that his senior brother had something wrong with his head. His pretty junior sister was taking a shower next door, but he was holding a boring reference book and studying for more than half an hour. With this kind of meditation skill, he really deserves to be called a poor monk and a noble young master!

But if his senior kept nagging him about what happened on the highway, then there's something wrong.

Is he testing himself?

My senior is so cute.

The thought that his senior brother hadn't said a word to him about what happened on the highway, remaining as silent as a block of wood, made Lu Mingfei chuckle softly.

My senior brother is still the same; he's always incredibly loyal and righteous.

"What's wrong?" Chu Zihang looked up at his junior brother, who was hugging a cushion and grinning foolishly, and asked blankly.

"Ahem, I thought of something funny and couldn't help it," Lu Mingfei cleared his throat and said seriously.

"Your Chinese translation is missing a subject. In the context, Newton's 'it' refers to the 'unique miracle' or 'the One' he mentioned earlier. This sentence can also be translated as 'The One rises from the earth into the sky and then descends back to the ground, thus absorbing the power of the upper and lower realms. In this way, you will possess the glory of the entire world and be far removed from ignorance.'"

Xia Mi came out of the bathroom, drying her long hair with a bath towel.

"The key is what exactly 'it' refers to, and I believe it refers to spirit."

"If 'Taiyi' refers to the spirit, then the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm refer to the different spiritual worlds of dragons and humans?" Chu Zihang pondered for a long time before raising his head and beginning to discuss with his junior sister in a very academic tone.

This was truly an unexpected bonus.

He originally wanted to try to get something out of his junior brother, but to his surprise, his junior brother didn't react much. Instead, his junior sister, whom he had just met, started playing a question-and-answer game with him, and the communication was smooth and the thinking was clear.

"You can also interpret it this way: it describes a process of human evolution into dragons and achieving self-fulfillment. Perhaps hybrids can attempt to enter the spiritual realm of dragons and then return to the human world, thereby gaining complete power."

"Is it possible for humans to evolve into dragons?" Chu Zihang asked doubtfully.

Of course you can. Odin, your mortal enemy, is a perfect example.

Lu Mingfei lazily shifted his position and lay sprawled on the sofa, inwardly complaining.

"Some researchers of the medieval Jade Book once believed that it was a work falsely attributed to God, but the author was 'infinitely close to God' and 'stole God's laws.' Because he feared that these laws would be understood by ordinary people, he used secret language," Xia Mi said slowly.

"Sacrificial bodies in ancient Egypt?"

"Yes, the Ritual script was only known to priests. Arabic replaced Egyptian as the common language of Egypt in the 7th century AD, so the Ritual script is very difficult to decipher. The Newton translation you're using is probably full of errors..."

The junior sister cleared her throat, her expression knowing but saying nothing.

"Yes. The deciphering of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs began with Champollion, a Frenchman during the Napoleonic era," Chu Zihang nodded.

"Yes, imagine what symbol would be used to represent the god's name 'Hermes' in a ritual document?"

Chu Zihang pondered for a moment, "Animals. Most Egyptian gods have animal symbols. They appear in murals as human-bodied animals with animal heads. They also particularly worship birds, such as eagles, with Hermes as the messenger god. His symbol is very likely some kind of bird."

"Yes, in the translation of hieroglyphs, once a mark that is difficult to explain appears, it is often translated as the name of a god or some kind of totem..."

"You mean the original translator might have translated a certain mark as 'Hermes' because they didn't understand the full text of the Ritual, thus assuming that Hermes was the author of this book, when the original text didn't actually mean that? I understand!"

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but start banging his head against the sofa.

He thought to himself, "Senior brother, what do you know? Can't you see that your junior sister is guiding you?"

Moreover, it's a trick that mixes truth with falsehood!

Chu Zihang was surprised to find that his junior brother had started banging his head against the sofa.

Are you just too bored?

"Yes, the Emerald Tablet is considered the work of Hermes because the translation begins by saying, 'I saw an emerald tablet with writing on it, written from between the hands of Hermes. From there I discovered the following words…'. However, this translation may be entirely wrong. When the jade tablet still existed, 'Hermes' was merely a bird-shaped emblem on it, which may not have represented Hermes. Later translators may have interpreted it as Hermes because Hermes, as a god, was a special being, a symbol of mischief and messenger. So, interpreting a bird-shaped symbol representing a god as Hermes, suggesting that the book's secret came from a divine messenger, simply sounds plausible."

"No, the possibility of a translation error is not high. You're right, ancient Egyptian is a dead language, but the jade tablets inscribed with the Emerald Tablet were discovered in the 13th century BC. At that time, there were still many priests in Egypt who understood ritualistic practices. During the height of medieval alchemy, the Emerald Tablet had translations in various languages, some of which must have been based on earlier translations. Newton's translation appeared much later, but he must have consulted various translations before finally arriving at his ideal translation. If the name of Hermes might be a translation error, it's unlikely that Newton wouldn't have noticed it with his knowledge. He lived much earlier than us, and alchemy had far more surviving examples from that time," Chu Zihang said confidently. "The author is undoubtedly 'Hermes.'"

"Hmm...you make a good point...you're really strong, senior brother." Xia Mi rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the ceiling in thought.

Chu Zihang took out his iPad and began retrieving documents from the main library, and the guest room fell silent instantly.

Lu Mingfei rolled over and covered his face with his hands.

Hey, junior sister, what are you thinking about?

Are you lonely?

Or should I think about how to fool my lame senior brother next?

As expected of you, your acting skills are as good as ever, just as mischievous and clever as they were back then.

"I've got it!" Xia Mi suddenly exclaimed, "There's another way to interpret it! It means the author of the *Jade Record* wasn't a pure-blooded dragon!"

"I've thought of that too," Chu Zihang said, "Hermes' identity..."

Xia Mi jumped up and high-fived Chu Zihang, "That's right! Hermes' identity!"

"Hermes was an Egyptian pharaoh before he was called a god. However, because Egyptian history lacks a clear chronology, it is impossible to determine when and where he served as pharaoh. He lived in physical form for 300 years before comprehending the truth and becoming a god. Another explanation is that Hermes was not a pure-blooded dragon, but a hybrid!"

"His long life is due to his bloodline. What he comprehended in 300 years was not some kind of truth, but a way to overcome the differences in bloodlines. He can purify his bloodline and become a pure-blooded dragon! So the Jade Record tells the story of..."

Chu Zihang was unusually excited!

"How does a hybrid evolve into a pure-blooded dragon?!" Xia Mi shouted, her face flushed with excitement.

"So you're saying there really is a possibility..." Chu Zihang's voice lowered.

Lu Mingfei watched with a kind and gentle expression as Dragon King Xia carefully guided his senior brother.

You've worked so hard, junior sister. It must have been very difficult for you to guide your senior brother to this point.

Are you trying to turn your senior brother into a pure-blooded dragon so you can fly together?

But compared to the fantastical image of two dragons soaring through the sky together, I still want to see you walking hand in hand on the fine sand, amidst the rising tide.

If you're worried about the sun being too strong at the beach, I know someone who sells sunscreen. Do you need me to introduce you? That guy is my future brother-in-law, we're all family!

Lu Mingfei suddenly sighed.

It's actually quite ridiculous when you think about it.

This is a world dominated by humans, but this room contains everything except pure humans.

There is the world's greatest monster, a little female dragon at the level of a dragon king, and a hybrid that will approach the power of a dragon king in the future.

This world is truly absurd.

He turned his head to look out the window. Boats were coming and going on the Chicago River, and The Simpsons was being replayed on TV. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting shimmering light on the lake. He lay on the sofa, while two people who were destined to fall in love in the future were having an enthusiastic discussion about serious academic issues...

How many of these little moments of beauty have I missed in the past?

Such leisurely and enjoyable afternoons are never too long; the longer the better, and may they never end.

So, Lu Mingfei... this time, please don't regret it again.

He said it softly to himself.

……

Chu Zihang looked up from his conversation with his junior sister and looked at his junior brother. He found his junior brother sitting on the sofa, hugging a cushion, tilting his head to look at the lake outside the window.

His silhouette was bathed in a soft sunlight, conveying not loneliness or desolation, but rather a sense of the rising sun.

Many years later, when Chu Zihang happened to recall that afternoon, he realized that from that day on, his junior brother had been prepared to save the world alone and fight against fate...