Dragon Raja: Reboot

"Wait a moment, senior, I need to go to the academic affairs office to hand in something."

Lu Mingfei unceremoniously shoved the backpack into Fingel's arms.

"The academic affairs office? Are you going to fill out the application for the supplementary exam?"

"No, no, no!" Lu Mingfei raised a finger and gently waved it. His right hand slowly reached into the inside pocket of his clothes, and with the solemnity of drawing a dragon-slaying sword to command the world, he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. "I have this!"

Watching his junior brother proudly waving that crumpled piece of paper in the sunlight, Fingel couldn't help but ask, "What's that?"

"The principal granted special permission for exemption from entrance exams!"

Fingel was shocked: "Isn't this a special authorization from the principal? I heard that old guy has hardly ever used it in his life! Good heavens! And you still say you're not the principal's illegitimate son!"

Lu Mingfei kindly reminded him, "Two thousand."

"Hahaha, just kidding!" Fingel laughed heartily, chuckling. "Junior brother, with your handsome looks, how could the headmaster possibly have given birth to you!"

"Senior brother has a keen eye for talent!"

"My junior brother stands out from the crowd!"

"Thank you for your understanding." ×2

The fellow disciples clasped their hands in greeting, creating an atmosphere of perfect harmony.

After saying goodbye to his senior, Lu Mingfei walked alone in the empty and long corridor of the teaching building.

"Knock knock." He stood in front of the registrar's office and gently knocked on the door.

"Come in." A deep, calm voice came from inside.

Lu Mingfei opened the door and went inside, only to find that the disciplinary committee member Manstein and the head of the executive department, Schneider, were sitting inside.

He was very familiar with these two people, but this one referred to his previous life.

In the previous world, when the world fell, the students who survived in Kassel fought tenaciously under the leadership of these two and established an underground base.

"Sit down," Schneider said calmly, as if he had known for some time that Lu Mingfei would be coming.

Lu Mingfei handed over a note and said, "I won't sit down. I'm here to submit my exemption certificate."

Schneider and Manstein, who was standing by the window, exchanged glances, then Schneider turned back and said in a deep voice:

"We already know that. You've passed the two courses you failed last semester, but we'd like to ask you a few questions."

Lu Mingfei thought to himself that something was wrong; these two old guys were the most suspicious.

Especially the former, they had dealt with each other quite a bit in their previous life.

He sighed and sat down in the spot that the other person had prepared for him.

Schneider leaned forward, staring into Lu Mingfei's eyes, and said in a low voice, "You're famous now."

Lu Mingfei looked completely bewildered.

What's with this unusual and unique opening line?

This is not like you at all!

Shouldn't you have thrown out a trump card right from the start to deflate my arrogance?

Schneider pushed the tablet in front of him towards Lu Mingfei. "If you don't mind, you can take a look."

Lu Mingfei readily agreed and tapped the play button in the center of the screen.

A dimly lit video then played.

This is a video shot from an extremely high vantage point. Except for the beginning of the video, there is no sound, making it seem like a silent film.

……

"Now we will be filming the 'Qing Dynasty Qianlong Period Famille Rose Gourd-Shaped Vase with Auspicious Longevity Design,' a piece of porcelain from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty that represents the pinnacle of porcelain-making craftsmanship at that time..."

……

Lu Mingfei recognized the content of the video immediately.

"There are surveillance cameras in places like this?" Lu Mingfei looked up in surprise.

Schneider slowly shook his head and said, "This was a secret, targeted auction, and Sotheby's is the best auction house, so of course there wouldn't be any surveillance. Someone secretly filmed it behind the auction house's back and then uploaded it to a secret forum. Now, all the mixed-blood families and powers in the world know about your existence, and they know that a top-tier bloodline has been born at Kassel College. That's why I say you're famous."

Lu Mingfei touched his nose and said, "It doesn't sound like a good thing."

"It's a good thing, and it's not a good thing," Manstein suddenly said from the window. "Reputation is a double-edged sword; it all depends on how you handle it."

"Handle?" Lu Mingfei pondered the word.

"Yes, handle it." Manstein slowly walked behind Lu Mingfei. "It will earn you everyone's respect, but it will also attract the provocation of those who dare not submit. As long as you can perfectly handle all the challenges and prove that this is what you deserve, you will step into the upper echelons of the hybrid race in one fell swoop."

Lu Mingfei shrugged and shook his head, saying, "But all I want to do after graduation is play games with my wife, bask in the sun, and occasionally go on group trips with my friends."

Manstein frowned and looked at Schneider.

Schneider said calmly, "Mingfei, you've mastered the trick to igniting the Golden Eyes, haven't you?"

Lu Mingfei nodded and said, "The principal taught me that."

Manstein couldn't help but ask, "When did the principal teach you that?"

"In the car," Lu Feiming paused, then added, "pre-mission training."

"You mean, on the way to the auction when the principal picked you up?" Schneider's gaze was deep.

"Yes!" Lu Mingfei replied decisively and calmly, showing no fear that the two of them would go to the principal to verify.

"In just that short time in the car, you ignited a golden eye powerful enough to overwhelm hundreds of mixed-race elites?" Manstein stared intently at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei helplessly spread his hands and said, "I was already late and was planning to sneak in, but I accidentally made a noise. Hundreds of people were looking at me. The scene was unbelievable. I saw hundreds of green... no, golden eyes like light bulbs staring at me. I was almost scared to death. In a moment of panic, I activated my Golden Eyes. As for overpowering or anything, I don't know what happened."

Manstein frowned, exchanged glances with Schneider, and slowly walked from behind Lu Mingfei to Schneider's side.

"Mingfei, would you mind letting me see your golden eyes?" Schneider asked gently.

"Of course I don't mind," Lu Mingfei scratched his head, "but I can't guarantee it will light."

"It's alright, just do your best." Schneider forced an ugly smile onto his devilish face.

Lu Mingfei closed his eyes, placed his index fingers on his temples, and began to exert his power, his whole body trembling.

Manstein's eye twitched, and he thought to himself, "Are you playing the role of Piccolo the Great Demon King?"

The clock on the wall ticked away, minute by minute.

Manstein gradually lost patience.

Only Schneider remained calmly watching Lu Mingfei.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and said calmly, "Mingfei, the school recently has a special subsidy for students with outstanding bloodlines. If they can ignite their Golden Eyes, they can be exempted from one subject test."

"It's here! I can feel it!" Lu Mingfei's voice was rapid and hoarse. He suddenly shouted and opened his eyes abruptly.

A pair of dull golden eyes appeared before the two professors.

Lu Mingfei raised his hand to wipe the sweat that he had forced out of his forehead, and sighed, "It was so difficult, holding it in...it's exhausting!"

Schneider stared silently into Lu Mingfei's golden eyes, a golden light flashing in his gaze.

After a long pause, he nodded: "Thank you for your cooperation, Mingfei. You just need to attend my Dragon Genealogy class on time next semester."

Lu Mingfei beamed with joy and said shyly, "I can't accept this, Professor!"

Schneider suddenly asked, "Mingfei, are you interested in interning in the Executive Department?"

Manstein, standing behind him, suddenly changed color, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back, his brows furrowed.

Lu Mingfei scratched his head and said tactfully, "Isn't it too early now? I'm only a sophomore this year."

"Chu Zihang also started his formal internship in the Executive Department in his sophomore year, and now he is the ace of the Executive Department. I have high hopes for you, and I think you can also become an ace," Schneider said with a forced smile.

Lu Mingfei was flattered: "Oh, oh, oh! Thank you so much for your consideration, Professor!"

"It's not just me who thinks highly of you; Chu Zihang also recommended you to me, which is why I made up my mind to let you participate in an internship in your sophomore year."

Lu Mingfei gasped. "You senior brother, you actually plotted against your dearest junior brother!"

"How's it going? I happen to have a B-level mission recently. It involves going to the UK to help a local preparatory class take the 3E exam ahead of schedule, and then picking up a book while I'm at it."

Lu Mingfei was taken aback and subconsciously asked, "Where did you mean?"

Schneider repeated "Britain," though it sounded odd, he didn't think much of it and assumed the young man hadn't heard him clearly.

"...What are the mission rewards?" Lu Mingfei asked after a moment of silence, as if discussing a reasonable price.

"One subject exempt from examination." Schneider seems to have mastered the method of motivating students.

"Serving the school is my duty!" Lu Mingfei said solemnly, dedicating his heart to the school.

"Then it's settled. Norma will send you the details of the mission. You can go back now."

After Lu Mingfei walked out of the office.

"Why did you decide at the last minute to have Lu Mingfei participate in the Executive Department's mission?" Manstein asked coldly. "Did you know Lu Mingfei would be coming, so you deliberately made an excuse to send Guderian away?"

"Yes," Schneider said frankly.

Manstein angrily retorted, "Why keep it from Guderian? Lu Mingfei is his student; he has the right to know!"

"If Guderian were here, he would have made a huge fuss and rejected my invitation immediately," Schneider sighed and said with a wry smile. "That guy treats Lu Mingfei like a treasure."

Mainstein said expressionlessly, "Lu Mingfei is his hope for tenure, so of course he cherishes him. You haven't answered my first question yet."

"Okay, I want to see what he's capable of," Schneider said honestly.

"ability?"

"Yes, his true abilities. You should have noticed that he was hiding something from us just now, like an iceberg, with only one-tenth, or even one-hundredth, of the surface visible."

"Yes, he deliberately concealed his golden eyes." After a brief silence, Manstein said in a low voice.

"In the video, he simply raised his head and looked around, and everyone was forced to lower their heads, as if some supreme and noble being had descended, and how could the subjects dare to look directly at His glory? That would be usurpation, and usurpers should die! But just now, his golden eyes were dull and lifeless, and even we could look directly at them."

Schneider emphasized, "The last sentence is biased. Those who participated in the auction were indeed elites from all sides, but their lineage is not necessarily superior to ours."

Manstein glared at him and said, "Is this the time to discuss this?"

"Okay, back to the point. He hid his lineage from us, which proves that he either doesn't trust us or doesn't want to cause trouble," Schneider shrugged. "I think it's the latter. You can tell by looking at his report card and daily routine. This kid is a genius, but also a lazy genius. He has no interest in studying and just wants to coast through life like his roommate Fingel."

Manstein rubbed his forehead and said, "Genius? I remember you didn't say that about him before. You said you suspected he might not even have any bloodline at all."

"That's because he hid it too well before. You've seen his previous report cards; the word 'disastrous' doesn't even begin to describe it. Dragon blood bestows upon us wisdom and strength far beyond that of ordinary people, but none of this is reflected in him. He doesn't even have the power of words. It wasn't until this video was shown to me that I believed the principal's evaluation of him was fair."

Schneider said helplessly,

"Bloodline doesn't lie, and the ignited golden eyes are even more so. His ability to ignite his golden eyes already proves his bloodline, and his ability to subdue hundreds of people present confirms that his S-rank rating is well-deserved!"

"How can you expect me to believe that a mixed-race person with excellent bloodlines is a good-for-nothing? I can only say he's a lazy genius. He failed his courses because he had no interest in studying, and he's been mediocre for so many years... Damn it, maybe Guderian was right about one thing: this is a kid who knows how to protect himself!"

Manstein said in a low voice, "But why would he choose to protect himself?"

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Maybe it's because of the Blood Sorrow?" Schneider shook his head. "Who knows? Anyway, it's not important. What's important is that he has shown unparalleled bloodline. As the head of the executive department, I have to see where this kid's limits are."

Manstein stared into his eyes and said earnestly, "Didn't you ever doubt Lu Mingfei?"

"Suspicion?" Schneider sneered. "Suspicion of Lu Mingfei is the same as suspecting the principal. Are you suspecting the principal?"

Manstein was speechless. "Of course not!"

"That settles it! Lu Mingfei was personally recruited by the principal, and he was also the one who evaluated him. The principal was also present at this auction. Tell me, what grounds or reasons do I have to doubt Lu Mingfei?"

Manstein sighed, "Well, I misunderstood."

Schneider suddenly said, "The only thing I'm curious about now is why the principal appointed Guderian as Lu Mingfei's teacher."

"Don't look down on Guderian," Manstein said unhappily. "Although he hasn't been promoted to tenure yet, he was a tenured professor at Harvard before, and one of his students is already a Nobel Prize candidate in Physics."

Schneider sneered, "Are the examples you gave later really directly related to him?"

"Uh..." Manstein was really embarrassed to continue.

He remained silent for a long while before saying, "Don't underestimate him. Do you know what his Word of Power is?"

Schneider frowned. "I've heard him mention it before; it's some kind of ability to comprehensively enhance brain function."

"No, he's hiding it from you. It's related to our past experiences," Manstein said in a low voice. "His Words of Power are the keys that can open all the doors in this world, perhaps... even the most hidden doors, like potential. Of course, this is just a hopeful expectation, but the principal's choice of Guderian as Lu Mingfei's teacher may well have had this intention in mind."

Schneider was stunned.

"Furthermore, you underestimate Guderian," Manstein said calmly. "He has only taken on two students so far, the last one being Fingel, you shouldn't have forgotten that name."

Schneider's pupils contracted sharply, and he took a deep breath, a sound like a devil's.

"Of course! I'll never forget that name in my life!" Schneider said in a hoarse voice.

"Do you know what they say about this era? Two stars shining brightly: your student Chu Zihang and Caesar of the Gattuso family are the two brightest stars in the school."

Manstein paused for a moment, then continued,

"Of course, once this video is circulated, the school's power structure will evolve into a three-way standoff."

"But before this generation, it was Fingel's era!"

"He was the brightest sun of his era, the sole leader, and the undisputed No. 1!"

"He's even more arrogant than Caesar is now, and more powerful than your student Chu Zihang! Your student is constantly on the verge of going berserk, while he doesn't have any issues with his bloodline going out of control! His only flaw is that he's too arrogant!"

"In his era, there were figures who were no less remarkable than Caesar, but without exception, they were all overshadowed by him, like the sun shining brightly in the sky, leaving no room for the stars and moon to shine."

"Do you remember that girl? The girl my father chose as his student?"

Schneider said hoarsely, "Of course I remember. She was beautiful. Sometimes I dream of them sitting at the bow of the ship, turning to smile at me."

"My father only made an exception and accepted one student in all those years at the school, and that was that girl. Even when the Gattuso family begged him, he still didn't accept Caesar as his disciple," Manstein said in a low voice.

"Yes, her talent and aptitude surpass even Caesar's and Chu Zihang's, but she's not good at combat," Schneider agreed.

"It's not that she's bad at fighting, it's just that compared to Chu Zihang, whose Word of Power is Monarch's Flame, hers is Heavenly Evolution!" Manstein said indifferently, "Do you know what Norma's war personality is based on?"

Schneider looked at Manstein in shock once again.

"It's this girl! You didn't bring her back alive back then. It was my father who came out of the attic and used his supreme alchemy to transfer part of the girl's consciousness, or rather, her soul, into Norma's core."

Manstein whispered a startling fact.

"Alchemy...can it really do this?!" Schneider's voice was hoarse.

"I don't know either. All I know is that the old man did it and paid a huge price for it, all for his only student."

Manstein said calmly, then stared coldly at Schneider.

"Back then, you took the brilliant Fingel away from Guderian, but only brought back an F-rank character with impaired mental abilities. In a sense, you owed Guderian!"

"Now you want to take Lu Mingfei away from him. I ask you, can you guarantee Lu Mingfei's safety?"

Schneider remained silent for a long time, then said wearily in a low voice, "I don't know, but I will send Chu Zihang along."