In another world, Lu Mingfei is learning card making.

Lu Mingfei hesitated for a moment, then gently reached out and touched it.

Its scales were incredibly smooth, hard to the touch, and slightly cool to the touch, like the finest obsidian—except unlike obsidian, this dragon was alive and could move freely.

It noticed Lu Mingfei's finger movements, so it gently rotated and offered the softer parts of its neck to Lu Mingfei's hands.

"Oh... good boy, good boy." Lu Mingfei gently stroked down its muscle lines with some force—the black dragon seemed to enjoy it very much, flapping its wings and even relaxing its entire head, nudging Lu Mingfei's knee with a forward thrust.

The senior student's expression changed upon seeing this scene:

That's not right! Why would a dragon just relax in your arms?! That's not how you deal with dragons!

You should spend time with it, strengthen your relationship, occasionally give it gifts, flatter it after a duel, comfort it when it loses, and stay with it while it's able to level up. Only then will it show you and allow you to touch its private parts.

Why did you touch its neck right away?! I don't accept that!

I spent a whole year with it before it allowed me to touch its wings!

As Lu Mingfei stroked it, he suddenly remembered that it seemed to have an owner, and thus stopped indulging in the black dragon's smooth scales.

Looking around, the street was still a chaotic scene of dueling, and that senior student—

Why is the senior student drawing circles in the corner?

……

"I'm fine, I'm really fine."

After retrieving the black dragon from her magic card, the senior student finally regained her composure—she put away the huge number floating above her head and smiled warmly, "I am Sterry, Sterry Ford, a fourth-year student at the Fool's House..."

"You're a freshman at the Knights Academy? Only freshmen would wear school uniforms in Traveler's Street."

Lu Mingfei thought for a moment, then took out the mechanical red robe that the red-robed monk had modified from his card holder and covered his gold and red school uniform.

"Yes, I am Lu Mingfei, a first-year student at the Knight Academy."

"Lu...Lu Mingfei?" Stella repeated Lu Mingfei's name in a strange tone. "Are you the son of the hero?"

Lu Mingfei nodded, watching as Stella's initial resentment slowly transformed into a sense of relief, as if to say, "That's not surprising." He asked, "I heard that the previous generation's hero had a 'dragon' spirit who was truly like him in spirit... Is that true?"

How am I supposed to find out?

Lu Mingfei turned his head away helplessly, offering no reply. In reality, while heroes of each generation are popular, not every hero becomes the absolute sensation they were before—

Often, the legends of heroes are stories like "a country boy takes a holy sword from the church, defeats a dragon that is ravaging the area, and then returns the holy sword, becoming a true paladin/ascetic/priest".

Legends of those who died in battle are few and far between, let alone those like the previous hero who fought a decisive battle against a powerful enemy, exchanging their lives for final victory, and even ushering in a new era. Such stories are extremely rare.

As a result, the legends about the previous hero have spread more and more, and become more and more exaggerated. His identity and background have changed from a country boy to a nobleman left behind by the royal family, and the elves around him have also evolved into various versions.

—These dragon spirits are the least of his worries; some even say that among his magical spirits are true deities who willingly followed him and transformed into magical cards…

It's one thing to spread rumors, but the real problem is that some people actually believe them, and some even have nothing better to do than ask him to verify them...

Lu Mingfei gave an awkward yet polite smile, not answering the question. Stella didn't press for confirmation either, treating it as a casual remark during conversation.

"So, Lu, as a freshman, you haven't joined any clubs yet, right? How about coming with me to check out our 'Dragon's Claw'?"

"Dragon's Claw? What's that for?" Lu Mingfei asked, puzzled.

Although Principal Cynthia introduced Lu Mingfei to the necessity of this "club" system, he had never actually joined a club.

If I had to choose, there are indeed many clubs that meet the criteria:

Clubs that research green spell power, clubs that research land cards, or simply clubs for certain tournaments...

After learning about the club's "background," Lu Mingfei looked around and always saw many very suitable opportunities to join the club.

—In a daze, Lu Mingfei suddenly felt like he was playing some kind of online game:

When a certain task is not unlocked, even if you walk back and forth repeatedly, the NPC will only say the same fixed lines.

These NPCs will only ask you questions if you accept the corresponding prerequisite tasks.

The difference is that in online games, the people are all virtual information, while here, those who create these barriers are real, flesh-and-blood people, and what makes up these barriers is some unspoken, shared bottom line...

Compared to these clubs, joining this "Claw of the Dragon" seems like a pretty good option?

At least this club approached us on its own initiative; a senior student introduced us and introduced us to the people in the club…

"Our Dragon Claw is a club made up of people who are fond of 'dragon-type' magical spirits. We discuss all sorts of things related to dragon spirits." Senior Stella was quite enthusiastic. "Whether it's a five-colored dragon, a metal dragon, a gem dragon, or any other kind of alien dragon, you can tell us what you like."

"We do not require attendance at club activities, and we also allow freshmen like you to 'join' – there is a club activity once a week in the 'Dragon Hall' in Area C, in the form of a salon, and you can bring whatever you like."

"Also, the 'Metal Gem' shop in Area A is also owned by the club. It's a shop that specializes in selling dragon-related materials. You can get a discount if you show your club identification."

As Lu Mingfei listened to these words, he suddenly realized a blind spot:

"So, senior, are there any 'prerequisites' for joining this club?"

Just like how dueling clubs require a street duel to accumulate 10 points, Dragon's Claw Club will certainly have its own restrictions. But judging from its name, these restrictions should be relatively simple...

"Oh, of course, I can create a Dragon Spirit Card. Any kind of dragon will do." Stella twirled her Black Dragon Spirit Card in her hand twice, holding it between her fingertips. "Let's not tell anyone about this—"

"Actually, the club won't really require you to show your Pokémon card. If you summon the dragon, as long as it's willing to come close to you and doesn't reject your touch, the club will welcome you."

"Because many people, after creating a dragon-type magical spirit, don't put it back into their spirit card, but keep it with them, even though keeping the magical spirit outside continuously consumes magic power..."