Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from Sekiro

Lu Mingfei's pupils locked onto Caesar's position. He slowly crossed his feet and paced back and forth to the side, like a wolf waiting to hunt and watch its prey make a mistake.

The audience who met his gaze felt a chill run down their spines, but Lu Mingfei wasn't looking at them at all; his eyes were only on Caesar.

Feet, legs, waist, spine, arms, hands... Caesar's every joint was in his eyes. He could judge the position and posture of the next attack from any slight movement. This was the difference in experience.

Moreover, Caesar was wearing a vest, so there was no possibility that he was hiding any weapons. There have been ninjas who wore thick clothing who would feign an attack and then throw hidden weapons from their sleeves. It was easy to be hit the first time you saw one.

In a life-or-death duel, the slightest carelessness can lead to death.

Humility, prudence, and avoiding greed are the most practical points summarized by Lu Mingfei.

Caesar was also watching him, sword in hand, focused, his body taut like steel. The standoff lasted for about ten seconds before Caesar stepped forward to break the deadlock. He charged forward swiftly, drawing his sword and slashing horizontally at Lu Mingfei's left thigh.

He had witnessed Lu Mingfei's bizarre way of deflecting knives, so he knew that a direct attack would be difficult to achieve. This move was just a test, and sure enough, he missed.

Lu Mingfei disappeared from sight immediately. Then, he felt a whistling wind above him and realized that Lu Mingfei had jumped up.

As he said, this was a duel without rules, where any move could be used. He was prepared for Lu Mingfei to dodge or block the attack, but he never expected Lu Mingfei to jump on his head.

To onlookers, Caesar suddenly charged forward, and just before swinging his sword, Lu Mingfei's feet left the ground, and he leaped high into the air.

It's hard to describe the shock. No one has ever seen such a flying man in the kendo dojo, especially jumping from a standing position. Such muscle strength is unimaginable.

He leaped straight onto Caesar's head without any unnecessary movements, not even a running start. No wonder he kept his body low and his knees bent while pacing; he had been preparing to jump all along.

Caesar immediately looked up and held his bamboo sword upright to block Lu Mingfei's attack.

Lu Mingfei lightly stepped on the bamboo sword, as if it were a dragonfly skimming the water. Caesar then felt a stiffening sensation, lost control of his body, and was unable to move!

Although it was only for a moment, when he regained control, the bamboo sword was already at his neck.

"I have lost." Caesar readily admitted defeat and threw down his bamboo sword.

He was defeated in just one move.

The whole process lasted about half a minute, but for 20 seconds they were observing each other; the real duel lasted less than three seconds.

"Thank you for your kind offer." Lu Mingfei sheathed his sword, exhaled a breath of stale air, and the pricking sensation in his back instantly disappeared.

The audience immediately erupted in a commotion, chattering amongst themselves.

Chapter 138 Exclusive Equipment Plan

Who was Caesar Gattuso?

The Gattuso family holds one of the seven seats on the board of directors and is a renowned Italian mixed-race family. Caesar is the most outstanding member of the younger generation of the Gattuso family, without exception.

Growing up in an ancient family, he studied the art of killing from a young age. The students at Kassel College were also subtly divided into ranks. At the top were the very few 'A-level' students with the highest bloodline ratings. Next were the young disciples selected from various mixed-blood families, and finally, the ordinary students recruited through interviews.

Caesar, even among all the 'A' grade elites, stands at the very top. Although Chu Zihang can compete with him in terms of bloodline, his family background is far inferior.

Among contemporary students, Caesar's overall strength is undoubtedly number one, of course, this was before Lu Mingfei enrolled.

However, this dazzling star, who had dominated the headlines since enrolling in school, was defeated in just one move.

The onlookers were utterly shocked. Compared to Lu Mingfei, who had only been enrolled for two weeks, they knew Caesar far better. Knowing Caesar's power, they found this scene truly unbelievable.

In the video of "Freedom Day," the two exchanged more than a dozen blows, and they thought they would see a thrilling duel between evenly matched opponents. They never expected it to end so easily.

Only the principal of Angers had ever done this before, and now, another one has done it.

Lu Mingfei and the principal have something in common—they are both "S-level," and it seems there is some insurmountable gap between "S-level" and "A-level."

Lu Mingfei removed the bamboo sword from Caesar's neck.

Although Caesar lost, his emotions were not greatly affected, at least not on his face.

"Want to do it again?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"No matter how many times I come, the result will be the same." Caesar said calmly, "I can't beat you now. You are very strong. Lu Mingfei is one of only two people I have ever met who I need to look up to. The other is the principal. To be honest, I am looking forward to you and the principal fighting and seeing who can stand to the end. I have experienced the principal's fighting power in the kendo class. I was defeated by him in one move and had no power to fight back at all."

"You flatter me, Senior Brother Caesar. My experience is far inferior to that of Principal Angers," Lu Mingfei said.

He wasn't being modest; Principal Angers was over 130 years old, and his life experience and combat experience were far richer than those of this 18-year-old university student.

Lu Mingfei doesn't think he's that strong; all his combat experience and skills are the result of countless hardships.

Heroes are made by the times. Anyone who has been tempered in Ashina will not be worse than him. If Caesar had gone through the same ordeal as him, he would have been even stronger.

People are not static, and never underestimate anyone. Today, Lu Mingfei can defeat Caesar in one move, but in three or five years, no one knows whether the outcome will be the same.

Don't become arrogant just because you are temporarily stronger than others; this will be your biggest enemy in moving forward.

Lu Mingfei always believed in the saying that there are always mountains beyond mountains and people beyond people, because he had been taught too many times that even a small Ashina was full of strong people. If he and Mi Niang embarked on the journey to return the Dragon's Blood, who knew how many powerful enemies they would encounter in the distant west.

In all the world, he was but a frog in a well. Even the mighty Undying Sakura Dragon fled from the west, severely wounded.

He had heard the story of Yelang's arrogance since he was a child, and he knew that if he wanted to go further, he had to maintain a humble heart.

“You remind me of someone,” Caesar said. “Menek Cassel, that genius who shone as brightly as you in his time. The young Principal of Angers was merely his foil. His life was synonymous with legend. I am very much looking forward to seeing how Lu Mingfei, an ‘S-class’, will write his own legend. Perhaps I am witnessing history right now.”

Caesar gave Lu Mingfei extremely high praise, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he had found a bit more fun in his otherwise dull life. He waved and walked out of the dojo.

The crowd parted again to make way for him, but Lu Mingfei was in trouble. Many people squeezed over to interview him about his feelings, and some girls pulled at his white shirt, asking him to sign his clothes with markers.

The title of "Lucky Prince" had already spread throughout the forum. Many lucky people boasted on the forum that they had obtained Lu Mingfei's autograph and vividly described how easy-going Lu Mingfei was, saying that he would not refuse anyone as long as you could find him.

Therefore, no one present was willing to miss this opportunity. A line of people came over, just like at an autograph session, completely surrounding the kendo dojo, while Caesar had already disappeared from sight.

As Lu Mingfei had predicted, it was indeed difficult to slip away in front of so many people. The girls called his name sweetly, looking at him with their big, watery eyes, and expectantly handed him pens.

The man gave him a thumbs up and ran over to shake his hand.

Lu Mingfei was unable to get away, but he had a sudden idea and casually called out, "Chu Zihang and Su Qian are here wearing matching outfits!"

Immediately, some people shifted their attention, and he took the opportunity to quickly lower his head, weaving through the crowd like an eel, disappearing from public view. He then made his way back to the stands, found his baseball cap and sunglasses, activated his stealth mode, and made a quick escape, leaving the stadium.

Outside the venue, Nono draped Caesar in the red student council uniform.

“See? I told you I couldn’t provoke him,” Nono said.

“Indeed, he was completely unmoved. I was much more arrogant than him when I was 18. If anyone dared to talk to me like that, I would have made sure they were bedridden for days,” Caesar said.

"You're only 20 this year."

“Every time a person goes through a major turning point, the changes are enormous. Before I was 18, I didn’t go to Kassel. Everyone around me was far inferior to me. It wasn’t until I enrolled, met you, met Chu Zihang, and met Principal Angers that I was able to let go of my pride a little.” Caesar buttoned up his clothes. “And now, I’ve met Lu Mingfei. This is another new turning point.”

"So he made you understand something."

"To paraphrase a Chinese proverb, 'Study hard and make progress every day.'" Caesar straightened his collar. "It's time to put away your playful spirit."

...

At night, Lu Mingfei went to the library.

The PowerPoint presentation that Professor Mans requested has been completed. Today is the weekend, so there's no need to go to Professor Mans's office for extra lessons. He came here because Professor Guderian informed him that he would be undergoing a physical examination tonight and would also be explaining the research on the "Fragments of the Ice Sea Scroll" to him.

With his "S-level" student card, he was able to pass through the library's access control system and enter the library's underground area.

"Verification successful, welcome, Lu Mingfei." The black magnetic card swiped through the card slot, Norma's voice came out, the closed alloy door opened, and the infrared laser scanning system granted him access.

This is a very futuristic corridor, much like the tunnels made of alloy steel plates often seen in the Gundam anime.

Professor Guderian was already waiting for him at the door.

"Hi! Lu Mingfei!" He came over and hugged him warmly. "I knew you wouldn't be late, unlike some guy who's still lying in a hospital bed and can't even get through on the phone."

"Are you ready? We're going to conduct a physical test on you today. This was originally supposed to start this weekend when you took the 3E exam, but as you know, because of Norton, many things had to be postponed. The physical tests for this year's freshmen were postponed to tomorrow. But you're different. As the only 'S-level' student in this year's class, we've decided to use more professional equipment to test you." Professor Guderian led Lu Mingfei inside.

"What do we need to do in general?" Lu Mingfei asked.

"All you need to do is run. The test itself is to analyze your muscle strength and physical fitness. Running is an exercise that requires the use of all muscle groups in the body. We will attach some electronic devices to your body later, and through these devices we can analyze your explosive power and endurance." Guderian led Lu Mingfei into the elevator, the vibration began, and the elevator began to descend.

About five seconds later, the elevator stopped, and the doors opened into a closed alloy corridor. The elevator door was engraved with the number "-8 floor" and a red mark. There was a bomb next to it, and below it was written, "Please do not panic. Hearing any explosions is normal, except for the alarm."

The soft white light illuminated the place, giving Lu Mingfei the illusion of having traveled to the future.

Professor Guderian led the way, stopping in front of an alloy door, where he verified his identity using his pupils and fingerprints, and also had to swipe his card.

“Verification successful. Welcome, Professor Guderian, interim professor,” Norma said.

"Hmph, just wait, I've already got my ticket to tenure!" Professor Guderian blew on his beard and strode inside.

Lu Mingfei followed closely behind and entered the gate. A spacious and open area came into view, about the size of a football field.

Seven or eight researchers in white coats sat in front of the equipment, adjusting it. A huge curved tempered glass dome divided the room in two. There was also a familiar face there: Professor Mans.

"This is one of the equipment department's testing sites, which we have temporarily requisitioned," Professor Guderian said. "It will be over soon and won't take up too much of your time."

"This is Professor Mans from the Equipment Department," Professor Guderian continued.

“I know Professor Mans; he teaches Level 1 of Magic Mechanical Design, and I take his class,” Lu Mingfei said.

“Look at my memory, I actually forgot.” Professor Guderian tapped his head. “Then I won’t go into too much detail. Let Professor Mans explain it to you. They’re providing the equipment for this physical test. I’m just a philologist, I can’t handle all those messy instruments.”

"Oh, by the way, Norma underground still provides us with communication services. After your physical test, just call me on your phone, and I'll come pick you up and show you around my work." Guderian glanced at his watch, then held up a phone to his ear with his thumb and pinky. "I'll be going now, remember to call me."

“Okay, take care, Professor,” Lu Mingfei said.

Professor Guderian nodded with satisfaction and patted Professor Mans on the shoulder. "Look how sensible my student is."

Mans didn't speak, watching him leave. Only after he left did he speak: "Today we're not just going to do physical tests on you. Do you remember the 'privilege' Angers mentioned to you? A free custom-made set of equipment. Everyone here, including me, is a researcher from the equipment department who will be making the equipment for you."

“Usually only graduates with an ‘A’ grade or higher are granted the right to build specialized equipment, and they must have outstanding achievements, because this would consume a lot of research resources.” Mans continued, “Since the founding of Kassel, only a handful of people have been granted permission to use the Philosopher’s Stone in specialized equipment. You are the first in nearly twenty years.”

“You may not realize how precious a 5-gram Philosopher’s Stone is. The Philosopher’s Stone alchemical bullet you used to hit Constantine only used a 2.75-gram Philosopher’s Stone. This 5-gram Philosopher’s Stone was provided by a school board member who admires you and specifically requested that you be awarded this Philosopher’s Stone.”

"The Philosopher's Stone, as a masterpiece of alchemy, has many uses, but in the war against the dragons, it is almost entirely used as a weapon. My suggestion to you is to rework your sword and transform it into a dragon-specific weapon in the style of Angers' folding knife. Of course, this is just a suggestion, and how it is used is up to you. Before we officially begin production, we will analyze your needs, and we will only start working after we have clarified your requirements."

"Generally speaking, executive specialists who are authorized to manufacture specialized equipment have unique combat styles that match their own incantations and highly professional fields, so their needs are very clear. You can first express your ideas. If you are undecided, we can conduct a physical test first. After collecting your physical data, our designers will provide you with several options, from which you can choose one."

Lu Mingfei nodded. No wonder he was asked to take the physical test alone; that's why.

It seems that Kassel is quite proficient in this process: first, conduct requirements analysis, then work through the business process diagram, and only start work after clarifying the requirements, so as to avoid the final product not being what the client wants.

Professor Guderian seems unaware of this, which is understandable; given his big mouth, he would surely boast about it everywhere if he knew.

A freshman who has only been enrolled for two weeks can actually obtain super rare exclusive equipment, and even a 5-gram Philosopher's Stone. What do those specialists who have worked hard on the front lines think?

Who wouldn't want a custom-made set of equipment? After all, an extra piece of equipment means an extra layer of protection for your life.

Moreover, Lu Mingfei did indeed want something. He had been missing his grappling hook for a long time. With the grappling hook on his hand that could be launched and retracted at will, he could immediately transform into Spider-Man and swing between skyscrapers in New York like Peter Parker.

Lu Mingfei then gave Professor Mans a general description of his thoughts.

“With the Philosopher’s Stone, it is theoretically possible to do so,” Professor Mans said, stroking his chin. “However, the kind of movement you described requires too much in terms of the operator’s nerve reflexes and experience. Without long-term training, the grappling hook cannot even hit the target. I think it would take at least six months of professional training to reach the level you described, and that’s under undisturbed conditions. It would be even more difficult to use in actual combat.”