Dragon Clan: Starting with the Azure Dragon Fruit

"These are actually basic common sense in hybrid societies. Professor Guderian will explain them in detail in his 'Dragon Genealogy' class when school officially starts in a few days. You can just listen to his rambling."

"Since you're free anyway, why don't you give me a brief overview? I'm quite curious." Lin Yuan leaned back in his chair, adopting an attitude of listening attentively.

For the sake of this roasted pork knuckle, Fingel cleared his throat: "Then let me give you a brief overview. In the history of the dragon race, there has only ever been the supreme Black King, and the four monarchs he created. Oh, right, there was also the White King who launched a rebellion and was eventually nailed to the bronze pillar in the icy sea."

"Going down the line, almost all the current hybrids are descendants of the four monarchs, and the monarchs' positions will never be replaced." Fingelton paused, then continued his explanation.

"After the Black King died, these four monarchs actually continued to walk among humans. They could be reborn repeatedly by forming cocoons. Over the long years, they used this method to leave various incarnations in myths and history around the world."

Lin Yuan stroked his chin, slowly digesting this grand world-building concept.

He couldn't help but recall the chaotic scene of freshmen dancing wildly in the examination hall earlier. He felt that this system of dividing factions entirely based on bloodline was somewhat reminiscent of the sect divisions in fantasy novels.

"So the whole campus is full of mixed-race people, and they all trace their lineage back to these four?"

Lin Yuan followed this line of thought and then felt something was strange.

"After so many years of reproduction, countless dynasties have risen and fallen. Since everyone is a descendant of the four great monarchs, how does the academy usually determine which lineage one's bloodline originates from? It can't be that they draw blood and test DNA one by one, can it?"

"What kind of DNA test are you talking about? We're looking at the attributes of the Word of Power," Fingel mumbled, taking another big bite of pork knuckle.

"The four monarchs each wield power over different elements. Their corresponding titles are King of Bronze and Fire, King of Earth and Mountain, King of Ocean and Water, and King of Sky and Wind. The manifestation of the hybrid's power of words is the most direct proof of their bloodline origin."

Fingel naturally used Lin Yuan as an example: "Take your Word of Power Thunder Pool, for example, from a genealogical perspective, its bloodline origin is undoubtedly inherited from the 'King of Sky and Wind'."

Lin Yuan nodded, showing no particular reaction to the so-called source of the 'King of Sky and Wind,' since the lightning power originated from the Azure Dragon Fruit.

On the contrary, it was Fingel who just mentioned the King of the Earth and the Mountains.

For some reason, when he heard those words, a faint sense of familiarity welled up in his chest, as if something deep within his consciousness had been gently stirred.

This feeling came abruptly and without any reason. Lin Yuan frowned, then dismissed this vague feeling from his mind and didn't delve into it further.

......

Two days later, on the eve of the official start of the semester at Kassel College.

The results of the 3E exam were published on the campus website, and the college officially notified Lin Yuan that his bloodline rating had been upgraded to S level.

In addition to the student card's overdraft limit being multiplied several times, more importantly, as long as you don't fail any courses at the end of your first year, you can receive a scholarship of up to $36,000.

Fingel shoved his laptop against Lin Lianyuan early in the morning, the screen displaying a prominent red announcement.

Lin Yuan sat in the chair, his emotions completely calm.

With his Observation Haki that covered the entire exam room without any blind spots, and the ability to synthesize big data, this result was entirely within his expectations.

As noon approached, the college held its usual welcome lunch for the new students.

Lin Yuan had hoped to take this opportunity to indulge in a delicious meal at the upscale restaurant on the second floor, but when he arrived, he discovered that the so-called luncheon was still being held in the familiar lobby on the first floor. On the long dining table were the same old free grilled sausages and pork knuckles.

This wasn't a place for a meal; it was purely a social occasion for these freshmen to get to know each other.

As an S-class character who had reappeared after more than a decade, Lin Yuan unsurprisingly became the biggest focus of the entire event.

Everyone understands the significance of S-class in this hierarchical mixed-race society.

The previous S-class principal of Angers had been a leading figure of the Peruvian Party for nearly a century.

Therefore, in the eyes of the vast majority of people, as long as Lin Yuan can grow up smoothly, he will undoubtedly be the next leader of the Secret Party.

Naturally, the freshmen, eager to make an early impression, swarmed around him with their trays, completely surrounding him.

As a consequence of being the center of attention, Lin Yuan was holding a plate of cold pasta, which he hadn't even had a chance to eat.

Forced to maintain a polite, fake smile amidst various perfumes and hairspray scents, constantly shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with people.

Even with everyone's enthusiasm, Lin Yuan didn't remember many names.

He already has trouble recognizing foreigners, and the long string of difficult-to-pronounce English names only made him more dizzy and confused.

After a round of social engagements, he only remembered two people.

One of them is Susie, a short-haired girl from China.

The other was a blond, blue-eyed French boy.

When the other person introduced himself as "Lancelot," Lin Yuan's DNA as a veteran Moon Fan from his previous life instantly kicked in, and he reflexively etched the face of this "Knight of the Lake" into his mind.

I finally managed to squeeze out of the group of enthusiastic foreign students under the pretext of getting a drink.

Lin Yuan, holding the plate, took a breath and, through the gaps in the crowd, saw Chu Zihang, who was also surrounded by a huge crowd, at the other end of the hall.

This newly crowned A-grade handsome guy was also the focus of the entire event, but his treatment was completely different from others; he was surrounded by girls with shining eyes.

Meanwhile, Young Master Chu, at the center of the vortex, maintained his unwavering, expressionless face, nodding mechanically from time to time.

After finally enduring the chaotic luncheon, Lin Yuan seized the opportunity as the crowd dispersed and decisively slipped out through the back door of the cafeteria.

Once you step onto a quiet, tree-lined path, the noisy voices and pungent perfumes are finally gone.

Lin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and slowly walked towards the dormitory along the stone path.

Lin Yuan hadn't walked far when he saw a towering man standing under the shade of a tree by the roadside. His thick arms stretched his dark green school uniform taut.

He strode up to Lin Yuan, extended his large hand, and spoke in a heavily accented Russian accent: "Sergei Vorentsov, President of the Lionheart Society."

Lin Yuan stopped and shook hands with the other person: "Lin Yuan."

Sergei, true to the straightforward style of the Russian people, didn't mince words: "I made a special trip back to the academy to recruit you into the Lionheart Society."

Before Lin Yuan could even exchange pleasantries, the current president offered an irresistible deal: "I can promise you that if you join the Lionheart Society, you will be the new president after I graduate next year."

Lin Yuan was genuinely surprised. He looked the bear-like man up and down: "Just because I'm an S-rank, and this is our first meeting, you're so willing to hand over the entire Lionheart Society to me?"

"Hahahaha!" Sergei let out a hearty laugh, which made the leaves rustle.

"I have complete faith in my eyes; I can't be wrong about you."

Looking into the other person's open and honest eyes, and recalling Professor Schneider's instructions from a while ago...

I really had no reason to refuse, so I stopped being coy and readily agreed.

"Okay, I'll join."

Chapter 68 A Day of Freedom

"Temujin, the Great Khan of the Mongols, died in 1227 AD. The black madness that swept across Eurasia came to an end."

"In the 30 years prior, that noble first god, one of the four kings, the king of the sky and the wind, raised an army at the source of the Onon River. His hooves shattered the fortified cities on the banks of the Danube. He descended with supreme majesty, bestowing unstoppable fear and death."

He said he wanted to let the grass grow again on every piece of land trampled by horses' hooves!

"In the era when the dragons ruled the world, the grasslands of Central Asia were his hunting grounds. His 'Hall of Long Wind' is where he will reclaim the lands that have been nailed to the grounds by human city-states, summon the bloodline that dwells in the sky, and rebuild the order that belongs to him."

Guderian paused, as if lamenting the tyrant's end: "However, he died on his wedding night, with the Western Xia empress who accompanied him into the tent holding a dagger forged from the Philosopher's Stone. No one knows how that slash pierced his dragon scales, just as no one knows whether this supreme ruler, in his dying moments, thought of the boy galloping on horseback by the Onon River, or of some majestic city in the East that withstood his iron hooves."

Guderian's narrative is so epic that it felt as if the students around him were transported into that era of war and conquest.

Except for Lin Yuan.

He sat in the back row by the window, resting his chin on his hand, half asleep.

It's been a full month since I enrolled in Kassel.

Lin Yuan originally thought that such a violent organization dedicated to training dragon-slaying talents should have daily courses that were mostly related to combat, or at the very least, teach everyone how to better control their spiritual power.

Who would have thought that the daily schedule would be filled with theoretical courses like "Ancient Norse," "Dragon Family Genealogy," and "Dragon Lineage Theory," which rely entirely on rote memorization?

Take this course, "Dragon Genealogy," for example. The thick textbook has only one central idea from beginning to end: humans did not fight against nature for millions of years before gradually learning to use tools and fire. Rather, it was the dragons who taught humans, who were their servants, these skills.

Moreover, Attila the Hun was a dragon, so his army marched straight to the gates of Rome, and he was called the Scourge of God by the entire Christian world; the emperors of China called themselves the Sons of Heaven, which was not an empty title. From the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, all those who sat on that throne and ruled an era had dragon blood flowing in their veins.

Although Professor Guderian had already explained most of the facts on the CC1000 express train.

But after a month of classes, Lin Yuan found it utterly absurd that countless well-known emperors and historical figures had been forcibly given the titles of "Ancient Dragon" or "Hybrid Dragon."

But despite the nonsense, Lin Yuan still didn't dare to be careless about his daily homework.

After all, one of the prerequisites for receiving that $36,000 scholarship is that you can't fail any courses in your freshman year.

Upon thinking of this, Lin Yuan turned his head to the side.

Diagonally in front of him, Chu Zihang stood ramrod straight, copying down the various points of knowledge Professor Guderian had taught, making them look like printed text.

It was because of this top student classmate that Lin Yuan dared to openly daydream in class.

However, this month was not entirely fruitless.

For example, the "Alchemy Chemistry" course taught personally by the vice principal.

This was probably the only knowledge that could interest him in this school that emphasized academics over physical skills.

In Lin Yuan's opinion, the combat abilities of hybrids were nothing special, but they possessed a magical power called "alchemy," which was quite ingenious.

That is the foundational technology tree of the entire dragon civilization, ranking alongside the Word of Power as one of the two pillars of the dragon race.

Before the development of modern science, the alchemy and incantations of the dragon race were the source of all miracles.

In Lin Yuan's understanding, this thing had nothing to do with the chemical experiments conducted in test tubes and beakers in the real world.

It is closer to using the so-called fifth element, "spirit," combined with the catalysis of dragon runes, to change the underlying physical rules of the world.

The book describes a core process that uses a specific flame to kill metal, thereby removing impurities and completely changing the properties of a weapon.

Only metal that has undergone this process can bear another pinnacle technique that Lin Yuan envies, giving the metal 'life'.

Alchemy masters can seal souls into reborn swords, creating divine weapons with their own consciousness.

When Lin Yuan first saw this description, his eyes lit up. Wasn't this the divine weapon with a spirit in fantasy cultivation novels?

Who wouldn't want to desperately possess a weapon imbued with a spirit?

"Alright. That concludes today's lesson." Professor Guderian, having finally finished expressing his admiration for the ancient dragon king, tapped the blackboard, drawing Lin Yuan's thoughts back to the classroom.

"Next week's assignment is for everyone to write a short essay on the topic 'Whether Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall to resist the resurgence of the northern dragon race.' Please hand it in to my office before class on Monday!"

Upon hearing that the assignment was a short paper, the audience erupted in groans.

Professor Guderian seemed to have anticipated this reaction, and even seemed to enjoy it.

He slowly and methodically tidied up his lesson plan before looking up and adding with a smile:

"But don't be too discouraged. Just a reminder that tomorrow is the annual 'Freedom Day,' so have a great weekend!"

The lecture hall, which had been shrouded in gloom, suddenly erupted in cheers. The deafening applause nearly blew the windows off.

Lin Yuan frowned, startled by the sudden sound.

He never expected that people would be so enthusiastic about the event.

Before he could recover from the deafening cheers, hundreds of eyes turned to look at him.

Those eyes revealed excitement, anticipation, and an undisguised fighting spirit.

After all, the rumors about 'S-class freshmen dominating the field on Freedom Day' had been circulating wildly on the Night Watchers forum for the past month.

Even Chu Zihang, who was tidying up his notes, stopped what he was doing and glanced at him.

Looking at this group of people who were as enthusiastic as if they had been injected with stimulants, Lin Yuan sighed helplessly, stuffed the book into his backpack, and got up from his seat.

Avoiding the noisy crowds, Lin Yuan strolled back to dormitory 303 along the tree-lined path.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard Fingel's hurried, low voice from inside.

"Oh, so what if he's S-rank? S-rank is still a person. I live in the same room with him every day, how could I not know? He's just a complete bookworm. Every day when he comes back to the dorm, he just does his homework. He doesn't even dare to look at a girl's legs. He doesn't look like a bastard at all."

“Besides,” Fingel said, slapping his thigh in anguish.

"His current odds of winning the championship are 1 to 0.01. If you bet a thousand dollars, even if you win, you'll only make ten dollars. That's not even enough to buy a roasted pork knuckle from the cafeteria. What are you trying to achieve?"

In fact, Fingel was sweating with anxiety. After all, no one knew better than him how terrifying Lin Yuan's strength was. If everyone was betting on S-rank, how would they make money?

To save his own money, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and try to convince everyone: "Take my advice, broaden your horizons. You could try betting on that freshman named Chu Zihang. He's an A-level student, excels in all practical classes, and also comes from a mysterious Eastern power! The odds are a whopping 1 to 15. You could turn your life around in this one bet! Place your bet now!"

Chapter 69: Was your ancestor really Lancelot?

The morning sun shone through the clouds and onto the square in front of the Kassel College's combat training hall.

For today's "Freedom Day" competition, the school's administrative department worked overnight to set up a temporary viewing area outside the venue.

A huge main screen hangs in the center of the square, surrounded by more than a dozen sub-screens.

Inside the combat training hall, there are more than a dozen enclosed and independent combat zones, including a Japanese kendo hall, a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) ring, and more.