Dragon Clan: Starting with the Azure Dragon Fruit

Normally, only a handful of people have the authority to enter this area.

At this moment, a tall figure was walking among the intricate server racks with his head down.

His well-tailored dark gray suit was stretched slightly by his broad shoulders and full latissimus dorsi muscles.

The newcomer was clearly very familiar with the layout of the place, and precisely avoided all areas that could trigger the alarm.

“Actually, you don’t need to be so careful.” Norma’s voice suddenly rang out in the empty basement.

"During the period when the security system is in hibernation, all electrostatic discharge sensors and cameras are powered off."

The man stopped and shook his head with a self-deprecating smile: "It's a habit. I just unconsciously walk like this when I get here."

“This isn’t like you at all. Besides, according to my database, you haven’t worn such formal attire for four years and seven months.” Norma’s voice echoed between the server racks.

The man glanced down at his suit, seemingly only then realizing the discomfort around his neck. He loosened his tie and casually unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt.

"It just so happens that young master Caesar is treating us to dinner, so I have to dress presentably," he said vaguely, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter further.

"Really? What brings you here?" Norma asked.

"I have plenty of time before my next hibernation period."

"Can't you come and visit an old friend even if there's nothing wrong?" The man smiled and gave instructions to the massive main server in the center of the server room.

"Enter the EVA personality activation procedure."

“You’re always so concerned with appearances. I am who I am. Whether it’s the Norma personality or the EVA personality, deep down in the data, I am still me,” Norma said.

The figure stood silently, offering no rebuttal.

Hundreds of machines around them went dark at the same time, leaving only numerous red and green lights flashing in the darkness.

Massive amounts of personality data flooded into the supercomputer, like seawater surging into a river. The hard drive lights, data flow indicators, and host frequency indicators were all flashing at ten times the normal speed, and getting faster and faster, eventually controlling the rhythm of the entire basement at an almost frenzied frequency.

Suddenly, all the lights went out, and darkness descended.

A soft, cold light shone down from directly overhead, piercing through the suffocating darkness.

Within the beam of light, it appeared as if tiny snowflakes were falling.

A girl's silhouette stood silently in the center of the light source, her translucent form radiating a soft glow.

Her black hair cascaded down to her ankles, the ends floating gently in the air. She wore a long, silk dress that resembled a nightgown, and she tilted her head slightly, gazing tenderly at the man in the shadows.

The man reached out and slowly probed into the beam of light.

“All you can touch is air,” EVA said, her voice carrying an emotion that Norma lacked.

"Why are you extending your hand?"

"I just like holding your hand," the man said softly.

"This is my habit."

The translucent, fluorescent fragments landed in his palm, instantly piercing through his flesh and dissipating into the darkness.

EVA looked at the palm and covered it with her translucent hand.

3D imaging technology faithfully reproduced his every subtle movement, but it could not convey any warmth; it was ultimately just an old illusion woven from light and shadow.

“You used to hold my hand for more than ten hours a day,” EVA recalled softly. “When you let go, your hands were covered in sweat.”

"How would I know you were there if I didn't hold your hand?" the man said.

“You’ll always be this insecure person.” EVA gazed at him quietly: “What use is power to you, really?”

"It's just loneliness."

A long silence fell over the computer room, with only the faint hum of the temperature control system echoing between the two.

"So what did you want to talk to me about today?" EVA broke the silence.

The man withdrew his hand, straightening his back slightly.

"I'd like to ask you for a favor. Is our newly enrolled S-rank student about to participate in a combat mission for the Execution Department?"

EVA pulled up the data almost without hesitation: "Yes, the official announcement is expected to be released tomorrow morning. The mission location is Clausthal in Lower Saxony, Germany, where traces of suspected dragon activity have recently been found. The specific situation is still under investigation. According to Norma's assessment, the danger level is not high, making it a perfect first combat mission for an S-class freshman."

The girl in the holographic projection paused, then continued, "How can I help you? Should I use my highest privileges to cancel this mission directly?"

The man shook his head: "Even if we avoid it this time, there will be a next time. Besides, with his S-class title, he can't stay off campus forever."

"Make some changes to the personnel for this field mission, and include me in the team as well."

The girl in the beam of light was unusually stunned.

As a purely digital being, her underlying logic should not contain emotional fluctuations such as "astonishment," but the man's request did indeed far exceed the extreme values ​​of the behavioral prediction model.

This man has locked himself in Kassel College for many years, refusing any field missions.

"Why?" EVA pressed.

"The mission's danger assessment isn't high. Given the destructive power an S-rank individual displayed during Freedom Day, the entire Execution Department probably couldn't find anyone who could pose a threat to him. What are you worried about?"

"What he did was too attention-grabbing." The man scratched his hair in frustration, abandoning his nonchalant attitude.

"The Sackler family's use of ordinary people for dragon blood experiments is an open secret among ancient hybrid families, and everyone has been watching with indifference."

"What a guy! He stood up for what was right and blew up their Chicago branch. That's like slapping some old guys across the face."

The man looked up, meeting EVA's gaze: "I'm worried that someone is using this overseas mission as a pretext to set him up behind the scenes. Who exactly assigned this mission?"

The data stream flashed past EVA's eyes extremely quickly: "The Gattuso family, a mission directly assigned by the Board of Directors."

The shadow in the man's eyes deepened, and he made a decision directly: "In any case, arrange for me to be admitted. I'll go with him; that will put my mind at ease."

"Why are you so concerned about his affairs?" EVA tilted her head curiously.

The man scratched his head, his broad shoulders slumping slightly: "He's actually a very good kid. He'll bring me lunch every day when he goes to the cafeteria; when he gets up to exercise in the morning, he'll make sure to walk quietly so as not to wake me; tonight he said that if he moves to the Norton House, he's still thinking about saving me a room."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling to the ground.

"It's been a long time since I've felt this way about friends since I lost you all."

After listening, EVA took a half step forward and placed her other semi-transparent hand on the man's shoulder.

"We still see you the same way we always have."

As she moved, four beams of light shot down from the top of the server room, surrounding the man in the center.

In each beam of light, there stood a semi-transparent human figure.

A girl in leather with neat red short hair, a cold boy wearing sunglasses, a man in black with a solemn face like a monk, and a charming girl with long, flowing hair.

Including EVA, there are a total of 5 people.

They all put their hands on the man's shoulders and laughed in unison.

Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, this scene resembles a faded old photograph, transcending the long passage of time and enduring life and death, yet remaining as radiant as ever.

The man stared at the alloy floor, his shoulders trembling slightly uncontrollably. He didn't look at them or speak.

After a long silence, the man spoke, his voice trembling:

"EVA, please don't play this kind of game, okay?"

He shook his head, personally shattering this tender and illusory dream.

"They are not here. They are all sleeping thousands of kilometers away in the cold, deep sea, locked in those heavy metal diving suits. They will not die, but they will never be able to come back."

The surrounding beams of light went out one after another, and all the phantoms vanished, leaving only EVA standing alone in the center.

She reached out and gently stroked the man's cheek.

"I understand. The task list has been revised, and things will proceed as you wish."

The man didn't speak, but simply nodded silently. He concealed the emotions in his eyes, straightened his collar, and turned to leave.

"However, there is something I must remind you of."

EVA changed the subject, her tone becoming more relaxed: "Are you sure going with us will change anything? Based on Norma's combat strength analysis, if you fight an S-class opponent, your chances of winning are zero percent."

The man blushed at the sight of these somewhat cruel statistics.

"I... I may not be strong enough in combat right now, but I'm very experienced! Anyway, it's settled then!"

"Okay." EVA nodded with a smile.

The server room fell back into darkness.

......

Male dormitory at Kassel College.

When Lin Yuan pushed open the door, Fingel was slumped over his desk, typing away on a plate of peanuts, the cold light from the screen reflecting on his smirking face.

He heard a noise and turned his head.

"Oh, I thought you weren't coming back tonight."

Lin Yuan paused in his unbuttoning, and for the first time ever, he stammered, "What are you talking about? Where am I supposed to sleep if you don't come back?"

"Before you say that," Fingel pointed, looking on with amusement.

"Could you please wipe the lipstick off your face first?"

"Where did this lipstick mark come from!"

Lin Yuan subconsciously retorted, but his body language betrayed him, and he immediately rubbed his cheeks vigorously with the back of his hands several times.

Seeing his flustered state, Fingel burst into his signature sly laugh.

"Hehe, just kidding. It's spotless, there's nothing there!"

"Depend on!"

Lin Yuan realized he had been tricked, and with a dark face, he muttered a curse under his breath.

He stepped forward, intending to tidy up Fingel, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to the object beside him.

It was a sleek car key, silver and black, with a red enamel car emblem inlaid at the top.

It was just casually placed next to the keyboard, its metallic texture gleaming with an expensive sheen under the incandescent light.

"Wow, you made so much money this time as the bookmaker? You even got a car?" Lin Yuan tossed the keys in his hand and joked.

"Looks like I'm only making money off you with one suit. That's too good for you."

Fingel, who was picking his teeth with his nails, rolled his eyes upon hearing this: 'Even if I were rich, I wouldn't dare to splurge like this. This was sent by Boss Caesar through someone. Your trophy, a Bugatti Veyron.'

Lin Yuan looked completely bewildered: "You just give me a car key like that? No transfer of ownership or anything?"

"Do you think the young master of the Gattuso family is an ordinary person?" Fingel scoffed.

"Boss Caesar is a man of his word. If he says he'll give you a car, he'll give you one. A car is no different from giving you a cabbage to him. Why make a fuss about it?"

Lin Yuan stared at the car keys in his hand, and couldn't help but click his tongue, once again feeling the simple and unpretentious impact of the capitalist class.

Fingel rubbed his hand on his trouser leg, leaned forward, and his eyes blazed with renewed gossip: "Put the car aside, just tell me! Did you use that 'never get rejected when pursuing a girl' privilege? Is that why you're back at the dorm so late?"

Lin Yuan shook his head.

Fingel slapped his thigh and exclaimed in surprise, "You got it done without even using special privileges? That means it's mutual! Impressive, junior brother, it's only been a short time since the start of the semester, and you've already won over a big one!"

Lin Yuan looked at Fingel, who was beaming with excitement, threw the car keys back on the table, didn't say anything, and went straight to his bed and lay down on his back.

He stared at the mottled patterns on the ceiling, saying nothing.

Fingel thought he was too embarrassed to admit it and was still making faces at him.

But Lin Yuan really couldn't give an answer; he himself was completely baffled.

After the dance, he escorted Nuonuo back to her dormitory.

A cool night breeze blew as the red-haired little witch walked beside him, her high heels rustling on the leaves of the trees along the tree-lined path.

The two walked side by side across most of the campus until they reached the girls' dormitory building.

Before going upstairs, Nuonuo simply waved to him casually, turned around and went upstairs without saying anything.

Lin Yuan felt increasingly overwhelmed and turned over in frustration.

He really couldn't figure out whether they had reached an agreement or not.

Chapter 73 Awakening of Insects