RNP Chapter 51 Dragon Invasion
Chapter 51 Dragon Invasion
Inside the Golden Curtain: The Future World, October 5th, 11:20 PM
The dinner at Amber House officially ended at 11:00 PM.
Guests departed in twos and threes, the lingering sweetness of champagne still present, mingling with the rich aroma of roses and the aftertaste of cigars, drifting slowly in the cool autumn night breeze. Streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow on the cobblestone path, casting long shadows of the sycamore trees, like silent guardians.
Lu Mingfei and Nuonuo walked along the path back to their dormitory.
Fingel had slipped away halfway through the banquet—in his words, "to rush out the manuscript and release tonight's exclusive news." Lu Mingfei suspected he was just going to tally up how much the "borrowed" lobster and caviar could fetch.
Without Fingel's banter, the atmosphere between the two became somewhat awkward.
Lu Mingfei's palms were still sweating—not from nervousness, but from an inexplicable flutter of excitement. Nuonuo's hand was still holding his, naturally, as if they had always walked like this. Her fingers were slender and cool, but her palm was warm, a touch that made Lu Mingfei's heart race.
He stole a glance at her.
In the darkness, Nuonuo's profile was hazy and beautiful under the streetlights. She had changed from her purple suit into a simple white shirt and jeans, her long red hair loosely draped over her shoulders, a few strands blowing in the evening breeze, brushing against her fair cheeks. Her expression was calm, even somewhat languid, but her eyes, reflecting the streetlights, flickered with a deep emotion that Lu Mingfei couldn't decipher.
"What are you looking at?" Nono suddenly turned her head and raised an eyebrow at him.
Lu Mingfei hurriedly looked away, his face flushing again: "N-nothing..."
Nono smiled, didn't ask any more questions, and just squeezed his hand tighter.
The two continued walking forward.
The path was quiet, save for their footsteps and the distant chirping of insects. Kassel's nights are always like this, ancient and serene, as if time flows exceptionally slowly here. If it weren't for the knowledge about dragons, the dangerous training, and the ever-present missions, this place would almost be an ivory tower isolated from the world.
But Lu Mingfei knew that was just an appearance.
His experience in the Bronze City taught him that beneath the calm surface, turbulent undercurrents were brewing.
"Tonight..." Lu Mingfei hesitated before speaking, "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Nono asked.
"Thank you for bringing me here," Lu Mingfei said. "And thank you for... wearing purple."
Nono was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "That's right. Caesar and I need a proper ending. Not just for him, but also for myself."
She paused, then added:
"I don't want to start a new relationship with a past in my heart."
Lu Mingfei's heart skipped a beat.
A new relationship.
Her relationship with him.
Although he had successfully confessed his feelings in the hospital room, and although they had already gone through a one-month "trial period," it wasn't until this moment, until Nuonuo herself uttered the words "new feelings," that Lu Mingfei truly felt it was real.
He really is with Nuonuo.
Even if it's only for one month.
Even if it's just a "trial period".
But this girl with fiery red hair, breathtakingly beautiful, and once seemed unattainable to him, is now holding his hand and walking beside him.
It felt like a dream.
A dream he dared not wake up from.
"Nono," Lu Mingfei stopped and looked at her, his voice a little dry, "I..."
What does he want to say?
I want to say, "I will cherish you," I want to say, "I will not let you down," I want to say, "Even if my privileges expire in a month, I will continue to work hard until you truly like me."
But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single one.
He's so clumsy.
So clumsy that he can't even express his feelings.
Nono stopped and turned to look at him. The streetlights shone from behind her, casting a soft halo around her. She tilted her head, her expression a half-smile, as if waiting for him to continue.
"I..." Lu Mingfei hesitated for a long time before finally managing to utter only one sentence, "I will try my best."
Nono paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Silly boy." She reached out and ruffled his hair again—this seemed to have become a habitual gesture of hers. "You've already tried your best."
Lu Mingfei felt the warmth above his head, smelled her faint fragrance, and looked at her smiling face so close to his. Suddenly, he felt that... maybe being a little clumsy was okay.
At least, she understands.
At least, she was smiling.
This is enough.
Just as the two were about to continue walking forward—
A sudden change occurred.
The roar of motorcycles could be heard in the distance.
Not just one vehicle, but a swarm. The roar of engines ripped through the night's tranquility, approaching from afar like the howl of a wild beast. The sound originated from the outskirts of the academy, but was rapidly closing in, at an astonishing speed.
Lu Mingfei and Nuonuo turned their heads at the same time to look in the direction from which the sound came.
Then they saw it.
Outside the academy's walls, a dozen blinding headlights pierced the darkness. Those were modified heavy motorcycles, their bodies painted in menacing patterns, the riders dressed in black leather jackets and skull helmets, appearing like ghosts in the night.
They broke through the college walls.
It didn't just crash through; it... it just "passed right through" it.
The wall was no match for them; the motorcycles sped through the stone wall unscathed, rushing into the campus and leaving deep tire tracks on the lawn. The riders' movements were perfectly synchronized, clearly the result of professional training—no, not training, but something far more sinister.
Because Lu Mingfei saw it.
As the motorcycles passed through the wall, a faint, dark golden halo appeared on the riders.
That's... the power of words?
"Alarm! Alarm!"
Norma—the artificial intelligence system at Kassel College—suddenly rang out with a cold, urgent voice throughout the campus.
"Unauthorized intrusion detected! Energy reaction confirmed—Dragon bloodline! Repeat, Dragon bloodline intrusion!"
"All students, proceed to the shelter immediately! Execution team members, take your positions!"
"Intruder's target—the ice cellar! Repeat, the intruder's target is the ice cellar!"
Lu Mingfei was stunned.
Dragon invasion?
icehouse?
Isn't that where the Academy stores highly dangerous items? The urn containing the bones of Constantine, the Bronze and Fire Lord, is right there!
These people... no, these hybrids, or even dragons—their target is the bone vial!
"Damn it!" Nono cursed under her breath, pulling Lu Mingfei aside. "Let's go! It's not safe here!"
But Lu Mingfei did not move.
He stared blankly as the motorcycles recklessly sped through the campus, ignoring all obstacles and heading straight for the clock tower—the entrance to the ice cellar was beneath it.
He saw several students rush out upon hearing the alarm, attempting to stop the motorcycles, but they were easily knocked away. He saw the executive officers arrive from all directions, and gunshots rang out, but the bullets hitting the riders only sparked with dark golden light, as if hitting steel.
This is not an ordinary intrusion.
This was a premeditated, professional, and targeted attack.
"Lu Mingfei! What are you daydreaming about!" Nuonuo pulled him forcefully.
Lu Mingfei came to his senses, but still didn't move.
"They..." His voice trembled, "They want to steal Constantine's urn..."
"That's the Executive Department's business!" Nono snapped. "Going there now is suicide! Those people have very high blood purity, at least Grade A, and they've clearly come prepared!"
She's right.
Lu Mingfei knew.
He was just a freshman, and although he held an S-rank title, his combat experience was practically zero. In Bronze City, he survived only through his reckless madness and Lu Mingze's guidance. Now, facing so many enemies, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder.
but……
He looked in the direction of the clock tower.