Dragon Raja: A Look Back at Lu Mingfei's Legendary Life

"Fight against... the dragons?" Lu Mingfei's voice was a little dry. "Do they really exist?"

"They not only exist, but have always been hidden in the shadows of human history." Professor Schneider opened his eyes, his gray eyes gleaming coldly in the dim light of the car. "Behind every major transformation, every war and disaster in the history of human civilization, there is the shadow of the dragons. And we, the hybrids—the offspring of dragons and humans—are the only force capable of fighting against them."

Mixed-race.

Lu Mingfei had heard this word several times today. He looked down at his hands, imagining that some of the blood flowing beneath his skin was not human.

What did that feel like? Was it glory, or a curse?

"My parents..." he asked softly, "were they also of mixed race?"

"Yes," Professor Schneider said. "Professor Lu Lincheng and Ms. Qiao Weini are both of exceptionally fine mixed-race lineage. Especially your mother, her bloodline purity... is very high."

Very tall. This word is used with great meaning.

Lu Mingfei wanted to ask something more, but the car suddenly slowed down and then turned. He looked out the window and saw that they had entered a somewhat dilapidated area. Old brick buildings, dim streetlights, garbage bags piled up on the streets, and occasionally a homeless person huddled in a corner.

"Where is this?" he asked.

"South Side of Chicago," Ye Sheng said. "The old train station we're going to is right here. Don't worry, it's very safe."

Safety? Looking out the window at the shadowy alleyways, Lu Mingfei simply couldn't reconcile the word with his surroundings.

Three Cadillacs stopped in front of a building that looked like an abandoned warehouse. The building was large, with vines climbing the brick walls, several windows boarded up, and the neon sign at the entrance was long gone, with only the words "Chicago Railway Station" barely legible.

"We're here." Ye Sheng opened the car door. "Get out, we need to walk for a bit."

Lu Mingfei got out of the car. The night air was even cooler, and he instinctively hugged his arms tighter. Nuonuo got out of the car in front of him, walked over, and naturally took off her leather jacket and handed it to him: "Put this on, it's cold in Chicago at night."

Lu Mingfei was stunned: "Then you..."

"I'm not afraid of the cold." Without waiting for a reply, Nono draped her jacket over his shoulders. "Let's go, don't dawdle."

The leather jacket still carried Nuonuo's body heat and faint fragrance. Lu Mingfei wrapped the jacket tighter around himself, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He stole a glance at Nuonuo; she was only wearing that red sleeveless dress, yet she stood straight in the night wind, as if she truly felt no cold.

Professor Schneider glanced at his watch: "Perfect timing. Ye Sheng, Ya Ji, you two lead the way. Nuonuo, you stay with Lu Mingfei. I'll bring up the rear."

The group entered the abandoned train station.

The interior appeared even more dilapidated than the exterior. Cobwebs covered the high dome, a thick layer of dust clung to the marble floors, wooden benches lay askew, and the ticket window glass was long since shattered. Only a few emergency lights cast a pale, almost imperceptible glow, barely illuminating the way ahead.

Lu Mingfei followed behind Nuonuo, carefully avoiding the debris on the ground. The air was filled with the smells of mildew and rust, as well as some kind of... indescribable fishy odor.

"Is this really a train station?" he asked Nono in a low voice. "It looks like it's been abandoned for a long time."

"It appears to be abandoned," Nono said, "but in reality, this is the dedicated platform for the CC1000 train. Only people from Kassel know how to get in."

"CC1000 times?" Lu Mingfei recalled the "special means of transportation" mentioned in the admission letter.

"The Kassel College's special train runs only once a week, specifically for students and faculty," Nono explained. "Because the college's location... is rather unique, and it's inaccessible by regular transportation."

"Where is the academy?"

You'll know when you get there.

They walked through the empty hall and headed down a narrow passage. The passage was narrow, the steps were badly worn, and the walls were covered with peeling posters. Lu Mingfei felt as if they were heading towards the center of the earth; the deeper they went, the damper and colder the air became.

Finally, the steps came to an end, and a bright and open view opened up before us.

This is an underground platform.

In stark contrast to the abandoned scene above, this platform is clean, tidy, and bright. The walls are covered in beige marble, the floor is gleaming granite, and vintage gas chandeliers overhead emit a warm, soft light. Several leather sofas and coffee tables are placed on the platform, giving it the appearance of a high-end waiting room.

The most striking feature is the track—not ordinary train rails, but a special metal with a dark golden sheen, shimmering mysteriously under the lights. The track stretches into the depths of the dark tunnel, its end nowhere in sight.

"Wait here," Professor Schneider said. "The train will arrive in ten minutes."

Lu Mingfei sat down on the sofa, with Nuonuo sitting next to him. Ye Sheng and Yaqi stood guard at the edge of the platform, while Professor Schneider walked to an old-fashioned telephone booth, picked up the receiver, and whispered something.

The waiting time was quiet, with only the faint sound of dripping water in the distance.

Lu Mingfei looked at the train timetable hanging on the opposite wall—it was all blank except for the bottom line which read: "CC1000, departure time: as it may."

Whatever happens, happens? What kind of time is this?

He wanted to ask, but seeing that Nono was also looking at the timetable with a slight smile on her lips, he didn't speak.

Just then, footsteps came from the passageway.

Disorganized, sluggish, and accompanied by humming—a distorted rendition of "Auld Lang Syne."

Everyone became alert. Ye Sheng and Aki simultaneously placed their hands on the holsters at their waists, Professor Schneider turned around, and Nono also frowned.

Only Lu Mingfei remained sitting there, still bewildered.

The footsteps grew closer, and then a figure swayed as it walked out of the passage.

He was a blond man, looking to be in his twenties, but he was as slovenly as a homeless man. His blond hair was greasy and plastered to his scalp, his beard was unkempt, his face was filthy, and his clothes were tattered—a T-shirt whose original color was indistinguishable, jeans with holes in the knees, and flip-flops on his feet.

He was carrying a crumpled paper bag, which appeared to contain hamburgers and cola. He was humming a tune and swaying as he walked, looking just like a drunkard.

But when he saw the people on the platform, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Especially when I saw Lu Mingfei.

"Freshman!" he yelled, rushing over in three strides at a speed that belied his drunkenness. "You're a freshman, aren't you! You're obviously a freshman!"

Lu Mingfei shrank back in fright, but Nono stood in front of him, saying, "Finger, stay away from him."

The man called Finger stopped in front of Nono and said with a grin, "Oh, Junior Sister Nono is here too. Don't worry, I'm just saying hello, nothing else."

His gaze swept past Nuonuo and fixed directly on Lu Mingfei: "Junior, is this your first time in Kassel? Are you nervous? Scared? Do you think the people here are all strange?"

Lu Mingfei didn't know what to say, so he could only nod.

"That's right!" Fingel slapped his thigh. "Let me tell you, Kassel is a concentration camp for weirdos! But don't worry, with your senior brother here, I guarantee you..."

"Fingal," Professor Schneider interrupted him coldly, "stay away from the freshmen."

Fingel turned to Schneider, showing no fear whatsoever, and smiled even more broadly: "Oh, Professor Schneider is here too. Long time no see! How have you been? Hope your asthma hasn't flared up?"

Professor Schneider's expression grew even colder.