Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

……

As dawn broke, Fuma Yuichiro began patrolling the boundaries of the restricted area.

He was a member of the Fuuma family, possessing neither dangerous blood nor outstanding enough to be selected for the ninja team. Like most mediocre half-species members of the Snake-Headed Eight Clans, he grew up in a family-sponsored school and, after graduation, was not selected as an exchange student for the legendary Kassel College, but instead directly participated in the family's work.

Aside from needing to submit a bloodline danger assessment report to his family when he gets married, his life is no different from that of an ordinary person. Word magic is neither dangerous nor cool, and after losing his job, he might not even be able to become a magician.

Thanks to the head of the family's appreciation, he was assigned to work in the headquarters' security department after the "turmoil" incident last month, and he even got to see the handsome head of the family, Mr. Genji Chisei, who was just as rumored.

He is now on the edge of this forest on the outskirts of the city because of an order issued by the patriarch a few hours ago. All the armed forces of the clan have received this order to establish a cordon in this area to defend against dangerous dragon-blooded creatures that may appear in the forest.

Compared to the ninja group and the main clan's elite, the forest border guarded by Yuichiro's guard unit is of lower importance and is located in a sparsely populated area. According to textbooks, the bloodthirsty dragon subspecies tend to find prey through their sense of smell and hearing, and they are more likely to appear on routes close to the city.

Even so, Yuichiro dared not slacken in the slightest, for to be lazy would be to betray the kindness of his family. He walked along the edge of the path, which was cordoned off, carrying an assault rifle that could be fired at any time or used to launch signal grenades.

Several tens of minutes before sunrise, the morning mist in the forest was like a thin veil covering the trees. When the sunlight shone directly on them, the tiny water droplets condensing in the air would turn back into invisible water vapor in just a few minutes. It was a privilege to witness such a fleeting beauty.

Fuma Yuichiro's mood gradually eased. He was not a person who liked sports and was ridiculed as a bookworm in his school days. However, since having his daughter, he has developed the habit of getting up early every day to go for a run with her. However, he has been busy with family affairs recently and has not been home for a long time. He has been eating and sleeping in the temporary accommodation arranged by his family.

The strange noise in the woods pulled him back from his reverie. He raised his gun, aimed at the source of the sound, and silently prayed that it was just an ordinary wild animal.

A figure emerged, a young man dressed in a black trench coat similar to those worn by executive officers, but without any identification markings.

"Don't move!" Yuichiro shouted. After the young man stopped, he immediately whispered into the walkie-talkie about the suspicious person he had spotted.

The young man shrugged. "Hello, Mr. Fuma Yuichiro, I am the special executive officer of Kassel College. Please don't get agitated. I'm here to check on the situation."

"Do you... have any identification?" Yuichiro was still uneasy.

The young man nodded, took out a photo ID from his pocket, and showed it to Yuichiro.

"I was not notified and did not know that your school's personnel would be coming." Yuichiro put away his gun, but did not turn off the safety.

"The intelligence we provided led us to seal off this forest." The young man moved closer, a pack of cigarettes appearing in his hand. He pulled one out and offered it to Yuichiro. "Would it be convenient for us to travel together for a while?"

Yuichiro hesitated for a moment, then, after hearing the confirmation of his identity through his earpiece, he felt relieved and accepted the cigarette from the Kassel College executive. "Are you Chinese?"

"Not bad." The young man snapped his fingers, and a small flame ignited on the cigarette butt.

Yuichiro took the cigarette in surprise. "Is this your Word of Power? Your bloodline must be very high, right?"

“Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t be an executive officer.” The young man and Yuichiro continued along the patrol route. “I remember your Word of Power in the file is Dream Weaver?”

Yuichiro was now completely convinced of the young man's identity. Any Word of Power capable of creating flames was a dangerous one, and such a person would not need to disguise himself to kill him. When the other party mentioned Word of Power, he felt somewhat disappointed. "Yes, I can soothe the other party's emotions through the power of verbal suggestion, but the effect is very poor, far less powerful than Hypnos."

"Word of Power: Hypnos... You have an older brother in the Fuuma family's prison, right? His Word of Power is Hypnos." The young man mentioned it as if it were unintentional.

Fuma Yuichiro felt a chill run down his spine, his relaxed mood tightening again as he realized that this was the other party's true purpose.

He had long heard about the complicated situation between his family and Kassel College. This guy who called himself an executive officer might be an agent sent by Kassel College to collect information on the family's dangerous hybrids. If his reply was inappropriate, it might cause trouble for the family.

Chapter 232 The Whereabouts of Kazama Ruri

"Don't be nervous, I've seen your brother," the young man reassured her. "I know more than you do, there's no need for me to pry your information. Do you remember what your brother looks like?"

“I don’t remember.” Yuichiro said with some doubt. “The family’s selection process is very reasonable and strict. He was taken away when he was young.”

“But he still remembers you. He said your childhood dream was to be a psychologist.” The young man exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a smile, “But now you are a soldier, and he is a prisoner.”

Yuichiro immediately became alert. "There's nothing we can do about it."

To his surprise, the young man didn't argue further. Instead, he stopped in his tracks. "Indeed, there's nothing we can do about it, but dreams are always beautiful, aren't they? If there were no bloodlines and no enemies, what do you think your future and your brother's would be like?"

Yuichiro remained silent; he was beginning to think that the guy in front of him was mentally unstable.

"Please report this to your superiors and make sure the intelligence reaches Genjiro. Tell him that Lu Mingfei has entered the forest. Please strengthen the existing security perimeter and do not enter rashly no matter what you observe." The young man said no more. He stubbed out his cigarette, patted Yuichiro on the shoulder, and walked straight into the forest.

Fuma Yuichiro was still reeling from the shock of the name "Lu Mingfei," a figure who was almost as famous as the head of the family, right in front of him... So young! It was hard to imagine what kind of education could allow someone to grow to such an age. That was the only thought in his mind.

Only after Lu Mingfei's figure disappeared into the misty forest did he realize what was happening and call out into the walkie-talkie, "Reporting, Captain, there's important intelligence."

For some reason, the fog seemed to have thickened, and the sun was slow to rise.

After finishing his report, Fuma Yuichiro looked at the gloomy forest and couldn't help but shiver.

……

Walking through the lush forest felt like stepping back into night. Thick fog filled every crevice between the trees. It should have been a time when many animals were active, but instead, the only sound was the damp dripping of leaves in the dark shadows.

The wolf, who had collapsed unconscious, suddenly felt a lightness on its body; a terrible pressure had vanished. It raised its head and looked down along the mountainside. Two figures were walking through the forest: an ordinary human and a glowing, ethereal figure. The ethereal figure opened only one eye, seemingly sensing something as it looked in the wolf's direction.

"As expected, it is one of the supreme beings of the Black and White realms. Even with the Nibelungen, it can only block most of the elemental disturbances. The influence of its spiritual power has even radiated here," Melina said.

“This forest was originally meant to be the nourishment for His incubation. Although I stopped Him, it is inevitable that the Nibelungen will be opened temporarily. Perhaps the hungry White King’s offspring will summon some troublesome things. At this stage, we are not prepared to reveal our intentions to the government agencies. At that time, we can only rely on Angers and the others to stop it.” Lu Mingfei said calmly as he walked side by side with Melina.

“They are brave warriors,” Melina comforted them.

“The White King is the master of the spiritual elements, and Herzog is likely extremely familiar with the brain mutation that has occurred in me. Regardless of who devoured whom, this may become a variable, and I will have to trouble you then.” Flames began to gather around Lu Mingfei’s body, and the War Demon Armor slowly took shape. At the last moment before his eyes were covered by the armor, he looked at Melina and said solemnly.

"Leave it to me." Melina smiled, her figure gradually fading away as the twin swords in Lu Mingfei's hands took shape.

Before Lu Mingfei, an extremely chaotic jet of elemental energy shot straight into the sky—the entrance to Nibelungen, the place that imprisoned the White King.

……

When Genji arrived, the elites of the Snake Clan were installing some heavy weapons that were inconvenient to move, based on the existing cordon. Several high-ranking executives who had served in the Self-Defense Forces were also directing the digging of trenches.

Upon seeing the patriarch's helicopter descend from the sky, the on-site supervisor, Genichiro Ryoma, rushed over. He was wearing the execution bureau's combat uniform, with the Ryoma family's horse head crest painted on his trench coat.

"I heard that Lu Mingfei went in quite a while ago. How is he doing?" Yuan Zhisheng asked immediately.

“The entire forest has changed. We’ve also captured several escaped members of the Oni Clan. Based on the information we obtained from the interrogation, the forest may not be dangerous. Whether or not to enter is up to your judgment, Master.” Ryoma Genichiro followed Genjiro to the edge of the forest. Behind them were Sakura, Crow, Yasha, and other trusted confidants of the Master.

"The Demon Clan? What did they say? Give me a brief description." Genji frowned.

Genichiro Ryoma hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I have blocked the information... Everyone claims they saw the starry sky."

"The starry sky?" Genji stopped in his tracks, puzzled. "Why emphasize the starry sky?"

They had now reached the very front of the Snake Clan's defensive line, only a few dozen meters from the forest. Ryoma Genichiro silently handed over the binoculars, and Genji took them and looked toward the forest.

The eerie fog was so thick it resembled an artificial smokescreen, and it was bounded by the areas where forest plants grew, like some kind of byproduct attached to the entire forest. In addition, the heavy dark clouds obscured the sky, and the visibility in the forest was less than ten meters.

"Is this the effect of elemental turbulence? What did the Rock Flow Research Institute say?" Genji put down his telescope with a solemn expression. He now understood why the starry sky was so important; the authenticity of the "starry sky" seen under those circumstances was highly questionable.

“I don’t know. We sampled the plants in the forest, and while they look normal, their internal structures are actually mutating rapidly—at a rate that could overturn the theory of evolution… The good news is that we haven’t found any dragon subspecies emerging yet.” Ryoma Genichiro looked haggard; he was already overwhelmed with problems before Genji arrived.

"How many people in the family with an S-level bloodline rating are present?" Yuan Zhisheng suddenly asked.

“About a dozen, Master, do you mean to form a suicide squad?” Ryoma Genichiro said.

“No, I will lead the team myself. With Uesugi Kotsushi in charge of the family, there’s no need to worry.” Genjiro’s expression was calm.

Ryoma Genichiro's expression changed drastically, and he quickly realized what was happening and said, "There are four other family heads present, and we are all willing to follow them into the fold."

"Don't try to force me to back down this way," Genji said calmly. "Fine, we don't need people with high bloodlines. Make the arrangements, I'll take Sakura and the others in... That's an order."

Ryoma Genichiro nodded, "Yes, but be sure to bring a few of my loyal followers with you."

"it is good."

As Genji gazed at the forest shrouded in thick, sticky mist, his mind drifted to the information that the woman named Sakurai Kogure had revealed in the prison infirmary—Kazama Ruri had been taken away by the King.

Chapter 233 King of the Stars

Genjiro defeated the two young assassins of the Secret Party with little effort, and then received a notification from EVA to participate in the interrogation of Sakurai Kogure, who had just woken up from a coma.

After learning of Genji's whereabouts from her, Genji wanted to go directly to the scene, but Angers and Uesugi Kotsugi happened to be returning from the dock, and as the supreme commander of the Snake Clan, he could not leave without saying goodbye.

Only after settling the two exhausted elderly people and sending people to clean up the mess did he finally board the helicopter arranged by Sakura and hurriedly arrive.

With the principal and his biological father overseeing the overall situation, and Lu Mingfei handling the White King, the remaining forces of the Demon Clan were no longer a concern… Yuan Zhisheng gradually convinced himself. He had fulfilled his responsibilities; it was time to do what he wanted for himself.

……

The entire forest floor was covered with a layer of ankle-deep "blood." Every plant in sight was growing—native species, spores or seeds brought by animals, and even varieties with strict requirements for their growing environment were growing wildly. The rustling sounds of sprouting branches and buds blended together, like waves rubbing against sand, which was chilling.

Yuan Zhisheng led a small team of more than a dozen people deeper into the territory.

The fog was even thicker deep in the forest, and visibility rapidly decreased to less than five meters.

“We’ve received more than one report that the escaped guys all claimed to have seen the starry sky, but with this level of visibility, the Ganryu Research Institute suspects there are some kind of hallucinogenic fungal spores in the forest,” Sakura said in a low voice.

Fortunately, this scene was merely bizarre; after advancing a considerable distance, the team still encountered no real danger. They were all wearing bio-protective suits and carrying weapons sufficient to repel medium-sized dragon subspecies or delay the attacks of large dragon-like creatures.

"How is our location signal?" Yuan Zhisheng asked.

“Our location is indeed in the forest, but the helicopters following us can’t detect us.” Sakura contacted the command center via her tactical terminal. “We can’t hear the helicopters either, and we don’t know the specific mechanism yet. Also, there are no birds in this forest, so the fog may be a barrier.”

"Or rather, the fog is the interface," Yuan Zhisheng said.

“Nibelungen? The King of Earth and Mountains did indeed have a precedent of building Nibelungen, but does a being like the White King need to hide himself like an ordinary dragon king?” Sakura lowered her voice.

“According to the map obtained from the interrogation, we should be approaching the area where the Demon Clan is active.” Genji didn’t answer, but he had an answer in his heart regarding the Nibelungen question—Lu Mingfei definitely had the ability to create a Nibelungen to imprison the White King… no matter how crazy it sounded.

“Yes, there are some bunkers and sentries ahead,” Sakura said, turning back to loudly relay the order, “We’re about to enter a dangerous area, be alert!”

After advancing a while longer, they finally spotted the bunkers and sentry posts built by the demons hidden in the forest. Vines and moss had severely eroded these sturdy structures, making them look like ancient ruins that had stood for hundreds of years. On the ground lay the remains of some of the forest's original trees, their thick trunks collapsed and similarly covered in moss and vines, like decaying wood. From them, one could vaguely guess the bloody plunder that had occurred during this mutation outbreak; these were the native species of this land, while the lush new plants were the predators stained with dragon blood.

Having found nothing of value, Genji ordered them to continue.

As they approached the core area, besides the mutated plants, they could also hear the roars of wild beasts. The team members were all a little nervous, but as soon as they saw Genjiro's back, everyone felt at ease. Amaterasu carried a strong religious connotation in the minds of the White King's descendants, and they firmly believed that with Genjiro around, the situation would never fall apart.

Genjiro's super hearing allowed him to hear even further. The beasts weren't emitting the warning roars of conquering territory, but rather the terrifying shrieks of battle. There were at least three battlefields surrounding them, and enormous creatures were lurking within them.

"Is there a research report on the distribution characteristics of animal populations in this forest? What kinds of animals are there?" Yuan Zhisheng asked.

Before the Sakura Command Center could receive a reply, a massive wolf suddenly leaped out of the mist. Its body was covered in blood-red scales, its teeth were as sharp as knives, and its gaping maw was large enough to swallow a person's upper body.

Genjiro placed his hand on the hilt of the sword, but did not draw it from its sheath.

The next second, an even larger body stirred up the mist. The team members facing this scene felt their vision go black. A giant bear, four or five meters tall, appeared behind the giant wolf. With an agile and uncanny speed, it slapped the hybrid wolf with a claw. The force of this blow was enough to shake the rocks.

The giant wolf snapped in two at the waist! It didn't even let out a mournful howl; its scalding blood splattered all over the team members.

While everyone was in shock, the giant bear merely glanced at Genjiro before quickly disappearing back into the mist.

This bear showed no signs of mutation; it was simply an enlarged version of a bear. Yet, the force with which it shattered the dragon's scales indicated that the strength of its muscles and bones was at least several times that of a dragon subspecies.

Yuan Zhisheng seemed to be deep in thought. He turned to look at the surprised and uncertain crowd and said, "Maintain formation. The guard team, advance with your guns raised. No order to fire is needed."

His words calmed the troops, and they advanced in a defensive formation.

Not long after they went forward, strange things appeared on the ground again. Huge blue crystalline rocks pierced out from the cracks in the ground, forming a light source that looked like will-o'-the-wisps in the mist. Strangely, no dragon-transformed plants could grow near these rocks. Yuan Zhisheng signaled everyone to step back, and he went forward alone to touch the rocks.