Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

"Underwater earthquake, magnitude 5."

The person in charge wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and grabbed the emergency phone to call headquarters.

After the call connected, a hoarse voice came through, "Headquarters received a message from Norma, and is aware of the situation. All personnel who went down to the surface have been withdrawn. Exploration will resume after the earthquake."

Chapter 180 Tour Group

The man watched the entire battle unfold before his eyes, until Lu Mingfei tore Constantine's body apart and the two figures that swept the wind behind him landed separately. At this point, Lu Mingfei was at his limit, his aura extremely weak.

Lu Mingfei approached Constantine with slow, weary steps. The man squatted beside Constantine, in what was originally Lu Mingze's spot. However, in the past images the man had reversed through alchemy, Lu Mingze was nowhere to be seen, and Lu Mingfei hadn't spoken to anyone the entire time. The man carefully observed the changes in Lu Mingfei's expression. With his will, the playback speed of the images slowed to its limit. When Lu Mingfei's fingertips slowly touched the broken ribs, time almost completely stopped.

The man stood up excitedly, and a fiery red ring appeared in the center of Constantine's chest and abdomen. That was how Lu Mingfei seized the power of bronze and fire, that was how the gods manipulated their authority—it was so simple and beautiful, far more elegant and efficient than the Black King's transmission of power through genes and blood.

“I see…” the man murmured, reaching out to touch the ring in the illusion.

But the next second, he tensed up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his pupils shrinking into sharp, razor-sharp golden vertical slits. For a fleeting moment, the phantom Lu Mingfei seemed to twist his eyes and give the man a cold glance. When the man looked again, Lu Mingfei was still staring at the ring on Constantine's body, his expression filled with sorrow, confusion, and surprise, without ever turning his head.

The man calmed his breathing, and the raging wind around him gradually subsided. After a moment, he chuckled dryly, "What a prickly fellow."

At this moment in history, Lu Mingze coldly glanced at the empty space beside him, then looked away. This action was without warning or logic. He quickly resumed the playful smile he had in front of Lu Mingfei.

……

Narita International Airport, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

As the Gulfstream business jet, which had taken off from Illinois, slowed down for its landing, Caesar looked out the window. The terminal building displayed "Narita International Airport" in Chinese characters, with "Narita Airport Terminal 2" in English below. He had received the assignment during the final recovery phase of the "Nibelungen Project," and completely disregarding the advice of the researchers and Frost, he had booked a ticket for the following day.

The same SS-level mission, the same personnel configuration—a complete replica of Operation BJ—but Caesar has undergone a complete transformation. His physical abilities surpass S-level standards, and he can even wield both the Kamaitachi and the Vampire Scythe simultaneously. Aside from monsters like Angers, he's practically at the pinnacle among hybrids.

He turned off the reading light, put the document back into the file bag, took out his hunting knife, and lit a high-temperature flame, quickly burning the precious handwritten document. Inside was a method for training the power of words, also from the Dark Ages when the Blood Explosion Technique was born. Angers used this technique to advance time to zero to an unprecedented degree. After Caesar finished the "Nibelungen Project," he immediately asked the principal for the specific operating method.

“The man who taught me this technique, Yanling, is just like you. He single-handedly held off the Dragon King for forty-five minutes.” Angers generously shared this ancient and dangerous technique, telling Caesar only this one sentence.

The sky was overcast, and it had just rained. The Gulfstream business jet touched the ground and swayed slightly, startling Caesar out of his reverie.

Immigration hall.

Caesar spotted Chu Zihang in the crowd at a glance. It wasn't a telepathic connection or a mysterious connection between sworn enemies, but rather Chu Zihang's attire that stood out among the crowd. Night had fallen outside the hall, and a light rain was falling, but Chu Zihang was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, as if he had just come from a sunny beach.

Chu Zihang also spotted Caesar. The two met again after several months and sized each other up. Since the BJ incident, they had formed a friendship that had been through thick and thin together, but this did not change their competitive relationship. At least until they graduated, they would represent the Lionheart Society and the Student Council to compete for supremacy.

"Lu Mingfei wasn't with you? I heard you were on vacation on an island." Caesar sat down next to Chu Zihang.

"I don't know." Chu Zihang shook his head. "I came alone."

Caesar pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."

"I'm waiting for the people from the Japanese branch; they're already ten minutes late," Chu Zihang said, glancing at his phone.

“I’ve heard that the Japanese are the most punctual people. Maybe they’ll bow and apologize later.” Caesar pulled out a cigar in an aluminum tube, lit it, and took a deep drag. “All we need to do is show magnanimity.”

Chu Zihang had read the information provided by Lu Mingfei and knew the details of the Japanese branch, but he did not refute Caesar at this moment, as Caesar was in high spirits.

……

The headlights pierced the night as a black Hummer sped along the highway; if you looked closely, you could see bloodstains on the hood that hadn't been wiped clean.

"Headquarters only sent Caesar's itinerary, a private flight from the United States to Japan. Chu Zihang's information only includes the arrival time, while Lu Mingfei's information is unavailable." The assistant named Sakura sat in the passenger seat flipping through the documents. "Young Master, we are already five minutes late."

"Tonight, the Enforcement Bureau is arresting a berserk A-level hybrid. I won't feel comfortable if I don't go," the young man addressed as Young Master said calmly, while stepping on the gas and overtaking one car after another. "But I also don't feel comfortable leaving the airport pickup to Crow and Yaksha."

As the head of the Executive Bureau, Genjiro was indeed very busy, especially with the gene-modifying drugs developed by the Oni being rampant among hybrids lately. He always took the lead when capturing high-risk targets. However, the three-person team that received the headquarters was also an important task entrusted to him by his father. He couldn't act as he used to. If he entrusted it to his two retainers... would those young and cute boys from headquarters arrive at the hotel in a scattered mess?

So Genjiro was running back and forth tonight, first chasing down the high-risk hybrid, then personally bringing Sakura to pick her up at the airport, to show respect for the headquarters' ace team... at least on the surface. It was just a little late. Although he had tried his best to hurry, the people from the Execution Bureau were shocked by the bloody scene when they arrived at the scene of the arrest of the high-risk hybrid, astonished by their director's violence and ruthlessness.

Amidst the honking horns and curses from the vehicles behind, the Hummer finally arrived at the airport.

Genjiro had the branch send a message to the trio, then sat upright on the bumper of the Hummer. He wasn't really going to give the trio a warm welcome; judging from their resumes, the team consisted of a spoiled brat, a violent maniac, and a carefree lone wolf—none of which Genjiro liked.

However, when the two people carrying suitcases appeared in front of Genji, despite being prepared, Genji's brows couldn't help but twitch. One was dressed in beachwear, and the other in flamboyant casual wear; they looked exactly like a Japanese tour group, and they seemed to have just arrived from Hawaii.

In fact, Caesar was wearing a sharp white formal suit when he got off the plane, but after seeing Chu Zihang's attire, he thought about it carefully for a while and realized that he was inferior to Chu Zihang in terms of aura and mentality when he was fully armed. So, before the Japanese arrived, he went to the VIP lounge to change into a set of flamboyant casual clothes.

"Only two people?" Genji frowned.

As they passed each other, Caesar patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't pry into things you shouldn't know."

Chapter 181 Paradise Pavilion

Caesar and Chu Zihang walked past Yuan Zhisheng and stuffed their luggage into the Hummer.

"Caesar Gattuso? You're the leader of this group, right?" Genji jumped off the bumper, somewhat displeased, and asked in a deep voice. The information sent by the branch only contained the task list; the task details and the allocation of responsibilities among the members were completely unknown. The last person to feel so clueless was the head of the BJ branch.

Based solely on the available information, Genji deduced that Caesar was the group leader.

According to intelligence, Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei have tendencies towards being lone wolves and violent, while Caesar, though carefree and arrogant, is the most ambitious and capable leader of the three. Given the dragon slayer's self-proclaimed educator style, Caesar would inevitably be chosen as the leader. This deduction also rests on the premise that Angers did indeed send this elite team to investigate the heartbeats of dragons in the ocean; if it were just a tour group, it wouldn't matter.

"The team leader is Lu Mingfei." Caesar waved his hand. "Let's drive."

Genji was taken aback, then realized that he had been treated like a driver.

"The notification I received tonight is to receive a three-person delegation from headquarters. If Lu Mingfei doesn't show up, we have no right to leave the airport." Yuan Zhisheng stared intently at Caesar, his eyes flashing with the sharp light of swords.

His father once said he had a pair of awe-inspiring, sinister eyes; even a coward would feel stung by a scorpion if faced with such a gaze. Therefore, Genji rarely looked people directly in the eye, not wanting them to feel uncomfortable because of his gaze. But today he was genuinely angry. With the main family facing internal and external troubles, having to divert his attention to three irresponsible individuals was already unpleasant, and now, with the Director of the Enforcement Bureau personally coming to pick him up at the airport, he actually had to tolerate the willful and reckless behavior of one of them?

His father had given him orders to keep the trio under control throughout the entire process. If Lu Mingfei were to enter the country without permission and break away from the family's control, it could cause serious trouble. His father had the idea of ​​breaking with the Secret Party, but he hadn't had time to prepare or take action. If the Secret Party found out something through Lu Mingfei while the Demon Clan was unusually active... then he would truly be a sinner of the family, even if he was the future head of the Snake Clan.

Moreover, he was even more worried that the war would become a quagmire, which would delay his plan to sell sunscreen on nudist beaches in France after his retirement.

Caesar's face darkened upon hearing this. He hadn't even pursued the matter of the Japanese leaving him and Chu Zihang stranded at the airport for half an hour, yet this guy who came to pick them up not only failed to appreciate his magnanimity but was also being aggressive. If they were at Gattuso's house, Caesar would have fired him on the spot. But he was in Japan now, so he could only glare at Genjiro, "SS-level mission, unrelated personnel have no right to interfere."

Genjiro suffered another setback, but Caesar remained unaffected by his evil gaze. Instead, Genjiro sensed a complex meaning in Caesar's eyes: "Ah, the Japanese are such a nuisance; I have to remind them of such a thing." His brow twitched again, barely suppressing his anger. "I am Genjiro, a graduate of the 2003 advanced training program at Kassel College, and currently the Director of the Executive Bureau of the Japanese Branch. I have the authority to help you complete your mission."

“Director Genjiro, as a leader, you should be more familiar with the mission confidentiality system of the Executive Department, shouldn’t you?” Caesar was not intimidated by his title at all, and simply shrugged.

Yuan Zhisheng remained silent, but his gaze grew increasingly sharp, even sinister.

The atmosphere became tense. I had heard that the Japanese were stubborn, but I didn't expect the director of the Japanese branch's executive bureau to be such a stubborn guy.

“We don’t know Lu Mingfei’s itinerary.” Chu Zihang, who had been silent all along, said calmly, “If Yuan Jun wants to know the specifics, he can call the principal’s hotline. Principal Angers is the person directly in charge of the mission.”

The crux of the matter lies here: Caesar and Chu Zihang were also unaware of Lu Mingfei's whereabouts. However, Caesar was unwilling to reveal this to the guy who was picking him up at the airport. Chu Zihang, on the other hand, was ruthless. He didn't know if Angers knew Lu Mingfei's whereabouts, but based on the intelligence he had gathered, he knew that mentioning Angers' name could intimidate the Japanese.

He ate three days' worth of food with Fingel last night, so he dragged Fingel through several five-degree blood burst tests that night to burn off energy, and now he's exhausted.

After receiving Chu Zihang's words, Yuan Zhisheng stopped arguing, got into the driver's seat, and started the Hummer, which made Caesar somewhat unhappy.

Genjiro was not intimidated by the name Angers. He had received the principal's scholarship when he was studying at Kassel College and had tea in the principal's elegant office. He was the least bothered by the "humiliating" history of Angers' conquest of Japan in the Japanese branch.

His compromise was actually due to obtaining the information he wanted: "Angers is the direct person in charge of the trio's operation." Angers would never send a tour group; the people Angers personally oversee are always directly related to dragons.

As night fell, the Hummer drove onto the highway, the people inside harboring different thoughts.

……

Gokurakukan, located in the mountains outside Osaka.

A large house nestled in the mountains, with a mountain stream and a delicate little bridge in front of it. Beautiful girls in kimonos greet and see off guests by the bridge, while samba dancers waving flamingo feathers sway their chests to the beat of the drums, and waiters wearing Indian headscarves come and go carrying luggage for the guests.

This is a special casino. It is named "Paradise" because it claims to be able to fulfill all kinds of wishes of gamblers. As long as the guests win enough money and are willing to transfer it to the wish fund set up by Paradise, they can get their wishes. No one will investigate whether the wishes are immoral, dirty, illegal or bloody. Paradise will bear all the risks.

This is a place of unbridled freedom, a place where laws and regulations don't matter; only money matters. Only gamblers who win big can make wishes, so casual gambling is rare in this brothel. Whether winning or losing, everyone pushes out more chips with ferocious expressions. Everyone hopes that when their chips pile up into a mountain, they'll suddenly see the alluring female manager kneeling beside them, inviting them to a VIP room for a drink. This lucky customer's back will be locked in the envious, even resentful, gazes of the entire brothel until the VIP room door closes.

It was noon, but after pushing open the heavy, carved bronze door, it felt like stepping into a brightly lit, decadent night. The overwhelming atmosphere of extravagance engulfed the thin, slightly hunched middle-aged man.

He wore thick glasses, his gaze sweeping over the pachinko machines, roulette tables, and gambling tables… Unlike most customers, his attention wasn't initially drawn to the beautiful dealers' bunny girl outfits and fishnet stockings. The female manager noticed him immediately; the man's eyes held a composure beyond his years, the kind of composure one has when standing on the edge of a cliff, gazing at one's doom.

Chapter 182 Wish

Kosuke Shotoku, 41, a playwright, had an unremarkable early life. He caught the wave of Japan's economic boom in his youth, immigrated to the United States, bought land, and retired. Aside from writing screenplays for commercial films, his only hobby was fishing. His life seemed destined to continue like this; his descendants would be pure Asian Americans, with no further connection to Japan. However, a car accident completely changed his life. His wife died in the accident, and Shotoku survived alone. But this stroke of luck became his curse. After burying his wife, Shotoku's creative output declined steadily. Eventually, several film and television companies he had worked with stopped accepting his submissions. He went to the hospital for a checkup and was diagnosed with emotional deprivation disorder. On his doctor's advice, he began a round-the-world trip.

But travel is neither a cure nor an answer; one can only emerge from the shadows on one's own. Travel merely provides the time and space. In the end, Kosuke Shutoku returned to Japan, his desire for death reaching its breaking point. He decided to bury himself in Japan, so he took all his savings to Gokurakukan, intending to gamble away all his money before leaving this world.

This fellow, with one foot in the grave, had an unusually good fortune, as if the ferryman of the River Styx himself stood behind his customers, extracting hefty tolls for him. Because the story was so dramatic, the casino's regulars called him "Opoleus Boy." An opole was a small silver coin in ancient Greece, used in Greek mythology, especially in legends related to the underworld, to pay Charon (the ferryman of the River Styx) for ferrying the dead across the river.

Today marks the fifth day since Kosuke Sakura visited the casino. With his all-in betting strategy, his initial net worth of 800,000 yen has ballooned to a staggering 5.6 billion yen. Everyone is wondering if death will be on "Opole's" side today. Perhaps Sakura will become the first legend of this new casino, his story attracting countless desperate gamblers to risk everything.

The crowd parted silently, the sound of high heels clicking echoing. A young and beautiful female manager approached and knelt on one knee: "May I invite you to sit in the VIP room? I am the manager here, Sakurai Kogure. You can just call me Kogure."

The female manager wore a fitted black suit skirt, her hair piled high, which accentuated her slender figure and bright, captivating eyes. It was hard to imagine that such a young girl had risen to the position of casino manager; her beauty far surpassed that of the exposed croupiers and waitresses, yet she deliberately dressed conservatively.

All eyes were on him. This lucky winner was as talked about as the manager's invitation. He was "Opoleus Kid," who had thrown away hundreds of millions of yen without batting an eye. He claimed to be without desires and only didn't want to take his dirty money to the afterlife. Now, faced with the "Gokurakukan Wish-Making Opportunity" that claimed to grant anything, would he agree?

Kōsuke's eyes were somewhat vacant. After a moment, he came to his senses and realized that the female manager was still kneeling on the ground. So he helped her up and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."

The ending is set, and the legend of "Opoleus Boy" has come to an end. Some people look at him with regret, while others turn away with disdain and no longer pay attention. The so-called lack of desire is just that they have not experienced real temptation. When the monks who have been practicing asceticism in the deep mountains really enter the mortal world, how many of them can avoid being blinded and losing their soul?

Only a handful of people considered whether "Opoleus the Kid" would actually commit suicide after spending all his money on his wish, but it was just a thought. Here, the value of life and money is contrary to universal values; only things that can be bet on the gambling table have value, and life is precisely the cheapest and most useless thing.

Kogure Sakurai led Kosuke Shotoku into the VIP room, whose walls were inlaid with red crystal glass. The room's decor was consistent with the casino's, only more luxurious and dazzling. Kosuke followed Kogure and took their seats in the VIP seats. Kogure took a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne from 1998 from the wine cabinet and poured it into Kosuke's champagne glass.

Kosuke Shutoku wasn't interested in alcohol and politely waved his hand in refusal. Many winners would be enjoying champagne at this point, savoring the taste of wealth and power, but clearly Kosuke Shutoku wasn't that kind of person. Kogure Sakurai had been watching him since the second day he arrived, even using her connections to investigate his background. To be honest, even the experienced Kogure Sakurai was curious about what this man would ask for.

Is he looking for a woman who resembles his wife? To make his script a huge hit? Or, like most people, will he expose the darkest, most primal aspects of human nature in the face of unchecked power?

Kousuke looked out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Kogure Sakurai waited quietly. Today, this man was the winner, so he could do anything, including spacing out in this room that so many people dreamed of.

"I've decided on my wish," Kosuke Shutoku said softly. "I want to see Ruri Kazama."

He mentioned it as if it were just a whim, without even turning his gaze away from the window, so he didn't see the murderous intent that flashed in Sakurai Kogure's eyes. In an instant, this gentle and charming female manager seemed to have turned into a cold and evil ghost, or perhaps some evil ghost was hiding in her body, looking at Sakurai Kogure through her eyes.

Seemingly realizing the unusual silence of Sakurai Kogure, Shutoku Kosuke withdrew his gaze, only to see Sakurai Kogure with her eyes lowered. He had no idea that every word he was about to say would determine his life or death. "Is it not allowed...? I deliberately chose this simple wish so as not to trouble you. Even if one-tenth of the 5.6 billion yen were used as performance fees, it would be enough to hire a Kabuki actor, right? Oh, I forgot to mention, do you think my wish is too simple and the profit is too low? I'll give you all my money, and any surplus can be considered your profit."

Sakurai Kogure paused for a moment when she heard "Kabuki actor," then said with a complicated expression, "No, Gokurakukan can grant any wish of yours, regardless of profit or commission. Your wish is somewhat special; may I ask why?"

“I heard from two Kabuki masters in Osaka that there is a newcomer named Kazama Ruri. His performances have a kind of magic, as if the characters in the play are expressing their joys and sorrows through his voice.” Kosuke Shotoku said, “I thought that maybe his performance could save me from this hell.”

"Is it difficult? Then I'll change my wish. I just want to be able to spend that 5.6 billion." He continued.

“No, fulfilling his wish is our promise, but I’m not sure if we can succeed.” Sakurai Kogure did not refuse. “His performance has nothing to do with money or honor, it’s just a matter of his personal willingness.”

"What a carefree person," Kōsuke Sakatsu remarked.

Sakurai Kogure didn't say anything, but gave a wry smile from an almost imperceptible angle.

Chapter 183 Plan

After that, Sakurai Kogure left for a moment, leaving only Shutoku Kosuke in the VIP room. When Sakurai Kogure returned, she brought the good news that Kazama Ruri would be arriving at Gokurakukan in two hours. "Please move to the suite upstairs and wait a moment." Sakurai Kogure's attitude had subtly changed, as if she were showing extra respect to a "guest" who had already gained Kazama Ruri's approval.

Kosuke Shutoku was unfazed by the change and followed Kogure Sakurai back to the casino lobby. They headed towards the elevator in the center of the lobby, its doors covered in gold leaf, a move that drew everyone's attention. It was an elevator that could only be opened with a card; some said it led to the most luxurious suites, others to the vault of the Elysium, and still others to Kogure Sakurai's own bedroom.