Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Although he didn't like this guy, they were both in the same boat at this moment.

Finally, he picked up a piece of chicken and ate it silently.

The Deadpool dealer remained quietly in the shadows, watching Chu Zihang distribute food to everyone. Two red lights flickered slightly, revealing no emotion.

Only faint chewing sounds and the clattering of the train remained in the carriage.

In the dimly lit monitoring room, countless screens flickered with images from all over Nibelung.

Xia Mi sat curled up in the chair, holding the same bucket of KFC in her arms, watching with great interest the scene on the screen where Chu Zihang was sharing the family bucket.

"Hmm. Chu Zihang looks pretty handsome eating chicken wings." She bit into a spicy wing, her lips curving upwards and her eyes crinkling into crescents. "Would you call this a virtual couple's meal?"

But the smile quickly faded. A hint of sadness, hard to conceal, crept into her eyes.

Xia Mi looked at Chu Zihang's resolute yet bewildered profile, and at the figures on the other screens who were either lost or struggling, such as Lu Mingfei and Frilian.

"Why do we have to come in?" she murmured, her fingers tightening and crumpling the edge of the paper bucket. "The sun is shining so brightly outside, isn't it good to be alive?"

"Here, the only outcome is death."

Chapter 183 Extra Chapter 1: Lu Mingfei's Birthday

For Lu Mingfei, an S-class fighter, July 17th, an annual day, was more nerve-wracking than any other combat training session, because it was his birthday.

In previous years, this day usually slipped by quietly as Fingel ate and drank for free, his senior Chu Zihang gave him a brief "Happy Birthday," and his aunt gave him a red envelope as a matter of routine.

But this year is different, very different.

Nono issued a "call to arms" a week in advance: "Little white rabbit, watch me give you a big surprise this year, just wait."

Following closely behind was an official email from student council president Cesare Gattuso, its elegant and unyielding wording making it seem as if this was not a birthday party, but a meticulously planned military operation.

Even Frilian, who was closest to him, looked at him with her emerald green eyes and said softly, "Hmm, you've gotten taller."

The venue was set at a rather authentic Chongqing hot pot restaurant in a small town near the college, with a domineering name: "Dragon Soaring to the Nine Heavens".

Nono made the decision on the location, saying, "A birthday should be lively and festive to drive away any bad luck!"

Caesar booked the entire second-floor private room, which he named "Lingxiao Palace".

Chinese-style carved doors and windows, mahogany tables and chairs, and a specially made large round table in the center, with a hot pot in the middle that is steaming and bubbling. The red waves of the spicy beef tallow broth and the fresh white steam of the clear mushroom soup intertwine and rise, filling the entire room and making the glass windows look hazy.

When Lu Mingfei arrived, almost everyone was already there.

He stood somewhat awkwardly in the doorway, wearing his best hoodie, which Frillie had made him change into.

Nono directed the waiter to adjust the arrangement of the drinks. Dressed in a red motorcycle jacket, she resembled a dancing flame, bright and flamboyant.

Beside her, Caesar Gattuso, even in this bustling hot pot restaurant, remained as composed and at ease as if he were sitting in his Pagani sports car. His golden hair shone brightly under the lights, and he spoke quietly with Nono, the smile on his lips a gentleness rarely seen in Lu Mingfei.

This dazzling couple in the academy, just standing together, is enough to illuminate the entire "Lingxiao Palace".

Chu Zihang had arrived and was sitting quietly by the window, his back ramrod straight, with a glass of water in front of him.

He nodded slightly to Lu Mingfei as a greeting, and his ever-burning golden eyes softened a little in the rising steam.

On the other side, Fingel, in his broken Chinese, tried to get close to his junior Lin Xia without any regard for his image, trying to get some tripe from her to taste. Lin Xia laughed and knocked it away with her chopsticks.

"Senior brother! Happy birthday!" The lively and cheerful Lin Xia was the first to spot Lu Mingfei and immediately jumped up and shouted.

Beside her stood Horus, a tall and taciturn man, who also stood up and nodded earnestly to Lu Mingfei: "Happy birthday."

Senior Ye Sheng and senior Jiu Deya also walked over with smiles.

Ye Sheng patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder cheerfully: "Mingfei, you've grown another year older. Are you getting used to life at the academy?"

Shudeya handed over a small gift box and said gently, "Happy birthday, have fun today!"

Finally, Lu Mingfei's gaze fell on the quiet figure in the corner.

Frillie held a cup of hot tea, quietly watching the tiny snowflakes falling outside the window. Sensing her gaze, she turned her head, her long white hair swaying slightly, and walked towards Lu Mingfei. She took something wrapped in plant leaves from her small bag and handed it to him.

"Happy birthday, Mingfei," the voice said calmly and ethereally, as always. "These are seeds of the moonflower, which are said to bring peaceful dreams. I hope you have fewer nightmares."

Lu Mingfei accepted this unique gift.

"Thank you, thank you everyone." Lu Mingfei felt a lump in his throat and could only awkwardly scratch his head, repeating thank you over and over again.

"The main character has arrived! Let's begin the feast!" Nono waved her hand, and everyone took their seats.

Lu Mingfei naturally sat in the main seat, with Frilian to his left.

The hot pot feast begins. The red broth boils and tripe, beef aorta, duck intestines, and fatty beef are thrown into the pot like dumplings, while fresh shrimp, mushrooms, and green vegetables swim in the clear broth.

Fingel displayed an unfathomable skill, his chopsticks technique was superb, he specifically picked out meat, eliciting loud cries from Lin Xia. Ye Sheng and Jiu Deya worked together seamlessly, one adding ingredients and the other scooping them out, occasionally exchanging sweet and natural smiles. Horus didn't talk much, but he ate very attentively, occasionally putting food that Lin Xia couldn't reach on her plate.

While Nono ate her mutton hotpot, she teased Lu Mingfei about his past embarrassing moments. Caesar occasionally chimed in, his tone calm but his remarks always hitting the nail on the head, eliciting bursts of laughter from everyone. Chu Zihang ate quietly, but when someone offered him condiments or drinks, he would quietly thank them, and when Lu Mingfei's cup was empty, he would silently pour him some plum juice. Frilian avoided the spicy broth, focusing instead on savoring the vegetarian dishes in the clear broth, occasionally glancing up at the lively crowd.

Lu Mingfei was enveloped in this lively atmosphere, and his initial restraint gradually melted away in the steam of the hot pot and the laughter of his friends. He even dared to snatch a piece of freshly cooked beef from under Finger's chopsticks.

After a few rounds of drinks, the cake was brought in.

Not one, but two.

One was ordered by Nono. It had an extremely cool design: a Chinese dragon made of chocolate coiled on the cake, with its eyes made of sparkling gemstone candy, and the words "Happy Birthday, Dragon Slayer Warrior" written on it.

The other one was brought by Frillie. It was simple in design, with a few delicate silver frosting leaves adorning the pure white cream, and it exuded a faint minty fragrance.

"Blow out the candles! Blow out the candles!" everyone cheered.

The lights were off, leaving only the gentle simmer of the hot pot and the warm glow of the number "20" candle on the cake.

Everyone was looking at Lu Mingfei, singing "Happy Birthday." Some sang in Chinese, some in English, and even Fingel sang it in his broken German.

As the song played, Lu Mingfei looked at each smiling face illuminated by the candlelight—the spirited Nono, the elegant Caesar, the quiet Frilian, the resolute Chu Zihang, the quirky Finger, the enthusiastic juniors and seniors, and the gentle seniors.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and made the most extravagant wish he had made in twenty years: that this moment could last a little longer, much longer.

Then he blew out the candle.

The lights came on, and applause and cheers erupted.

In the midst of this commotion, a clear voice, tinged with a hint of languid, seductive charm, suddenly rang in his ears:

Happy birthday, my dear brother.

Lu Mingfei froze and turned his head. Right next to him, in the space that should have belonged to Chu Zihang, there was another person.

A boy named Lu Mingze, dressed in a black suit and with an almost unreal, exquisitely handsome face, sat with his legs crossed on a high-backed chair that seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

He held a glass of red wine that appeared out of nowhere, gently swirling it as he raised it towards Lu Mingfei, his face bearing that familiar, all-knowing, cynical smile.

No one around him saw him; they were still laughing, joking, and cutting the cake.

Only Lu Mingfei, along with Frilian and Chu Zihang who had noticed and glanced sideways, sensed the sudden change in the situation.

"You're twenty years old now, my dear brother," the little devil's voice was like the richest chocolate, carrying a deadly allure. "Do you like this liveliness and warmth? If you're willing, we can make it all last forever. The price, you know, is the usual—a quarter of your life."

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath of the air filled with the aroma of hot pot.

“No,” Lu Mingfei said in a low voice, “it’s fine as it is now.”

Lu Mingze's smile deepened, unsurprised.

"What a greedy brother you are, wanting warmth for free without paying the price. Fine, fine," he said, downing the glass of red wine in one gulp, as if drinking thick blood. "Then enjoy your fleeting pleasure. Happy birthday, brother."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished like mist.

Chu Zihang turned around, glanced at Lu Mingfei, and placed a slice of white cake on his plate.

"Yours," the senior brother said succinctly.

Next comes the gift-giving segment.

Nono and Caesar gave him a car key—a sports car that had been "slightly" modified by the equipment department, which Nono described as "more sturdy than a tank," and parked it in the academy garage.

"Don't always hitch a ride with Chu Zihang on missions anymore," Nuonuo said, raising an eyebrow.

Caesar added, "I hope you like the color, burgundy, which matches Nono's hair color very well."

Chu Zihang gave him a notebook of swordsmanship insights, filled with his reflections and experiences from his training, and even diagrams of several sword techniques he had created himself.

"Hope this helps."

Fingel gave him a "Super Hacker Starter Kit" plus a year of unlimited download access to campus network resources.

"Junior brother, you won't need to ask for help to watch movies anymore!"

Ye Sheng and Aki gifted her a set of high-end maintenance knives. Lin Xia and Horus jointly gifted her a brand-new game console and a bunch of game discs.

Finally, everyone's eyes turned to Frilian.

She simply pointed to the leaf-shaped package that Lu Mingfei had carefully put away.

“That’s it. And,” she thought for a moment, then added, “Next year, the year after, and the year after that, I’ll be with you for every birthday, Mingfei.”

Without any flowery language, it felt as if Lu Mingfei's heart had been gently touched by the softest feather.

As the banquet drew to a close, the steam from the hot pot gradually thinned. Lu Mingfei stood up, his hand trembling slightly as he held a glass full of drinks.

"Um, thank you everyone." Her voice was a little choked up, but she still managed to continue, "I never thought that so many people could celebrate my birthday with me. Thank you, Senior Sister Nuonuo and Senior Brother Caesar, thank you Frilian, thank you, Senior Brother, thank you Fingel, thank you, Senior Brother Ye Sheng and Senior Sister Aki, thank you, Lin Xia Horus, thank you all for coming. This is the happiest birthday I've ever had in my twenty years."

He spoke haltingly and incoherently.

Nono was the first to raise her glass: "Enough talk! We'll celebrate like this every year from now on! Happy birthday, little white rabbit!"

"Happy birthday!" Everyone raised their glasses, and the different glasses clinked together.

Chapter 184 Attila the Conqueror (Part 1)

Inside the cave, time lost its meaning. Only the carefree laughter of SpongeBob and Patrick on the television screen and the crunching sound of Fenrir chewing potato chips filled the air.

If you really want to say it, it's already a good thing that a fight didn't break out. Who knows if the Dragon King might get upset and give him and Frilian a good beating?

Why not just enjoy watching TV and have some fun, especially SpongeBob SquarePants?

Lu Mingfei and Frilian relaxed their tense nerves slightly, but they still dared not be careless in the slightest. They just sat stiffly, their eyes occasionally glancing from the screen at the mountain-like dragon beside them.

Fenrir was completely engrossed in the animation, his enormous, molten-gold eyes turning slightly with the plot. When he saw something interesting, he would let out a low, rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, as if he were laughing.

Lu Mingfei even had the illusion that he and Frilian weren't in a terrifying dragon king's lair, but rather in some nerdy friend's messy room watching TV. If you ignored the fact that Frilian could flatten a building with a single claw.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh pop!" SpongeBob blows a perfect bubble, and a strange event occurs.