Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

“Yes, these are just the most basic studies.” Angers smiled, and the floor moved again, this time horizontally. “Now, we are going to the most mysterious and highest-secret place in Kassel College, the Ice Cellar.”

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard. "Is that the place that's rumored to store all sorts of dangerous items?"

"The Kassel Forum says that the Ice Cellar is a place where alchemical weapons and dangerous equipment are stored, and ordinary people are not allowed to enter," Frillian added.

“Yes, but that’s not all,” Angers’ voice echoed in the moving “elevator.” “Here are Norma’s mainframe, large-scale research equipment, alchemical items sourced from all over the world, and cultural and historical relics.”

He blinked. "There's even a secret train inside that leads to the outside world."

Lu Mingfei rubbed his arms. "It sounds like a scene from a 007 movie, not very realistic."

“It’s actually even stranger than in the movies,” Angers laughed. “No human can invade this place; the security measures here are foolproof.”

Lu Mingfei asked in a low voice, "Humans can't, but what about dragons?"

Angers paused, his cigar lingering between his fingers. "That probably won't work either. At least there haven't been any dragon invasions so far, but there are signs of rats appearing."

"That doesn't sound very reliable!"

Chapter 78 Zoological and Botanical Garden

Angers pointed ahead and smiled, "Our ecological botanical garden is just ahead."

Lu Mingfei looked in the direction he was pointing, and the sight before him left him speechless for a moment.

A dense forest appeared in the underground space, with layers of lush green canopies, entwined vines, and even the faint chirping of birds could be heard.

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath, and his nose was immediately filled with the fresh scent of a forest after the rain. The damp earth smell mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees, as if the three of them were really in a tropical rainforest.

Lu Mingfei looked up and saw a vast blue "sky" overhead, with a bright "sun" hanging above, casting a warm glow.

"This, this is unbelievable," Lu Mingfei murmured, reaching out to touch the sky that he knew was fake yet seemed so real. "Where did this sunlight come from?"

Frillie also looked up, squinted slightly, and pointed to the light source above her head. "Headmaster, where does this sunlight come from? It's almost indistinguishable from the real sun."

Angers smiled proudly: "The miniature suns built by the Equipment Department are specifically designed to provide energy for the ecosystem here."

He reached out and gently touched a clump of drooping ferns. "Although the space isn't particularly large, it cultivates over 100,000 plant species, ranging from tropical rainforests to tundra."

“Our zoo is right next to the ecological botanical garden,” Angers paused, then pointed to the fence that was faintly visible at the end of the forest. “There are animals from all over the world, spanning five continents.”

Lu Mingfei's eyes widened: "This place doesn't look very big, but there are so many species here?"

He swallowed hard: "Kassel is so rich! A super rich guy!"

The "elevator" continued along the track, passing through an area that simulated a tropical rainforest.

Countless aerial roots hang down from the tall trees, and various ferns and epiphytes densely cover the trunks.

Several brightly colored parrots flew among the treetops, chirping melodiously.

"Are these animals real?" Lu Mingfei couldn't help but ask.

“Of course,” Ang nodded, “we have recreated their original environment as much as possible. Kassel’s research is not limited to dragons, but also includes life on Earth. Understanding life itself is understanding the essence of dragon power.”

The elevator turned a corner, and the view ahead suddenly opened up.

Lu Mingfei gasped sharply, rubbing his eyes vigorously. "Am I seeing things? That's a pyramid!"

"You're not mistaken, those are pyramids."

A majestic pyramid stands in front, casting a long shadow under the "sunlight".

Its surface is covered with densely packed graphics and text, completely different from the Egyptian pyramids that Lu Mingfei had seen in textbooks.

“It took us a lot of effort to move it from South America to here,” Angers explained. “First, we disassembled it, marked each stone, then transported it by large cargo ships, and then spent a long time reassembling it after it came back.”

With a soft click, the elevator stopped in front of the pyramid.

Angers was the first to stand up, leading Lu Mingfei and Frilian up the escalator toward the ancient building.

Upon closer inspection, every stone brick on the surface of the pyramid is covered with intricate symbols and patterns, clearly showing the marks of time.

"Does it feel strange?" Angers asked casually, his finger lightly tracing a mark on the surface of the pyramid.

Lu Mingfei looked left and right, and said hesitantly, "Uh, it seems to have one more side than a normal pyramid? I remember that Egyptian pyramids all have four sides."

"The observation is very accurate. This is a five-sided pyramid unique to the Maya. Each step is covered with inscriptions, recording their history, astronomical knowledge, and prophecies."

"The Maya possessed an astonishing astronomical calendar. Their solar calendar was accurate to 365.242 days, which is almost identical to modern calculations. These steps record the trajectories of the stars, and each mark is a measure of time."

According to the Mayan records, the world has experienced four destructions: floods, storms, fires, and earthquakes.

Frillie's fingertips gently touched the ancient inscriptions. "Were the Maya a hybrid race? I can feel a familiar power in these characters."

Angers' expression turned serious. "There were indeed hybrids in the Mayan civilization, but what's more important is what they recorded."

He pointed to a particularly complex circle of symbols in the center of the pyramid, "This contains prophecies about the destruction of the five worlds."

Lu Mingfei leaned closer to take a look. The distorted symbols were meaningless to him, but he could feel a sense of oppression. "Five times? I've only ever heard of the 2012 doomsday one."

“The first four destructions have already occurred,” Angers’ voice lowered. “The first was a flood that submerged the entire world; the second was a storm that tore the earth apart; the third was a fire that burned everything; and the fourth was an earthquake that shattered civilization.”

Frilian's eyes widened slightly. "Floods, storms, fires, and earthquakes—these correspond to the four great dragon rulers."

Angers gave her an approving look. “Smart. The first four destructions recorded by the Maya were indeed related to the power of the four monarchs. And the fifth destruction…”

He pointed to a set of special symbols at the top of the pyramid, saying, "Some speculate that it represents the resurrection of the Black King, who will destroy everything."

Lu Mingfei suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. "Wait a minute, if the Maya were so good at prophecy, how could they have been wiped out by the Spanish colonists with their long guns and cannons? That doesn't make sense."

Angers sighed. "The real Maya lost their traditions a very, very long time ago. In fact, the so-called prophecies of the Maya were not created by them; they were merely recorders."

"The recorder?" Lu Mingfei repeated, puzzled.

"Yes, more than 90% of the prophecies in the world were left by the dragons. They foretold their own demise, just like Ragnarok in Norse mythology, which could not be changed. Odin could only build Valhalla and train warriors to prepare for the final battle."

Lu Mingfei swallowed hard. "That sounds really ominous. So these prophecies were actually left behind by the dragons themselves? They knew they would be destroyed?"

“To be more precise,” Frilian began, “they knew they would fall into slumber, and then rise again to bring destruction. These prophecies are warnings, and also pronouncements.”

Ang nodded, “That’s right. There are doomsday prophecies all over the world, which are essentially records of dragon prophecies.”

Lu Mingfei shuddered. "That sounds really bad."

Frillie gazed into the distance and asked softly, "Civilizations around the world have prophecies about the end of the world. So, Kassel is actually a 'Hall of Heroes'? For a possible apocalypse?"

Angers nodded slowly. "Yes. This place is home to the world's finest hybrids. We're going to build a legion to fight against the resurgent dragons and the possible apocalypse."

He patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder, "Mingfei, you are the leader among these outstanding hybrids. We all expect you to defeat the Dragon King."

Lu Mingfei: "The leader, who? If I fight the Dragon King, will I win?"

“We will win,” Frilian nodded.

Chapter 79 No Longer Running Away from Death

Lu Mingfei scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "Principal, you've made a poor choice in personnel. It's like Zhuge Liang entrusting Ma Su with the defense of Jieting. How could you entrust me with such an important task as dealing with the end of the world? What if we fail? Wouldn't I have to sign a pledge and die to atone for my mistake?"

Angers shook his head, his tone gentle, "You are the only S-rank in our academy, you don't need to talk about yourself like that."

He pointed around, “This place is actually like a refuge. There are five other places like this in the world.”

“Each shelter preserves a vast collection of plant and animal specimens, animal embryos, and plant pollen. It also contains the culture and civilization that humankind has created to date, from ancient Greek philosophy to Renaissance art, from the Industrial Revolution to modern technology. Records of great alchemy and texts on how to use the power of words are all carefully preserved.”

“The food and water here are enough to sustain three hundred people for a hundred years,” Angers said, stepping on the “elevator.” “The energy source is a miniature nuclear reactor that can operate for over a hundred years, buried just three hundred meters below our feet.”

Lu Mingfei couldn't help but complain: "It sounds like a setting from a science fiction movie, where survivors take refuge here, grow old, get sick and die, just like deserters."

Angers shook his head. "Someone has to carry on civilization. That person is either me or you."

Silence fell over the elevator for a moment.

Angers' gaze passed over Lu Mingfei, piercing through the veil of time, and he sighed softly: "I once thought I would die on that night in 1900."

“It was a night of torrential rain. Meneke Cassel, my best friend, could have lived. But he chose to give his life so that I could live.” Angers gently stroked the folding knife in his sleeve. “I survived, but the Lionheart friends were forever left behind in that era.”

"Back then, he was a spirited young man who often treated me to meals when I was short of money."

Angers' eyes softened, as if he had returned to his youth.

“Back in Cambridge, we often stayed in the library until late at night, discussing alchemy, the power of words, and even debating the history of dragons. Menek always said that human history is a history of struggle. We hybrids are just dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants.”

“Every weekend, we would row our little boat up the Cam. Meneque would never row properly and would insist on standing at the bow reciting Byron’s poems, which resulted in her falling into the river several times,” Angers said, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia. “After we got ashore, we would go to a bar, order a drink, and discuss what to do the next day.”

“I remember once, we were trying to make chemical reagents in the lab. Meneke accidentally mixed the reagents in the wrong proportions, and it blew up half of the lab,” Angers couldn’t help but laugh. “The school was so angry that they wanted to expel us, but in the end, our supervisor stepped in and said it was a ‘necessary research loss’.”

“Menek’s favorite saying was: ‘Hilbert, the future belongs to those who dare to dream.’” Angers sighed. “Unfortunately, his dream was too short-lived.”

After listening quietly, Frillie said, "Headmaster, you are not the kind of person who would live a life of cowardice."

Angers laughed. "Yes, I've already escaped death once, I won't escape it again."

Meanwhile, in Chu Zihang's dormitory.

Xia Mi sat cross-legged on the ground, holding a game controller in her hand, her eyes sparkling. "Senior brother! You've really never played video games before?"

Chu Zihang sat opposite her and nodded, "Yeah, I haven't played much."

Xia Mi exaggeratedly clutched her chest, "Oh my god! So your childhood was just kendo training and studying at the children's palace? That's too tragic!"

Without a word, she shoved another controller into Chu Zihang's hand. "Today, I have to let you experience the joy of gaming! Kirby is the most therapeutic game in the world!"

Chu Zihang looked down at the pink controller in his hand, then at the round pink creature on the screen, and unusually showed a puzzled expression. "How do I operate this?"

"It's very simple!" Xia Mi excitedly moved closer to him, their shoulders almost touching. "This button is for jumping, and this button is for inhaling. You can swallow enemies and gain abilities!"

Chu Zihang tried pressing the buttons a few times, and Kirby on the screen clumsily bounced around before plunging headfirst into the pit.

"Ah! Senior brother, you jumped too early!" Xia Mi exclaimed, then laughed, "It's okay, let's do it again!"

On his second attempt, Chu Zihang successfully got Kirby to suck up a small monster.

"Yes, yes, that's it!" Xia Mi excitedly pointed at the screen, "That's how you copy its abilities!"

Chu Zihang followed the instructions, and Kirby immediately transformed into its flame form. Xia Mi clapped her hands happily: "That's awesome! Senior brother learns so fast!"

Chu Zihang stared at the screen, Kirby's flames illuminating the dark corners of the game.

He frowned slightly. "The physics of this flame aren't very realistic."

Xia Mi chuckled, "It's a game! That's the exaggerated effect we're going for!"

She leaned closer, and the fresh scent of shampoo wafted into Chu Zihang's nose. "Look, when you turn into Fire Kirby, you can burn away these obstacles!"