Chapter 25: End

Honestly, Bai Ci felt like a mummy.

Her body was wrapped tightly in thick bandages, leaving only her face exposed.
She didn’t have the strength to open her eyes fully, and even blinking felt risky, as if the slightest movement would tear her wounds and send pain ripping through her.

But surviving a Dragon King was already a miracle.

If she demanded more… well, Bai Ci thought she’d be pretty greedy.

“Phew!”

She let out a long breath and closed her eyes to rest.

Creak—the door opened softly, letting in a cool breeze.

She heard footsteps approach, then a chair being set down, followed by a steady male voice.

“How are you?”

“Principal Anghot?”
Bai Ci asked tentatively.

“Mm.”
Anghot replied.
“Congratulations.
Not many in Cassell’s history have aced the internship course.”

“It was mostly Lu Mingfei’s effort…”
Bai Ci muttered softly.

“Lu Mingfei’s an excellent student too.
He also got full marks.”
Anghot smiled.
“You’re lucky to have this opportunity.
But you’ll need to write an internship paper.
Your topic, same as Lu Mingfei’s: An Analysis of the Four Dragon Monarchs.”

“Oh… okay.”

“Your reaction’s quite different from his,” Anghot said.
“He thought the topic was tough.”

“He’s never been good at this stuff,” Bai Ci explained.
“I read a lot, so I’ve thought about it some.”

“That’s a good mindset,” Anghot praised, pausing before asking, “You were attacked by a Dragon King and survived.
Do you know why?”

Bai Ci was silent for a moment, then shook her head.
“I don’t know.”

Lu Mingfei’s secret was probably better kept unsaid, for his sake.

Everyone has their little secrets.
If Lu Mingfei didn’t want to tell others, she’d keep it hidden for him.

Was this their little secret?

The corner of her mouth twitched upward briefly before returning to normal.

“Interested in the story of the Bronze and Fire Kings?”
Anghot asked with intrigue.

“Yes,” Bai Ci said softly.
“Why do they look human?
Do Dragon Kings hide among people?”

“Dragon Kings can take any form.
According to the Ice Sea Fragments, these brothers lived in a bronze palace in Northern Europe.
But from a certain year BC, their records vanish.
It seems they crossed Eurasia to China.
The journey took unknown years.
When they arrived, Wang Mang had usurped the Han Dynasty, plunging China into war.
The elder brother, under the name Li Xiong, used dragon power to gain the trust of warlord Gongsun Shu in Sichuan, helping him declare himself emperor and becoming a key vassal.”

“So… Li Xiong was a Dragon King?
How did he die?”

“Yes, Li Xiong was a Dragon King.
His death, we speculate, was due to Emperor Liu Xiu, a powerful S-rank hybrid, aided by certain hybrid families, who killed both brothers.”

“Is that true?”

“Just a theory.
They’re dead now—no one knows their full story.”

“Are they really dead?”

“Usually, high-tier dragons don’t die.
If they prepare an egg and cocoon their soul before death, they can hatch again.
The location of these eggs is their greatest secret,” the principal said.
“But this time was different.
Norton never tried to cocoon.
He chose to fuse with his dragon attendant.
If he’d succeeded, he could’ve unleashed the most powerful fire Yanling known: Candle Dragon.”

“For… revenge?”

“Exactly,” Anghot said.
“We don’t know if dragons have sibling bonds, but it seems they do.
It’s a rare similarity to humans.”

“That’s… kind of sad.”

Anghot raised an eyebrow.
“That’s a thought you share with Lu Mingfei.
There’s an old Chinese saying—hearts in sync.
You two are quite alike.”

“…”

“Well, that’s all for now.
I’ve got things to do.”

Anghot patted her shoulder.
“Recover well, adapt to the new environment, and work on your combat skills.
You’re the only female student to ace the internship—a great start.
And a one-in-a-million S-rank.
I believe you can become stronger.”

“Thank you,” Bai Ci said.

Anghot smiled and left.

After the door closed, Bai Ci let out a slow breath.

Honestly, facing the principal made her nervous.
For Anghot, the “pinnacle of hybrids,” to visit her multiple times was surprising.

In Dorm 303, Zone 1, Fingel typed a headline for the campus news: S-Rank Discharged, Mummy Returns.

The accompanying photo showed Lu Mingfei, wrapped in bandages, sitting by a window, flashing a cheesy “V” sign.

“What kind of headline is that?”
Lu Mingfei protested behind him.

“It’s a movie, The Mummy Returns, starring Brendan Fraser,” Fingel said without looking up.
“Full of mummies, all looking like you.”

“Get lost!”
Lu Mingfei snapped.
“You used my photo—where’s my payment?”

“I’ve made you a campus celebrity.
You should pay me,” Fingel said.
“In Chinese, I’m the most successful online promoter in this college.”

“Bullshit!”
Lu Mingfei grabbed the mouse, scrolling down.
The second headline read: S-Rank’s First Mission: What Did He Do Underwater?

“It’s all about me trembling in fear underwater—what kind of smear piece is this?”
Lu Mingfei glared, his eyebrows hidden under bandages.
“Why’s there no shot of me being heroic?
Cameras always catch me at my worst!”

The article’s photo showed him curled up in a corner of the cabin, pale, vomiting into a lunchbox.

“It’s just seasickness!”
Lu Mingfei said.
“Is that so weird?”

“Our part-time reporter on the boat only got shots like this… and some were worse,” Fingel said.
“But this is good.
Your popularity’s almost at Caesar and Chu Zihang’s level.
Bai Ci’s, though, is higher—surpassing both.”

“Huh?”
Lu Mingfei blinked.

“Don’t be surprised.
She’s a beauty on par with Zero, with a killer figure.
If you didn’t have a thing for her, I’d have made a move already.”

“Is it that obvious?”
Lu Mingfei asked.

“You think people are blind?
You stare at her with this creepy, stalker vibe every time you see her.”

“Hey, what’s creepy?”
Lu Mingfei said righteously.
“That’s care for my childhood friend.
What do you know?”

“Then I’ll make a move?”
Fingel teased.

“I’ll smash a beer bottle on your head, believe it?”
Lu Mingfei grabbed a bottle from the desk, raising it threateningly.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone at the door.

“Who’s there?”
Lu Mingfei went to open it.

Their eyes met.
Caesar’s icy blue pupils showed no emotion.
Lu Mingfei sucked in a breath.
As a Student Union newbie, he wasn’t scared of the chairman, but a Caesar with a towel wrapped around his head, wearing an apron, and holding a steel knife?
That was another story.

“Got any pepper?”
Caesar asked.
“If you do, I’d rather not go buy some.”

“Y-yeah, yeah!”
Lu Mingfei nodded frantically.
The dorm had a bathroom and a simple kitchen.
He and Fingel never cooked, but they had salt and pepper for late-night tomato soup takeout.

Lu Mingfei nervously handed over the pepper shaker.
Caesar nodded politely and walked into the opposite dorm.

“What’s going on?”
Lu Mingfei clutched his head.
“Doesn’t he live in that Amber Hall villa?
Did his family go bankrupt?
Is he moving into a regular dorm and cooking?”

A shing came from the opposite dorm—the sound of a blade being drawn.
Lu Mingfei flinched.

The door was open.
He peeked inside, his worldview shattered.
Lionheart president Chu Zihang had drawn his ever-present sword Murasame*, standing back-to-back with Caesar, wrist flicking.
With steady precision, he sliced a salmon on the table.

Meanwhile, Caesar deftly chopped tomatoes with one hand and sprinkled pepper into a boiling pot with the other.

Both wore their usual blank expressions.

“What the hell!
Did I… time-travel?
To a world where Caesar and Chu Zihang are buddies?
Living together… and cooking?!”
Lu Mingfei darted back, grabbing Fingel’s collar.

“Well, their girlfriends are in the same dorm,” Fingel said, glancing inside.
“Your crush is there too.
It’s White Day—wonder if she’ll give you chocolate.”

“White Day?”
Lu Mingfei froze.
What Valentine’s Day?
What Christmas?
What White Day?
As a diehard loner, he hated these holidays.

But he felt a tiny spark of hope.
Maybe his childhood friend would give him something.

“Here’s one for you.”

A cold voice interrupted—Zero.

Bai Ci figured since she was coming, she’d bring Zero along.
She might not handle it alone.

“Sis, got one for me?”
Fingel looked at Zero pleadingly, like a stray dog begging for scraps.

“Yours.”

Zero tossed him one, expressionless.

Lu Mingfei stared at her.
His first-ever chocolate, from a stoic girl.
Nice, but… something felt missing.

As he mulled it over, something tapped his head.
“For you two.
Give Fingel’s to him.
Obligatory chocolate, of course.”

The familiar voice jolted Lu Mingfei.
He happily took the chocolate from Bai Ci.

She tilted her head, avoiding his gaze.

This was fine, really.

Bai Ci glanced at him.
This guy—so strong yet always acting like a loser.
It was baffling.