Dragon Raja 2; Chapter 141: Crime and Punishment (6)

Dragon Raja 2

“Sounds like the fire that could destroy the world,” Caesar said, gently placing the bolt back into the box.

“Don’t worry. It’s made of special quartz glass, and won’t break if dropped,” the researcher smiled. “This is the greatest support the family can offer you for this mission. Such power is needed to kill a First Generation.”

Caesar raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like Prometheus, the fire thief. Stealing a spark of the ‘Bronze and Fire King’s’ power to kill the ‘Earth and Mountain King.’ Are you part of the family?”

The researcher sneered. “Gattuso is indeed the most influential surname on the School Board, but if you think you can make the Gear Department’s deputy head your own, that’s a bit too arrogant.”

“Deputy head of the Gear Department? You?” Caesar’s pupils contracted sharply. He turned to stare at the pale, slender man. The Gear Department had always been hidden underground, and no one knew who ran it. Whenever the school needed equipment support, these tech geeks in white lab coats and thick glasses would emerge from their underground labs, drop off their deliveries, offer a few hurried explanations, and sometimes didn’t even provide a manual, let alone instructions. This time, however, the Gear Department had sent a deputy head to deliver gear.

The deputy head couldn’t be bothered to answer that question. He closed the lid of the box and pushed it toward Caesar. “In the pentagram representing the five elements, the earth element is at the lower left, and the fire element is at the lower right. When you draw a pentagram, you’ll find that there is no line connecting these two elements. Thus, there is no conversion circuit between them—in Chinese alchemy terms, no mutual generation or overcoming relationship. If fire and earth collide, it will be a pure power collision, like two bullets colliding along the same trajectory, and the result could be unimaginable. So, use it cautiously.” He sneered again. “But if you do face the ‘Earth and Mountain King,’ I suggest you don’t hesitate, as he won’t give you much time to deliberate.”

The deputy head turned and left, not even bothering to say goodbye.

“If you’re not part of the family, why deliver such an ‘S’-level piece of equipment here?” Caesar asked.

“As a researcher, I don’t care whether the School Board or the Principal runs this college. My job is to extract the greatest power from everything, seal it with the best technology, and see it perform in grand ceremonies.” The deputy head walked away without turning back. “Honestly, I’d love to see you use that bolt in a bustling street in China, especially against a Dragon King. The pure clash of powers—it should be beautiful, shouldn’t it?”

“The mad father raises a mad son, huh,” Xia Mi whispered to Caesar.

The deputy head heard her but wasn’t offended. He laughed darkly, like a crow that had spotted carrion, and pushed the door open to leave. He brushed past the girl who was just about to knock. He didn’t even look at her, as if she were nothing more than air. Caesar, however, had a slight change in expression upon seeing her.

“Could we talk privately?” He smiled at Xia Mi, in a tone used to coax children. “If you want cake, just help yourself from the fridge.”

“Hmph, so generous… no problem!” Xia Mi slipped past the girl. The two glanced at each other and nodded politely.

The girl sat on the sofa, holding a heavy envelope.

“You’re punctual.” Caesar scrutinized her with an appraising look. “Would you like a drink?”

“No need. I just need to hand this over to you.” She tossed the envelope to Caesar. “These are the copies of the documents I helped Chu Zihang make. They’re all parchment volumes stored by the Lionheart Society. Some are already severely damaged.”

Caesar took a look inside the envelope. They were all handwritten in Old English, Hebrew, or Latin, with crude and obscure illustrations resembling early Tarot cards: the Hanged Man, the Burning Tower, the skeletal-faced Pope.

“Vellum scrolls,” Caesar admired as he touched the pages, “these are rare treasures. In the Middle Ages, a single vellum scroll could be worth an entire estate. A famous private collector once owned seven vellum scrolls, and he took great pride in them, their combined value was immeasurable. Scribes would write on these precious vellum sheets, and after finishing, their finger bones would be cut off and embedded in the cover, symbolizing that no other copy would ever exist. Texts given this high honor usually concerned witchcraft, alchemy, and black magic; hence they were called grimoires or books of demons. It’s said that there were 30,000 vellum scrolls in the Library of Alexandria before they were burned by the Arab armies, reducing all the knowledge of mysticism, much of it related to the dragons, to ashes. It’s sad when you think about it,” he said, staring at the girl, “what I need is in here?”

“Everything about ‘Blood Rage’ is in there. I couldn’t understand it, but you should be able to. You believe yourself to be on par with him. He comprehended it from these incomplete records.”

Caesar nodded. “You’ve kept your word. However, Chu Zihang let you handle these because he trusted you. By doing this, are you betraying him?”

“That’s none of your business. Our deal was that you’d support Chu Zihang in the hearing, and I’d give you these copies.” The girl did not shy away from Caesar’s cold gaze. “Our transaction is complete. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave—I still have a paper to finish.” She stood up and walked toward the exit.

“If he finds out that someone else in this world understands ‘Blood Rage,’ will he hate you?” Caesar admired her slender back. “This was his possession, and you used it without his permission.”

“He’s just a foolish child who doesn’t know how to manage his own life.” There was impatience in her voice.

“A foolish child?” Caesar was stunned. “The person I’ve always seen as my rival is just a foolish child?”

The girl turned around, her dark eyes serious. “Yes, a foolish child. Different foolish children act differently when helpless: some cry loudly, while others stubbornly keep their heads down and walk their path. He’s the latter. But no matter which kind of foolish child, they all need help.”

“Aren’t you giving too much for him?” Caesar leaned against the window, looking at the well-lit ‘Foundation Well’ ruins, where the Gear Department was working overnight, analyzing every cubic centimeter of soil in the lab. “I apologize; if I knew you were coming, I would’ve asked Xia Mi to wait in another room.”

“No worries. My liking him… has nothing to do with whether he likes me or not.” The girl lowered her gaze.

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