Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 142: The Sea of Hidden Dragons (9)

Dragon Raja 3

Lu Mingfei watched them through the observation window, feeling more than ever like a complete waste. Why was he an S-level? Just for trading his life with a self-detonation spell? In reality, he was a level one; he hadn’t leveled up since leaving the novice village. The only skill he had was self-detonation, and other smaller monsters were dealt with by seniors like Caesar and Chu Zihang.

More and more Corpse Guardians crawled out of the ground, moving like millions of earthworms emerging from the soil in spring. A huge crack appeared, cutting vertically through the river of lava, and hundreds of tons of magma surged into the fissure. Something enormous struggled within the lava, its scales black, spines with barbs growing along its back. Black metallic hooks pierced its body, anchoring it firmly beneath the ruins. But the metal hooks were about to lose their grip; it thrashed its thick tail wildly against the ground, causing entire structures to collapse, and metal fragments and debris floated up, forming large mists in the seawater.

But that wasn’t the worst part. Lu Mingfei stood up in terror as he saw swarms of fireflies flying out from the crack!

They were the Ghost-toothed Vipers! Their first appearance had been surfacing from the trench, but no one had expected the ruins to be their nest. The Vipers pulled silver trails through the seawater; they showed no interest in the small lung snails or the Corpse Guardians, instead gradually approaching the struggling Caesar and Chu Zihang. Lu Mingfei felt his head was about to explode. He remembered that either Chu Zihang or Caesar had said that Ghost-toothed Vipers could crush bronze pillars and eat them. They could secrete highly acidic mucus, which, combined with their terrifying teeth, could chew through metal. Could the titanium-magnesium alloy used to make the Zeppelin gear withstand the Vipers’ teeth?

“Run! Run! Run!” Lu Mingfei shouted into the microphone.

But Caesar and Chu Zihang couldn’t run; they were completely trapped in the lung snail pile. Chu Zihang didn’t respond; he released Caesar and pushed through the lung snails toward the nuclear power chamber. Clearly, he had heard Lu Mingfei’s calls and understood the situation. He was trying to ignite the nuclear power chamber before the Vipers attacked, but all he knew was that the password was related to Nono’s birthday. Lu Mingfei pounded on the control panel, unable to do anything but that.

Suddenly, a pair of nimble hands pressed on his shoulder, vigorously massaging the acupoint.

“Ah, customer! Your shoulders are so tense; you must work at a desk all the time. Oh no, you’re gaming, right? That’s really bad for your neck! You should come for therapy regularly; patronize my business, and I guarantee your health. Let’s work together every day to improve!”

“What the hell?” Lu Mingfei exclaimed, jumping up and hitting his head on the monitor above.

“What ghost could be moving 8,000 meters deep in the sea? Unless a pirate threw a rock tied to their feet into the water. It’s me! Your little brother, the honest and trustworthy salesman, your reliable life partner, and your warm little comforter,” the masseuse said seriously.

Lu Mingfei turned his head; the little devil was dressed in a dark blue kimono and white socks, sitting on the control console with her chin resting on her hands, her cheeks flushed and adorable like the fresh red apples described in textbooks.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on vacation?” Lu Mingfei stammered.

“Sigh, who says I’m not? I just finished packing my luggage to catch the train, and I was flirting with that girl in a short skirt in the VIP waiting room when I suddenly felt that my brother was in danger, so I rushed over,” Lu Mingze sighed. “After flirting for so long, I left that girl behind in the VIP waiting room; she probably won’t pay any attention to me anymore.”

“You said Japan wasn’t your responsibility?”

“Japan isn’t my responsibility, but you’re currently outside Japan’s territorial waters,” Lu Mingze glanced out the window. “The trouble you guys are in is record-breaking, with at least a thousand Corpse Guardians and a purebred dragon, processed through alchemy, buried underground, an ancient species.”

“The Corpse Guardians aren’t that bad, but do you have any way to deal with those Ghost-toothed Vipers?”

Lu Mingze smiled. “The Corpse Guardians aren’t good at all; you don’t understand what they are. Their brains are dead, but their nervous systems, hearts, and muscles are intact, wrapped in their own secretions. Their bloodthirsty nature and aggression are even stronger than when they were alive. Their alchemical bodies and bones are more resilient than before; aside from being a bit clumsy, they are perfect killing machines. When they truly attack, they are more terrifying than the Vipers. The Vipers only hunt, but the Corpse Guardians are bloodthirsty. Their killings are a result of the mental imprint left by alchemy when they were created. But now they sense that this ancient city is about to be destroyed, and they are trying to escape. However, if they catch a whiff of your flesh and blood, their bloodthirsty impulses will still draw them in.”

“What happened to Caesar? Why did he just… pass out?”

“That’s an illusion. When this city stood on the surface, the alchemical domain created by the bells enveloped it. Anyone unfamiliar with the rhythm would be led by the illusion. But now it has sunk deep into the sea, and you can’t hear the bells. However, Caesar’s Yanling is Kamaitachi, and he used it incorrectly. But it’s not all bad; look at him smiling so happily; he might be embracing Nono in a wedding dress in his illusion. That sounds like a nice experience.”

The corners of Lu Mingfei’s eyes twitched involuntarily. He turned away to avoid Lu Mingze’s gaze.

A rising Corpse Guardian slammed hard into the Trieste, and Lu Mingfei saw a twisted, grotesque face peering in through the observation window. The Corpse Guardians must have realized there were living beings inside this iron shell.

“This is troublesome! I’m talking to a client, and these worthless creatures come to cause trouble?” Lu Mingze frowned. “Scare them a bit, make them understand.”

“Who are you talking to? Me?” Lu Mingfei pointed at himself. “In their eyes, I’m probably like a piece of smoked bacon; no matter how hard a smoked bacon tries, it can’t scare off its customers.”

“I wouldn’t speak to you like that! I’m reminding the bodyguard girl who came with me,” Lu Mingze smiled.

Outside the submersible, Mai slowly stood up, her gray-blue scales opening and closing, producing a metallic clanging sound.

She drew the blade strapped to her thigh and stretched out her arms. The gathering group of Corpse Guardians was intimidated by her murderous intent and dared not approach, but they swam rapidly around the Trieste. Lu Mingze was right; these things were controlled by a will to kill and bloodthirsty nature. When they sensed the presence of life, even if they were fleeing, they would stop to hunt.

Several Corpse Guardians charged toward Mai from different directions, their immortal bodies reaching five meters in length. Their massive physiques and incredible strength gave them an impact comparable to a charging rhinoceros. Even without their sharp claws and teeth, they could shatter an enemy’s entire skeleton. The seawater churned around them, and amid the chaotic currents, Mai’s slender figure stood like a fine bamboo in the storm. She drew her hands through the air, golden flames flickering on her blades, transforming into a long sword measuring ten shaku in length—one in her left hand, and the other the Budō no Tamashii in her right. She spun around, the two artifact-level weapons stirring transparent whirlpools in the seawater.

Series Navigation

<< Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 141: The Sea of Hidden Dragons (8)Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 143: The Sea of Hidden Dragons (10) >>