Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 130: Su Xiaoquian’s Spring Strategy (4)

Dragon Raja 4

He moved the waterlogged mattress, revealing a tightly sealed hidden door. It was reinforced with iron plates and a heavy lock. Lu Mingfei pried it open and descended a ladder. The third level was half-flooded, with old vinyl records and half-full bottles of whiskey floating in the water. Tangled red threads hung from the ceiling. There was no normal way to access this level; it lay directly beneath Chu Tianjiao’s quarters. Judging by the items he had collected, Chu Tianjiao had refined tastes—every bottle of whiskey was aged, and the vinyl records were classic editions. He hadn’t slept on that uncomfortable mattress much, choosing instead to spend sleepless nights here, drinking whiskey and listening to records, thinking about his seldom-seen son.

Nono hadn’t discovered this secret, not because she wasn’t sharp enough, but because Lu Mingfei had already been here before. In several of his past reloads, he had explored this space repeatedly.

Although much of the information had been destroyed by water, some things were immune. Hard materials, well-maintained, would remain intact.

Lu Mingfei pried open an iron cabinet, revealing a heavy black aluminum case. The lid bore the half-rotten emblem of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

He took out his student card and swiped it across the case’s lock. The mechanical tumblers whirred, and the lid popped open.

The S-Rank student card still held high-level permissions. The case, left dormant for years, hadn’t updated its system and still recognized Lu Mingfei’s card, unaware that it had long expired.

Inside, the case was filled with weapons—Beretta 92F pistols, a U.S.-made M4 Super 90 tactical shotgun, an S&W M500 revolver, once touted as the most powerful handgun in the world, requiring immense wrist strength to wield, and an Israeli-made Uzi submachine gun, capable of firing 1,500 rounds per minute, favored by counter-terrorists and terrorists alike. There were also various calibers of bullets, their bases marked with red to warn that these weren’t the kind of ammunition one could buy in a gun store.

This was essentially a small armory, directly from Cassell College, and every item within carried a familiar sense for Lu Mingfei. He efficiently checked the guns, ammunition, and grenades, firmly trusting in their power, especially since they were undoubtedly created by a master from the Gear Department. Even their phones could double as grenades, so their actual grenades must be terrifying. Back in Japan, EVA had once air-dropped a similar weapons case for Caesar, but Chu Tianjiao’s weapons case seemed even more advanced, featuring personalized items like the S&W M500 revolver.

Lu Mingfei closed the case and carried it with him. In the game, he had already explored this space multiple times, and all the valuable information was imprinted in his memory.

Suddenly, a few pale blue beams of light flickered behind him, forming a holographic projection. A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair appeared within the light beams, wearing a neatly pressed shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing toned forearms. He gazed at Lu Mingfei’s back, holding a glass of whiskey with a faint smile.

“It’s been years, Hilbert. By the time we’re having this conversation, I must have already left this world,” Chu Tianjiao said, exhaling a puff of cigar smoke.

Lu Mingfei was startled. He had never encountered anything like this while exploring this area in the game. However, he was familiar with the holographic projection system, as EVA used similar technology, so he didn’t mistake it for a ghost.

“I hope I didn’t fail my mission. I hope that child has grown up safely,” Chu Tianjiao said, blowing out more smoke. “I’ve stored everything I know in this time capsule. You may begin asking questions.”

Lu Mingfei circled around the hologram several times, figuring out its mechanics. Unlike EVA, which possessed powerful computational abilities capable of simulating human thought and emotion, this device was isolated. Chu Tianjiao had merely recorded video footage and basic AI to store some moments from his life. The intended recipient of these messages was likely Anjou.

It was hard to fully trust the old man, Anjou. You never knew what he’d experienced throughout his long life or what he was truly hiding deep within.

“I’ve seen your card, Nidhogg, right?” Lu Mingfei pulled up a chair from the puddles and sat before the projection. “The black dragon, the origin and the end of everything.”

“I’m not certain, but my reasoning hits a dead end at one point, so I have to assume it’s Nidhogg. It’s like a black hole in your path—you can’t see it, but you know it’s there,” Chu Tianjiao replied.

“Has he awakened? Is he walking the earth in human form?” Lu Mingfei asked, his voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t know, but he’s probably the loneliest Hybrid in existence. Both humans and dragons fear him. He’s an anomaly in the timeline.”

“Can you explain that in more detail?”

“Sorry, I can’t answer that. My storage doesn’t support answering that question.” Chu Tianjiao’s expression suddenly became robotic.

“What was your mission here?”

“For that question, please refer to entry number 16 in Hilbert Ron Anjou’s dedicated server.”

“What is Odin?”

“For that question, please refer to entry number 24 in Hilbert Ron Anjou’s dedicated server.”

Lu Mingfei felt exasperated. He had finally triggered a hidden task, but all he got was a dumbed-down recording, despite its stylish appearance.

“Are you from the college? Who do you report to?”

“Could you ask something more meaningful? Aren’t I reporting to you?” the projection retorted.

Lu Mingfei was taken aback but realized that this question didn’t need asking—the case alone confirmed Chu Tianjiao’s deep ties with Cassell College.

“How do you interpret higher-dimensional worlds, constraint-level events, and Ragnarök?”

“Sorry, I can’t answer that. My storage doesn’t support answering that question.”

“What are Odin’s weaknesses? How does Gungnir work?”

“Sorry, I can’t answer that. My storage doesn’t support answering that question,” Chu Tianjiao repeated, once again becoming robotic.

“Alright, fine. Just say something useful then,” Lu Mingfei gave up on asking questions. His knowledge of the world’s secrets was still limited, so he didn’t even know how to ask the right questions.

“I know what you know. Why ask so much? Take this recording as my farewell to you and the world. I know that day will come eventually, but I’m not afraid, because my son is still in this world.”

“Do you want me to pass a message to your son?” Lu Mingfei asked instinctively, then quickly realized he was talking to an advanced answering machine, not a real person.

“I regret not being there to watch him grow up, but I don’t want my shadow to hang too heavily over his life. This way, when I leave this world, he won’t be too sad. But if the opportunity arises, tell him that I love him.”

Lu Mingfei was silent for a long time. “He already knows that, and he loves you too.”

Chu Tianjiao paused for a moment before smiling. “So it’s you, kid. Have you grown up already? I have a message for you too: cherish your life, because there are people in it that you love.”

Lu Mingfei was shocked and tried to ask more, but the projection device above started emitting smoke. Chu Tianjiao’s figure disintegrated into ashes. Even in his final moments, he was still drinking, his expression relaxed and at peace.

It was unclear if the device had short-circuited due to water damage or if it was programmed to self-destruct when it detected that the visitor wasn’t Anjou. Perhaps the world’s laws of causality were preventing Lu Mingfei from learning more.

“Chu Tianjiao, if I survive, I’ll definitely find your son,” Lu Mingfei patted the case in his hand. “And… I’m your son’s friend. I’ll help him avenge you!”

Nono sat under the fluorescent lights, quietly sipping her beer. Outside, dark clouds filled the sky, pressing down so low it seemed like an inverted black ocean was churning above the rooftops.

A bolt of lightning struck the lightning rod on the building opposite, sending sparks along the wire. The neon sign flickered and then went out. The entire building was plunged into darkness, and cries of frustration echoed from inside.

Finger hummed as he packed their luggage, stuffing clothes and souvenirs into seven or eight large suitcases. They had only been in this city for less than a month, yet they had somehow accumulated a surprising amount of stuff.

“Auntie said she’ll make us a big farewell dinner tomorrow night. You better remember to come back for it,” Finger said.

They had told their aunt and uncle that their investigation was nearly complete and that the college was urging them to return. Lu Mingfei was staying in Shanghai, so they would go there to meet him before flying back to America.

“What are you packing so much for? Souvenirs?” Nono frowned. “Come have a drink instead.”

“It’s stuff Auntie asked me to bring to her son—clothes, sauces, fermented tofu, that kind of thing. I’m just helping Lu Mingfei out, paying respects for him,” Finger stretched and opened another beer. “You’ve been drinking like a fish these past few days, Nono. What’s bothering you? Talk to your senior!”

“I’m just thirsty, is that a problem?” Nono stared out the window. “Is this a tropical storm? Or could it be an elemental disturbance?”