The Train Station

Luo Qiusheng met the other's probing gaze and walked slowly to the chair opposite, seating himself with composure.

"B007, Deep Sea Cod, I am the special operations agent dispatched by headquarters to extract you. Your mission ends here; I am taking over all subsequent matters."

Hearing this, Raymond, who had been taut with tension all night, let out a long, ragged breath.

He took off his dust-covered cap, stood up, and reached out a hand with solemnity, his tone laced with the relief of one who had narrowly escaped death: "Many thanks for the support from headquarters! May I ask how to address you?"

Luo Qiusheng raised a hand in a gentle, dismissive gesture, declining the handshake. A faint, detached smile touched his lips, his tone calm yet possessed of an indisputable certainty: "Your field mission is over. However, the classified files you hold regarding Jormungandr must be handed over to me."

"But these files..." Raymond's face showed hesitation, his instinct urging him to argue.

Before he could finish, Luo Qiusheng spoke slowly, his voice low and resonant, piercing straight through the desperate reality of their situation: "I am here to assist your extraction. I have no desire to see a temporary teammate perish here. The entire subway station is currently shrouded in the domain of the King of Earth and Mountains, and the only escape route is under the Dragon King's control. If you attempt to break through while carrying these secrets—secrets that would invite the covetous gaze of top-tier dragons—your only outcome will be death."

Raymond fell silent instantly.

He knew better than anyone that every word Luo Qiusheng spoke was the truth.

From the moment he began his undercover investigation to the collection of data, he had sensed that the dragon aura in this area was so thick it was nearly suffocating. Every step he had taken had been fraught with peril, and he had long since prepared himself for the worst-case scenario of dying here.

The sudden appearance of a savior in this desperate hour, who not only shielded him from a fatal crisis but also paved the only path to survival, left him with no choice but to be moved.

"I have served in the Execution Department for many years, yet I have never seen you before." Raymond remained suspicious, staring fixedly at the cool-tempered youth before him.

"Second-year student, half-newbie." Luo Qiusheng's tone was indifferent, brushing off his identity with a casual remark. "The follow-up to this mission will be handled by senior personnel. Your only task is to leave here alive and return to headquarters to report."

Before the words had even faded, he did not wait for Raymond to press for more questions. He reached out and deftly took the briefcase from the other man's hand, his movements crisp and devoid of any hesitation.

Inside the bag lay the core of the entire operation—the complete, top-secret research data on Jormungandr.

Raymond stared blankly at his empty palms. After a moment of hesitation, he finally suppressed the unease in his heart, bowed in thanks, and turned to walk quickly toward the subway station's emergency exit.

Watching Raymond's figure disappear completely around the corner of the passage, Luo Qiusheng lowered his gaze and unzipped the briefcase, taking out the stack of documents stamped with the highest security clearance.

His eyes swept rapidly over the dense text and data, imprinting the key information into his mind. Once confirmed, a cluster of fine, crimson sparks suddenly ignited at the tips of his right fingers.

The ghostly flames licked the paper, instantly consuming the heavy classified files. The yellowed pages carbonized rapidly in the fire, crumbling and disintegrating into a flurry of black ash that drifted down like snow.

Luo Qiusheng brushed the remaining soot from his palms and whispered, "This is all I can do. By saving Raymond's life, the trajectory of Jormungandr's awakening can be delayed for a time."

He knew that the fate of the dragon race was already etched into their blood; the surging undercurrents were ultimately impossible to reverse.

All he could intervene in were the lives at stake before him and the fleeting opportunities that presented themselves.

To prevent any sudden variables, Luo Qiusheng did not linger. He retracted his aura, hid his form within the dim shadows, and followed silently in the direction of Raymond's retreat, suppressing all movement without triggering a single ripple of spiritual energy.

The entire Beijing subway station remained deathly silent.

Cold incandescent lights flickered on and off, the crisp sound of bulbs shattering echoing intermittently through the empty tunnels. The ground trembled incessantly, cracks spreading like spiderwebs, while large chunks of tile fell from the walls and rubble tumbled down with a soft, rhythmic clatter.

Rumble—

A dull, subterranean roar erupted from the depths!

The violent tremor swept across the entire platform in an instant. The earth could no longer withstand the crushing weight of the Dragon King's authority and collapsed with a thunderous crash!

Thick layers of concrete and rock crumbled away, and a massive cloud of dust surged up, obscuring all vision. Broken rails, toppled pillars, and falling ceilings wove together into a scene of apocalyptic ruin.

Amidst the rolling smoke and dust, a surging dragon might broke through the subterranean confinement, sweeping violently in all directions. It was the pure, heavy, and tyrannical pressure belonging to the primordial monarch, the King of Earth and Mountains, Fenrir. It descended like a mountain of ten thousand feet, making every inch of oxygen in the air feel stagnant and heavy.

From the depths of the tunnel, a low, indistinct roar drifted out, mingled with the sound of collapsing rock—terrifying to the extreme.

Luo Qiusheng stopped in a relatively stable corner of the passage, turning his body to avoid the flying debris, his gaze dark as he looked toward the center of the completely collapsed station.

The gray mist blurred his features, but his eyes remained clear and calm.

He knew that this collapse was never an accident; it was the precursor to the Dragon King's awakening and the prologue to the manifestation of the Nibelungen.

With Jormungandr lurking in the shadows and Fenrir entrenched beneath the earth, the chess game of the two kings had already begun.

The documents he had just destroyed, while seemingly cutting off humanity's trail to the Dragon King, had in reality temporarily masked the edge of this catastrophe, buying the world a few precious moments of respite.

The wind howled, and dust filled the sky.

Luo Qiusheng lowered his eyes slightly, the sparks at his fingertips fading away, and murmured to himself, "It has begun after all."

"The final game belonging to the Dragon Tribe, the Eye of the Mourner, has officially opened."

He turned and stepped away, his figure merging into the deep, dark passage as he retreated steadily in the direction away from the heart of the collapse.

Dark currents surged in the shadows; no one knew that this second-year student from Kassel had already quietly pried at the gears of fate before anyone had even noticed.

The ground beneath every step Luo Qiusheng took cracked a second later. After leading Raymond away from the station, he returned to the entrance.

The ambush failed. Jormungandr will not let this go...

He pulled out his phone, scrolled down his contact list, found Lu Mingfei, and dialed without hesitation.

Luo Qiusheng: "Lu Mingfei, where are you now?"

Lu Mingfei: "On the plane, what's wrong?"

Luo Qiusheng: "Do you have anything else to do after you land?"

"Nothing."

"Good. Come to the subway station first when you arrive." After ending the call, Luo Qiusheng did not intend to wait for the two of them before seeking out Fenrir. Instead, he walked directly down the stairs; the lights were off, and the path ahead was pitch black.

"A swarm of Kamaitachi?" Luo Qiusheng felt a flicker of surprise at the sight of the Kamaitachi.

Logically, the swarm shouldn't have appeared this early.

"Jormungandr, I know you're watching. Come out, let's talk."