Next, he made up a story about an ordinary high school student who had encountered a criminal with superpowers and golden eyes in an alley after school.
After clicking send, he closed the forum and opened a rather basic shopping site. In the search bar, he typed: longsword.
There weren't many relevant products, and he couldn't test how they felt through an online platform. The obviously decorative longswords weren't what he wanted. In the Lands Between, he had wielded all kinds of weapons: swords, sabers, axes, hammers, spears, and even special weapons forged from the teeth of Fallingstar Beasts and Ancient Dragons. Even ordinary weapons, once upgraded by Mr. Hewg, were far beyond their mundane counterparts. That master blacksmith, who had once forged god-slaying weapons for Marika, had crafted the weapons that accompanied Lu Mingfei through most of his journey to become a lord.
Unable to find a satisfactory weapon, Lu Mingfei closed the shopping site and decided to visit a physical store another day.
He glanced at the status bar. Both forum notifications and chat messages were flashing. Three people had messaged him on the chat app.
Chen Wenwen: "I'm going. See you the day after tomorrow." She was replying to his message asking whether she would attend the literature club event.
Lu Mingfei had sent that question eighteen hours ago, but for the person he was now, more than a hundred years had passed. He replied politely, "Something might come up. I won't be able to go."
He had a vague sense of unease, as though something was stirring on the dark side of the world. When he had activated the power within him, that boy had come looking for him with his dream in tow. There was reason to suspect that other things might come looking for him too. His long journey had made him someone who acted faster than he thought, and socializing with his high school classmates was undoubtedly low on his list of priorities.
The other two contacts were labeled Old Tang and Nono, people he had met in a gaming channel. Both were inviting him to play.
Lu Mingfei simply ignored them and switched his avatar to the gray offline status.
He opened the forum where he had just posted. The first notification informed him that the system had deleted his post. At the same time, a forum administrator sent him a message.
"Hello, Mr. Lu Mingfei. Please consider this an invitation to meet at the Regent Hotel tomorrow morning at ten."
Lu Mingfei shut down the computer and walked to the window. The fish seemed to have taken the bait easily enough, but was a fish caught on such a straight hook really prey? Perhaps it was a monster lurking beneath the water, tugging on the bait and waiting for the angler to tighten his grip on the rod before dragging him under with one powerful pull and feasting on him.
Night hung heavy beyond the window, without a single star. The city lights painted the clouds a dark red. Such a sight was impossible in the Lands Between. Even Leyndell, the royal capital beneath his throne, had failed to regain its prosperity in the decades after the Elden Ring was restored.
His gaze was indifferent and distant. For a moment, he seemed to return to that lofty throne that had also been a shackle. He murmured to himself.
"How... exciting."
Chapter 3: Interview
The next day, Lu Mingfei entered the Regent Hotel lobby with a violin case on his back.
As the most luxurious five-star hotel in this small city, its interior was lavish, but Lu Mingfei felt nothing at the sight. He had lived at the foot of the Erdtree. The entire royal capital had been built around that immense tree, gathering together all the prosperity of the golden age-a symbol of the golden dynasty's might before the Lands Between descended into war. Every morning, Lu Mingfei had awakened to see that vast capital prostrate at his feet.
An attendant was already waiting there. He approached, his manner unconsciously taking on a hint of deference. "Are you Mr. Lu Mingfei? The distinguished guests from Cassell College are waiting for you on the executive floor." Working at the Regent Hotel, he had received many wealthy, influential people and had developed some ability to read them. The young man before him carried an air of privilege, with a composed gaze and a relaxed posture, yet habitually held his head high and his back straight. The guests he was meeting were also VIPs staying in the presidential suite.
This was a young man from a wealthy family.
Lu Mingfei committed the name Cassell College to memory and followed the attendant into an elevator to the ninth floor, eventually arriving at the VIP restaurant and bar.
The attendant stopped at the entrance. Lu Mingfei went inside alone, where a man and a woman had already been waiting at a table for some time.
Lu Mingfei knew that these were the people who had deleted his post and issued the invitation. He took the violin case off his back and slowly approached, holding its strap in one hand. Inside was a solid wooden baseball bat he had bought at a chain supermarket. The violin case was left over from Lu Mingze's middle school music lessons, back when music certification exams had been popular among students.
Hearing his footsteps, both turned to look at him, and Lu Mingfei got a clear look at their faces.
One was a tall, lean young man; the other was a sweet-looking woman. Both wore dark green suits with fine silver trim along the collars, gold buttons, and gold cuffs. What drew Lu Mingfei's attention most was the emblem embroidered in silver thread on their chests: an enormous tree, half lush and half withered.
Both had Asian features and dark brown eyes that were nearly black, with no inhuman traits or golden pupils.
But Lu Mingfei could make his eye color look ordinary, and others might be able to do the same. He couldn't judge their identities on that basis alone.
Both rose from their seats and introduced themselves in Chinese.
"Hello, Lu Mingfei. My name is Ye Sheng."
"My name is Jude Jiqu."
Ye Sheng's accent was native; he was Chinese. Jude Jiqu, on the other hand, seemed to be a Japanese name.
"The administrators?" Lu Mingfei wasn't surprised that they knew his name. A vast organization operating on the dark side of the world, capable of quickly and precisely removing an insignificant post from the immense internet, should have no trouble investigating someone's identity.
"Yes," Ye Sheng admitted. He exchanged a glance with Jude Jiqu, who took out a letter and handed it to Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei opened the envelope and quickly scanned the letter.
It was a reply from a university. The opening sentence rejected the application to study at the University of Chicago that his aunt had submitted for him. After a "however," it shifted to introducing an affiliated school called Cassell College. According to the letter, a professor named Guderian would soon come to China to interview him.
Lu Mingfei had only just learned the school's name from the attendant: Cassell.
"So you're actually students at a school?" Lu Mingfei put away the letter, looking bemused.
"Please sit down first, Lu Mingfei. We're here to explain everything," Ye Sheng said earnestly.
Lu Mingfei walked to the seat opposite them and calmly sat down.
He was willing to hear these two young people out. This was much better than the situation he had anticipated. At least they hadn't shown any hostility yet.
"We suspect that you've awakened your power." Ye Sheng's tone abruptly grew serious at the word "power." Beside him, Jude Jiqu had a laptop open in front of her, seemingly ready to take notes.
The entire restaurant and bar was deserted. Even the attendant at the entrance had disappeared. Noon sunlight streamed into the glittering hall, as though silence had taken physical form and congealed in the air. Ye Sheng's voice sounded almost ethereal.
Lu Mingfei didn't answer, and Ye Sheng continued. "Norma investigated your movements. At the time described in your post, you were at your uncle's home. You played two games of StarCraft that morning, and you didn't go out in the afternoon or evening." He paused and glanced at Lu Mingfei's calm face. "We believe the post points very strongly to something specific. You invented the protagonist, time, and location, but the person with golden pupils was you."
Lu Mingfei's expression didn't change. He had never intended to conceal it. "That's right. It was me."
Ye Sheng's gaze grew more solemn, while Jude Jiqu typed on her laptop.
"You have that trait too, don't you? What is it?" Lu Mingfei asked. That information was precisely why he had come today.
"Lu Mingfei, this was unexpected. That admission letter was supposed to arrive today, but you awakened a day early." Ye Sheng didn't answer his question. "You were supposed to accept admission, sign a confidentiality agreement, and join us, then awaken and have your power tested during the 3E Exam."
"Until you sign the confidentiality agreement, we can't reveal anything," Jude Jiqu added.
"I understand. You've arranged a special interview for me today." Lu Mingfei suddenly said, "I'm willing to join Cassell College."
Before becoming a lord, he had joined many factions in succession: the Roundtable Hold, the Mohgwyn Dynasty, Volcano Manor... The leaders of those organizations who had ended up opposing him for various reasons-Sir Gideon Ofnir, the Lord of Blood, the Lord of Blasphemy, and others-had all died by his blade.
Compared with whatever trouble an unknown organization might bring, Lu Mingfei was much more eager to understand Earth's supernatural powers.
Even if a scheming, ambitious mastermind really stood behind Cassell College, so what? He would simply cut his way through.
Ye Sheng looked at Jude Jiqu, and the soft-spoken Japanese girl took over the conversation. "Normally, the college would conduct another interview to determine whether a prospective student possesses power and meets our standards. However, the college has decided to use a special procedure for you. No further testing is necessary. You only need to prove to us that your power has awakened-for instance, by activating your Golden Eyes."
Lu Mingfei nodded.
Cassell College didn't resemble a school in the conventional sense. When dealing with Lu Mingfei as an awakened individual, Ye Sheng was in charge. Now that they were dealing with him as a prospective student under evaluation, responsibility had passed to Jude Jiqu. There had to be a clear division of authority between them: one was a field operative, the other an examiner.
As the Elden Lord, Lu Mingfei commanded not only the golden order but also a complex array of powers, including the crucible, Ancient Dragons, flame, beasts, blood, scarlet rot, frenzied flame, dragon communion, Gelmir Magma Sorcery, Stargazing Sorcery, Ice Sorcery, Night Sorcery, Crystal Sorcery, Carian Royal Sorcery, Claymen Sorcery, Death Sorcery, Gravity Sorcery, Glintstone Sorcery, and Blood Sorcery. He was a master in the use of all these powers.
As such, he could easily control this crucible-like power within his body.
Ye Sheng and Jude Jiqu watched Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei closed his eyes. As he slowly opened them again, Ye Sheng and Jude Jiqu couldn't help rising to their feet. The terrifying presence that enveloped them with his gaze made them feel as though a true dragon were watching them. That majesty placed a severe burden even on A-Rank hybrids, and both struggled to keep their spines straight.
Those eyes seemed to flow with molten lava.
Chapter 4: S-Rank
Lu Mingfei extinguished his Golden Eyes. Ye Sheng and Jude Jiqu's breathing was noticeably uneven.
"Lu Mingfei, now I believe it. You really are S-Rank," Ye Sheng said with a wry smile.
"S-Rank? Is that your rating system?" Lu Mingfei asked.
Ye Sheng and Jude Jiqu sat down again. Jude Jiqu took a phone from her briefcase and handed it to Lu Mingfei, while Ye Sheng explained, "Our students are divided into ranks according to their bloodlines, from A-Rank to E... actually, F-Rank should be the lowest now. Above A-Rank are the elite of the elite: S-Rank. Lu Mingfei, before we set out on this assignment, word at the college was that the principal had personally designated you S-Rank."
"Is that so?" Lu Mingfei didn't care about the rating. The only person worth paying attention to was Cassell's principal, who had given the highest possible assessment to a high school student across the ocean whom he had never met. And Lu Mingfei really did possess that kind of power. He couldn't help wondering whether the first eighteen years of his life had truly been real. Had he been under close surveillance all along?
Unfortunately, the two people before him probably knew nothing about it. Even their assignment target's rank had come from unconfirmed reports.
He lit up the phone's screen. Half its battery remained. He tapped the prominent folder icon, which contained a single contact: "Professor Guderian."
"This is Professor Guderian. He was supposed to handle your admission, but he won't arrive until tomorrow night. Call him on this phone, and your status as a student will officially take effect," Jude Jiqu helpfully explained.
Lu Mingfei dialed without hesitation. The call was answered instantly.
"Mingfei? Is that Mingfei?" Guderian sounded a little nervous.
"This is Lu Mingfei. Please activate my status, Professor Guderian," Lu Mingfei said calmly.
"Wonderful! Thank goodness nothing went wrong..." Professor Guderian let out a delighted sigh of relief. "Ahem. Then, according to procedure, I need to ask you once more: do you confirm?"
"I confirm." To Lu Mingfei, those words felt like the Pureblood Knight's Medal he had once used. A vast, hidden world was about to open before him. Whether it held companions or schemers remained to be seen.
"Verification passed. Options enabled. Lu Mingfei, date of birth February 14, 1992, male, identification number A.D.0013, rank 'S,' added to the Cassell College roster. Database access enabled. Account activated. Course selection form generated. I am Norma, secretary of Cassell College. It is a pleasure to serve you. Your plane ticket, passport, and visa will arrive within three weeks. Welcome, Lu Mingfei."
"Norma will handle everything else, Mingfei. All you need to do now is wait for me to get there." Professor Guderian sounded so cheerful he seemed ready to whistle.
The call ended, and Lu Mingfei calmly offered the phone back.
"This phone is yours, Lu Mingfei... our junior." Jude Jiqu smiled, then turned to Ye Sheng with one hand over her chest. "A living, breathing S-Rank is going to call you his senior now. How does that feel?"
Ye Sheng relaxed too. He removed the miniature camera attached to his chest, stepping out of his role as an evaluator and returning to their usual easy manner. "Welcome aboard, Lu Mingfei. You can spend the next two days getting ready. Unfortunately, Jiqu and I both have assignments, so we won't be traveling with you."
Looking at Ye Sheng's outstretched hand, Lu Mingfei rose and shook it.
"By the way, is there really a violin in your violin case?" Jude Jiqu blinked curiously.
Lu Mingfei made no attempt to hide it. He laid the violin case flat on the table and opened it, revealing the brand-new baseball bat inside, still bearing its supermarket price tag.
"I wasn't sure what kind of beings you were. It was for self-defense," Lu Mingfei said evenly. "Fortunately, we're companions now."
"Ha-ha, yes." Jude Jiqu looked slightly embarrassed, then suddenly remembered something. "Come to think of it, that approach is rather like Chu Zihang, the current president of the Lionheart Society. He went to your high school too."
"That's why the college decided to interview more candidates from Shilan High School. It really does produce a lot of talent," Ye Sheng remarked.
"We'll be staying at the Regent Hotel, so feel free to come to us if you need anything. Professor Guderian will stay here too when he arrives tomorrow." Jude Jiqu closed her laptop and let out a long breath.
At noon, Lu Mingfei walked slowly along the sidewalk, but his mind wasn't occupied with Cassell College. He emptied his thoughts as he stepped across the patterned paving stones. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, falling across him in dappled patches. A gust of wind swept past, and it sounded as though the whole world were rustling.
Another spring had come. Lu Mingfei could no longer remember how old he was. The child who had first struggled through the Lands Between was now as indistinct as a shadow in his memories-that frightened, bewildered boy...
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the newsstand he used to frequent. He knew the old man who ran it.
"Mingfei, I hear you're going abroad to study," the old man said, assuming he had come to buy the latest issue of Xiaoshuohui again.
"My flight's in a couple of days. I'm afraid we might not see each other again, sir." Lu Mingfei crouched in front of the newsstand and picked up the latest Xiaoshuohui.
"You make it sound so sad, kid. Studying abroad is a good thing. When you come back, you'll be an overseas graduate." The old man felt that Lu Mingfei was different from usual, but couldn't quite put his finger on what was strange. "These days, experience doesn't count for much. Qualifications are what get you ahead."
"Mm." Lu Mingfei handed over the change, bought Xiaoshuohui, and left without another word.
The old man narrowed his eyes and leaned forward to look at Lu Mingfei's retreating back. Watching that straight-backed figure, he suddenly realized what was different: the boy hadn't looked at Home Computer and Games.
"Boys always grow up overnight." The old man often read the books at his newsstand. A line he had read somewhere came to mind, and he couldn't help murmuring it to himself.
Lu Mingfei then went to a convenience store to buy some groceries, along with the bagged milk his aunt had repeatedly said was running out. His uncle still hadn't taken the hint.