pdf-ebookys Chapter 23: Not Bowing to the King
Chapter 23: Not Bowing to the King
All kings' blood must end with the sword.
Within the Bronze City, the Seven Deadly Sins, silent for a thousand years, have finally found their master.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The swords trembled slightly beneath his hand. Unlike his original course, Norton did not choose to merge with Samson, but instead devoured all the dragon servants in the city, facing the approaching enemy alone.
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"It is now the night of February 13, 2010, Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve. The Moniach is anchored in the Three Gorges Reservoir. The river is calm and the equipment is functioning normally. Tonight we will execute 'Operation Bronze'. I am Captain Mans, and this is the thirty-second Captain's Log for this voyage."
Professor Mans glanced at his watch, dialed an overseas call, pressed the speakerphone button, and placed the phone on the table.
"Prepared, please give final instructions from the Board of Directors."
"Get started. Good luck." Principal Angers' voice came from the other end, then he hung up.
Mans looked around at everyone in the cabin.
"I heard everything, the principal has confirmed it."
Everyone nodded silently.
"Although we've rehearsed it many times, only tonight will you know all the details." Mans's gaze swept over each student, dressed in black combat uniforms and standing at attention with their hands behind their backs. "Listen carefully, memorize it. Only through close cooperation between the groups can we ensure success."
He paused, his tone solemn: "Congratulations, everyone. This will be a true dragon-slaying operation. Here, you will no longer be seen as students. You were selected here solely because you are the most elite of the elite."
"Hey, don't just take it for granted that they're the 'most elite,' at least consider someone like me who was dragged in to make up the numbers..." Lu Mingfei muttered to himself from behind, only daring to show half his face.
Zhou Yi was a head taller than him, standing side by side with Chen Motong behind him. Hearing Lu Mingfei's disheartening words, Chen Motong gave him a light punch.
"Stop saying such lame things," she warned in a low voice.
Lu Mingfei winced in pain and immediately shut up.
"Unlike last time, the Moniach is fully armed this time. The equipment department has crammed all the latest gadgets into the hold. This ship incorporates the most advanced technology mankind has ever developed, and its firepower is enough to rival a cruiser, making it capable of dealing with any creature," Mans continued, "provided there are no operational errors."
"This target is far more powerful than any enemy you've encountered before. Ordinary metal and explosions might not even scratch it, so conventional weapons are ineffective." Mans pointed to the unfolded large screen. "Let me introduce it—'Storm'! The world's fastest torpedo, Russian-made, with an underwater speed of up to 200 knots, approaching the speed of a small aircraft. According to data, the diving limit for dinosaurs is about 50 knots, so the target cannot escape its pursuit... Lu Mingfei, do you have a question?"
Lu Mingfei raised his hand: "I read in a military magazine that the 'Storm' missile can carry nuclear warheads... Are we going to have to use nuclear weapons?"
"No, we equipped it with a gold-plated bullet." The screen zoomed in, focusing on the bullet.
"The warhead contains 8000 alchemical shrapnel fragments embedded in a spiral structure, their edges extremely sharp enough to slice through a dragon's scales." Mans activated the simulation animation. "Look, at the moment the warhead explodes, the 8000 shrapnel fragments will bloom like metallic flowers, spinning rapidly on a plane with a diameter of 30 meters, like a chainsaw—but at a speed far exceeding any type of saw. Completing a full rotation and cut within a fraction of a second...enough to cleave the Dragon King in two."
Originally, Zhou Yi was supposed to be in charge of introducing the alchemical weapons, but for some reason, no one seemed willing to trust this unassuming and low-key A-level student. Before setting off, Caesar, Mans, and Chu Zihang had all inquired with the Equipment Department. Everyone tacitly regarded Zhou Yi as someone who was just "getting credits," and didn't even assign him any key tasks.
Mans believed that Zhou Yi's Word of Power "Refinement" had limited use in this mission. Indeed, according to the school's records, Zhou Yi's Word of Power was the low-sequence "Refinement," not the sequence 96 "Heaven and Earth as Furnace." In fact, Zhou Yi did not deliberately hide it, and even showed his abilities several times in the Equipment Department, but everyone still believed it was "Refinement"—after all, "Heaven and Earth as Furnace" was the exclusive Word of Power of the King of Bronze and Fire, and its rarity was even greater than "Candle Dragon."
"But this is a reservoir... We're using naval weapons, aren't we?" Lu Mingfei really wanted to curse the relatives of those lunatics in the Equipment Department. What if the torpedo sank to the bottom and exploded?
"This is nothing. The Equipment Department has done far more outrageous things." Mans said without changing his expression. "The Three Gorges Reservoir is currently about 170 meters deep. The last underwater earthquake caused a subsidence of about 200 meters around Bronze City, bringing the total depth to nearly 400 meters. Using 'Storm' is more than enough. Even if it explodes upon hitting the bottom, it will only cause an underwater landslide."
"That's all? Where did that relaxed tone come from?" Lu Mingfei thought to himself, but didn't dare to say it aloud. He looked around, and everyone else had a calm expression that said, "Yeah, it's just a landslide."
Living among madmen means you have to adapt to their logic.
"There's only one 'Storm,' and only one chance. The underwater team is responsible for luring the Dragon King out of the Bronze City. Once it's within the sonar range, we'll launch the torpedoes. This is the power of science; dragons haven't adapted to it yet. For hundreds of years, humanity has armed itself with science, finally able to contend with alchemy and the power of words." Mans said solemnly. "Now, let's reiterate the job list: Captain Mans, First Mate Grayson, responsible for steering; Second Mate Caesar, Third Mate Natasha, responsible for the sonar and torpedoes; Fourth Mate Zhou Yi, responsible for the lower decks; Chief Engineer Kumagai Kinao, responsible for the engines and fuel. Underwater operations, Team A: Chu Zihang and Su Xi; Team B: Chen Motong and Lu Mingfei… Everyone understands their positions?"
"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.
Lu Mingfei was assigned to the underwater group because he performed exceptionally well in the diving training—the reason is simple: Chen Motong was swimming ahead of him.
He wasn't too panicked at this point, since he was in Group B. As long as Group A didn't have any problems, Group B wouldn't need to go into the water.
Lu Mingfei had absolute confidence in the combination of Chu Zihang and Su Xi. If these two couldn't hold on, the operation would most likely have failed.
However… it's probably impossible for him not to get involved. This whole game was set up specifically for him. Zhou Yi witnessed Ling tamper with Susie's hot porridge last night—probably something like a laxative.
"Professor, I have a problem..." Susie raised her hand, her face slightly pale, "I may not be able to go into the water today."
really.
Lu Mingfei's mind went blank for a moment, a sense of foreboding rising within him. "What problem could you possibly have? Don't worry, you'll definitely be fine! It'll be convenient!" He looked at Susie nervously, the words almost bursting out of his mouth.
Mans looked Susie up and down: "Are you sick? I was just about to ask, you don't look well."
"I...I might be having some diarrhea due to the change in environment," Susie said with difficulty in front of everyone, avoiding looking at Chu Zihang. She had disappointed him; he had prepared for so long, but she was the reason he couldn't carry out the mission.
"You need to rest," Chu Zihang said calmly, without any blame.
Lu Mingfei was completely petrified.
Good heavens! No way? He's been taking such good care of Susie these past few days! He's been nurturing her like a tender seedling, even more attentive to her than he has to Nuonuo. Every time Susie comes out of the water, Lu Mingfei is always the first to hand her a towel; after each dive, he makes sure she drinks the borscht to warm her up; he reminds her not to catch a cold even when she wears a dress; and if she coughs even slightly, Lu Mingfei immediately pulls out his medicine box.
Even if Susie refused, he would still do it anyway.
Aside from Zhou Yi and Chen Motong, everyone assumed Lu Mingfei was pursuing Su Qian. Even Su Qian herself had her doubts, but Lu Mingfei never offered an explanation. Su Qian had maintained perfect attendance at training for the past three months, without any illness or pain; it couldn't be said that his efforts weren't behind it.
But... he was careless for one night. Lu Mingfei thought he could relax on the eve of battle, so he went to Chen Motong's side to curry favor. Little did he expect...
Damn it, he should have kept an eye on the kitchen last night. He suspected there was something wrong with the food, but it was too late to investigate.
"Professor, maybe the food last night wasn't right, I also have a bit of diarrhea," Zhou Yi raised his hand from the back of the crowd.
Everyone looked at him suspiciously—he seemed perfectly normal. Chen Motong also glanced at him. Su Qian was one thing, but Zhou Yi's physical condition... he was the kind of person who could carry her off a cliff with one hand, how could he easily get an upset stomach?
Professor Mans nodded.
"Since it's an unavoidable event..." He assumed the two were just overly stressed. In the past, some students had experienced gastrointestinal discomfort due to task pressure.
He turned to Chen Motong: "Then the diving mission will be taken over by Team B."
"No problem." Nono nodded readily.
"Huh?" Lu Mingfei suddenly turned his head and stared straight at Nuonuo. "You...you don't happen to have diarrhea too, do you?"
"I'm perfectly fine!" Chen Motong rolled her eyes at him.
"If you're really scared, I can go down with Chu Zihang or Zhou Yi in a group," Nuonuo said calmly.
"No," Mans rejected. "Nono can't be in the same group as Chu Zihang or Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi hasn't received systematic training like you, and you've already trained with Lu Mingfei hundreds of times. Changing people at the last minute will affect teamwork."
"But do you think this will work?" Nono pointed at Lu Mingfei.
"I think he's actually in good shape," Mans said. "Mingfei has been performing very well in training and has been very proactive. Everyone gets nervous on their first mission, but he's an 'S' grade, so that shouldn't be a problem for him."
"Anyway, it's up to you whether you come with me or not. I can handle it on my own." Nono patted Lu Mingfei on the shoulder. "It's just about planting a bomb to lure out the Dragon King."
All eyes were on Lu Mingfei.
He turned his head and saw Nuonuo looking out the porthole, her profile calm and undisturbed, just as he had when they first met—as if she would never be nervous, never worry, and never really care about anything.
Lu Mingfei thought that whether he agreed or not, her attitude probably wouldn't change.
"So what if I have to go?" he said. He was afraid, but when the time came, he wouldn't back down.
"Okay, let's change into our wetsuits." Nono's tone remained calm.
Just as he expected. Lu Mingfei sat on the gunwale, gazing up at the starry sky. He was about to go into the water and become a hero. Suddenly, he felt the night was beautiful, the starlight was bright, and he really wanted to breathe in a few more breaths of the river air…
The crowd saw the two off as they prepared to enter the water.
"Nono, I'm sorry, I..." Susie whispered apologetically to Chen Motong. She felt uneasy because her situation had put her friend in danger.
"It's okay, girl. Don't worry. Wash yourself clean and wait for me to come back." Chen Motong patted her shoulder.
"There's something I wanted to say earlier. Are you going to wear this down the dive?" Caesar pointed to a slightly raised area on Chen Motong's wrist, where the bracelet had left its mark. "Diving regulations explicitly prohibit wearing any jewelry, except for underwear."
"So you're going to disqualify me from the mission because of this? It's just a bracelet, I think it will bring good luck." Chen Motong glanced at Zhou Yi at the back of the crowd, but he was looking at the water in the distance, seemingly unconcerned about her safety.
"No... I'm just worried about you. You know, I..." Caesar hesitated, then stopped. This mission had left him with a vague unease, and there were things he wanted to say at this moment.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Chen Motong interrupted him, thinking to herself, "What kind of flag are you setting for me?"
"I think you really didn't want me to come back alive! Confessing your feelings at this time, you're something else!"
"Hahaha..." The crowd chuckled softly, slightly dispelling the somber atmosphere.
"Remember, no matter what happens, follow me. I'm the team leader, and you're the team member, understand?" Nuonuo turned to look at Lu Mingfei.
"Got it." Lu Mingfei said with a bitter face.
"Watch your oxygen gauges. They should last about three hours, which should be enough," Mans instructed, crouching by the ship's railing.
"The data cable doubles as a lifeline, with a nanomaterial outer layer that usually won't break. If you accidentally lose consciousness, we'll use it to pull you back." He tugged at the black cable connecting Lu Mingfei's diving suit.
"The diving suit is a specially made, fully enclosed design that can withstand 20 atmospheres of pressure, and the surface is made of nanomaterials. Be careful not to tear it; if it leaks, not only will oxygen leak out, but the pressure difference will also be dangerous." Mans patted the two on the shoulder.
"Can I ask you a question?" Lu Mingfei asked nervously. "We sneaked into the Dragon King's house to plant a bomb... If he finds out... he'll definitely be very unhappy... What should we do?"
"You can rest assured about that. The 'Bronze Project' was jointly developed by the principal and all the professors. After extensive research, we speculate that the Dragon King has not yet awakened and still needs time to reshape his body."
"Reconstructing the body?"
"Dragons have highly malleable skeletons, allowing them to mimic human forms, and even the dragon form has many variations. However, to unleash the ultimate incantation, a gigantic body is required; the human body cannot withstand that power. Otherwise, the strength they exert is less than one percent of their true power. If this dragon king wants to master the ultimate form of the fire-type incantation, he will inevitably re-egg and develop a gigantic body. He will not awaken easily, which is why we need to use bombs to force him to hatch prematurely."
What is the ultimate form of fire-based incantations?
"'Candle Dragon,' serial number 114, extremely dangerous, effects unknown. The Dragon King must desire to possess it, for he seeks revenge...on the entire world."
Mance stood up. "That's precisely why we must kill him before he takes his revenge on the world!"
"Good luck to you both." Mans gave them both a push on the shoulders at the same time.
The figure fell and disappeared into the dark water.
The group stood silently by the boat, their gazes sinking into the inky river until the last ripple subsided and the water calmed down.
Zhou Yi stood at the back of the crowd.
He flicked his fingers, which were hanging at his sides, almost imperceptibly.
A dark, iron block the size of a soybean silently slipped from my fingertip and fell into the water without even a ripple.
"On your marks," Mans' voice broke the silence.
Zhou Yi turned and walked towards the lower deck.
The long, narrow metal passageway was dimly lit. He had just stepped down the stairs when he saw Susie waiting there.
"Zhou Yi..." she stepped forward, her voice soft, "Thank you for earlier..."
She clearly thought that Zhou Yi's claim of diarrhea was an attempt to help her out of an awkward situation and prevent her from being too embarrassed.
"You've misunderstood." Zhou Yi continued walking, his voice calm. "I really am not feeling well."
He walked to the control panel, casually took off the communication headset hanging on his shoulder, and handed it to Susie.
"You're not on duty right now, could you watch the hold for me for the time being?"
Before Susie could agree, he had already shoved the headset into her hand and headed straight for the lavatory at the stern of the cabin.
Susie, still holding the headset that was warm to the touch, stood in front of a bunch of flashing indicator lights and dials, somewhat dazed.
The bathroom door closed and locked behind me.
The toilets were the only place on the Monyach without surveillance cameras.
In the silence, only the low hum of the ventilation ducts could be heard. A piece of iron was left on the sink. Zhou Yi, with his back to the door, raised his right hand, palm up.
The Three Truths - Return to the Treasure Talisman!
The air was still, and the light and shadow were not distorted.
His figure vanished into thin air, like a pencil mark erased by an eraser.
Icy.
Pressure surged silently from all directions, enveloping every inch of skin.
The darkness was so thick it was almost tangible, except for two faint beams of light emanating from the diving helmet, moving slowly like fireflies.
Chen Motong and Lu Mingfei struggled to maintain their balance amidst the turbulent waters, and after some effort, they finally stepped into the interior of the Bronze City.
The passageway was deep and vast, almost suffocating. They walked along the seemingly endless corridor, their heartbeats pounding in the silence. They walked for an unknown amount of time, perhaps only a moment, until suddenly the path opened up before them.
An unimaginably magnificent palace came into view.
Colossal bronze pillars, requiring several people to encircle, support an impossibly high dome, the walls etched with long-lost dragon script and ancient paintings. The air is stagnant, filled with the scent of metal and dust, silent for millennia. Surprisingly, the palace is not entirely dark—bronze lamps embedded in the walls, fueled by some unknown fuel, flicker with a cold, bluish-white light, illuminating the space with a somber yet bright glow.
At the far end of the palace, atop dozens of steps, stands a menacing and majestic throne.
A figure sat serenely on the throne. His posture was calm, as if he were merely taking a nap. Behind him, seven ancient-looking swords, each with a different curve, seemed to possess a life of their own, ceremonially embedded in the back of the throne, their blades facing outwards, coldly spread out like a screen of steel peacock feathers, silently proclaiming slaughter and majesty.
Chen Motong's breath caught in her throat, while Lu Mingfei froze on the spot, his blood almost freezing.
Then, the figure moved.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the empty hall to the two uninvited guests. His gaze was neither furious nor mocking, but rather a quiet…confirmation.
The silence was broken by a calm, even voice. The voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly throughout the hall, as if it were echoing deep within their minds:
"You've arrived."
"Now that you have seen the king, why do you not bow?"