Chapter Twenty-Five: The Omnipotent Dragon Clan

That smile, no matter when you saw it, was just as it had been years ago: warm and gentle, filled with kindness and love—only now the lines at the corners of his eyes had deepened.

“Not bad,” Kuroba praised.

Yi Xin, however, approached the meal as if conducting a strict inspection. She brought a spoonful of fish soup to her lips, tasted it carefully, then sampled a piece of fish, keeping her face stern as she remarked, “The fish is fine, but the soup is bland, and the seasoning’s still off.”

“Haha, of course, of course! Naturally, it can’t compare to your mother’s cooking. But I am making progress, you know!” Yi Sheng laughed heartily.

Perhaps no matter how many times Yi Sheng tried, he would never fully master the ingredients for this fish soup. Even if he managed to recreate the exact flavor from the past, what would it matter? Some things, once lost, never return—like a mother’s taste.

When Kuroba came to this home, Yi Xin’s mother and older brother were already gone, so he couldn’t truly understand the meaning behind all this. He simply buried his head in his meal, shoveling rice into his mouth, finding the fish tender and the soup delicious, repeating, “It’s really good.”

Perhaps because of Kuroba’s presence, this small dining room didn’t feel so cold and empty, sparing Yi Sheng and Yi Xin from sitting across from one another in silence.

“So, how are you adapting to the courses at the Academy of Magic?” Yi Sheng changed the subject.

“He? He sleeps through the theory classes in the morning, and slacks off during practicals in the afternoon,” Yi Xin replied.

“Ah… Kuroba, have you figured out your own training method yet? If you have any difficulties, you can always ask Dean Yunlan. I hear he’s your personal mentor?”

“Dean Yunlan? I haven’t even attended one of his classes yet… He’s a very busy man. For several weeks now, he’s canceled our one-on-one sessions, citing ‘ill health’ or ‘urgent matters.’ I really have no idea when he’ll finally come to tutor me!” Kuroba said as he ate.

Of course, Kuroba didn’t mention his secret training in the Twilight Forest.

“Maybe he has other plans… By the way, have you met any girls you like at the academy?” Yi Sheng asked with a broad, cheerful grin. “Back in my day, when I was your age, love letters would pile up like mountains! You boys take after me, so you can’t be far behind!”

“Dad, don’t bring up your romantic exploits again,” Yi Xin said.

As dusk approached, Kuroba finished his meal and left the house, jogging up the slope to the designated meeting spot. Ling Xiao Lei and Shen Zai Guo were already waiting.

“Kuroba!” Shen Zai Guo waved her small hand, her face lighting up with happiness at the sight of him.

Catching his breath, Kuroba straightened his posture before them, cleared his throat, and said, “Ahem, now that we’re officially a three-person squad, as your captain, it’s my duty to brief you on the situation in the Twilight Forest—and to devise a battle plan.”

Shen Zai Guo listened obediently, blinking her wide eyes in silence, while the little white rabbit on her shoulder poked its head out, gazing on with curiosity.

“When did you become captain? Who said you could decide that?” Ling Xiao Lei predictably undermined him.

“To settle this fairly, let’s vote,” Kuroba declared, raising his hand. Shen Zai Guo excitedly followed suit, while Ling Xiao Lei wore an expression of resignation.

“Since the vote has passed, you must all obey my commands absolutely. First, let’s have the new member introduce her strengths and abilities.”

“My… my strengths…” Shen Zai Guo, as if receiving a command, stepped forward. She pressed her fingertips together, frowning slightly as she pondered, looking both delicate and adorable.

“In other words, what are you best at—close combat, ranged attacks, defense, healing, or control?”

“Oh,” she replied as understanding dawned on her. “I suppose I’m… an all-rounder.”

“All-rounder?!”

Both Ling Xiao Lei and Kuroba were taken aback.

“Yes, I’m strong in close combat, have ranged fire attacks, can sense all living beings within a hundred miles, can fly, can instantly boost my speed, and when I transform into a dragon, my defense multiplies and I gain self-healing abilities…” She counted off her fingers one by one, listing her abilities endlessly, leaving Ling Xiao Lei and Kuroba both filled with envy.

“We dragons are all all-rounders,” she concluded.

Kuroba quickly processed what she’d said: “Close combat, ranged attacks, sensory skills, flight, enhanced defense, and healing? If that’s not all-around, what is?”

He began to look at the girl before him more seriously, sensing the astonishing power hidden within her small frame.

“No wonder people say the Divine Dragon Clan is a mighty race, descended from ancient sacred beasts. They really are extraordinary,” Ling Xiao Lei remarked.

“Alright,” Kuroba said, shifting the topic with mock deliberation, “since our team now has two mages capable of flight, one of you should conserve your strength. We’ll rendezvous in the Twilight Forest. Now—action!”

Before Ling Xiao Lei and Shen Zai Guo could react, Kuroba had already shot up into the sky like a gust of wind. Ling Xiao Lei’s veins bulged in anger.

“Binding Chains!”

A chain shot out like an arrow, wrapping around Kuroba’s leg.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no!”

He was yanked down from the sky by force.

“What’s the meaning of this? Are you suggesting Shen Zai Guo should carry me while flying? Some captain you are—what’s going through your head, you oaf!” Ling Xiao Lei gave Kuroba a good beating, and the three regrouped on the hillside. Kuroba, sitting cross-legged with lumps all over his head, suddenly stood and said, “It’s not that I can’t carry one of you!”

He scooped up Shen Zai Guo and soared into the air.

“Binding Chains—Iron Weight!”

“Oh no, oh no, oh no!”

The chain twisted around Kuroba’s ankle, yanking him straight back to the ground.

After a round of “negotiation” involving fists and kicks, they finally settled on Kuroba carrying Ling Xiao Lei, while Shen Zai Guo flew on her own.

Kuroba sat on the ground, remorseful. “Sigh, I didn’t expect your binding spell to improve so quickly. I miscalculated…”

Perhaps Ling Xiao Lei herself hadn’t realized that after a week of training, her binding technique had grown astonishingly strong. Soon, under cover of night, the three of them set off for the Twilight Forest.

Kuroba and Ling Xiao Lei both knew the environment and beast distribution of the forest like the backs of their hands. After some searching, Ling Xiao Lei locked onto a giant lizard that had cultivated for fifty years, and the group prepared for battle in a clearing.

Ling Xiao Lei rapidly set up a barrier, Kuroba conjured his Asura Wood Staff, but Shen Zai Guo had yet to draw a weapon. Kuroba glanced at her and asked, “Dragonfruit, aren’t you going to use a staff?”

Shen Zai Guo shook her head. She reached behind her with one hand, and from an invisible scabbard drew a sword, its blade glowing with blue light, cold and radiant. As she swung it in front of her, the heavy tip struck the earth, sending up a spray of dust. The blade’s length matched her own height, its broad steel reflecting the chilling moonlight.