Chapter Sixty-Two: Norton—En Route to Reinforcements!
Not far away, Lu Mingze stood in a corner unseen by any, dressed in a black evening suit and holding a black umbrella under the sunlight. With his free hand, he picked up a cigar, igniting it with the flames of his incantation.
He watched the two conversing in the distance, taking a long drag from his cigar. The heavy, melancholy taste lingered in his mouth. That evil eye was dangerous—he knew it well, and he had told Lu Mingfei as much. He had made it clear: the thing was capable of creating a super hybrid, perhaps even one who, for a brief moment, could rival the power of a juvenile dragon king.
But reality had proven him too cautious. Lu Mingfei had used the evil eye to create a dragon king outright…
How could he have foreseen this?
Moreover, after Lu Mingfei drew forth the power of the dragon bone, the little devil could now be certain: this was not the power of the King of Bronze and Fire, but the dragon bone of Jörmungandr, King of Earth and Mountain. Furthermore, Chu Zihang carried the aura of Jörmungandr’s cocoon.
The answer was obvious.
Chu Zihang was not a dragon king; he was a vessel, the bearer of Jörmungandr’s cocoon and dragon bone, the instrument for Jörmungandr’s resurrection. Yet, this mere instrument had, with the evil eye, managed to seize the dragon bone, master its power, and ascend to kingship.
Now, he was Chu Zihang, King of Earth and Mountain.
But they didn’t know the truth.
Lu Mingfei insisted Chu Zihang was the King of Bronze and Fire, because his incantation was Sovereign Flame. Chu Zihang had tried it and found using the Sovereign Flame came far more naturally now. He truly felt he should be the King of Bronze and Fire; using its incantations was effortless.
The little devil stood in silence, smoking and watching the two talk. An eerie, absurd feeling spread within him as he watched their mutual conviction, and he couldn’t help but wonder…
Could it be that he really was the King of Bronze and Fire?
...
On a bench by the road, Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei sat side by side. The former sighed, tilting his head back, gazing at the sky with eyes gradually growing resolute. As if making some determination, he turned to Lu Mingfei and said, “Would you like to hear a story?”
“All right, I’m listening.”
“When I was fifteen, on a rainy night, my father and I accidentally entered a Nibelungen atop an overpass. He fought to the very last like a true man, but I ran. I, the King of Bronze and Fire, ran away.”
Chu Zihang’s voice was soft, but his words cut at his own heart, like a knife slicing again and again, reopening old wounds and deepening his sorrow and despair.
He once hated himself for being powerless; now, he hated himself for his lack of courage.
He was the King of Bronze and Fire, the King of Wrath. He could not accept his own cowardice. If, that night, he had been a bit braver—if he could have ignited the flames of anger—perhaps he could have awakened early and saved his father.
But he hadn’t. He believed himself an ordinary person, and like a useless coward, ran away, setting the Maybach ablaze with his last ounce of courage, then fleeing.
“Senior Brother.”
Lu Mingfei patted him on the back. At this moment, Chu Zihang’s fierce golden eyes blazed through the black contact lenses as he stared into the void before him, as if peering at Odin across the distance.
Now, perhaps he understood the wrath of the King of Bronze and Fire—the agony of discovering, too late, the power to overturn fate, a pain far worse than the loss itself, ten thousand times over.
“I will burn Odin to ashes with the flames of my wrath. Even a supreme god will be destroyed by my fury,” Chu Zihang said calmly, though beneath the surface raged a storm.
“Odin?”
A look of confusion flashed in Lu Mingfei’s eyes. He couldn’t help but ask, “Isn’t Odin a god from Norse mythology? Is someone like that actually real?”
“He is real.”
Chu Zihang slowly stood, eyes fixed on the distant horizon. That was the overpass of his nightmares. Now, empowered, he would set foot on it once more to confront Odin, King of the Gods, and vowed to burn him to cinders.
He placed a hand over his chest, feeling the dragon heart fused with Jörmungandr’s dragon bone respond to his fury. Strength surged within him, and he was utterly certain: he was the Dragon King of Wrath.
“Senior Brother, do you need help?”
Lu Mingfei rose as well, facing the most dazzling man from Shilan High School. Seeing him, Lu Mingfei felt as if he were gazing at the shadow of his own former cowardice. With a gentle wave, he brushed away those old phantoms, letting pride and courage swell in his heart.
He stood beside his friend like a true man, head held high, fearless. He remembered how he once longed to be like the invincible Jotaro Kujo, with his Stand, Star Platinum—always able to step forward and shield his companions at any moment.
Now, he had finally achieved it.
...
Chu Zihang regarded Lu Mingfei in silence. In this moment, he wanted nothing more than to perish alongside Odin. He could not accept his past cowardice, nor the identity thrust upon him. Perhaps taking Odin with him in his final blaze of fury would be his only answer.
But Lu Mingfei’s presence undeniably brought a glimmer of hope. If he was by his side… would things turn out differently?
He fell into silent contemplation, while across from him, the confident youth offered his hand, waiting for him to take it. That hand shone like the light of hope, like a holy redemption.
Should he take it? Should he fight by his side?
Lu Mingfei’s hand hovered in mid-air as Chu Zihang hesitated, but just then, the shrill ring of a QQ call shattered the atmosphere.
“How annoying!” Lu Mingfei cursed inwardly.
“Hm?”
Furina peeked out, her voice puzzled, not understanding what was happening. If he wished, she’d listen to whatever was on Lu Mingfei’s mind.
“I was discussing something important, and the phone rang out of the blue. Don’t overthink it,” Lu Mingfei’s tone turned gentle, as if afraid Furina would misunderstand.
“It’s fine. I’m not unreasonable. If you’re busy, go ahead,” Furina replied.
“Alright.”
...
“Check your messages—it might be Su Xiaoqiang calling,” Chu Zihang suggested.
For some reason, he suddenly felt less inclined to let his anger burn him out.
Perhaps it was just an illusion?
“Okay.”
Lu Mingfei nodded, taking out his phone. The cheeky panda avatar—he’d never forget that for as long as he lived.
It was Old Tang.
He answered the call. “What is it? I’m busy here, you know. Let me tell you, I’m meeting with the King of Bronze and Fire right now—the King of Bronze and Fire! You get it? A badass dragon king!”
“Huh? He’s the King of Bronze and Fire—then who am I?” Old Tang’s indignant voice crackled on the other end, with the background noise of a crowded place.
But soon, as if struck by a thought, he asked, “Wait, who is he? Could it be… he’s Constantine?”
“Constantine?”
Lu Mingfei looked at Chu Zihang in confusion. He had no idea who Constantine was, so he replied, “What are you on about? My brother just woke up—his memories haven’t returned yet. Once he remembers, it’ll all be clear.”
“His memory hasn’t returned?” Old Tang’s eyes lit up instantly. He knew Lu Mingfei was no ordinary person, possessing the means to awaken a dragon king ahead of time, so it wasn’t impossible for him to revive his twin brother Constantine early as well.
He was the elder brother—so if he had emerged with amnesia, it was only natural for the younger to be the same.
My brother is in China!
I must go find my brother!
Old Tang looked up at the ticket gate across the way, suddenly remembering why he had called Lu Mingfei. Clenching his fist, he solemnly said, “An alchemical weapon, five hundred thousand. I’ll pay you when I see you in China. This is a weapon forged by my own hand, in the name of Norton.”
“Huh?”
Lu Mingfei started to sense something was off.
Norton? Constantine? Alchemical weapon?
Oh, right, all dragon kings are twins, so the King of Bronze and Fire has two: Norton, the elder, and Constantine, the younger. The King of Bronze and Fire is also the dragon king most adept at alchemy.
Old Tang is Norton? He’s a dragon king too?
!!!
Lu Mingfei realized he didn’t have many close brothers in this life—Old Tang and Senior Chu were both Kings of Bronze and Fire. Could Su Xiaoqiang also be an as-yet-unawakened dragon king?
Could it be… she’s the King of Earth and Mountain?
Surely it couldn’t be such a coincidence…
After a brief shock, Lu Mingfei decisively replied, “We’re all brothers—no need to worry about such things. If you need money, I’ll transfer it to you. The alchemical weapon isn’t important at all.”
“Great! I’ll see that you’re well rewarded!”
Norton the Dragon King was overjoyed. Seeing the extra money in his account, he decided to skip Bronze City at the Three Gorges and head straight for Shilan High School. Finding his brother was what mattered.
“By the way, do you know Odin? Your brother seems about to go fight him,” Lu Mingfei said.
“Huh? He’s going to fight Odin? He’s always been so timid…”
Norton was stunned. He knew Constantine’s character all too well. The furious monarch roared, “Tell him to wait! I’ll take him myself to tear Odin’s head off, grind his bones to dust, and shred his soul to pieces—let him see what true hell is!”
...
“Thanks,” Lu Mingfei said with a smile to Lu Mingze, the grin growing wider. But the little devil’s expression seemed oddly conflicted and melancholic. Lu Mingfei asked, “Hey, what’s with you? You look a bit down. Did something happen, or did your boss scold you for not meeting your quota as a devil?”
...
Lu Mingze gazed at him in silence, lips parted, but in the end, he only sighed and said, “It’s nothing. Doesn’t matter. Mess it up and we’ll just start again—just another reset. Do as you please, brother.”
“Uh?”
Lu Mingfei tilted his head, confused. He didn’t understand what the little devil meant, but as long as he was willing to help, that was good enough.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Do you know who this Odin is that Senior Chu mentioned? Is he really the god from mythology?”
“A god? He’s nothing. Brother, the only one worthy of your attention is the king of that endless darkness. You are the greatest monster in this world—no one can stop you,” Lu Mingze replied, arms crossed, with a helpless smile.
...
After the call ended, Chu Zihang, who had been listening quietly, spoke. “The one on the other end must be my twin brother, Norton. And I… am the timid younger brother, Constantine. Isn’t that right?”
“Senior, you’re not timid. Right now, you’re Chu Zihang, not Constantine. You don’t have his memories—you just inherited his power. You’re still yourself,” Lu Mingfei comforted.
To be honest, with his senior’s stoic face, he doubted there was a timid bone in his body. He suspected this guy was even more eager to take down Odin than Norton—a born fighter, with no connection to cowardice.
Constantine does not equal Chu Zihang.
“Is that so?”
Chu Zihang smiled. “You’re right. A single moment of cowardice is enough to remember for life. I’ll correct my old faults and become a better self. I want to see… what my brother is really like.”
“You’ll find out.”
“By the way, Lu Mingfei, which king are you?” Chu Zihang asked curiously.
“Me? King of Ocean and Water—Neuvillette. But just call me Lu Mingfei.” He grinned mischievously after a moment’s thought.
He made up the name on the spot, and he wasn’t the King of Ocean and Water. When Chu Zihang recovered his memories, he’d understand. The reason Lu Mingfei lied was simple: he didn’t know who he was himself, so he might as well make something up. Neuvillette was a name borrowed from Teyvat, but it was indeed a water dragon king.
“Neuvillette? I’ll remember it.”
“You’ve only just awakened and haven’t fully grasped your power. So I hope you’ll take some time to adjust. Wait for Norton. Then, the three of us can head to the Nibelungen and kill Odin together,” Lu Mingfei said, playfully punching Chu Zihang’s chest.
“All right, I’ll make good use of this power,” Chu Zihang replied, clenching his fist.
At that moment, a slight unease stirred in his heart. If he was Constantine, why did Norton’s name not move him at all? Even without awakened memories, shouldn’t he feel something? History recorded things differently.
Was it just the voice?
Perhaps. When they finally met, the answer would be revealed.
...
In a realm unseen by any, the little devil tossed away his cigar with a smile and, somehow producing a bucket of popcorn, munched away as he watched the unfolding story of Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang, and Norton.
He had reset the world so many times, but never before had he witnessed a tale like this. Now, he was truly curious how things would play out before the world line converged and the world restarted once more.