The hybrids standing behind the youth stood tall and straight. It was no longer an era where hybrids could only rely on their physical bodies to confront gods; the power of technology armed them to the teeth.
Individually, they weren't as strong as the pureblood dragons, but under the pressure of royal authority, they still had the courage to fight. Their swords might not harm the dragons, but their missiles could bring burial.
Moreover, their clandestine party had the legendary dragon slayer, Hilbert J. Anroche, and now they had a new super hybrid, Lu Chen. Dragons had been awakening more frequently in recent years, but they believed this war would ultimately end in humanity's victory!
Under Lu Chen's suppression, the commissioners carefully bound the alchemical chains around the third-generation hybrid and escorted her under Lu Chen's supervision.
After the battle, Lu Chen sat on an instrumented iron box, trying to light a cigarette, only to find the lighter soaked and unusable. Fortunately, the cigars Caesar had gifted him were encased in an iron box and remained intact.
"Snap—"
The flame sparked to life as Commissioner Bob handed him a lighter, smiling. "Sometimes, the equipment department's lighters come in handy, at least they're waterproof."
"Phew—"
Lu Chen exhaled a puff of smoke. "And what about that girl?"
"She should be prepared to be taken back to the academy. From today's events, it seems she has dragon lineage in her. Her parents will also need to undergo checks. Dealing with the other villagers might be troublesome; they might need some brainwashing, especially after the commotion caused by your battle with her. Professor Yasushi Tomiyama will have his hands full."
Bob chuckled at the end and then turned serious, rising to salute Lu Chen, expressing gratitude for saving his life. Seeing Executive Officer Puthel approaching, he tactfully excused himself.
"As expected of our S-class ace, even a fully powered third-generation is no match for you. Are you injured?" Puthel asked.
Lu Chen shook his head. "Physically fine, but unfortunately, my coat, just bought, is probably ruined, even if it's not torn, it's too muddy to wear."
In addition, his Hong Feng had many gashes now. The alchemical weapon was not designed to withstand combat with fully powered third-generation pureblood dragons. He couldn't resist applying too much force.
As for the idea of a sword master cutting iron with a rusty sword, he just listened; that was something only old men who had spent half their lives on this path could achieve. He never had any profound martial arts insights. As long as the weapon was good enough and he was strong enough, that was all that mattered to him.
Puthel was momentarily stunned. After such a monumental battle, the S-class ace specialist was concerned about the coat he had taken off before the fight?
Lu Chen shrugged. "That was bought with my own money. It could buy me many late-night snacks."
He thought to himself that if it weren't for Milanra and the others reminding him to pay attention to his appearance, he would definitely buy the cheapest street stall goods—those loose and comfortable ones!
At that moment, his phone rang. Lu Chen's phone was waterproof; it was the follow-up task from Norma.
He was required to escort the third-generation hybrid back to the academy, cooperate with the researchers' experiments, monitor on the side, and afterwards, be responsible for the execution of the third-generation hybrid.
Lu Chen had no objections. The mission was perfectly completed, without pulling any punches, this trip wasn't in vain.
It's just that the slashing wasn't too satisfying. This third-generation hybrid was indeed very strong, but it lacked a bit of excitement. If he had encountered her when he first came to this world, maybe it would have been more fulfilling.
"I heard you have the highest scholarship allowance," Puthel remarked, astonished. An S-class specialist measuring money in terms of late-night snacks? Were they all so poor they could barely afford food?
Lu Chen hesitated, awkwardly smiling. "I have a big appetite."
Puthel chuckled knowingly, finally feeling relaxed.
Initially, he was dissatisfied with the arrangements at the academy. The deployment of S-class specialist-level combatants had been shelved for some time, and the mobilization wasn't swift enough. Normally, Lu Chen should have been in position when the third-generation hybrids awakened.
Their lineup, although strong, wasn't configured for hunting third-generation hybrids; they were merely a reconnaissance team. Yet, they found themselves in a direct confrontation with the hybrids. If modern tactics were used, heavy weaponry deployed, and these specialists coordinated in the uninhabited area, they would have had a chance to defeat the third-generation hybrids. However, due to the last-minute capture orders from the Board of Directors, they were left in limbo and almost engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the hybrids.
Fortunately, Lu Chen arrived in time. Otherwise, the secret party would have suffered a rare major loss tonight. Those were more than a dozen A-class elite specialists!
Of course, he couldn't entirely blame the academy. According to the expert group and Norma's calculations, the awakening of this third-generation hybrid was supposed to take some time. They hadn't anticipated that its awakening would be as rapid as the downpour earlier, leaving the executive commissioners in a desperate situation in an instant...
Even if those elite specialists could kill the third-generation hybrid, they would suffer significant losses in other areas. Thinking about this, Puthel's eyes flickered as he looked at the young man in front of him, wondering if he had used that technology just now.
Even though the Word of Power was instantaneous, it only increased speed; it didn't mean his strength had increased significantly. Yet, this young man had engaged in a head-on battle with the dragonized third-generation hybrid, holding his own and even suppressing it.
He pondered how to write the report to minimize the trouble for this young man.
If Lu Chen knew what Puthel was thinking, he would think the man was overly worried. The matter of his peculiar strength was well understood by the principal and the mentor. Even if he had performed better today, they would only think he had experienced a normal blood frenzy.
With Professor Schneider and Headmaster Anroche covering for him, the true nature of this news probably wouldn't reach the Board of Directors. They might be the financial backers, but the managers were the real decision-makers. The so-called "deceiving above, concealing below" was just like this. He wasn't worried at all about being targeted.
Since Headmaster Anroche believed he was a super hybrid stranded abroad, he was happy to let the misunderstanding continue.
...
The return journey was somewhat troublesome. They couldn't bring the nearly transformed humanoid creatures with dragon scales into the airport. "Most likely," they wouldn't pass security, and checking them in wasn't an option.
So, after some maneuvering, they arrived at a private airport in South Africa, where a behemoth was parked—the Sleipnir, said to be Odin's steed in Norse mythology, which was the principal's personal vehicle.
But just before boarding the plane, Lu Chen absolutely refused to enter the cabin. He had heard that this damn plane was also modified by those lunatics from the Equipment Department.
If this damn thing exploded at ten thousand meters above ground, he would die even if he were strong.
"Don't worry, the principal has hired an ace pilot. The technology is excellent; even missiles can't hit it," Meilin reassured him, finally realizing just how much their S-class ace specialist disliked the Equipment Department.
"But let me ask you, does this plane have an explosion function?" Lu Chen suspiciously eyed the grandiose aircraft.
"Well... in terms of direct functionality, it doesn't exist," Meilin hesitated, explaining.
"What do you mean by direct functionality? Either it exists or it doesn't!" Lu Chen became even more wary of the aircraft.
"After modification by the Equipment Department, bombs were not installed on the plane," Meilin clarified.
Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."
"But this aircraft has been fitted with two propulsion engines, which were previously used for aerospace rockets. If misused, it could cause an explosion," Meilin's next words made Lu Chen freeze halfway up the boarding steps, looking at Meilin with a wry smile, wondering if the Equipment Department could handle it or not.