"B-rank is considered fairly strong. At this level, you can basically awaken Word Spirits, though they won't be powerful."
"If you could reach B-rank, this serum would be acceptable."
"Unfortunately, this type can only reach C-rank."
Xia Mi spread her hands and shook her head. "So, unless you're truly rich with money to burn, you can buy it. But ordinary people should just forget it."
"You're really amazing, Xia Mi."
Lin Chen spoke with a somewhat admiring expression.
However, he found it somewhat strange—why would Xia Mi know such detailed information about this serum?
At least in his predecessor's memories, there wasn't such detailed information about Hybrid Serum.
And that so-called L-21 world—
That should be the Dragon Clan world, right?
Where was Xia Mi's information channel? Her public identity was clearly just a poor student who had lost both parents.
"You're confused, aren't you, Lin Chen?"
Xia Mi's tone suddenly became serious. When that exquisite face grew solemn, it actually carried an inexplicable sense of majesty.
Of course, this might very well be a filter Lin Chen had developed because he knew Xia Mi's true identity.
"About what?" Lin Chen's expression didn't change, but the muscles in his back had already stiffened somewhat.
"Curious why I know so much information about hybrids."
Xia Mi looked at Lin Chen, then slowly closed her eyes.
"Because I am a hybrid."
Her eyes opened, their gaze blazing as if golden blades were condensing in their depths.
Beautiful, mysterious, majestic, and domineering.
This was Lin Chen's first impression when directly gazing into those golden eyes.
Immediately following was an invisible pressure, just like how a commoner directly gazing at a king would involuntarily bend at the waist.
"Not as strong as the Mangekyō, but more impressive for showing off."
Lin Chen cursed inwardly, though unfortunately he didn't have a Mangekyō right now—only a pair of eyes that were barely not nearsighted.
His body could only retreat, driven back by the fear the golden eyes' pressure evoked in his heart.
But compared to the pressure from the golden eyes, what he feared more was the situation before him.
What was going on?
Was Xia Mi dropping her act and revealing her hand?
An ordinary person like himself with nothing special—had he actually attracted the noble Lady Jörmungandr's attention to the point where she'd expose her identity in the high-martial-arts world to make a move against him?
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
"How about it? Pretty cool, right?"
Xia Mi laughed lightly, her voice carrying a hint of showing off, breaking the suspended moment.
"I specifically asked the principal for this Hybrid Serum back then, precisely because I was drawn to these golden eyes."
"Just like a character from an anime—totally cool."
"Eh?"
Lin Chen raised his head. "Asked the principal for Hybrid Serum?"
"That's right."
Xia Mi nodded. "You didn't know this yet, Lin Chen, but this is a privilege of top students."
"That's why I told you not to buy the kind sold in shopping malls. If your talent is truly high enough, the school will provide you with some precious resources."
"Like mine—this is an A-rank Hybrid Serum."
"The principal of a martial arts school has connections far beyond what we ordinary people can access."
"I see."
Lin Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well then, that's all, Lin Chen. See you tomorrow."
Xia Mi smiled and waved at Lin Chen, turning to leave. It seemed she had come over just to give him this reminder.
"School resources, huh?"
Lin Chen watched as Xia Mi's figure disappeared around the street corner, thinking to himself.
Words spoken under Xia Mi's identity had quite high credibility.
Xia Mi's talent was quite high—at their school, she was solidly in the top three.
Someone at that level had access to resources completely different from ordinary students.
According to Xia Mi's meaning, she hadn't just obtained an A-rank bloodline Hybrid Serum from the school—
She might have even returned to the Dragon Clan world once through official channels.
"The Dragon Clan world, huh."
Actually, compared to Hybrid Serum, Lin Chen had greater interest in otherworlds.
Top students could visit some anime worlds through official channels.
That sounded quite tempting.
"I still need to get stronger as quickly as possible."
Lin Chen had always had considerable drive to become stronger.
Now he felt even more urgent pressure.
Besides the various martial arts resources and the temptation brought by anime worlds—
Having the little dragon girl's threat constantly hanging over his head wouldn't work either.
Although he knew that in this world, the little dragon girl basically couldn't expose her identity to make a move against him—
This passive feeling still made Lin Chen quite uncomfortable.
Like this encounter—whether it was a chance meeting or something else, in all those words just now, there were very likely tests hidden within.
Only with greater strength could he take the initiative.
Surpassing the little dragon girl's strength actually wasn't that difficult.
The little dragon girl who had just awakened from slumber not long ago wasn't particularly strong.
Among the twins who were the King of Earth and Mountain, Jörmungandr wasn't the one who controlled power, but rather authority.
She was also the weakest humanoid Dragon King among all the Dragon Kings.
Senior Brother Chu with triple Bloodrage could fight Teacher Dai Ye to a 40-60 split.
Teacher Dai Ye's true power was roughly equivalent to a next-generation species.
Of course, Lin Chen hadn't read the Dragon Clan novels past volume four. Supposedly the power scaling collapsed afterward.
Teacher Dai Ye, the shame of Dragon Kings, had been elevated to top-tier combat power again.
Lin Chen quickened his pace and soon returned home following his predecessor's memories.
A dilapidated old residential complex rental unit.
One bedroom, one bathroom, and one kitchen—pitifully small.
Opening the door led directly to the bedroom, which also served as the living room.
One bed, one old desktop computer, two tables, clothes hanging on a simple steel pipe rack.
A somewhat worn wooden sword rested at the head of the bed.
This was his predecessor's home.
The instant he pushed open the door, Lin Chen felt a powerful sense of loneliness.
The loneliness within the door surged at him, making him not want to step through the doorway.
Yet the loneliness outside the door transformed into a large hand, pushing him directly inside.
"Hah."
Lin Chen exhaled lightly.
His predecessor's loneliness had truly permeated almost every cell of his body.
Even if he wore a mask during the day, returning home at night, he could no longer deceive himself.
For an instant, Lin Chen felt somewhat melancholic.
After all, he too was a lonely traveler in another world.
However, he was always optimistic and quickly relaxed.
"I'm home."
Lin Chen said with a smile, casually turning on the room's light.
The light spilled down, dispelling much of the gloomy loneliness.
In another place, the same word is said...
"I'm home."
A girl's voice rang out, pleasant as silver bells, full of vitality.
Click.
The door with some mottled rust closed.
As if a heavy bronze gate had fallen, sealing off a world.
The girl's lively expression instantly turned ice-cold.
The room wasn't large, but it seemed abnormally hollow.
Facing her was a huge floor-to-ceiling window, outside which an enormous sun was setting.
The dim sunlight cast the window frame's shadow on the floor.
Like a black cage.
Xia Mi walked into the black cage.
Her gaze was ice-cold yet incomparably resolute.