Cold ground. A dim grotto.
Lu Mingfei slid down against the hard, pale-green rock wall, collapsing powerlessly. The arrow that had been lodged in his right shoulder had long since been torn away during his frantic flight, leaving behind a jagged mess of upturned flesh. The dark red blood had finally stopped gushing from the wound, but the flow had already soaked through half of his clothes.
A sharp, hanging stalactite from the cavern ceiling had sliced a gash across his forehead deep enough to see the bone. Warm blood coated half of his face, dripping along his jawline onto the frozen floor. One of his eyes was glued shut by a thick scab of gore, rendering him unable to open it at all.
Lu Mingfei gasped for air. He could no longer feel the pain of his injuries; instead, a spreading numbness in his limbs grew more pronounced. His fingertips were turning icy. Despite being drenched in sweat, he began to feel a biting chill, and his teeth started to chatter uncontrollably.
Heavy footsteps drew nearer, booming like drums beaten right against his ear. With every stride the creature took, the vibrations of the earth traveled through his body.
A pig-headed monster, over two meters tall and reeking of a thick, nauseating stench, rounded the corner. It had massive, sturdy limbs and old, peeling skin that draped around its waist like a tattered skirt. It clutched a giant wooden club. Atop its brown-skinned torso sat the head of a boar, with two upturned tusks jutting from its snout.
This swinish monstrosity was the culprit behind Lu Mingfei's current miserable state.
Seeing the monster reappear like a lingering ghost, Lu Mingfei's breath hitched in terror. He struggled to crawl away, but his arms and legs felt paralyzed, limp and unresponsive to his will.
He gave up the struggle. He watched as the pig-man approached, drooling disgusting saliva and letting out a low, guttural growl—"Buguuuuuuu..." The creature's heavy, foul breath blew against his face. Lu Mingfei's lips twitched, pulling into a broken, hideous smile.
"This time... it really is Game Over, man."
How did things end up like this? Like a revolving lantern, Lu Mingfei's mind drifted back through this day—a day that felt both eternity-long and fleetingly short.
That morning, Lu Mingfei had stepped into the Regent Hotel for the second time. His first visit had been only two days prior for his interview with Cassell College. It was as if the luck of eight lifetimes had suddenly exploded; Cassell had called him in the middle of the night to tell him he had passed.
This time, his entire family had mobilized, heading straight for the VIP executive lounge on the ninth floor. His uncle, belly protruding and dressed in a stiff suit, lectured Mingfei and his cousin, Lu Mingze, on how to behave in such a high-end establishment—warning them not to fiddle with the silverware. His aunt peered around, clicking her tongue in admiration at the luxury of the hotel.
A brawny, white-haired old man, Professor Guderian, strode toward their window-side table accompanied by a pair of handsome young people—Ye Sheng and the girl to his right, Aki Shidzu. Without a word of greeting, the professor grabbed Lu Mingfei's hand, his enthusiasm bordering on excessive.
Smoked salmon rolls and fresh lemon juice served with sterling silver cutlery—the breakfast was incredibly lavish.
Professor Guderian praised Lu Mingfei's "outstanding performance" during the interview. Compliments poured from his mouth like a never-ending machine, occasionally peppered with Chinese idioms. Lu Mingfei felt he had heard more praise in those ten minutes than in the entire eighteen years of his life. If his uncle hadn't steered the conversation back to the college itself, it felt as though Guderian would have kept praising him until the end of time.
Ye Sheng produced a photo album, introducing the facilities one by one: the library, the gymnasium, the concert hall. The architecture in the photos was elegant and ancient, looking like a fully renovated medieval castle.
There was even a photo of Ye Sheng windsurfing with a thousand sails competing behind him. Ye Sheng explained that it was the college's annual regatta and that Cassell had beaten the University of Chicago for three consecutive years.
His uncle and aunt were utterly enchanted. They looked so eager that it felt like they were trying to marry off a daughter—and Mingfei was that daughter, a money-sink at home who would finally net them a dowry if they could just ship him off. The "groom" was eager, and the family was more than happy to push the bride out the door.
Summoning his courage, Mingfei asked, "Professor Guderian, what exactly did your college see in me?"
"Comprehensive quality!" Guderian gave an answer that left Mingfei stunned. He went on to say that he would personally allocate an unconditional scholarship of $36,000 per year from his own account to help Mingfei finish his four years of university.
Lu Mingfei was baffled. The only thing he was remotely good at academically was English, but Cassell wasn't an English-language school. Besides that, the only thing he excelled at was StarCraft. Could it be that Cassell College had a scout for professional gamers?
"Of course, there are other reasons. Your parents happen to be honorary alumni and have made donations to the college. Under equal conditions, we prioritize the children of alumni."
Professor Guderian's voice hit like a sledgehammer, forcing Lu Mingfei to look up, his heart pounding. The professor pulled a photo from his pocket and placed it in front of him.
The photo showed a summer garden. In the distance was the silhouette of Cassell College in the sunset; in the foreground were countless ivy-covered walls, a deep and translucent green. A man and a woman walked hand-in-hand through the vines. The man wore a loose white shirt and wide-legged trousers with wooden flip-flops; the woman wore a pure white cotton sundress.
Mingfei reached out, his finger gently touching the faces of the two people in the frame. They were looking at each other with warm smiles, clearly lost in their own world. They looked as though they had completely forgotten they had once teamed up to bring a child into the world. Mingfei felt his nose go slightly numb.
Guderian handed over a letter. It was brief, essentially asking Cassell College to assist Lu Mingfei with his enrollment.
"Mingfei, your parents love you." Guderian's deeply emotional tone and slightly accented pronunciation made the others at the table burst into laughter.
The laughter was piercing. It stung so much that Lu Mingfei hid in the restroom to cry silently. To a "loser kid" starved for affection, words like "I love you" weren't a joke.
Then, the girl named Chen Motong—NoNo—appeared. Purple-patterned running shoes, tight jeans, a white camisole under a blue striped shirt, silver four-leaf clover earrings, and a baseball cap.
Or perhaps "Little Witch" was a more fitting name for her. With just a few sentences, she had turned the tiny, hidden crush inside Lu Mingfei's heart completely inside out.
That night, because Mingfei hadn't agreed to enroll on the spot, his uncle and aunt finally stopped their day-long nagging. Then, that little witch NoNo showed up at his door again.
The two of them talked a lot, mostly about Chen Wenwen.
Mingfei was swayed. NoNo was like a demon who could see into the human heart; her words were like a blade that struck him right in the center, drawing blood. In that moment, Lu Mingfei made the boldest decision of his eighteen years: he would be the little dog that charged into the gunfire. In these last three months before graduation—his final time with his classmate Chen Wenwen—he would tell her he had liked her for three years. No matter how weak that final strike was, or whether it could break through the girl's defenses, he was determined to be a "good dog"!
He would give her flowers. Roses. Dark red ones—no girl truly dislikes roses. There had to be moving background music. And most importantly, he had to say it in front of everyone.
Lu Mingfei accepted the witch's advice, like a fearless vanguard following a general's order to charge.
Then, as if the heavens wanted to reward this soldier about to go over the top, Chen Wenwen suddenly spoke in the Literature Club's group chat.
"Should we have a graduation party before we leave?" she suggested. Booking a theater to watch a heartwarming animated movie sounded like a wonderful memory.
Chen Wenwen chose Wall-E. The story of a dusty little robot, a trash-collector named Wall-E, falling in love with a snow-white princess of a robot named EVE.
Wall-E and EVE. Lu Mingfei and Chen Wenwen. Mingfei felt as if flowers were blooming in his heart. And then, Chen Wenwen asked him to go buy the tickets with her!
The timing, the location, the people—everything was perfect. Lu Mingfei stood up, excitedly throwing a few punches into the air.
Flowers! He'd buy red roses tomorrow. When he confessed, he should be a bit literary—maybe recite a poem? Yes, Chen Wenwen would definitely like something artistic and romantic. What music? The scene where Eve takes Wall-E through the sound barrier—that score was incredibly moving! What if she said yes? Should they hold hands or hug? Should he be even bolder and just kiss her...
His thoughts wandered, and a smile he couldn't suppress spread across his face. While fantasizing about their married life, he flopped back toward his bed.
The soft duvet did not catch the boy's reverie. Instead, Lu Mingfei landed on hard, cold ground.
A pale-green grotto. A bright light from above shone directly into his eyes. A sharp pain from the back of his head made him lurch upward. He reached back to touch it; it was sticky. He looked at his palm—it was covered in blood.
"Sss!" He hissed, clenching his jaw as tears welled up in his eyes, nearly spilling over.
What the hell? What's going on? What happened? Am I even still in China?
Lu Mingfei fell into a panic. He was just at home, thinking about how to confess to Chen Wenwen. Why was he here? Was this a prank?
Suddenly, a strange cry came from behind him. "Ga-ga!" It didn't sound like any human noise. Lu Mingfei instinctively turned his head.
They were short, the size of six-year-old children, with grayish-green skin. They were wrapped in unknown animal hides and had bald heads with long, pointed ears. Grinning, they revealed rows of jagged teeth. One held a wooden club; the other held a bow.
Seeing this classic imagery, Lu Mingfei immediately recognized the low-level monsters common in almost every Western fantasy setting: Goblins. A quip escaped his lips: "Man, your cosplay is professional as hell."
The two Goblins were also startled by the sudden appearance of a human. They froze for a moment before reacting. The club-wielding Goblin charged on its stubby legs, while the archer pulled a wooden arrow from its back and drew a bow that looked slightly too large for it.
A crude wooden arrow whistled through the air. Seeing the projectile leave the bow, Lu Mingfei instinctively ducked.
A massive impact slammed into his shoulder. The force knocked him to the ground instantly. Then came the agonizing pain. Looking down, he saw the wooden arrow lodged firmly in his shoulder, bright red blood eagerly seeping out from the gap between the shaft and his skin.
Lu Mingfei gaped. "Wait, for real? You guys are playing for keeps!"
He saw the charging Goblin was already upon him. Driven by survival instinct, he scrambled backward using both hands and feet. Seeing the Goblin raise its club to strike, Lu Mingfei instinctively spread his legs; the club smashed into the ground just three inches from his groin, sent wood chips flying.
Mingfei kicked out, landing a blow on the Goblin's slightly bloated belly. It stumbled back, and he took the chance to scramble to his feet.
Run! A curse word exploded from his mouth as he pushed his legs to their limit and bolted.
Whiz! An arrow streaked past his ear, hitting the rock wall and bouncing off. Mingfei looked back to see the archer drawing a third arrow. The club-wielding Goblin was chasing him too, but its short legs clearly couldn't keep up with his speed.
A fork appeared in the path ahead. As if finding a lifeline, Lu Mingfei ducked inside. He thought that by turning the corner, he might lose the monsters behind him. Instead, he came face-to-face with a new nightmare.
A pig-headed monster over two meters tall. Massive limbs, brown skin, draped in animal hides like a tattered skirt, and carrying a giant wooden club. It looked at the Lu Mingfei who had suddenly burst into its path, let out a roar, and charged with its club raised.
And so, he ran, and it chased. Lu Mingfei had no way out.
Collapsed against the rock wall, having run through half the labyrinth, he was at a dead end. Even if there were a path, he didn't have the strength to run anymore. The adrenaline was fading, and the pain began to invade his brain once more.
"Help!" His heart-wrenching scream echoed through the cave. Survival instinct forced out the most primitive signal for help. "Is anyone there?! Help me... save me..." His voice grew weaker with every cry, until it was barely a whisper.
From blood loss and exhaustion, fatigue washed over him like an unstoppable tide. His eyelids began to droop, and the pig-man in front of him started to blur into a double image.
Maybe dying in my sleep wouldn't be so bad, Lu Mingfei thought in despair. I really wanted to tell Chen Wenwen...
He stopped struggling. He tilted his head back, his eyes reflecting the silhouette of the monster raising its club high.
In the next instant, a line of fire flickered across the monster's body. Then, searing flames erupted from its chest.
"Ooooooooooooooh—!" The monster let out a deafening death rattle. Its body was cleaved in two, spraying red mist before collapsing into ash.
The burning remains were kicked aside, and a young woman appeared before the boy's eyes.
She had vibrant, bright red hair tied in a high ponytail that looked sharp and spirited, with a few stray strands framing her cheeks. Her clear emerald eyes were bright, carrying a hint of a sharp edge.
Her frame was slender but not frail. She wore a short, silver-and-pink armored top paired with black shorts and over-the-knee black stockings. A red-and-gold sash was tied around her waist, with a length of red silk draping down that flowed with her movements. Brown leather boots covered her calves, and black bracers sat on her wrists—a look that combined the efficiency of a knight with the charm of a young girl.
She stood with one hand on her hip, holding a longsword adorned with golden patterns that glowed with a bright, warm flame.
"It's okay now." The girl's voice was full of energy. She walked over to Lu Mingfei and reached out her hand. "Can you still stand?"
Lu Mingfei stared blankly into her beautiful eyes. His lips trembled, but he couldn't make a sound. Then, his vision darkened, his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed.
"Hey! Are you okay?! Mare! Come quickly, this person needs healing!"
Accompanied by the girl's panicked yet reassuring voice, Lu Mingfei drifted into unconsciousness.
------------------------------------------------
My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
DanMachi: Lu Mingfei's Journey in DanMachi (28 - Chapters, Ongoing)
------------------------------------------------