Chapter 15
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Chapter 15: The Swallowed Armor and Sword
Boom… The murky tide of the Qiantang River hit Morin head-on. The tide surged more than four or five meters high over the tidal barrier; this was just an ordinary tide. During the Mid-Autumn tide, it could easily rise even higher.
People at the riverbank watched helplessly as Morin was engulfed by the surge, shaking their heads in regret. What a shame to lose a life like this.
After a while, the tide continued to swell, but then suddenly parted at the riverbank, revealing a figure emerging from the water, shrouded in armor and carrying a gigantic sword nearly as tall as a person on his back.
"What is happening here?!" the patrol team members rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Crack, crack, Morin stepped up along the riverbank. Considering the heavy mystic steel armor he wore, weighing several hundred pounds, and the magical defense system on it, even without battle energy, he was not going to be pushed by the tide. The air resistance faced by a Dragon Knight flying at high speeds was far greater than that of the tide.
"Hey! What’s your name? Do you realize how dangerous it is to stand by the river?" The elderly man who had initially called out was now irate. This world was filled with foolish people, wearing strange armor while letting themselves be tossed around by the tide. Were they really that thick-headed?
Morin ignored him, the pride and dignity of a Dragon Knight preventing him from glancing at such weak commoners. Even though this world didn’t judge status by personal strength but by economic standing, he still acted according to his previous standards before fully adapting to the new rules of the world.
Morning came, and Morin opened his eyes, staring blankly at the white ceiling. He felt as if he were still dreaming. The memories from the fusion twined together in his mind, making him feel like he belonged to this era, as if in his dreams he had become a noble and powerful Dragon Knight. Both worlds’ memories existed clearly and deeply within him—was he Lin Mo or Morin? Just before waking from the dream, he pondered whether it had been a fleeting dream or a transformation like Zhuangzi’s butterfly.
Pushing himself up from the bed, his gaze suddenly froze.
His mystic steel armor! Yes, ever since he received the Dragon Knight Pact, he had been given this armor tailored specifically for him by a master craftsman, made from rare materials sought after by skilled artisans. This was a privilege of a Dragon Knight.
But he distinctly remembered that after removing the armor last night, he had left it in a corner of his room. Now, not only had the massive Dragon Slayer sword vanished, but also his small dagger, silver water bottle, and a dozen Gold Coins, leaving only a peculiar short flute and a bright golden egg, alongside some metallic fragments.
Looking out the window, the security screen appeared intact, indicating that no thief had entered. Even if a thief were dumb enough to steal such heavy mystical armor, they wouldn’t leave alone the gold egg and dragon flute behind—it simply made no sense.
The golden egg seemed to have grown slightly since yesterday. Morin—no, now he should be called Lin Mo—at least according to how his identity was recorded in this world. He noticed that the metallic fragments nearby were clearly of the same material as his mystic steel armor. Occasionally, tiny pieces seemed to move on their own, as if drawn to the golden egg. They quickly merged with the egg like droplets of water. In the meantime, the secret patterns on the egg’s surface glimmered subtly.
It was as if the egg had a consciousness, secretly devouring the metallic fragments one by one and then licking its lips afterward. Lin Mo’s eyes widened in disbelief; such a large set of Dragon Knight armor could be completely consumed by this golden egg overnight! Yet another item had vanished from the things he brought into this world, leaving only this strange metallic egg and the dragon flute. At that moment, he no longer felt worthy of being called a Dragon Knight.
“Damn it! This egg must have something to do with that Gold Coin!” Lin Mo quickly moved the dragon flute away from the golden egg. Though he didn’t know what material the flute was made of, if that strange egg ever decided to swallow the flute as well, it would be too late for regrets.
In his original world, he could not find a way back; he would never see Akka and the others again. Lin Mo only had these items left to provide him with some connection to his former life.
Seemingly satisfied, the golden egg absorbed all the metallic fragments and remained still, mundane like a lifeless lump.
What a glutton! Lin Mo found a box of similar size to store the golden egg, then began to pack his belongings. Today was the day he would report to the aviation university.
After turning off all the power, gas, and water in the tiny house where he had lived for over ten years, Lin Mo locked the door. It might be years before anyone lived there again.
“Hey! Have you seen Lin Mo? He’s missing? I went to his house, and no one was there! Please help me look for him—you’re one of the few who knows him well. Where could that scoundrel have gone?”
"At Zhejiang University? I’ll contact Director Jiang. Hello? Director Jiang? I’m looking for Lin Mo; it’s like he’s vanished! We’ve searched everywhere, and he’s just gone! Ah, Lin Mo went to become a pilot? He didn’t tell anyone about today’s flight? I’ve still got his competition prize here that he hasn’t divided yet! I swear, when I find him, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”
Qi Fei, the Magical Girl performer and leader of the Divine Battle Squad, fumed as she made over ten calls to Lin Mo’s acquaintances, only to find this out. She had thought that Lin Mo had disappeared from this world, but noticing something off about him yesterday made her feel strange about it.
"This irritating brat, leaving without a word and making me look like a fool!" Qi Fei pouted, her cute pink cheeks puffing up in anger. This made her even madder. The opportunity for her team to become famous was fleeting, and this coward had ruined it; it was infuriating!
Turning back, she resumed watching the highlights, carefully edited from various camera angles. Despite having seen it several times, the shock lingered, as if a true knight had suddenly appeared on stage. No amount of Cosplay could replicate that kind of impact; while equipment and movements could be imitated, the aura of someone experienced in battle was irreplaceable. That day, did Lin Mo truly embody a divine being?
While Qi Fei harbored these deep grievances, Lin Mo had already arrived early at Xiaoshan Airport and retrieved his electronic ticket.
As he boarded the flight to Changchun, gazing out the window at the familiar sky, a sense of familiar strangeness washed over him. The feeling of soaring freely through the sky was completely different from sitting in a cabin. Even though the souls of the two worlds had merged, the “Lin Mo” of this world had incomplete memories due to grave injuries, as if he had been possessed by another. In the end, Morin’s soul dominated the blend. If it weren’t for this incomplete fusion, he wouldn’t struggle to discern who he truly was, similar to suffering from a mental disorder with disordered behavior.
Seated, feeling the powerful thrust during takeoff, Lin Mo smiled gently. It was his first flight, yet he felt no discomfort as he leisurely opened the book in his hands.
“Excuse me, are you a teacher?” a middle-aged man in the neighboring seat curiously asked Lin Mo, noticing the book he was reading. Upon opening it, the cover revealed “Middle School Physics.”
“Yeah! Just reviewing; I’ve returned a lot of it to the teacher!” Lin Mo replied calmly, steadfastly focused on his book, eyes straight ahead.
“I see!” The middle-aged man was momentarily speechless. Personal interests varied greatly between individuals; some enjoyed turning school textbooks into novels. He shook his newspaper and passed the time.
For Lin Mo, the modern foundational knowledge felt fresh and extremely valuable, akin to the alchemical science of a magical civilization. The alternative developmental systems of another world intrigued him greatly. As a Dragon Knight, he too needed to learn various knowledge to survive in different environments and was equally knowledgeable.
It seemed there existed significant differences in the civilizations of the two worlds; one followed material civilization, while the other pursued energy civilization. Yet, they also bore immense complementarity. There were many pieces of knowledge worth borrowing from this world for Lin Mo; even the basic principles of energy conversion in a middle school textbook might help him solve numerous difficult problems faced by the alchemists in his original world. Some theories in the book even briefly introduced the rules of elemental interactions and transformations, greatly benefiting Lin Mo.
For first-time passengers, the initial ascent was filled with novelty. As the plane shot into the blue sky, below them lay a sea of clouds or a world blanketed in mist, while the dazzling sunlight above pierced through. The roar of the aircraft quickly dulled the thrill, replaced by waves of drowsiness.
Bang… The plane abruptly shook, as if it had hit turbulence, causing a severe upward and downward jolting.
Lost in the middle school textbook, Lin Mo suddenly lifted his head. The subconscious alert honed through countless battles issued warnings of imminent danger!
