Swallowing the Stars: Starting with Panlong

Chapter 77 The Four Brothers in the Dormitory

Ernst College, Dormitory No. 1987.

The morning sunlight streamed through the carved windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor. The unnamed tree in the courtyard rustled in the breeze, and a few withered leaves drifted down from its branches, twirling as they landed on the ground.

The living room on the first floor of the dormitory was in a mess.

Bottles were scattered all over the floor, some rolling into the corner, others spilling onto the table, the remaining liquid spreading and emitting a faint malty aroma. A strong smell of alcohol filled the air, mingling with the distinctive scent of sweat from the boys, creating a unique atmosphere of youth.

Lin Lei leaned back on the sofa, his head tilted to one side, a silly grin on his lips. His clothes were wrinkled, and the collar was open, revealing a small patch of skin below his collarbone.

Yale lay sprawled on the carpet, one hand on his stomach and the other dangling over the edge of the sofa, an empty wine bottle between his fingers, teetering precariously.

Renault lay on the table, his face buried in his arms, snoring evenly. His hair was a mess, with a few strands clinging to his forehead and swaying gently with his breath.

George leaned back in the chair by the window, his glasses askew, curled up in the chair like a lazy cat.

They drank a lot last night.

The reason is a bit funny—Lin Lei fell in love.

This wasn't exactly a secret. A few months ago, Linley rescued a girl named Alice while training in the Monster Mountain Range. Alice was the daughter of a merchant from Fenlai City. During a training expedition, her group encountered a monster attack on the edge of the Monster Mountain Range, and Linley happened to be passing by and saved her. The two spent a few days together in the Monster Mountain Range and gradually developed feelings for each other.

Yale and Reynolds pieced together the story from bits and pieces of information Linley occasionally uttered. They pressed Linley for a long time, and he finally admitted it.

Thus began a drinking party to "punish Lin Lei".

The four men drank from dusk until late at night, and from late at night until dawn. Yale was the most ruthless, pouring glass after glass of wine into Linley's mouth, muttering, "Serves you right for keeping it from us, serves you right for keeping it from us." Linley felt embarrassed to refuse and kept pouring the wine down his throat until he was so drunk he could barely walk.

George couldn't hold on halfway through his drink, slumping in his chair and babbling incoherently. Reno managed to hold on for a long time, but eventually collapsed onto the table. Yale was the last to give up; he struggled to finish his last glass before collapsing onto the carpet, muttering, "One more."

Lin Lei lay on the sofa, his mind hazy, a smile playing on his lips. It was unclear whether it was the alcohol or the memory of Alice's face.

This is the scene that Lin Yun saw when he pushed open the dormitory door.

He stood at the doorway, staring at the bottles scattered on the ground and his brothers lying haphazardly, paused for a moment, and then couldn't help but laugh.

"Was this... a party last night?"

No one answered him. Yale turned over, mumbled something, and fell back into a deep sleep. Reno's snoring paused for a moment, then resumed.

Lin Yun shook his head, stepped over the bottles and clutter on the floor, and walked into the living room. He opened the window to let fresh air in. The morning breeze, carrying the scent of grass and earth, dispelled the strong smell of alcohol in the room.

Then he began to tidy up. He picked up the bottles one by one and put them in the basket by the door. He wiped the crumbs off the table and straightened the chairs. He mopped up the water stains on the floor.

Just as he finished tidying up the living room, he heard footsteps coming from upstairs.

Lin Lei rubbed his eyes as he came down the stairs, his hair disheveled, his eyes red and swollen, and his face pale—clearly still hungover. He walked into the living room, saw Lin Yun, paused for a moment, then rubbed his eyes again, thinking he was still dreaming.

"Lin Yun?" Lin Lei's voice was a little hoarse. "When did you get back?"

"Just got back." Lin Yun tossed the last bottle into the basket, clapped his hands, and said, "How much did you guys drink last night? It looked like you were going to drink all the alcohol in the dorm."

Lin Lei gave a wry smile, walked to the sofa and sat down, supporting his forehead with his hands, looking pained: "Don't even mention it... that madman from Yale insisted on getting me drunk."

"Serves you right." Lin Yun sat down opposite him and said with a smile, "Who told you to keep it from them?"

"I didn't mean to hide it," Lin Lei explained, "It's just... the time isn't right yet."

"Is it time now?" Lin Yun asked.

Lin Lei was silent for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips: "I guess so."

Lin Yun looked at his brother's expression and understood. He knew that feeling of unconsciously smiling when someone's name was mentioned.

"Tell me," Lin Yun said, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Who was that girl?"

"Her name is Alice," Linley said gently. "She's the daughter of a merchant from Fenlai City. A few months ago, when I was training in the Monster Mountain Range, I encountered her party being attacked by monsters, and I rescued them. Later... we traveled together in the Monster Mountain Range for a few days, and I escorted her back to Fenlai City."

"and then?"

"And then... we met again." A smile appeared on Lin Lei's face. "She's kind, gentle, and smart. When I'm with her, I feel very relaxed; I don't have to think about anything or worry about anything."

Lin Yun nodded. He knew Alice. In the original story, Alice was Lin Lei's first love, but their relationship ended tragically. However, he didn't intend to interfere. Matters of the heart are none of the business of outsiders, nor should they be. Whatever the outcome, it's all part of growing up.

"How old is she?" Lin Yun asked.

"Sixteen," Linley said. "The same age as us."

"Sixteen years old." Lin Yun smiled. "Big brother, you're pretty quick."

Lin Lei blushed and glared at him: "What do you mean by 'quick'? We just... we just have feelings for each other."

"Okay, okay, we like each other." Lin Yun smiled and raised his hands in surrender.

As the two were talking, there was another commotion upstairs. Yale had tumbled down the stairs—literally tumbled. His feet were tangled in the blanket, and he slid all the way down the stairs, landing on his bottom, all the way to the living room.

"Ouch..." Yale sat on the ground, rubbing his bottom, looking pained.

Lin Lei and Lin Yun exchanged a glance and laughed at the same time.

"What are you laughing at!" Yale glared at them, struggling to his feet. "What I'm doing is... what I'm doing is..."

"Is he too drunk to stand up straight?" Lin Yun chimed in.

Yale opened his mouth, but finding no better reason, he could only hum, walk to the sofa, sit down, lean against Linley, and close his eyes.

Renault and George followed. Renault was still unsteady on his feet, slowly making his way down the stairs while holding onto the handrail, his face looking like he had just escaped death. George was in a better state, but his glasses were askew, his hair was sticking up, and he didn't look very energetic.

The four people sat in a row on the sofa, slumped over, like a group of defeated soldiers who had just retreated from the battlefield.

Looking at them, Lin Yun couldn't help but laugh: "If the other students in the academy saw you like this, they'd think our dorm was haunted."

"Shut up," the four of them said in unison.

Lin Yun smiled and shook his head, then got up and went to the kitchen to pour them several cups of hot water. He handed one to each person.

"Drinking some hot water will make you feel better."

Everyone took the water glasses and sipped slowly. The living room was quiet for a while, with only the steam rising from the glasses drifting in the morning light.

"By the way, third brother," Yale suddenly spoke up, "what have you been doing all this time? I thought you'd been eaten by monsters."

"Eaten by a monster?" Lin Yun raised an eyebrow. "If I were eaten by a monster, who would bring you gifts?"

"A gift?" Yale's eyes lit up, and he jumped up from the sofa. "Where? Where?"

Renault also came over, and although George didn't move, his gaze also fell on Lin Yun.

Lin Yun took out several items from his spatial ring. There were several silver-white daggers, their blades sharp and their surfaces covered in fine patterns, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. There were also several pieces of black inner armor, as thin as cicada wings, made of a soft material that felt cool and smooth to the touch.

"A super dagger." Lin Yun distributed the daggers to everyone. "It can cut through iron like mud. Even a level nine warrior's battle aura can't stop it. One for each of you."

Yale took the dagger, weighed it in his hand, and then tried to shave it on the corner of the table. Wood chips flew everywhere, and the corner was shaved clean, the cut as smooth as a mirror. He gasped, "This...this is too sharp."

"Be careful," Lin Yun said, "Don't cut your hand."

Then he picked up the black inner armor: "Inner armor, extremely strong defense, can withstand the physical attacks of a level nine warrior. Each of you should wear one, it can save your life in critical moments."

The group took the inner armor and carefully stroked it. The material of the inner armor was very special; it felt as soft as silk, but when they tried to pull it, it wouldn't budge, incredibly tough.

"Third Brother, where did you get these things?" Renault asked curiously. "I've never seen such sharp daggers before, nor have I ever heard of this kind of inner armor."

"It came from a very far place," Lin Yun said vaguely. "Don't worry about where it came from, just keep it safe."

No one asked any further questions. They were already used to Lin Yun having many secrets.

George held the dagger and inner armor, remained silent for a moment, then said, "Lin Yun, these things are too valuable. We..."

"What's so valuable about it?" Lin Yun interrupted him. "Between brothers, there's no need to be so polite."

George opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He carefully put away the dagger and inner armor, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes.

After the gifts were distributed, the atmosphere suddenly became lively. Yale brandished a dagger in the living room, Reno examined the material of the inner armor, and George tucked the dagger into his waistband to test its feel.

Lin Lei sat on the sofa, watching his younger brother and his friends play around, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

"Big brother," Lin Yun sat down beside him, "when are you bringing your Alice back for us to meet?"

Lin Lei's face flushed again: "It hasn't come to that yet..."

"What do you mean it hasn't reached that stage!" Yale interjected from the side. "A hero rescuing a damsel in distress, this is a match made in heaven! Bring her back sometime, we'll have dinner together, it's on me!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Renault chimed in, "What does your sister-in-law look like? Is she pretty? Does she have a younger sister?"

"Get lost." Linley kicked out, but Renault nimbly dodged.

Everyone burst into laughter.

After a while, everyone finally quieted down. Yale leaned back on the sofa, toying with a dagger in his hand, and suddenly asked, "Third brother, what stage of cultivation have you reached?"

All eyes were on Lin Yun.

Lin Yun paused for a moment, then calmly said, "Level nine."

There was a moment of silence in the living room, then Yale rolled his eyes: "Why didn't you just say you'd arrived in the Sanctuary?"

Renault laughed along, "Third Brother, you went from level six to level nine in just over six months? Do you think we're three-year-olds?"

George didn't speak, but he shook his head, clearly not believing it.

Only Lin Lei's expression changed. He looked at Lin Yun, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes. He knew that Lin Yun had already reached level seven at the age of thirteen. Now, three years later, it wasn't impossible for him to go from level seven to level nine.

"Really?" Lin Lei's voice trembled slightly.

Lin Yun looked into Lin Lei's eyes and nodded: "Really."

Yale's smile froze on his face. He looked at Lin Lei, then at Lin Yun, opened his mouth, and after a long pause, finally managed to utter, "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious," Lin Yun said.

The living room fell silent again.

Yale swallowed hard, then jumped up from the sofa. "You...you...you're really a level nine mage? A sixteen-year-old level nine mage?"

"Mm," Lin Yun said.

"A sixteen-year-old level nine mage!" Renault stood up from his chair, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Third brother, are you even human?"

"You're not human," Lin Yun said with a laugh.

George adjusted his glasses, paused for a moment, and then asked, "Lin Yun, when do you plan to graduate?"

"Let's wait a while," Lin Yun said. "I'll apply for graduation after I finish what I'm doing."

Everyone fell silent. They all knew that with Lin Yun's strength, there was really no point in him staying in the academy. A ninth-level mage was only one step away from the Saintly Realm, and there were very few instructors in the entire Ernst Academy who could reach that level.

"So, should I call you 'Lord Lin Yun' from now on?" Yale said, feigning seriousness. "Ninth-level mage, my apologies."

"Get lost," Lin Yun said with a laugh.

Everyone laughed for a while longer, but there was something indescribable in their laughter. There was reluctance, emotion, and a faint sense of loss.

Lin Yun looked at them, a sense of emotion welling up inside him. Seven years ago, they moved into this dormitory together, attended classes together, ate together, trained together, and drank and chatted together in the courtyard. Back then, they were all just kids, full of both hope and uncertainty about the future. Now, he was standing on the threshold of level nine, while they were still stuck in the same place.

But he knew that each of them had their own path to walk. He couldn't wait for them, and they didn't need him to wait for them.

Yale suddenly stood up, disregarding his disheveled appearance, and with a wave of his hand, declared, "Let's go to Azure Paradise and drink our fill!"

"Huh? Not again?" Lin Lei couldn't help but smile wryly. "Didn't you have enough to drink last night?"

"Last night is last night, today is today!" Yale said matter-of-factly. "Today is a welcome-back party for the third brother, we have to drink!"

Renault chimed in, "That's right! Let's have a welcome-back party for Third Brother! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

George smiled and shook his head, but did not refuse.

Lin Yun looked at them, a warm feeling welling up inside him. He knew that no matter how strong he became, no matter where he went, these people would always be his brothers.

"Let's go!" Lin Yun stood up. "It's my treat today."

The five people and one beast walked out of the dormitory in a grand procession and headed towards Rhine City.

The group arrived at Biyue Paradise and headed straight for the private room.

"It's the third brother's treat today, everyone eat and drink to your heart's content!" Yale raised his glass. "Come on, cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The clinking of the glasses produced a crisp, pleasant sound, and the wine swirled within, refracting an amber glow.

The group ate and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere. Yale shared many amusing anecdotes from the academy—which professor tripped and fell during class, which student was blown up by their own magic during a practical class, and which dorm had a pet monster that ended up destroying the entire dorm room.

Not to be outdone, Renault told some jokes about George—George once fell asleep while reading in the library, drooling all over the pages, and was chased by the librarian for most of the library.

George pushed up his glasses and said expressionlessly, "That building manager later became my girlfriend."

Everyone was shocked.

"Really?" Yale's eyes widened.

"It's fake," George said.

The crowd laughed and cursed as they chased and beat George.

Lin Lei sat next to Lin Yun, holding a wine glass with a faint smile on his face. He didn't participate in the crazy farce; he just watched quietly.

"Brother," Lin Yun clinked his glass against his, "when do you plan to tell Father about Alice?"

Lin Lei's smile faded slightly, and he remained silent for a moment: "Let's talk about it once things have stabilized. Father's been in a much better mood lately, and I don't want him to worry about me."

Lin Yun nodded. He knew why Hogg had been in a good mood lately—his dragon transformation, news of his mother, and the success of his three sons. These things finally allowed the man who had carried a heavy burden for over a decade to breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's fine," Lin Yun said, "but you have to hurry. Father is getting old and wants to hold his grandson soon."

Lin Lei's face flushed again: "What nonsense are you talking about!"

Lin Yun smiled and raised his glass: "Come, a toast to my future nephew."

"Get lost," Lin Lei cursed, but still raised his glass.

After a few rounds of drinks, everyone was tipsy. Yale slumped over the table, muttering nonsense about "beautiful women" and "gold coins." Reno leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed, a silly grin on his lips. George's glasses were askew again, and he curled up in his chair like a dozing cat.