Apocalyptic Dragon Riders

Chapter 18

Once an aircraft is airborne, it actually requires very little hands-on control. The onboard computer systems handle most of the work in a semi-automatic flight mode — the pilot only needs to make occasional adjustments to compensate for different air currents. The most dangerous phases of any flight are takeoff and, especially, landing.

The airport’s radar kept a tight lock on Lin Mo’s aircraft, guiding it onto the optimal approach path and altitude. The flaps extended, the rate of descent slowed, and the landing gear began to deploy from the belly and wings. On both sides of the runway, fire trucks and ambulances stood ready. At the far end of the strip, a mountain of fire-retardant foam had been sprayed as a precaution.

The plane roared down toward the runway, touching down with what could only be described as a textbook-perfect landing. Smoke curled up from the tires as they met the tarmac. The lift from the wings dropped to nearly zero, and the aircraft rolled down the runway, gradually slowing. Lin Mo adjusted the engines and rudder carefully, guided the plane off the active runway, and taxied toward its designated parking stand.

The moment the plane came to a full stop, the cabin and the airport emergency command center erupted in cheers. Everyone who had been holding their breath finally felt the massive weight lift from their hearts.

From that point, Lin Mo’s job was done. The airport connected a boarding staircase to the aircraft, and the passengers practically bolted off the plane, many of them laughing, hugging, even jumping for joy. This terrifying experience would be etched into their memories for the rest of their lives.

The instant Lin Mo opened the cockpit door, he was surrounded by the flight attendants, who showered him with grateful kisses. Even the chief purser — herself a striking beauty — planted a kiss right on Lin Mo’s cheek, turning his face bright red. Lin Mo, who had faced countless life-or-death battles and even survived the “Dimensional Prison” death curse, almost fled on the spot — he was totally defenseless against the fierce wave of passion released by women who had just walked away from death’s door.

“Mr. Lin, we really can’t thank you enough!” Down on the tarmac, a group was already waiting to intercept Lin Mo as he came down with his bag. Of course, it wasn’t hard for them to pick him out — all passengers are registered under their legal IDs, and airport staff had pulled the full manifest within minutes of the emergency.

“You’re welcome. I only did what had to be done.” Lin Mo replied almost mechanically. He didn’t think he’d done anything earth-shattering. All he wanted now was to leave quickly and get to his destination. He could already picture the inevitable award ceremony, press conference, interviews… and his dream of becoming a military pilot going up in smoke. The army wouldn’t grant him any special favors just because he saved a plane full of people.

His merged memories from before told him exactly how this would go — a headache he wanted no part of. To him, flying was no big deal. Dragon knights lived and breathed the sky; they had faced every sort of aerial danger imaginable. This incident barely registered.

If he accidentally let slip that he was actually a dragon knight from another world, people would either lock him up in a psych ward or haul him off for interrogation and dissection. The thought made him shudder. If his old comrades from the dragon knight legion could see him now, they’d probably laugh themselves sick. He had no illusions about being able to fight an entire modern state by himself.

“No, you really are a hero — you saved everyone!” The man leading the group, a middle-aged officer in uniform who was clearly the emergency response commander, gripped Lin Mo’s hand tightly, almost unable to get the words out. “Saved everyone” was no exaggeration. It included not just the passengers and crew, but also the airport, the airline, the insurance companies, the regulators… If anything had gone wrong, no one involved would have walked away unscathed.

Losing the plane would have been the least of their problems. The passengers, their families, the media firestorm, the lawsuits, the economic fallout — it would have been catastrophic. Countless people would have been held responsible.

That was why everyone on the emergency response team was overwhelmingly grateful to Lin Mo. He hadn’t just saved lives — he had saved the company’s reputation, its money, and probably many of their jobs. Their families, too, would be grateful to this young man. By every measure, Lin Mo had just done them all an enormous favor.

“Really, I have to go now!” Lin Mo insisted. He didn’t seem to view saving nearly a hundred lives — along with a whole web of related interests — as anything remarkable. He just wanted to get out of there. Even though this wasn’t his original destination, he still needed to wait for a connecting flight, and all this attention was wasting time.

“Please, at least take a rest first! Don’t worry, we’ve got a hotel room ready for you, all expenses covered. Tonight we’ll hold a banquet in your honor, and first thing tomorrow morning we’ll have a car take you wherever you need to go.” The uniformed man pounded his chest as he spoke. The moment the plane touched down safely, the emergency team had arranged everything. If they could have foreseen the incident, the airline would have gladly paid ten times the money to avoid it entirely. The PR damage could have been fatal — who would dare fly with them after that?

They still had to calm the passengers, commend the flight attendants for their composure, and above all, reward Lin Mo for saving the aircraft. Everyone on the ground knew just how deadly the environment inside that shattered cockpit had been. They were amazed at Lin Mo’s physical endurance. If they had known that he was about to enroll as a military pilot, it would have made perfect sense — no pilot could be in poor physical condition.

And in fact, Lin Mo’s true identity as a dragon knight from another world meant his physical standards were far higher than any pilot’s.

“Sorry, but I really have urgent business. I can’t stay!” Lin Mo said, looking genuinely unnerved by the growing crowd. They were just ordinary civilians — he couldn’t fight his way out even if he wanted to. If this were the other world, one whistle would have summoned his dragon partner, and the crowd would have scattered like frightened birds.

Dragon knights were the ultimate strategic asset on the battlefield, not circus monkeys to be gawked at. Respect and fear were essential — without it, how could they deter their enemies?

Even here, separated from his dragon companion, Lin Mo still thought of himself as a dragon knight in his heart. The glory of soaring through the skies wasn’t something ordinary people could ever understand.

Seeing that Lin Mo truly wouldn’t be persuaded, the middle-aged man finally gave up. “Alright then, Mr. Lin. My apologies. Don’t worry — I’ll have a car take you wherever you need to go. Here’s my card. If you ever need anything, just call me.” It was a genuine gesture. No one had expected this incident, but it had ended in the best possible way, and everyone wanted to keep it that way. He hoped this card might someday be useful to the young man who had just saved so many lives.

“Thank you, Manager Shi.” Lin Mo accepted the card with both hands. A quick glance told him that Shi held a high-ranking position.

Several others stepped forward to hand over their own business cards as well, each hoping to establish a connection with this calm, level-headed young man. The fact that he had been able to land a passenger jet safely proved not only his quick learning ability but also his extraordinary mental composure. His future prospects seemed limitless, and they wanted to be part of that future.

“Young man, you’re amazing! Here’s my card — if you ever need anything, just call me!”

“I’m Yu Tie, vice president of Dahua Corporation. From now on, you’re my brother! Whatever trouble you run into, I’ll go through hell for you!”

“I’m Old Zhang, and I owe you my life. Take my card — if you ever need a job, come to me. Government post, state-owned enterprise, you name it — I’ll make it happen!”

Some of the more prominent passengers also stepped up, eager to express their gratitude. To them, surviving such an ordeal meant a new lease on life, and they wanted to repay the man who made it possible. Several tried to exchange phone numbers with Lin Mo, but his phone had been destroyed during the soul merge, and he couldn’t even remember his old number anymore. He just smiled and told them he hadn’t gotten a new one yet.

One by one, the high-quality business cards piled into Lin Mo’s hands. He politely thanked each person and put them away. He didn’t really expect to see these people again, and their promises might or might not ever be fulfilled, but they were sincere in their gratitude. The least he could do was accept it graciously.

Soon after, Lin Mo left alone in a company car, his luggage with him. After a seven-hour high-speed drive, he arrived at the special recruitment assembly point for pilot trainees: the Air Force Aviation University of the People’s Liberation Army.

The PLA Air Force Aviation University traces its roots back to the Northeast Democratic United Army Aviation School, founded with just a handful of aging Japanese fighters and trainers. They scavenged every available spare part and drop of fuel to build a functioning logistics network, breaking free of the old three-step training method and leapfrogging directly to advanced trainer aircraft. Despite constant bombing and sabotage from the Nationalist forces, the school steadily grew. In 2004, it was merged with the Air Force Second Aviation Academy, the Air Force Changchun Flight Academy, and the Air Force Seventh Flight Academy to form the present-day Air Force Aviation University. The institution now consists of seven campuses across Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, covering over 19 million square meters.