"Remember! Pride comes before a fall! And look how far you have fallen! HA HA HA!" Emma laughed happily at me.

I opened the cockpit's hatch and jumped out easily. I was still full of energy, and I could probably go for another few hundred rounds before I tired.

But Emma needed to rest.

"Fine. You win! The score is five - zero. We'll continue next time!" I said, feeling rather magnanimous for ignoring all her barbs and still acting with her best interest at heart.

People might call me names for being too nice to Emma. But I don't really care. I'll treat Emma exactly how I want to treat her. The rest of the world can go.. What was it again? Eat candy, yes. The rest of the world can go eat candy.

Emma opened her cockpit hatch as well. Her beautiful but obviously extremely tired face was beaming happily.

"Good practice though! Don't worry, if you work hard, you'll definitely improve." Emma continued her lecture as she slowly exited the mecha.

"Right." I offered her my hand and helped her out of her mecha.

"What do you want to do now?" Emma asked me.

"Well, I know quite a bit about the Whitefrost clan now. Why don't we go to the living room and you can tell me more about the Mecha Tournament as we rest for a while?" I suggested.

"Excellent idea! Let's do that!" Emma agreed.

Emma is such a competitive girl. Winning that practice session really put her into an agreeable mood!

The rest of the day passed by lazily as we hung out in the main living room. For the first time in my life, I had a totally relaxing afternoon.

Emma and I really clicked that day and we talked about many things. Although she had a very sharp tongue and enjoyed cutting me up into a thousand pieces verbally, I knew that she was actually a kind girl. Kind of a softie with a really spiky exterior.

I enjoyed her company immensely. And I knew she truly enjoyed mine as well.

All too soon, it was dinner time.

Whitefrost family members can skip having lunch together, but unless an emergency was underway, dinner was non negotiable.historical

Everyone must be present.

And so, I soon found myself seated on a huge chair around a massive round table that could seat twenty. All sorts of delicious food was on the table, and I remember my mouth watering like crazy almost as soon as I sat down.

I remember the scene on the table very clearly like it was nly yesterday. Fried Chicken. Roast Chicken. Beef Ribs. Stuffed Duck. Three Layered Pork. Steamed Fish. More Steamed Fish. Three huge plates of vegetables I don't recognize. A giant plate of noodles. A giant plate of fried rice. Small cups of tea all around.

My goodness. The entire table looked like a huge gathering of joy and happiness. I couldn't wait to make friends with all the food!

However, our friendship was not destined to start immediately. The old man still had things to say.

"Justin. I should have asked you this earlier, but with all that had happened, it completely slipped my mind." The old man began.

Only the old man, Emma, Margaret (Isabella's youngest daughter), Julie (Jason's daughter), James (Jason's youngest son) and I were present.

Jason's wife, Lydia, was by his side and taking care of him and their son Jeremy, while Emma's father and mother were mysteriously absent.

"Would you like to join the Whitefrost family?" The old man asked.

The mood during dinner was subdued after the day's near tragedy, and his question brought some much needed excitement to the dinner table.

"Join our family? As what?" Julie was the first to speak.

"Are we adopting him?" James asked rather excitedly.

"No, we're not adopting him." The old man replied to James with a laugh.

"I'm inviting you to join us as a Black Dragon candidate." The old man told me before glancing at Julie.

"WHAT? HIM?" Julie shouted. "Why?"

The old man held his gaze at Julie for a moment.

"Sorry grandpa." Julie apologized hastily. "I was just surprised, that's all. The Black Dragons are.. Well. I don't know what you see in him. First the Gene Optimizing Pill, now this.."

"I understand your confusion. All will be made clear in due time. Right now, you have to trust grandpa, can you do that?" The old man spoke to Julie gently but firmly.

Julie sighed and nodded. "Yes grandpa. That I can do."

The old man turned to look at me once more. I quickly tore my gaze from the heavenly looking roast chicken to meet his gaze.

"Let me explain my offer. The Whitefrost Clan has two main mecha battalions. The Red Dragon Battalion and The Monkey King Battalion. That's what the whole country knows. But we have another secret army. One that is much more powerful than both battalions combined. We call it the Black Dragon Army." The old man said.

I nodded in approval. Of the beef stew.

I could smell the beef stew clearly. My goodness, it was the best smelling stew I had ever smelled.

"The Black Dragons are a group of elite Mecha Pilots whom our family had secretly trained up over the years." The old man continued, fully assuming that my nod of approval was over his words. He was totally oblivious that my heart and my mind, heck my entire SOUL was totally and fully mesmerized by the food on the table.

"They are spread out all over the world, and all of them are stellar Mecha Pilots in positions of influence and power in major organizations.

Black Dragons enjoy the highest respect, the most lavish treatment and the highest degree of freedom in the Clan. You are basically free to do anything you want to do. There are only two requirements. One is that you do not betray the Whitefrost Clan. And two, that you will act and give your all in defense of the clan in our hour of need."