Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 15: Journey to the End of the World (15)

Dragon Raja 4

“It seems you know quite a bit. Yes, the so-called Divine Kingdom is indeed the great Valhalla. It’s still far from being the true Divine Kingdom, but it is a sanctuary granted to people like you by Odin. There, your original sins will be purified, you will safely pass the critical blood threshold, and you will forever escape death. However, you must also pledge your loyalty. When dusk falls, you will face the awakened dragon in a final battle. Those who survive… will become the new gods!” Vincent’s voice was stern, and his expression solemn. In that moment, he looked less like someone selling passage tickets and more like a great prophet and guide.

Chu Zihang and Sasha exchanged a glance, and Sasha shrugged. In his opinion, Vincent was likely insane. Christianity held far more influence than Norse mythology, and even the priests of the Middle Ages only dared to sell indulgences to make money. But Vincent casually promised immortality and godhood. Chu Zihang, however, was disturbed by the grand worldview of the Twilight Dogma—old gods, new gods, the dividing line of history, and the wars of the gods. The drums of fate seemed to already be beating, yet the college knew nothing of this.

“Before I pay for the ticket, I want to confirm that what you’re saying is true. After all, the Twilight Dogma’s legacy has been interrupted for decades,” Lady Cassandra said.

Vincent smiled slightly. “How would you like me to prove it? Do you want me to present a signed authorization from the ancient gods?”

“As I understand it, in 1943, you made an attempt to reach the gates of the Divine Kingdom, correct? A submarine called the Prince Gauguin, carrying the hopes of the Third Reich, set sail for the Arctic in the dead of winter. At that time, humanity had not yet built icebreakers capable of reaching the North Pole,” Lady Cassandra said slowly. “I want to know, did that expedition succeed? Did you really find that door?”

Vincent sighed deeply. “It was the greatest expedition in human history. We did find the door, but a Soviet submarine caught us, and we were forced into battle, causing us to miss the opening of the Divine Kingdom’s gate. However, those fortunate enough to survive the tidal wave of power from the door were blessed by the gods, their lives frozen in that moment, no longer aging with time.”

Lady Cassandra stared at Vincent. “You may look long-lived, but staying young forever doesn’t seem to apply to you.”

Vincent gently rang a small bell on the table, and the black curtains parted. In walked Reginleif, wearing a black formal gown, her expression blank, holding the enormous hem of her dress with both hands, and a Roman short sword hanging at her waist. She looked like a bride about to marry darkness. Standing beside Vincent, she slowly turned her head to look at Lady Cassandra, who was visibly moved—those silver-gray eyes seemed to gaze down from the heavens.

A massive projector beamed an image in front of Lady Cassandra, the same image EVA had sent to Chu Zihang: Maria of the Stars, standing beneath the dome, sword in hand.

Lady Cassandra frowned as she scrutinized Reginleif, then suddenly stood up in shock, her pupils contracting, her voice trembling slightly: “Could it be… is she…”

Vincent stood and walked to Reginleif’s side, gently stroking her back. “She is the Prince Gauguin’s sole survivor, the great Maria of the Stars! When I first began serving her, I was a mere boy. Now, I’m an old man nearing the end of my life, but she has not only remained youthful; she has grown younger. She personally witnessed the Divine Kingdom, and she will lead us back there.”

Outside the video, Chu Zihang also frowned. From the first time he met Reginleif, he had examined her closely because she looked uncannily like the Maria in the photo. It’s not surprising for family members to share a resemblance, and as a second-generation Maria, Reginleif would naturally maintain her great-grandmother’s style and makeup. But certain things, like bone structure, can’t be hidden. Her facial bone structure and body dimensions were an exact replica of the Maria in the photo. Still, Chu Zihang couldn’t fully believe she was the same person—her behavior and mannerisms were that of a young girl, radiating youthful energy.

Suddenly, Vincent pulled out a handgun and shot Reginleif in the back of the head. Red and white fluids gushed from her face. Lady Cassandra immediately reached into her bag. As a former member of the Swordmark camp, her first reaction was not to scream but to grip her gun. A hole the size of a ping pong ball appeared in Reginleif’s face. Though Vincent’s handgun caliber wasn’t large, shooting from such close range had surely destroyed her brain tissue. Vincent gently helped her sit down in the chair, draping a black veil over her face.

“My God, my Commissar, my Great Leader! He killed that girl! He killed her!” Sasha was stunned.

Chu Zihang remained calm. The video was recorded last night, but hours ago, they had seen Reginleif playing wildly on the deck in a bunny costume.

Hervor and Olrune calmly brought over a silver tray, steam rising from the steaks on it.

“Give Her Holiness some time to recover. I have more stories about the Divine Kingdom to share with you,” Vincent said with a smile. “Do you remember where the name Reginleif comes from? It’s from mythology, a Valkyrie who serves Odin. Valkyries never die because they are death itself.”

Lady Cassandra slowly sat back down, and Vincent shuffled over to pour her a glass of blood-red wine.

Lady Cassandra stared at the bloodstain on the conference table. After a moment of hesitation, she downed the glass of wine.

By now, Cassandra’s identity was all but revealed. The silver ring on her pinky finger likely came from a secretive hybrid family. The ring itself wasn’t valuable, but the insignia on it was priceless.

She never wore that ring in public, but now she had put it on in front of Vincent, signaling her true identity.

She had committed an unforgivable crime in the world of hybrids, and boarding this ship was her way of purchasing a ticket to the Divine Kingdom. Each ticket was worth a staggering $20 million. Those who bought a ticket were insiders, all aboard this ship, keeping this secret together. Chu Zihang and Sasha were among the few outsiders. Their enemies were not only in the upper decks—many passengers were hybrids, and if they united, they could easily crush both Sasha and Chu Zihang. Many of them were likely fugitives like Lady Cassandra, on the brink of becoming Death Servitors.

The convicts were flocking toward the Divine Kingdom with their saint, but was this saint, who had lived for more than a hundred years, really thinking of jumping ship? Was she seeking freedom, or was she afraid to return to the Divine Kingdom?

Lady Cassandra had already sent the video file out, undoubtedly making another person aware of the secret of the Divine Kingdom’s gate. The news had likely been circulating in the hybrid world for a long time already—a great ruin was about to open to the world. Some truly believed it, others were skeptical, yet the college knew nothing. Chu Zihang’s initial purpose for boarding this ship was merely to investigate Herzog.

After a brief moment, Reginleif, who had been sitting still with her head held high, suddenly moved. She raised her hand, pulled off the veil, and used it to wipe the blood off her face. She remained as haughty as ever, not even bothering to glance at Lady Cassandra. The gunshot wound seemed to be no issue for her at all. Death and resurrection were commonplace for her. After circling the conference table once, she left. Hervor and Olrune knelt by her skirt as she passed. Though they too bore Valkyrie names, they seemed unworthy of even looking directly at Reginleif, the saint. After a moment of hesitation, Lady Cassandra also stood and half-knelt toward Reginleif’s departing figure, seemingly convinced by the miracle she had just witnessed.

Chu Zihang was equally perplexed. While hybrids had remarkable healing abilities, even Lu Mingfei, with his near-invincible resilience, could have never recovered from such severe brain damage in an instant.

“Do you still need more proof, dear Lady Cassandra? The gift of life is divine power, and what Her Holiness just demonstrated was the authority granted to her by the gods,” Vincent said, raising his glass. “You too will become immortal and eternal, just like her.”

After Reginleif left, Lady Cassandra generously handed over half of the raw diamonds as a down payment. When she asked Vincent what the money was for, Vincent gave a cryptic smile. “How far do you think Ragnarok is? Why is Valhalla opening its gates to the mortal world? The Black Emperor, symbolizing despair, is about to awaken. Before the end comes, we need many more ships like this, to prepare enough warriors for the destined battle. Perhaps you could call us… Odin’s messengers.”

“You dare call yourself Odin’s messenger without ever seeing the gate to the Divine Kingdom?” Lady Cassandra asked.

“But we have already received his revelation. The only one who can guide you to the Divine Kingdom,” Vincent lowered his voice, “is God Himself!”

The video ended at this point. Chu Zihang and Sasha both simultaneously disengaged the safeties on their weapons. Taking action was something that needed careful consideration.

“We’re the real hostages on this ship, aren’t we? We don’t need to save anyone—just ourselves,” Sasha muttered.

Chu Zihang nodded. How many hybrids with dangerously high bloodlines were on this ship? Communication with the outside world had already been cut off, so it was impossible to know for sure. But a direct confrontation would undoubtedly end in their defeat, with the best-case scenario being a bloody massacre. How much time they had left as a buffer was also unclear. The ancient dragon embryo was hatching rapidly, and Reginleif was desperate to leave the ship. All the intelligence they had suggested that the gate truly existed and could open at any moment. Delaying was their best option. If EVA noticed she couldn’t reach him within 24 hours, she would issue an alert. Given the college’s usual methods, they would likely try to mobilize fighter jets from some northern airbase. At today’s level of human technology, the Arctic Ocean was no longer an impenetrable isolation zone.

“The problem is, someone’s dead on the ship, and we know who the killer is. The killer knows we know, too. How do we pretend we don’t know?” Sasha asked.

At that moment, someone knocked on the cabin door. Sasha’s expression changed slightly. The hallway outside was filled with his commandos, but this knock didn’t match their contact signals.

Who could have made it past so many commandos to reach the cabin door? The killer who could cut through Lady Cassandra’s sternum with a single strike?

“Rybalko! Rybalko! What’s wrong with the ship’s communication system? Where’s your chief engineer?” Vincent’s angry roar came from outside the door.

Series Navigation

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