Dragon Raja 4; Chapter 23: Journey to the End of the World (23)

Dragon Raja 4

The drone, after missing its shot, utilized its powerful post-stall maneuverability to make an instant turn and screeched back toward Henkel and Anjou, with its wing-mounted machine guns roaring.

But under the exemption of Time Zero, even someone like Henkel, who had suffered a stroke and was half-paralyzed, could predict its trajectory and aim with ease.

“Much easier to deal with without the missiles,” Henkel said with relief, as if the ferocious drone was merely there to ask him for a few coins. Again, both guns fired simultaneously, and the bullets drilled into the drone’s intake. Just like its missiles, the drone lost control, spinning and crashing into the ground, becoming a pile of titanium-magnesium alloy debris.

If it weren’t for seeing it with their own eyes, it would be hard to believe that two centenarians, one of whom had suffered a stroke and was half-paralyzed, could rely on two revolvers to shoot down the most advanced armed drone in a cowboy duel style. This was thanks to Anjou’s Time Zero, but the core of the success might still be Henkel’s Yanling, “Holy Judgement.” To this day, even EVA only knew its name.

“Damn it! Back in the day, I didn’t think the recoil of this thing was so big!” Henkel grumbled as he sat up.

“You brought a gun to meet me? Even after a stroke, you still want to duel me?” Anjou said angrily. “I’m moved by your persistence!”

“Moved my ass! Bringing a gun to meet you means I’m still a warrior! Not a damn old man who needs your pity!” Henkel emptied the smoking shell casings. Texas Dawn had a huge bullet caliber, and the large revolver could only hold three bullets. Henkel’s hands trembled as he loaded new bullets, flicked the chamber shut, and lay back on the ground with his dual guns aimed at the sky.

Those who had repeatedly entered and exited dragon-slaying battlefields and survived were both strong and cautious. Since the enemy could deploy such military-grade drones, who could guarantee there was only one?

This cautiousness continued until Anjou sat down heavily on the ground, no longer able to sustain the Time Zero field. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, tightly covering his bleeding nose.

“They bought off my entire service team. Just great! Just freaking great!” Henkel panted heavily, sitting back-to-back with Anjou.

“Do you have an enemies list? I have such a list. So if something happens to me one day, my disciples and followers will go down the list and string them up for questioning.”

“Of course, it’s my kids. They’ve been itching for me to die for a long time. Once I’m dead, they can rightfully inherit my legacy,” Henkel said, seemingly not angry.

He had never married and had no recorded children. His so-called “kids” were the new heads of the families under his command. Those impulsive young people had had some minor conflicts with Anjou.

He wasn’t angry because he considered himself a reasonable person. A retired syndicate leader giving up power and going to the countryside to retire was something a reasonable person would do; the young people vying for power until a new leader emerged was also reasonable; but if one of those brats decided to kill the old leader, that wouldn’t be very reasonable, would it? Then the old leader killing them in return and hanging them from the rookery, that would again be a reasonable action. Henkel prided himself on being an understanding person, but if he didn’t even have the chance to study quantum physics in his retirement, he would have to use a revolver to make his point. Luckily, he could still grip the gun handle.

Anjou, however, shook his head. “If it were them, they wouldn’t choose to act when I’m here. Killing you wouldn’t matter, but killing me would mean going against the Secret Party.”

The phone rang, and he answered. His expression suddenly grew serious. After listening for a moment, his pupils slightly contracted, as if something as sharp as a needle had been tempered in them. Henkel also felt a chill. He had known Anjou for many years and had pointed a gun at his head many times—several times even considering blowing his brains out. But Anjou rarely showed such an expression. After taking that call, Anjou gave Henkel the feeling that dozens more drones were on their way to kill them.

Anjou hung up the phone. “In five minutes, among the hybrid organizations we know, 50% of the heads or equivalent leaders have been assassinated—Tokyo, London, New York… The Spencer family, the Ryoma family, the Laurent family… All by drone strikes. The death toll and critically wounded have reached 32, including one member of our Board of Trustees dead and two severely injured. Three of your kids are dead too. The mastermind isn’t targeting just you or me; they are indiscriminately targeting all hybrids.”

“Are they insane? Declaring war on both God and the Devil at the same time?” Henkel was dumbfounded.

“There’s only one possibility—they believe the era of transformation has arrived. The old gods are about to die, and new gods are about to be born. Before that, they want to eliminate as many contenders as possible!”

“It seems someone really thinks they’ve found the Gate to the Divine Kingdom… It’s time to check back at my office!” Henkel picked up a broken branch to use as a cane and shakily stood up.

Anjou looked at the distant Maserati billowing thick black smoke. “Don’t you have a 1963 DB5 in your garage? You’ve never been willing to lend it to me. Now that the world’s about to end, how about taking it for a spin?”

“That’s a different matter! Even if the world is ending, don’t think about touching my car!” Henkel panted. “I just waxed it yesterday!”

At this moment, a massive black and red ship was anchored near the ice shelf close to the North Pole. The warm glow of firelight illuminated a small, cozy space in the darkness, where travelers gathered in groups of three or five to chat.

The eyes of hybrid beings worldwide were all focused on the Arctic Circle. Satellites and high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft repeatedly scanned the area, and the short-term rental prices for icebreakers tripled overnight. Yet, for the passengers aboard the Yamal, it still seemed like a romantic journey.

Chu Zihang stood by an iron barrel burning coal, warming his hands. Now, everyone around him could be an enemy, and those who had bought tickets likely did not want him, a sudden intruder, to ruin their expedition plans. Tying him up and throwing him into the icy sea to feed the fish would be a good solution. But when Vincent saw Chu Zihang, he was extremely respectful, which made the others too afraid to act rashly.

Reginleif, having lost face in front of everyone, angrily went off to drink with the boys. She was confident in her lively charm and believed they would still welcome her. Sure enough, before she even reached their table, someone had already made room for her. A beautiful girl can indeed do as she pleases. That night, she jumped out of her bunny costume in front of everyone. The passengers who had bought tickets should have already known that the bunny was Her Holiness, the Saintess, out for some fun. Yet, no one questioned her sanctity. If it were the devotees in Nepal, and they knew their virgin goddess Kumari accepted offerings by day and went clubbing by night, they would have kicked her out of the temple. Therefore, Reginleif didn’t represent any religious belief. In their eyes, she was a living key—the question was how to use this key.

Someone came over to Chu Zihang’s side to warm themselves by the fire. Chu Zihang turned his head to look. The person was wearing a long black cold-weather coat and a strange leather mask that made them look like a grim reaper or something similar. The sudden appearance of such an odd person seemed to go unnoticed by others, but when he stepped onto the ice, many people lowered their voices. His silent authority enveloped the ice field, and a low humming sound came from his sword sheath.

“How should I address you?” Chu Zihang raised an eyebrow.

“Names don’t matter; you can call me Macallan. I’m from the Holy Palace Medical Society, but the name of the organization is also irrelevant,” Macallan said with a smile. “Hello, Chu Zihang.”

Chu Zihang looked toward the helicopter parked on a high helipad. “Are you the guest who boarded the ship last night?”

“More like the host,” Macallan nodded slightly. “This 13-year journey is reaching its end. Naturally, the host has to come to witness the miracle.”

Chu Zihang was taken aback. Since boarding this ship, everyone had been evasive, even Sasha had hidden some things from him, but Macallan spoke with complete openness.

Macallan looked at the large, swaying bunny. “Her Holiness extended an olive branch to you, Mr. Chu. Why didn’t you accept it? Is she that much worse than Xia Mi?”

Chu Zihang’s pupils suddenly contracted, and the veins on the hand gripping his bag strap bulged.

“Not worth it to kill over such a trivial matter, is it?” Macallan smiled. “You’re not that petty, Mr. Chu.”

“You know too much,” Chu Zihang reached his hand into the sword sheath, gripping the handle tightly. “Who exactly are you?”

“Your exploits are recorded in the Earth Report. Where there’s a report, there’s more than one reader,” Macallan said leisurely.

“That was quite a special experience. A great creature like the Dragon Queen forming some kind of bond with a human—such a bond that even made her commit a fatal mistake at the last moment, ruining her own plans. But have you ever thought about this: why did Jörmungandr choose you? If it was just about learning how to integrate into the human world, there are millions of other targets to learn from, but she chose only you.”

Chu Zihang remained silent for a long time, his tightly pressed lips like two sharp, thin blades.

He had occasionally pondered these things, but with Jormungandr’s fall, no one could corroborate them. Xia Mi was both his high school sweetheart and a sudden arrival in his life, yet he didn’t truly understand her.

“You lack interest in Miss Reginleif, likely because of Jörmungandr, right? Even now, you haven’t been able to escape the trap she set for you. After the EM-BJ-001 incident, you lost the ability to love anyone and could only grit your teeth and hunt down Odin, using hatred to fill the void. But Odin merely tore open the gentle veil of this world in front of you, while Jörmungandr kept you immersed in a dream you’re unwilling to escape from. That dream is where she split a girl off from her powerful Dragon Queen persona, and the feelings you had for that girl were real.”

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