The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

"Warning, invitation... I understand."

Shi Yiguang raised her eyes: "So, what were those 'small requests' you mentioned earlier?"

"I don't have many requirements, only three."

“Firstly,” Maria of the Stars said gently, her gaze falling on the girl beside her who looked almost identical to her, her voice still light and ethereal, “no matter what happens in the future, please make sure to ensure the absolute safety of Regiereve.”

“She is not only my bloodline, but also proof of my existence, the only complete ‘echo’ in this long loneliness. If final destruction is destined to come, it should not be her fate.”

“She should have had the opportunity to witness…or at least not to experience that end.”

“Secondly,” Maria of the Stars continued, “I know that you, especially you, Ms. Shi Yiguang, and the forces behind you, possess technology and power far beyond what the world can imagine. I demand that in the upcoming operations, you share all the crucial intelligence you have obtained through unorthodox means regarding the ‘Divine Kingdom,’ Odin, and the Black King’s resurrection process. The far north… or rather, this remnant that I represent, can no longer remain blind.”

“We need clear knowledge, not blind faith, to make the final decision.” She paused, then added, “Of course, in exchange, I will reveal to you every detail I know about the far north, the Holy Palace Medical Association, and even my own mutation.”

“Intelligence exchange is the foundation of cooperation, and this is negotiable,” Shi Yiguang replied calmly, “provided that the information you provide is equally valuable and truthful.”

“Very fair.” Maria of the Stars seemed to have anticipated this outcome. “Thirdly, if… if that inevitable apocalypse is even slightly related to my past ignorance, gullibility, or even… certain mistakes that indirectly contributed to it, or the consequences of the Prince Gauguin’s reckless voyage…”

“I request that, after all this is over, if order still exists, someone should deliver a fair verdict and record this. I do not ask for forgiveness, I only ask that…the facts be clarified.”

A brief silence fell over the study, broken only by the occasional crackling of the gas lamp wick. These three demands—one concerning emotional support, one concerning information equality, and one concerning historical justice—revealed the complex state of mind and unwavering resolve of this woman who had endured nearly a century of inhuman hardship.

Fingel muttered, "It sounds like making a will, dividing the estate, and booking a court seat in advance... That's quite a complete process."

"We will carefully consider your request."

After a moment's thought, Shi Yiguang finally spoke: "Now, let's return to the more pressing issue."

"Ms. Maria of the Stars, since you are a core member of the Far North, do you still remember a person in the organization named Jung von Herzog?"

She pulled up a file, and a black and white image appeared on the screen. The man in the photo had a high nose and deep-set eyes, was handsome and elegant, and was wearing a crisp Soviet-style military uniform with badges on his chest. The background was a vast, snow-covered wilderness.

At first glance, this photo appears to be of a high-ranking former Soviet officer inspecting northern Siberia, but after a few seconds of looking, one is drawn to the man in the photo.

He looked down at the wasteland with an intense gaze, like a conqueror surveying a battlefield still stained with blood.

It's hard to imagine that such a guy could later undergo plastic surgery to become Japanese and become the head of the Snake-Ghost Eight Families.

“Herzog…” A clear look of disgust and disdain flashed across Maria the Star’s eyes. “That opportunist who called himself the ‘Knight of Galahad’? Of course I remember him.”

"A madman who is full of lies and ambition, a lunatic, a pervert and a demon living in his own drama."

"As far as we know, he once enjoyed a very high reputation in the 'far north'?" Shi Yiguang blinked and asked.

"Yes, but not entirely."

Maria of the Stars corrected, "According to the ancient agreement signed when we left the Secret Party in our early years, in order to maintain maximum secrecy, new members like him who were recruited later are not allowed to know the true secrets of dragons and hybrids."

"His bloodline is also extremely mediocre. He even failed completely in an internal, secret spiritual vision test, failing to generate any dragon rune resonance... This proves that he lacks even the potential to become an excellent hybrid. Therefore, he has never entered the true core circle of the far north and has always been an outsider."

"But Herzog was a genius seducer who, with his unparalleled social skills, cunning eloquence, highly persuasive performing talent, and his seductive 'new doctrine,' skillfully exploited the trends of the time and successfully won over a group of new members who were also marginalized or eager for shortcuts."

“He didn’t even know how he had secretly received funding from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Institution since the 30s, which made him quite proud at one point.”

Her tone was undisguisedly sarcastic: "At that time, the Third Reich was rife with the Führer's eugenics and racial theories. He was in his element, always carrying that book 'The Death of the Great Race,' and even managed to sneak into the Imperial Research Institute, where he swindled and deceived people."

"In 1935, he began to formally participate in the project to 'scientifically prove' the superiority of Aryans from a genetic perspective. During this period, he constantly peddled certain heresies that combined biology with medieval black magic, and was soon expelled by the academics who could no longer tolerate him."

“He sounds like a charlatan,” Shi Yiguang nodded. “No wonder the Allies couldn’t find his name when they compiled the list of scientists.”

“This ‘advanced training’ and contact with modern biology undoubtedly honed Herzog’s deception skills.”

Maria of the Stars narrated, "He twisted his own narrative and combined it with our 'Far North's' pursuit of the ancient civilization of Hibern, packaging it as a science fiction that conforms to the Na'vi ideology..."

"He declared that since we Aryans are all descendants of the gods, the shortcut to finding the divine kingdom should not be to explore outwards, but to dig inwards. As long as the 'divine blood' dormant within us is awakened, everyone can be 'deified,' and the land beneath our feet can be transformed into the divine kingdom."

"Soon, Herzog found a new channel by using his male charm to seduce noblewomen. He attracted some high-ranking members of the SS with his more radical new rhetoric, for which he received a lot of funding and established his own research institute, which was affiliated with the German Institute of Psychiatry."

"For nearly a decade afterward, he selected children from allied nations and occupied territories who were supposedly 'carrying the genes of the Hibernians' for inhumane experiments, euphemistically calling it 'recreating pure divine offspring.' The research institute filled with wails and despair was named 'Migdal Bavel'—the Tower of Babel."

Shi Yiguang's eyes flickered: "The Tower of Babel attempted to reach heaven, but collapsed because of the gods' fear. The Holy Grail Knight Galahad... he claimed to be chosen by the gods and able to hold the Holy Grail. In the hidden interpretation of black magic, the Holy Grail also carries the metaphor of 'divine blood' and 'embryo'."

"What is he pursuing? To create a new 'god'? Or to become a 'god' himself? Or is he simply venting his evil nature to gain fame and fortune? Perhaps, all three?"

“No one knows his true purpose,” Maria of the Stars shook her head. “As far as I know, towards the end of the war, his research seemed to have achieved some ‘useful’ results, mainly based on the paired differences in genetics and drug effects in twin groups, but he ultimately failed to outrun time.”

"In reality, after being captured by the Soviet army, Herzog resumed his genetic engineering research, his old career, after a year of interrogation."

After a few thoughtful words, Shi Yiguang quickly asked, "Speaking of which, when was the last time you met him?"

"At a routine gathering in Berlin in the late summer of 1943, a few months before the departure of the Prince Gauguin."

Maria of the Stars answered with exceptional clarity: "By then, he had essentially withdrawn from the daily activities of the Far North Organization. After all, those with different paths cannot work together. In fact, from the latter half of 1942, his relationship with the organization had become merely nominal."

"And then? Until the end of the war?"

"After that, we had no further contact."

Maria of the Stars reminisced for a moment and then began to fill in the key timeline: "After the Prince Gauguin incident, from January to October 1944, due to severe psychological trauma and the beginning of physical changes, I was arranged to recuperate in a secret sanatorium near the Peenemünde base."

"At that time, I was sometimes in a daze, and sometimes I was inspired by the strange sensations brought about by 'hyper-evolution'. Occasionally, I would provide advanced advice for certain projects there through letters, as an anonymous 'advisor', mainly concerning the improvement of aerodynamics and special fuels in alchemy."

"For example...part of the design of the 'Silver Bird' high-altitude high-speed demonstrator and the 'Baronce' disc aircraft."

"I'm trying to package my research findings with psychic rituals and mystical language and pass them on, just like in the past, to do my last bit for the continuation of the empire..."

Fingel interjected, "Wow, I didn't know you were a cross-disciplinary genius, a physicist and a chemist?"

"The only difference is the form of knowledge application; the essence is the interpretation and utilization of the rules of the world."

Maria of the Stars responded calmly, "Generally speaking, the higher the purity and rank of bloodline, the easier it is for hybrids to achieve outstanding scientific accomplishments with the help of extrasensory perception and alchemical intuition."

If she relies solely on mysticism without any real talent or knowledge, then what's the difference between her and a charlatan like Herzog?
Moreover, this is a special case of a human evolving into a dragon. Shi Yiguang glanced at Fingel, the "failing student," and continued listening.

“During that period of complete isolation from the outside world, I had no contact with Herzog of any kind.”

Maria of the Stars stated definitively: "On March 4, 1945, before the final nuclear device test in the Thuringia region, I had already anticipated that the progress of the German atomic bomb project was far from sufficient to produce a combat-ready nuclear weapon that could turn the tide of the war."

"Even if there were a few warheads planned to be carried by V2 missiles, they were actually just 'dirty bombs' with severe radioactive contamination, and their destructive power and deterrent effect were extremely limited. Miracles no longer favored this land, and the outcome of the war was already predetermined... The collapse of the empire was imminent, and Berlin was about to become ruins."

"I realized I had to leave."

“Through some old connections, I got in touch with Field Marshal Rundstedt and, through a secret channel, was able to be secretly escorted away before Berlin was completely surrounded. The original plan was to go to Argentina to seek refuge with the Juan Perón government, where we had some undercover agents we had planted years ago.”

"Unfortunately, something went wrong along the way, and I ended up in the hands of the Holy Palace Medical Association, where I was taken away and imprisoned... Now it seems that they had anticipated my escape route all along, or rather, they had been 'waiting' for me to complete my final transformation."

She succinctly summarized the end of that turbulent period.

Shi Yiguang pondered for a moment and then raised a more pointed hypothesis: "Ms. Maria of the Stars, during your recuperation in Penemmeide, is it possible that Herzog learned of your condition through some channels, and even had close contact with you, despite not meeting you directly?"

"Including medical examinations, academic exchanges, visits? Or, obtaining some of your... biological samples?"

"Even just being near your residence?" "After all, given your situation at the time, you were undoubtedly a very attractive 'research subject' for someone like him who was obsessed with 'divine blood,' 'evolution,' and 'black magic.'"

Maria of the Stars fell silent, seemingly trying to recall that vague and painful memory.

“…My place of recuperation is classified and managed by the most loyal department of the SS. But Herzog… he does have close ties with certain people within that system, as well as with some German psychiatric research institutions. I cannot completely rule out that possibility. Why do you ask that?”

She finally spoke hesitantly: "At that time, my condition was extremely unstable. I was sometimes lucid and sometimes delirious, and my memory was also confused and fragmented. Various 'experts' in white coats frequently came and went in and out of the ward... It would be normal for someone to disguise themselves and have brief contact with me when I was not conscious."

Shi Yiguang and Finger exchanged a glance.

"Ms. Shi, what exactly are you suspecting?"

Maria of the Stars' pupils contracted slightly, as if she had realized the deeper meaning of the question: "You suspect... that he stole something from me? Something from behind the 'door'?"

“That’s right.” Shi Yiguang lowered his voice a few decibels: “I have a bold guess… that ‘gate’ in the Arctic, that so-called ‘hatchery’, may be revealing more than just power or genes.”

"Is it possible that something more subtle, like... some residual fragment of consciousness, a spiritual 'cocoon,' attached itself to you through that incident?"

"And Herzog, perhaps through some means unknown to us, without your knowledge, contacted or even... separated from and took away a part of that thing?"

"You mean... that being who is suspected to be the Black King, through me... achieved some kind of... reincarnation?"

Maria of the Stars' face turned pale instantly: "So, I was originally a medium for transmission parasitized by an invisible thing?"

"The probability is extremely high."

Shi Yiguang's expression was solemn: "There are not so many coincidences in the world. How could a seemingly ordinary genetic leak and pollution create the first generation of the four monarchs of the Dragon Clan with the same rank as the crown? From this perspective, this move is by no means accidental, but rather has a strong purpose."

"Personally, I believe that the total value of this objective and the plan behind it surpasses the level of the first generation of species..."

“Holy Remains!” Zhao Qing’s voice suddenly rang out from nowhere: “This reminds me of the origin of the White King’s bloodline in Japan. After defeating the White King, the Black King bound her to a towering bronze pillar, threw her into the depths of the icy sea, and froze her for six eras. This was used to execute and demonstrate the fate of traitors before he destroyed and devoured her.”

"But during those six eras, some humans ventured into the execution grounds, made a pact with the White King, and were granted 'bone and blood,' namely a powerful bloodline and the tool for resurrection, the 'Holy Remains.'"

"This character, later known as 'Izanagi,' collaborated with the 'White King's Remains' to create a glorious civilization of the gods, but was then tempted by the latter and suffered a backlash, bringing disaster and destruction upon himself."

"History always cycles and repeats itself."

She spoke calmly: "Suppose that the current Black King is also facing a predicament similar to that of the White King in the past, and is suppressed and imprisoned by Odin's World Tree Matrix, then he would also use this method to create something that could be called the 'Black King's Remains' with his own bones and blood, and then transport it to the outside world through a suitable carrier."

"This is an upgraded version of the 'White King - Izanagi' model. The World Tree corresponds to the Copper Pillar of the Ice Sea, and Maria of the Stars corresponds to the infiltrator from back then. The White King nurtured Izanagi into the first Shadow Emperor and the creator of civilization, while the Black King, with his immense strength, directly bestowed upon him the bloodline of the first species. The progress seems to be even faster..."

"It is generally believed that although the White King's remains look like a fragile little leech with almost no physical combat power, it carries eternal spiritual commands, possesses extremely high intelligence and a huge memory bank, and is of a higher rank than the four monarchs."

"Furthermore, the sacred remains naturally possess incomplete but indirectly usable spiritual elemental authority, which is the basis for its ability to bewitch people and forge blood ties."

"So, assuming the Black King's remains exist, we can also speculate that it likely possesses these characteristics, and perhaps... it might even be more powerful and more bizarre. After all, it is the supreme Black Emperor, the source of the dragon lineage."

"At present, it seems that the Black King at least has an incubation ground to recover its strength, and its condition is much better than that of the frozen White King..."

"In fact, the remains of the saint may not be the only way for Him to be resurrected and return; perhaps it is just a casual move."

"You mean... the relic carrying a portion of Nidhogg's will actually chose Herzog?"

Maria of the Stars widened her eyes and couldn't help but question, "Such a... mediocre bloodline, failed spiritual vision, and wicked scum devil? It sounds a bit unbelievable."

This is like a world-destroying artifact choosing a child who can't even pull the trigger—how absurd and ridiculous!
She even thought to herself, "I am at least a legitimate first-generation being, so am I not a hundred or a thousand times stronger than the other party?"

For no apparent reason, Maria of the Stars wanted to have a smoke to catch her breath.

"Your understanding has two main problems."

Zhao Qing chuckled and retorted, "First of all, the Holy Remains should be an independent life creation, similar to the four monarchs that split off from the Black King himself. Of course, it can also be understood as a living 'cocoon egg'. Its consciousness is not completely equivalent to Nidhogg, although its memories are likely to be extremely similar, almost like a smaller copy."

"Secondly, the true target chosen by the Black King's remains is clearly not Herzog, but... someone else."

"Based on preliminary assessment, it is likely a 'special child' imprisoned deep within the 'Tower of Babel' research institute, a young mixed-race individual."

She paused, then continued, "Of course, perhaps it was just a baby, or even an unborn embryo..."

"It is also possible that this sacred remains parasitized several hybrid species over a period of ten or even several decades before selecting the best vessel for deep parasitism and fusion."

"If nothing unexpected happens, 'Zero' in the Soviet Union's 'Delta Project' was one of the 'parasitic' targets selected here."

At this point, Shi Yiguang casually pulled out a stack of top-secret files and handed them to the two people opposite him. The files included an introduction to the plan, architectural design drawings of Black Swan Harbor, and entries on cruel biological experiments—all of which were notes and manuscripts compiled after Herzog was killed, and were covered with newly added annotations.

“It is speculated that the reason you were not chosen, Maria, is probably because you were too exposed and the environment was not discreet enough,” Zhao Qing said slowly. “After returning from the Arctic, the Holy Palace Medical Association, a dark force with the background of the Dragon King, has been monitoring you intensively, so it is difficult to find any gaps in your ‘development’.”

"Simply put, before the silkworm has even begun its super evolution and is developing into a giant dragon body, and before it has gained unparalleled combat power, the enemy can immediately react and send a large number of 'experts' to easily nip the mission entrusted to the Holy Relic in the bud."

"Then, the holy remains, which are intelligent and have some mobility, will naturally seek their own way out and will not be trapped in this corner of the world. To this end, it may rely on the biological sample that was quietly stolen from you and, with the help of Herzog's actions, leave your residence unnoticed."

"It's reasonable to assume that the Holy Relic can only parasitize hybrids and exert mental influence on them, but it cannot affect ordinary people. Therefore, Herzog was arguably its best option at the time..."

“Obviously, Herzog’s bloodline is too inferior to serve as a vessel for the Black King’s resurrection,” she continued, “The lower the initial bloodline, the more difficult it is to modify and upgrade, and the more problems one will face. The power gained in a short period of time is limited, and one must frantically devour others to make up for it, which poses a huge hidden danger.”

"So it could only stay temporarily in the experimental subjects of the research institute, quietly lurking and searching for a suitable new carrier... until Herzog used a pontomedullary surgery, along with hallucinogenic drugs, to almost control 'Zero's' mental resonance and lock its ability to transfer again."

"Of course, an alchemical mask that was deliberately distributed for other reasons and fell into Herzog's hands should also be one of the reasons why the Black King's relic was ruined. Even if the latter entered a deeper level of parasitism and fully developed his bloodline, he still could not hypnotize the other party and escape."

"In the years that followed, the Black King's remains, whose rank was above the four monarchs, became a prisoner who was tortured and abused. Later, they were regarded as useless waste products that had been injected with too many drugs."

"However, knowledge is power. With a portion of the Black King's memory bank, 'Zero' gained significantly enhanced combat power by forging ancient contracts and exchanging blood alliances with Renata twice. When Black Swan Harbor was destroyed, he successfully escaped the icy wilderness of Siberia."

At this point, Zhao Qing suddenly stopped.

As for what happened next—such as Zero being captured by the Doomsday Faction, parasitizing the fetus in Giovanni's womb, and recognizing Lu Mingfei as his brother due to split personality or some other reason—these are still uncertain facts, so there's no need to go into detail. It would be too far off-topic.

In reality, the relationship between Zero, Lu Mingze, and the Black King's remains is, so far, just a hypothesis.

However, it does explain the source of Lu Mingfei's power in the original work, his gradual approach to the "Despair Black Dragon" after selling his soul, and the fact that the "Black King's Remains" will perish once it has completed its mission. Therefore, Lu Mingze claims to be the person who most wants to kill Nidhogg.

Furthermore, the spiritual instructions written into the relics may not only include resurrection. Taking revenge on the "traitors" of that year and eliminating the four monarchs outside may be even higher priorities.

In the original storyline, Herzog, after evolving into the New White King, said, "I was so close to the end of the world! But I missed it!" Clearly, he believed Zero was highly related to the Black King, but what does "missed it" mean? What gives him the confidence to achieve results just because he knows what the other is?
If he discovers that Zero is equivalent to the Black King's relic, he could easily follow the path of usurping the White King's throne and feel confident that he could use this to become the new Black King, then that makes sense.

But why was Lu Mingfei chosen? What is the source of his potential? Why did Lu Mingze say that this was the first time in thousands of years that the other party had agreed to a deal? Was it a time loop? Do either of them have other hidden identities?
These remain unknowns.

Based on Zhao Qing's intuition, the will of the stars must have also entered the scene and become involved in this spectacular drama.

The Black King's Dead Egg, treasured by the Secret Society, may also have played a role.

Odin's residence seems to be very close to the Black King's incubation grounds? Did he really not notice that the bloodline of Star Maria had been altered?

Zhao Qing sighed for a few moments, then said, "Ms. Maria of the Stars, I heard you've been taking our Bright Jade True Qi Capsules recently? Any feedback? Time is of the essence, let's board the plane quickly so we can reach the Arctic Circle within half an hour. How about we talk more on the way?"

"Half an hour?" Regina asked in surprise.

...(End of chapter)