Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 185 The Young People of Linz
Weimar, German Empire, 1890.

In front of the famous statues of the poets Goethe and Schiller in the theater square, amidst the bustling crowd, a crazy old man was shouting wildly.

"God is dead, a new era has begun, and I will tell you what Superman is..."

"What is an ape to man? A mockery or a painful humiliation. The same should be true of man to the Superman: a mockery or a painful humiliation. You have completed the long journey from worm to man, but in many ways you are still worms. You were apes before, and even now, man is more like an ape than any other ape..."

His crazy and incoherent words drew stares from passersby. Parents covered their child's ears and eyes, fearing to frighten the child, and even kept their distance from this "madman."

But the old man was completely oblivious to the many gazes he was receiving. Instead, he held his wine jug and drank heartily.

"Gulu gulu..."

The sweet wine that spilled from the corner of his mouth splashed onto his cheeks, beard, and even his robes, but he didn't seem to mind at all.

"Man, I proclaim to you the will of the earth..."

The mad old man continued shouting wildly, gesturing wildly, but no one listened to him. Only a group of playful children followed behind him, throwing stones at him. The disheveled old man was hurt by the stones and had to dodge.

After a long while, the old man got drunk and simply lay down on the street and fell fast asleep.

Ten years later, the old man passed away, leaving behind only the name "Nietzsche" and a few books. But for the philosophical community at the time, it meant the passing of a founder of the modern philosophical system.

The king of the kingdom of philosophers is dead, and the genius who overturned the old morality and created a new moral system is no more, but his influence is far-reaching.

……

Seven years after Nietzsche's death, in Vienna, Austria, in 1907.

“Mr. Adolf Hitler, your painting is not… therefore, we…”

A 17-year-old boy, a letter from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, the silent boy's face turned pale and then red, and finally, unwillingly dragging his luggage, he angrily returned to his hometown.

……

Linz, train station: A young man waits for his train in the crowd.

He sported the fashionable bangs of the time, his neat and meticulously styled hair sleek and glossy, much like his earnest and somewhat rigid personality. He would occasionally glance down at his pocket watch, waiting for his friend to arrive.

Train after train arrived, and he kept looking at their codes until the train he was waiting for finally arrived. He carefully scanned the people getting off the train, and finally, in the surging crowd, he saw his good friend...

With a cold, stern face, perfectly parted hair, and the same rigid, unsmiling demeanor as always, he dragged a large suitcase and struggled to push his way through the crowd in front of him.

"Adolf!"

The excited young man waved to his friend and shouted his name. The young man called Adolf looked up at him, a look of surprise flashing across his face. But then, as if he had thought of something, he fell silent.

After Adolf got off the train, the young man walked with him, talking about how he missed his friend.

However, his good friend, who used to be so talkative, was now silent and taciturn, just dragging his suitcase forward with his head down. Then, listening to the young man beside him, he suddenly said something.

"Kubishik, I don't want to talk about this right now."

After a moment of surprise, Kubizik noticed Adolf's sullen mood and stopped talking. He had known Adolf for many years and knew very well how to get along with his friend.

……

Upon returning to his hometown of Linz, Adolf initially appeared no different from others. Just as he had always done, he dressed impeccably every day and strolled around his hometown of Linz with a cane, occasionally using the money he saved to go to the concert hall to listen to opera, a hobby he shared with his only friend, Kubišik.

Kubizik described his friend as a strange person, stubborn and rigid, arrogant and conceited.

His father was a customs officer, but he died when he was very young. According to the regulations at the time, the widow of a civil servant was entitled to a monthly allowance of 100 crowns, but each trip to the theater cost 10 crowns. Adolf didn't care about the money, and his mother, Mrs. Clara, who loved her son deeply, continued to support her son's artistic dreams despite the high expenses.

Kubiz once asked Adolf, "Since you're so short of money, why don't you go find some work to earn some money?" Adolf replied confidently.

"Work? I would never work, I've never even thought about working."

In Adolf's eyes, all work was merely "a means of making a living." His inexplicable arrogance and pride made him disdain doing such trivial things. In Adolf's view, he should dedicate himself to great poetry, painting, and opera appreciation, rather than simply making a living.

When talking about those "livelihoods," Adolf's words were full of contempt.

In addition, Adolf, who was passionate about architecture, often took Kubizik to see the buildings in the city. He once described to Kubizik his blueprint for the city with great enthusiasm: churches, opera houses, subway stations, transportation routes... a prosperous city built by himself.

His speech carried an undeniable decisiveness. The speaking techniques he learned from opera performance gave him a mysterious, captivating charm in every gesture, making people involuntarily forget what he was saying and simply be captivated by his actions and aura, subconsciously believing his words.

However... Kubizik would occasionally ask in bewilderment.

"So, where does the money come from?" Then, Adolf would stare at him with displeasure. His overly serious and cold face, especially his sharp eyes, was frightening. When Kubišik's mother first met Adolf, she couldn't help but be frightened by his eyes.

"Your friend's eyes are amazing!"

Kubizik clearly remembers that when his mother said those words that night, there was more fear than praise in her voice.

"That kind of thing is completely unimportant! Unimportant!"

Looking at his friend in front of him, Adolf said angrily.

As for his experiences studying in Vienna, he didn't say much, only that he had passed the academy's requirements. Kubizik was genuinely happy for his friend, because he was finally able to move towards his artistic goals.

This news also brought great comfort to Adolf's mother, Mrs. Clara, who was seriously ill. Adolf's return and the news of his acceptance into university brought her some solace. At other times, Adolf would take his only friend, Kubisik, to the countryside, which was the only time he could feel relaxed.

……

It is springtime, a time when all things grow.

Outside Linz, towering beech trees and shrubbery with shimmering red leaves fill the air with a deep breath. Walking along the forest path, the two friends quietly savored this rare sense of tranquility.

"Gustav, look at that squirrel."

Raising his cane, Adolf pointed to the squirrel on the treetop and gestured for his friend to look.

The "Gustav" he mentioned was Kubishik, the same Kubishik as Augustus Kubishik. Out of habit, Adolf would sometimes call his friend Gustav, both as a joke and because his deceased brother was named Gustav.

Kubišik looked in the direction of his cane and saw a chestnut squirrel perched on a treetop, its adorable appearance making it exceptionally endearing.

"What an adorable little guy."

Adolf exclaimed in admiration.

"They are very cute. What, are you so used to the city of Vienna that you find it pleasant to see squirrels?"

Kubizik couldn't help but laugh.

He knew his only friend's temperament: stubborn, conservative, misogynistic, a hero-worshipper, and almost ascetic. He often lamented why he wasn't born 1,500 years ago in a classical era teeming with heroes. He harbored a deep classical sensibility; although he repeatedly said he disliked the countryside and didn't like staying in the small town of Linz, he couldn't hide his love for the natural landscape.

"Vienna is a nice city, but... humph."

As Adolf spoke, he seemed to recall the unpleasant events in Vienna, and let out a cold snort.

“I’ve seen your paintings of Vienna. The architecture is well done, and the details are very meticulous, but there’s never any sense of life in them… I think it’s not that you hate the city, it’s just that you hate too many people.”

As they walked, Kubisik brushed aside the thin branches in front of him and casually remarked that Adolf thought for a moment and then surprisingly nodded in agreement.

"Maybe."

After walking for a while, Adolf suddenly spoke up.

"You know, if I ever win the lottery, how about we dress up in matching clothes and pretend to be twins?"

The idea was whimsical, yet remarkably in line with Adolf's style. Kubizik, already accustomed to his unconventional thinking, replied with a smile.

"OK……"

It was a peaceful day, with two close friends strolling through the woods, relaxing their minds. But the next day, an unusual knock sounded at Kubishik's door.

"Dong dong dong..."

When Kubizik opened the door, he was met with a sight he had never seen before: his arrogant and conceited friend Adolf looked extremely haggard. His face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, and his eyes were vacant.

He paused for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice.

"The doctor said that my mother... is incurable."

(The story about Hitler is based on Augustus Kubizik's "The Young Hitler I Knew")
I recommend a book by a friend, "Supporting Demons to Rise".

Spirits peek out from every nook and cranny, corn kernels sprout in the millet fields, possession by ghosts becomes more common, and a female celebrity publicly sheds a layer of human skin... Demons and monsters roam the night, myths are about to be reborn, and the earth is gradually awakening.

—Your Excellency, the wind is picking up.



(End of this chapter)