Dragon Clan: I am Lu Mingfei, the Intelligence Strategist, the God of Concepts!

Chapter 190 Exchanging Testimony? Haha, Odin is so funny!
This research institute deep in the mountains is larger than I imagined.

Storage area, experimental area, living area... all combined are equivalent to several floors of a university teaching building.

But strictly speaking, Herzog is the only 'living person'.

At the far end of the wall stood rows of glass containers, each containing a male body sleeping in a pale green nutrient solution… The vast majority of them were Herzog, or rather, Tachibana Masamune. This scene resembled the eve of a catastrophe caused by technological malfunction, where humanity would ultimately be destroyed by the clones they created.

The testing area was filled with various tools and experimental instruments, operating tables and sharp gears for cutting bones, and iron hooks with traces of black blood on the ceiling. It resembled a combination of a slaughterhouse, a chemical laboratory, an operating room, and a torture chamber.

The living area has rooms of different categories, displaying various ancient paintings, rare books, vinyl records, and... long hair of different colors packed in boxes?

Nono scanned Herzog's room.

I felt a chill.

From the moment she entered the mountain's interior, she used her profiling abilities to reconstruct the character of Herzog in her mind.

His wisdom, his brutality, his greed, his madness, his despicable nature... the amount of information is so overwhelming it's almost explosive.

Upon seeing those hairs, Nono involuntarily conjured up a series of scenes in her mind.

One by one, pale-faced and weak, beautiful girls were sent here from all over Japan... No, not necessarily here, but possibly elsewhere, in Tokyo, in Osaka...

They were tortured to the point of unbearable pain, their beautiful bodies covered with bite marks and various bruises.

The demons, each with a different appearance, pulled out scissors from their pockets, cut off a lock of their long, flowing hair, and injected them with various drugs as they lay dying. Some lost control on the spot and were hung on iron hooks, while others were transformed into deadly creatures resembling human-faced fish...

Ultimately, those strands of long hair were collected and integrated as spoils of war, and perhaps placed in this remote mountain laboratory, or somewhere else...

Nono felt a spasm in her stomach and felt a little nauseous.

Only the distant, hoarse screams of an old man offered her some solace.

"Do not force."

Lu Mingfei patted her on the shoulder from behind, offering a friendly reminder.

Nono was startled and turned her head away in displeasure, "You scared me to death!"

“I’m just reminding you not to get too involved with his emotions. Herzog is a complete psychopath. This is for your mental health,” Lu Mingfei said.

To be honest, he was also disgusted by the environment of Herzog's stronghold.

Most of the shadow warriors guarding this research institute died at Lu Mingfei's hands, whether they were activated or not. Originally, this task should have been completed by everyone working together, but Lu Mingfei insisted on taking it all on by himself, giving people the feeling that he really enjoyed the 'killing'.

Even so, Lu Mingfei, who had already been subtly labeled a 'bloodthirsty maniac',
Compared to Herzog, he's not even in the same league.

What does this guy value life?

"Humans are just toys in his eyes, so you, and Zero... Hey girl, I'm talking to you! You two better not let this bastard influence you."

Lu Mingfei gently poked Ling, who was deep in thought.

'Word of Power: Mirror Eye' cannot completely replicate a person's memories; it relies more on the active selection and extraction by the user.

Compared to Nono, Zero is clearly a more outstanding warrior. Despite her seemingly emotionless appearance, she possesses a terrifyingly resilient mind.

She was still calmly sorting through Herzog's fragmented memories, trying to extract valuable information from them.

Ling Weiwei snapped out of her daze and nodded to indicate that she understood.

"Your statement is not objective enough."

Nono's expression turned serious as she corrected Lu Mingfei's statement.

"Herzog does not care about the lives of others, but he is not the kind of pervert who enjoys killing. He is not crazy; he is very clear-headed. He has been doing research with a very academic mindset."

"That sounds even more perverted," Lu Mingfei sighed.

Herzog's long list of labels flashed through my mind—

[The Empire's youngest PhD in biology, an unparalleled genius, an academic fraudster, a lover of black magic, a playboy in the entertainment industry, a tenured professor at the Imperial Research Institute, director of the Migdal Bavel Institute, a ballet king, a master actor, a mysterious and vicious individual, a gathering of evils, head of Project Delta, the butcher of children, a member of the Far North, a knight of Galahad, a despicable villain, a rampant schemer, an outcast, a patriarch, a king general...]

This old man has many labels. Putting aside his identity in Japan, he was particularly keen on creating various mythical images in the eyes of others.

But these labels only represent one aspect of him, and are a facade he uses to deceive the public. It is difficult to piece together a true Herzog from these fragmented evaluations alone.

Therefore, Lu Mingfei placed high hopes on Nuonuo and Ling.

Herzog as perceived by outsiders is ultimately less reliable than his own thoughts and ideas.

Of course... take it slow, don't let them get polluted by this stinking ditch.

After reminding the two, Lu Mingfei followed Chu Zihang as they browsed through the texts in the archives.

Herzog was a very meticulous researcher who took notes on everything, but it seems he used sketching symbols, mixing German, Russian, and Japanese.

Lu Mingfei glanced at the series of equations that filled the entire page...

Before long, the commotion outside gradually subsided.

Genjiro and Genjiro staggered over, covered in blood. Genjiro was carrying a white head in his hand, his eyes glistening with moisture.

So many years of deception, the collapse of faith, and now to personally execute the person who was like a father to him... No, compared to the false 'Tachibana Masamune', Herzog can't see any trace of his father in him except for having the same memories. He would rather believe that his own father was eaten by this demon.

But this is ultimately the cruel reality.

He felt exhausted, and his body, supported by the imperial blood, felt weaker than ever before. The same was true for Genji.

“Lu Jun, this is what Herzog told us.”

Sakurai Kogure followed behind the two brothers, her expression slightly serious.

He was holding several sheets of shorthand paper and a voice recorder.

Herzog is an absolute spineless coward.

These young people, whom he once regarded as pawns, did not ask any questions at first.

However, during the execution, Herzog was slightly induced by Sakurai Kogure, and he confessed many things, including the crimes he had committed, his hiding place in Japan, and his origins. But none of this changed his fate; he died in unconscious screams.

He probably never imagined that the methods he used to teach this alluring dragon horse through his identity as a king would ultimately be used on himself.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

Lu Mingfei said, "Come on, let's all check it together and see if there's anything we've missed."

Herzog's archives had no shortage of paper and pens, so Sakurai Kogure, Zero, and Nono began to transcribe the information they had gathered onto paper in a uniform format.

Lu Mingfei casually put down the notebooks that caused him pain. Various files and documents filled several cabinets, several times more complicated than his college entrance exam notes...

Observe three 'Herzog CVs' from different perspectives.

This step is necessary.
After all, Herzog himself was merely a D-class hybrid, the kind who couldn't even possess the power of words. Logically speaking, given his level, he shouldn't be able to trigger much of the content of the [Deep Intelligence Extraction Permission].

that's the truth.

[Current deep intelligence extraction privileges: 22 times.]

The following information can be extracted:

[1: Runes are a simplified form of dragon runes. The main designer was ****, and the assistant designer was ****.]

[2: The consciousness segmentation method is implemented based on ****, and the effect is ****]

【3: The process and principle of the Shadow Warrior technique are as follows****】

[4: Using runic script ****, runic script ****, runic script ****, it is possible to achieve spiritual descent in a **** environment.]

[5: The bloodline of Word of Power: Senluo originates from the White King, and its core dragon rune is ****]

[6: Using Dragon Rune ****, Dragon Rune ****, one can create an alchemical circuit with a one-way mental blocking effect.]

【7: The process of becoming a god is as follows ****】

【8: Tsukuyomi is a special bloodline imprint with the following effects ****】

【9: Amaterasu is a special bloodline imprint with the following effects ****】

[10: Uesugi Erii is deeply contaminated by dragon blood, the source of which is ****]

【11:……】

……

Soon, the information was compiled, and the three resumes were passed around among the group.

Even Lao Tang and Uesugi Yue were watching with great interest.

From a brilliant PhD at the University of Munich, to a charlatan, to the chief biological researcher of the Third Reich, to an unknown research institute in Siberia, and then to Japan…

Through the combined efforts of the three resumes, Herzog's complete life story was pieced together.

Judging from the paper alone, this nearly ninety-year-old guy is simply too much of a genius.

Through day after day of experiments and his own intelligence, he has made profound progress in the field of dragon blood and the human body, and has even figured out the Shadow Warrior technique. All the miracles of Wang Jiang's resurrection were disguised by the Shadow Warrior or other mysterious means.

The information seen by Lu Mingfei's intelligence system cannot be said to be exactly the same.

They are completely unrelated.

"What they know seems a bit off, doesn't it?"

Lu Mingfei seemed to be deep in thought.

"And... what about the Medical Association?"

Like Hercules, Lu Mingfei also couldn't find anything related to the Holy Palace Medical Association in Herzog's [tags].

But Lu Mingfei was certain that there must be a connection between the two, without even thinking about it.

"The Knight Galahad comes from Celtic mythology and is the most holy of the Knights of the Round Table. Only he can hold the Holy Grail in his own hands."

Chu Zihang, always erudite and knowledgeable, put down his notebook and said with a serious expression:

“The name Migdal Bavel comes from Hebrew and means Tower of Babel, the tower in the Bible that leads to the Kingdom of Heaven. The word also means confusion.”

"And then there's the Holy Grail. In black magic, it symbolizes the blood and bones of God, and also represents an embryo. If you eat the contents of the Holy Grail, blood and bone included, you will gain eternal life."

Compared to his social past, Herzog's work in the fields of mysticism or theology is clearly more worthy of attention.

Everyone was extremely curious about what this man, who single-handedly manipulated the entire Snake Clan and the Demon Clan, truly wanted.

"The Godhood Plan".

The three interrogators said in unison.

"Ah."

As a judge, Lu Mingfei nodded in approval this time.

All three resumes, along with information Lu Mingfei had learned long ago through [deep intelligence extraction permissions], mentioned this project.

The plan to become a god. This is Herzog's true purpose: to replace a real 'god' and ascend to the highest throne, and not merely to be a mortal.

"Become a god?" Uesugi Echizen's expression changed slightly. "Here, those who are worthy of the name of a god..."

Yuan Zhisheng's expression was equally grim.

His expression suggested he was hesitant, wondering whether to reveal the secrets that the Snake-Headed Eight Families had kept for thousands of years.

“The White King?” Lu Mingfei coughed and said, “Excuse me for being blunt, but the secret your family has kept to this day is really no secret at all.”

The air froze for a moment.

Whether they were in the know or not, everyone was quickly processing this news.

“Yes… the White King is right.” Genji gritted his teeth. “But in fact, humans can never steal the White King’s power. The ancestors of the Snake Clan completely lost themselves when they came into contact with the White King’s remains! It’s absolutely impossible to succeed! Only a madman would do that!”

Genjiro couldn't believe that Herzog was actually pursuing something so ethereal and unrealistic.

Herzog, through his identity as Tachibana Masamune, had read all the family's internal documents, including those concerning the events that occurred in the distant past involving Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo, three truly superhuman hybrids.

To attempt to peer into the realm of God with human form.

The entire Snake Clan...

How could they be manipulated by such a delusional lunatic?
What the hell is Herzog thinking?
"It's not entirely impossible to succeed."

Zero said coldly.

She pulled out a rather old notebook from a bookshelf.

"According to the information in this notebook, he had consulted the reasons for the failure of the ancestors of the Snake Clan."

Nono's expression was also not good.

Through profiling, she learned about Herzog's strong confidence in the project and where that confidence came from...

Herzog has come up with a way to open the path of evolution, but he hasn't had the chance to put it into practice yet.

"Referring to how humans combated smallpox, using cattle to filter out the virus's activity, and then applying it to humans to provide immunity, if one wants to retain their consciousness while their body evolves into a dragon, they cannot allow the virus to parasitize them. They must use another person for the White King to parasitize, and then exchange blood with the unborn White King. The king's fetal blood possesses the strongest activity and the weakest toxicity..."

Zero shut his mouth.

That's enough. Genji understood Herzog's thoughts, and his expression became even more gloomy. The arm holding Herzog's red and white head trembled slightly.

It's a crazy idea... but it's not entirely without the possibility of success.

At this moment, everyone else probably realized something as well.

Erii blinked her eyes, looking quite innocent.

"Ahem, alright, let's talk about this person first."

Lu Mingfei pointed to a name that was mentioned in all three resumes.

"What's the deal with this Bondarev?"

Zero is the name 'seen'. Sakurai Kogure heard Herzog say it, while Nono vaguely sensed its existence.

“He’s a very suspicious person. Herzog argues that everything he did was at Bondarev’s behest… While I don’t think so, Bondarev must have been very important,” said Kogure Sakurai.

Zero nodded. "That's right. According to Herzog's early memories, his research on hybrids was quite superficial. He didn't even have the concept of hybrids or dragons until he gathered a group of hybrid children. But his ambition was still limited to using dragon blood to create super soldiers until he met Bondarev."

Nono added, "Herzog was always afraid of Bondarev. He had suffered greatly at Bondarev's hands. Although he eventually avenged himself by killing Bondarev and inheriting everything from him, he would often doubt it in his heart."

"So it seems... Bondarev Romanov,"

Lu Mingfei repeated the name, "This person has a deep understanding of the dragon race."

I subconsciously looked at zero.

He knew that Zero had mentioned a group of 'mixed-race children,' and that she was one of them. This was exactly what happened in Black Swan Harbor back then.

Zero was unaware of the truth behind the destruction of Black Swan Harbor before, but this time, she found the name in Herzog's mind.

Chu Zihang, a top student, immediately added: "The Romanov dynasty was the second and last to rule Russia, and also the most powerful dynasty in Russian history."

Zero understood what Lu Mingfei meant and shook his head slightly:

"Bondalev was not a true member of the Tsar's family."

"Why do you say that?" Old Tang couldn't help but ask.

Zero continued to maintain her persona, saying, "My name is Zero Razumovskaya Romanova, and I have never heard of Bondarev Romanov."

“Um…” Chu Xueba reminded again: “It is obvious that Herzog’s series of plans are closely related to Bondarev, and it will most likely mention the fact that the White King’s remains are in Japan… But in any case, whether it is the White King or other dragon kings, the significance of the remains of dragon kings is greater than anything else.”

"If the Tsarist family had known about this, they wouldn't have wanted to establish the Black Sea Fleet to advance westward. Instead, they would have occupied Japan at all costs. In the face of a national war, it's difficult for mixed-race people to cause much trouble."

Genjiro and Uesugi Koshi didn't look too good, but they had to admit that this was the truth.

“Bondalev…it seems like he was guiding Herzog step by step from behind the scenes! It’s just that the plan has been ruined ahead of schedule,” Nono whispered.

"So, the key now is to dig deeper along the Bondarev line?"

Yuan Zhisheng rubbed his temples.

"To be honest, according to what you've said, if all of this was Bondarev's design, such a dangerous guy probably wouldn't have died so easily. He might even still be alive, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the day Herzog's plan is about to succeed, so he can jump out and reap the rewards."

Everyone looked thoughtful.

Genjiro's guess is not without reason.

"So... everyone, please use your respective channels to try and find this person again?"

Herzog is dead, but the story is far from over; all the limited clues point to Bondarev, the mysterious man.

Chu Zihang's expression grew increasingly serious, as if a mysterious organization had appeared out of nowhere, just like the Secret Party, and had been secretly watching the Dragon Clan for a long time.

Above all evils, is there an even greater evil?
"No."

Lu Mingfei suddenly said, "I don't think Bondarev is the key."

"Huh?" Everyone was taken aback.

"Lu Jun, what makes you say that?" Yuan Zhisheng asked hesitantly.

"Well..."

Lu Mingfei carefully considered his words.
How can I put it?

That's because this person's name didn't appear in the [Deep Intelligence Extraction Permissions]!
This usually happens.

Either Bondarev was just a nobody, not high enough in rank.

Or, as Zero said, Bondarev is a fabricated pseudonym.

Continuing to study along this route will likely only be a waste of time.

Moreover, to be honest, the information the three of them obtained from Herzog, while seemingly plausible, naturally led to Bondarev being the central figure.

But still the problem.

We, Old Lu, already figured it out long ago: Herzog and the Holy Palace Medical Association have countless connections.

Whether it's Shadow Warrior technology, pontine transection surgery, or Deadpool technology... Regardless of Herzog's own thinking, he blindly believes he can invent such advanced technology (alchemy).

Isn't that man's shadow always standing behind them?

Odin!

Why isn't anyone mentioning this?

Okay, while Bondarev does sound very important... is it possible that Bondarev is actually just one of Odin's alternate identities?

Tsk, are you playing tricks again?

Lu Mingfei reorganized his thoughts. "Nono, didn't you just mention a machine that Herzog often stands next to?"

"Yes."

"Let's go take a look at that machine first."

Nono was a little confused, but she nodded nonetheless.

The group arrived at the strangely shaped machine in the living area.

It sounds a bit incongruous.

Machines of this design should normally be placed in a laboratory, but Herzog seems to have a special fondness for them, using them whenever he has a spare moment, so he simply moved them to the living area.

"Do you recognize these runes?"

Lu Mingfei immediately called on Tang, "Old Tang! You're the smartest! You try to decipher it."

"Huh? Me?" Old Tang was stunned for a moment, but still came closer and said hesitantly, "It's just scribbling, but it feels a bit like black magic."

"What effect will it have?"

"This..." Old Tang was a little troubled.

"It looks a bit like runes, but it's also a bit different..."

Chu Zihang suddenly said solemnly.

This is an extinct alphabet that once circulated among certain Germanic language groups in Northern Europe. In Germanic mythology, Odin, the father of the gods, hung himself on a tree for nine days and nine nights in search of higher wisdom, contemplating the mysteries of the universe. Runes are the secrets of the universe.

"Oh! Right! Big brother is right!"

Old Tang suddenly slapped his thigh and blurted out, "These words mean something is about to descend! Wait... no, why would I think that?"

“Yes, Herzog once controlled his shadow warrior here…” Nono said.

"No no no!"

Lu Mingfei smiled brightly and corrected, "These words mean to descend, not to disperse... Friends, have you ever heard of the Words of Power: Senro?"

"Word of Power: Senluo, a rare Word of Power that can only be used by descendants of the White King."

Master Yue looked puzzled and said, "The purpose is to control the other person's mind through eye contact, writing what you think into their brain. It's like a high-level form of hypnosis, which can force the target to see any scene and even overwrite memories..."

"How did you get onto the topic of Shinra?"

Lu Mingfei gestured for people to calm down, "Don't rush, listen to me first."

"Just now, I heard some information from the testimonies of the three ladies that contradicts my intelligence network."

"So now, I have a more 'reasonable' guess."

(End of this chapter)