The Siberian ice plains were an endless stretch of white snow.
The time had arrived at 1943. As the intensity of the war gradually rose, the outcome seemed to shatter many pre-war predictions.
An unimaginably deep strategic depth, unbelievably harsh weather, the Soviet Union's stubborn and resilient will to resist, powerful capability for mobilizing the populace, terrifying wartime steel production output—like invisible giant hands, they were gradually pushing Germany into the abyss of defeat.
Germany's greatest hope of reversing the tide of war seemed only able to rest upon Schmidt's 'black technology.'
Obsessed with ancient myths circulating throughout the world and believing he could find victory within them, Schmidt, under the Führer's nearly fanatical unconditional support, increased all sorts of experiments at any cost.
HYDRA and Germany were like passengers bound upon a wildly speeding train already spewing black smoke.
They could not stop this mad train, because there simply was no option called 'brakes.' Everyone was swept along by fanaticism, and in order to keep the train from plunging into the abyss, in order to firmly grasp the fruits of victory, both HYDRA and Germany had fallen into unprecedented madness.
More and more 'black technologies' began appearing mysteriously upon the battlefield.
High-energy particle beam rifles, power armor with ultra-strong defense, tanks carrying energy barriers, massive artillery capable of destroying any structure thousands of kilometers away with a single shot, and so on—weaponry completely beyond the era itself.
They should never have appeared in this age, yet they had appeared nonetheless.
For the Allied forces resisting the Axis powers, the only good news was that the number of these weapons was extremely small. They were only used in battles of extremely high strategic value, ultra-intense meat grinder campaigns, or key target locations that absolutely had to be seized.
Perhaps among all the bad news, this was the only thing that could truly be considered good news.
If the German army could mass-produce and equip those weapons on a large scale, the direction of the entire war would instantly reverse. But even with merely limited deployment, the Allies' decline was already gradually becoming apparent.
And behind all of this, one man could not be ignored.
The ruler of HYDRA, the source of black technology, the man capable of reversing the tide of war—Red Skull.
The Howling Commandos led by Captain America Steve Rogers served as a sharp blade in the Allied forces' hands, repeatedly raiding and destroying HYDRA's secret bases, effectively halting HYDRA's research projects. At the same time, the weaponry and equipment they seized also bought the Allies precious breathing room on the main battlefield.
Having his plans repeatedly obstructed infuriated Red Skull to no end.
In order to completely eliminate the irritating Captain America, he even went so far as to dispatch several elite squads equipped with the most advanced power armor and armed with high-energy beam weapons. Each of them possessed physical abilities no weaker than a super soldier.
Yet unfortunately, every single mission ended in failure.
The reason for failure was not because Captain America was exceptionally powerful.
Although the Super Soldier Serum had granted him a physique at the limits of humanity, he was ultimately still flesh and blood. It was impossible for him to contend against power armor capable of withstanding artillery bombardments, casually overturning tanks at full speed, and running one hundred meters in only three seconds—truly black technology far beyond the age.
The real reason for failure was someone else entirely.
No one knew whether 'he' was even human, nor did anyone know where he came from. No one had even seen 'him.' Like a terrifying ghost, he wandered the Siberian ice plains, mercilessly harvesting all those connected to HYDRA.
Without exception, everyone who had seen 'him' died.
Moreover, the expressions on their faces before death were twisted to the extreme, as though they had endured horrifying torture. Through those dim eyes of the dead, Red Skull could even sense the chill penetrating deep into his organs, like the frigid terror of facing hell itself.
Thanks to the existence of this ghost, Red Skull did not dare reveal himself, remaining hidden within secret bases the entire time.
Watching one secret base after another be uprooted and destroyed by Captain America while research progress was interrupted and slowed countless times, Red Skull, after experiencing rage so many times he could no longer remember, had finally reached the point where he could endure no more.
The base storing the New Humanity experiment records had been found and destroyed by Captain America, and all those precious experimental records were lost.
If the previous incidents had merely been minor annoyances that made him irritated, then Captain America's latest operation had practically driven Red Skull to a heart attack.
The loss of the experiment records meant they had to start all over again.
New Humanity was one of the most important projects.
The power discovered within that girl's body had made Red Skull realize that he had found the key to human evolution.
Once he could control that power, he would no longer need to bow to the Führer, and could independently grasp the fate of billions across the world.
Yet now, this hope had been destroyed by Captain America.
How could Red Skull not be furious?
"Kill him! I'm going to kill him!!!"
The enraged Red Skull smashed apart everything at hand. His already horrifying skull-like red face became even more terrifying and savage, causing the surrounding subordinates to tremble and not dare meet his gaze.
One officer bravely stepped forward and quietly suggested: "Sir, perhaps we can try deliberately leaking your whereabouts to him, then set up layer upon layer of traps. At that time, he will definitely die without question!"
"..."
Red Skull frowned and did not answer immediately.
To be fair, this was currently the plan with the highest success rate. Even if Captain America discovered it was a trap, he would still have no choice but to jump into it.
But the only problem was that Captain America was not the only fish after his life.
That terrifying ghost wandering the Siberian ice plains, hunting HYDRA, was the one he truly feared.
What if the Allied forces somehow managed to contact 'him'? Wouldn't that simply be courting disaster?
Red Skull did not mind using himself as bait, but he absolutely did not want to gamble with his life, especially when the chance of success was less than thirty percent.
"Sir, I think this is an opportunity."
Seeing Red Skull hesitate, the man spoke again.
"An opportunity?"
Red Skull's gaze darkened, no emotion visible upon his face.
"That's right, an opportunity."
The man moved closer to Red Skull and eagerly suggested: "A perfect opportunity to wipe out both the ghost and Captain America in one net!"
"Continue."
Red Skull's eyes flickered, clearly somewhat tempted.
"We can...."
The man leaned close to Red Skull's ear and softly whispered his plan.
"Good, we'll do exactly as you said!"
Red Skull's eyes lit up as he could not help rejoicing: "I'm leaving this matter to you. Do not disappoint me, Bazel!"
"Yes, Commander Schmidt."
Bazel stood at attention on the spot, extending his arm diagonally outward: "I definitely will not betray your expectations."
"Go, go."
Red Skull waved his hand and said: "I grant you temporary highest-level authority. You may mobilize everything within the base."
"I'll handle it immediately, Commander Schmidt."
Bazel respectfully bowed halfway and slowly backed out of the office.
As the two metal sensor doors closed.
Bazel slowly raised his head, staring through those tightly shut metal doors as the corners of his lips curved into a strange smile.
The silver-white metal sensor doors resembled smooth mirrors, reflecting the scenery within the secure corridor.
But strangely enough... the man reflected there did not possess Bazel's face.
It was the face of a handsome dark-skinned man, wearing a golden double crown and draped in a magnificent multicolored robe. The two shared the exact same smile at the corners of their lips, carrying a deeply meaningful and eerie grin.