Hail Hydra!

Outside the training room.

Allen fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, saying aggrievedly, "You feel good getting it so many times a day, but I can't take it."

Nyssa's expression turned grim, a cold laugh escaping her lips.

Finally, he's going to back down. It wasn't a waste of my rigorous training these past few days.

"Stop the nonsense and get in."

"Oof."

Allen reluctantly followed into the training room.

Bang...

"Ah!"

'Combat failed, Experience Points +5.'

Bang...

"Yelp!"

'Combat failed, Experience Points +5.'

'Experience sufficient, Thief level currently Lv.10.'

Bang...

"Oof!"

'Combat failed, Experience Points +5, Skill learned: Shadow Stealth.'

'Shadow Stealth: Actively enter a stealth state. Stealth automatically breaks upon entering combat or taking damage.'

After two hours of being beaten, Allen lay on the ground, a look of "I told you so" on his face. "I told you I couldn't take it."

"Training ends for today."

Nyssa was already accustomed to Allen's stubbornness.

If he ever actually gave in, I'd probably doubt if it was really him.

"Don't go, come back and let's fight another eight hundred rounds."

Hearing this, Nyssa turned back sharply, intending to give Allen a good beating.

However, Allen lay perfectly still with his eyes closed, pretending to be dead.

After Nyssa left the training room, Allen attempted a "carp jump" to get up... failed. He tried again... failed. He tried yet again... failed. He sat up properly and looked at the new skill unlocked on his status panel.

Shadow Stealth, one of the core skills for a Thief.

In simple terms, it's about sneaking up on enemies for a surprise attack.

"What's the principle behind stealth?"

Allen rubbed his chin, pondering, "Is it optical cloaking, psychological misdirection, or spatial distortion?"

He activated stealth.

His body turned gray, like a ghost adrift from the world.

He walked openly through the base, giving the base's Warriors a rude gesture from afar.

So, becoming invisible really does allow you to do all sorts of perverted things openly.

He sneaked into Ra's al Ghul's room.

This area was strictly forbidden for members.

For a young man like him, if you tell him not to do something, he'll do it precisely because you told him not to. His curiosity was killing the cat.

"Wow, the boss's urinal is really fancy."

Allen looked at the green pool in front of him, reached for his belt, and a stream of urine flowed out, creating a dense spray of foam and water on the surface.

If Ra's al Ghul witnessed this, he would probably destroy the pool on the spot and permanently abandon this training base.

This was the League of Assassins' core secret: the Lazarus Pit.

It could be used for healing, extending lifespan, and resurrection.

There were other pools with similar effects in the world, most of which were controlled by the League of Assassins.

In fact, the pool contained a special liquid metal called the Serpent's Blood.

Moreover, the Lazarus Pits currently controlled by the League of Assassins were made of impure Serpent's Blood. Repeated use could lead to loss of sanity. After extensive research over a long period, Ra's al Ghul finally found a solution.

By using the untraceable holy artifact, 'The Blade of Redemption,' to kill himself and then resurrecting through the Serpent's Blood, he could not only recover completely but also regain his youth.

Thus, the Ninja Master had lived for several hundred years.

Allen put away his "tools of the trade," feeling refreshed.

Creak!

Someone entered at that moment.

Dressed in standard warrior attire, only a pair of eyes were visible, their face completely hidden, and they exuded a sneaky aura.

The newcomer entered the room, surveyed it, confirmed it was safe, then took out a metal container and began filling it with liquid from the pool.

"Someone's stealing urine!"

Allen thought to himself, impressed. "Even I, a crazy person, feel like he's crazier than me."

While the warrior was filling the container, Allen raised his hands and engaged in a series of mental activities.

"Little Left, I bet he stole it to drink. If I'm wrong, you owe me one."

"Little Right, you bet he's using it for external application. If you're wrong, you owe me two."

"You two are so mischievous. I bet he's using it to gargle. If I'm wrong, you each owe me one."

Zorn filled three test tubes with Serpent's Blood and carefully hid them close to his body.

As a Level 5 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, his true identity was a Hydra spy. Through a series of channels, he had finally infiltrated the League of Assassins and spent years in hiding, eventually being assigned to the Snow Mountain Base as a training instructor.

Information related to Serpent's Blood had recently been unlocked, tracing back to World War II, where it was one of the main raw materials for a serum developed by a mad scientist named Allen.

Compared to the Winter Soldier serum of the same era, due to the lack of Serpent's Blood for neutralization and stabilization, the Winter Soldier's overall strength was inferior to Captain America Steve.

Therefore, Hydra decided to restart the serum project.

Zorn maintained his usual calm demeanor. Due to his instructor status, his movements were less restricted, and with a casual excuse, he walked out of the base, completely unaware that an invisible tail was following him.

He constantly observed his surroundings, and upon confirming there were no anomalies, he headed to the location where he had hidden the telegraph machine.

Beep beep~ beep~ beep...

Beep~ beep beep~ beep...

Beep~ beep~ beep beep...

Strings of code transmitted information outwards via radio waves.

Zorn couldn't help but exclaim excitedly, "According to the organization's merit system, I might be among the first to become a super-soldier. I heard the serum can extend lifespan; it's truly something to look forward to."

"Don't worry, the organization never fails anyone. Even a piece of toilet paper has its use."

Who!?

Zorn spun around abruptly, astonished to find Allen's head less than five centimeters away from him, leaning towards his left shoulder. A pair of eyes, full of wisdom, were curiously examining the telegraph machine.

When did he get so close?

How could I not have noticed!

He immediately executed a tactical backward leap, creating distance.

Zorn's hand already reached for his saber. His identity absolutely could not be exposed, or he would surely face the pursuit of the League of Assassins. Moreover, given the Ninja Master's emphasis on Serpent's Blood, he would undoubtedly launch a furious retaliation against Hydra.

Just as his thumb pressed against the hilt, preparing to launch a surprise attack with his sword-drawing technique, aiming for a one-hit kill.

Snap...

Allen snapped to attention, raising his right hand at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Hail Hydra!"

(｀ω*)

Zorn: "..."

A fellow operative?

I had no idea!

The sudden, bizarre turn of events left Zorn's mind reeling.

"Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place," Allen began to spout nonsense with a serious expression. "The organization can't wait any longer. They were worried you might fail, so they sent me to provide backup at any time."

"..."

What he said made a lot of sense, and Zorn couldn't refute it.

He was well aware of Hydra's modus operandi. Once one Hydra spy was discovered, it meant there were second and third ones... they were basically riddled with holes.

Furthermore, they didn't know each other, making them impossible to root out completely.

Allen maintained a look of utmost seriousness throughout, and Zorn found himself believing him about seventy to eighty percent.

After the war ended, Hydra infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. and managed to disappear, with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents covering for them during external missions.

Thinking about it, disguising himself as a crazy person to infiltrate the League of Assassins was indeed a brilliant move.

"Remember, we've never met, and we don't know anything about Hydra. I have other missions, so I don't need to tell you what to do, right?"

"Mm."