Berserker Staff (Part 1)

"I really have to thank you for this. The director asked me to hand this over to you." Coulson said gratefully, pushing a case in front of Shen Fei. "Vibranium isn't exactly plentiful at S.H.I.E.L.D. A hundred kilograms is too much; this is the limit the director could manage."

Twenty-five kilograms of Vibranium in total, exactly one quarter.

The discovery of Captain America, and the fact that he was alive, meant a great deal to Coulson.

"Finding him was your achievement. I just said a few words."

"Sometimes, a single piece of intelligence is more important than anything else."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Coulson hurriedly left. It was clear that the discovery of Captain America—alive and in a youthful state—had a massive impact on S.H.I.E.L.D.

Because of this, news of the Captain didn't appear in any headlines. If they had found a dead Captain America, there would have been overwhelming publicity and mourning. But alive? They had to keep it low-key.

If not for the Battle of New York, the Captain would likely have remained hidden behind the scenes.

"Carter." After Coulson left, Shen Fei didn't immediately inspect the Vibranium. Instead, he thought about Carter's situation—the young Captain and the aged Carter, a whole era lost between them.

"It's such a shame for them to miss each other like this. Maybe I can help them out." Shen Fei said, glancing at the drinks on the table beside him.

While S.H.I.E.L.D. was searching for the Captain, he hadn't been idle. He had been fully researching the Stairway of the Sun, the G-Virus, and other viruses obtained from the Umbrella Corporation.

William Birkin was a genius. If you ignored the uncontrollable mutations of the G-Virus, it could be considered the best virus out there. The "G" in G-Virus stood for God, a deity.

Creating a new human race—that was William Birkin's ambition. No wonder he and Wesker had killed their own teacher, Marcus. Their ideas were so similar.

Wanting to become gods—Spencer, Wesker, William Birkin all shared that notion. It left Shen Fei at a loss for words. True gods never saw themselves as gods, yet any random human thought they could easily become one.

In the past, the Ancient One was also called a god.

William Birkin couldn't control the mutation direction of the G-Virus, but Shen Fei, with the power of the Op-Op Fruit, could. After completing the perfected version of the G-Virus, Shen Fei faced two choices.

One was direct injection, like Captain America taking the serum, gaining the G-Virus's abilities immediately. The other was drinking it—making it into a beverage, tea, or something similar, and slowly letting the body adapt to the G-Virus over time by consuming it regularly.

At first glance, the first method was far more convenient, while the second was a waste of time.

For ordinary people, the first method was the simplest. But for the mages of Kamar-Taj, there was a drawback.

That was the purity of the soul. The soul could repair the body, and the body could influence the soul. For most people, this issue wouldn't even be considered, because there was no need. But for Kamar-Taj mages, it had to be taken into account.

In the Original Work, Wesker eventually collapsed after injecting multiple viruses, turning into a massive monster. It was generally believed that Wesker's body had reached the limit of what the viruses could handle, causing the collapse.

But from another perspective, it could also be said that injecting multiple viruses had tainted Wesker's soul, making it impure, so he couldn't withstand the strain, and his body broke down.

Of course, this wasn't unsolvable. Kamar-Taj's magic involved absorbing dimensional power to strengthen the soul, enabling spellcasting and extending lifespan.

For Kamar-Taj mages, purifying the soul wasn't impossible, but it required great strength.

The reason Kamar-Taj forbade absorbing dark power was that it corroded the soul too severely, unlike normal Dimension Space, which had no Side Effects.

However, if one had enough strength to resist the dark power, it could be absorbed. But achieving that was extremely difficult. The Ancient One could do it, but precisely because she could, she understood the dark power's strength all too well, which was why she forbade contact with it.

After Kaecilius absorbed the dark power, his strength grew immensely, but he became a slave to it.

For Shen Fei, who wasn't in a rush to boost his power, the second, gentler method was better. The first could directly enhance strength, but it would take time to purify the soul.

Matters of the physical world could also be explained from a soul perspective. For example, when humans take medicine or eat food, it theoretically affects the soul, but the body quickly purifies it on its own.

The body feeds back to the soul, and the soul feeds back to the body.

"If I sold this stuff, it would be worth a fortune." Having created the perfected G-Virus, Shen Fei naturally also produced its derivatives—things that could grant eternal youth.

The principle was the same as viral enhancement. Since the ability was singular, it was actually simpler. But calling it "eternal youth" was an exaggeration; it only greatly slowed aging.

After all, it wasn't the true G-Virus.

"So this is Vibranium. Its properties are somewhat like gold, but far superior. It could be considered an enhanced version of gold."

Because he needed to build the Ant-Man Suit, Shen Fei had some understanding of various metals' properties. He had to admit, Vibranium was incredibly impressive—no wonder it commanded such a high price.

Considering that the Black Panther suit was similar to the Ant-Man Suit, Vibranium was the most suitable material for the Ant-Man Suit.

Of course, Vibranium's uses didn't stop there. Wakanda's technology was largely developed based on Vibranium, but Shen Fei had no research in that area.

"Even though I want to help Carter, finding out where she is is the problem. Looks like I'll have to trouble Ada again." As a former S.H.I.E.L.D. leader, Carter's residence was top secret.

"I wonder what task Ada is working on now."

Norway National Park.

Deep in the remote forest, Ada, dressed in casual clothes and carrying a backpack, compared the map in her hand while flipping through a book. After changing direction several times, she stopped beside a tree that looked completely ordinary.

"This must be the place." Ada said, setting down her backpack and pulling out tools. She cut down the tree, split it in half, and finally found a strange metal short rod inside.

"It really exists." Looking at the portable chainsaw that had been completely wrecked against the rod, Ada was astonished. She knew the quality of her tools very well, yet they hadn't left a single scratch on that rod.

"Better not touch it." Just as Ada's hand was about to reach for the rod, she suddenly recalled Shen Fei's earlier warning. After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately gave up on touching the mysterious metal short rod.

After putting the rod into a prepared bag, Ada scanned her surroundings and immediately started a fire.

Though it was a shame for the national park, there was no easier way to cover her tracks than setting a fire. At worst, it would be written off as a forest fire. Plus, Ada had calculated the rangers' patrol routes beforehand, ensuring minimal damage while concealing the secret.

Only the idiotic pair from the Original Work would, after obtaining just one piece of the Berserker Staff, rush to declare themselves gods. Gods, yes—but with two extra words: "damn" and "fools." Put together, damn fools.

A Berserker Staff meant for Asgardians—how could ordinary Earthlings use it? A single brief contact might only cause a few days of discomfort, but prolonged exposure meant trading one's life for power.

Even if Coulson hadn't dealt with them, within days, those who touched the Berserker Staff would pay a heavy price. The most direct cost was draining their life force, accompanied by constant illness.

By taking the Berserker Staff in advance, Shen Fei had essentially saved their lives.