"S.H.I.E.L.D. learned from the Vampire Elder Council that Deacon Frost had violated the terms of the agreement and attacked the vampire elders.
He had also illegally held a vampire gathering in New York, summoning vampires from all over the world.
The Vampire Elder Council requested federal assistance in dealing with these vampires.
The exact number has not yet been confirmed, but preliminary estimates put it at around five thousand."
Coulson gave a rough account but did not go into detail.
"Looks like the intelligence I received was more detailed."
Tony did not hold back, then laid out Deacon Frost's plan in detail.
"And." Tony glanced at Gwen. "According to what I heard, there are over ten thousand vampires."
"Over ten thousand?" Coulson exclaimed.
If that figure was accurate, then S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence failure was a serious one.
Against vampires, conventional weapons were only moderately effective. Specialized weapons were needed.
With sufficient specialized weapons, the military's battle against vampires would be a one-sided slaughter.
Once those weapons were depleted, their roles would be reversed.
"It never hurts to be prepared. Prepare supplies according to the new numbers first," Nick Fury said gravely.
"Also, have the Council apply pressure and inform the military that the situation has changed. Tomorrow, troops will be deployed to wipe out this group of vampires."
"I'll be joining tomorrow's battle as well," Tony suddenly said. "And Stark Industries will provide material support."
"Thank you, Mr. Stark. We truly need your combat strength," Coulson said gratefully.
"See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
"Mr. Stark, Russell and I will be joining tomorrow's battle too," Gwen said firmly.
Tony looked at Gwen but said nothing.
He had witnessed Gwen's combat ability. She could smash Iron Monger around like a toy.
Then he looked at Russell. Tony hesitated for a moment. "Can you handle it?"
Russell: "."
"You can ask Gwen about that."
Russell and Gwen had briefly sparred several times while fooling around at the bookstore. Each knew the other's strengths and weaknesses.
"You two can stay here tonight. Have Pepper prepare two rooms for you, then we'll meet up with the S.H.I.E.L.D. people together tomorrow morning."
With that, Tony headed toward the workshop.
He was going to stay up all night modifying a version of Anti-Vampire Armor.
Silver ammunition, ultraviolet bombs, and a silver-garlic mixed gas.
A faint, elegant fragrance permeated the bedroom air, making it hard not to relax.
But Russell did not feel sleepy in the slightest.
He stared intently at the deep blue panel before him.
Name: Russell (Transcendent) Lifespan: 25/7850 Physique II: 5 Perception II: 5 Spirit II: 5 Talent 1 Energy Absorption: Can absorb any energy and convert it into Attribute Points. Defaults to Lifespan. Talent 2 Attribute Transfer: Lifespan can be converted into physique, Perception, and Spirit. Description Panel: None.
Just moments ago, the system had completed its upgrade.
Russell noticed it immediately.
The changes to his body had been too immense, too intense.
He clearly remembered that his three-dimensional attributes had first become 1, then gradually increased to 5.
During that process, his Lifespan, physique, Perception, and Spirit had all risen in tandem.
His Lifespan alone had increased by 7,600 years.
He clenched his fist, feeling the power currently coursing through his body.
His arm strength had likely reached five tons, five times what it had been before the upgrade.
In other words, one physique Attribute Point after the upgrade was equivalent to one hundred before it.
Burn Lifespan!
Lifespan Points transferred into physique. Unlike the one-to-one conversion ratio from before the upgrade, it had become one hundred to one.
Hmm, that was reasonable.
Next, Russell ran some tests. Perception and Spirit followed the same rule.
Deep Blue, Burn Lifespan!
Name: Russell (Transcendent) Lifespan: 25/150 Physique: 31 Perception: 31 Spirit: 30
Russell burned through 7,400 years of Lifespan in one go.
The reason he had not burned the remaining 150 years was that he had not tested it yet. He was worried that after advancing to Transcendent, living for one year might deduct one hundred years of Lifespan.
He chose to distribute the points evenly.
There was no particular reason for it. Just intuition.
The surging power within his body gave him a sense of fulfillment.
Thirty-one tons of arm strength, speed no lower than one hundred meters per second even without testing, a body capable of resisting conventional weapons—
And an invisible, intangible energy that could both defend and attack.
It could greatly enhance both physical defense and offensive power.
The increase in Perception felt as though it had opened his sixth sense.
It reduced his reliance on the five senses, allowing him to see everything around him with his "heart."
In battle, he could anticipate his enemies' moves and predict their actions.
The increase in Spirit allowed Russell to truly feel the power of the soul.
His original spiritual impact ability had been greatly strengthened.
He could use it for group attacks and clear out the small fry.
He could also use it against a single target to intimidate an opponent.
He could even weave it into his attacks, striking both body and mind at once.
Russell felt terrifyingly strong now, his actual combat power far surpassing what the panel suggested.
Looking at the values still below one hundred on the panel, a sense of urgency welled up within him.
What would the panel's next stage be like?
Would it still be a hundredfold increase, or something even greater?
Hall of Eternal Night.
Deacon Frost's godhood ritual was underway.
As Blade's blood flowed through the pipes into the sacrificial ritual, dark clouds swiftly obscured the full moon overhead.
Drops of blood fell onto the foreheads of the twelve controlled Pure-Blood Vampires.
"We are the rulers of this world! The Blood God is descending!"
Deacon Frost stepped into the center of the altar, tore open his clothes to expose his chest, spread his arms wildly, and looked up.
The Daywalker's blood traced one mysterious rune after another, converging into one point before dripping onto Deacon Frost's forehead. Thunder exploded across the sky.
Then bolts of lightning tore through the night sky and struck the Hall of Eternal Night.
The twelve stone pillars of the Hall of Eternal Night lit up one after another. Lightning raced down the pillars, first striking the foreheads of the twelve Pure-Blood Vampires on the altar before converging upon Deacon Frost.
A moment later, the bodies of the twelve Pure-Blood Vampires exploded, and their souls transformed into skeletal bats that flew toward Deacon Frost at the center.
The twelve skeletal bats passed through Deacon Frost's body in succession, injecting the essence of the Pure-Blood Vampires into him.
His bloodline was ascending, his physical attributes were increasing, and his healing ability was undergoing a qualitative transformation.
The racial weaknesses vampires had once possessed were being erased one by one.
Through Deacon Frost's body, a gaze from beyond the universe descended.
With a single glance, the owner of that gaze went mad.
The Heart of Eternity!
This planet was actually formed from the Heart of Eternity.
Boom! Lightning flashed once more.
The Blood God spared no cost in casting His power into this universe.
Even though the expenditure was abnormal, and only one-tenth of it could arrive.
He did not care in the slightest.
He did not need much. So long as He could steal even a trace of Eternity's power.
His authority would surely be greatly enhanced.
"My Apostle, conquer this planet for Me."
Blood God's Power poured down. This time, every vampire in the great hall bathed in divine grace.
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