My Lord... We Are Willing to Submit!

My Lord, We Are Willing to Submit!

Stark Industries Tower.

Pepper was leading S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson out of the building.

"Thank you for Miss Potts's help in arranging this meeting with Mr. Stark."

With an affable smile, Coulson thanked Pepper.

If she had not put in a few words for him, it probably would not have been so easy to meet Tony Stark.

After all, Tony had not exactly been in a good mood lately, especially after the Four Seasons Hotel incident.

Thinking of Tony's behavior over the past few days, Pepper gave a bitter smile and lightly shook her head.

As Tony's assistant, she did not want him to encounter danger if it could be avoided.

If some discussions could give government officials more information about Loki, then Tony Stark's personal safety would be relatively improved as well.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Coulson took his leave.

S.H.I.E.L.D., Triskelion.

Nick Fury's office.

"Director Fury, although my conversation with Mr. Stark was extremely brief, Stark claimed that the other party must possess some kind of advanced technology—perhaps spatial equipment or some unknown biological transformation technique."

Spatial equipment? Unknown biological transformation technology?

His fingers unconsciously tapped against the desk, but Nick Fury's face revealed no expression.

As one of New York's most famous hotels, the Four Seasons Hotel naturally had a comprehensive surveillance system.

Thus, the footage from Loki's appearance to his departure had been completely and clearly captured by the cameras.

"Agent Coulson, do you think that looked like some kind of technology?"

His voice was flat, giving away none of his thoughts.

Coulson considered the question and tried to make a rational judgment.

"Maybe it really is some kind of unknown technology, like Pym Particles."

That was the most straightforward conclusion.

"...But my instincts tell me that the strange man named Loki is not that simple."

Hearing Coulson's concern, Nick Fury nodded calmly. He felt the same way.

Logic and common sense told him that this might be some unknown technology.

But as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., he could not rule out the possibility of other supernatural forces.

Especially someone so strange, someone who had suddenly appeared in this world beyond their control—such a figure had aroused Nick Fury's wariness.

After all, from birth to death, as long as a person existed, they could not possibly live completely detached from society.

As long as they lived, they would inevitably interact with the real world. And once there was contact, they would certainly leave traces of their life behind in reality.

But Loki had shattered that logic.

Never mind that his name came from Norse mythology—he was like someone who had suddenly popped out of thin air. No matter how S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence network investigated, it could not uncover anything about his past.

It was too strange!

Nick Fury had always believed that S.H.I.E.L.D. understood at least seventy or eighty percent of this world's secrets.

Now, someone had suddenly jumped out to tell him: No, you still do not know enough!

"Shit. Enough is enough!"

His tapping index finger came to a stop, and a cold glint gathered in Nick Fury's eyes.

"Coulson, take several agent teams and search outward from the Four Seasons Hotel as the center. Find that strange man named Loki, no matter what it takes."

"Yes, sir."

Hell's Kitchen, a warehouse under the Hand.

"My lord... we are willing to submit!" x4

Several leaders, their faces bruised and swollen, knelt on both knees and loudly declared their submission.

[Emotion Points from Murakami +189]

[Emotion Points from Bakuto +193]

[Emotion Points from Sowande +177]

[Emotion Points from Alexandra +201]

Murakami, Bakuto, Sowande, and Alexandra had murderous looks in their eyes. They wanted nothing more than to kill Madame Gao.

They had received Madame Gao's message, but the letter had been vague, so they assumed there was something good in it for them.

Yet after eagerly rushing over, they discovered they had walked right into a trap.

"Madame Gao, Madame Gao—you even set up your own people. You're fucking devious!"

If looks could kill, Madame Gao would have died countless times already.

With one leg crossed over the other, Fire Cloud Evil God sat loftily in a grandmaster's chair, leisurely sipping yogurt.

Slurp, slurp.

Smacking his lips twice, it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed their little tricks. But so what?

Setting down the yogurt in his hand, Fire Cloud Evil God slowly rose from the chair.

Noticing his movement, the others hurriedly bent over and lowered their heads, sticking up their rear ends and softening their breathing, not daring to look up at him.

After a long while.

"I need you to help me capture some vampires as materials for my cultivation."

Vampires? Cultivation?

They understood both terms separately, but put together, they were utterly baffled.

"Lord Fire Cloud Evil God, you need vampires for your cultivation?"

They had never heard of such a method. Wouldn't pigs, cattle, sheep, or chickens do?

As expected of Alexandra, leader of The Hand—quick-witted, she immediately grasped the key point.

Fire Cloud Evil God gave her an approving glance and explained.

"Animals and ordinary humans can work too, but their quality is too low and they contain too many impurities. Absorbing them would be more trouble than it's worth.

"In comparison, creatures like vampires carry the fragrant stench of capitalist corruption when digested and absorbed. They are simply the most perfect cultivation materials!"

"But... Lord Evil God, it isn't that The Hand fears those vampires. It's just that they possess considerable influence among the upper class in America.

"Recklessly capturing vampires could very well provoke their fury."

As expected of someone accustomed to being a leader. She clearly didn't want to do it, yet she wore the concerned expression of a devoted lackey.

But Fire Cloud Evil God had another objective. He needed to draw in more participants and gain more emotion points.

He did not answer. Instead, he casually grabbed an unlucky vampire Madame Gao had sent over in advance and pressed one hand against his forehead.

An ominous red light flickered across his arm. As he circulated the Six Treasury Immortal Thieves, he explained to everyone.

"The Blood Rain Demon Codex is a cultivation art that can devour the life force of others and continuously make oneself stronger.

"Not only that, cultivating this art also has the miraculous effects of prolonging one's life and granting immortality.

"One of my purposes in coming to New York this time is to cultivate this demonic art!"

As he explained, the vampire struggled desperately, his eyes bulging as his body convulsed like he had been possessed.

"Amazing, truly amazing! My lord's divine art is peerless, and may you live as long as the Southern Mountains!!"

Madame Gao's old face bloomed as brightly as a chrysanthemum. Seizing the opportunity, she opened her mouth and lightly offered up her flattery.

Seeing the enjoyment written all over Fire Cloud Evil God's old face, Alexandra and the others cursed Madame Gao as a bitch inwardly while hurriedly following her example.

And sure enough, these "elite talents" who had lived for centuries possessed truly extensive vocabularies!

"Lord Evil God possesses an extraordinary countenance and the potential to become a great emperor."

"Raise your head to hold up the heavens, plant your feet upon the Yellow Springs, your mighty prestige shakes the sky."

"With one wicked smile, you shatter the heavens with a flick of your fingers."

Not bad, not bad. Fire Cloud Evil God's shoulders shook with delight from all the praise. By accident, the suction in his palm intensified slightly, and the vampire visibly withered away, leaving Madame Gao and the others trembling in fright.

[Emotion Points from Murakami +207]

[Emotion Points from Bakuto +213]

[Emotion Points from Sowande +222]

[Emotion Points from Alexandra +254]