Satan

"Let's try it."

A few "threads" of blacklight matter drifted toward the Kyber Crystal.

Sure enough, when they were still a few millimeters away, its energy burned the blacklight threads into nothingness.

"What if I reinforce them with armor?"

With a thought, he covered the tiny threads in armor condensed from blacklight matter.

Though this armor was fine and thin, it was still impressively strong. Even thinner than the threads themselves, the Blacklight Armor could withstand hundreds of magazines from a fully automatic rifle without being pierced.

Once everything was ready, Mercer guided the blacklight threads toward the Kyber Crystal again.

This time, the threads were not instantly annihilated.

"It worked!"

Mercer's eyes lit up. Though the threads coated in Blacklight Armor still showed signs of being burned away, they could at least hold out a little longer.

Mercer kept manipulating the blacklight matter, forming protective armor around the threads as they advanced until they finally touched the surface of the Kyber Crystal.

"Absorb it."

A suction force flowed through the blacklight threads, drawing energy out of the Kyber Crystal.

The black threads grew even darker, with energy constantly flowing back from their tips.

An endless stream of blacklight matter was burned away by the energy, but a small amount of that energy also merged into it.

The amount was tiny-only a tenth of what he drew in each time. The other ninety percent instantly burned away the blacklight matter because he could not control it.

But being able to absorb it meant the idea was viable. That had only been a small test. Now that he knew it worked, Mercer would not hold back.

The blacklight matter was constantly burned away, constantly reformed, and constantly absorbing energy.

The Kyber Crystal's energy was immensely powerful and hot. At his current rate, Mercer could keep absorbing it for an entire year without draining it.

The energy contained within the Kyber Crystal was far greater than he had imagined, so he could absorb it without worrying.

Mercer's real goal was not to absorb the Kyber Crystal's energy. He simply wanted to test whether the blacklight virus could absorb energy and build up a tolerance.

Otherwise, he really would not dare recklessly absorb energy as powerful as that of the Infinity Stones.

The absorption continued for half an hour. The Blacklight Armor covering the blacklight "threads" grew thinner and thinner. A tolerance had been established!

"Good. That should do it. From now on, I'll just absorb some every so often to build up its resistance."

Mercer hefted the Lightsaber in his hand, then put it away, a dangerous look entering his eyes.

"Hydra, if you dare come after me, you'd better be ready for payback..."

Mercer stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, looking up at the moon hanging in the night sky.

Hydra had dared send a sniper and special forces soldiers to kill him, surely assuming Mercer still knew nothing about them. In reality, he already knew everything.

"Creator, what should we do? How about we just go kill them all?"

Lockdown's violent suggestion sounded directly in Mercer's mind.

This was the telepathic link unique to Mercer and Lockdown. Only a cardholder could share such a connection with what their card contained.

Mercer had known about it the moment he obtained the card. It was how he had summoned Lockdown from nearby back at the old apartment building.

"We can't do that, but I have a better idea," Mercer said.

After all, he was still the only one who knew the truth about this. No one else did.

If he slaughtered Hydra's members without explanation, he alone would end up a target of universal condemnation, branded a murderer.

Taking out his phone, Mercer made a call. It was answered after only two rings.

"Mercer?"

"It's me. Carter, have you gotten anything out of that man?"

Carter was in a secret room at S.H.I.E.L.D., together with Nick Fury and Natasha.

After seeing that poison-filled tooth, Carter had known this matter should not be made public, so she had told only the two people she trusted most: Nick Fury and Natasha.

The three of them had brought the Hydra soldier to the secret room and tried every method they could to pry information out of him.

But a man prepared to die at any moment was also extremely tight-lipped. No matter how the three pressured or tortured him, the Hydra soldier refused to talk.

Just as the three were at a loss, Carter received Mercer's call and answered immediately.

After Carter explained what had happened, Mercer said, "I have a way to find out what he knows. Where are you? I'll come over now."

Carter had the call on speaker. Hearing this, she turned to look at Nick Fury. Only after he gave her a slight nod did she speak.

"I'll send you the address."

"All right."

After receiving the address, Mercer immediately went downstairs and drove off.

With a ruthless racer like Lockdown, Mercer did not have to worry about how far the trip was. Lockdown would choose the best route on his own.

About six minutes later, Mercer arrived at the safe house where Carter and the others were staying. Carter was already waiting for him.

The moment she saw the familiar Lamborghini, Carter knew he had arrived.

After parking, Mercer followed Carter into the safe house and reached the room where the Hydra soldier was being held.

"Mercer, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon." Nick Fury stepped forward and shook his hand. "How do you plan to make him talk?"

Mercer liked the way he skipped the small talk and got straight to the point. He waved for the others to stand aside, then walked up to the Hydra soldier.

The Hydra soldier was sitting in a chair, his hands and feet bound.

He was covered in blood and looked little better than when Mercer had last seen him. Apparently, he had endured severe torture.

"You still remember me, don't you?"

At Mercer's softly spoken words, the Hydra soldier, who had remained unmoved no matter how Nick Fury and the others tortured him, instantly turned deathly pale.

His mouth trembled so badly that he could not form a complete sentence. All he managed to stammer out was a single word.

"S-Satan!"

Seeing the Hydra soldier so terrified, Carter and the others were astonished. That alone had scared him?

Just how afraid of Mercer was he?

"I just figured out a new skill. You'll make a perfect test subject."

Smiling, Mercer took hold of the back of the Hydra soldier's hand. A moment later, the soldier jerked backward and began convulsing as though he had gone mad.

But the chair was firmly fixed to the floor, and his hands and feet were tightly bound. No matter how violently he convulsed, he could not break free.

"What... what's happening?"

They watched the Hydra soldier gape, desperate to scream from the pain, yet unable to force even one complete syllable from his mouth.

Nick Fury and the others exchanged looks, none of them knowing what had happened.

Nor did they know what sort of agony could make a man like him wear such a pained expression.

Their gazes all settled on the young man before them.

Even as the Hydra soldier's face twisted in agony, Mercer still wore a faint smile.

It was as though the man's suffering did not concern him at all.