Thinking back to what the system had just said, Mercer pondered for a moment, took out a little of his own blacklight virus, and had the system turn it into a hero card.
[Card name: Blacklight virus] [Level: ∞] [Effect: A supervirus capable of infinite evolution. Can absorb all kinds of life and energy. Upper limit unknown.]
Seeing the blacklight virus's level, Mercer was momentarily at a loss for words.
What did that level mean?
Infinity?
Was the blacklight virus really that powerful?
"Right, the blacklight virus was designed to absorb and evolve without limits. Before this, it only existed in a game, so everything it could do was determined by the game's programming."
"Now that it's real and exists in this Marvel Universe, there's no telling what it could become..."
His next step was clear: Mercer needed to absorb more powerful beings.
He was a transmigrator, and he knew exactly what would happen a few years into the future.
"Stark only just announced that he's Iron Man. That means there's still some time before the Avengers assemble. I still have time to grow stronger."
Possessing a blacklight virus with no visible ceiling to its growth gave Mercer more confidence in his ability to survive in this world teeming with godlike beings.
"All right, let's see what this Abomination's Blood can do."
The moment he held the card, Mercer understood exactly how these cards worked.
He grinned, held up the card, and gave it a gentle push forward. Its contents instantly expanded before him.
Mercer walked straight ahead. The Abomination's Blood on the card clung to him as though it had found a host and burrowed into his skin.
Before the grayish-white Abomination's Blood could spread and wreak havoc, the vast mass of blacklight virus engulfed it.
Countless strands of blacklight matter gathered over Mercer's right arm. Following that strange sensation, he suddenly swung both arms.
The blacklight matter instantly spread over both his arms, transforming into a pair of claws gleaming with a chilling edge!
"This is so damn cool!"
Staring in amazement at the Blacklight Claws on his hands, Mercer pressed one claw against the nearby wall.
With just a little pressure, it sliced effortlessly through the wall's multiple reinforced layers, like a fresh blade through tofu.
The cut was perfectly clean. Without precision instruments, it would have been difficult to produce such a smooth incision.
"If I slashed someone with these..."
Mercer narrowed his eyes. If he had possessed these claws earlier, Abomination would have gone down even faster.
"Just a few drops of blood were enough to trigger a transformation. Looks like blood from someone beyond human really can make a huge difference!"
Mercer examined the changes in his body and discovered that there was much more to them.
Absorbing Abomination's Blood had also given Mercer some of the original owner's abilities from his human form, including combat skills and language proficiency.
He tried speaking English. His formerly halting speech had become surprisingly fluent.
No one would ever have guessed that he had been unable to speak English just minutes earlier. He sounded exactly like a native speaker.
"Good. Now I can speak English fluently, so communication won't be a problem anymore. And these combat skills..."
Mercer couldn't help grinning. He tried a few moves on the spot, each whipping through the air, each lethal.
In his human identity, Abomination had been an elite special forces soldier. By absorbing his blood, Mercer's blacklight virus had gained his abilities.
But these were only the abilities a few drops of blood could provide. The information he could obtain was limited; he needed more.
"If I absorb all of Abomination, I could even turn into him completely!"
The thought excited Mercer. He decided to head to the Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, and scout for information.
He would see whether he could locate Abomination. Leaving that guy alive would only cause trouble anyway.
That night.
S.H.I.E.L.D., the Triskelion.
Nick Fury, a bald man wearing an eyepatch, stared grimly at an agent's monitor. It displayed the complete recording of Mercer taking down Abomination.
Watching a human of ordinary build send the towering Abomination flying with one punch gave Nick Fury a splitting headache. Another difficult character had appeared.
"Natasha, what do you make of this man?"
He turned toward the tall woman with wine-red hair standing beside him and asked for her opinion.
Her name was Natasha Romanoff. She was a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and one of Nick Fury's trusted confidantes.
Natasha studied the footage closely and offered a brief profile.
"I'd estimate he's around twenty, perhaps younger. Judging by his behavior, he wasn't trying to draw attention to himself. We can rule out his direct involvement in causing this incident."
"I think... it might really be just as those agents said. This man stepped in because the Gray Hulk interrupted his beef stew."
Even Natasha couldn't help laughing as she said it.
If that really was the reason, Abomination had been incredibly unlucky.
"Don't tease me. I've already got enough of a headache."
Watching Natasha struggle to contain her laughter, Nick Fury rubbed his smooth scalp helplessly. This was hardly good news for him.
"We've only just started preparing the Avengers Initiative, and now someone we know nothing about shows up. I'm worried he could affect our plans."
Nick Fury thought for a moment, tapped his fingers against the desk, and continued.
"How about this? Since that man said his meal was interrupted, he must live in that building. Look into him and see whether you can find him."
"All right, understood."
Natasha nodded, confirmed Mercer's address on the computer, and prepared to leave.
Before she could even turn around, a young voice neither of them had heard before suddenly rang out in Nick Fury's office.
"I'm right here. Ask whatever you want."
Before you continue