Midtown Circle Financial, conference room.
The Hand's five leaders had rarely gathered together like this. Alexandra sat at the head of the table, and a trace of barely restrained excitement and joy appeared on her eternally impassive face. Her life hung by a thread. Every day, she could feel her organs failing, the shadow of death creeping closer step by step. A chill clung to her body like Death's icy breath, jolting her awake from midnight dreams.
Death had always been humanity's greatest fear, especially for someone like Alexandra, who had lived for centuries. The longer one experienced life, the more one feared death's arrival.
"I have captured Danny Rand, K'un-Lun's sole heir. He is now in our hands." Alexandra had lost her usual composure. The ecstasy of impending rebirth filled the leader of The Hand with burning emotion. "Centuries ago, in pursuit of the legendary art of immortality, we fled K'un-Lun. At the same time, we took the Dragon Bone from the Dragon's Lair. By drawing upon the immense life energy contained within it, we gained long lives and survived for centuries."
"But as time passed, the Dragon Bone was gradually depleted, and we once again faced the shadow of death. Yet heaven did not abandon us. After centuries of searching, we found the burial site of another dragon's remains. K'un-Lun's power sealed it beneath the earth, and only the power of the Iron Fist can open that door!"
Alexandra's voice echoed through the conference room as the other four leaders listened silently. They had all once been monks of K'un-Lun. Coveting the legendary art of immortality, they had stolen the Dragon Bone remains and fled the mysterious land of strict rules together. Using the Dragon Bone, which could bring the dead back to life, they established The Hand and became its five fingers. Over the centuries, The Hand had endured and expanded into the international criminal organization it was today, with influence across the globe.
"Now that Danny Rand is in our hands, will Daredevil and his people let this go?" The Japanese man Murakami was worried. He knew all too well how troublesome Hell's Kitchen's street heroes could be. They had long caused The Hand endless headaches.
Daredevil, Punisher, and several other strange figures had cost Hell's Kitchen's gangs more business than anyone could count. The Hand was one of their victims as well.
Alexandra was unconcerned. She said coldly, "Black Sky will deal with them."
Hearing that answer, Murakami said no more. Black Sky was an inheritance they had obtained from K'un-Lun, something akin to an ancient and obscure sacrificial sorcery. It worshipped the primitive, mysterious demon known as The Beast. In exchange for sacrificing one's emotions and reason, one gained tremendous power. If the requirements for becoming Black Sky's host had not been so harsh, The Hand could have built a terrifying army.
"Elektra is the most suitable host I have ever seen. With Black Sky inside her body, its power can be fully unleashed. Daredevil's group will be no match for her."
Alexandra was brimming with confidence. Elektra, who should have been dead, had been revived by her using the Dragon Bone and had forgotten her past memories. She was undoubtedly the best vessel for Black Sky.
"Find a way to make Danny Rand open the underground seal and excavate the Dragon Bone as soon as possible. We cannot remain in New York for too long. A mysterious organization has already set its sights on us," said Sowande, the warlord from the African Continent.
Madame Gao, a local power in New York, nodded. This elderly woman possessed a meticulous and powerful intelligence network. She knew that this country had a mysterious agency hidden in the shadows, one dedicated to handling supernatural incidents and unconventional sudden crimes.
However, that mysterious agency was hidden too deeply. Like an iceberg floating on the sea, only its exposed tip could be seen. Even with The Hand's intelligence capabilities, they could not uncover any further information.
"One week from now, we excavate the Dragon Bone." Alexandra set the final deadline.
"I will arrange the transportation route. Excavating the Dragon Bone will disturb New York's foundations and trigger a chain reaction. We will leave amid the chaos," Bokuto said, breaking his silence.
The Hand's five leaders rarely gathered in one place. In their ordinary lives, each held a different identity. Alexandra was a successful New York businesswoman, while Sowande was a regional warlord on the African Continent. Murakami controlled a Japanese conglomerate, and so on. Each possessed their own power. Of course, these identities were merely public cover. Beneath their polished appearances and lofty positions lay a profound darkness that inspired dread.
"What about Wesley's employer?" Madame Gao asked, as though she had suddenly remembered something.
"Elektra will kill him. Hell's Kitchen does not need too many ambitious men." Alexandra braced both hands against the conference table. That man's origins were unfathomable. He seemed to know a great deal about The Hand's past and K'un-Lun, which made her extremely wary.
"Dangerous people should be strangled in the cradle," the leader of The Hand declared.
For all these years, The Hand had only ever had five fingers. How could Alexandra tolerate another person joining them and sharing the Dragon Bone's secret elixir of immortality?
"Everything is proceeding according to plan." Alexandra swept her gaze across her four companions. For centuries, they had depended on and helped one another, building the vast Hand and escaping the rigid rules of K'un-Lun. "One day, we will return there and gain endless life!"
Madame Gao, Murakami, Sowande, and Bokuto—the four leaders of The Hand—rose as well. They had escaped K'un-Lun centuries ago and had always held the mysterious land that existed in another dimension in the highest suspicion and vigilance. Yet deep in their hearts, they constantly longed to return there, yearning for the Dragon Bone remains buried within it and the secret of eternal life.
"We can obtain the Iron Fist's secrets from Danny Rand. He is not only the key to opening that underground door, but also the sole signpost leading to K'un-Lun." A cold smile bloomed across Sowande's dark face.
The others nodded in agreement. The Dragon Bone remains would eventually be exhausted. If they could return to K'un-Lun, enter the Dragon's Lair, and dig up all those buried Dragon Bones, then true immortality would be only one step away.
Just as The Hand's five leaders envisioned their bright future, the distinct sound of footsteps faintly came from beyond the door. Elektra pushed the door open, carrying a gleaming katana. A faint smell of blood radiated from her, like a warrior who had just gone through a satisfying slaughter. Her Beast-like eyes held a sense of exhilarated satisfaction.
"Did you kill that man?"
Alexandra looked at Elektra with satisfaction. After Black Sky took residence within a body, the host's original emotions and memories would gradually fade, until only the primal instinct to kill remained.
Elektra stared at her master. A faint smile suddenly bloomed across her otherwise expressionless, cold face, startling Alexandra.
Elektra, Black Sky's vessel, stood quietly in the conference room. Black hair, red clothes, and a long blade in hand—she was like a blood-red rose in full bloom, possessing a strange beauty.
"His name is Sean." A slightly hoarse voice rang out. Elektra stepped aside, and a young man in a black mask strolled in through the doorway.
Looking at the Hand leaders' varied expressions, Sean could not help but say softly, "We meet again, everyone. Surprised? Didn't expect this, did you?"
P.S. Thank you to all the esteemed readers who have continued voting, bookmarking, and tipping this book. Here is the first update~
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