Door

The tremendous clash of metal echoed through the empty underground space as Sean rode the elevator down. Elektra, standing beside him, occasionally studied the masked man.

"They will not sincerely submit to me. Neither Murakami nor Sowande—these leaders of The Hand all have minds of their own."

Elektra had put on a long black coat and held a short blade in one hand. The beautiful eyes no longer gleamed with The Beast's cruel, savage light; in its place was the clear thought of a human being.

"How could force alone make them submit? These people have lived for centuries. How could they so easily give their loyalty?" In the dimly lit metal cage, the young man smiled. "Killing Alexandra was only meant to intimidate them. You are The Hand's only Black Sky, the object of faith they have worshipped for centuries. Those ninjas have a fanatical reverence for you. This is your chance to take control of this massive organization."

"What about Murakami and the others? Kill them all?" Murderous intent flashed through her eyes. Perhaps because Sean was the first person she had seen upon regaining consciousness, Elektra felt a strange, inexplicable trust toward this unfamiliar man.

Sean turned to look at Elektra. Her beautiful, delicate mixed-race face now held a little more of a living human warmth, yet it still retained an iceberg-like indifference. As a vessel that had carried the Black Sky, even though she had regained her senses, the human emotions she had lost would not be easy to recover at once.

"Killing will not solve the problem. The Hand is a massive organization with a tightly structured hierarchy. Its reach spans the globe, and it secretly controls numerous multinational trading companies. It also wields immense political influence. Take the African warlord Sowande—who knows how many coups he has orchestrated? Murakami, meanwhile, has close ties to the Japanese corporate giant Yashida Pharmaceuticals. Those are The Hand's true sources of power."

Sean spoke eloquently. He had already had Wesley investigate The Hand, and combining that with the information in his own mind, he could at least sketch a rough outline of the vast organization.

"Then why..." Elektra's eyes were full of confusion. If that was the case, why had Sean pushed her into the position of leader of The Hand?

"The situation will change." The young man in the black mask spoke calmly. "The other leaders of The Hand currently need the Black Sky to deal with Hell's Kitchen's street heroes. So even though you killed Alexandra, they did not act rashly. For now, the most important thing to them is digging up the Dragon Bone beneath the ground and extending their own lives. Everything else can wait."

"This is the opportunity. Once Madame Gao, Murakami, Sowande, and Bokuto fight Hell's Kitchen's street heroes to the death, you can slowly consolidate the power in your hands."

Elektra stared at the man beside her. Beneath his careless tone lay a dark aura that inspired fear. Perhaps due to the Black Sky's influence, she found herself deeply drawn to that feeling.

Like candlelight in the night drawing moths close, Elektra, who had once been possessed by the Black Sky, felt full of admiration and agreement for Sean's seemingly casual but truly cold-blooded schemes. It was as though she had found one of her own kind.

"Of course, it all depends on what you want." Sean paused, then continued, "You have regained your freedom, Elektra. You now have the right to choose your own life... You can leave The Hand and return to Matt Murdock's side, or stand with Stick and destroy The Hand, this evil organization. Life offers countless choices. Pursue whichever kind of life you prefer."

Sensing Elektra's astonished gaze, Sean guessed what she was thinking and said calmly, "What The Hand values is precisely what I value least. Extending life through the so-called 'Dragon Bone'—how is that any different from those decrepit old people lying in hospital beds, surviving on oxygen tubes and life-support machines?"

"The meaning of life has never lain in its length, at least not for me." The young man's voice echoed through the underground space, each word carrying a soul-shaking weight. "Even without your help, I can still hold The Hand in my palm. The only difference is that I would need to spend a little more effort. Elektra, we are not merely allies exploiting one another. I do not want anything from you, and you do not need to do anything for me."

Elektra fell silent. Stick had taken her in as a child and subjected her to harsh, brutal training. Later, she had been sent to the family of a Greek diplomat and became a wealthy young lady of high society. For most of her life, she had acted with a purpose or a plan. Few people had ever told her that she had the right to choose freely.

Her long black hair obscured her expression. She hesitated, looking as though she wanted to speak but could not. Then, with a thud, the elevator reached the bottom, and Sean stepped out first.

The dim underground space was filled with a rotten, moldy stench. Using a construction company as a front, The Hand had purchased the building and continuously excavated downward, hoping to find the burial site of the Dragon Bone remains.

They had ultimately succeeded. After expending enormous manpower and resources, The Hand found where the Dragon Bone remains had been buried. Once Alexandra confirmed it, she was overjoyed and prepared to begin extracting the Dragon Bone at once. But then cold water had been poured over her head: a sealed door barred their way.

"You have not tried other methods?" Sean ventured deeper into the underground space and saw the door covered in ancient writing.

"Alexandra considered many methods—explosives, drilling machines, and the like. Forceful methods did not work. This door is a seal placed by K'un-Lun. If anyone enters without using the proper method, the mechanisms behind the door will activate immediately, and the entire space will collapse," Elektra explained.

Sean ran his hand over the obscure characters carved into the door. They resembled an ancient language. Only when activated by some special power would the door open on its own.

"This is a seal placed by K'un-Lun's Iron Fist, so you need another Iron Fist." Sean understood the full story. Only K'un-Lun's unique inherited power, chi, could activate this door buried deep underground.

"That is why Danny Rand is so important to The Hand." Elektra stood before the ancient stone door. Behind it lay a Dragon Bone skeleton, containing immense life energy that could bring the dead back to life and prolong one's lifespan.

The Hand was able to gain political allies in multiple countries precisely because of the Dragon Bone's miraculous properties. Even wealthy people sitting atop mountains of gold and politicians holding immense power possessed an endless desire for life.

Everyone feared the coming of death. As they grew older, they became ever more attached to the beauty of this world. The Hand possessed a secret medicine that could restore vitality, so it naturally attracted and won over many steadfast allies.

"Greed often blinds people." Sean spoke a proverb, his gaze meaningful.

To The Hand's leaders, what lay beyond this door was the continuation of life. But perhaps it was also their burial ground.

P.S. The bonus update mission is complete—time to celebrate~