Chapter 26: Du Wa Proves Fury's Insight is Unparalleled (4k-word chapter)
The vampires were in for some seriously bad luck.
Normally, major organizations worldwide had, to some extent, participated in operations to exterminate vampires. Therefore, the vampires were well aware of their position on the food chain and generally didn't act too arrogantly.
Perhaps it was Frost, the one who dreamed of becoming a "blood god" before being killed by Blade, who had made things too high-profile, causing the vampires to once again attract attention from all sides.
The vampires wracked their brains but couldn't figure it out. There were countless organizations in the world, so why had the goddamn Du Wa set his sights on them?
New York at night was a place where prosperity and sin were inextricably intertwined.
In some quiet alleys, strange black shadows flickered past, moving swiftly and silently.
Occasionally, a drunkard, staggering around looking for a place to relieve himself, would rub his eyes, thinking he had seen wrong.
While ordinary people were ignored, there was no escape for the vampires.
*Bang!*
A large gate was violently torn open, and a swarm of Xenomorphs rushed in, brutally clearing out one vampire stronghold after another.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"It's not the Daywalker! What are these things?!"
"Xenomorphs! These damn things are Xenomorphs! Run!"
"The hell are you running for? Don't you know how much these things are worth on the black market? The price has been hyped up to tens of millions of dollars!"
"Go, go, go! We can retire if we just catch one!"
The scene was chaotic. Most vampires turned and fled, while a small number stared intently at the Xenomorphs, fanatically raising their weapons, wanting to capture one.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
*Rat-a-tat-tat!*
"Idiot, watch your fire! What if you kill it? A corpse isn't worth anything!"
"Hmph, these Xenomorphs are so strange. They're not killing those fleeing fools, just severing their limbs..."
Some vampires, confident in their strength, sneered and discarded their firearms, intending to take on a Xenomorph bare-handed.
Knowledge of the Xenomorphs had long since spread throughout the world. Any faction with a certain level of standing knew of them. Furthermore, the absence of the dreaded Abomination Xenomorph among their ranks only fueled the vampires' frenzy.
However, ambition requires strength to back it up.
Faced with the mechanical and ruthless Xenomorph squad, the complex architectural environment was instantly transformed into a bloody slaughterhouse.
Like terrifying ghosts, the Xenomorphs appeared and disappeared in every area, their coordination seamless. From the very beginning, without any communication, they executed tactical maneuvers as if they had been run through countless computer simulations.
Admittedly, Xenomorphs weren't invulnerable. Firearms could inflict a certain amount of damage on the ordinary xenomorphs, but such losses were entirely acceptable.
Don't forget, the vampires were using ordinary 21st-century Earth firearms, not the various advanced weapons from decades in the future used against Xenomorphs in movies or comics.
A vampire shouldering a man-portable rocket launcher was about to fire at a Xenomorph that was slaughtering its way through a crowd.
But in the next second, his hands were severed by a sharp blade.
"You're making things difficult for me. If too many vampires die, I won't be able to report back."
Elektra landed lightly on the ground. Not a single Xenomorph attacked her.
Immediately, some vampires turned their muzzles and opened fire on her.
*Clang, clang, clang!*
With just a single blade, Elektra spun a web of afterimages, precisely deflecting every bullet and displaying her superhuman abilities.
"Damn it, who is this person? Why aren't the Xenomorphs attacking her?!"
Amidst the chaos, the vampires howled, cursed, and begged as they fell like harvested wheat. This group, which subsisted on human blood, now had their own red blood gushing out like waterfalls, painting the surroundings and creating a morbidly beautiful picture.
Elektra felt no pity. She had no fondness for these vampires to begin with and led the Xenomorphs to reap them again and again.
What was even more surprising was that the vast majority of vampires attacked by the Xenomorphs didn't actually die.
The Xenomorphs cut out their tongues. Then, as if transporting cargo, they either skewered several vampires on their tails like candied fruit on a stick, or simply grabbed several of them by the collar with both hands and carried them all away at once.
Across New York City, a long trail of fresh, red blood was drawn.
Pairs of eyes watched this scene unfold, observing in silence.
"Another stronghold has been destroyed. I went to take a look. It was all severed limbs, though the corpses of a few unlucky bastards were left behind, tsk tsk."
"Who's that little chick? She's ridiculously strong. A Mutant? A Mutant who defected to Du Wa?"
"Hmm, it seems Xenomorphs can only use living beings as hosts? This is very important intelligence. The next thing to determine is how the Xenomorph parasite grows and develops after entering the body. Can it be surgically removed? If a superhuman with super-healing is parasitized, can they survive after the chestburster emerges..."
Any normal human would have no fondness for vampires; these things were nothing more than parasites on humanity.
Now, seeing the vampires encounter an even more terrifying group and face the fate of parasitism, everyone who witnessed the scene felt a strange sense of absurdity.
They were just worthless vampires anyway, so it didn't matter how many died. But was Du Wa's way of doing things always this crude and direct now? He had no scruples at all, not even bothering to put on an act?
"I remember, that idiot Blonsky was parasitized, right? And then he died? He had strength like the Hulk, so he must have had a powerful self-healing ability, yet he still died."
"It's also possible that Blonsky was killed in the end. It doesn't prove that super-healing is ineffective."
In this world where superhumans were not uncommon, there were naturally many intelligent people conducting logical deductions based on the characteristics of the Xenomorphs.
This creature that could acquire the host's power through parasitism, and was suspected to be even stronger than its host, was simply too fascinating. For some ambitious individuals, the impact was nothing short of unprecedented.
Who would have thought such a creature could exist? Now it did.
So, what was the upper limit of this mysterious creature's ability?
And... where did it originate from? Was it really created by that guy named Du Wa himself?
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Fury faced the five screens before him—the five most powerful people in the world.
"Nick Fury, you've done an excellent job."
These five people were full of praise for Director Fury.
One of them said, "The two-hundred-million-dollar invoice you submitted earlier made me think you were telling a low-brow joke. An ordinary young man and his toys, and you wanted to spend two hundred million on him? We once suspected you were taking the opportunity to swindle funds."
Another person picked up the conversation, praising, "Facts have proven, Fury, that you are still the best agent in the world, with the keenest sense! That man is completely worth the price!"
"So, Fury, when will you be able to recruit him into S.H.I.E.L.D.? Are you waiting for him to kill all the vampires in the world?"
"Wiping them all out is completely unrealistic. But what we want to know is, what is the Xenomorph's reproduction efficiency? What are its methods of reproduction? What is its social structure? Is there a role like a queen ant dedicated to reproduction? Can we control these Xenomorphs like Du Wa does?"
Fury: "..."
Motherfucker!
How could he have predicted that in such a short time, Du Wa would cause a worldwide stir with just a "simple" action?
He would have never imagined that a creature like the Xenomorph would have such terrifying racial abilities and growth potential, along with this unheard-of, insane method of expansion...
At this moment, Fury fully displayed the professionalism of a top agent. His expression was unchanged, his face calm, as if he had long since had a plan and already knew this outcome. He immediately said in a deep voice, "It's nothing. Just doing my job. However, to begin the next phase of operations against him, I'll need more funding."
...
After the meeting ended.
"Dum Dum Dugan, report the latest situation."
Fury summoned his subordinate and gave the order.
"I successfully infiltrated Kamar-Taj..."
"Not that one." Fury directly interrupted the Dum Dum Dugan before him. "Besides, it was one of your 'lucky' clones that joined Kamar-Taj, not you. His success isn't your success. And I highly suspect your so-called 'infiltration' was just the Sorcerer Supreme pulling the strings again."
Dum Dum Dugan shook his head repeatedly. "At least this shows that my talent has been recognized by the Sorcerer Supreme, doesn't it?"
"Are you sure? Why did you fail after trying for so many years, not even finding the gate to Kamar-Taj, but now you're succeeding repeatedly? One gets in every so often. You don't really think she doesn't know your identity, do you? Then I would have to doubt her identity. Or could it be that a formidable character like her, who has guarded the Earth for centuries, is about to die and has had a change of heart, deciding to take on a flood of new disciples?"
"Maybe I've successfully awakened a gene for learning magic—like magic affinity or something."
"You should go dunk your head in the glacial waters of the Himalayan Mountains. Although we haven't truly cracked the mystery of magic yet, it's very likely that there's no such damn thing as affinity. You don't need to absorb wind elements, earth elements, or any of that crap from the air into your body."
"Chief, failing to crack it only points to one problem—not enough money! You can approve a more generous budget for me, and I will complete this important task. As long as the money is sufficient, I can even take this question and ask the Sorcerer Supreme herself, face to face."
Fury stared coldly at the Dum Dum Dugan before him. He was certain that this thing, who was ignorant of some sensitive information, was not the Level Ten main body. This meant that Dum Dum Dugan's main body was slacking off again.
Could the main body have entered Kamar-Taj to study magic diligently under the Ancient One? If that were the case, Fury wouldn't feel gratified, let alone be surprised by his subordinate's competence. He would only think that Dum Dum Dugan had lost his mind, and it would be better to find an opportunity to eliminate him.
A dignified Level Ten Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., shouldering global responsibilities, joining Kamar-Taj to learn magic—in Fury's eyes, this was idiotic behavior.
Kamar-Taj's strength lay in the Ancient One and her few personal disciples, in the endless stream of powerful magic and artifacts, in the countless pieces of intelligence on the mystical side, and in the network of magic arrays covering the globe, not in those cheap magic apprentices!
Over the years, have there been few Magicians who learned a bit of magic from Kamar-Taj and then returned to human society? Or have any of these people who joined and then left Kamar-Taj mastered magic that could be taught and passed down? Or are any of them running around the streets brandishing artifacts?
S.H.I.E.L.D. had no shortage of Magicians!
If they really wanted to recruit, they could definitely gather a batch from all over the world—although it would certainly be mixed with well-organized Black Magicians with ulterior motives.
Oh, if he really had to give a reason to nod in agreement, it would be that Dum Dum Dugan was a once-in-a-century magical prodigy, capable of making the Sorcerer Supreme condescend to personally meet and teach him by hand.
To make Fury believe in that possibility, he would rather believe that Du Wa would announce tomorrow that he had developed a miraculous elixir to cure mutants—just like the reason Du Wa gave when he established Weyland Corporation and applied for government subsidies.
This guy, Dum Dum Dugan, was as always only responsible for asking for money. Who knows how much funding he devoured each year? It's enough to make you tear your hair out.
Of the two hundred million in funds obtained from the Five Great Powers, Dum Dum Dugan had eaten up a third!
"Dum Dum Dugan, my patience has its limits. The next time I ask you, you had better give me a truly valuable answer—you are busy every year, spending countless amounts of money. What results have you actually achieved?!"
"Understood, Chief. I will hold a brain-cloud conference with the other clones."
Dum Dum Dugan's expression also turned serious. He paused, then said, "Regarding Du Wa, I have indeed made a discovery. I've roughly calculated the Xenomorph's egg-laying efficiency. The daily increase is definitely no more than five! He captured many vampires, not all for parasitism. He also needs to stock up on some meat..."
The people present remained unfazed. They had seen all sorts of crazy scenes, such as cults worshipping some cosmic demon god or hell demon and performing sacrifices. What Du Wa was doing was a small-scale affair in comparison. Besides, vampires weren't even considered human. If they were allowed to prey on humans, why couldn't humans prey on them?
"Du Wa's total military force right now shouldn't exceed twenty," Dum Dum Dugan said.
Fury glanced at him. "He let you calculate this because the result is well within the limits he's willing to reveal. I don't believe Du Wa would be so open about his true strength."
"Perhaps the Xenomorphs have a higher reproduction efficiency, because to this day, we haven't found a single Xenomorph larva or egg. We're not sure how long the growth period of this creature can last. Du Wa's actions are extremely cautious. He has never sent the Xenomorphs out with Alien Eggs, preferring to go to great lengths to maim the vampires and then capture them."
In other words, it was very likely Du Wa still had a batch of deliberately unhatched eggs or dormant Facehuggers on standby for a critical moment.
"Find some vampires that Du Wa might target and implant listening devices in them," Fury ordered. "We also need to be prepared to mobilize at any time. We absolutely cannot allow him to grow stronger like this, beyond our control."
A dozen or so Xenomorphs, apart from the one born from parasitizing Abomination, were not difficult to deal with. High-powered firearms could handle them.
But if their numbers increased, it would be a disaster. S.H.I.E.L.D. could not tolerate such an uncontrolled power—or rather, species—escaping its grasp.
This had nothing to do with the personal character or lust for power of Fury or any other agent. It was purely the duty defined by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s position that dictated they must act this way.
To not think and act this way would mean they lacked even the most basic professional integrity.
"We've got trouble." Dum Dum Dugan's face suddenly changed as he tapped his own head.
"I already know. A T0-level dangerous individual is flying across the sea to the outskirts of New York with several iron boxes." Fury's expression turned terrifying.
(end of chapter)