In 3000 BC, the earliest records appeared on the clay tablets of the Sumerian civilization. They were called the 'Children of the Night', possessing immortality and extraordinary power.
In the Bohemian forests of Central Europe, there was a legend in the fifteenth century of a 'Blood Sacrifice' ritual, said to be able to awaken an ancient being sleeping underground.
Between the desolate cliffs of a valley, at the entrance to an ancient ruin, a figure held a yellowed parchment, reciting in a low voice.
His appearance was terrifying, with red skin stretched taut over a skeletal face, like a skull soaked in blood.
This person was none other than the leader of HYDRA, John Schmidt.
Behind him, dozens of fully armed soldiers stood in formation, the HYDRA symbol printed on their black uniforms.
John Schmidt gently caressed the runes on the stone door.
"Although I don't know why the vampires disappeared collectively, eventually becoming mere legends, but!"
"Tonight," John Schmidt handed the scroll to his adjutant, his voice filled with fanaticism, "HYDRA will uncover this secret and reshape the world order!"
The soldiers straightened their bodies, their eyes gleaming with adoration.
John Schmidt turned abruptly, waving his arm. "Open it!"
"Yes, sir!"
The soldiers acted immediately, quickly placing explosives around the stone door. Once everyone had retreated to a safe distance...
BOOM!
The sound of the explosion echoed as the shockwave spread debris and dust in all directions. The stone door collapsed with a crash, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
Click, click!
Multiple searchlights immediately lit up, illuminating the entire underground space as if it were day.
Schmidt stood at the entrance, an expression of disbelief on his face as he gazed at the scene before him.
"Finally found it..."
Before them was a vast underground space. In the center stood an ancient altar, surrounded by stone pillars covered in unfamiliar runes.
And on the wall behind the altar was a shockingly massive relief, twenty meters high, covering the entire wall.
The relief depicted three bizarrely shaped humanoid creatures. Their stances were elegant yet powerful, their musculature exaggerated and perfect, as if they were gods not of this world.
Below the stone wall, a massive sarcophagus stood silently.
Schmidt's gaze was drawn to the massive sarcophagus, and he involuntarily walked closer.
When he saw the pattern carved on the lid, he couldn't help but frown.
It was a triangle enclosed within a circle, with an eye inside the triangle, surrounded by unfamiliar runes.
Schmidt stared at the eye and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if the eye was staring back at him.
The feeling of being watched was so intense it was almost tangible.
Schmidt frowned slightly. In all the ancient texts he had studied, he had never seen such a symbol.
Neither the magical runes of Northern Europe nor the esoteric markings of Egypt resembled it.
The officer standing beside him swallowed hard. "Sir, this place... it doesn't feel right."
"Superstition only hinders scientific progress, Captain," Schmidt sneered. "True power belongs to those who dare to pursue it."
He placed both hands on the sarcophagus lid, took a deep breath, and pushed with all his might.
A rotten stench filled the air. Inside the coffin lay a decomposed corpse, with only parts of the skeleton and dried muscle tissue remaining.
Next to the corpse was a peculiar stone mask.
Schmidt turned his head and glanced at a soldier beside him.
The soldier immediately stepped forward, drew a dagger from his waist, and decisively slit his own wrist.
"For HYDRA!"
The soldier said in a low voice as blood dripped from his arm onto the dry corpse's chest.
As the blood flowed in, a miracle occurred.
The corpse began to slowly absorb the blood. The rotten tissue regenerated at a visible rate, the withered muscles gradually filled out, and skin began to cover it once more.
Suddenly, the tightly closed eyes snapped open, a red light flashing in their dark pupils.
"It's alive!" a soldier exclaimed, taking a step back.
Aaaargh—!
The vampire sat up abruptly, letting out an ear-piercing shriek.
The sound waves caused the surrounding stones to crumble and fall. Several soldiers covered their ears and staggered back.
The vampire's head turned slightly, its blood-red eyes locking onto the soldier who had offered his blood. Its pupils contracted in an instant.
"Watch out!" the adjutant shouted, but it was too late.
Whoosh!
The vampire's entire body became a blur, the ground shattering beneath it.
The soldier didn't even have time to raise his gun before the vampire was upon him, its fangs sinking directly into his throat.
Gulp, gulp.
In the blink of an eye, the soldier's body shriveled rapidly.
When the vampire raised its head, its face had been fully restored.
It casually tossed aside the desiccated corpse and looked around, its gaze finally landing on Schmidt.
BOOM!
The vampire's body shot out like a cannonball, crossing a dozen meters in an instant, and appeared before Schmidt in a flash.
Schmidt didn't panic, merely raising a hand slightly. "Contain it."
Swoosh!
A massive metal net shot out from all directions, precisely enveloping the vampire. A powerful electric current instantly coursed through its body.
Aaaaargh!
The vampire let out a horrifying scream, its body convulsing, before finally collapsing to its knees.
Schmidt slowly crouched down, carefully observing the still-screaming vampire.
"Perfect!" Schmidt said softly, a hint of greed in his eyes. "Even stronger than I expected."
He stood up abruptly and turned to the soldiers lined up behind him.
"Do you see? The power of science and myth is under our control!"
"Odin's treasure allowed us to create unprecedented weapons!"
Schmidt's voice grew louder. "And now, we have truly immortal soldiers!"
He strode forward, arms outstretched as if to embrace the entire world. "The ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, the Roman Caesars, Alexander the Great—these so-called great conquerors were merely confined to their own lands!"
"But we, HYDRA, possess the true power to reshape this corrupt world!"
He suddenly raised his right arm, clenching his fist high. "The entire planet will tremble beneath our feet!"
"Hail HYDRA!"
The soldiers raised their right arms in unison, their faces fanatical, their synchronized roars echoing through the valley.
Schmidt turned to look at a short figure beside him, a bald scientist wearing thick, round glasses.
"Dr. Zola, you've done well." Schmidt's voice held a rare tone of approval.
Dr. Zola looked up, a cautious smile on his face. "Thank you for your trust, sir. The clues in the records were too scattered. It took me three months to piece them together."
He quickly flipped open his notebook, his fingers trembling slightly. "But this is just the beginning. The secrets this creature holds are far greater than we imagined."
"I want all of this taken back to the base," the Red Skull pointed at the stone mask in the coffin. "Especially this. Zola, you will be personally responsible for it."
"As you command."
Dr. Zola hurried forward and took the peculiar stone mask from the sarcophagus.
He then carefully packed the mask into a special case.