Chapter 947 Soul Gem
"Ms. Romanov, do you mean that the captain explicitly rejected our call?"
An old white man in his fifties with a slicked back hair stood in front of the window, admiring the prosperous and vibrant night scene on the street outside, and asked without looking back.
As the resident director of the Human League in the huge cyberpunk city on the ninth level of Baator Hell, his status and authority are obviously much higher than those of Black Widow.
To be precise, every action of the People's League here must be approved by him, which is basically equivalent to the colonial governor in the Age of Discovery.
The reason why such a situation occurs is that we were scared of the big crisis caused by the financial stock operators below last time, and we were afraid that a similar situation would happen again.
After all, the intrigues and supernatural powers here are not comparable to those on earth.
Not only do many alien creatures possess various spell-like abilities including telepathy and transformation, but there are also a large number of high-level mages and legendary mages.
In this crisis-ridden environment, if management is not strengthened to isolate all dangers from the outside, it will not take long for the inside to be penetrated into a sieve.
In fact, it has been penetrated very seriously now.
It's just that most of the people who infiltrated were demons loyal to Zuo Si, the lord of the ninth level, and tieflings with purgatory blood.
Through this method of total surrender to its backers, the People's League has successfully avoided being infiltrated or even controlled by other forces.
It's as if you installed the most powerful rogue software in your computer and let it completely control your system. In this way, you naturally don't have to worry about other rogue software.
Because this big gangster will protect you and block out or clean up all the little gangsters.
Of course, this is also a choice made out of desperation.
Although the People's Federation is also investing a lot of resources and costs in cultivating spellcasters at all costs in order to build its own magical power, anyone who understands the magic system knows that this thing relies on the same heritage as culture and history.
Even the fastest-growing magical civilization requires at least hundreds or even thousands of years of precipitation.
So before that, a civilization dominated by technology would be quite vulnerable when faced with magical power.
If you can't use your own magical power, you will naturally have to call in foreign aid.
Currently, those responsible for the magical security of this building are basically subordinate agencies of the ninth level intelligence system disguised as a security company.
Every time members of the People's Federation travel, they will be equipped with at least three to five professional bodyguards.
Of course, these bodyguards are not to ensure the personal safety of the protected person, but to ensure that the person will not be mind-controlled, hinted, or even replaced.
If the situation is critical, they may even choose to kill the protected person directly.
Therefore, the resident person in charge will not leave this building that appears to be a company but actually does the work of the embassy unless necessary.
Looking at the back of the old white man, Natasha nodded very simply: "Yes.
Since the end of the last expedition, the captain has publicly expressed his opposition to the Awami League and colonial expansion in various newspapers and magazines.
The massacres and atrocities committed by some troops were even made public, causing a very bad social impact.
Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. directly intervened to ban this information, which caused him to become extremely disappointed with society as a whole and even mankind, and then he quit the Avengers.
He hasn't contacted anyone since.
According to the conclusion drawn by the psychoanalyst, Captain's excessive moral level makes him unable to endure the colonial expansion system pursued by the People's Federation today, as well as the massacre and captivity of aliens.
So it's no surprise that this call-up was turned down. ”
"Okay.
It seems that the government and the military made a wrong choice, doesn't it?
After all, the most important thing for a soldier is to obey orders unconditionally.
But Steve Rogers is not qualified in this regard.
Because he has too many ideas of his own.
But it doesn’t matter.
Anyway, we have a lot of super soldiers like him nowadays. ”
When he said these words, the old white man's tone revealed the arrogance and arrogance unique to the elite.
In his eyes, the hero who was once put on the altar to symbolize the American spirit and patriotism was actually nothing more than a tool man.
In the past, Captain America's super physique would have given him some privileges.
However, with the popularity of the Astartes Space Marines, his importance has declined again and again, and he has completely become a thorn in the eyes and flesh of politicians and large conglomerates.
After all, the big cake of colonial expansion has brought unimaginable huge returns to all social classes.
This is as ridiculous as if someone stood up and accused various European maritime powers of engaging in slave trade during the Age of Discovery.
Vested interest groups did not directly kill Steve Rogers because of his special status.
Otherwise, if it had been anyone else, he would have been shot eight times in the back and committed suicide.
As a spy, Black Widow certainly understood the thoughts of these politicians and high-level officials. She forced a smile and responded: "You are right. Not only do we have enough Astartes Space Marines, but we can also recruit strength here at any time. A powerful mercenary.”
"Well said!
We now have ample soul currency to fund our activities.
It doesn't matter whether a Captain America answers the call.
I now authorize you to immediately recruit a group of mercenaries to prepare for the upcoming war.
Remember, the standard is set a little higher this time, we only want real masters. ”
The old white man calmly turned around and picked up a signed authorization document and threw it to the black widow.
The latter took it, glanced at it twice, and quickly asked with a puzzled expression: "Why is the commission so high this time? It is almost three times the previous times."
"Because it's money to buy your life. The enemy we have to deal with this time is Thanos who holds multiple Infinity Stones. There is a high probability that they will not come back alive safely."
The old white man gave the answer without thinking.
To be precise, in his eyes, the lives of these mercenaries entered the final countdown from the moment they were selected.
Once the war starts, these guys will be thrown in immediately as cannon fodder to test their strength against people.
"I see, I think I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I will get this done as soon as possible."
After saying that, Black Widow nodded and turned around and walked out of this highest-security office.
Under the gaze of several lustful men, she quickly walked through the corridor and entered the elevator, wearing a business suit, black socks and high heels, and went straight to her temporary room.
When the door closed with a clang, the ace spy finally took off his smart and capable disguise, showing a tired look. He kicked off his high heels and fell down on the soft and comfortable bed, letting out a long breath.
“Phew—it’s finally been dealt with.”
It’s easy to see from this incredibly genuine reaction that Natasha Romanoff has undoubtedly been subjected to a high-pressure working environment for quite some time.
Whether she was dealing with dangerous mercenaries or scheming with more terrifying devils, she reached the limit of what she could bear physically and mentally.
If possible, she would prefer to put down all work and take a long vacation.
But the problem is that these inhumane bureaucrats are obviously following the principle of using good things to death, and constantly send black widows to perform the most dangerous and troublesome tasks.
Including but not limited to long-term recruitment of mercenaries from Baator Hell, sacrificing color to contact other forces, and even reaching some unknown secret deals.
At the busiest time, there are even four shows in one night.
She couldn't even remember how many "people" she had had sex with in the past few years, how many perverted games she had played that were never taught in the Red Room before, and how many times she almost lost her life.
You must know that the reason why Natasha chose to defect was because she felt that joining SHIELD would provide her with a relatively better working environment, which would at least allow her to live like a human being.
But who would have thought that after going round and round, he would return to his old profession.
Especially after S.H.I.E.L.D. went through a major overhaul, those people she once trusted and knew have disappeared.
But those in power today do not regard her as a traitor as a human being at all, but regard her as a useful tool, nothing more.
Whenever she calms down, Black Widow can't help but wonder if her original choice was wrong.
After all, since you are destined to sell your body and appearance, why not just stay in the red house?
At least when I work in the Red Room, I still have to deal with humans on Earth.
But now?
Forget about the more humanoid ones like dwarves, gnomes, elves, half-elves, tieflings, and vampires.
Even orcs, half-orcs, hobgoblins, and gnolls are barely within the acceptable range.
What is truly unacceptable are ogres, giants, devils, demons, and yugoloths, all of which can cause intense physical and psychological discomfort regardless of their size or appearance.
If possible, Natasha actually wants to be like Captain America, completely breaking away from the control of the People's Federation and embracing this city full of desire.
It's a pity that she doesn't have the same reputation and aura of protection as the other party.
Once you commit an act of betrayal, a series of huge bounties will immediately appear on your head, and you won't be able to hide for long before you are caught by the ubiquitous bounty hunters and mercenaries.
After all, there is too much information about her in the People's Federation.
High-level spellcasters only need a few prophecy spells to quickly confirm their location.
Just as the Black Widow got up from the bed and began to take off her clothes, intending to enter the bathroom to take a hot bath to relax before sleeping well, she suddenly felt a pair of flashing red eyes staring at her in the darkness.
"Who?!"
An ordinary woman would probably have squatted down and screamed loudly, covering her key parts exposed to the air.
But Natasha, who had long given up her sense of shame, did not do this. Instead, she immediately grabbed the firearms and daggers placed on the bedside table.
The firearm is a powerful decomposition weapon that can directly reduce the target to an atomic state, while the dagger is a +3 poison-enchanted weapon.
"Hello, Natasha Romanoff, I've been watching you for a long time."
With a slightly playful tone, a huge and fat snake demon slowly walked out of the darkness.
The light released from his eyes seemed to contain some kind of terrible magic power, instantly frightening the black widow and unable to move in place.
Damn it! It's a look of contempt!
Although her body couldn't move, Natasha quickly realized what kind of spell-like ability she had been affected by.
This is a kind of mental blow unique to the scorpion demon. Anyone who is not strong-willed or has a flaw in his mind will be involuntarily afraid and trembled when he is stared at.
But fortunately, this kind of shock did not last long. After only a few seconds, she regained her ability to move. She pressed her whole body against the wall behind her and carefully tried: "Who are you? Why do you want to spy on me? Why are you monitoring me?" Yes, how did you get in? ”
"Haha, you seem very nervous and alert.
Those guys are about to squeeze you to the limit, right?
Relax, I am not your enemy, but I am here to help you find relief.
Because I can feel the anger, unwillingness and regret in your heart.
You long for freedom!
Longing for a place to truly call home.
But the organization you are loyal to now cannot provide these things. ”
The scorpion demon obviously came prepared, and hit the opponent's psychological defense line as soon as he opened his mouth.
As the best intelligence devil in Baator Hell, he had already secretly collected all the information related to the Black Widow, and he also knew that this woman was on the verge of collapse.
The more such a person is, the easier it is to be incited to rebel.
Hawkeye took advantage of this and successfully abducted Natasha from the red room.
The current viper demon is just planning to repeat his old tricks.
"You want me to betray the People's Federation?"
Black Widow's expression changed slightly.
The femme fatale smiled and shook his head: "No, no, no, don't get me wrong. I have no intention of asking you to betray your race and hometown. I just hope that you can do some extra part-time work on top of this job."< br>
"For example..."
Black Widow deliberately drew a long note.
After being a spy for so many years, how could she not hear that the other party wanted her to be a double agent?
"For example, help us monitor the movements of Steve Rogers. In exchange, I can promise to provide shelter when you need it, and allow your soul to turn into a devil while retaining your memory."
The scorpion demon laid out the conditions calmly.
"Are you from Lord Soth?"
Natasha is indeed an ace spy, and she can confirm the identity of the other party with only limited information.
First of all, demons like the Scorpion Demon were originally high-level officials in Baator Hell, and were even close associates of the great demons and even the level lords.
Secondly, according to the contract signed with the People's Union, all souls from the earth will belong to Zuo Si herself, so only the ninth level is qualified to deal with her soul.
Combining the above two items, it is easy to draw corresponding conclusions.
It's just that Black Widow doesn't quite understand why the other party asked her to monitor Steve Rogers, even though the captain has refused to respond to the order to recruit the Avengers.
The scorpion devil pursed his lips and nodded with a smile: "Yes, I am an intelligence officer directly subordinate to Lord Gramir. I am mainly responsible for investigating the conspiracy behind all suspicious behaviors in this city.
So please don't doubt my ability to deliver on my promises.
In fact I have prepared a contract.
Don't worry, this investigation isn't against the League, it's against the deity behind Steve Rogers.
Maybe you don’t know yet?
Not long after you left, he was chosen by the God of Courage and became Thom's chosen one.
So my real purpose was to find out if this god had some secret agenda that no one knew about. ”
"What? The captain has become the chosen one of the gods!"
Black Widow was so shocked by this explosive news that her eyes widened with an expression of disbelief on her face.
After all, after living in a huge cyberpunk city for so long, how could she not know what the word "voter" means.
Any electorate, regardless of strength, represents the will of the god behind it. Under normal circumstances, only mortals whose behavior is very consistent with the gods' ideas are likely to be favored by the gods.
"That's right!
Not only does Steve Rogers become a Chosen One, he returns to your world to live out his own ideals.
I have reason to suspect that there is some ulterior motive behind this.
And as long as you agree to join us, you will no longer have to look at the faces of those mortals. You can do whatever you want without repressing yourself.
You must know that retaining memories and being reincarnated as a devil is the supreme gift.
Only those who have made great achievements have such opportunities. ”
After saying that, the femme fatale took out a parchment scroll filled with tiny characters and handed it over.
As we all know, loyalty comes from two parts.
Part of it is the bundle of interests, and the other part is the sense of identity and belonging.
But the current Black Widow obviously does not have these two things, so she feels very confused.
Especially after knowing clearly that his soul will enter the ninth level of Baator Hell after death, it is self-evident which choice is most beneficial.
After all, many religions deceive people into believing in themselves, promising that they can go to heaven after death or be reincarnated as powerful and superior people.
Black Widow gently put down the weapon in her hand, took the parchment scroll and quickly scanned the terms above. After confirming that there were no major problems, she signed her name on it without hesitation.
In a blink of an eye!
Her soul was marked with an extremely eye-catching mark. At the same time, the mark briefly appeared on her naked back, but it quickly disappeared without a trace.
"Is that enough?"
With the help of the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror, Natasha reached out and touched the spot where the mark had just appeared, with strong uncertainty in her tone.
"Yes, that will do.
You have already half-stepped into our ranks. From now on, you only need to complete the surveillance tasks assigned by me.
Remember, keep an eye on Steve Rogers. No matter what he does, who he comes in contact with, or what he says, I want to know everything.
Once you complete this task, I will approve your transformation into a lust demon or succubus.
Oh, I almost forgot, this is a joining benefit for you.
There are potions, equipment and some magic items inside.
Good job and I look forward to your first report. ”
After saying these words, the scorpion demon activated the teleportation magic and disappeared, leaving only the naked black widow standing there.
No one knew what was going on in this woman's mind at the moment.
……
At the same time, far away on the distant planet Vormir in the Marvel Universe, Thanos has arrived at the location of the Soul Stone with his baby daughter.
Although Gamora originally planned to die before speaking.
But Thanos knew her too well and found her weaknesses and breakthroughs easily.
But what surprised the father and daughter who had come from afar was that someone actually arrived here before them, and even laid out a large table full of sumptuous banquets.
"Hello, nice to meet you, Thanos.
You know I've been waiting for you for a long time.
Please take a seat!
Feel free to do whatever you like to eat and drink.
Don't be polite, just treat this place as your own home. ”
Zuo Si sat on the gorgeous gold seat and made a greeting gesture with a smile.
The Kryptonian girl Kara, who was wearing a sexy and gorgeous low-cut backless dress, was lying in his arms. She picked a purple grape, peeled off the skin, held it in her lips, and put it into his mouth with extremely ambiguous movements.
This behavior not only dumbfounded Gamora, but even the well-informed Thanos couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth slightly.
Even though Kara wasn't wearing her iconic skin-tight Nemesis uniform today, Thanos recognized the woman who gave him the Power Stone.
But he never dreamed that such a strong man would now lie in the arms of another man like a mistress, trying his best to please him.
Those eyes and skillful movements are definitely not fake, they are the most real state between the two of them.
"Are you the Soth who took away half of the Dark Dimension from Dormammu?"
Thanos obviously recognized Zuo Si's identity.
After all, the two had indirect contact during the Chitauri invasion.
What's more, over the years, Zuo Si's transformation of the people on earth has been even more drastic, directly forcibly leaping from a primitive civilization that was not even qualified to enter the universe to establishing a small overlord that occupied hundreds of planets.
Zuo Si smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's me.
In fact, I have wanted to chat with you a long time ago, but I never found the opportunity.
Just in time, while you are about to get the soul gem, this important turning point, how about we have a drink?
Don't worry, I'm not your enemy, and I never intend to stop you from realizing your ideals.
Otherwise I wouldn't have let Kara give you the power stone in the first place. ”
"Damn! Why are you doing this? Don't you know what this madman wants to do?"
Before Thanos could speak, Gamora took the lead and shouted excitedly at Zuo Si.
Because she was present with Star-Lord and others when the power gem was traded last time, so she recognized the two of them immediately.
But Zuo Si ignored Gamora, and instead smiled and said to Thanos: "It seems that your education has failed a bit, doesn't it?"
"There is no way, children will grow up one day and have their own ideas and life goals."
Thanos acted like an old father and went straight to the opposite side of the table and sat down. He picked up the wine bottle and poured himself a glass of wine. He raised his head and drank it all.
"So you forgive her betrayal?"
Zuo Si continued to ask with interest.
Thanos smiled and asked: "Otherwise? Can I still kill her? As a father, it is natural to forgive rebellious children."
"Pfft hahahaha!"
When Zuo Si heard this, he couldn't hold back and started laughing hysterically like a madman.
Not only him, but the Kryptonian girl Kara in his arms was also laughing.
Because there is no funnier joke on this planet, in this place, at this time, even though it may be a little bit more hellish.
"What are you laughing at?"
Thanos subconsciously frowned with confusion on his face.
Although he is not a person who likes to laugh, he is not without humor.
But from the conversation just now, he couldn't find the slightest bit of laughter.
"No, it's nothing. I think you may want to break your promise. Because one of the conditions for obtaining the soul gem is to kill the person you love."
As he spoke, Zuo Si pointed to the cliff and the altar behind him, as well as the words engraved on the altar.
As for the Red Skull who was originally staying here, he had already conveniently thrown him to Mirrodin to undergo the complete transformation of New Phyrexia's Shining Oil.
"This is impossible!"
With a bang, the empty wine glass in Thanos' hand fell directly to the ground. He suddenly stood up from the chair and walked straight to the altar to check and confirm.
Being suspicious, he even thought that these words were carved by the other party to play a prank on him.
Zuo Si spread his hands indifferently: "Believe it or not.
This is the only way to get the Soul Stone anyway.
Odin cowered in front of it back then, otherwise Asgard would have become the well-deserved overlord of the universe.
Now it's your turn to take the ultimate test.
Anyway, the choice is yours. ”
Hearing these words, Gamora, who had been furious just now, suddenly laughed. While laughing, he said sarcastically: "Killing your beloved? You have to be talented. I don't think a lunatic like him would do anything wholeheartedly." Love someone with reserve ”
"Oh - are you sure?
You must know that in my opinion, no matter how cold, cruel, and bloodthirsty a guy is, there will always be an unknown weakness in his heart.
After all, the emotion of love is largely outside the control of subjective consciousness.
When it comes, it will swallow up all reason and make people become extremely crazy, and even do all kinds of things that they think are very stupid afterwards.
Once this emotion arises, it cannot easily disappear unless the person is dead. ”
Zuo Si looked at the daughter of Thanos with slightly pitiful eyes.
Gamora, who knew nothing about her own fate, sneered and retorted: "You are talking about most ordinary people, but it does not include my father. Because he has never loved anyone and will never love anyone." On anyone.”
"You are wrong, my daughter."
Thanos suddenly turned around, and a tear flowed from his eye socket and slid down his cheek, eventually falling and wetting the dry ground.
moment!
Gamora realized something, and her whole body instantly froze in place, as if she couldn't believe the facts she saw with her eyes.
After more than ten seconds, she roared like crazy: "No! This is absolutely impossible! You have never loved me at all!"
“There are many ways to love.
Some of them are easier to understand, but others are more obscure or even downright disgusting.
Maybe your father just falls into the latter category and is less expressive.
You must know that in front of the soul gem, no one can lie or pretend. ”
Zuo Si completely extinguished Gamora's last hope with a tone without any emotion.
Thanos, who had been completely stunned, and only had the obsession to save the universe in his heart, did not hesitate at all, walked forward, grabbed his daughter's neck, and threw her off the cliff with his backhand.
That kind of decisiveness and determination under extreme grief makes people shudder just looking at it.
Because it is easy to kill an enemy or a stranger without hesitation.
But killing one's beloved so decisively is simply not something a normal person can do.
As Gamora fell from the cliff and took her last breath with a bloody head, the soul gem that she received as a satisfactory sacrifice finally slowly condensed into substance and appeared from another dimension.
Looking at the Infinity Stone, which was exchanged for the soul of his beloved daughter, Thanos shed tears and embedded it into the Infinity Gauntlet.
Bang bang bang bang——
Accompanied by crisp applause, Zuo Si couldn't help but stand up and exclaimed: "It's really wonderful!
Please allow me to offer you my most sincere respect.
Because in this sacrifice I saw unparalleled determination and awareness.
Now you have surpassed Odin and become the first to receive the key to reshape the entire universe.
I sincerely hope you can re-examine your plans and don't waste this precious opportunity. ”
"What do you want to say?"
Thanos suppressed the grief in his heart and the strong urge to raise his fist to slap the opponent on the face, and gritted his teeth and asked.
He was not a fool. It was easy to see that Zuo Si had anticipated everything that was about to happen, so he was waiting for him here.
It's just that he can't figure out what intentions this dimensional demon hid behind a series of confusing operations.
"Nothing, I just think that annihilating half of the life in the universe doesn't really solve the problem, it just postpones the problem a little bit.
Because as long as large-scale wars, massacres, and famines do not break out, the population will always continue to grow.
Rather than simply exterminating life, you might as well set an upper limit for the universe or each planet.
When the population exceeds this number, things like wars, famines, and massacres will break out to reduce the population to a certain level.
In addition, you can also cultivate and build a race of reapers.
Let them conduct final judgments on the gods of the entire universe or a certain galaxy every once in a while.
Destroy all civilizations that have developed to a certain level, but leave some seeds so that they can rise again after thousands or tens of thousands of years to form a certain cycle.
Of course, these are just some suggestions and inspirations, it’s up to you to decide what to do.
Finally, I hope you promise me something. ”
Speaking of this, Zuo Si suddenly paused, staring directly at the soul gem on the Infinity Gauntlet.
Thanos undoubtedly noticed this, and anger suddenly appeared on his originally sad face.
"You want it?
No, that's not right, you gave me the Power Stone just for it from the beginning.
You deliberately asked me to sacrifice Gamora in exchange for the emergence of this gem.
You took advantage of me!
It was you who killed my daughter! ”
"I killed your daughter? Don't talk nonsense. After all, I wasn't the one who just pushed her off the cliff and fell to death."
Zuo Si pursed his lips and revealed a dangerous smile.
You must know that since the soul gem appeared, he has been working hard to endure it.
If Thanos doesn't know what's good, he doesn't mind slightly modifying his plan to end this farce early.