"Even if I'm not acting as bait, I still have to face the curse. The danger is about the same."
"Please believe me, in the face of that supernatural force, you agents are no different from me. If I'm injured, you can save me, but if you're injured, I can't save you. I'll be the bait,"
Bella said firmly.
Victoria Hand remained silent, turning to glance at the agents.
With her shrewdness, she instantly understood her subordinates' thoughts.
In fact, the agents were also a little scared. Facing the erratic attack methods of the Grim Reaper, their skills in shooting, language, fighting, infiltration, reconnaissance, and counter-reconnaissance were useless. Compared horizontally, they were really no different from Bella.
Although the agents didn't say it, they were actually very impressed by Bella's bravery.
Storm also developed a slight fondness for her. Bravery, integrity, and a sense of responsibility—those qualities are admired by everyone. Even a ruthless gang leader would want a good person ready to take a bullet for him in a critical moment, not a selfish thug with sores on his head, pus-oozing feet, and a constant desire to stab himself.
Of course, providing some protective gear was necessary for being a decoy.
The agents didn't have bulletproof, puncture-proof, or fireproof suits. We were still some way off from the era of rampant superheroes. While there was plenty of technological expertise in high-tech protective suits, there wasn't a need for them. Even Victoria Hand wore body armor these days.
The agents provided Bella with a bulletproof vest with a ceramic-based composite material inside. It was lightweight and could protect against handgun bullets within twenty meters. The psychological benefits of this vest far outweighed its practical benefits. When Bella faced death, the added defense offered by such a vest was practically negligible.
However, it seemed Victoria Hand had no intention of taking it back. Thinking that such a large organization had plenty of money and wouldn't care about a bulletproof vest, she accepted it without hesitation.
"We'll all protect you, don't worry," Storm told Bella seriously.
To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie; the Grim Reaper was far more formidable than a vampire. Bella nodded, understanding.
One decoy wasn't enough. What if she died? What if the Grim Reaper didn't fight the Indian curse? These unforeseen circumstances had to be considered.
Victoria Hand arranged for two backup decoys.
Claire Redfield, inspired by Bella's fearlessness, volunteered to be the second decoy.
Alex, the young man with early warning abilities from the flight accident, also wanted to be a decoy, but agents tested him, finding his reaction speed to be average, far inferior to Bella and Claire. His decoy status would ultimately be his undoing. Ultimately, the third decoy was chosen, and the elite agent already on the Grim Reaper's kill list was chosen.
The survivors saw their expressions as if they were going to be executed, and didn't understand what they were doing, but they still stood aside and waited honestly. What were they waiting for? They didn't know!
The night was a little quiet, and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.
The agents opened the door of the building, allowing the natural environment indoors and outdoors to achieve a certain degree of connection.
"I'm going to start, you get ready." Storm said. Her task was also very simple, which was to forcibly induce the Indian curse here. Bella nodded slightly, indicating that she was ready.
Storm then walked outside, and invisible and intangible energy burst out from her body. This was the first time Bella saw someone cast a spell. She stared closely at the changes in the energy around her, not missing a single detail.
"Huh?" She couldn't help but express a slight doubt.
Victoria Hand glanced at her, and she shook her head repeatedly, indicating she was fine.
The essence couldn't be discerned, but at such close range, some general clues were discernible.
Storm's spell was undoubtedly a clever trick. She drew on the magic in her own bloodline, using her own X-gene as a fuel source, combining magic and supernatural powers to create a 1+1 greater than 2 effect.
Quite ingenious! While the layman sees the excitement, the expert sees the details. Though a novice, Bella was undoubtedly an expert.
Storm's spellcasting relied on her supernatural powers, while Bella relied on psychic energy. Neither of them was a pure spellcaster.
Bella memorized every detail, reserving it for further study.
A whistling gust of wind appeared out of nowhere! Storm's silver hair blew in the wind, and her body floated about a meter in the air. Her eyes were white, and her arms were raised high. Static electricity rubbed against the air, creating a rustling noise.
The agents' radios were experiencing significant interference, but fortunately, they had been warned in advance and remained calm.
Bella had few memories of Storm, only that she was descended from some African family.
The spell she cast seemed more like a ritual. What was the core of the ritual? How did the spell work? She couldn't understand.
Through Storm's example, she had glimpsed some of Death's methods and objectives.
Why did Death kill? To vent his anger? To avenge the Indians? What had he been doing two hundred years earlier? He was also performing a sacrifice, but to himself, attempting to reawaken his power through slaughter.
Observing the scene had been quite rewarding for Bella. Her invisibility, still in its cognitive stages, had finally broken through the final barrier, solidifying into a spell.
The essence of the spell was invisibility, not total disappearance. Her scent and body remained in the material world, and would be deactivated by hostile actions.
Would this spell be effective in the current situation? Bella sighed helplessly. It wasn't going to be much use at the moment.
She continued to stare at Storm, trying to gather some inspiration.
"Bang!" It was as if a sharp awl pierced a balloon in the air, and Storm's magic collided with the Indian curse in the canyon.
The curse felt offended, and it roared out from the trees, from the pits, from the water, and from the cracks in the rocks.
Countless "rustling" sounds suddenly appeared in the surrounding dense forest, and countless insects were awakened. They wanted to eliminate these invaders who broke into their homes. The Indian tribes back then had failed to defend their homes, but these insects could do it today.
"Now!" Storm was extremely exhausted. Her spells and the Indian curse collided head-on. She fell from mid-air and was supported by two agents as she ran into the house. As she ran, she shouted to Bella inside.
Bella was well prepared. If you ask who the Mayan God of Death loved most, she certainly didn't know, but if you ask who the God of Death hated the most, she would definitely be at the top of the list.
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(End of this chapter)