Chapter 85: Even If You're the Sorcerer Supreme of a Parallel Universe, You Still Have to Negotiate Mercenary Matters
A religion that worships the Xenomorph? Okay, that sounded reasonable. No matter the era, any mysterious power beyond human reach would always inspire a group of people to wildly overthink things, leading to unrealistic fantasies.
Thompson was initially watching with a cold eye, irritably thinking they were all a bunch of fools, but he soon thought of the increasingly famous Weyland Tower.
The mysterious power led by Du Wa—or rather, a cluster of mysterious powers—occasionally recruited people publicly.
"Everyone, do you know who that new Female Thor is? I'm telling you, she must be a new recruit for Weyland Corporation! Of course, we can't hope to compare to her, but if we can make contact with the Xenomorphs, become a Xenomorph, we too can shed these frail and pathetic bodies!"
A man in a black robe at the forefront was passionately proclaiming his theory.
What the hell. Du Wa himself probably didn't even know he had a follower among the populace spreading such a nonsensical theory.
A religion was actually popping up... It was enough to make one think Doomsday had arrived.
"For ordinary people like us, this is the apocalypse! Whether we can survive this disaster depends on either luck or the Xenomorphs!!"
The black-robed leader held up two fingers, explaining with great earnestness.
It seemed to make some sense, but it was a bit of a stretch.
Thompson looked at the audience again. Hmm, a bunch of hopeless individuals—either bullied junkies or thoroughly evil gangsters.
The key point was, he recognized the guy giving the speech.
Carl Burbank, a priest who stood six feet tall and weighed over two hundred pounds.
Evidently, Burbank also recognized Thompson in the crowd and glanced over.
"Your gaze is as sharp as ever, pastor. But I never imagined you'd walk such a path, betraying your faith."
After the crowd dispersed, Thompson frowned, staring at the burly priest before him. "Perhaps I shouldn't have come to you for confession when my soul was troubled."
"Quite the opposite, you should be seeking me out. I can help you." Burbank's expression was certain, his face meticulously clean-shaven.
"Help me by having faith in the Xenomorphs? You're insane. To put your faith in a creature that actually exists—one that will die if you kill it."
"Don't say that. Unless you can kill a Xenomorph for me to see. With your skills, I believe you could kill an ordinary one, but what about a slightly stronger one? And what about those two new types of Xenomorphs that people have photographed? Why don't you try killing one of those?"
Flash Thompson's expression soured. He knew what Burbank was referring to.
One type was the Dracula Xenomorph. There were quite a few of these, and they often appeared as squad-leading captains. Many people had tried to figure out the origin of these Xenomorphs, wondering which branch of vampires could be so powerful, only to be dealt with so quietly by Du Wa.
The other type was the Giant Xenomorph, which stood four meters tall with bluish-white skin. This one was easy to guess; the host origin was definitely a giant race from off-world. After all, it was no secret that Du Wa had sent troops to participate in an extraterrestrial war.
"Not talking anymore? Thompson, do you know why I suddenly changed my mind? It's because I've watched too many young people get addicted to drugs and OD, killing themselves. That's when I realized that the human species is just too fragile. Pathetically weak, beyond saving, and addicted to base desires! Even when they know something is wrong, they do it uncontrollably! Saving themselves is just a pipe dream."
Burbank slowly raised his head, a savage smile spreading across his face. "So, I thought long and hard, and I finally discovered the best solution to this problem: all you need to do is find a powerful entity to control these weak-willed people. When being a priest can't save humanity, becoming a Xenomorph will!"
"I refuse. I acknowledge the power of the Xenomorphs, but I don't believe becoming one of them is the solution."
"Even if it could heal the trauma in your mind? Reactivate those shattered nerves in your body?" Burbank said with a low laugh. At this moment, he didn't resemble a priest at all, but rather a homicidal maniac.
This time, Thompson fell silent. He dreamed of freeing himself from the terrible side effects of the Symbiote. But defecting to Du Wa... was it really possible? To be implanted by a creature like a Xenomorph and instantly become a superhuman—could that truly pull him out of his nightmare?
"What makes you so confident?" Thompson asked in a low voice. To an unknowing observer, their behavior might have looked like a drug deal in progress.
"Remember The Hand, that notorious ninja organization from Japan? Didn't you clash with those guys back in the last century? That organization is about to be finished."
Burbank's smile was somewhat cruel. "A Jotunheimian—you know Jotunheim, right? Yes, one of the worlds of the mythical World Tree—this Jotunheimian defected to Du Wa and is now under orders to attack The Hand. Can you imagine how insane that is? This short, bald giant, carrying two M16s, ran halfway across the Earth to gun down those ninjas! I hear things have gone completely haywire in Japan. Someone there saw a special Xenomorph that looked like a Symbiote-Xenomorph. It's obvious Du Wa is experimenting with new weapons."
"So what are you trying to say?"
"The source of your endless suffering, the Symbiote, has now been captured by Du Wa. He has many powerful people under him and has already deployed Symbiotes on the battlefield! Some people have even seen human hosts carrying Symbiotes with them inside Weyland Tower!"
A fervent look appeared on Burbank's face. "How could Du Wa not know how massive the drawbacks of the Symbiote are? Isn't he afraid of his subordinates losing control? This can only mean one thing: he can firmly control all the Symbiotes, just as he has the loyalty of all the Xenomorphs! Stop lying to yourself, Thompson. I know how much pain you're in. Why not try a different way of life? It's not like he's asking you to do anything heinous."
For the first time, Thompson genuinely hesitated. To be honest, he was very tempted. He dreamed of escaping the Symbiote's influence.
Every quiet night, he battled the crazed thoughts in his brain, struggling to suppress his instincts.
As for serving Du Wa and inevitably having to kill people, that wasn't a problem for Thompson. Don't forget, he was a former high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and a host to a Symbiote. Slaughter was a daily routine for him.
"You've already gotten a Xenomorph?"
"Not yet, but if I can bring an excellent agent like you with me, the probability of success will be much higher." As Burbank spoke, he ripped off his priest's robes, revealing a body of well-developed muscles.
Swish!
A shield suddenly flew over, ricocheting off the alley walls at a bizarre angle and heading straight for Burbank's head.
Burbank immediately ducked and threw a powerful uppercut, knocking the shield away. The shield quickly flew back under the pull of an attractive force.
"Don't listen to him, Thompson. A talent like you shouldn't defect to someone like Du Wa."
Steve walked out from the darkness. Luckily, he was fast. If he had been any later, this Flash Thompson might not even be human anymore.
But the situation wasn't exactly optimistic.
"Why give up being a perfectly good human to become a Xenomorph? Isn't it good to have a complete personality and self-awareness? Don't tell me you don't know that anyone who chooses to become a Xenomorph can never betray Du Wa. The slightest thought of it will cause a chestburster. You'll be Du Wa's puppet for the rest of your life."
Steve truly was the conscience of justice. His words were forceful and filled with earnest persuasion.
But his justice, when associated with S.H.I.E.L.D., took on a different flavor.
Thompson had only been hesitating, but Captain America's appearance made him come to a decision.
"I've decided to seek Du Wa's help. I'm sick of being tortured by the Symbiote! I've done so much for S.H.I.E.L.D., but you've done nothing for me. Now that you've rebooted the Symbiote project, only to have it destroyed by Du Wa, you finally remember me, the one person whose mind is still barely sane? Are you trying to make use of scrap?" Flash Thompson's expression was ugly.
Steve lowered his head, a trace of helplessness flashing across his face, but he immediately firmed his resolve. "My mission is to bring you back. I will absolutely not allow you to go and defect to Du Wa and his people."
"Give me a break, Captain America. Who do you think you are? Or do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. is some amazing organization? You can't do anything. Which of the major crises that have occurred have you stepped up and solved?" Thompson's muscles tensed, ready to make a move.
"That's why we're working hard to do so now."
"Too late. If you want to fight, then stop talking!"
It was the first time Burbank and Thompson had cooperated, but they had perfect chemistry, moving in unison. The two confronted the famous Captain America in the narrow alley.
Although that "fame" was utterly laughable on a planetary scale.
With Captain America's strength, suppressing these two mortals shouldn't have been a problem.
The problem was, no one would let them act freely.
Soon, gangsters from all around who had heard the commotion swarmed over. The moment they saw Captain America, they drew their guns and fired without hesitation.
Captain America, who routinely fought all sorts of criminal activity, had long been a thorn in the side of every gang. They would take any chance to eliminate him. They all knew that Captain America was just a superhuman, not invulnerable. There was a chance to kill him with ordinary firearms.
Although Captain America's strength was exceptional, and he could take down swathes of people with rapid throws of his shield and its repeated ricochets, the one he wanted to capture, Thompson, escaped in the chaos.
"Mission failed." Steve sighed, standing among a pile of groaning thugs on the ground, pressing his finger to the communicator in his ear.
"Understood. I was originally planning to send Blade and the others to support you, but it's too late. The moment I made a move, I noticed Xenomorphs were on the move as well," Fury said.
"Looks like I'm being watched. This isn't good news, but these Xenomorphs didn't attack directly."
Steve kicked the ground, flicking his shield up, and caught it in his hand. He calmly left Hell's Kitchen. Glancing around, he had already noticed a few scattered Xenomorphs moving about.
"These things have already spread to Hell's Kitchen? Before long, the whole of New York City will be crawling with Xenomorphs. Human society shouldn't be invaded by so many non-human creatures."
Steve spoke to Fury as he walked, "I need to complete that plan you mentioned related to the Cosmic Cube as soon as possible. Things can't go on like this. I suspect I can't even beat these few Xenomorphs around me right now."
Fury didn't reply because after mobilizing satellites in outer space and nearby surveillance to make a careful assessment, he discovered that Steve probably really couldn't win.
The few Xenomorphs nearby, just from their forms, you could tell that each one was possessed by a Symbiote, and they were the unknown Vampire Xenomorphs.
That's right, they were all Dracula Xenomorphs equipped with Symbiotes.
The physical attributes of these Xenomorphs far surpassed Captain America's. Add to that their bodies, which were naturally suited for combat, their incredibly terrifying combat instincts, their numerical advantage, not to mention the form-altering Symbiotes providing support.
"Steve, retreat. There's no need to waste your energy here," Fury said decisively.
Perhaps every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent would feel disheartened. Once upon a time, they were an unshakable behemoth in front of Du Wa, but not anymore. Their proud representative hero was now struggling to fight just a few mid-tier Xenomorphs.
"Then Thompson and the others..."
"There's nothing to be done. I'll hand over everything related to the Symbiotes to Stark and Banner. I'm sure they'll make good use of it."
The defection of his old comrade, Thompson, made Fury fall silent for several seconds.
Having decided to abandon S.H.I.E.L.D., Thompson followed Burbank all the way to Weyland Tower.
"You'd better tell me, what's the status of a priest from this... Alien Cult of yours over there?"
The two stood in front of Weyland Tower. Thompson watched the various silently moving Xenomorphs, his gaze lingering for a few extra moments on those whose bodies seemed limp and partially composed of a viscous liquid, and asked in a low voice.
"I have no status. I established this cult less than a day ago. At first, I was just thinking of scamming some money from young people. After all, young people love powerful and cool creatures." Burbank looked over in surprise, a little suspicious as to why Thompson would ask such a question.
"What? Are you kidding me?"
"I was kidding before, but not anymore. Du Wa places great importance on all kinds of talent. He possesses two powerful creatures, the Xenomorph and the Symbiote, that can drastically increase an ordinary person's power. From what we've seen, there are no gene conflicts between these two creatures. So, for people like you and me who are skilled in battle, we at least won't be turned away at the door."
Burbank dragged the shocked and angry Thompson into the lobby.
Thompson felt a little more at ease seeing the business elites rushing around. Otherwise, he would've fucking suspected he'd been scammed by this black-hearted priest.
What followed was a dazzling series of HR procedures: submitting personal information for verification, creating a file... This series of operations was incredibly professional and formal, making one feel this wasn't some monster's headquarters, but a professional company conducting legitimate business.
Soon, someone came to receive them personally.
"Carl Burbank, Eugene 'Flash' Thompson, you are rare talents. I'm very happy you could join Weyland Corporation. Believe me, you will absolutely not be disappointed."
The moment Gloria appeared, she immediately attracted the attention and gasps of some people in the vicinity.
"Gloria? Why would she come in person! Who are these two guys that they're worthy of her personal attention?"
"This just goes to show that Weyland Corporation has an extremely comprehensive talent pool. I have no idea where they get their intelligence to be able to perform such rapid filtering on all applicants."
It was obvious that many of the people around were spies from various factions, responsible for gathering information. There might even be people from S.H.I.E.L.D. disguised as businessmen from some company mixed in.
Everyone who successfully joined Weyland Corporation would undoubtedly be recorded by this group of people, and the information would be sent back to their respective organizations to create special files.
"It's really enviable. The appeal of defecting to Du Wa is growing stronger and stronger. Any guy with a bit of ambition is trying to gain Du Wa's favor."
"What's that? Back when there were only Xenomorphs, people were already flocking to him. Not to mention they now have things like Symbiotes! Although the Symbiote Super-Soldier Program was a famous failure, since the Symbiotes have fallen into Du Wa's hands, and he dares to use them, he must have a way to eliminate their defects."
The people doing business in Weyland Tower all had decent backgrounds. At the very least, they were well-informed and well-connected, so they naturally knew a lot of intelligence that ordinary people couldn't access.
Without some real skill, who would dare enter Weyland Tower.
As long as one could join Weyland, defect to Du Wa, a Xenomorph larva would be provided. One could instantly gain a superhuman status that most people could never obtain in their entire lives, and it was even highly likely that their lifespan would be extended—although how much one's lifespan would be extended after being implanted by a Xenomorph was still an unknown. No one could give a specific timeframe.
But at the very least, as an official employee of Weyland, one could use the ALIEN-type Agent to steadily extend their lifespan.
According to rumors, the ALIEN-1 agent is already semi-obsolete within Weyland Tower. Mr. Blue has already developed a second-generation product with even stronger life-extending effects.
This sounded incredible. Since when did extending one's lifespan become so simple? But one only needed to look at this world where even Deities and Demon Gods appeared one after another, and at the few intelligent people like Tony Stark who were crazily upgrading the technology tree, to realize that the universe is vast, freaks are many, and a short lifespan is not enough to explore the unknown.
A very small number of people knew of the existence of many extraterrestrials, such as the three great Interstellar Empires. They were even more clearly aware that life-extension technology was absolutely necessary. It was just that at humanity's current level of civilization, it was difficult to find a method for widespread life extension.
But Du Wa could do it. The matter secreted by his Xenomorphs was the origin of life-extending drugs.
Entering the waiting room, the two of them were surprised to find that someone had already arrived before them.
"Martial Arts Master? You're the Martial Arts Master, right? I've heard of you!" Thompson's expression changed slightly as he blurted out, "You're also here to defect to Du Wa?"
"I don't know you." The Martial Arts Master's expression was icy. As someone proficient in every form of combat and weapon in the world, he had no recognition of a minor character like Thompson.
"It seems he's also someone who could be called a Superhero by the outside world..." Burbank's expression was playful. The more talented the people who joined, the more it proved his choice was correct.
The Martial Arts Master was clearly preoccupied, and he said coolly, "If we're categorized by strength, then everyone here is a Superhero. It's no big deal."
Without a doubt, the fact that these three could enter this room meant they had all received permission to join Weyland.
Just as Burbank had said, any one of the three of them, if thrown into the outside world, would be a qualified Superhero or Supervillain. Each one possessed strength no less than Daredevil or Elektra before she was possessed, placing them at the peak of mortals.
But that was in the past. From now on, they would all transcend the limits of mortals and obtain extraordinary power.
...
"I didn't expect these three to show up as a group."
Du Wa, who could monitor everything in real-time, found this very interesting.
Burbank, a former priest with the moniker "Bushwacker." Normally, he would become a world-class bounty hunter, working for Kingpin, Fury, and others, eventually being converted into a cyborg and becoming an extremist dedicated to hunting Mutants.
Flash Thompson, the famous Agent Venom, and a good friend of Peter Parker in certain parallel universes.
The Martial Arts Master, Orestes, Elektra's brother.
Du Wa believed that the defection of these three was definitely not the end, but merely an insignificant beginning.
On this azure planet, many, many individuals who would be dubbed Superheroes or Supervillains would emerge in the future. Every one of them possessed talent worthy of praise.
In a certain parallel universe, Apocalypse bathed New York City in blood, slaughtering every single superhero in New York. The number of superheroes who died in battle reached a staggering seven thousand.
However, the vast majority of these numerous heroes, as well as many villains, were only at the level of peak mortals. They were proficient in various fighting skills and adept with all kinds of weapons, but their physical limitations permanently locked their upper limit.
Not anymore. With two creatures, the Xenomorph and the Symbiote, that had almost no negative side effects, it was enough to allow these mortal heroes or villains to make a qualitative leap.
The price was that they would never be able to escape Du Wa's shadow.
Since they couldn't change it, many people simply changed their way of thinking, choosing to worship Du Wa and venerate the Xenomorphs with all their being. This way, they could sever all psychological burdens and worries, gaining endless desire and confidence.
"Gloria, get these three through the onboarding process. Keep it simple. We are always accommodating of talent. Then, complete their implantation as soon as possible. I'll have use for them very soon." Du Wa sent a message to Gloria.
"Boss, are you going to war? Or do you need manpower to carry out large-scale missions? I'm not trying to pry into your plans, I just want to handle the related logistical support work immediately, like transporting large quantities of meat, ensuring a supply of pure water, and organizing manpower..."
"I'm not sure yet. It depends on what our guest is thinking, coming all the way back to Earth from who knows how many countless light-years away."
For Du Wa, the addition of a few decent characters was just a nice interlude, a little spice in his daily life. As for shenanigans like the Alien Cult, Du Wa paid them no mind.
Since the extremist priest Burbank wanted to do this of his own accord, Du Wa couldn't be bothered to interfere. He was never one to meddle in the lives and thoughts of his subordinates to begin with.
Compared to this, he had more important things to do.
"Finished with your business? I sometimes really don't understand why someone like you would open such a boring company. It's just a way to manage funds."
Mordo, sitting on the sofa opposite Du Wa, made a snarky comment.
Du Wa smiled faintly. He knew Mordo's personality and that he didn't mean to be so blunt and direct. He immediately replied, "I don't really care about this company myself. It's just a front to make it easier to operate on this planet. If one day I decide to leave Earth, I will naturally shed this boring shell of Weyland."
"Leave? When did you start thinking about that? Does the Sorcerer Supreme know? Oh, right, she must know. Perhaps she's already seen you leaving." Mordo started to say something but stopped.
"This doesn't sound like you. I thought you'd be eager to drive me off this planet." Du Wa's tone was calm. He quite enjoyed seeing these guys display a different attitude in front of him than before.
You have to understand, just a few months ago, Du Wa would have had to give a wide berth to someone of Mordo's level. Back then, he had to be extremely cautious when facing Kaecilius, and even more careful with Loki, making thorough preparations.
But times had changed. Those who couldn't keep up with the era, who couldn't adapt in time, would be eliminated. Du Wa had already become a major figure in their eyes.
It even got to the point where Mordo felt it would be best if Earth didn't lose someone like Du Wa. Although this guy was unsettling in some respects and had created a serious threat, even the fastidious Mordo believed that having Du Wa on Earth was truly reassuring, because when things happened, Du Wa would genuinely rush to the front line.
No guardian could refuse someone like Du Wa, not even the Sorcerer Supreme, Mordo thought.
"Let's not talk about this between the two of us. If anyone's going to discuss it, it should be me and the Ancient One. For now, let's have our guest explain in detail his purpose for seeking me out... Sorcerer Kruger, I don't believe we've ever crossed paths."
Du Wa gestured to the person sitting next to Mordo.
This was a red-skinned, humanoid being with a head like a fish.
Kruger, one of the mages of Kamar-Taj, though he had already left, departed Earth, and joined the Marauders.
His superb teleportation magic would definitely be highly favored by those Marauders, ensuring he received the best protection at all times, because it was just too convenient for raiding and plundering.
In some parallel universes, Kruger even became Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.
"I originally thought you would build a powerful force that could intimidate Earth, or even the entire World Tree, just like Kamar-Taj. A person who could join forces with the Ancient One to repel Dormammu, who could kill Laufey, and who could cooperate with the Asgard led by Odin shouldn't be so... low-key."
Kruger's slender body swayed slightly, and the fishtail on his lower half swished gently, making a pattering sound as it hit the floor.
"That day will come, and it will be soon. Although I have great patience, I will never pass up an opportunity. You don't need to worry about me."
Du Wa spoke with a calm expression. If he wanted to, he really could, as Kruger said, build a force comparable to Kamar-Taj.
Kamar-Taj has its magical heritage, allowing those who join to learn magic and gain supernatural power.
Other factions, inferior to Kamar-Taj, also have their own methods of passing down their heritage; it's just a matter of strength.
And in Du Wa's hands were the Xenomorph and the Symbiote—strictly speaking, these Symbiotes weren't complete Symbiotes anymore, but another form of Xenomorph. Either one of these was enough to instantly turn an ordinary person into a superhuman.
It was fast and suitable for mass production. It was at least much better than joining Kamar-Taj, studying magic bitterly for several years just to get started, using pathetic spells like little fireballs, and still ending up in debt.
Kruger shook his head. Two fish-like organs where his ears should be now fluttered like fans. "In all my years with the Marauders, I've seen many ambitious individuals. You are more powerful than any of them, so you should have even greater ambition. Are you planning to swallow the entire Earth, including Kamar-Taj?"
"If I truly had that kind of appetite, Earth would no longer be my concern. The universe is so vast, with so many races. Limiting one's gaze to Earth would be the abnormal behavior." Du Wa pointed to his own head.
What was Earth, what were mortal things? Du Wa's gaze was already fixed far away, extending toward the ends of the universe.
"My time is precious, Sorcerer Kruger. If you've returned to Earth from countless light-years away and specifically sought out someone from Kamar-Taj to act as a mediator to see me, I imagine... if you've come to defect to my side, I would welcome you warmly and grant you a high position." Du Wa's fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop.
"That's a wonderful proposition, but I also have an interesting proposition of my own."
An intense fervor appeared in Kruger's eyes. "I come from the Marauders, a fact you should already know. But you might not know that our Marauders are a vast force with many different branches, so we're in dire need of capable allies... Since you can send troops to fight for the Asgardians, then I was wondering, would you be interested in letting me take a batch of Xenomorphs to other parts of the universe?"
Du Wa's face showed sudden realization. So that was Kruger's plan.
Considering the Marauders' penchant for courting death, running rampant through the various galaxies of the universe with a high mortality rate, it was only natural they would take a liking to a perfect combat weapon like the Xenomorph.
The 'postcard' he sent out by way of the war against Jotunheim was finally starting to have an effect.
(end of chapter)