Chapter 14

Considering it's one of the center of the comic worlds, it's not surprising to encounter all sorts of advanced technologies.

But...

He didn't have any actual formula.

"The production of KW89 isn't limited by the manufacturing process, but by the raw materials," Vex casually said. "Its main ingredient is the peel of the Devil Fruit, which can only be found in small quantities in the Grand Line. Do you have that on Earth?"

Fury didn't even need to search; he knew Earth had no such thing.

It would be a miracle if it did!

"Can't we get a bit more?" Fury tried to negotiate, "We can offer you a price you'll be satisfied with."

More money?

Vex nodded decisively.

"Let's start with trading one vial first. If I'm satisfied, we can discuss more in the future."

The implication was clear: Fury needed to show sincerity before they talked about anything else.

This time, Fury didn't oppose it. He glanced at Coulson, who immediately handed over a document.

"Since you're looking to develop a race, you'll need some land."

"You can choose any location in the world. Depending on the value of the location, we can offer anywhere from ten thousand to a million square meters of land."

"A Quinjet, and a passenger variant, with a full weapon system."

"Every type of firearm available on Earth, three sets of each with ten magazines, for your use."

"And lastly, one billion dollars in cash."

"All of this, for the trade of five KW89 vials."

To be honest, Fury's offer was indeed generous.

However...

"These are just ordinary resources," Vex remarked nonchalantly. "Add something truly valuable, and we can trade one vial of KW89."

Fury: "..."

He anticipated that Vex would haggle, but he didn't expect it to be so brutal!

Cutting right at the jugular?

It was outrageous!

Just as Fury was about to continue the negotiation...

"We'll do it my way," Vex glanced at Fury. "If you're in, you're in. If not, we can cancel the deal."

This boldness left Fury at a loss for words.

Earlier, Vex seemed like a "rich fool," but now, when it came to the actual deal, he flipped the script?

After a moment of silence, the three of them arrived at their destination — The Archive Room.

Coulson was about to swipe his card to open the door...

"Buzz—"

The door opened, revealing a pair of long legs in tailored trousers, straight and sharp. A blonde woman with bright blue eyes, exuding a crisp and capable air, stood before them.

Sharon Carter.

The niece of S.H.I.E.L.D. founder Peggy Carter, Sharon was among the most skilled agents in S.H.I.E.L.D.

Whether her appearance was coincidental or orchestrated, what did it matter?

"Hi." Vex greeted with a smile. "This beautiful lady, I need a guide. May I invite you to help me?"

Sharon's gaze turned curious, but she responded with a bright smile.

"What department are you with? What files are you here to access?"

"I'm not with any department. I'm an alien," Vex said earnestly. "I just arrived on Earth and want to systematically understand this world. Do you have any recommendations?"

This left Sharon stunned.

An alien?

This wasn't mentioned in the mission brief!

Coulson and Fury, on the other hand, were speechless at Vex's candor.

Did he just tell everyone he's an alien?

Sharon glanced at Fury and Coulson, thoughtfully nodding.

"Since the Director himself is accompanying you, I assume you're not a bad alien," Sharon smiled. "If you want to learn about Earth's history, how about starting with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s development? Most major global events are recorded there."

"Sounds good. Where do we start?"

"This way."

Sharon led Vex into the Archive Room, disappearing behind the door.

Coulson finally spoke up, "Director, if you've already arranged for Natasha, why also...?"

Clearly, Sharon's presence was another "accidental" encounter orchestrated by Fury.

"I didn't account for Vex's mental fastidiousness," Fury replied calmly. "Due to Natasha's background, deep infiltration is impossible."

In other words...

Sharon was here for "deep infiltration."

Coulson's face showed concern.

"But Sharon's identity...?"

"It's been approved by the higher-ups," Fury said. "Coulson, we discovered something near Iceland. When you get there, you'll understand why I had to do this."

Without further questioning, Coulson nodded in agreement.

Once Fury left,

Coulson pulled out his tablet, accessing a file, and his eyes widened in shock!

"Discovery of...?

Captain America's body?"

Although this world is the center based on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s history, the main world remains the Marvel Universe.

However, it also incorporates plotlines from series like DC, X-Men, and The Boys.

Moreover,

There are discrepancies in the timeline.

For instance,

The Gifted takes place after the X-Men timeline, where Lorna is Magneto's daughter, but her father has already passed away.

Yet, in this world, Magneto is still around, leading the Brotherhood in a global rebellion, trying to secure dominance for mutants.

These "timeline distortions" were plentiful.

This intrigued Vex—where there's variation, there's challenge.

At the same time,

He began identifying powerful female figures, thinking about how to win them over.

Of course,

He wouldn't ignore treasures like the Mother Box or Infinity Stones either.

While organizing his thoughts,

Vex's ears twitched, hearing a report coming through Sharon's earpiece.

"Agent Romanoff is testing the subject's woman in the training room. Your time is running out."

Vex lifted his head, locking eyes with Sharon.

She smiled back at him, though somewhat unnaturally.

Vex pointed to his ear.

"Targeted individual?"

Sharon's smile froze!

Damn!

Her earpiece was an embedded tactical device. Even if someone leaned close to her ear, they wouldn't hear anything!

How sharp was Vex's hearing?

Just when Sharon thought her mission was about to fail due to this oversight...

Vex said, "Since Fury sent you to spy on me, I won't bother chasing you. Just register yourself as my wife."

Sharon: (●—●)

What?

He knew she was sent to monitor him, but still had the audacity to claim her?

Was it her beauty?

Uh...

Is the mission really this easy?

Vex continued to browse through files, casually adding—

"As long as a woman is beautiful, self-respecting, and has a certain level of power, I welcome her to help expand the Star Clan."

"As for ulterior motives, I don't care."

"It's either for intelligence or fear that I might harm Earth."

"A fair trade, don't you think?"

In other words...

He was encouraging Fury to send more women like Sharon his way!

Sharon's expression turned strange

On her first infiltration mission, she encountered this "weirdo"...

She truly didn't know how to react.

Luckily,

Fury had been monitoring the situation and immediately issued an order—