Chapter 72: Desire Value Breaks Five Million, Pierces The Duke

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"Nick, can you tell me the true identity of my partner? A small guy with powers like Superman."

This message from Tony Stark appeared at the same time another urgent alert came through—a strange accident on the Manhattan Bridge. A line of vehicles had been swept into the river by massive water dragons, followed by a burst of fire illuminating the riverbed, creating a unique and mesmerizing scene with the rising steam.

Nick Fury's fingers trembled slightly. "I underestimated you, Ethan," he muttered to himself.

Fury had always believed that Ethan Hayes, a high school student, was powerful yet restrained—someone who could be absorbed into S.H.I.E.L.D. But now, he realized how wrong he was. Ethan wasn't just a high school student; his power seemed demonic, almost invincible. A threat greater than even Professor X.

Having lived through the Apocalypse crisis, Fury knew how terrifying Professor X's abilities were—controlling minds and subtly influencing people's deaths. But as powerful as Professor X was, his moral compass kept him grounded. He built bridges between humans and mutants.

The real danger, Fury now saw, wasn't the mutant abilities themselves, but the desires and ambitions that grew with such power. And in Ethan's case, that danger was looming.

Natasha Romanoff, noticing Fury's unease, asked, "Sir, what's wrong? This seems like a good thing. Why the long face?"

Fury turned his phone off and sighed, "Nothing, Natasha. Tony sent me something I need to deal with. But tell me—do you think it was right for us to form the Avengers?"

Natasha Romanoff smiled, recalling something Ethan had said. "I feel like I have a sword in my hand. When danger comes, I can protect myself with it."

She had sensed a certain pessimism in Ethan's tone when he spoke about the future. For someone as powerful as him, it seemed strange to doubt the future. Was there something bigger, something more dangerous on the horizon?

"Yes, a sword," Fury repeated, thinking of Tony. Like his father, Howard Stark, Tony had an innate talent that could be harnessed in times of crisis. If Tony could join forces with Captain America, they wouldn't be without a powerful weapon. And if Captain Marvel stayed on Earth, even better.

"Cover up what happened tonight. And issue a global warrant for Dr. Connors—he's to be stopped at all costs," Fury ordered.

Dr. Connors had already begun using biological weapons, and S.H.I.E.L.D. needed to stop the flow of his genetic technology before he created an army of monsters. Phil Coulson, standing nearby, nodded grimly. "I'll issue the orders now."

As Coulson left, Fury's mind shifted to Natasha. "Natasha, get into Osborn as soon as possible. We need to know how much genetic research they've done. If there's even a chance of a monster army, we need a solution—and fast."

Meanwhile, Gwen Stacy slowly stirred in bed, sunlight casting a soft glow on her pale skin. Last night, she had tried to keep up with Ethan, but after hours of battling both physically and emotionally, she had finally passed out.

Ethan was already gone, leaving only a note by the bedside:

Dear Little Spider, I have some business to handle at the company. I left you a plastic spoon by the bed.

Gwen chuckled softly. "Ruthless guy."

Getting out of bed, she winced at the soreness in her legs. This guy is getting stronger every day, she thought, both amused and worried. How could she possibly keep up with him in the future?

Should I break up with him? The thought passed fleetingly through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. There was no way she could leave Ethan, not after feeling so connected to him. Even if her mind betrayed her, her body wouldn't.

Maybe I should find him a sister… Gwen's rebellious mind wandered before she laughed at herself. "Yeah, right. This guy is mine."

She smirked to herself. Anyone who tries to take him from me can deal with Ghost Spider.

Back at his office, Ethan signed the final documents. As of Monday, Osborn would officially be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. The company owed Wells Fargo $12.6 billion, and Ethan had fought hard to privatize it.

He checked his status panel:

Host: Ethan Hayes

Wealth value: 12.86675 billion points (can be used to improve Ability)

Desire points: 5.32 million points (can be used to break through)

Abilities: Strength of Mammoth, Dragon Pulse

Special Abilities: Frozen Fruit (Tier 2, Awakening Peak), Burning Fruit (Tier 2, Awakening Peak), Mind Immunity (Passive), Water Control Magic (Dominator level)

Skills: Phantom Fist (Transformation Realm), Dragon Elephant Prajna Kung Fu (Thirteenth Level Peak)

Reward: Red Blind Box (1)

Task:

Destined Encounter: Face a special heroine, establish a super-friendship, and gain greatly. Task reward: Blue Blind Box (stacked three times).

With his Desire points surpassing five million, Ethan knew things were beginning to accelerate. He noticed the names of various powerful individuals who had become aware of his actions—HYDRA higher-ups, Professor X, even Magneto. His actions were creating shockwaves.

And then there was Gwen, whose influence on his desire value had surged by 800,000 points. "Maybe I should rename the system the Destined Encounter System," Ethan thought, amused.

But there was more to life than fighting and chasing women. He had bigger plans. He met with Connery and Smith later that day, one step closer to securing control of the Osborn Group.

Smith, ever nervous, hurried to catch up with Ethan. "Mr. Hayes, do you remember our deal?" he asked, looking around anxiously.

Ethan smiled. "Of course, Smith. Now, what do you want from me for this trip to Europe?"

Smith leaned in and whispered, "The Vatican. We need your help to retrieve an item from the Vatican and bring it back to New York."

Ethan's face grew serious. "That's dangerous territory, Smith. Playing with forces in the Vatican is akin to fighting God."

Smith wiped his brow nervously, his hands trembling. "I'm just the messenger, Mr. Hayes. If you're not interested, I can pass that along."

Ethan chuckled darkly. "Dealing with demons is one thing, but the Vatican… you're playing with fire."

As Ethan boarded his private jet bound for Rome, he received another call from Smith's boss—an old man from an ancient lineage who had lived for centuries, waiting for the return of his ancestor Vlad III, the Impaler. The head of the Vlad family had been searching for answers in religion, science, and the supernatural, hoping to extend his life once more.

The Vlad family, whose lineage traced back to the legendary Dracula, was running out of time. And now, with Ethan in their sights, the game was about to change forever.

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