Chapter 73: New Mission – Destroy the Blood Coffin, X-Agent Mercenary Corps

"A powerful superhuman has appeared in New York, known as the Ice Demon. With his help in this operation, even Lilith might not be able to stop us from bringing the sacred artifact back to New York," said the leader of the Vlad family softly.

"Don't underestimate Lilith. She may be a vampire, but she has none of the usual weaknesses. Witch Gysep's magic has made her immune to silver and sunlight," replied the elderly man lying on the bed, a hint of helplessness in his eyes as he mentioned Lilith.

This was a family matter—their family's legacy. But Lilith Drake, a former monk of the Holy See who turned her back on God after gaining immortality through black magic, despised the descendants of Tepesh.

As the world evolved, the New World countries rose to global prominence while the once-mighty Roman Empire crumbled into history. Though Obaro's theocracy lay dormant, dark forces watched as humanity entered a new era. The Vlad family, while wealthy enough to influence the mundane world, could feel the pressure building as their alien heritage was slowly suffocated by human advancements.

The old man, the pillar of the Vlad family, knew that if he fell, the wolves circling the weakened family would close in. Returning their family relic to the New World had become their desperate dream.

"Patriarch, we paid a hefty price to secure this superhuman's assistance, even giving up our stake in Tesla Lighting Energy to pay him," said Luo Fei, one of the family rulers, his expression firm.

"If he fails to bring back our sacred object, we'll let him die at Lilith's hands," Luo Fei Vlad's fierce voice echoed through the room.

"The Archbishop of Fiji has allowed us to take the sacred object, pressured by Lilith's relentless pursuit. However, we must be discreet, or the Archbishop's future in the Holy See could be jeopardized," Old Mu cautioned.

Luo Fei Vlad nodded. "The Archbishop is a man of God, and we will tread carefully in all matters involving him."

With a wave of his hand, the old patriarch dismissed Luo Fei, hoping their mission wouldn't spark a new war. Vampires and other dark forces weren't exactly popular in today's information-driven world. If exposed, not only would political attention zero in on them, but the potential for chaos was immense. The promise of immortality could drive ambitious men to madness.

The Vlad family's wealth could not protect them from the consequences of exposure. Like sunlight, it would destroy them.

On the plane to the Vatican, Ethan Hayes placed a groggy Julia Roberts onto the bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. After changing, he returned to his seat.

The flight attendant, dressed in her sleek uniform, sauntered over, her movements intentionally seductive. She bent slightly to offer Ethan a glass of red wine, revealing just enough of the deep snow-white of her cleavage.

"Sir, Mr. Smith called to inform you that a deal has been struck with Osborn," she said, handing him a tablet.

"The information you need is here, sir. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to call me," she added, her lips curling into a suggestive smile. Ethan had seen that same look before—in Julia's eyes. It was the hunger for wealth.

He didn't mind. People were naturally greedy, and if a woman didn't talk about money but spoke of love instead, it was a much more serious matter.

Ethan swiped through the tablet, finding two folders. He opened the first, which contained a video of Tesla Lighting Energy's press conference, announcing its acquisition by the Osborn Group. Connery, the CEO, signed the contract at the end of the video, and everything seemed in order.

For the media, the acquisition had caused quite a stir. However, from their demeanor and expressions, Ethan could tell that Wells Fargo's consortium had bribed some of these reporters to ensure favorable coverage.

It didn't matter. Nobody dared cross him when it came to his money.

He then opened the second folder, revealing a picture of a heavy wooden coffin adorned with a large cross. This was his next mission: to retrieve the coffin from the Vatican and bring it back to New York.

Ethan's gaze narrowed. Something about the coffin unsettled him—it exuded a thick, ominous energy.

"A coffin stolen from the Vatican? This should be interesting," Ethan muttered.

Just then, the system issued a new task:

[New Mission: Destroy the Blood Coffin. The ancient Nightcrawler, cursed and forsaken by God, lies dormant in the blood coffin. He is the king under the night sky, a notorious villain, and a symbol of eternal evil. Inside the coffin, blood parasites born from cursed soil writhe in hunger. Destroy them. Reward: Purple Blind Box!]

Ethan sneered. So that's why the coffin felt so familiar—it was a blood coffin, straight out of the Blood Clan TV series. But it was also different somehow. The purple blind box reward caught his attention—this was no ordinary mission.

The last purple blind box had given him the Frozen Fruit, one of his favorite anime powers. This time, it could be something even greater.

"Destroy the blood coffin?" Ethan mused, rubbing his chin as his eyes focused on the picture of the ancient, carved coffin.

He had made a deal with the Vlad family to deliver this coffin back to New York in exchange for Tesla Lighting Energy, a key part of his plan to control Osborn's energy supply. Tesla's revenue alone would net him over two billion dollars a year.

But if those blood parasites spread, would this world turn into a vampire Marvel universe? Or perhaps a zombie Marvel universe? The possibilities intrigued Ethan, as the Marvel multiverse had many alternate timelines, all starting the same but diverging at key moments.

"System, looks like I've got no choice. I'll deliver the coffin to New York and destroy it myself."

His women—Jessica, Julia, and Wenger—were all in New York. If this coffin's evil affected them, it would be too great a risk.

"Sir, the plane is about to land. I wish you a pleasant journey," the flight attendant said, her voice tinged with disappointment.

"Wake Julia up," Ethan instructed.

The attendant nodded and headed to wake Julia Roberts, who was still passed out.

"Julia can't keep following me around," Ethan muttered to himself. "Once we land, I'll send her back to New York immediately. Dealing with vampires is too dangerous for someone like her."

Upon landing in Rome, Ethan was escorted to a hotel overlooking the Vatican. While Julia was sent back to New York, Ethan wasn't alone. A team of elite mercenaries from the X-Agent Mercenary Corps awaited him.

The team consisted of:

• Captain Alex Haicheng, codename: X-Agent

• Inez Temple, codename: Outlaw

• Mary Jello, a mutant with powerful abilities

• Anthony "Tony" Masters, the skilled Master of Imitation

• Sandy Brandenburg, a striking redhead with deadly accuracy

When Ethan arrived, Alex Haicheng stepped forward. His massive frame and the "X" scar across his face were intimidating.

"I'm X-Agent, in charge of this operation. I don't know why the Vlad family hired you, but orders are orders," Alex said, extending a leather-gloved hand.

Ethan didn't take it. He briefly studied the group, his mind quickly recalling their abilities. The only one who stood out was Anthony Masters, the Master of Imitation. Ethan remembered him as a former SHIELD agent injected with a special serum, though he hadn't yet reached his peak as an anti-hero.

"You better watch your back," Outlaw Inez smirked, spinning her gun in her hand.

Ethan turned to the middle-aged man who had brought him to the hotel. "When will the goods arrive?" Ethan asked, referring to the coffin.

"The goods are still being prepared for transport. Remember, no violence inside the Vatican," the man replied with a smile.

Ethan handed him the tablet. "My task is simple: watch you load the goods onto my jet and deliver them to New York. If the goods don't arrive, it's no longer my concern."

Ethan's gaze shifted to the three women in the group. "Also, if the Vlad family thought sending these women to share a room with me was a good idea, they didn't do their research. I don't have feelings for black women," he said flatly.

The man in black paled. "Sir, please. You were invited by the Vlad family. We—"

Ethan interrupted, "The Wells Fargo consortium paid for this mission. If I'm unhappy, the consequences will be severe."

Laughter erupted from the group, especially from Inez Temple and Sandy Brandenburg.

"I like this guy," Sandy said with a grin.

"Sir, please follow the rules," the man in black pleaded, clearly rattled.

Ethan, now tired of the conversation, turned to leave. "Let me know when the goods are ready," he said, smashing open a locked door in the hotel and heading to rest. It had been a long flight, and he was exhausted.

Behind him, the mercenary group exchanged uneasy glances, but their captain, Alex Haicheng, simply smirked. "Don't worry. We'll finish this mission as planned," he said, ignoring the rising tension in the room.

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