Spellcasting Gods

"So what?" Zhang Cheng asked with an innocent expression.

“You should know that Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. are mortal enemies, right? And many of the agents who were tested have defected to Hydra, yet you didn’t expose them. This has led me to a suspicion, and today I want to confirm that suspicion,” Alexander Pierce explained bluntly.

Zhang Cheng nodded thoughtfully: "I see. However, my answer may disappoint you a little. Strictly speaking, I do not favor either side. Whether it's S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra, I don't care whichever side is in power. I will never get involved."

“Hehe, no, this answer is already very good news for us. In addition, would you be willing to make some deals with us? I promise that the details of these deals will never be known to outsiders.” Alexander Pierce said, gesturing for them to enter the villa.

After passing through the beautiful garden, the group arrived at the hall, which was filled with a variety of exquisite foods and wines.

Judging from the dishes on the table, he had clearly inquired about Zhang Cheng's dietary preferences, and the supply was sufficient to satisfy the enormous appetite of a dragon hundreds of meters long.

“I’m starting to like you a little, Mr. Pierce.” Zhang Cheng picked up the plate, tasted a small piece of rib, and his eyes revealed satisfaction.

Without a doubt, Hydra is far more sincere than the fast food provided by S.H.I.E.L.D., with each dish prepared by top chefs, greatly satisfying the cravings of the palate.

You should know that he's not eating to replenish energy right now, but simply to enjoy himself; the more delicious the food, the greater the enjoyment.

Seeing this, Alexander Pierce quickly put on a fawning smile: "I'm glad you're satisfied. If you don't mind, may I now discuss the details of the deal?"

"Of course! Please!"

Zhang Cheng opened his mouth wide and poured a whole plate of pork ribs, weighing two or three kilograms, into his mouth, making a crunching, creepy chewing sound.

The reason it's described as terrifying is that it chewed up and swallowed all the bones, including several thick leg bones. The bite force alone surpasses that of any carnivore currently existing on Earth.

"First, I want some of your blood!"

"My blood? You wouldn't happen to be..." Zhang Cheng threw down the empty plate and quickly glanced at the bodyguards following behind him.

Sure enough, three of the adult men possessed a faint divine quality, and due to the addition of something unknown, their bones, muscles, and skin were dozens of times stronger than those of ordinary people.

“That’s right! We used that finger segment and the technology we have to create six super soldiers, and you see three of them. With Project Insight about to launch, I need more of these soldiers to eliminate resistance within S.H.I.E.L.D. In return, you can make any request you have, and I promise to fulfill it unconditionally as long as it’s within our capabilities.”

Having said that, Alexander Pierce stopped and looked the other person directly into their eyes, hoping for a positive response.

He believed that since the other party had not exposed him, there must be some possibility of cooperation. Otherwise, Nick Fury would have been able to detect the existence of Hydra with just a little bit of maneuvering.

A mocking glint flashed across Zhang Cheng's face as he answered without hesitation, "Sure! I happen to have a wish list here. If you can deliver it to me within forty-eight hours, I'll agree to provide you with two liters of my blood, enough for you to create hundreds of super soldiers. But the condition is that you give me the formula for another drug mixed in with those soldiers' bodies."

“No problem! We Hydra are very sincere…”

Alexander Pierce took the note covered in tiny writing, glanced at it briefly, and quickly broke into a satisfied smile.

There's no way I can be dissatisfied!

Most of the items on this note are existing assets of S.H.I.E.L.D., such as Quinjet fighters, some rarer elements, a large number of advanced individual combat heavy weapons, and ammunition. Basically, you can get as much as you want by going to the warehouse.

Although he didn't understand what use a dragon with terrifying supernatural power would have for these things, it was a good thing that the other party had a need.

Moreover, compared to two liters of dragon blood, this sacrifice is nothing at all.

"In that case, I'll wait here for your news. Remember, my patience is very limited. If the items on the list aren't gathered within forty-eight hours, the consequences will be very, very serious."

After saying this, Zhang Cheng's entire body suddenly began to swell, transforming into a black dragon hundreds of meters long, filling the entire living room to the brim, its golden pupils radiating boundless majesty...

Chapter 0519 Mischievous Interest

Hydra's operations are always swift and efficient; in just over ten hours, they had delivered everything on the list to the villa.

They even prepared an extra yacht that appeared to be a large yacht, but was actually equipped with an advanced nuclear power system. The aft deck had two direct landing pads, capable of taking off and landing Quinjet fighters or helicopters. The decoration was extremely luxurious, and the total length exceeded 230 meters. It was clearly a high-end product specially designed and manufactured by the Hydra executives to meet their own needs, and it was definitely not something that money could buy.

Looking at the enormous vessel docked at the villa's seaside pier, Zhang Cheng turned to Alexander Pierce with a smile and asked, "Can you explain what this means?"

"It doesn't mean anything by it, it's just a small gift, I hope you like it."

The latter had a faint smile on his face, as if to say that such a priceless yacht was not worth mentioning at all.

That's indeed the case!

For one of the few people at the very top of the massive Hydra organization, the wealth, power, and technology he possesses far exceed the imagination of ordinary people. As long as "Project Insight" can be successfully implemented, all the sacrifices will be worthwhile.

"Using a yacht to test my preferences? Have you forgotten that I can invade someone's brain at any time and read their deepest memories and thoughts?" Zhang Cheng ruthlessly exposed the other party's little scheme.

As his psychic abilities grew stronger, ordinary people had no secrets from him. With just a thought, he could instantly know the mental activities of all humans within a one-kilometer radius.

“No, I’ve never forgotten. I just want to reach some consensus between you and us. Believe me, Hydra can offer you far more than S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Alexander Pierce hinted in a low voice.

"I've said I won't interfere in your fight, so please stop with these pointless little tricks." With that, Zhang Cheng opened his large mouth full of sharp teeth and began chanting in broken dragon language.

In just a few seconds, the huge yacht began to shrink rapidly, eventually becoming a small object about twenty centimeters long, resembling a model.

Also reduced in size were several multi-role Quinjet fighters with different focuses, and trucks loaded with munitions.

After doing all this, he gently beckoned with his finger and put all these technological products, which were at least sixty or seventy years more advanced than those on Magical Earth, into his magic pouch, intending to take them back for future use.

At least when exploring those remote places, the speed can be slightly faster.

However, Alexander Pierce was clearly unaware of this, staring dumbfounded at the proportionally scaled-down airplanes, trucks, and yachts, speechless with shock.

Several minutes later, he finally came to his senses and tentatively asked in a slightly excited tone, "How did you do that? Technology or magic?"

"Magic!" Zhang Cheng answered casually.

Whether in Forgotten Realms or Azeroth, shrinking or enlarging objects is an application of arcane magic.

Generally speaking, the higher the spellcasting level, the more precise the control over energy, and the higher the ratio of shrinking or amplifying.

Of course, the spell he just cast combined the advantages of both worlds. As long as no spell disturbs the stable magical energy around the shrinking object, the object will not suddenly revert to its original state due to the passage of time.

"Magic? Does it have widespread reach?" Alexander Pierce's eyes gleamed with intense longing.

"If you're referring to whether humans can learn, the answer is yes, they can. But the prerequisite is that the person must be extremely intelligent and require thirty to fifty years of learning time to barely manage to shrink an object to one-twentieth of its original size. If I were you, I would absolutely not be thinking about anything else at this crucial moment; instead, I should be focusing my energy on Project Insight. Don't think you have everything under control; Nick Fury is not as easy to deal with as you imagine," Zhang Cheng warned meaningfully.

Arrogance is the enemy of success!

Looking back through the short history of humankind, one can easily find countless unfortunate individuals who were only one step away from success, only to perish because of their arrogance.

He was quite looking forward to seeing what the Marvel Cinematic Universe would look like if Hydra's Insight Project succeeded.

Alexander Pierce smiled reservedly and shook his head: "I know Nick Fury very well. Every decision he makes is exactly what I expected, and there's no way he can turn things around. Besides, more than half of the members of S.H.I.E.L.D. have already sworn allegiance to Hydra. No one can stop our rise."

"Is that so? Then I'll wait and see. Oh, by the way, this is the blood I promised you. Also, I'm very satisfied with your little gift, so I'll give you an extra little trinket." With that, Zhang Cheng handed the other person a large bottle of dragon blood and a semi-transparent crystal ball.

"what is this?"

Alexander Pierce handed the dragon's blood to Brock Rumlow beside him and held up the translucent crystal ball in his palm to examine it closely.

At the center of the crystal ball, there was a flowing silver liquid that kept changing shape, as if it were alive.

“A very interesting little gadget. If you smash it in front of Captain America, I guarantee Steve Rogers will immediately betray us and swear allegiance to Hydra.” Zhang Cheng grinned, revealing a sinister smile.

"Captain America pledges allegiance to Hydra? Are you sure you're not kidding?!" Alexander Pierce's face was filled with disbelief.

In his eyes, even if the whole world were to submit to Hydra's rule, Captain America Steve Rogers would never bow down to Hydra.

The relationship between the two sides has long transcended ordinary hatred, evolving into a fundamental conflict of consciousness, ideology, worldview, and values, which is an absolutely irreconcilable contradiction.

“I never joke! Just imagine what it would be like if Steve Rogers knelt before you in front of a world-class audience and shouted ‘Long live Hydra!’ The whole Western world’s propaganda of freedom and democracy would crumble on the spot, and the military and ordinary people would be utterly powerless to resist…”

At this moment, Zhang Cheng was like a devil, whispering in the ears of the Hydra's higher-ups, each word seemingly possessing magic, filled with inexplicable restlessness.

No Hydra executive could resist the temptation of Captain America kneeling before them and shouting "Hail Hydra!"

Once they achieve this, they will have surpassed John Schmidt, the Red Skull, who was hailed as the greatest leader of Hydra during World War II.

No one knew that Zhang Cheng did this simply to satisfy a deep-seated, wicked desire, and incidentally to see what kind of impact Hydra's rise to prominence would have on the world...

Chapter 520 Suspicion (Part 1)

Alexander Pierce left, taking all his trusted subordinates and burning ambition with him, returning to S.H.I.E.L.D. Trident headquarters to lay the final groundwork for "Project Insight." At the same time, he was fantasizing about the scene where Captain America Steve Rogers, who had become a pillar of the Western world's spirit, would kneel before him and shout "Long live Hydra!"

For him, this was perhaps equivalent to sitting on the throne of the empire and being crowned as the supreme emperor.

Of course, it would be even better if I could extend my lifespan and gain some powerful superpowers along the way.

In fact, one-third of the two liters of dragon blood was allocated to the Longevity Program.

The purpose of this plan is not to acquire war weapons like super soldiers, but to grant Hydra's top brass and key scientists a longer lifespan, preventing the internal power struggles, such as poisoning and assassination, that would occur every time a Hydra leader dies naturally.

Of course, none of this had anything to do with Zhang Cheng.

After completing the transaction, he left the villa and used the special credentials given to him by S.H.I.E.L.D. to take a commercial flight to Washington, D.C., the administrative center of the United States. He strolled alone along the streets, occasionally sitting down at a roadside restaurant or cafe to eat something and browse through the new books he had just bought from the bookstore.

It goes without saying that he was waiting for the show of a head-on clash between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.

Unfortunately, before the real show could even begin, Nick Fury appeared with "Black Widow" Natasha Romanoff and "Captain America" ​​Steve Rogers.

Looking at the one-eyed bureau chief who was sitting aggressively across the table, Zhang Cheng closed the book "Advanced Quantum Mechanics" in his hand, raised his head and greeted him with a smile: "Good afternoon, would anyone like a cup of grapefruit tea? I found that the grapefruit tea in this shop tastes quite good. It makes you feel warm and helps relieve nervous tension."

“No, thank you, but I'm afraid grapefruit tea won't alleviate my current mental state.” Nick Fury shook his head expressionlessly. “Also, could you please tell me where you went after jumping from Coulson's plane? Did you see anyone?”

"Oh? Why do you ask that?" Zhang Cheng blinked, feigning innocence.

"Because you've disappeared from our sight for a full twenty-eight hours! No spending records! No one captured on camera! Even your cell phone signal was blocked! I suspect you've been in contact with someone or some organization behind our backs, which could pose a huge threat." Nick Fury cut to the chase and stated his purpose directly.

It might not matter if someone disappears for a little over a day; at most, you can just keep an eye on them.

But the dragon in front of him, disguised in human skin, possessed far too much power, enough to threaten the safety of the entire world. Even disappearing for a minute would make him nervous.

If he could have easily defeated his opponent, he would have used all his resources and power to kill or imprison him and dump him in a secret base that no one would ever find.

Zhang Cheng wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what the one-eyed bureau chief was thinking. He casually picked up his cup and took a sip of grapefruit tea: "So you came here just to ask me where I went and who I met? Am I a criminal? You should know that according to the laws of this country, your remarks just now were a complete invasion of my privacy. I have the right to call a lawyer and have him talk to you about the next part."

"puff!"

The outspoken Steve Rogers had clearly never seen anyone directly contradict "Egg" before, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Natasha also slightly curled the corners of her mouth, making no attempt to hide the smile on her face.

They never expected that a terrifying dragon from mythology would speak in such a witty and humorous way, and even know how to use the weapon of law.

Nick Fury's face was frighteningly grim. He glared at the other two men and retorted through gritted teeth, "First of all, you are not a citizen of this country, not even human, and are completely unprotected by the judicial system. Secondly, I guarantee that no lawyer will be willing to defend you. Finally, and most importantly, the sooner you confess, the better it will be for both of us."

“Alright, it’s no big deal to tell you. I did go to a place to meet a few people under the escort of a mercenary squad, and I made some deals with them.” Zhang Cheng explained as he picked up the teapot and poured a steaming cup of grapefruit tea for Black Widow and Captain America.

"Thank you very much!" Steve Rogers, who always believed in doing good to others, accepted the cup and expressed his gratitude.

He had no idea that this seemingly harmless young man had prepared a tremendous surprise for him that could change his destiny.

Natasha, without any hesitation, picked up her cup and sipped the scalding tea with great elegance, her eyes constantly scanning the other person.

She wasn't sure if her most proficient physical weapon would be effective against a prehistoric beast that was over a hundred meters long.

"Who are they? What's the deal?" Nick Fury suddenly had a bad feeling and subconsciously frowned.