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Chapter 24: Skin Cloth
October 19, 2022 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Tony wouldn't easily trust S.H.I.E.L.D., even if they repeatedly expressed goodwill towards him.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global organization. Besides the Five Great Security Councils, it wields an authority so vast it makes one tremble, even possessing some preemptive authority. S.H.I.E.L.D. branches exist in every continent and country, and within these branches, countless agencies and departments are subordinate. Such a global political and military organization is bound to have an unknown number of nefarious elements mixed in.
Its unique status dictates that it must accept the constraints of several major powers. Accepting these constraints means allowing or tacitly approving the placement of personnel from various major nations. Within each major nation, there are countless powerful interest groups, constantly scheming against each other and balancing interests, making S.H.I.E.L.D. a chaotic mix. It's enough to make almost anyone break down. Only an old Agent like Nick Fury, who has served for decades, could possibly manage it, and even he organizes many intricate relationships methodically.
Tony didn't mind cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D., but if Nick Fury truly wanted him to join at this critical juncture, becoming a formal member, it was impossible. Even if he were to join, it would only be after Hydra was purged. Otherwise, he might as well seek refuge with Mr. Wayne.
Take the Avengers, for example. Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. established it, in the end, S.H.I.E.L.D. lost everyone's trust. The members of the Avengers no longer trusted them. By the time they fought Ultron, the Avengers had essentially withdrawn from S.H.I.E.L.D., becoming a semi-private organization, with all its daily expenses and equipment completely supported by Tony Stark.
When cooperating with an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., one must remain cautious and vigilant, as there's no telling when one might be targeted by one of its internal factions.
In fact, even without joining them, Tony himself was a powerful Mutant.
During this period, he ought to gather some people of his own; fighting alone was becoming a disadvantage.
He'd start with this cunning Old Bartender.
"Hey, old man, are you dead yet?" Tony dragged the Old Bartender into the house, tossed him into a random corner, pulled out a brick, and waited quietly.
The Old Bartender distinctly felt a chilling Killing Intent, and with a jolt, his eyes snapped open.
"Ouch, why does my head hurt so much..." As soon as he woke, the Old Bartender clutched his head in pain, then was startled to find his head had swollen a size larger, making him somewhat frightened.
"What did you do to me?! You bastard!"
The Old Bartender was filled with both grief and indignation. No one had ever treated him like this in his life. What had happened? An unreasonable bastard had stormed into the bar, kidnapped him, and then casually beaten him into a swollen mess?
Tony sneered. If it weren't for the scene in the bar, he would have been fooled by the old man's acting. A bartender in a Vampire Bar, who was neither a Vampire nor a Ghoul Tribe member, would definitely be suspicious.
"Cut the act," Tony gestured with the Vibranium in his hand, feigning to strike, and threatened, "Tell me, who exactly are you? At the very least, I dragged you out of that den of wolves, so you should be grateful."
The Old Bartender immediately replied, "I'm just an ordinary person. They captured me because they wanted to turn me into a Vampire, that's all."
The Old Bartender's tone was decisive and direct, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times and become instinctive. He sincerely expressed his gratitude to Tony, claiming Tony had saved his life and he would surely repay him in the future. After speaking, he made to leave.
Tony grew impatient, knocking him down with a brick, striking very hard. Tony said, "If you're trying to pique my curiosity and competitive spirit, then I'll tell you, you've succeeded. But my patience is limited. Just tell me directly, who exactly are you, and why did the Vampires kidnap you?"
Tony was truly out of patience. This old fox, operating in Vampire Territory, was also a slippery fellow. If the Old Bartender genuinely refused to cooperate, he would truly choose to kill him.
He was in fierce conflict with the Vampire Clan, with the possibility of an all-out war at any moment. Even out of caution, he couldn't just let the Old Bartender walk away, allowing him to be captured by Vampires and reveal his intelligence.
"You should understand, I dragged you to the parking lot and then dragged you back. I won't allow you to just leave me so casually. You've seen many things you shouldn't have." Tony issued a direct ultimatum.
The Old Bartender clutched his head, fell silent for a moment, and finally spoke, indicating his willingness to cooperate with Tony and tell him everything he knew.
"Got any beer? I'm thirsty," the Old Bartender said.
Smack!
The Old Bartender, rubbing the new swollen lump on his head, finally became compliant.
"My family has been part of the Ghoul Tribe for generations, faithfully serving the Thompson Family for generations. We were originally loyal."
The Old Bartender slowly recounted his family's past to Tony, and his very first sentence made Tony frown deeply.
Every Vampire Family possessed a vast number of Ghoul Tribe members. Some Ghoul Tribe members even operated as entire families, solely dedicated to serving Vampires in pursuit of immortality, handling affairs that occurred in the sunlight.
The Old Bartender told Tony that his family had served Vampires for generations, but when it came to his father's generation, things changed. The Old Bartender's father found an ancient artifact in a ruin, left behind by a Vampire ancestor. It was rumored to contain a great secret. Once such an artifact was discovered, it would immediately be sealed away by the Vampire Clan, forbidden from appearing in the world, as the Vampires wanted to research its secrets themselves.
"It was a Skin Cloth, covered in ancient script," the Old Bartender said.
The Vampires had spent hundreds of years trying to decipher this script, but to no avail. Even with more and more Skin Cloths in their possession, it was useless; they simply couldn't decipher it. Many Vampires had even given up.
"Your father succeeded?" Tony frowned deeply.
"Yes," the Old Bartender stood up, found the refrigerator, and took out a beer. "At least partially. My father deciphered some of the Skin Cloth's secrets. Using the most advanced computers of that era, combined with his exceptionally high IQ and linguistic prowess, he managed to decipher a portion through a mix of educated guesses."
"These Skin Cloths recorded methods for God Creation. As long as a Vampire mastered this method, they could create a Deity for the Vampire Clan."
This was truly shocking; it was God Creation!
"A Deity for the Vampires, supreme and unparalleled, even if artificially created, possesses incredible power. My father was deeply captivated by it." The Old Bartender chugged down a bottle of beer in one go, then took out a second, his demeanor becoming somewhat manic.
"He went mad, completely obsessed with becoming a Deity. Although he was a Ghoul Tribe member, he yearned to become the sole God of the Vampires, ruling over their lives and deaths. The possibility of transforming from a servant to a master drove him insane; he cared about nothing else."
(end of chapter)
October 19, 2022 Author: Great Demon Spirit
Tony wouldn't easily trust S.H.I.E.L.D., even if they repeatedly expressed goodwill towards him.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global organization. Besides the Five Great Security Councils, it wields an authority so vast it makes one tremble, even possessing some preemptive authority. S.H.I.E.L.D. branches exist in every continent and country, and within these branches, countless agencies and departments are subordinate. Such a global political and military organization is bound to have an unknown number of nefarious elements mixed in.
Its unique status dictates that it must accept the constraints of several major powers. Accepting these constraints means allowing or tacitly approving the placement of personnel from various major nations. Within each major nation, there are countless powerful interest groups, constantly scheming against each other and balancing interests, making S.H.I.E.L.D. a chaotic mix. It's enough to make almost anyone break down. Only an old Agent like Nick Fury, who has served for decades, could possibly manage it, and even he organizes many intricate relationships methodically.
Tony didn't mind cooperating with S.H.I.E.L.D., but if Nick Fury truly wanted him to join at this critical juncture, becoming a formal member, it was impossible. Even if he were to join, it would only be after Hydra was purged. Otherwise, he might as well seek refuge with Mr. Wayne.
Take the Avengers, for example. Even though S.H.I.E.L.D. established it, in the end, S.H.I.E.L.D. lost everyone's trust. The members of the Avengers no longer trusted them. By the time they fought Ultron, the Avengers had essentially withdrawn from S.H.I.E.L.D., becoming a semi-private organization, with all its daily expenses and equipment completely supported by Tony Stark.
When cooperating with an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., one must remain cautious and vigilant, as there's no telling when one might be targeted by one of its internal factions.
In fact, even without joining them, Tony himself was a powerful Mutant.
During this period, he ought to gather some people of his own; fighting alone was becoming a disadvantage.
He'd start with this cunning Old Bartender.
"Hey, old man, are you dead yet?" Tony dragged the Old Bartender into the house, tossed him into a random corner, pulled out a brick, and waited quietly.
The Old Bartender distinctly felt a chilling Killing Intent, and with a jolt, his eyes snapped open.
"Ouch, why does my head hurt so much..." As soon as he woke, the Old Bartender clutched his head in pain, then was startled to find his head had swollen a size larger, making him somewhat frightened.
"What did you do to me?! You bastard!"
The Old Bartender was filled with both grief and indignation. No one had ever treated him like this in his life. What had happened? An unreasonable bastard had stormed into the bar, kidnapped him, and then casually beaten him into a swollen mess?
Tony sneered. If it weren't for the scene in the bar, he would have been fooled by the old man's acting. A bartender in a Vampire Bar, who was neither a Vampire nor a Ghoul Tribe member, would definitely be suspicious.
"Cut the act," Tony gestured with the Vibranium in his hand, feigning to strike, and threatened, "Tell me, who exactly are you? At the very least, I dragged you out of that den of wolves, so you should be grateful."
The Old Bartender immediately replied, "I'm just an ordinary person. They captured me because they wanted to turn me into a Vampire, that's all."
The Old Bartender's tone was decisive and direct, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times and become instinctive. He sincerely expressed his gratitude to Tony, claiming Tony had saved his life and he would surely repay him in the future. After speaking, he made to leave.
Tony grew impatient, knocking him down with a brick, striking very hard. Tony said, "If you're trying to pique my curiosity and competitive spirit, then I'll tell you, you've succeeded. But my patience is limited. Just tell me directly, who exactly are you, and why did the Vampires kidnap you?"
Tony was truly out of patience. This old fox, operating in Vampire Territory, was also a slippery fellow. If the Old Bartender genuinely refused to cooperate, he would truly choose to kill him.
He was in fierce conflict with the Vampire Clan, with the possibility of an all-out war at any moment. Even out of caution, he couldn't just let the Old Bartender walk away, allowing him to be captured by Vampires and reveal his intelligence.
"You should understand, I dragged you to the parking lot and then dragged you back. I won't allow you to just leave me so casually. You've seen many things you shouldn't have." Tony issued a direct ultimatum.
The Old Bartender clutched his head, fell silent for a moment, and finally spoke, indicating his willingness to cooperate with Tony and tell him everything he knew.
"Got any beer? I'm thirsty," the Old Bartender said.
Smack!
The Old Bartender, rubbing the new swollen lump on his head, finally became compliant.
"My family has been part of the Ghoul Tribe for generations, faithfully serving the Thompson Family for generations. We were originally loyal."
The Old Bartender slowly recounted his family's past to Tony, and his very first sentence made Tony frown deeply.
Every Vampire Family possessed a vast number of Ghoul Tribe members. Some Ghoul Tribe members even operated as entire families, solely dedicated to serving Vampires in pursuit of immortality, handling affairs that occurred in the sunlight.
The Old Bartender told Tony that his family had served Vampires for generations, but when it came to his father's generation, things changed. The Old Bartender's father found an ancient artifact in a ruin, left behind by a Vampire ancestor. It was rumored to contain a great secret. Once such an artifact was discovered, it would immediately be sealed away by the Vampire Clan, forbidden from appearing in the world, as the Vampires wanted to research its secrets themselves.
"It was a Skin Cloth, covered in ancient script," the Old Bartender said.
The Vampires had spent hundreds of years trying to decipher this script, but to no avail. Even with more and more Skin Cloths in their possession, it was useless; they simply couldn't decipher it. Many Vampires had even given up.
"Your father succeeded?" Tony frowned deeply.
"Yes," the Old Bartender stood up, found the refrigerator, and took out a beer. "At least partially. My father deciphered some of the Skin Cloth's secrets. Using the most advanced computers of that era, combined with his exceptionally high IQ and linguistic prowess, he managed to decipher a portion through a mix of educated guesses."
"These Skin Cloths recorded methods for God Creation. As long as a Vampire mastered this method, they could create a Deity for the Vampire Clan."
This was truly shocking; it was God Creation!
"A Deity for the Vampires, supreme and unparalleled, even if artificially created, possesses incredible power. My father was deeply captivated by it." The Old Bartender chugged down a bottle of beer in one go, then took out a second, his demeanor becoming somewhat manic.
"He went mad, completely obsessed with becoming a Deity. Although he was a Ghoul Tribe member, he yearned to become the sole God of the Vampires, ruling over their lives and deaths. The possibility of transforming from a servant to a master drove him insane; he cared about nothing else."
(end of chapter)
