Chapter 116: The Hydra Branch’s Fight for Survival in the Face of Death

As Zhao Ling'er traveled toward the United Kingdom, deep within an underground facility in Northern Ireland, two men stood hunched over a map, gesturing animatedly.

"Boss, do we really have to keep going? This situation is spiraling out of control. If it blows up, not only will the state powers and the occult factions come for us, but our own superiors will likely finish us off as well," a Hydra underling said, his voice laced with anxiety.

"Forget about the superiors. You don't actually believe they can return to what they were a hundred years ago, do you?" Ryan took a drag from his cigar and exhaled a ring of smoke, his eyes fixed on the dissipating haze. "They’ve been hiding for so many years. Aside from infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D., what have they actually accomplished?"

"But... Boss..." The underling remained hesitant.

"Enough with the 'buts.' Don't you see it yet? Those people simply don't care about us; they have other things to attend to. If they did, we would have been liquidated long ago. For all we know, those moles in S.H.I.E.L.D. are already being watched. At a time like this, we must act boldly! We must seek life within the jaws of death!"

Ryan slammed his palm onto the table. Beside the map of the UK lay a portrait of Artoria, the most prominent feature being the crown of the British Empire atop her head.

"But Boss, if we do this, can we really force that legendary King Arthur to renounce her title as the Monarch of the British Empire?" The underling was still doubtful. "If it were me, I certainly wouldn't give it up. It’s just some public backlash; we could just suppress it with force."

"You don't know a damn thing. What are we? We’re a criminal organization, the bad guys! What are they? An official organization, the 'good guys.' Don't you understand the principle that a gentleman can be deceived by his own integrity? I tell you to read more books, but you never do!" Ryan sounded impatient. However, he had few trusted men left, and while this underling’s personality was flawed, his loyalty was certain.

"I understand. I'll have the MPs continue to push the narrative." The underling scratched his head. Since the boss had made up his mind, he had no choice but to obey.

"Once we have the Crown of the British Empire, the UK will be completely in our hands. We’ll finally be able to wash our hands of this criminal life. By then, everything will be better." Ryan painted a beautiful future for his subordinate, effectively brainwashing him.

The underling nodded. "I understand, Boss. I live only to serve your commands!"

"Good. One more thing: is the list of S.H.I.E.L.D. moles I asked for ready?" Ryan asked.

"It’s ready, but that sector is quite isolated. We didn't have the clearance, so I only managed to get files on some of the lower-level personnel," the underling replied.

"That's enough. If we run out of time later, just leak these files. An international organization embroiled in such a massive scandal should buy us enough time to make our escape." Ryan closed his eyes, mentally reviewing his plan. It wasn't a great plan—it relied heavily on luck—but it was all he had.

The room fell silent after Ryan finished speaking. A moment later, he waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

Once they were gone, Ryan stood up from his chair, turned a hidden switch on the wall, and opened a downward passage.

All that talk about seizing control of the UK was a lie. If the Crown of the British Empire possessed such power, would King Arthur have been pushed into this corner by them?

His true goal was to steal the crown and flee to the stars. With that object in his possession, he could raise an army in the stars, and he would never have to use the name "Hydra" again.

Hydra—"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." What a load of nonsense. It was nothing but empty boasting. The higher-ups claimed Hydra was backed by aliens; pfft! If they really had such backing, would they have been forced to hide in the dark corners of the world for a hundred years? Ryan had stopped believing that garbage long ago.

As for how he would leave once he had the crown, Ryan already had a way. It was a method that relied on the "ally" he had recently acquired.

In the secret base beneath the secret base, electrical sparks crackled constantly, the blue light they emitted eliminating any need for artificial lighting.

Ryan walked halfway down, donned a specially insulated suit, and continued to the lowest level, entering a massive, reinforced chamber.

"Don't bother trying. The walls are reinforced with vibranium-infused materials. With your current power, breaking through with electricity is impossible. Why waste your energy? Once the plan is complete, I will naturally set you free." Ryan stood outside a transparent window, looking at Xerath within, and spoke softly.

Inside the chamber, Xerath was much smaller than he had been when he fought Azir and the others—hardly larger than a child—but the violent electricity surrounding him proved he was not to be trifled with.

Xerath had shrunk because he had just been resurrected. Beneath this secret base lay a magical energy vein that had surfaced due to the rising global energy levels. Deceased magi naturally resurrected in areas of high energy concentration, but a newly revived magus was extremely weak—weak enough for Ryan to capture.

"I have already provided you with concealment. Why are you here?" Xerath hovered in the air, looking at Ryan as if he were looking at a corpse.

"Just here to remind you to keep the noise down. If you attract your enemies, I might not survive, and you won't fare any better. I hear you're immortal, but there's always a way to seal you, isn't there?" Ryan’s tone was thinly veiled with threats.

"I know that better than you do," Xerath replied coldly.

"Good." Ryan turned and left. He had only come to check if his bait was still there. S.H.I.E.L.D. and Xerath were both pieces of bait in his plan. Once these two forces were unleashed, those people would have no time to deal with him, allowing him to escape easily.

After Ryan left, Xerath seemed to heed his words and stopped thrashing about. He hovered in mid-air, silently watching the direction of the stairs.

Yet, beneath the floor of the chamber, hidden under the vibranium-infused material Ryan trusted so much, pale blue magic circles were operating perfectly. They were drawing energy from the magical vein beneath the base and transmitting it directly into Xerath’s body.

If the insulation had been made entirely of vibranium, Xerath might have been trapped, but since it was only slightly infused, it could not stop him. The abilities of a legendary magus went far beyond mere electric shocks.