Chapter Thirty-Four: Undercurrents Stir

After going through the information on the flash drive, Natasha gained a basic understanding of the Ouroboros organization, the Ancient One, Kieran, and the others.
"A person who stands above the entire world of the occult—truly terrifying," Natasha mused. "By the way, since wizards and such exist, perhaps members of the clergy do as well. We can’t go to the major powers, but how about checking out the Vatican?"
"The Vatican? If you and I can think of that, don’t you think the think tanks of those countries haven’t thought of it too? That place will soon become a living hell for intelligence agents. Soon, if you drop a brick, nine out of ten people it hits will be spies," Nick Fury replied helplessly. This was the limitation of S.H.I.E.L.D.—without a true patron, they were at a distinct disadvantage when facing national powers.
“If that won’t work, and this won’t either, what am I supposed to do? Just sit here?” Natasha asked anxiously, deeply worried about her future.
“No, you have two tasks now. First, try to reestablish contact with your former teammates. Second, see if you can find anyone on the occult side who specializes in tracking. I believe Rogers is still alive—it’s time we found him.”
Nick Fury instructed her, “These two missions are strictly confidential, not to be recorded in any files. Only you and I will know.”
Natasha nodded, feeling slightly relieved after realizing she was still considered a valuable asset.
A knock sounded at the door. Nick Fury opened it to find Coulson standing outside.
“Director, they want to access our high-level files. Mr. Pierce is stalling for time, but you’d better come quickly,” Coulson said urgently.
“I’m on my way!” Nick Fury hurried out without another word. There were things in those files that could never be revealed to foreign leaders; if those secrets were exposed, his career would be over.
“They” no doubt referred to the nations funding S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha thought with a sigh.
Left alone, Natasha sank her consciousness into the Ouroboros mark. There were some things she didn’t intend to share with Nick Fury; she knew him well—there was nothing he wouldn’t sell, just as there was nothing he wouldn’t suspect.
There were three messages in the mark, friend requests from Phina and the others.
After accepting them, Natasha saw that Genomy and Vernon hadn’t sent any further messages, just the friend requests. Only Phina had followed up with a message.
After all, Natasha and Phina had spent the assessment together, so they were somewhat closer.
But as Natasha prepared to reply, a notification suddenly flashed across the mark:

[No usable energy detected. Please channel energy such as, but not limited to, blood essence, internal force, or mana into the mark. Otherwise, communication will consume points.]

Natasha immediately stopped and brought up the points page. The record clearly showed her sources of points, mostly from containing the Annabelle doll; the points from the rookie assessment were negligible in comparison.
Although she didn’t know the exact value of points, it was obvious that using them for “chatting” was a losing proposition.
With that in mind, she opened the exchange interface, browsing the available general items for her authority level.
One item in particular caught Natasha’s eye: a career compatibility testing potion. Expanding the drop-down, she saw even more specialized versions.
Still, Natasha was reluctant to pay the shipping fee—without energy to transfer items through the Ouroboros mark, the cost would equal the price of another vial.

[A message popped up: “Blue-robed Apprentice Mage wants to send you an item. Accept?”]

While hesitating at the exchange screen, Natasha clicked “accept” without a second thought.
The next moment, a blue glass bead and a note dropped into Natasha’s hands.
“Don’t use points to chat—it’s a total loss! This is a mana crystal I made myself. Don’t be afraid to use it; if left unused, its energy will dissipate completely within three hours. Waiting for your reply—Phina.”
Phina’s thoughtfulness touched Natasha, who hadn’t felt a genuine emotion in a long time. Pressing the mana crystal to the mark, Natasha entered communication mode.
Phina: “Are you free now? I need your help with something.”
Natasha: “I’m available. What do you need me to do?”
Phina: “Well… Could we talk in person? There isn’t much mana in that crystal, and I don’t think it’ll last for the whole conversation.”
Natasha: “Of course. Where should I find you?”
Phina: “Stark Tower—the headquarters. Let me know when you arrive.”
Natasha: “No problem.”

After exchanging a few words, Natasha noticed that the mana crystal was already half clear; it really didn’t last long. She was almost tempted to use Skype, but guessed Phina didn’t have an account.
Not long after leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., Natasha arrived at Stark Tower, a landmark in New York.
After searching in vain for Phina, she sent a message. Half a minute later, following Phina’s instructions, she found a secluded spot—and disappeared from there.
At that moment, several satellites lost track of Natasha’s location.
After a brief sensation of weightlessness, Natasha found herself in a building decorated in a style reminiscent of the last century.
“Welcome,” Phina greeted her with a big hug.
“Um… Where are we?” Natasha asked, looking around.
“This is a temporary residence arranged by my teacher. It comes with a fixed-point teleportation array, free of charge. My room is just next door,” Phina explained, leading Natasha inside.
Once in the room, Natasha took out the now completely transparent mana crystal. “Honestly, isn’t it a waste that just two messages used up all the energy?”
Phina sheepishly brushed her hair aside. “Actually, it’s my lack of skill. The mana wasn’t condensed well, and most of it dissipated into the air when you pressed it. But honestly, you really need to learn a cultivation method, or you’ll always be limited.”
“Cultivation method? I only saw a qualification test in the exchange interface, nothing about cultivation methods…”
“Oh, you have to test your qualifications first. Only then will the compatible methods appear. But don’t worry, the potions in the mark are overpriced. Let me see if I can get one from my teacher—it should only cost half the points.”
Natasha nodded in understanding. When it came to these matters, it was always best to trust the expert. Besides, she doubted Phina would try to cheat her over a few points; they would have to work together in the future, and it wasn’t worth damaging their relationship over such a small thing.
In fact, Natasha felt that Phina was a bit like the model student at university—the honest, reliable type.