Chapter 272

"And there’s this…" At the end, Evenson handed over a pair of frog sunglasses. "Richter’s Curse Vision, this piece of equipment named after me, can…"

"Curse Vision?" Before Evenson could finish, Carter bent down and examined the sunglasses closely. "Although I don’t have eyeballs anymore…" Carter frowned slightly. "Then you should know that I’m not blind."

"Of course." Evenson replied with certainty. "Not only are you not blind, you can see more clearly than before. You can see the essence of things, even souls."

"I know." Carter nodded. "Like your hand. In my eyes, it’s black…" She paused slightly before adding, "Blacker than Nick Fury."

"It’s not black! That’s Shadow Power!" Evenson suddenly bristled. Saying my hand is blacker than an Unlucky Person’s—wasn’t that cursing me?

"Fine…" Carter did not dwell on whether it was actually a black hand or so-called Shadow Power. "So there’s nothing wrong with my eyesight. Then these sunglasses…"

"These aren’t blind people’s glasses." Evenson felt that he understood what she was worried about.

"That’s not the issue…" Carter straightened up. "I meant that I can see the tag on them. It says they cost three dollars and twenty cents."

"…" Evenson calmly tore off the tag and said without changing expression, "But that doesn’t stop me from giving them a cooler name. And they can cover up those eyes of yours that ordinary people can’t accept." With that, he directly put the sunglasses on Carter’s face.

"But they don’t actually have any magical effects, right?" Carter adjusted the sunglasses.

"Forget it. Now that all the newbie benefits have been handed out, it’s time for me to deal with this place." Evenson abruptly changed the subject.

"I knew it." Carter muttered softly. She smoothed back her hair and walked out.

After summoning the Eredar Twins last time, he had failed to clean up the scene in time, which led those two little mages to follow the scent there. Evenson would not make the same mistake this time.

Moreover, this had been a transformation ritual. If he did not clean up properly, and some ordinary person came in and messed around, getting eroded by the residual energy in the magic circle… then perhaps The Times headlines a few days later would read: Jack the Ripper Returns After More Than a Century of Secluded Cultivation.

After dealing with every last trace, Evenson came to a table in the corner and stared at a box resting on it. There was still something important inside.

Evenson took out an antique-looking brass key, inserted it into the keyhole, and twisted it. Springs popped out around the sides of the invisible box.

Evenson opened the box. Inside lay a beating heart—a human heart. Although it had been cut out, the green runes carved into the inside of the box had granted it vitality, allowing it to keep beating.

A closer look would reveal a tiny wound on the heart.

"Don’t blame me, Ms. Carter." Evenson stared at the heart and muttered to himself with a sinister grin. "Consider this… an insurance policy."

"Perhaps…" Evenson locked the box again. "I should find an uninhabited island and bury it there. Hmm, yes, I’ll need a compass too."

But in the end, Evenson still felt that keeping the box in his backpack was safest.

"Alright, everyone, I’m done. We can set off." Evenson entered S.H.I.E.L.D.’s command vehicle. "I think Nick Fury can’t wait to see me. Hm?" He looked around and asked, "Where did Natasha go?"

"She went to change clothes." Melinda, seated in the driver’s seat, spoke while looking into the rearview mirror. "I never knew she cared so much about cleanliness. She actually had to change clothes immediately after a mission."

"Maybe it’s a new hobby." Evenson brushed it off, then glanced at the smug-looking Sarah and whispered, "Sooner or later, you’ll scare her away."

"How could I?" Sarah turned her head aside. "We get along wonderfully."

They soon arrived at the nearest airport and boarded a private plane back. The trip was rather boring. Sarah kept sidling up to Natasha whenever she had nothing to do, Tyler hugged a television and watched Black entertainment, while Tripsy, Dumen, and Hubbs gathered together to study how their coordinated combat might still be improved.

Carter was also glued to Captain America. For some reason, though, even after the mission was over, Captain America still refused to take off his mask.

After a night of flying, they landed on S.H.I.E.L.D.’s aircraft carrier. By then, however, the carrier had already taken to the skies.

The moment they got off the plane, they received a warm welcome. Agent Maria Hill personally led a large group of fully armed soldiers to surround them completely. Well, they were mainly surrounding Evenson and his subordinates.

"Esteemed Ms. Carter, it is a great honor to welcome you aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Helicarrier." Hill warmly received Peggy Carter.

Then her face hardened as she said stiffly to Evenson, "You, go see the director immediately. He is waiting for your explanation."

Evenson shrugged. "What a huge change in attitude."

With no other choice, Evenson could only go see the Unlucky Person. Peggy Carter, however, was loyal enough to insist on going with him. And the agents here really could not stop her. Were Level 8 Agents and Level 9 Agents so impressive? I’m one of the founders!

Halfway there, Evenson ran into someone who… could be considered an acquaintance.

Black hair streaked with gray, a weary face, a blue shirt with some wrinkles, brown trousers, and glasses that made him look refined. But Evenson knew that when this man got angry, he could become ferocious.

"Bruce Banner." Evenson stopped and greeted him.

"It’s you?" Banner looked at Evenson. Only after a long while did he remember that the man before him was the one who had fought Abomination alongside him.

"No wonder he dared let me move freely on this ship." Banner suddenly smiled. "So you’re here too."

Banner knew Evenson’s strength. After all, Abomination had been killed by Evenson right in front of him.

"Yes, it’s me." Evenson smiled. "But I’m not here to keep you in check." He pointed behind him at the heavily armed agents. "It seems I’m also among those being kept in check."

"Ha…" Banner looked at those agents and merely smiled. These useless punks? After transforming, I could take on a hundred of them with ease, and they could restrain you?

"But you haven’t been doing too well lately, have you?" Evenson sized Banner up.

"Not bad." Banner said indifferently.

"But you look…" Evenson frowned. "Much older than back then." How long had it even been? He had turned a handsome young man into a middle-aged uncle. Well, of course, it might also have had something to do with the place he had been staying.

"Keep talking like that, and I’ll get angry." Banner said unhappily. He did not know why he had suddenly aged so much either.

"Come on." Evenson walked past Banner and said without looking back, "You could stay in that miserable place in India without getting angry. I don’t know what else could possibly provoke you."