The Richest Man, S.W.O.R.D.

The hundreds of former kings looked at Wang Bert with considerable hostility. Wang Bert shrugged and asked Bast, "All Wakandans come here after they die. Why hasn’t your population—uh, or rather, ghost population—exploded yet?"

Bast was speechless. He yawned again and said, "You should deal with those former kings first!"

Wang Bert asked the former kings, "What will it take to calm your anger?"

One of the former kings said, "Simple. Defeat us!"

Wang Bert pointed at them and asked, "You mean all of you? You’ll come at me together?"

"That’s right, all of us together!"

The former king said, "If you beat us, you can take Wakanda’s throne. But if you lose, you and Erik must leave Wakanda!"

"Fine!"

Wang Bert did not object. He said, "Though I’m currently weakened, beating you shouldn’t be difficult!"

The former kings all snorted coldly, while Bast burst into laughter. "Blood God, I like your arrogance. In my name, let the arena appear!"

At Bast’s words, a gigantic arena appeared out of thin air. Immediately afterward, Wang Bert and the former kings’ bodies rapidly solidified, becoming no different from their real bodies! "Inside the arena, everything is just like reality!"

Bast said, "Fight!"

"Just like reality? That makes it even easier!"

Wang Bert smiled. His figure suddenly appeared before one of the former kings, and he reached for the man’s mask. To his surprise, however, he could not remove it!

The former king kicked at Wang Bert, but hit only an afterimage. Wang Bert complained to Bast, "Didn’t you say it was exactly the same? Why can’t I take it off?"

"It is exactly the same!"

One of the former kings said, "However, the Black Panther suits we wear are specially made. They’re sealed as one piece and can only be removed with special equipment."

"You Wakandans really love cheating!"

Wang Bert said irritably, "Fine. Since you want to play, I’ll play with you!"

"Then let’s play!"

Hundreds of Black Panthers charged forward together. They were impervious to blades and bullets, and there were so many of them. There was no way they could lose to a weakened Blood God! Wang Bert sneered, his body flashing as he carried one Black Panther into the sky. Then he unleashed his secret technique: Left and Right Shake! In one second, the Black Panther was shaken hundreds of times. When Wang Bert released him, he fell to the ground and began vomiting wildly. The problem was that he was wearing a mask, and the mask could not be removed! Thus, the unfortunate Black Panther was knocked unconscious by the stench of his own vomit!

"So it really is realistic. Let’s continue!"

Wang Bert said with a broad smile. All the Black Panthers took a step back in unison. Being beaten down was no big deal, but being knocked out by the stench of their own vomit? That was far too disgusting. Just thinking about it made them want to throw up!

Just as Wang Bert was about to attack again, one former king raised his hand and said, "Blood God, you are indeed formidable. I admire you. I believe Wakanda will surely prosper under your rule. Farewell!"

After saying that, the hundreds of former kings vanished together. Wang Bert was speechless. Those guys were way too good at reading the wind.

Wang Bert shouted, "Where’s your fighting spirit? Where’s the fighting spirit of Wakandans? Wakanda forever?"

"Stop shouting. They never had much of an objection in the first place. They just wanted to come out and have some fun!"

Bast said, "Still, kid, you’re quite something. You actually came up with a move like that!"

Wang Bert laughed. "When it comes to clever little tricks, I’ve always been good at them!"

"Sometimes, clever little tricks alone aren’t enough!"

Bast’s expression turned serious as he said, "Blood God, when Ancient One drove away the demon gods back then, her methods were exceptionally brutal. The corpses of gods and demons were piled into mountains. While she is here, no one dares seek revenge. But if she is gone, those demon gods will surely bathe Earth in blood."

Wang Bert frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I’m telling you to be prepared. Ancient One won’t be able to protect Earth for much longer!"

"Protecting Earth isn’t a problem. I’ve always been doing that!"

Wang Bert asked in surprise, "But shouldn’t the next Sorcerer Supreme handle those demon gods?"

Bast smiled without answering, directly sending Wang Bert’s soul back into his body!

Wang Bert said angrily, "Again? Can you big shots stop saying half of something and leaving the other half unsaid?"

A group of attendants tending flowers stared at Wang Bert in bewilderment. Wang Bert said irritably, "Erik, get up. You didn’t drink enough Heart-Shaped Herb just now. Drink another dose!"

"Oh, then get me another cup!"

Erik sat up from the soil and said. The attendants were utterly stunned. He could get a refill?

Under Erik’s forceful demand, the attendants still did as instructed. Then Erik was buried again!

"What a hassle. This world has more dangers than I imagined!"

Wang Bert frowned. Why was it so hard to peacefully be a wealthy god? Should I arrange a car accident and send Dr. Strange to Kamar-Taj ahead of time?

Wang Bert’s heart stirred. Dr. Strange, Stephen Strange, was currently working at his hospital. To be honest, the guy was a little annoying—far too arrogant, somewhat like Tony Stark in the beginning! Then Wang Bert shook his head. It was better to let everything take its natural course.

After a while, Erik crawled out of the soil again. He jumped twice and said, "I feel pretty good! The Heart-Shaped Herb not only enhanced my physique, but also greatly strengthened my mind!"

Wang Bert smiled. "That’s good. Your Majesty, you should prepare for your coronation ceremony now!"

Inside a Wakandan house, former King T’Chaka sighed after hearing a report from an attendant. "The Panther God has acknowledged Erik!"

T’Challa said, "That’s only natural. Erik is not only powerful, but also very benevolent. The Panther God would definitely acknowledge him!"

T’Chaka glanced at T’Challa without speaking. Erik’s personality was clearly different from what the intelligence reports described. Either the intelligence was wrong, or Erik had been controlled by the Blood God! It was not difficult to accept that a Vampire could control people; it happened all the time in movies! That was why T’Chaka had paid special attention to Erik taking the Heart-Shaped Herb. If Erik had truly been controlled by the Blood God, the Panther God would certainly have noticed!

"Looks like Erik is fine. Forget it, the current situation isn’t too bad!"

T’Chaka shook his head and said to T’Challa, "I’ll go to America with you. Being an ambassador isn’t so easy, especially under Wakanda’s current circumstances!"

T’Challa was overjoyed. "That’s wonderful, Father!"

A few days later, Wang Bert, representing America, officially signed an agreement with Wakandan King Erik—the two sides formed the Alien Resistance Alliance, opening up to each other, cooperating, and jointly resisting invading aliens! In addition, Wakanda promised to export at least one hundred kilograms of Vibranium each year!

In short, everyone was happy. As for those prisoners and warships, they would be secretly returned to America, and neither side would acknowledge that this war had ever happened.

Wang Bert asked, "President Ellis, are you satisfied with the agreement I negotiated?"

"Satisfied, extremely satisfied!"

President Ellis grinned so broadly that his eyes nearly disappeared. This agreement not only resolved the previous major problem, but also found America an ally against aliens. It could not have been better! Once this agreement was announced, President Ellis would not only avoid being forced from office, but would also earn widespread praise! "Blood God, the military has approved the Space Station. However, they require a certain degree of oversight!"

Returning the favor, President Ellis said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. also wanted oversight, but I rejected them. What can those parasites do besides embezzle money?"

"There’s no need to pay attention to S.H.I.E.L.D. The Space Station exists to guard against aliens, not deal with internal Earth affairs!"

Wang Bert said, "President Ellis, happy cooperation. I’ll support your reelection as much as I can!"

"Then I truly have to thank you, Blood God!"

President Ellis beamed. With the Blood God’s wealth and the influence of Super Heroes, his chances of reelection were excellent! After ending the communication, Wang Bert stretched. His trip to Wakanda had come to a perfect conclusion. Though the gains were not much, they were barely acceptable—a Wakandan king’s position! "And you call that not much? With Wakanda helping us, the Blood Clan is completely secure!"

Erik scoffed. "By the way, how far should I go in helping Black people?"

"Whatever. I’m not Black!"

Wang Bert said, "Make becoming a permanent member the priority. I’m very interested in that veto power!"

"I understand!"

Erik nodded. He said, "Take your five hundred kilograms of Vibranium and get lost. Wakandans don’t like seeing me too close to you!"

Wang Bert gave Erik the middle finger and reminded him, "Everything else is negotiable, but don’t get anyone killed, or it’ll become very troublesome! Also, study hard. Don’t neglect your studies. Those books Ancient One gave you are ridiculously hard to understand!"

Wakanda’s new king cursed rudely, "Get lost!"

As the flaming skull drew closer, Whitehall, one of Hydra’s leaders, shouted in alarm, "What the hell is that thing? Stay away from me!"

"Whitehall, or rather, Reinhardt, this is Ghost Rider. His ultimate move is the Penance Stare, which can see every memory from a person’s life!"

Carter sneered. "If that person carries grievous sins, their soul will be burned to ashes by Hellfire!"

"I don’t need to see his memories to know he’s burdened with sins!"

Damon sneered. Suppressing the urge to burn Whitehall alive, he said to Carter, "Ms. Carter, please be as quick as possible. The thing inside me really wants to burn him to death!"

"Immediately!"

Carter said to Whitehall, "Whitehall, this is your last chance. Talk, or turn to ashes?"

Whitehall glanced at Carter, then suddenly sneered. "Carter, you’ve really gotten worse with age. You think a skull can scare me? What Penance Stare? I don’t believe it at all!"

"Then I won’t hold back!"

At that, Damon eagerly moved in front of Whitehall and shouted, "Look into my eyes!"

"Wait!"

Carter wanted to stop him, but Whitehall’s eyes had already met Damon’s.

Carter sighed helplessly. At least they would be able to learn who Hydra’s leader was!

A moment later, Damon raised his head and cursed at Whitehall’s corpse, "What a scumbag. For immortality, he actually dissected a woman alive!"

"This is Hydra!"

Carter shook her head and impatiently asked, "Damon, who is Hydra’s leader?"

Damon said, "Alexander Pierce. He’s the Hydra leader you’ve been looking for!"

"It really was him!"

Carter could not help sighing again. After thinking for a moment, she said to Damon, "Damon, change back first. I have the feeling you want to burn me too."

"Alright."

Damon nodded and changed from a skull back into his original form. As he panted, he apologized, "Sorry, Ms. Carter. The sins on you are a little heavy too!"

"My hands were stained red long ago!"

Carter did not care. She extended her hand to Damon. "Damon, thank you for your help!"

"It’s nothing. Come find me anytime you need help. Hydra shouldn’t exist!"

Damon shook Carter’s hand and turned to leave. Carter picked up the phone and summoned Tony and Steve! "So it wasn’t that bald guy after all. Unbelievable!"

Inside the room, Tony shook his head. "Doesn’t that bald guy look like a villain no matter how you look at him? What kind of good guy breaks into someone else’s house in the middle of the night, doesn’t turn on the lights, and scares people?"

"The facts prove that Nick Fury isn’t Hydra. The real Hydra is Alexander Pierce!"

Carter smiled bitterly. "Honestly, I didn’t expect it either. Do you know? Pierce once turned down the Nobel Peace Prize!"

"Just like in movies, the ones who look most like villains usually aren’t villains!"

Steve said, "Pierce holds a high position and great power. Without concrete evidence, we can’t move against him!"

Tony’s eyes flickered, as if he were plotting something. Carter hurriedly said, "Tony, calm down. I don’t want you turning from a Super Hero into a supervillain!"

Tony took a deep breath and said, "Don’t worry, I know my limits. Aunt Carter, what should we do next?"

"Follow the original plan. Bring S.H.I.E.L.D.’s elites into our S.W.O.R.D., while secretly gathering evidence and waiting for the right opportunity!"

Carter said, "Also, I’ll talk with Fury. Fury is very important if we want to deal with Pierce!"

"Talk to him if you want, but Fury can’t join S.W.O.R.D.!"

Tony said, "That isn’t just Bert’s opinion; it’s mine too. S.W.O.R.D. doesn’t need a super-corrupt official. The money he embezzled alone nearly matches all of Hydra’s!"

Even Steve could not help shaking his head. Although Fury was not Hydra, who would want a colleague who stole that much?

"Don’t worry. After this final battle, Fury will retire."

Carter smiled. Steve suggested, "Coulson is good. I think he can join S.W.O.R.D.!"

"We can consider it. In any case, every new member must be approved by all three of us before joining!"

Carter nodded. Then she went to find Nick Fury and told him about their discovery! "The moment you gave me the account books, I knew Pierce was Hydra’s leader!"

Fury smiled bitterly. In just a few days, he seemed to have aged ten years. He looked at Carter with his one eye and said, "I can help you, but only if S.H.I.E.L.D. is preserved!"

"You’re not helping me. You’re helping yourself!"

Carter said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. must be destroyed. Nick Fury, are you willing to do this final job?"

"Ms. Carter, without S.H.I.E.L.D., who will deal with nonhumans like the Blood God?"

Fury asked loudly, "The Blood God is getting more and more arrogant. Don’t you see it? Before long, he’ll become humanity’s greatest threat!"

"He won’t, because he is already this world’s ruler. Why would he oppose himself?"

Carter said, "The biggest difference between S.W.O.R.D. and S.H.I.E.L.D. is that S.W.O.R.D. advocates inclusiveness. Tolerance allows greatness!"

"Ridiculous."

Fury wanted to argue, but Carter waved her hand. "I have no interest in debating you. Fury, if you’re unwilling, I won’t force you. Once everything is over, I’ll let you leave!"

Fury fell silent for a while before saying weakly, "I’ll help you. Pierce has been preparing Project Insight these past few years. It should be Hydra’s plan to rule the world. You can start there!"

Carter’s eyes lit up. "Project Insight? Tell me the details!"

After listening to Fury’s explanation, Carter could not help cursing, "Pointing guns at everyone’s heads? Nick Fury, you’re no different from Hydra!"

In New York, inside the recently renovated Blood God Building, Wang Bert smiled at Victor Doom as he entered. "Doctor Doom, welcome!"

Doom, chairman of Doom Corporation, shook Wang Bert’s hand and said excitedly, "Mr. Wang, you’ve finally returned to New York. I’ve been waiting for news from you every day!"

"It’s a shame you’re not a woman. Otherwise, I’d be very happy!"

Wang Bert smiled. "Doctor Doom, have a seat. Why were you in such a hurry to see me?"