Chapter 18 S.H.I.E.L.D
At this moment, Neo was inside an SUV, heading toward some secret S.H.I.E.L.D. base where they would "evaluate" his strength.
Clearly, this was just a façade to see if they could contain him or not. Neo's plan was just as simple—walk in, show Fury that he couldn't even perceive half of Neo's true power.
But there was a slight problem: his injuries. He was too wounded to display his full strength, meaning he would really only be able to show half of it.
So, Neo was silently praying they didn't have some major ace up their sleeve—like a damn nuclear bomb, which he still couldn't withstand, or a weapon powered by an Infinity Stone.
Back to the main concern, there were hundreds of things that could threaten his life, which is why he planned to ally himself with S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, it would mean dealing with countless problems, but if they could at least provide him with a piece of land where he could grow stronger…
As Neo pondered his next move—or how he might escape if things went horribly wrong—they finally arrived at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base.
Coulson, sitting beside him, was completely stiff, maintaining an unnaturally upright posture.
At this moment, Coulson was extremely nervous. The tension in the air was so thick he could almost touch it. Even injured, Neo emanated an overwhelming pressure, and despite being armed and surrounded by trained operatives, Coulson had never felt more exposed.
The SUV descended into the underground garage of what initially appeared to be an ordinary abandoned building. But the deeper they went, the less it resembled a garage and more like something entirely different.
Eventually, the vehicles came to a stop in front of a highly futuristic-looking elevator.
As the cars parked, Coulson swallowed hard and spoke apprehensively.
Coulson: We've arrived, Lord Sukuna. I will escort you to the testing site.
When they first got into the car, Neo had instructed Coulson to call him "Sukuna" whenever they weren't around people he knew.
Coulson hadn't questioned the request—he understood the importance of keeping work and personal life separate—so he simply complied.
As Coulson stepped out of the vehicle, Neo immediately sensed a variety of energy signatures. Most were weak, nothing worth noting, but four of them stood out. He couldn't quite identify who—or what—they belonged to.
Seeing that Coulson had already stepped out of the car, Neo followed him and entered the elevator alongside him.
Inside, Coulson stood next to Neo, pressing a specific button before swiping his ID card on a scanner beside the panel.
As they descended, Neo suddenly felt one of the energy signatures growing stronger. His eyes widened in shock, and he turned to Coulson as if the man had lost his mind, speaking with a hint of urgency.
Neo: What the hell are you guys doing with a curse in this place?
Coulson froze completely upon hearing that. He stared at Neo in astonishment, as if looking at some kind of monster, but quickly masked his reaction before responding.
Coulson: You'll have to talk to the director. I don't know what you're talking about.
Neo sighed at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s recklessness when it came to curses. He knew exactly what those entities were capable of, and since he was here, he figured he might as well advise Nick Fury to stop messing with them.
Ding!
The elevator doors opened just as Neo was about to say something. Coulson stepped out first, gesturing for Neo to follow.
Coulson: This way. The director is waiting for you in his office.
Neo followed Coulson down a lightly trafficked hallway, where men and women hurried back and forth, engaged in various tasks.
The corridor was lined with doors, but the one that stood out the most was at the very end. There was nothing particularly remarkable about its design—except for a golden plaque with the word "DIRECTOR" engraved on it.
Neo found the secrecy surrounding Nick Fury's identity somewhat excessive. If anyone—seriously, anyone—was determined enough to uncover the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D., all it would take was some deep research.
The reason why Nick Fury remained so elusive was simple: he belonged to an organization that even influential figures had no idea existed. That's why no one knew anything about him.
Knock, knock.
Coulson rapped on the door marked "Director." After a few seconds, a voice responded from within.
Nick: Come in.
Coulson opened the door, allowing Neo to enter before stepping back and remaining outside, per Fury's orders.
As Neo walked into the office, Fury wasted no time in introducing himself.
Nick: It's a pleasure, Lord Sukuna. My name is Nick Fury, current director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
He stood from his chair and extended his hand for a handshake, waiting for Neo to take it. But Neo simply sat down and spoke.
Neo: I want a double-patty burger, please. And while we wait, we can discuss what we're actually here for.
Fury gave him a serious look before sitting back down. He then picked up his phone, dialed a number, and spoke.
Nick: Bring 20 double-patty burgers.
After hanging up, he turned his attention back to Neo with a faint smile.
Nick: You're right. Let's get straight to the point. First, I can secure you 400km² (4,305,564,200 ft²), but I can't make it exempt from all American laws. However, I can ensure that satellites and certain people won't even know who owns the land or where it is.
Neo wanted to complain but knew that, at the moment, he had zero leverage in this negotiation. So, he simply replied.
Neo: I accept, but I prefer that the land be transferred to my name only after I notify you that I'm ready. Now, the second part of our discussion would be testing my power level, correct?
Nick was still a bit surprised that a child of this age had such maturity, but knowing what Neo had been through, he preferred not to dwell on it too much and responded to him.
Nick: That will be done in a laboratory we've been preparing for you. You'll be taken there once our conversation is over.
At that moment, Nick Fury and Neo were engaged in an invisible standoff, both trying to gather as much information as possible about each other without directly asking.
Nick, noticing that Neo hadn't reacted to the mention of a laboratory, was about to continue, but Neo stopped him and spoke.
Neo: You should be careful with what you're messing with down here.
Fury was confused for a moment, thinking deeply before asking.
Nick: What exactly are you talking about, Sukuna?
Neo let out a faint chuckle and corrected himself.
Neo: My apologies, I forgot that you run dozens of experiments here. I'm talking about the curses you're testing.
Nick showed no outward reaction, but internally, his mind was racing, considering the possibility of a security breach. He was about to test Neo with a probing question, but Neo interrupted him before he could speak.
Neo: I don't care about these little games. I'm being serious, Nick Fury. Stop playing with these beings. They are extremely unstable and unpredictable. The only thing they have in common is their undying hatred for humans.
Neo stood up from his seat, placing both hands on the table as he stared Fury down with a serious expression and continued.
Neo: If you think anything good will come out of playing with these things, trust me when I say that if you continue with this madness, the only thing you'll discover is the true terror of a Special Grade.
For the first time in their entire conversation, Nick had an inexplicable feeling that what this child just said might actually save his life. But he quickly brushed it off and replied.
Nick: Unfortunately, Mr. Sukuna, I have no idea what you're talking about.
He said this with a smile, which Neo simply ignored as he sat back down and spoke.
Neo: Okay, Fury, I won't say anything else. But know this—if I find out that a Special Grade curse escaped from here and you need my help, I'll only step in if the president himself crawls at my feet.
Hearing this, Nick frowned but dismissed it as an empty threat. He then spoke.
Nick: Since I believe our conversation is over, shall we proceed to the laboratory?
Nick stood up as he finished speaking and headed toward the door. Neo followed silently as they walked through the corridors toward the elevator.
Once they arrived at the laboratory, Nick moved toward the center of the room. He then looked at Neo, who stood behind him, and spoke.
Nick: Your test is inside this place.
Nick pointed to what appeared to be a massive metal chamber in the middle of the laboratory—originally designed for the Hulk but now repurposed for Neo.
Seeing the large "cage" of metal in front of him, and even before Nick could explain why he should enter, Neo unleashed a massive amount of energy and split the metal box in two. Everyone in the room was left speechless—except for Nick, who merely widened his eyes.
Neo analyzed the cursed energy expenditure from that attack and felt disappointed by how much it had drained him.
If his fusion percentage were higher, this would have been nothing—less than nothing. So, for now, his best option was to pursue more fusion percentage.
While Neo was deep in thought, Nick Fury could only think of one thing:
"What kind of monster have I just met?"
Seeing that Neo was lost in his thoughts, Nick spoke.
Nick: Sukuna, I think that's enough for today.
A Few Minutes Later
Neo was sitting in an SUV with a pile of hamburgers beside him, eating to speed up his regeneration.
They were now driving through the city, heading toward Neo's home.
As they passed different places, Neo kept thinking about how to make cursed energy users stronger.
Not out of kindness, but because he wasn't omnipresent. More sorcerers would be necessary to exorcise curses when he couldn't. So what the hell could he do about it?
For now, he had a short-term solution that wouldn't work for long—selling cursed weapons to cursed energy users in exchange for them making a vow to exorcise a set number of curses.
Or something like that. But even if he did that, it would only be a temporary fix. The best solution he could come up with was to establish a Jujutsu school in this world, training sorcerers to hunt curses for him. Of course, this idea had hundreds of flaws at the moment, but as mentioned before, it was just a concept.
As Neo was lost in thought, the car passed through Hell's Kitchen.
Suddenly, a message appeared before his eyes, making them widen.
[SPECIAL MISSION: THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE KING][OBJECTIVE: KILL THE KINGPIN AND TOPPLE HIS REIGN OR TAKE IT FOR YOURSELF.][REWARD: 20% FUSION WITH THE CURRENT CHARACTER AND ONE SPIN ON THE UTILITY ROULETTE.]
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