Chapter 4: Hail Hydra!
Chapter 4: Hail Hydra!
At the entrance of the training room—
Allen fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, looking aggrieved. "You're having a great time, but I can't keep up with this every day."
Nyssa's face darkened, and she let out a cold sneer.
Was he finally admitting defeat? Her relentless training over the past few days hadn't been in vain.
"Enough nonsense. Get in."
"Ugh…"
Allen reluctantly followed her into the training room.
—
Bam!
"Ah!"
[Battle failed. EXP +5.]
Bam!
"Ugh!"
[Battle failed. EXP +5.]
[EXP sufficient. Current Rogue level: LV10.]
Bam!
"Oof!"
[Battle failed. EXP +5. Skill unlocked: Shadow Stealth.]
[Shadow Stealth: Actively enter stealth mode. Automatically exits upon attacking or taking damage.]
—
After two hours of getting beaten up, Allen lay sprawled on the ground, looking resigned. "Told you I couldn't keep up."
"Training is over for today."
Nyssa was already used to his stubborn attitude.
If he ever truly admitted defeat, she might actually suspect he was an imposter.
"Wait, don't leave! Come back and fight eight hundred more rounds!"
Hearing this, Nyssa turned sharply, ready to give him another 'adjustment session.'
But Allen had already shut his eyes and gone completely still, playing dead.
Once Nyssa left the training room, Allen tried a kip-up—failed. Tried again—failed. One more time—still failed. Giving up, he sat up properly and opened his interface to check his newly unlocked skill.
Shadow Stealth—a core skill for thieves.
In short, it allowed him to sneak up on enemies and launch surprise attacks.
"How does invisibility even work?"
Allen rubbed his chin in thought. "Is it optical camouflage? Psychological misdirection? Or maybe spatial distortion?"
He activated Shadow Stealth.
His body turned gray, like a ghost drifting outside the physical world.
He strolled openly through the base, even flashing an international gesture at the warriors from a distance.
Being invisible meant he could act shamelessly without restraint.
He snuck into Ra's al Ghul's room.
This was a restricted area.
For a thrill-seeker like him, a "No Entry" sign was practically an invitation.
"Whoa, the boss's urinal is fancy."
Allen stared at the lush green pool in front of him, then unfastened his belt. A steady stream splashed into the water, creating foamy ripples.
If Ra's al Ghul saw this scene, he'd probably destroy the pool on the spot and abandon this training base forever.
This was the Lazarus Pit—a core secret of the League of Assassins.
It had three major effects: healing, extending life, and resurrection.
Similar pools existed elsewhere, but most were under the League's control.
The liquid inside was actually a special metallic compound called Dionesium.
However, all known Lazarus Pits contained impure Dionesium. Repeated use led to mental instability. After extensive research, Ra's al Ghul finally found a solution—
By using the mysterious artifact "Redemption Blade," he could kill himself and resurrect through the Dionesium. Not only would this fully restore him, but it would also rejuvenate his body.
Thus, the Assassin Master had lived for centuries.
After finishing his "business," Allen felt refreshed.
Creak!
Someone entered.
A figure dressed in standard warrior gear, with only their eyes visible, exuded an aura of extreme sneakiness.
The intruder scanned the room cautiously before taking out a metal container and carefully collecting liquid from the pool.
"Someone's stealing pee!"
Allen was impressed.
Even as a professional lunatic, he felt this guy was even crazier.
As the thief bottled the liquid, Allen clasped his hands together and began a mental game.
"Lefty, do you think he's stealing it to drink? If not, I get a reward."
"Righty, you bet he's using it externally. If you're wrong, I get two rewards."
"You two are so naughty. I bet he's using it as mouthwash. If I'm wrong, you both owe me one."
—
Meanwhile—
Zorn carefully stored three vials of Dionesium close to his body.
As a Level 5 S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, his true identity was a Hydra spy.
After years of infiltration, he had finally secured a position as a training instructor at the Snow Mountain Base.
Recent intel revealed the Lazarus Pit's connection to WWII experiments. Back then, a mad scientist named Allen used Dionesium as a key ingredient in his super soldier serum.
Unlike the Winter Soldier serum, which lacked Dionesium's stabilizing effect, this one was superior—Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, was the living proof.
Hydra now aimed to restart the Super Soldier program.
Zorn, maintaining his usual composure, exited the base without raising suspicion.
He remained highly alert, ensuring he wasn't followed as he approached a hidden radio transmitter.
Beep beep—beep—beep…
Beep—beep beep—beep…
Beep—beep—beep beep…
—
A series of Morse code signals transmitted intel via radio waves.
Zorn couldn't hide his excitement. "Based on Hydra's merit system, I might be in the first batch of Super Soldiers. The serum even extends lifespan… this is going to be incredible."
"Relax. In Hydra, even a tissue has its purpose."
Who's there?!
Zorn spun around—
Only to see Allen's face inches from his left shoulder, staring intently at the radio transmitter with eyes full of "wisdom."
When did he get so close?
Why didn't I notice?!
Zorn instinctively leapt back, creating distance.
His hand moved toward his blade.
His identity must not be exposed—otherwise, the League of Assassins would hunt him down.
Given how much Assassin Master valued Dionesium, the League might even declare war on Hydra.
His thumb pressed against the blade's edge, preparing to execute a quick-draw assassination.
Smack!
Allen suddenly snapped to attention, raising his right hand in a crisp 45-degree salute.
"Hail Hydra!"
Zorn: "..."
A fellow operative?
Why didn't I know about this?
The sudden and bizarre turn of events left Zorn momentarily unable to process what was happening.
"If you cut off one head, two more shall take its place." Allen, with a perfectly serious expression, started spouting nonsense. "The organization couldn't wait any longer. Worried that your mission might fail, they sent me as backup, ready to step in whenever necessary."
"..."
That actually made a lot of sense—Zorn found himself unable to refute it.
He was well aware of Hydra's operational style. Once a single Hydra agent was exposed, it meant there were already a second, a third… Their infiltration was always thorough, riddling organizations with spies.
Moreover, Hydra agents didn't even know each other, making a complete purge impossible.
Allen maintained his deadpan expression throughout, and Zorn was now seventy to eighty percent convinced.
After the war, Hydra had successfully infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., vanishing into the shadows. Now, even their field operations were covered by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
And disguising oneself as a lunatic to infiltrate the League of Assassins… that was truly a brilliant move.
"Remember, we've never met, and neither of us knows about Hydra. I have other missions to handle. You don't need me to tell you what to do, right?"
"Mm."