Chapter 21: The Young Lady’s First Blood

This time, Old Wang did not enter the "Heart of Azeroth."

After all, it was only the soul that went in, while the body remained fragile. What if Lucy and the others betrayed him? What if the Spirit of Vengeance caused trouble? The human heart is hard to read, let alone trust these beings that aren’t even human!

So, he only sent a wisp of his mind inside to converse with Miss Azeroth.

Five battery cases were set before him.

After some thought, Old Wang took out another one.

Lucy and the new ghosts were still waiting for a second chance at life!

The Ghost Rider actually had the ability to pull them back from between dimensions, but the key was that Robbie was far too inexperienced and hadn’t mastered dimensional transport yet. If it were "Johnny Blaze," it might be possible, but Lucy and the others couldn’t wait that long—they were on the verge of being dragged into hell.

The Dark Grimoire did record relevant knowledge. It could be done through scientific means, but it required special batteries.

These new ghosts were all theorists; actual operation required Eli.

So, in the end, he had to get Eli out.

For Robbie’s sake, he couldn’t really scrap him. Besides, let it be a way to atone for his mistakes. The scientist team still needed an engineer, and Eli was at least competent.

Eli had ambition? Wanted to be God?

That didn’t matter.

Who doesn’t have a bit of ambition? How many people in this world don’t want to be gods? Just don’t let that ambition surface—otherwise, he’d have to be dealt with.

The trouble was, even if Eli was brought out, building a makeshift quantum generator with existing equipment wasn’t too hard, but the high-tech batteries were out of reach with too little time.

The point remained: the new ghosts couldn’t wait.

Keep one—enough.

At worst, make the quantum generator smaller, convert them one at a time.

It was troublesome, yes, but the main thing was—it saved money!

"King, you finally got your hands on something good?" Miss Azeroth appeared, big eyes blinking, delighted.

Now I don’t have to keep sleeping!

She glanced at the battery cases, and her excitement turned to disappointment in an instant. "Just this?"

They looked so ordinary—how much could they be worth?

"...Whatever they’re worth, just exchange them," Old Wang sighed.

You never realize how hard it is to make a living until you have to run the household! But it was fine; once the Dark Grimoire arrived, Missy, you’d have to bleed for real—just don’t be afraid of the pain.

"All right."

She reached out and pointed into the void.

A ring lit up, and a space-time channel opened.

Old Wang, of course, did not have "Azeroth’s Blood." This time, it was cash on delivery; her true self would pay.

After all, it was her true self, connected to the "Heart of Azeroth," and with the authority to unilaterally open a space-time channel. This was a system rule set by Norgannon, and had to be obeyed.

Four battery cases vanished.

Inside the "Azeroth Ring Road," the spherical space began to overflow with blood, quickly filling up.

Old Wang was instantly shocked. "So much?"

He’d never expected this! Were the battery cases really so valuable?

He thought they could be exchanged for a few grams, maybe a few dozen grams, but this spherical space was big enough to fit himself inside. There had to be at least...

Ten tons?

Could it be the value wasn’t in the cases themselves, but in the technology within them—the knowledge from the Dark Grimoire, knowledge not meant for mortals?

Of course! Knowledge is priceless. Technology is priceless.

Old Wang was overcome with joy.

He began to dream, to calculate.

What could ten tons of Azeroth’s Blood accomplish?

A small bottle of Well of Eternity water could create a Sunwell, and an entire kingdom of high elves drank from it for thousands of years and never finished it. Their bodies may have been ruined, but the pleasure! And they gained incredible magical constitutions, their spellcasting abilities exploding.

The true Blood of Azeroth had to be far stronger than the Well of Eternity’s water.

With ten tons of Azeroth’s Blood, how many Sunwells could be created?

A hundred?

Or a thousand, ten thousand?

If used for summoning, could he not call forth the three Windrunner sisters, Tyrande, Liadrin, Jaina, Lili, Valeera—all of them together, forming a big family to live in happiness for ten months at least?

Or perhaps summon Deathwing to destroy a world or two?

Wait, exactly how much blood was it?

Brimming with ambition, Old Wang waved his hand and summoned the attribute panel.

One glance and he was dumbstruck.

[True Heart of Azeroth (Supreme Artifact)]

[Azeroth’s Blood: 10 micrograms]

The amount of Azeroth’s Blood that seemed enough to fill a bathtub for a soak was actually just ten micrograms?

Missy, are you serious?

Old Wang looked up at Azeroth, his gaze burning.

Had she learned from those unscrupulous systems—to underreport, overstate, and take kickbacks?

"This is just an illusion. I’m concealing your poverty," she said, pointing her finger again.

The abundant Azeroth’s Blood vanished, leaving behind only a single, invisible drop.

Yes, a single drop.

Only perceivable to Old Wang’s spiritual senses.

This was her first drop of blood.

First blood.

...

...

What could ten micrograms of Azeroth’s Blood do?

A level-one space-time channel required one microgram of Azeroth’s Blood per second, allowing for ten seconds of use.

So, it could be used to summon any creature that a level-one space-time channel would allow—say, a Goldshire footman, an elven archer, or a Northshire cleric—to serve Old Wang for ten seconds, granting ten seconds of pleasure.

Or, exchange it for items valued at less than ten micrograms of Azeroth’s Blood—perhaps Softie’s panties, Sylvanas’s stockings, Tyrande’s banana.

It could only be for less, not more, as there was a shipping fee.

There was also the option to exchange it for a one-time skill.

The skills a level-one channel could bear were obviously the weakest—like Frostbolt or Fireball...

Old Wang had already made his choice.

For now, he didn’t plan to go head-to-head with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Better to play hide and seek.

"Hey, snap out of it! Wang, S.H.I.E.L.D. is coming in! Damn, there’s no surveillance inside the lab, none at all—I can’t see them!" Skye’s voice sounded, very soft, so soft only Old Wang could hear.

Beside him, Robbie’s eyes blazed, the Spirit of Vengeance roaring in his mind:

Boy, unleash your fury! Destroy them, devour their despair, burn their souls!

Lucy glanced between Old Wang and Robbie, then out the door, nervous and expectant.

Those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—do your job! Keep those two busy, and I’ll have a chance to escape!

Old Wang snapped back to his senses.

True, there was no surveillance—he couldn’t see.

But he could hear!

No matter how skilled the agents, they couldn’t move in complete silence, and Old Wang’s hearing was at Daredevil’s level—eyes on all sides, ears everywhere.

The softest footsteps, even faint heartbeats, were as clear to him as the landlady’s daughter’s moans, audible through two walls.

About twenty meters away now, not a straight line...

"We’re leaving," Old Wang announced, grabbing a battery case and heading out.

"Wang, are we going to face S.H.I.E.L.D. head-on?" Skye hurriedly stashed her phone and ducked behind him.

"Wang!" Robbie growled, the Spirit of Vengeance growing restless, nearly impossible to suppress.

"Quick! There are people inside! Two men, one woman, unarmed—get in there and control them!"

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents said nothing, just exchanged signals, raised their weapons, and surged in.

In a few steps, they would collide.

Tension gripped everyone.

Old Wang smiled calmly.

"Missy, open a level-one space-time channel. I want Invisibility, the weakest version—three of them!"