More than one Captain...
From just a few simple sentences, Chen Lin realized that the seriousness of the situation had perhaps far exceeded what he had expected.
Adhering to the principle of getting to the bottom of things, Chen Lin hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "May I ask... how many Captains did you dispatch this time?"
"Many."
Soi Fon said calmly, "Aside from the Captains who had to remain behind, the Gotei 13 dispatched all of the remaining Captains. Including me, there are a total of five Captains."
"F... Five?!"
Chen Lin's pupils contracted slightly. Back during the Battle of New York, Soul Society had dispatched only four Captains.
"It's because of the worldwide earthquake from before, isn't it?" Chen Lin said, getting straight to the point, his eyes flickering. "It has something to do with that mysterious creature hidden beneath the Mariana Trench, right?"
"Yes, but not entirely."
Soi Fon replied expressionlessly, "You don't need to know the rest. Get some proper rest. Perhaps... it won't be long before another hard battle awaits."
"Another hard battle?"
Chen Lin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Aren't there already five Captains? Do we still have to take action?"
"Human affairs are for humans to resolve. We will not interfere excessively." Soi Fon said calmly, "That is Soul Society's ironclad rule. The reason the Captains came to the Human World is because we have another, more important mission."
Chen Lin sighed and lay back down. "If I'd known it would be this troublesome, I shouldn't have softened my heart in the first place. If I hadn't agreed to help Fury, none of this would've happened."
Soi Fon ignored his complaint and said, "Your strength is formidable. You are comparable to a Captain. That is why I revealed myself. Rather than wasting time talking here, you should hurry and recover."
"They've completely disappeared..."
Chen Lin looked up at the blue sky. The Helicarriers were no longer visible. His eyes flickered slightly as he asked softly, "Are you sure you can still find them after letting them escape?"
"Who do you think I am?"
Soi Fon did not answer directly. She simply said calmly, "The Second Division is the Stealth Force. As long as I wish... no one can escape my eyes. Not even a god..."
From the moment the Corps Commander appeared, it meant that the Stealth Force had already surrounded the entire area.
The Helicarriers thought they had escaped, but in reality, members of the Stealth Force had already infiltrated them and infected them with surveillance bacteria developed by the Research and Development Institute.
Every move they made was now under Soul Society's surveillance.
The reason they had refrained from alerting the enemy was simply because they wanted to lure the prey into the trap.
The one they wanted to catch... was a big fish!
As for Alexander and Kaecilius, they were merely small fry that had slipped through the net, hardly worth mentioning.
...
...
...
Meanwhile, more than ten thousand meters above the ground.
Riding the powerful air currents of the stratosphere, the Helicarrier cruised through the sea of clouds. Its anti-gravity engines and structure allowed it to remain suspended in the sky almost indefinitely, while its special stealth coating completely avoided satellite detection.
Alexander held an ancient sheepskin tome in one hand as he gazed at the scenery beyond the bridge. His aged face, covered with deep wrinkles, appeared unusually spirited, and his cloudy eyes were filled with an unconcealed fanaticism.
So... it was real!
This black sheepskin tome had been bestowed upon him by that great being. It contained countless dark spells, including many capable of devastating the world, allowing him to gain tremendous power in one leap.
All he had to do was hold the black tome in his hands and recite the appropriate incantation according to his needs, and he could cast a wide variety of spells. Not only was it incredibly easy to use, but the spells themselves were astonishingly powerful.
For example, just now, when he blocked Chen Lin.
He only needed to recite a single incantation. There was no need for mana, nor was there any need to sacrifice anything, yet he could summon wind, rain, and lightning.
To cast such powerful magic so effortlessly naturally made the formally trained sorcerer, who had spent many years cultivating the Mystic Arts, Kaecilius, feel rather envious.
"Watch your eyes, Kaecilius."
Seemingly sensing the greed behind him, Alexander tightened his grip on the ancient tome, turned around, and looked at Kaecilius warily. "You may have saved my life, but that doesn't mean you may covet the treasure bestowed upon me by my god."
This book was now his lifeline.
Even if Hive himself came, he still wouldn't hand it over.
Once someone had experienced the feeling of standing above everyone else, it became difficult to crawl back into the mud again.
Alexander had devoted his life to political schemes and power struggles. Only today had he finally experienced what it felt like to possess power worthy of a god. How could he possibly give it away so easily?
"Hehehehehe..."
Kaecilius let out a strange laugh. His pitch-black eye sockets, cracked and eroded by dark power, gleamed with an unreadable expression. "Rest assured, Mr. Pierce. My objective has never been a mere magic book."
Kaecilius held people like Alexander in rather low regard. After all, he had long since become one of his god's followers and possessed power far beyond that of ordinary humans.
Besides...
Everything comes with a price. Whether it was magic or anything else, someone who didn't even understand such a basic truth wasn't worthy of his attention.
Did he really think there was such a thing as a free lunch?
Every spell required a price to be paid. Although Kaecilius did not understand the principles behind that black tome, at its core, it absolutely could not escape this fundamental law.
So he was merely envious, not covetous.
Seeing that Alexander still looked unconvinced, Kaecilius sneered before deciding to reveal a little of his own secret. "Don't think you're the only special one. You're not the only person favored by a god."
"Could it be... you've met that man as well?" Alexander's pupils shifted slightly as he described the man's appearance.
"That man? No, I've never met him."
Kaecilius frowned and shook his head. "And I don't know who you're talking about. The god I serve is probably not the one you've met."
"Heh, it seems the gods we worship aren't the same after all." Alexander breathed a sigh of relief. He certainly didn't want another competitor.
"But that doesn't affect our relationship."
Kaecilius said hoarsely, "Since I came to help you, it means our gods must think the same way."
"Exactly."
Alexander nodded and asked, "May I ask what your mission is?"
"The special S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory deep beneath the Mariana Trench," Kaecilius replied.
Alexander grinned. "Looks like our missions are the same. But before that, there's one more thing we need to do."
"What is it?"
Kaecilius looked displeased and said darkly, "Let me remind you of one thing. The power you possess now comes from your god. Don't abuse your god's favor and forget your most important mission!"
"No, no, no, no, no..."
Alexander shook his head repeatedly in denial. "I would never forget my god's grace. But if we want to enter that laboratory, we still need one person. Only his fingerprints and retinal scan can unlock the facility."
"So forcing our way in isn't an option?"
Kaecilius frowned. He knew the person Alexander was referring to was former S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury.
"I'm afraid not."
Alexander's face darkened as he gritted his teeth. "As far as I know, given Fury's personality, if anyone tries to force their way in, he'll definitely activate the laboratory's self-destruct sequence."