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Logan Howlett sighed helplessly, shaking his head at Karl with a slightly ashamed expression.
"But with my current physical condition, I'm afraid I can't capture the specific details of those two guys more precisely."
Although Logan Howlett had tried his best to search for clues.
However, due to long-term suffering from injuries and illnesses, his sense of smell had inevitably undergone extremely severe degradation.
Being able to analyze these situations from the complex smells was already the limit of what he could do at present!
As for the rest… that was truly beyond his power!
As for whether this powerful young man in front of him would consider him a useless "waste" because of this, these were not issues Logan Howlett needed to worry about.
After all, he had been like this for more than just a day or two!
However.
Facing such an unsatisfactory reply, Karl was neither angry nor eager to speak.
A cryptic smile still hung on his lips, as if he was waiting for something.
Just as Logan Howlett was feeling increasingly uneasy and his hair was standing on end from being stared at, he heard Bishop Warren McCoy on the side ask with some confusion:
"Wait a minute, how many guards did you just say… died?!"
"Fifteen."
"Sir, are you sure?"
"This, of course!"
"…"
Bishop Warren McCoy's face gradually became somewhat grim. He slowly turned to look at Karl and said with a complex expression:
"Mr. Merks, you must remember that there were a total of 16 guards on the casualty list transmitted to you earlier, right?!"
Karl nodded noncommittally, clearly understanding the meaning of the other party's question.
There were a total of 16 guards in the escort team, but now only 15 members had died…
So, needless to say, the one who was still alive was either an Invader's accomplice, or was directly taken away by the other party as a "hostage."
However, Bishop Warren McCoy should probably hope for the latter outcome at this moment, right?
Because that "survivor" was highly likely to be Sister Grady!
One might ask, if an Angel agent from the Vatican Church suddenly became an Invader's accomplice…
If such explosive news were to leak out, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the reputation, prestige, and worldwide influence of the entire Vatican Church!!
So Bishop Warren McCoy had to take it seriously. The expression on his face gradually became extremely solemn, and he tentatively asked in a slightly fawning tone:
"That… Mr. Merks, if possible, could you please ask your staff to conduct a more detailed verification…"
"This matter is of great importance, and I must know the most accurate answer so that I can notify the Vatican to prepare corresponding remedial measures in advance!"
After a slight pause, Bishop Warren McCoy seemed to have made some difficult decision in his heart, gritting his teeth and continuing:
"For this, the Vatican is willing to pay any price… At the same time, from now on, the Vatican will also become the most loyal ally of Mr. Merks and Sokovia!!"
Bishop Warren McCoy would naturally not be so foolish as to think that Karl was completely unaware of the "trickery" involved!
And from the moment Logan Howlett announced the results of the first investigation, the initiative of this incident had already fallen into Karl's hands.
In this way, to ensure that the transaction could proceed smoothly and that the secrets involved would not be leaked.
Then Bishop Warren McCoy and the Vatican had to raise the stakes again… and it had to be a heavy wager!!
This kind of operation is almost an unwritten rule in the business World.
So even if Karl didn't say it, Bishop Warren McCoy had to take the initiative to propose it… This was a matter of attitude, after all, he was asking for a favor!
What's more, Bishop Warren McCoy was also eager to know at this moment whether the survivor was indeed Sister Grady.
And ordinary DNA testing methods obviously could not give him an accurate answer in a short period of time.
This is not to say that there is any difficulty in testing and comparing the DNA samples of those deceased guards!
The fact is quite the opposite; the Vatican's internal database stores the DNA biological information of every guard.
So as long as enough biological samples can be extracted, it will only take minutes to identify who the survivor is!
However, this approach has a very important prerequisite, which is that the target biological sample extracted must be single and free of impurities…
Because once the sample is mixed and contaminated, the final test results may have significant errors, or even be completely untestable!
In actual testing, often even when the blood of two people is mixed together, corresponding DNA testing cannot be performed.
Therefore, the real problem lies in how to screen for single and pure DNA samples, a seemingly simple initial step!!
The crime scene at the moment was as chaotic as if it had been plowed over several times by a meat grinder.
Accurately extracting the DNA samples of the 15 deceased guards from the scattered "you in me, me in you" minced flesh was simply as difficult as ascending to heaven!
This was also the fundamental reason why the Vatican had almost used all available technological means before, yet still failed to find any clues.
This was also the fundamental reason why Bishop Warren McCoy was now putting all his "chips" on Karl.
"Alright!"
Karl showed a hint of satisfaction on his face. He liked dealing with people who were "sensible" and "understanding," as it saved a lot of unnecessary talk.
Immediately, he turned his gaze to Logan Howlett, who looked conflicted.
"That, Mr. Merks, perhaps I wasn't clear enough just now…"
Logan Howlett naturally heard their conversation. To avoid delaying Karl's transaction and causing unnecessary misunderstandings and friction, he quickly interjected before the other party could speak:
"With my current physical condition, I simply cannot exert my sense of smell to its maximum. Being able to smell these things now is already my limit, so…"
However, before he could finish speaking, Karl waved his hand and interrupted indifferently: "I understand your current situation, but it doesn't matter. I have a way to help you return to your peak state."
"Huh? Help me… return to my peak state?"
Logan Howlett looked at the other party in a daze, only to see Karl had already taken a vial filled with bright green liquid from the hand of the Thunder Warrior behind him.
"This recovery potion can help restore your sense of smell to its optimal state during your prime…"
Karl raised his hand and tossed the reagent, also personally made by Nurgle, to Logan Howlett, reminding him with a half-smile:
"However, its effect only lasts for one week, and afterwards, your sense of smell… and even your physical condition, may experience severe degradation."
"So, whether to use it or not, it's your choice!"
Although Karl appreciated Logan Howlett's loyal and righteous character.
But his initial motivation for recruiting him was simply to use his sense of smell to complete this mission.
However, if Logan Howlett could withstand the test and was also willing to pledge his loyalty to him.
Then Karl naturally wouldn't mind whether this aging wolf was already on the verge of losing his teeth!
After all, he had many ways to restore the other party's combat power to the level of his "youth."
Gulp—
Who would have thought that Logan Howlett, after merely glancing at the green potion in his hand, which constantly had viscous bubbles rising within it, would unhesitatingly pull out the stopper and drink it all in one gulp.
Boom—
In an instant, Logan Howlett felt a certain power that had long been dormant within him, suddenly burst forth with unimaginable vitality!
Sniff—
Logan Howlett closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the air.
The complex and chaotic scent pheromones filling the air instantly surged into his nasal cavity.
The freshness of the soil beneath his feet, the fragrance of the black tea opposite, the sweat and body odor of the Vatican security personnel in the distance, and even a highly decomposed animal carcass several kilometers away…
The unique chemical molecules that made up each scent, after special processing by the Bug-level "Olfactory Factors," instantly formed vivid, dynamic 3D images in Logan Howlett's brain.
He could now even accurately locate the source of all targets that had "passed through" this area within a radius of five to ten kilometers, simply by the changes and guidance of the surrounding scents, without even opening his eyes.
And in addition to his successfully "repaired" sense of smell.
Logan Howlett was also surprised to find that his self-healing ability, sensory ability, and other related bodily functions had all been greatly restored.
Simply put, apart from his appearance not returning to youth, his body had almost regained its peak state.
All the ailments that had plagued him were, after drinking that potion, completely expelled!
Feeling the long-lost power once again filling his entire body, Logan Howlett suddenly felt a sense of exhilaration, as if he had been reborn.
Although he had long embraced the "will to die"!
But if one could live well, who would be willing to die?
However, what made Logan Howlett somewhat confused was that Karl had clearly said just now that this potion could only help him restore his sense of smell to its optimal level, right?
But now his entire body had been restored. What exactly was going on?
Was it an accident?
Or…
Logan Howlett opened his eyes and looked at Karl with a complex gaze, only to find the other party looking at him with a half-smile.
"He said that on purpose?!"
Logan Howlett immediately realized that Karl's previous remarks must have been a test for him… or perhaps an obedience test?
Although he couldn't quite understand yet why the other party would test him like this?
But one thing was certain: if he had chosen to refuse at that time, the outcome might have been very bad…
Because the moment the thought of "refusal" arose in his mind, his Beast Instinct instantly began to send frantic warnings!
That's why he had just drunk it without a second thought.
Unbeknownst to him, Logan Howlett recalled the legendary deeds about Karl that he had heard during his casual conversations with Frank along the way.
Perhaps it was because their styles of action were quite similar, or perhaps Logan Howlett had already agreed to serve Hyperspace Group for three years.
In any case, once Frank treated him as a half "insider," he gladly recounted how he met Karl and how the other party saved his family, among many other interesting stories.
Logan Howlett could feel that Frank held extreme trust in this so-called Boss… No, it could even be said to have reached the fervent worship of a believer!!
So much so that Logan Howlett subconsciously thought that the other party might have been "brainwashed" by Karl.
After all, Professor X had also done something similar to him… right?
So he secretly checked online with his phone, but the result was somewhat amusing.
Because the videos about Karl circulating online were even more exaggerated than what Frank had said!
Especially the recent alien invasion battle in Greenwich, where even magic portals appeared?
And those Thunder Warriors who could freely transform into werewolves also brought considerable shock to Logan Howlett.
Not to mention, at the end, Karl's tense face-off with Odin, the God-King, and his various famous scenes of warning S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Leaving aside Odin, the God-King, when Logan Howlett saw Nick Fury, that old schemer, getting frustrated, he felt incredibly satisfied.
Years ago, during the days when the X-Men had not yet officially withdrawn from the historical stage.
Nick Fury had come to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters more than once, proposing to Professor X the idea of incorporating the X-Men.
But without exception, all were rejected.
So later, this one-eyed dark-skinned man, whose heart was even darker than his face, began to secretly trip up the X-Men, causing Logan and the others to be severely constrained by various parties in their subsequent actions.
And this exacerbated the distrust of human high-ranking officials towards the X-Men and the Mutant community.
If Professor X hadn't always been cautious and firmly prevented everyone from having a direct conflict with S.H.I.E.L.D., Logan and the others would probably have dealt with Nick Fury long ago.
Therefore, after seeing Karl showing no respect for S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury, Logan Howlett's evaluation of this mysterious young power-holder naturally increased by several points.
And after their formal meeting today, he once again updated his view—mysterious, powerful, fearless!!
This was what he felt from Karl.
Somehow, the word "safe haven" suddenly popped into Logan Howlett's mind.
Previously, in an argument with Professor X, he had said that there was no longer a place in this World that could accommodate those who were abandoned like them.
But now, looking at the mysterious and powerful young man in front of him, his idea couldn't help but waver!
Perhaps… Hyperspace Group was a safe haven that could accommodate people like them and "shelter them from the wind and rain"?!
At this thought, Logan Howlett couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, even secret joy!
Because as long as he could complete this mission, perhaps for the rest of his life, he wouldn't have to live that miserable life with Professor X, constantly hiding and never knowing where their next meal would come from!
Therefore, even if it was for the sake of his own future, he had to give it his all this time.
"Mr. Merks, I want to go back to the crime scene and take another look!!"
"…Go ahead."