HYDRA presents countless opportunities ripe for exploitation. Their global infiltration, their deeply sinister technology, their vast stockpiles of resources—anyone would find such temptations hard to resist.
By any measure, their comprehensive strength surpasses ninety percent of the world's nations, with assets that would make even the remaining ten percent salivate. But for Hong Fei, acquiring these things would merely be the icing on the cake.
What truly interests him is the chaos he can stir up around HYDRA itself—and that includes Hive and the Inhumans. The Inhuman faction under Hive's leadership possesses bizarre, boundless abilities. To Master Hong, they're nothing less than living, breathing skill cards waiting to be harvested.
When Hong Fei signaled his agreement to join HYDRA, Stephanie couldn't contain her excitement.
She had two objectives for this meeting. First and foremost: secure Hong Fei's allegiance to HYDRA by any means necessary. Failing that, her secondary mission was to gauge his stance toward the government and ensure he wouldn't interfere with Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D.'s upcoming Insight Project.
The assignment wasn't absolute. Ideally, they'd recruit the Dragon King. If persuasion failed, they'd settle for keeping him neutral. And if even that proved impossible? HYDRA would proceed regardless, adjusting their plans to account for his interference.
Their confidence borders on arrogance—perhaps they even sneer at the Dark Elves who swaggered onto Earth uninvited. The real surprise? Stephanie had barely begun laying the groundwork for her secondary objective when Hong Fei abruptly agreed to join.
Hong Fei is just a name. But the Dragon King? The world's most formidable superhero now wearing HYDRA's colors—isn't that thrilling? Isn't it shocking? Isn't it utterly unforeseen?
"Mr. Hong," Stephanie said eagerly, "I can arrange the resource transfer immediately, along with a formal welcome banquet where you can meet our other leaders. How does that sound?"
"That works. I'll send someone to handle the transfer. As for the banquet... we'll see when I have time."
"Of course! Should I report this excellent news right away?"
"Go ahead. But don't come looking for me again—I'll reach out when I'm ready."
Stephanie's smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered.
"Understood, Mr. Hong. I'll take my leave. Apologies for the intrusion."
As she stood, she casually brushed a finger against her left earlobe. Hong Fei's frown deepened—You're after me too?
Yet Stephanie showed no reaction. With another polite bow and a lingering smile, she turned and left.
Hong Fei headed upstairs, absently touching the spot beneath his own ear. When he checked his fingers, they came away red.
Do Asgardian goddesses wear lipstick?
Upstairs, Sif remained buried under the blankets, still refusing to emerge. Hong Fei moved toward the bed—only for a hand to shoot out and yank him in.
Two bodies, damp with exertion. Heat like a spring breeze through jade. The clash of passion and resistance, a dance as fluid as pearls on silk. The tangle of limbs beneath the sheets, the heady rush of wine—what fantasy could compare?
The little flower's fire dwindled. A sigh escaped—Wenjun lamenting Xiangru's fleeting touch.
The setting sun painted Hong Fei's cheeks in golden light as he stood on the balcony. A sudden breeze stirred the strand of hair falling across his forehead, the fiery western horizon mirrored perfectly in his brown eyes. Behind him, Sif approached wearing nothing but an oversized white shirt that barely covered her thighs.
Her bare feet made no sound as she walked, the shirt's hem fluttering with each step to reveal tantalizing glimpses of skin. She pressed against Hong Fei's back, arms encircling his waist.
"What's on your mind?"
"How to round up all those bastards in one sweep."
"Let me help," she murmured against his shoulder blade. "I'm tired of sitting around."
"You want on the team?"
"Can I?"
"Sure."
Sif's smile warmed his back as she nuzzled against him.
"Thank you."
Hong Fei twisted his wrist toward the room. A sword flew into his waiting palm.
"Yours."
Sif hesitated.
"What will you use instead?"
"The Ten Rings."
The metallic chime of sliding rings punctuated his words. After a beat, he added, "And Gungnir."
"The Eternal Spear?" Sif's eyes widened. "The All-Father's weapon?"
Hong Fei grinned.
"Borrowed it."
She shook her head with a laugh.
"That's no simple loan. It's the symbol of Asgard's sovereignty."
"Symbols are just symbols. Real power comes from strength. With enough strength, anything becomes a symbol."
Sif released him to accept the sword. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder now, she gave the blade an expert flourish before thrusting toward the dying sun. The steel sang—a clear, lingering note. Wind caught the loose strands of her hair as sunset gilded her warrior's profile.
"Still got it?"
"Obviously. You're a goddess."
She sheathed the sword with satisfaction, then lifted Hong Fei's arm to tap each ring.
"I can bless your weapons with divine power."
Hong Fei nodded.
"Do it."
Fusion Card: Divine Spark
"A blank Divine Spark requires compatible faith and power for absorption."
This fusion card had transformed from the orange skill card "Bast" after Hong Fei purified it with Dragon Power. The name sounded impressive—"Divine Spark" carried weight.
Yet Hong Fei couldn't care less. Godhood held no appeal. This universe lacked clear cultivation tiers or power rankings. As he'd said before: powerful beings weren't necessarily gods, and gods weren't necessarily powerful. True strength wasn't measured against ordinary Earthlings, but against superhumans—heroes and villains alike.
Even by Hong Fei's current standards, only two Asgardians clearly outmatched him: Odin All-Father and Hela, Goddess of Death. Present-day Thor couldn't keep up.
The reason why he didn't drag him to grind cards is because the dragon fight loomed ahead, and it wouldn't do to have Thor injured or demoralized beforehand. Once the mission succeeded, he'd definitely get some quality time with Master Hong. Maybe after Thor fully awakened his latent power, he'd surpass Hong Fei again.
Master Hong isn't the type to stagnate. Becoming a god? He couldn't care less. If anything, he sees it as a shackle. Divine Spark—translated, it means the status, position, and qualification of a god. Once you take that seat, you're bound to responsibilities. You can't just reap the benefits without giving anything in return.
From Asgard's perspective, gods don't seem to have clear-cut duties, but their powers are narrowly defined. Thor? His entire existence revolves around thunder. Sif, the Goddess of Earth and Harvest? She's rarely seen overseeing bountiful harvests, yet she wields divine power all the same. Right now, she's upstairs, infusing Hong Fei's Ten Rings with her energy.
It's hard to pin down exactly what her divine power does, but it likely extends beyond her specific priesthood. After all, on Sif's Sword, her energy helped Hong Fei unleash razor-sharp sword energy—an auxiliary effect, it seems. The catch? Sif herself has never actively wielded her divine power in battle. Maybe I'll ask her about it later.
For Hong Fei, the only potentially worthwhile use of the Divine Spark would be merging it with Dragon Power to forge a "Dragon God."
Though he's called the "Dragon King," he doesn't plan to limit himself to Dragon Power forever. The multiverse is vast, and Marvel is just one corner of it. Why lock himself into a single path so soon?
What he truly wants is to create his own unique force—the "Power of Hong."
That said, a blank Divine Spark—one that allows the holder to define their own divine position—would ignite an endless war across the Nine Realms and beyond if Hong Fei were to toss it out casually. It's like dropping a legendary martial arts manual or a divine weapon into the mortal realm; chaos and bloodshed would inevitably follow.
This might not be the best way to use it. In summary, while Hong Fei has no intention of using the blank Divine Spark himself, its value is undeniably immense. Tucking the fusion card away, Hong Fei glanced at the Capital on the table and chuckled. HYDRA—they've got ideals, ambition, and an unshakable confidence.
HYDRA won't trust Hong Fei easily. Stephanie didn't breathe a word about the Insight Project, and she might not even know about it herself. But as long as they secure the Dragon King's allegiance, that's enough. Officially, the Dragon King would have no grounds to oppose HYDRA's actions after joining.
Even if he disagrees later, it'll be too late. By joining HYDRA, he'd hand them leverage over him—at least, that's what HYDRA believes.
Washington, D.C.
The top floor of the Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters.
Pierce shot to his feet the moment he heard the news: the Dragon King had personally agreed to join HYDRA. Excitement washed over his aged face, unrestrained and triumphant. As the leader of Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Insight Project, no one was more invested in its success than him.
When Fury was in charge, the Insight Project had already been handed over to him for implementation. After Fury stepped down, Pierce threw himself fully into its preparation. Every time he looked at Fury, he couldn't help but admire him: a natural-born member of HYDRA. Too bad he'd never join.
But that wasn't a dealbreaker. Not joining didn't mean Fury couldn't contribute to HYDRA's goals—the two weren't mutually exclusive. Pierce had handled that relationship deftly.
Now, with the Insight Project nearing completion, the last obstacle had vanished. In this moment, Pierce's mind burned with a single thought:
Destiny is mine!