Chapter Fifty-Seven: Movements on Every Front

“Miss Qu, have you recovered your memories?” Natasha asked, looking at the glacier crystal in Qu Yizhi’s hand with some surprise. Could it be that she had already regained her memories?

“Not yet,” Qu Yizhi said, shaking her head as she withdrew the power in her hand. “I only feel that there seems to be something in Antarctica. I am very sensitive to the very word itself.”

The Avengers exchanged glances. It seemed that Qu Yizhi had also been to Antarctica before, and perhaps this matter was connected to the present incident as well. So everyone agreed to let her accompany them on the journey south.

...

Al was idly rubbing the crystal sphere in his hand. It was a surveillance device he had forged himself, and within the sphere, the scene inside the Avengers Tower was clearly displayed.

They already seem to be setting out. Antarctica, heh.

Al narrowed his eyes. Such petty schemes were hardly worth his attention. He already had a fair grasp of the situation in Antarctica; it was nothing more than a few half-dead artificial beings. Nothing of consequence.

What interested him only slightly was Qu Yizhi herself: a human cultivator who possessed the method of spiritual power cultivation. She looked as though she might be a seed left behind by Violette in years past. However...

Al closed his eyes and silently sorted through his power. Through countless long years, he had long since grown used to his own identity. He would not be easily disturbed by the outside world, nor deceived by Amon’s lies.

...

“Great divine envoy, great chosen one, your servant reports to you that S.H.I.E.L.D. has discovered the Antarctic seal, and has dispatched the Avengers to go there as well.” Baron Strucker lay prostrate at the Chosen One’s feet with devout reverence, recounting the intelligence he had obtained.

“You have done very well, Strucker. I shall pray to the great Father God for your achievements. May God be with you.”

The Chosen One patted Strucker’s shoulder lightly, highly satisfied with the news.

Ever since he had begun plotting something momentous, the Chosen One, who had won Strucker’s loyalty, had also grown wary of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s existence. Though many Hydra agents had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., first, those agents all served their own masters and would not necessarily obey Strucker’s orders; second, Baron Strucker’s faction had already pledged itself to the great Cthulhu and had in truth broken away from Hydra. If the other side were to learn the news, the outcome would be difficult to predict.

However, the Chosen One had long since made his own plans. After the descent of the Holy Sword, he had once cast his consciousness into R’lyeh and learned of the Antarctic seal. From that, a plan had naturally taken shape in his mind.

As for what truly lay in Antarctica, the history behind it was indeed ancient beyond measure, and it was only after entering R’lyeh that the Chosen One learned the truth. Countless billions of years ago, when the great Cthulhu ruled the world, a group of alien refugees had come to Midgard.

They had wanted to survive in Midgard, and after “friendly” negotiations with the great Cthulhu’s people, they were granted the right to dwell upon the Antarctic continent. Yet those foolish aliens, being so few in number, had used their technology to create a universal servant race: the Shoggoths.

But the creation of life has always been the privilege of gods, so the birth of the Shoggoths doomed those aliens from the start. Their ignorance ultimately buried their entire race. A rebellion by the Shoggoths wiped out these refugees from an unknown planet, and everything they had built was swallowed up in that upheaval.

The mysterious space in Antarctica was the last glory of that race. To prevent the Shoggoths from exterminating their kin on other worlds, they sealed off that space and buried themselves together with the Shoggoths.

And now, humanity had stumbled into that space by accident. It was only inevitable that the Shoggoths, dormant for untold ages, would be awakened. Once they broke into human society, chaos would descend, and at that time their church would officially take the stage.

Since their creation, the Shoggoths had in fact been called by the great Cthulhu. After all, how dare those aliens negotiate with Cthulhu’s subjects? Their base-born lives should have been spent kneeling in surrender, with their entire race worshipping the great Cthulhu.

And now, since the great Cthulhu once again required the Shoggoths’ appearance, those explorers had been able to find the sealed land with such ease. In truth, the Hydras—no, rather, the divine servants—had long since planned everything in secret.

And now, the first step of the plan had succeeded. Drawing the tiger away from the mountain had been perfect. No one would know his scheme.

...

Pierce had been somewhat vexed lately. As Hydra’s highest-ranking officer lurking within S.H.I.E.L.D., he had sharply noticed that something was amiss. It seemed that some force was seizing control from him.

Although Hydra’s agents were all members of Hydra, ever since the Red Skull disappeared, struggles for power had broken out within the organization. The once-unified leadership had been split apart, though on the surface everyone still remained members of the same organization.

And now, his position was being challenged. Moreover, all the agents he had sent out to carry out countermeasures had lost contact. That made his teeth itch with hatred, yet for the sake of his present identity and his own plans, he could do nothing but swallow his anger and watch his power be gnawed away piece by piece.

At that thought, Pierce took a drag from his cigar. In truth, he already had a rough idea of the other man’s identity: Baron Strucker, a Hydra leader who was especially obsessed with studying occult powers. Had he perhaps made some new research breakthrough? Otherwise, how could he control so many of the subordinates Pierce had painstakingly cultivated over the years?

So be it, Pierce thought. Now was not the time to tear off the mask. Once the Insight Project was successfully carried out, even Strucker would have no choice but to yield to him. A few subordinates were nothing important. Right now, Nick Fury’s attention was fixed on the alien race and Antarctica; perhaps his own plan could be brought forward ahead of schedule.

A knock at the door interrupted Pierce’s thoughts.

“Come in.”

Pierce drew himself back from his musings and looked toward the doorway. The visitor surprised him somewhat: it was Rumlow, the trusted man he had dispatched this time to investigate Strucker.

“Rumlow, how is it? Have you found out what’s really going on?” Pierce trusted him highly, so after losing several men, he had sent Rumlow. Though Strucker’s movements could not be openly confronted, Pierce was very curious about what the other man was doing.

“I’ve found out,” Rumlow said, a trace of eerie green flickering through his eyes. “I’ve found the source of his support.”

Pierce stood up at once, very pleased, and activated the room’s anti-eavesdropping devices before walking up to Rumlow. “What exactly is going on?”

Rumlow’s lips spread into a strange smile.

“Allow me to introduce you to our Father and Savior, the great Cthulhu.”