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american comcis _ tales of caltiveter _chapter_0288_part_01
Chapter 662
chapter 0288 part 1
Chapter 287: 6000 by month-end, seeking monthly tickets
Aside from the Central Cathedral, the streetlights in other City Districts were all extinguished. The Residential Buildings along the Roadside often had only two or three faint yellow lights on, and due to unstable voltage, these lights occasionally flickered, looking eerily like ghost fire.
On the dim streets, only large groups of soldiers wearing black combat uniforms walked back and forth. Their shoulder patches vaguely indicated they were S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Operations Soldiers.
When Nick Fury was in power, S.H.I.E.L.D. was nominally a law enforcement organization directly subordinate to the International World Security Council, tasked with handling various strange events and superpowered crime.
In fact, the organization's name hinted at its true nature: affiliation with the Federation. It was only due to the Federation's hegemony as the World Police that S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to enforce laws within the territory of other countries.
Aside from a certain Eastern Nation, even Russia had to turn a blind eye to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s activities on its own territory.
The so-called international organization was merely a fig leaf for its actions.
No one liked an organization of agents swaggering on their own territory. This was also why various National Governments kicked S.H.I.E.L.D. while it was down after the internal strife between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra erupted.
However, with Earth's Interstellarization and the Forward Base existing as a community of shared interests, the National Governments, especially the major powers within the World Security Council, had to strengthen cooperation.
Eating alone? Any discerning person could see the world's landscape changing with that Stargate. The rapid development of the Aerospace Industry was the key opportunity.
If the Federation were truly allowed to monopolize this interstellar window, leveraging the advantages of Interstellar Development, once it gained absolute leadership in technology and economy, what would other countries do?
Falling behind meant being beaten, becoming like the Thugs on the Africa Continent today.
Under these circumstances, even with the current International Situation being one superpower and multiple strong powers, the Federation, strong as it was, dared not monopolize the cake of Interstellar Development and had to share some of the benefits. One should know that if pushed too hard, the other countries truly dared to overturn the table.
And under this multi-national cooperation, the World Security Council, an organization previously like a mere Clay Bodhisattva ornament, gradually gained some Real Power. Along with it, its subordinate law enforcement agency, S.H.I.E.L.D., also transformed from a nominally international organization into a truly international one, absorbing agents from many other countries and forming a mixed situation.
Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Funding also shifted from being primarily borne by the Federation to being jointly borne by various countries.
Naturally, there were both benefits and drawbacks to this situation. While its Law Enforcement Authority expanded globally, correspondingly, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Authority within the Federation territory was also restricted, causing it to lose its former dominance.
Immediately after the terrorist attack on the Vatican, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed to the scene and sealed it off, moving even faster than the Police Officers in Italy. One must remember that the Vatican is located within Italy's territory.
Inside the pitch-black Vatican, occasional muffled gunshots could be heard in the distance.
Several high-power searchlights on the Rooftops along the Roadside shone down with bright beams of light. Behind these searchlights, some tall, thin men wearing black clothes with S.H.I.E.L.D. emblems on their chests had pale faces and expressions of malicious pleasure as they searched for "stragglers" among the terrorists. In their unrestrained, silent laughter, through their open mouths, one could see their fangs, which were much sharper than those of ordinary people.
These Special Agents, directly subordinate to Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Frank, could hardly conceal their excitement. There was a time when the Vatican, the Sacred Place of The Church, was a Forbidden Area for Dark Creatures like them.
Let alone these new generation Vampire Clan members from the American Continent, even the Old Relics from Europe – which Vampire Clan dared to step into Rome, let alone the Holy City of the Vatican?
On the streets of the Vatican, large numbers of S.H.I.E.L.D. Armed Security Personnel were searching the streets for the terrorists who attacked the Vatican.
Some of the larger Armed Security Personnel had eyes that glowed faintly green in the darkness, like fierce beasts hunting at night. Fortunately, they were all wearing night vision goggles; otherwise, if this scene were captured and uploaded online, it would likely cause a huge uproar in the Human World.
In the Back Alley of a church, Adam and seven or eight Bodyguards blocked a group of Clerics attempting to escape.
A dozen Clerics from The Church, a few Church Knights, protecting an aged Cardinal, wanted to flee the Vatican. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. had dispatched a large number of Armed Personnel, sealing off the entire Vatican. Escaping quietly was as difficult as ascending to Heaven.
"This should be an Important Figure. Can we interrogate him to find the person Father is looking for?" Adam looked at the crowd blocked in the Alley, then turned to the Bodyguard behind him.
The Black-clothed Bodyguard examined the Cardinal being protected in the middle of the crowd, staring at his face for a few extra moments, silently comparing and confirming his identity.
"Boss, he's the fourth-ranked Cardinal of The Church. He definitely knows where the Big Boss is looking for!"
Adam nodded, lifted his chin, and stared at the Cardinal in the center of the opposing group, asking, "Old Man, do you know where West is? He's the Vice Chief Judge of your Inquisition. Tell me where he is, and I can let you go!"
"West, you are Heretics of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood!" Upon hearing Adam's words, the Cardinal's old face, wrinkled like orange peel, was filled with anger. "West, that damned Heretic, was sent to the Pyre by Lord Michael long ago, along with those Bastards who blasphemed the Lord!"
"Hmm?!"
Upon hearing the Cardinal's words, Adam's seemingly simple and honest face instantly turned cold. He didn't care about Michael or not.
That guy named West was the person Father wanted. If he was dead, how could he explain to Father?
"Dead! He's dead, so why are you still alive!" Adam bared his teeth at the Cardinal, a chilling smile on his face, his gaze like an enraged male lion.
"You protect the Bishop and go first!"
A Big Beard Silver Knight took the lead, holding a flail, standing in front of the many Clerics, blocking Adam who was slowly advancing.
The Western flail is similar in length and shape to the Eastern nunchaku, but one short stick is replaced by a meteor hammer.
The creation of this weapon, much like the spiked club and heavy hammer in ancient The East, was specifically as a heavy weapon for breaking armor.
The hammer head at one end of the flail generally has a large number of spikes, just like the spikes on a spiked club. They can cause huge damage to the enemy and the armor on their body.
The flail in the Big Beard's hand was a weapon used by a Crusader Knight of The Church during the Crusades in the Middle Ages. After being nurtured by several generations of owners, it, like the armor on the Big Beard's body, became a set of Sacred Gear.
One should know that within the entire Church, there are fewer than twenty sets of such Sacred Gear combined. Knights chosen to wear this Sacred Gear can display strength no less than that of a quasi-first-rate Superhero.
Even Dark Council Members, Vampire Grand Dukes, and Orc Race Tribal Leaders, these high-level Dark Creatures, would not dare to face more than two Holy Knights simultaneously.
Chapter 287: 6000 by month-end, seeking monthly tickets
Aside from the Central Cathedral, the streetlights in other City Districts were all extinguished. The Residential Buildings along the Roadside often had only two or three faint yellow lights on, and due to unstable voltage, these lights occasionally flickered, looking eerily like ghost fire.
On the dim streets, only large groups of soldiers wearing black combat uniforms walked back and forth. Their shoulder patches vaguely indicated they were S.H.I.E.L.D. Special Operations Soldiers.
When Nick Fury was in power, S.H.I.E.L.D. was nominally a law enforcement organization directly subordinate to the International World Security Council, tasked with handling various strange events and superpowered crime.
In fact, the organization's name hinted at its true nature: affiliation with the Federation. It was only due to the Federation's hegemony as the World Police that S.H.I.E.L.D. was able to enforce laws within the territory of other countries.
Aside from a certain Eastern Nation, even Russia had to turn a blind eye to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s activities on its own territory.
The so-called international organization was merely a fig leaf for its actions.
No one liked an organization of agents swaggering on their own territory. This was also why various National Governments kicked S.H.I.E.L.D. while it was down after the internal strife between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra erupted.
However, with Earth's Interstellarization and the Forward Base existing as a community of shared interests, the National Governments, especially the major powers within the World Security Council, had to strengthen cooperation.
Eating alone? Any discerning person could see the world's landscape changing with that Stargate. The rapid development of the Aerospace Industry was the key opportunity.
If the Federation were truly allowed to monopolize this interstellar window, leveraging the advantages of Interstellar Development, once it gained absolute leadership in technology and economy, what would other countries do?
Falling behind meant being beaten, becoming like the Thugs on the Africa Continent today.
Under these circumstances, even with the current International Situation being one superpower and multiple strong powers, the Federation, strong as it was, dared not monopolize the cake of Interstellar Development and had to share some of the benefits. One should know that if pushed too hard, the other countries truly dared to overturn the table.
And under this multi-national cooperation, the World Security Council, an organization previously like a mere Clay Bodhisattva ornament, gradually gained some Real Power. Along with it, its subordinate law enforcement agency, S.H.I.E.L.D., also transformed from a nominally international organization into a truly international one, absorbing agents from many other countries and forming a mixed situation.
Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Funding also shifted from being primarily borne by the Federation to being jointly borne by various countries.
Naturally, there were both benefits and drawbacks to this situation. While its Law Enforcement Authority expanded globally, correspondingly, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Authority within the Federation territory was also restricted, causing it to lose its former dominance.
Immediately after the terrorist attack on the Vatican, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents rushed to the scene and sealed it off, moving even faster than the Police Officers in Italy. One must remember that the Vatican is located within Italy's territory.
Inside the pitch-black Vatican, occasional muffled gunshots could be heard in the distance.
Several high-power searchlights on the Rooftops along the Roadside shone down with bright beams of light. Behind these searchlights, some tall, thin men wearing black clothes with S.H.I.E.L.D. emblems on their chests had pale faces and expressions of malicious pleasure as they searched for "stragglers" among the terrorists. In their unrestrained, silent laughter, through their open mouths, one could see their fangs, which were much sharper than those of ordinary people.
These Special Agents, directly subordinate to Deputy Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Frank, could hardly conceal their excitement. There was a time when the Vatican, the Sacred Place of The Church, was a Forbidden Area for Dark Creatures like them.
Let alone these new generation Vampire Clan members from the American Continent, even the Old Relics from Europe – which Vampire Clan dared to step into Rome, let alone the Holy City of the Vatican?
On the streets of the Vatican, large numbers of S.H.I.E.L.D. Armed Security Personnel were searching the streets for the terrorists who attacked the Vatican.
Some of the larger Armed Security Personnel had eyes that glowed faintly green in the darkness, like fierce beasts hunting at night. Fortunately, they were all wearing night vision goggles; otherwise, if this scene were captured and uploaded online, it would likely cause a huge uproar in the Human World.
In the Back Alley of a church, Adam and seven or eight Bodyguards blocked a group of Clerics attempting to escape.
A dozen Clerics from The Church, a few Church Knights, protecting an aged Cardinal, wanted to flee the Vatican. Unfortunately, S.H.I.E.L.D. had dispatched a large number of Armed Personnel, sealing off the entire Vatican. Escaping quietly was as difficult as ascending to Heaven.
"This should be an Important Figure. Can we interrogate him to find the person Father is looking for?" Adam looked at the crowd blocked in the Alley, then turned to the Bodyguard behind him.
The Black-clothed Bodyguard examined the Cardinal being protected in the middle of the crowd, staring at his face for a few extra moments, silently comparing and confirming his identity.
"Boss, he's the fourth-ranked Cardinal of The Church. He definitely knows where the Big Boss is looking for!"
Adam nodded, lifted his chin, and stared at the Cardinal in the center of the opposing group, asking, "Old Man, do you know where West is? He's the Vice Chief Judge of your Inquisition. Tell me where he is, and I can let you go!"
"West, you are Heretics of the Sacred Shield Brotherhood!" Upon hearing Adam's words, the Cardinal's old face, wrinkled like orange peel, was filled with anger. "West, that damned Heretic, was sent to the Pyre by Lord Michael long ago, along with those Bastards who blasphemed the Lord!"
"Hmm?!"
Upon hearing the Cardinal's words, Adam's seemingly simple and honest face instantly turned cold. He didn't care about Michael or not.
That guy named West was the person Father wanted. If he was dead, how could he explain to Father?
"Dead! He's dead, so why are you still alive!" Adam bared his teeth at the Cardinal, a chilling smile on his face, his gaze like an enraged male lion.
"You protect the Bishop and go first!"
A Big Beard Silver Knight took the lead, holding a flail, standing in front of the many Clerics, blocking Adam who was slowly advancing.
The Western flail is similar in length and shape to the Eastern nunchaku, but one short stick is replaced by a meteor hammer.
The creation of this weapon, much like the spiked club and heavy hammer in ancient The East, was specifically as a heavy weapon for breaking armor.
The hammer head at one end of the flail generally has a large number of spikes, just like the spikes on a spiked club. They can cause huge damage to the enemy and the armor on their body.
The flail in the Big Beard's hand was a weapon used by a Crusader Knight of The Church during the Crusades in the Middle Ages. After being nurtured by several generations of owners, it, like the armor on the Big Beard's body, became a set of Sacred Gear.
One should know that within the entire Church, there are fewer than twenty sets of such Sacred Gear combined. Knights chosen to wear this Sacred Gear can display strength no less than that of a quasi-first-rate Superhero.
Even Dark Council Members, Vampire Grand Dukes, and Orc Race Tribal Leaders, these high-level Dark Creatures, would not dare to face more than two Holy Knights simultaneously.
