Shadow trail of the beautiful world

Chapter 41 40. Another Life

"Drip, drip, drip"

Merlin was lying on a bed, beside him, some complex instruments were operating, and on the other side of the screen, a green line was beating, representing Merlin's heartbeat.

A young nurse was drawing blood for Merlin. She smelled very good, a faint floral scent.

It's a pity that the smell of the hospital is not good, Merlin doesn't like the smell of disinfectant, and the doctors who come and go in white clothes.

He still remembers that when he was a child, he was afraid of going to the hospital, not because he was afraid of injections or taking medicine, he just didn't like the atmosphere.Sadness, despair, pain, sadness, this is a place full of depression, healthy people will not come here.

He is not sick.

He was just undergoing a pre-employment medical examination and taking blood tests by the way.It is said that this is to collect data for his follow-up training plan.

"You are in good health."

The doctor with a stethoscope walked into Merlin's ward with the test results. He said to the young man lying on the bed:

"There are no problems with the heart, circulatory system, brain, etc. The test results also show that you are a healthy and normal young man. In the past ten years, I have never seen a person as healthy as you. The only weird thing is that your blood temperature is lower than normal, but that's not a big deal."

"Here, here is your medical report."

The doctor handed some papers to Merlin, put his hands in his pockets, and said to Merlin:

"After the blood is drawn, you can leave here."

"Thank you."

Merlin nodded to the doctor to express his gratitude.

And a few minutes after the doctor left, Nick Fury walked into the house, and the little nurse finished drawing blood and left the room.

Merlin watched the little girl leave with some regret, and then set his eyes on Fury's face. He rubbed his arms and said:

"Do you know that sometimes, your face is really scary. You should learn to smile."

"Of course I can laugh, but that doesn't mean I'm happy."

Fury replied blankly, then took out an identity card from his pocket, threw it to Merlin, and said:

"Take this card well. After you complete the training from the Secret Service Academy, report to the base. Someone will be in charge of your entry process."

"What I need to tell you in advance is that, Merlin, you are still under supervision. You will not be able to officially become a member of the Strategic Science Corps until your review process is completed. Before that, I hope you can Take good training... throw away all the habits that you shouldn't have!"

Merlin snorted, and he imitated Fury's tone and said:

"Of course I could throw them away and be a ruthless secret agent like you. But that doesn't mean I like to do that."

He looked at Fury, and seemed to notice Fury's indifference, so he changed the subject and said:

"When will I start training for the seroconversion period?"

"Not urgent."

With his hands behind his back, Fury replied slowly:

"At least we have to wait for us to figure out why you often have nosebleeds. According to Ms. Carter's memory, Captain America did not experience such a situation after undergoing seroconversion. This may mean..."

"That means nothing."

Merlin interrupted Fury's words, and he said with a bit of disappointment:

"Don't look for it, you can't find the reason."

"Oh?"

Fury narrowed his eyes:

"It sounds like you're hiding something? You know why you're bleeding, don't you?"

Merlin got dressed, took his ID card, and walked out of the room.

Fury followed behind him, as if he was waiting for Merlin's answer. After walking out of the hospital of the Strategic Science Corps headquarters, Merlin stood by the roadside, looking at the New York City in the distance, and he took a deep breath. air, he said sadly:

"Yeah, I know."

"During the period when I just made a contract with the devil, whenever I felt the flow of magic power in my body, I would have nosebleeds, and when it was more serious, even my ears would bleed. But It doesn't hurt my health, a friend told me it's a gradual growth of my soul, it doesn't mean anything."

Hearing Merlin's words, Fury's expression changed, and he said softly:

"Interesting statement, this is the first time I've heard it. It sounds very mysterious."

"mystery?"

Merlin shook his head:

"No, you find it mysterious, you're curious about it because it didn't happen to you, my sir. Believe me, you don't find it funny when you have a demon living in your body .”

"Then what does it represent?"

Fury asked again, and Merlin hesitated for a moment, as if organizing his words.As he and Fury walked down the hospital street to the parking lot, he said:

"Every time I bleed, it represents the erosion of my body and soul by the dark magic power. After the serum was injected just now, after my body was strengthened, I thought this situation would weaken or even disappear. But no, on the contrary, I can I feel that as my body becomes stronger and stronger, it can carry more and more magic power, and its erosion becomes more violent."

"Every night, in every dark night, it grows silently. It lurks in my soul until it is strong enough to swallow me from the inside."

Merlin rubbed his forehead in pain, and said:

"Last night, I had a night of nightmares... I thought I would never have nightmares again, but unfortunately, this may just be my wishful thinking. It never went away, and the power I used it grew more and more The more often, the more closely it connects with me."

"It's transforming me, Sir Fury, it's pushing me to a boundary, and once I cross it... I lose my human identity."

"What will you become?"

Fury took out the car keys and opened the door of his black car. He was sitting in the car, with Merlin sitting next to him. As he started the car, he asked:

"Will it become a demon that destroys everything and breathes fire?"

"It's not that exaggerated."

Merlin smiled, leaned on his seat, and said to Fury:

"According to what my friend said, I will become a half-devil. I don't belong to humans, nor do I belong to demons. If I can't control the desire for destruction in my heart, I will become a terrifying killing monster. Speaking of which, Have you never seen a half-demon? A well-informed person like you shouldn't."

"Ok?"

Fury's eyes widened. He fiddled with the steering wheel and asked:

"Why do I have to see half-devils? I have indeed contained many dangerous things, but to be honest, I have never seen those alien creatures with my own eyes."

"Then you are very lucky."

Merlin turned his head and looked out of the car window. Under the sunlight, the whole city seemed to be waking up. He said:

"Did you know? In Manhattan alone, there are no less than 5 half-devils hiding, and in the whole of New York, there are almost 11... They lurk in the crowd, with various identities, because of different The purpose is to lurk in this city. I have always been curious, how many such monsters should there be in North America?"

"What did you say?"

Fury was really surprised now, he looked at Merlin:

"Are you sure? There are really 11 half-devils in New York?"

"Yes, I can be sure."

Merlin closed his eyes, recalling the five months he lived in Hell's Kitchen, he said:

"There are at least 11 of them, and they are only half-demons with powerful inheritance, which means that their power comes directly from the big devil or the big devil. Once the power is out of control, it will immediately cause a disaster of living fire melting the city."

"As for those humans who are infected by ordinary aliens, there are more. But according to my understanding, if they are just aliens like ghosts or little devils, they will not cause any major problems in human society. Oh, By the way, I don't know if you understand, but in some remote places in New York, there are many vampires active."

"I have seen them seduce ignorant girls and boys in the street."

"click"

Fury slammed on the brakes. He looked at Merlin beside him. After a while, he took out the paper and pen from his side and handed them to Merlin. He said seriously:

"Give me all the lives, activity areas, and physiological characteristics of all the hidden half-devils that you know now. There are also areas where a large number of alien creatures gather. In short, any information you know about these guys, I will want!"

"Maybe Ms. Carter has seen this...Merlin, you are indeed what we urgently need in terms of supernatural phenomena and affairs, so I will give you a mission, and this is also your first mission when you join the Strategic Science Corps .”

Fury patted Merlin on the shoulder and said to him:

"You are directly under my management. I need you to find out all the strange creatures hidden in New York in the shortest possible time. It is best to make a list of abnormal creatures."

"It's useless, Fury."

Merlin shook his head. While writing something on the paper, he said to Fury:

"I have fought against your agents, and they can't even deal with me, an ordinary person who has only accepted a little bit of dark power. When facing those powerful half-demons, if you let them go, you can only die , In other words, even if I give you everything you need, you can't deal with them."

"Who said we didn't?"

Fury snorted, and with an inscrutable attitude, he said to Merlin:

"It's only been a few days since you joined the Strategic Science Corps? You already know our details?"

"Come on, Merlin, you don't even know how important the position of the Strategic Science Corps is in this system. We also have masters who specialize in dealing with heterogeneous affairs, but because they are masters, we can't trouble them all the time. Those The small job of collecting intelligence can only be done by you."

A trace of indifference flashed in Fury's eyes, and he said:

"You are only responsible for locating and checking. Offending people, we will do it!"

Merlin looked at the expression on Fury's face. In the state of spirit vision, he clearly saw the confidence in Fury's eyes. He nodded thoughtfully, and said to Fury:

"Since you are so confident, I will take over this task. I will start this task after I officially enter the job."

"Well... Of course, to travel all over New York in a short time, I need a good car, and you will be reimbursed for the gas! If possible, give me a partner who is not so stupid, after all, I can't do everything Let me do it."

"You think a lot."

Fury shook his head and said to Merlin:

"Let's talk about this after you graduate from the Secret Service Academy."

"Tch, it's boring. I'm starting to regret joining you guys. In those movies, James Bond and the others...how handsome."

Merlin complained, Fury snorted, restarted the car, he turned the steering wheel, and suddenly said:

"James Bond? That's just a pseudonym. He is actually a very talkative person, and his real experience is much more exciting than those sissy movies."

"Have you seen him?"

Merlin looked at Fury in surprise. The latter put on a new pair of toad glasses, which covered most of his face, and still had that inscrutable smile at the corner of his mouth.

"you guess."

Merlin didn't guess. He looked at the street signs on the side of the road. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said to Fury:

"Do me a favor and send me to Columbia."

"Huh? Where are you going and what are you doing?"

Fury asked a question, but Merlin didn't answer, but Fury turned the steering wheel and drove on the road leading to Columbia University.

------------

"boom"

Merlin, who was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, closed the car door. He looked at the Columbia School of Dental Medicine in front of him. A faint wave flashed in his eyes behind the sunglasses.

He turned around and handed the paper full of words to Fury. He lay on the car door and reminded:

"This is the target of all the suspected half-devils I found. Listen to my advice, Fury, don't provoke these people before you are absolutely sure... I don't want to wait for the first thing after I join the job to help You collect the body."

"Ok, I know."

Fury was not angry at Merlin's provocation. On the contrary, he carefully folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

He looked at Merlin, and he said:

"I still don't understand. What are you doing here? This is a school, not a place to receive homeless people. You don't fit in here."

"I know."

Merlin stood up, pulled his hat down, and said to Fury:

"If it wasn't for those accidents, I should be here now... I should be a second-year medical student. Do you understand? Here!"

Merlin pointed to the academy behind him, and he said:

"Here is another life that I have lost..."

"I'm just here to remember..."

"The dead self."

(End of this chapter)