Marvel's Shendu: Dominating the Multiverse

Chapter 34 Absorbing the Mind Gem

"Captain, is the matter resolved?"

A weary Steve and Valmont, whose clothes were tattered, returned to S.H.I.E.L.D., where Fury was already waiting at the door.

"More or less," Steve said wearily. "Thanks to the Mind Stone, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to deal with their abilities."

Fury's expression remained unchanged: "Men, take both of them to the interrogation room."

Steve's expression froze: "Chief Fury, what do you mean by this?"

Natasha ignored Steve's bewilderment and handcuffed him and the Holy Lord.

"I'm sorry, Captain, this is a necessary procedure at the moment. As you know, the Chitauri mole can become one of our own in a short time. So, I'll have to trouble you to stay in the interrogation room for now," Fury explained.

Three days later, the interrogation room door reopened, and Tony came in to take the two out.

"Looks like you guys haven't been doing too well lately, how did you all end up in the interrogation room?" Tony joked.

The Holy Lord waved his hand: "It's a long story. Fury needs to prove that we haven't been switched by the Chitauri."

Tony raised an eyebrow, ignoring Steve beside him: "Furry? That idiot? He doesn't know, but I do. You're already thankful you didn't remove the Chitauri."

After saying that, he deliberately looked Steve up and down. Seeing the other man's puzzled expression, Tony explained, "Just kidding, how could you possibly do that?"

The Holy Lord noticed Tony's behavior; the other knew he could shapeshift, and he was now testing whether Steve had been switched.

Sure enough, he was the most difficult person to deal with within S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Holy Lord narrowed his eyes slightly. If he hadn't been impressed by Tony's research abilities, he would have switched him with someone else in the lab long ago.

Tony noticed Shendu's micro-expression and jokingly said, "Hmm? What did you think I was talking about? Was that joke for real?"

The Holy Lord shrugged and replied in a joking tone, "Who knows?"

Now that the Mind Stone is in his hands, all he needs is an opportunity to subdue this arrogant man before him.

The Holy Lord isn't in a hurry; he'll let this clown jump around a little longer.

"Thank you for your help," Fury said with a hint of apology as Tony brought Valon and Steve over. "As you know, it's really necessary given the situation. I know you can handle it, but just in case, it's a necessary measure."

Steve gave Fury an understanding look and returned the gem from his pocket.

"The power of the gem is indeed strong; please keep it safe."

The first thing Fury did upon receiving the gem was to use its power to re-examine the three people in front of him. After confirming that it was the real gem, he placed it in a box that had been prepared beforehand.

"You're suspecting the gemstone is fake."

Steve voiced his first complaint since entering the office: "You doubt my abilities, you doubt that I would lose the gem?"

Fury was a little embarrassed by Steve's sudden question: "Captain, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just in case. Who knows if the Chitauri can conjure up a gem that looks the same on the surface?"

Shendu snorted coldly from the side. He had long anticipated that Fury would do this. When he used the Monkey Talisman to conjure the Mind Stone, he had already imbued it with the ability to read minds. Fury had never used the stone before and could not possibly know its abilities. All he needed to do was make him discover that it was related to the mind.

"Should we conduct another energy test? I really feel sorry for the captain; it's all for nothing."

The Holy Lord scoffed from the side, unconcerned about any anomalies in the energy detection. The prototype of this Mind Stone was a cursed high-powered battery.

Fury's expression became even more awkward. He had indeed done an energy test when he placed the gem in, and the result was the same as before: the energy could not be analyzed.

"Let's put that aside for now. There's nothing wrong with the gem, and there's nothing wrong with you either."

Taking the opportunity, Fury changed the subject, picked up a file from the side and handed it to Shendu: "Mr. Valon, I am now inviting you to join S.H.I.E.L.D. as the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I hope you will accept."

The Holy Lord raised an eyebrow: "After joining S.H.I.E.L.D., will you be constantly suspected like Steve, treated as a pawn that your superiors can discard at any time?"

Fury's smile froze; he hadn't expected Valon to care so much about this.

Tony chuckled and said, "Fury, you don't know this, but Valon and Steve have a very good relationship right now. Valon even saved Steve during the previous battle, and when Valon was still a dragon, Steve affectionately called him Little Dragon."

Seeing Tony defend him, Fury's expression returned to normal, and he put away the documents: "It was indeed my fault, but if Mr. Valon wants to join S.H.I.E.L.D., the doors of S.H.I.E.L.D. are always open for you."

Tony and Fury failed to notice Steve and Shendu, whose reactions were completely different from their own.

When Steve heard Tony's explanation for Fury's actions, his body trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes cautiously glanced at the Holy Lord.

The Holy Lord lowered his head, pretending to recall something, while concealing the murderous intent that flashed in his eyes.

"Let's not dwell on the past," the Holy Lord raised his head, a suitable smile on his face. "Director Fury has his own considerations, which are understandable."

Seeing the change in Shendu's attitude, Fury breathed a sigh of relief: "Captain, you've worked hard these past few days. Go back and rest. There's a mission that needs you next week."

"No problem," Steve replied crisply.

As the three left the office and walked down the hallway, Tony suddenly said, "The data is out. Want to know what it says?"

The Holy Lord knew Tony was referring to his blood: "Okay, I'm curious about that too."

Tony turned and left. Shendu stared at his retreating figure, thinking that once he had thoroughly studied the Mind Stone, this ant who had repeatedly offended him would surely kneel before him.

"Owner."

After Tony left, Steve called out respectfully, his eyes filled with reverence.

Shendu, still with his back to Steve, said, "For the next period of time, you and Natasha will work together in S.H.I.E.L.D. to provide me with all the information about the talismans."

"Yes."

Steve's figure retreated into the shadows and disappeared.

Back at their residence, the soundproof and concealment arrays were activated, and an orange-yellow gem floated silently in front of the Holy Lord.

The Mind Stone is truly a wonderful thing. The Holy Lord can now clearly sense his body's desire for it, and the three talismans within him resonate with it.

The Holy Lord activated the absorption array, and the gem slowly fell into it. The Holy Lord could feel a strange connection being established between the gem and himself, and an indescribable sense of pleasure emanated from his body.

Power, power is being sublimated. It's not the kind of satisfaction Thanos gets from using the Infinity Gauntlet to control the gems and gain power like in the movies, but rather a sense of clarity.

The Holy Lord was now able to sense the thoughts of all the beings around him and predict their next move, but this did not last long.

A flood of information suddenly rushed into his mind, and the Holy Lord felt a heart-wrenching pain spread throughout his body.

The Holy Lord abruptly turned his head to look at the air beside him. The Mind Stone amplified his demonic instincts, allowing him to sense a pair of eyes there: "Damn it, it's the Watchers again."