[Congratulations on receiving the reward: Flash. The task has been updated and can be viewed]
A wave of information flooded into Jason's mind.
The so-called "Flash" could best be understood as a tactical spell. Within a range of several dozen meters, he could designate any location—even mid-air—and trigger an extremely dazzling burst of light. Like an oversized flash bomb, but magnitudes more powerful!
He could use it as a conventional flash grenade with multiple bursts available throughout the day, or maintain a continuous stream of blinding light for five to ten minutes straight.
This ability was... exceptionally powerful.
Since he himself was immune to the flash effect, he now possessed a formidable control skill. If he had placed just two flashes in front of the speeding Speed Demon earlier, the villain would have been instantly paralyzed by blindness!
However, this ability wasn't particularly useful for pursuing Kingpin. While it might help him catch up initially, with Kingpin's explosive speed, the crime lord might already be three miles away by now.
Let him live for two more days, Jason thought coldly. Next time I find him, I'll put a bullet in his head without any monologuing.
He was driving his pickup truck home, but what irritated him was that Wade in the passenger seat absolutely refused to leave.
The man had immediately declared Jason his godfather, clinging to his legs and insisting on going home with him. Even when Jason, out of desperation, transferred him double his promised salary, it made no difference.
Finally, after extracting countless sworn oaths from Wade and making Vanessa promise not to reveal his identity, Jason reluctantly took him back to the church.
Late that night, after the battle, Jason worked tirelessly to cook several delicious dishes. After he, Wade, and David wolfed down their meal, they sat on the balcony with their beers, gazing out at the brightly lit city.
As for Blade, his mother wouldn't let him come home that late.
Under the cool night breeze, Wade was surprisingly silent. After finishing a bottle of beer, he asked cautiously, "You said you could cure my cancer. Is that true?"
Jason lounged in a rattan chair he'd found in Chinatown, relaxing both physically and mentally. "Of course it's true. There's more than one way."
Wade's face showed a hint of surprise. "Really?"
"But there's only one method I can implement immediately."
"What method?"
"Turn you into a vampire."
Wade was stunned. There had been numerous vampire-related incidents in the news recently. He frowned, considering the option. "I heard vampires have many weaknesses?"
"Yes." Jason leaned forward and explained, "Ordinary mixed-blood vampires are vulnerable to sunlight, ultraviolet rays, garlic, and silver. They need to consume human blood to survive, and their minds gradually corrupt over time, eventually transforming them into manic, bloodthirsty monsters."
Wade took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Fuck, you call that a cure?"
Jason laughed. "Why not? Just tell me whether the cancer would be cured or not, okay? Have you ever seen a vampire die of cancer?"
Wade stood up indignantly. "Are you kidding me?"
"Tsk! Why so impatient? If you don't want to be a vampire, we can try another method."
"Didn't you say you only had one way?"
"There is another option. Although I can't perform it myself, there are people who can. We just need to find them. There's this Russian who runs a laboratory specializing in human mutation experiments. Go there and endure their procedures for a while, and your superpowers will eventually manifest. With superpowers, you become virtually unkillable."
Bullshit! Wade's eyes widened in disbelief. Was this guy for real?
"Aren't you worried I'll die in there?"
"Not at all!" Jason waved dismissively. "You still have a major role to play in life, you can't die! Trust me, as a priest, I would never lie."
I believe you! Wade thought sarcastically. You definitely don't behave like a priest when you're slaughtering people.
Wade rubbed his face in frustration. "Why do I feel like I'm being conned?"
"You have terminal cancer, Wade. If you want to be with Vanessa forever, you'll have to embark on this journey through danger and suffering."
"I'm not going to transform into some freak with three eyes and eight arms, am I?"
"How is that possible? At most..." Jason trailed off.
Wade narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "At most what?"
Jason waved his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. During your trial, I'll find a psychologist to provide Vanessa with emotional support. No matter what you become, she'll accept you."
"Bullshit!" Wade was thoroughly depressed.
Jason continued his persuasion. "Don't worry, at worst you'll face some torture. What's a little drowning, burning, restraints, hot wax, electric shocks, and whipping to a guy like you? Isn't that child's play? Most test subjects suffer there for two to three years, but I'll help speed things up for you! I'll pay them enough to compress your two years of torture into just two months! Once you develop your powers, send me a signal, and Blade and I will storm in to rescue you. Perfect plan, right?"
Wade felt utterly helpless. Two years of torture compressed into two months? Did Jason think he was some indestructible cockroach?
Then he realized another problem. "If you're sending me into this lab, why would you need to 'rescue' me later?"
Jason looked confused. "Huh? Didn't I mention? That place specializes in producing super-powered slaves. If I don't break you out, do you expect me to buy you back?"
Where slaves are produced?
Producing slaves?
Slaves?
Wade glared at Jason, his anger mounting by the second. He suddenly jumped up and shouted, "I'm going to strangle you to death!"
...
Wade left at dawn the next day.
He needed time to contemplate his options.
David began searching for the Russians.
Jason provided him with a few keywords, including the pseudonym "Francis" used by Ajax, and a broker named Smith.
While they were having breakfast, Jason's phone kept ringing.
David quickly checked and discovered it was Black Widow Natasha calling.
This woman is impatient, Jason thought.
He picked up the phone after David briefly processed the signal.
"Hey, it's me."
"..."
"Ah, I missed you too after not seeing you for one night."
"..."
"Okay, okay, I'll do as you say. Bye."
David was listening nearby with a confused expression. Are you meeting an agent or hooking up with a girl?
Jason returned to the table to continue eating. David hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Are you coming back tonight? Should I book a hotel for you?"
Jason looked up. "Huh? Why would I need that? I'm meeting an agent, not dating a girl."
David blinked. "Oh, you know that too?"
"It's never too late to make a reservation when you actually need one."
David's eyes widened instantly: What the fuck!
As Jason stirred the spicy soup in his bowl, he suddenly felt a twinge of sadness.
He noticed David's expression and asked perceptively, "What's wrong? Do you miss your wife and children?"
David nodded, his eyes reddening. "I haven't seen them for a long time."
"How about I help you visit them?"
David was about to nod, but after looking at Jason's face, he shook his head decisively. Men like you should stay as far away from my wife as possible!
Jason thought for a moment and said, "Just hold on for a few more days. Once we make some real money, I'll buy a large estate in New Jersey where you can bring them to live. It's much safer there than here. Additionally, we can put our operation against Agent Orange on the agenda. But if we want to lure him out, our best bet is to find Frank first."
Agent Orange was the mastermind behind the trafficking of fallen American soldiers' bodies and the current director of the CIA's secret operations department, William Rawlins. The man's whereabouts were so secretive that even David found it nearly impossible to track him down.
They had previously attempted to lure him out with incriminating videotapes, but the effort proved futile.
It seemed that only Frank, who had done Rollins' dirty work, could successfully draw him out.
David nodded. "I've been tracking Frank's movements. I have a feeling we'll encounter him soon!"
Jason had a rough idea that Frank was likely hiding at a construction site somewhere in New York, but he didn't know which one. Additionally, Frank possessed superior anti-reconnaissance awareness, which explained why he had never been located.
However, as David methodically eliminated false leads, this human extreme warrior—equivalent to a level-ten agent—would eventually surface.
==============================================
Support me at [email protected]/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.
=============================================