Faced with the reward of ten healing charms, the Predators agreed without hesitation to eliminate a group of humans.
According to their agreement with William, the Predators needed his permission to operate on Earth. For the ordinary warriors who were restricted by this rule, the chance to engage in action was a thrilling opportunity.
After inviting William aboard their combat spacecraft, the Predators activated its cloaking device. Within minutes, they arrived at a secret Hand of Satan mercenary camp over 1,500 kilometers away in North Africa.
At around 1:00 a.m., twelve cloaked Predators disembarked and silently infiltrated the camp.
With support from William's spider drones and the Predators' infrared detection, they neutralized the sentries without raising any alarms. Each hidden guard was silenced with a swift knife to the heart, their mouths covered to prevent a single sound.
William stood on the ship's bridge, silently observing the Predators as they split into pairs, spreading out into the darkness. What followed was a one-sided hunt, devoid of mercy or suspense.
In just ten minutes, all 39 mercenaries in the camp were eliminated.
When William granted the Predators permission to collect trophies according to their traditions, their excitement soared. They returned to the camp, ripping the spines and skulls from the corpses and hanging them in the barracks as grim decorations.
As William surveyed the blood-soaked scene, he only felt a brief moment of disgust. Remembering the three engineers who had been senselessly murdered, his sympathy for the mercenaries vanished entirely.
These scum enjoyed killing their own kind for sport—dying at the hands of the Predators is almost poetic justice.
William had another purpose beyond revenge. He wanted to send a warning and make a statement to other forces.
After the camp was wiped out, he and the Predators traveled 500 kilometers south to South Africa. Their target was the mastermind behind the attack: the CIA's regional chief and four high-ranking members of the Hand of Satan.
On the rooftop of a residential building in South Africa, the four mercenaries had just begun their meeting with the CIA chief.
William, observing through a drone feed, confirmed that the laptop being handed over contained his stolen schematics.
He spoke into his earpiece, "Begin the assault."
The Predators, cloaked and already in position on the rooftop, moved swiftly.
"Shk! Shk! Shk!"
Four knives pierced four chests in quick succession. The mercenaries, still alive but mortally wounded, widened their eyes in horror at the sight of the Predators decloaking and stabbing their comrades.
The CIA chief barely had time to react before the Predator leader, who had personally disembarked for this mission, covered his mouth and pressed a blade against his throat.
Paralyzed with fear, the man didn't dare move. But when he saw the Predators tearing the spines and skulls from the mercenaries' corpses, he panicked and began struggling violently.
Before long, William jumped from the invisible spaceship onto the balcony. To the CIA chief, it looked as though he had materialized out of thin air. Terrified, the man's pants turned wet, and a puddle began forming at his feet.
William glanced at him with disdain. "Who sent you? And how did you know those schematics were from me?"
"Go to hell, William Devonshire!" the man shouted before biting down on a poison capsule hidden in his tooth. Within seconds, his body convulsed, blood oozed from his mouth and nose, and he died.
Watching the scene unfold, William instantly recognized the signs. This guy is definitely Hydra.
Only those fanatical lunatics could manage to maintain such fervent loyalty, killing themselves even after losing control of their bodily functions.
"Looks like I'll need to have a serious conversation with Pierce once the spaceship approvals are finished," William muttered.
Turning to leave, he gave a cold order over his shoulder: "Decapitate him and display the head."
Then he instructed Sunday, "Put out a contract in the underground networks. I want his entire family sent to hell to keep him company."
"Understood, Sir."
The massacre of the Hand of Satan and the gruesome execution of the CIA chief sent shockwaves through the underground world. No group or individual dared to accept any contract related to William after that.
Nick Fury, who had been monitoring William for nearly a month, reviewed photos of the mercenary massacre.
He muttered to himself, "Why does this feel eerily similar to those ancient depictions in Central and South American murals—gods collecting their enemies' spines and skulls?"
The supposed "gods" in those murals, Fury thought, were likely aliens.
Does this mean William Devonshire has the ability to command aliens?
The thought sent a shiver down Fury's spine. No, that's impossible… But with all the unthinkable things I've encountered in my career, it might just be the truth.
Deciding he needed more evidence before drawing conclusions, Fury picked up his desk phone and summoned his two most trusted agents.
A short while later, a sharply dressed middle-aged man and a stunning woman with a strikingly curvaceous figure arrived at Fury's office.
"Knock, knock."
The pair exchanged a glance and nodded before knocking on the door.
"Come in," Fury called.
They entered and stood at attention in front of Fury.
"I have a mission, but I'm unsure which of you to assign it to," Fury began, eyeing the Black Widow and Agent Coulson.
"I'm sure you've both heard of William Devonshire. The target of this investigation is him," Fury continued, turning to Black Widow.
"We know William has at least five women in his life. Three are normal humans, but the other two… they don't seem affected by sunlight. We suspect they might be vampires."
"Can't confirm it?" Coulson asked thoughtfully. "While some rare vampires are immune to sunlight, their diet usually gives them away. They don't eat human food."
"We've looked into that," Fury said, shaking his head. "Those two women behave like normal humans now. But we have solid evidence that they were vampires at some point."
Fury shifted focus. "Now, about William himself. He has a thing for beautiful women. Natasha…"
The implication was clear. Black Widow and Coulson exchanged knowing glances.
Beauty, as they both knew, was a timeless weapon—and one that often worked wonders.
"I'll take the mission," Black Widow said. "Dealing with cocky young men is my specialty."
Fury dismissed Coulson with a wave, then addressed Black Widow.
"Your task is to uncover why William is so eager to go to Mars. If possible, obtain a copy of his spacecraft technology."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get early access to chapters by joining my Patre@n!Find me at: patre@n*com/Mutter
You can read each novel for $5 or get them all for just $15.
I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 120)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter][+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]