Chapter 1: Weyland Private Research Institute
Blade opened his eyes once again.
Even though he had been here several times and was used to the environment, as a half-human, half-vampire, he remained vigilant at every moment.
His hawk-like eyes scanned the surrounding decay, brewing with ferocity. In the dim light, a flash of red would occasionally appear in them—proof of his half-vampire nature.
Above, the large characters for "Weyland Private Research Institute" hung on the dilapidated building before him.
The name alone was a red flag.
He had no idea what madness had possessed the owner to set up a temporary stronghold in an abandoned building slated for demolition in New York City, even giving it a name that sounded like it was for researching high technology.
Just then, his ears twitched.
*Swish!*
Blade instinctively reached for the two katanas on his back—specialized weapons laced with silver.
"I'd advise you to put those weapons away. This is my territory; there are no vampires for you to kill here."
The steady tone of voice betrayed no emotional fluctuation. Immediately after, a young, black-haired man walked over.
His handsome features were proof of his youth; he was likely in his twenties. At first glance, he looked as harmless as a little white rabbit, if one were to ignore the bizarre creature standing next to him.
"If you can get that little pet to back up a few meters, maybe I'll believe you," Blade said, pausing for a moment before letting his hands drop.
But his eyes, hidden behind sunglasses, were locked onto the strange "pet's" every move.
The creature stood about three meters tall, its body a black, streamlined form, as if pieced together from countless human spines. Its long, slender tail, which seemed to hold immense power, swayed gently, its tip resembling a sharp blade with formidable piercing strength. Its sharp claws dragged on the ground, effortlessly leaving long scratches on the floor, making Blade's eyelids twitch.
Undoubtedly, the most eye-catching part was the creature's head. It resembled a strange crown and seemed to carry some extraordinary meaning.
It was a creature unlike any he had ever seen, its entire body seemingly born for ultimate combat, like something from the wildest imagination of a genius screenwriter for a sci-fi masterpiece.
Blade's powerful vision also revealed something new: compared to their previous meetings, the monster was now covered in much more of some unknown slime.
Du Wa nodded, clearly satisfied with Blade's response. The look he gave Blade had a strange quality to it as his gaze swept over Blade's body, lingering on his bulging chest muscles, long legs, and thick arms that looked ready to burst...
So beautiful.
Blade frowned, a flicker of instinctual alarm in his eyes.
There it was again.
That look made him feel as if Du Wa wasn't looking at a person. Blade had every reason to believe that this strange man had some very unusual tastes.
Just then, as if sensing the danger signal emanating from Blade, the strange creature beside Du Wa moved, its tail lashing out instantly.
So fast!
Blade's expression changed slightly as he raised a katana to block.
With a *clang*, his palm went slightly numb from the impact that knocked back the monster's tail. A chill went down his spine.
Even though he hadn't used his full strength, his power was still insufficient to sever this tail, which was as hard as metal…
When Blade looked up again, he found that the monster standing beside Du Wa had vanished without a sound. It had already appeared on the ceiling above him, its long, sharp claws glinting with a terrifying cold light, looking as if it could tear off Blade's skull at any moment.
"My apologies. A professional habit," Du Wa said quickly, making an apologetic gesture. "You know, I'm a researcher. It's difficult to support a place like this on my own, so I can't help but pour all my attention into my work."
"It's strong. What's it called?" Blade asked, inwardly startled but maintaining a calm exterior as he watched the bizarre creature return to Du Wa's side as silently as a ghost assassin.
"Xenomorph," Du Wa replied.
"Interesting name. It seems this war weapon is the most outstanding creation of your research institute."
Blade had seen his fair share of things, having spent his entire life fighting various monsters, primarily vampires. Even a brief, probing confrontation was enough for him to define the nature of the Xenomorph, and by extension, the nature of Du Wa himself.
He didn't care if Du Wa was a mad scientist, as long as he could provide him with help.
Du Wa remained noncommittal. The most outstanding? Putting aside its "egg-laying" function, this Xenomorph wouldn't be the most outstanding for long.
With that thought, Du Wa took a deep breath, forcing himself not to become obsessed with Blade's absurdly strong physique, and produced a briefcase. "Here is the highly corrosive weapon you wanted—diluted, of course. Otherwise, you'd need a container made of Adamantium to hold it. In certain special situations, in the dead of night, this is much better than a UV grenade. At the very least, it will help you take care of your enemies very quietly."
Blade was silent for a moment before pulling a bag from his coat and tossing it over.
"As we agreed, one hundred thousand US dollars," Blade said.
Du Wa whistled. "Are all vampire hunters this rich? Right, killing vampires is a costly business. Even your bullets are made of silver."
"It's not my money, anyway. The more vampires I kill, the more money I can take from those bastards," Blade had always been generous when it came to spending.
They made the exchange.
"I'll find an opportunity to promote your product. This highly corrosive liquid is very effective against a vampire's super-healing ability," Blade said, then took a few steps back with the case.
Du Wa suddenly spoke up. "If possible, you could bring me some vampires. Alive."
"Oh? Dealing with those guys is never a good idea," Blade said, looking at him in surprise.
"I can't help it. Time is running out," Du Wa said.
Blade didn't respond further, nor did he ask what that meant. He simply disappeared into the night.
"Blade, tsk, that guy is such a righteous zealot."
Du Wa gazed at Blade's departing figure and closed the gate again.
The vampires of the Marvel World were very interesting. The origin of these creatures wasn't Dracula or Cain, but a magician named Varnae who was the first to come into contact with the Darkhold. He used the power of the Darkhold to transform himself into the first vampire.
And the author of the Darkhold was the renowned God of Dark Magic, a deity who wielded one of the three great primal powers of the Multiverse, Chaos Magic. He was a Second Generation God of the Primordial World Tree, ranked above mass-produced Third Generation World Tree Gods like Odin, Zeus, and the Jade Emperor. He was also the source of the Scarlet Witch's power—Chthon, one of the Four Great Chaos Gods of the Multiverse.
Anything related to hatred, misfortune, or dark magic bore, to some extent, the shadow of Chthon, that ultimate magical entity.
For now, though, there was no need to worry. Du Wa felt that as an ordinary individual in the Multiverse, unable to even escape the most basic timeline, he had no qualification to attract the attention of such a major figure. The matter he needed to focus on right now was, after all, getting money from the reputable Blade.
Blade, the vampire hunter famous throughout the underground world. When his mother was giving birth to him, she was bitten by a vampire, causing the newborn to possess a half-vampire bloodline as well.
Unlike ordinary vampires, he did not fear silver or sunlight, so he could walk freely under the sun, earning him the title "Daywalker" from envious and hateful vampires.
But there was a downside: he needed to regularly inject an immunity serum to prevent his vampire bloodline from completely devouring him.
However, Blade's character was relatively reliable. As long as you were willing to provide him with conveniences for hunting vampires, he was more than happy to do business.
Du Wa shrugged. What could he do? He needed the money. In any case, exchanging a bit of Xenomorph blood for Blade's cash was just a temporary, stopgap measure.
Ever since his transmigration into this Marvel World, Du Wa had been plunged into anxiety. This world, or rather, this universe, had too many freaks and too many heavy hitters.
But thankfully, he had a Xenomorph by his side.
"I remember, before I transmigrated, Marvel Comics had officially started serializing an independent publication for the Alien. It was a purely high-technology world, with no superheroes or anything like that..."
Du Wa counted the US dollars in his hand, his thoughts drifting far away.
"Hsssk!"
The Xenomorph beside him sensed the shift in Du Wa's thoughts. Although it couldn't know exactly what Du Wa was thinking, its absolute loyalty to the man before it prompted a response.
A Xenomorph's call was never meaningless. Whenever it made a sound, it was inevitably expressing some kind of purpose.
Du Wa smiled slightly and reached out. The Xenomorph obediently lowered its head, allowing the man to stroke its crown-like skull.
The man and the Xenomorph walked into the research institute, opened a secret room, and entered an incredibly crude and simple basement—or perhaps underground lair was more fitting—that looked as if it had been gnawed out by a vicious dog of immense strength. Du Wa slowly raised his head.
Five white eggs, covered in slime, came into view.
(end of chapter)