Despite her uniform's sexy, form-fitting appearance—looking more like something out of a Japanese undercover investigator film than a tactical suit—it was actually a piece of top-tier espionage gear equipped with every necessary function.
The suit was riddled with clever designs and hidden mounting points at various locations, allowing Natasha to carry specialized gadgets tailored to the specific needs of any mission.
A professional agent never underestimated an enemy. Although Makiya looked like an innocent, handsome young man who hadn't seen the world, Natasha focused with absolute intensity. Her muscles were coiled like springs, ready to explode into action at a moment's notice.
This was a vampire's nest. A man who could wander around in a bathrobe was certainly a vampire, and likely a high-ranking one at that, since the low-level grunts were all downstairs doing the dirty work.
'Intelligence indicates that a vampire's physical strength isn't that high. I should be able to take him,' Natasha thought to herself. She couldn't explain the uncanny way Makiya had appeared, so she simply chalked it up to her own distraction while she was searching for files.
The Black Braised Egg's intelligence was usually spot on. Natasha chose to trust S.H.I.E.L.D.'s infiltration and reconnaissance capabilities. Her opponent was just a single vampire; with her enhanced physiology and her experience as a master of a thousand battles, taking down a mere vampire would be child's play.
Furthermore, she had specifically selected several gadgets for this mission that were exceptionally effective against bloodsuckers.
Steady as a mountain one moment, swift as a rabbit the next. Having decided to strike, Natasha moved first. With a sharp contraction of her pectoral muscles, she launched a small black sphere from her deep cleavage. Under Makiya's surprised gaze, it struck him square in the forehead.
The impact was light, barely even causing a sting.
Pffft!
Following a muffled sound akin to a soft pop, the black sphere burst into a thick, pale yellow mist, releasing a pungent stench of garlic into the air.
The concentrated garlic extract was incredibly acrid. Even a normal human would have their olfactory nerves instantly overwhelmed, losing the ability to resist for a short time. For a vampire, it was pure poison; a weaker one might even turn to ash upon inhaling a single breath.
As the garlic bomb exploded, Natasha produced a thick, short baton from an unknown hiding spot. With a flick of her wrist, it extended to half a meter like a telescopic baton, its tip crackling with jumping arcs of blue-white electricity.
Seeing the man seemingly dazed by the garlic extract, Natasha saw her opening. She lunged forward, pressing the stun baton against Makiya's chest. The stored current was released entirely in an instant, a burst of power strong enough to drop a two-meter-tall giant. It was more than enough to handle a lean man like Makiya.
When she saw Makiya still standing, Natasha leapt into the air, closing the distance to his body. Using the strength of her core and legs, she performed a rapid aerial maneuver, clamping her powerful, rounded thighs around Makiya's head. Simultaneously, she gripped a UV light in her palm and aimed the blinding rays directly at his face.
"Uh, to be honest, I'm starting to regret this," Makiya's voice drifted in from behind her.
Natasha's entire body shuddered. She whipped her head toward the source of the sound only to find Makiya standing by the railing with his hands behind his back, completely unharmed. Even his bathrobe wasn't out of place.
"What's going on?" Natasha's vision blurred. A moment later, she realized the sensation between her legs felt wrong. Looking back, she saw she was death-grip-locking a rounded wooden railing post, which was now thoroughly coated in the scent of concentrated garlic.
Before she could fully process the situation, the world began to spin. Her head grew heavy, and she found it impossible to think. Her eyelids felt like they were made of lead.
"Damn it, I..."
Realizing something was wrong, Natasha reached for the emergency distress button at her waist, but her hand met only empty air. In her final second of consciousness, she saw the man in front of her idly playing with a specialized button—the very emergency device she always carried.
As long as she was within the United States, that button was a perfect lifeline. Once pressed, S.H.I.E.L.D. would immediately initiate a physical intervention to rescue their agent from enemy hands.
If rescue was impossible, they would even resort to silencing the agent to prevent internal secrets from leaking.
The sound of Natasha hitting the floor caught the attention of the vampires below. Secretary Number Two approached with the graceful, swaying gait of a cat.
"Master, what happened..."
Halfway through her sentence, Number Two was repelled by the thick smell of garlic in the air. She stopped at a distance, nose wrinkled, afraid to approach but equally afraid of being punished by Makiya. Her face was a mask of conflict.
"Nothing for you to worry about. Go back to your business," Makiya waved her off dismissively.
"Yes, Master." Number Two looked as though she had been granted a divine pardon. Before leaving, she glanced at Natasha's curvaceous figure and let her eyes linger. "Master, if you're planning to have some fun, could you include me?"
Number Two's request for a team-up was heartlessly rejected by Makiya.
He wasn't the type of man who lost his head the moment he saw a woman. Natasha's figure was indeed excellent, but compared to the group of secretaries he had just acquired, she was simply one among many. They each had their own charms.
The most valuable thing Natasha possessed was the secret intelligence regarding S.H.I.E.L.D. stored in her brain. Second was her enhanced blood, and third was the high-tech tactical suit and gadgets she carried.
The information-gathering abilities of an NPC powerhouse could still function in this world. Makiya had previously attempted to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, only to find that the information stored on networked servers was of a low security clearance.
High-level secrets were stored entirely offline. Network intrusion methods couldn't touch them. Not to mention the Black Braised Egg's heavy paranoia; some mission files existed only as hard copies, or were simply memorized and kept inside his head.
Hoisting Natasha over his shoulder, Makiya immediately caught a whiff of the concentrated garlic emanating from her legs. He twitched the corner of his mouth, set her down again, and cast a Levitation Charm to float her into his underground lab.
Taking without asking is theft. Makiya was a youth raised with modern values and a sense of mission; he naturally wouldn't resort to blatant robbery. Even though he coveted Natasha's gear and blood samples, he still chose to ask politely.
The unconscious Natasha gave no answer.
After asking three times, Makiya took her silence as consent. He proceeded to dismantle her equipment, strip her of the uniform, and draw two vials of blood for good measure.
"Oh ho, leopard print? You certainly like to play hard." Makiya pressed his hand against Natasha's chest, continuously channeling the Mystical Palm Technique. He paused to think—what if two vials weren't enough? So, he drew two more. Then two more. And then...
He had to stop. The human body only contained so much blood, and Natasha's lips were already turning white.
But it didn't matter. Makiya's healing capabilities were no joke. Between the Slow Heal and Fast Heal of a Ghost Knight, the Kaido of a Soul Reaper, the Mystical Palm of a Ninja, and the recovery spells of a cultivation world, he rotated through his powers. Natasha's lips soon became rosy and full again, and her skin turned smooth and delicate, like a withered flower rejuvenated by spring rain.
The old injuries from years of missions were completely healed, and her body was conditioned to its peak state. To prevent Natasha from noticing anything too abnormal, Makiya's healing magic intentionally bypassed her lower abdomen, preserving the permanent mark the Red Room had left on her.
Her inability to bear children was Natasha's lifelong regret. Makiya wasn't about to fix that without a word; he wasn't running a charity. That kind of favor was massive; if it were to be done, the party involved would have to beg for it.
The minimalist design of her leopard-print undergarments couldn't block Makiya's sharp gaze. The experience granted to him by his Erotica-self, combined with the extreme perception of the Sharingan, allowed him to notice every detail without even trying.
This 'vehicle' was certainly not fresh from the factory—not that he expected it to be. She had likely been 'test-driven' as far back as her training days in the Red Room. One could tell the 'chassis' had been meticulously maintained, with repairs made to both the 'headlights' and 'fuel lines,' but the level of 'wear and tear' was still significant, likely the result of multiple instances of aggressive driving.
The dark marks had surpassed the limits of human science and the Super Soldier Serum, leaving indelible traces on the body. Surely those weren't just scorch marks from some battle.
Overall assessment: the general condition of this vehicle was average. Its previous owners all had the bad habit of flooring the gas pedal. It was a gas-guzzler and difficult to handle; not recommended for beginners. A veteran might rent it for a drive, but long-term ownership was inadvisable.
Makiya had plans to 'buy a car.' While the circle of associates he knew provided decent 'daily drivers,' he still wanted to get his hands on a flashy, brand-new model. If he was going to put in the effort to maintain a vehicle, anyone with the capability would choose a new one over something fifth-hand.
The 'used car market' in the West was developed, and various 'repair shops' were experts in modification. Headlights, exhaust pipes, engines, and fuel lines could be modded to look as good as new. Fortunately, his Erotica-self's vast experience gave Makiya a set of golden eyes, allowing him to tell at a glance if a car was original or modded, or if it had been driven violently.
"I recall there's an Inhuman girl named Skye who isn't bad. She should still be in school right now. And the Scarlet Witch, Wanda, is an option too..."
Makiya muttered to himself as he walked over to Natasha. He pressed his hands to her forehead, his spiritual energy instantly invading her mind. He began utilizing ninjutsu to extract information.
"Oh ho, Nick Fury, I didn't take you for that kind of man in private. And Hawkeye, you look like such an honest guy with those thick eyebrows, but it turns out you're not exactly a saint either... Hiss, the Hulk is that big?"
Half an hour later, all the useful intelligence in Natasha's brain had been thoroughly scavenged by Makiya.
"She seems to have come here to apply for a job as a bar waitress. Well, I'll send her back to work. Slacking off on the clock is a bad habit."
As he watched his clone carry Natasha away, Makiya rubbed his hands together and looked at the row of neatly arranged blood samples. He was very interested in the Super Soldier Serum.
His intuition told him that the key to solving the transition from a vampire physiology to a Magic-Ninja hybrid body lay within the Super Soldier Serum. The physiological gap between the two was too wide; if the Super Soldier Serum could serve as a transitional buffer, things would likely go much smoother.
[Support the story with Reviews, Power Stones, and Comments—they mean a lot and keep me going! 30+ chapters waiting on patreon.com/elite_reads]