Chapter 72: Captain America, the Superhero

By calculation, aside from the crucial mercury, Venigo had managed to pocket nearly two thousand gold coins in one stroke—a considerable fortune, though in the world of magical item crafting and alchemy, it was hardly anything substantial.

Two days later, fully satisfied, Venigo appeared before Sophie and Honey, clad in a blue fitted suit and holding a round shield painted with concentric red circles and a white five-pointed star.

“Hey, Venigo, why are you only carrying a shield and no weapon?” Honey asked in puzzlement.

“This is my weapon,” Venigo replied with a chuckle, swinging his arm. The round shield left his hand, spun in the air several times, then flew back to him.

This was the product born of Venigo’s sudden burst of inspiration.

Captain America...

As a superhero, Captain America was not much stronger than an ordinary man; in this world, the Captain America persona Venigo constructed was only middling in power. Stripped of his strength, Captain America possessed few notable traits.

Except for his shield.

With that shield in hand, Captain America truly deserved the title of hero. While Venigo’s character design could not perfectly replicate the memory of that superhuman who could deflect even Thor’s lightning, it did not prevent him from becoming a formidable shield warrior.

Captain America’s greatest strength was not his combat prowess, but his value as a leader and tactician.

Their purpose here was to investigate the disappearance of residents in the county. Since arriving, Venigo had spotted the traces of Sheep Cry cultists several times.

He had no interest in tangling with such petty minions, so he kept quiet. After all, many of the lower ranks of the Sheep Cry Cult were truly impoverished—they were simply beguiled by the cult’s teachings, willing to sacrifice everything they had for an illusory dream.

Mados’s arrival confirmed that the Sheep Cry Cult was about to act in Black County. Thanks to Lady Frith’s intelligence network, Venigo had identified those in special robes as members of the Infernal Brotherhood, elite forces directly under the cult’s upper echelons.

If even they were mobilized, something intriguing was surely about to unfold in Black County.

“The Werewolf Altar, the Sacred Pearl, the whereabouts of Sir Colburn. Heh…” Venigo chuckled. He packed his bag, gathered Sophie, Honey, and Catsey, and set out toward the fountain in the town center.

Soon, Venigo found his target among the town’s residences: Lady Frith’s local agent, a spy disguised as a farmwife.

Venigo showed the gold badge Lady Frith had given him and said, “We’re here at the lady’s request to investigate the connection between the Sheep Cry Cult, the Infernal Brotherhood, and the werewolf rampage. I know you’ve issued many commissions in the guise of an ordinary villager. So far, do you have any reliable information?”

The female spy shook her head with a bitter smile. “The werewolves are indeed powerful and numerous. But it shouldn’t be to this extent—the werewolves here are absurdly strong. I heard that even Sir Colburn, the werewolf slayer, has…”

“I’ve heard a little,” Venigo nodded. “When we cleared the shipping lane for the lady, we discovered some Sheep Cry cultists who had been altered by magic or alchemy. There’s reason to suspect these abnormally strong werewolves may also have the cult’s shadow behind them.”

The agent nodded in agreement.

“The lady’s interest in this place isn’t just because of the werewolves, is it?” Venigo suddenly asked.

The spy hesitated slightly and said, “You already know a lot, so perhaps it’s no harm to tell you. Sir Colburn possesses a treasure called the Sacred Pearl. The lady has long desired it for her coronet, but Sir Colburn has refused her. If you can obtain the pearl, the lady will surely reward you handsomely.”

Venigo grinned.

The Sacred Pearl? An artifact containing astonishing divine power, capable of instantly purifying even a werewolf altar. Would a magnate like Lady Frith not know its true value?

If Venigo got his hands on it, he would never hand it over. He had better uses for it.

“So, werewolves appear on the streets at night. Let’s first engage a small group and test their strength,” Venigo decided. “Anyway, it’s almost dark.”

He suddenly turned and asked, “Have you been infected?”

The agent quickly waved her hands in denial. Venigo laughed, took Sophie and Honey by the hand, and strode away.

Wait—did I forget something? Never mind, it’s nothing important.

Inside the house, Catsey Sharpclaw was left in tears.

==Boy preparing==

The sky gradually darkened. The small town swiftly fell silent, as if an invisible force was driving people indoors, emptying the streets in an instant.

Not even a stray dog remained.

From nearby came the faint sound of wolves howling, growing ever closer until it was upon them.

“Surrounded? As expected of a wolf pack, even their habits are similar,” Venigo said with a wry smile in the middle of the street.

On the entire street, only Venigo, Sophie, Honey, and Catsey remained; their target was the werewolves who prowled the town each night.

Whoosh—a shadow lunged from above. Without even looking, Venigo raised his sturdy arm and smashed out with his shield.

Captain America—Stars and Stripes!

For Captain America, whose strength and agility were superb, the “Stars and Stripes” that could knock enemies flying, and the straight-line, powerful “Starlight Charge,” were his two most useful skills.

The shadow was instantly sent flying into the air by Venigo; before it landed, Venigo raised his shield and delivered a full-force upward slash, sending the creature hurtling away.

The shield’s edge was not particularly sharp, but under Captain America mode and shield magic’s enhancement, it delivered terrifying damage. To be struck was like being cleaved by a giant’s battle-axe—not cut in two, but suffering pulverizing wounds that would scarcely heal.

Yes, it was smashed to pieces.

Venigo squinted, surveying the werewolf monsters emerging from all directions. After his battle with the Thunder Lizard, his level had risen again. By Venigo’s own scale of one hundred levels, he was now at level thirty.

Level thirty strength—the foundation for constructing Captain America. Worthy indeed of the “superhero” title.

With one blow landed, Venigo shrank back, bracing his shield on his shoulder, then suddenly surged forward.

Starlight Charge—a powerful rush skill!

The werewolves in his path were knocked down like scarecrows under the shield’s impact. After flattening three or four, Venigo’s momentum inevitably slowed, and at that point, an unusually tall, reddish-skinned werewolf blocked his way.

Not only that, this werewolf gripped with both claws, hoisting Venigo and his shield off the ground, about to smash him down.

“What are you thinking?” Venigo snorted.

The azure components beneath his feet suddenly blasted out two jets of air, propelling him ahead; twisting his waist, he threw the werewolf backward, flipping it over and slamming it to the ground.

Before the werewolf landed, Venigo flicked his hand, sending his shield as a streak of silver light that struck the airborne creature and rebounded back to him.

“Silver Frenzy Slash!”

The silver shield did not deal mortal damage. The dangerous beast rolled on the ground and sprang up, charging straight at Venigo.

Venigo crouched and braced, gathering himself, and launched forward, colliding with the werewolf.

Ultimate Starlight Charge!

Ultimate skills typically consume great energy and deliver immense force, but are slow to activate and recover. Thus, one must seize the right moment to use them for maximum effect.

Such as now.

Two massive forces collided with a thunderous gust, scattering dust and smoke that swallowed their figures. After a brief pause, the sharp sound of repeated impacts rang out from the haze.

When the smoke cleared, Venigo, his jacket torn, staggered back, while the werewolf stood fixed in the street, its blood-red eyes locked on Venigo.

Both were wounded, though Venigo’s injuries were lighter.

“I’ll remember you. In the name of Ghost Wolf,” the werewolf suddenly said. “Infernal Brotherhood, Ghost Wolf Akuls.”

“You still have reason?” Venigo exclaimed. “Ultimate Justice—Captain America.”

“What a strange name,” the werewolf grumbled.

Venigo fell silent, weighing the situation. His goal to gauge the werewolf’s strength was met; with their current power, they probably couldn’t guarantee capturing this beast. As for the other werewolves—they were mere cannon fodder, not worth the effort.

His real aim was the werewolf lair hidden deep in the mountains, or more precisely, the altar at its heart.

Of course, as payment, Venigo intended to loot the Sacred Pearl and other spoils. Speaking of which, the werewolf leader possessed a Fallen Pearl, which was also a highly effective magical artifact.

He waved to Ghost Wolf, signaling an end to the fight. Ghost Wolf seemed to agree, howled at the sky, and withdrew with his followers toward the mountains.

Venigo turned and saw Sophie emerge from the shadows, shielding Honey.

“How did it go?” Venigo asked.

“Six. One was stronger than the rest,” Sophie replied.

“The one with red fur?” Venigo smiled. “As expected, some kind of modification.”