As soon as Josh shouted "Hail Hydra," several people behind Malick—clearly his trusted aides—immediately reached for their waists.
But on Josh's side, Vito and his companion moved faster. In the same moment, their guns were already in hand, aimed at the others.
The sudden turn of events caused the scantily clad girls nearby to shrink back into the corners in terror.
Fortunately, the girls were quite tactful—they didn't scream but instead chose to cover their mouths.
"Josh Kane, do you even know what you're saying?" Compared to his somewhat nervous subordinates, Malick remained composed when faced with the Hydra brooch Josh tossed out and the words "Hail Hydra." Unlike Ophelia, he didn't immediately jump up in shock.
After all, they were on different levels.
Ophelia was still quite new and inexperienced, having only recently started her journey.
But Malick had been through major ups and downs—he wouldn't lose his composure over something like this. In fact, he waved a hand to signal his men to stand down.
Seeing the others back off, Vito and his companion also holstered their guns.
"Come on, Wilfred. Just like you know what I was doing in Austria, I also know everything about your Council of Nine. So there's no need for us to keep dancing around it, right?" Josh said, spreading his hands.
"Hahahaha! I really didn't expect it. Josh, you're one of us! The old men would be thrilled to hear this. But you young folks are still a bit reckless. After all, there are a few outsiders here," Malick said, staring at Josh for a long while after hearing him say "Council of Nine." Then, suddenly laughing heartily, he warmly walked up to Josh and raised his glass.
"Outsiders? Don't worry, they won't be here for long. Vito!" Josh said with a faint smile.
At his command, Vito immediately took out a syringe and stabbed it into his own neck.
His body began to swell, limbs lengthening, fingers sharpening, and his skin slowly covered by dark brown keratin. His eyes turned into vertical reptilian pupils.
Very quickly, a terrifying lizard-like creature over two meters tall appeared in the booth.
This time, the girls hiding in the corner couldn't hold back anymore and screamed. Two of them even fainted on the spot, eyes rolling back.
"Shit!" Malick's men, already horrified by Vito's transformation, lost it completely at the women's screams. Ignoring Malick's signals, they drew their guns and started shooting at Vito.
"Oh dear, Wilfred, we'd better step back. Stray bullets don't care who they hit—we wouldn't want to get caught in the crossfire," Josh said, having already moved aside when Vito transformed. His other bodyguard smartly stepped in front of him.
On the other side, facing the gunfire, Vito merely raised his claws to shield his eyes. The bullets barely pierced his keratin skin and got lodged in his muscle, quickly pushed out by his powerful musculature. The wounds healed almost instantly, leaving barely a drop of blood.
When the attackers paused to reload, Vito dashed forward and swiped his claws—one man's body was instantly sliced in half, blood and organs splattering everywhere.
"Holy hell, Vito! That's way too bloody!" Josh shouted in feigned protest.
At Josh's cry, Vito paused slightly and went easier on the next one, just slamming him hard against the wall. Judging by the limp appearance, he probably didn't have many unbroken bones left.
Out of four attackers, two were already dead. The remaining two panicked and tried to flee through the booth door—but Vito leaped over their heads and blocked their way.
With a swipe for each, their heads were almost smashed into their bodies.
After easily taking out the guards, Vito's fierce gaze turned to Wilfred Malick, who now stood alone and helpless.
Even someone as seasoned as Malick couldn't help but gulp and tremble, eventually collapsing onto the sofa.
"Relax, relax, Vito. Don't hurt our dear Wilfred—he's our friend, right?" Josh said as he stepped forward, calming Vito while smiling at Malick.
"Of course! We're friends, best friends!" Malick nodded furiously, his previous composure completely gone.
Josh nodded with satisfaction and waved for Vito to step back.
Since Josh dared to let Vito use the beastization serum in such a setting, he obviously had control over the situation.
Though the serum affected rationality to some extent, it didn't eliminate it entirely—dinosaurs weren't brainless, after all.
In fact, Aldo, who had used the serum multiple times in Europe, once told Josh that the more it was used, the less severe the side effects became.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to take Neuschwanstein Castle all by himself back then.
Moreover, unlike Aldo, Vito had undergone early-stage super soldier modifications by Dr. Zola, which enhanced his body. Most notably, his recovery rate was much faster (suddenly, game-style health regeneration makes perfect sense).
Perhaps because of this, Vito found that after a single experimental use of the serum in Europe, he had far greater resistance to its side effects—almost unaffected by beastly instincts.
So earlier, when Josh gave the signal, Vito immediately adjusted his attack style. And now, with another shout, he obediently retreated.
Additionally, the serum's regenerative properties had boosted Vito's healing even further.
Based on short-term testing, Vito could practically use the serum indefinitely without worrying about losing control.
"Wilfred, what do you think of this combat serum? Better than those Night Lights or Bright Lights, right?" Josh asked cheerfully, slinging an arm around Malick's shoulder.
"Absolutely, it's perfect! Stronger than any super soldier serum…What exactly is it?" Malick had calmed slightly after seeing Vito retreat at Josh's command and realized Josh didn't intend to kill him—just to make a show of power. He immediately began flattering Josh.
No, it wasn't even flattery—his eyes gleamed with genuine desire for the serum.
"Beastization serum. A semi-finished super soldier formula, infused with animal genes. It gives people speed and strength far beyond human limits, plus some special abilities depending on the animal DNA used," Josh explained. "The only downside is duration—it only lasts 4 to 6 hours. Not permanent. And the materials are hard to get."
Josh's words were half-truths.
The serum did have a permanent version… After all, the Brutes from Red Alert were permanent transformations.
But realistically, no one would want to stay in that monstrous form forever. So the original Brutes were mostly used as expendables.
Also, the permanent version was less intelligent and irreversible—requiring a brain chip to control them.
Not to mention they ate a lot, defecated a lot, and had a laundry list of other issues.
Since Josh wasn't planning a full-scale war, a time-limited version like this was much more practical.
"This is more than enough. A serum like this can change the world's entire power structure!" Malick's eyes grew hotter. He then asked Josh, "Mr. Kane, tell me—what do you want?"
As for the dead men? He didn't care at all.
In Hydra, no one would give up a potential advantage over a few insignificant pawns.
It was cold and heartless.
But if it weren't, would it still be called Hydra?
"Don't be so formal, Wilfred. Call me Josh—we're friends, aren't we?" Josh said with a smile.
"Alright, Josh. So, what is it you want?" Malick asked, quickly adapting.
"Simple. Schmidt is dead. The rest of us are innocent. It's only right that we reclaim our place in the organization—just like you once did, right?" Josh replied.
"Of course. That's only fair," Malick agreed enthusiastically.
"And one more thing, dear Wilfred—don't you think the council has grown a bit short-sighted? Think back to the Great Depression. If we had united, we could've controlled the world. But their internal conflicts made us miss our best chance. Don't you think it's time for change? The times have changed, and our great organization needs a little reform…Of course, no rush. We're still young. We can take our time," Josh said, his voice like a devil's whisper in Malick's ear.
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