"Wonder if this guy can get his hands on the Veronica Virus," muttered Daniel Davis under his breath as he watched Krauser's departing figure.
From Krauser, Davis had learned that Manuela had been rescued by Leon and him and was now in the hands of the US military. Krauser, being just a special forces soldier, didn't know the exact location. He knew about Daniel thanks to Leon; otherwise, he wouldn't have found a place to treat his arm. Krauser wanted Manuela's blood, but he couldn't get it on his own. He planned to ask Leon for help. Given Leon's friendly nature, he would likely get some of Manuela's blood.
For an average agent, getting the military to release such a valuable asset would be impossible. Even if Krauser died, they wouldn't hand over the blood. It's similar to how SHIELD wouldn't hand over Captain America's blood to save an ordinary agent. But Leon wasn't an ordinary agent; he was directly under the President and a member of the Kennedy family. Leon probably didn't know about his family's secret organization, which was known only to a few family heads.
Daniel could heal Krauser's arm now, but then he wouldn't have an excuse to make Krauser seek out Manuela's blood. As a high-priority military asset, Manuela was hard to access. Daniel couldn't just wander around looking for her; sending Krauser was much more convenient.
Even with his AI, Red Queen, Daniel couldn't just hack into every network in this world. Despite what movies show about hackers breaking into US government networks or the FBI, real critical networks are incredibly secure. No hacker, no matter how skilled, can rob a bank by hacking it.
Even if hacking were possible, the risk of detection was high, and Daniel didn't want to take that chance.
"Leon sure has a lot of luck with women. Too bad he won't get to be Ada's tool this time," thought Daniel. Leon had never met Ada due to Daniel's intervention. But besides Ada, Leon had no shortage of encounters.
Manuela was a beautiful woman, and both Leon and Krauser developed feelings for her. Naturally, Krauser lost to Leon in the end.
Leon had far better luck with women than Chris. Chris always had Jill by his side, while Leon frequently changed partners. Perhaps because he never met Ada, Leon became quite a playboy. This was also why there was no spark between Leon and Claire, even though they had been through a lot together. Claire remained just a friend, possibly because Chris's presence deterred Leon.
Despite Daniel eliminating the root cause, the Sun Ladder, and significantly reducing the virus's presence, biohazard incidents continued. TriCell Corporation continued to meddle in viral research. Recently, there was a near-repeat of the Raccoon City tragedy in Hardwell, a small city similar in size to Raccoon City. The famous Will Pharma was based there, focusing on T-virus vaccine research. They had achieved significant breakthroughs, creating vaccines with the backing of a senator.
The company could have risen to great heights, but a sudden biohazard outbreak destroyed Will Pharma. Strictly speaking, it was the fault of their chief researcher, a former Umbrella employee who had served under William Birkin. During the Raccoon City outbreak, he had stolen T-virus, G-virus, and related research data, escaping with them.
Had Umbrella still been operational, they would have hunted him down. But with Umbrella's collapse, he erased his identity online, fabricated a new one, and joined Will Pharma. With the stolen viruses and research data, he quickly became their chief researcher. Although they weren't the only ones to develop a T-virus vaccine, they still stood to gain immense profits. But greed got the better of him. He planned to use Will Pharma's labs to create vaccines, then sell the viruses and vaccines on the black market.
The profits from selling viruses and vaccines to underground organizations or terrorists were far greater than being a company's chief researcher.
His plan was excellent, and he kept a low profile. He might have succeeded if not for interference from an unexpected source. A survivor from Raccoon City, seeking revenge for his wife and children, launched a bio-terrorist attack. Despite a previous confidentiality agreement, some people wanted the truth about Raccoon City exposed.
But the government wouldn't allow such a disclosure. In his despair, the survivor planned a public bio-terrorist attack, injecting himself with the G-virus.
His intentions were good, but the outcome was far from ideal. With the formation of anti-biohazard organizations, his biohazard incident was quickly contained, failing to achieve its intended effect. The media only briefly mentioned it as a terrorist attack. Even the military capitalized on the situation to gain political support.
The government could acknowledge bio-terrorism but not admit that Raccoon City's disaster was a biohazard incident. They had previously claimed it was a nuclear leak. Changing the story would damage the government's credibility. Admitting to the biohazard would imply a nuclear strike, leading to significant political repercussions.
The collapse of Will Pharma ultimately benefited TriCell.
Biohazard incidents had increased rapidly over the past few years. Even without Daniel and Wesker's involvement, Daniel learned a lot about these incidents from Rebecca, Chris, and Jill. Large-scale zombie outbreaks were less common, replaced by more controllable creatures like Tyrants and Lickers.
In the East Slav Republic, there was even a battle between Lickers and Tyrants. This small nation, plagued by conflict and lacking government control, never joined the UN. Countries in similar situations, like in the Middle East, struggled with internal strife and lacked credible governments, making them ineligible for UN membership.
UN membership offers significant benefits, such as aid. In the original storyline, Ada would have gone there for Wesker to find parasites. But with Wesker dead and Daniel not needing her to find viruses or parasites, she didn't go.
Despite the chaos in East Slav, the UN paid little attention. Even when biohazards were discovered there, no one intervened without potential gains.
Chris and others did go there but faced severe restrictions due to political control. Ultimately, it was the intervention of two major powers from the Big Five that restored peace in East Slav. After initially withdrawing, they quickly deployed troops under the guise of combating bio-terrorism as per UN protocols.
But the real reason was the discovery of significant oil reserves underground in East Slav.
This discovery prompted immediate military action. In just three days, the decades-long civil strife in East Slav ended, restoring peace.
Lickers and Tyrants stood no chance against concentrated military strikes, revealing the true nature of the Raccoon City incident.
It's ironic but true; that's the power of a strong nation. No one cared about East Slav's internal conflicts until the oil was found. Once it was, peace became essential for safe extraction.
Though ironic, the end of East Slav's turmoil meant children no longer feared random massacres.
Knowing about East Slav, Daniel once again felt fortunate to have been born in a peaceful and powerful country in his previous life.
"If I heal Krauser, maybe I can recruit him to work for me. I might not need him in New York, but elsewhere, he could be invaluable. Perhaps I should establish a security team or hire a mercenary group like Umbrella did."
Krauser, disillusioned with the US military, could be easily swayed if Daniel healed and enhanced him. With Krauser's strength-focused mindset, recruiting him should be straightforward.
Though powerful, Daniel couldn't be everywhere at once. Ada, while skilled, wasn't his subordinate and unsuitable for some tasks. Krauser, however, was perfect for jobs like collecting Blood Orchids or securing resources in volatile regions.
Running operations in such areas without a strong presence was impossible; otherwise, everything could be destroyed overnight.
"Miss Carter, you?" In New York, in a modest apartment, Agent 13, Sharon, froze at the door, staring at the rejuvenated Peggy Carter.
"Sharon, seems you haven't told me everything," Peggy said, pushing past Sharon and entering the apartment. Only then did Sharon close the door in a flurry.
"Who's here?" Captain America, holding a laundry rack, emerged from another room. Seeing Peggy, he dropped the rack in shock.
"Peggy," said Captain America, his face a mix of emotions.
"Seems you're adjusting well," Peggy replied calmly, taking a seat on the sofa. Despite her composed exterior, Peggy was internally excited but didn't want to show it to Captain America.
"I wanted to see you, but..." Captain America started, then fell silent.
"You guys talk." Agent 13, Sharon, noticing the tension, quickly left the apartment. Outside, she took out her phone and made a call.
"How could you make me wait so long?" Once Sharon left, Peggy dropped her façade and embraced Captain America.
"Sorry." Before Captain America could say more, Peggy kissed him. This kiss, spanning nearly seventy years, lasted a long time. Fortunately, Peggy's recent enhancements allowed her to keep up.
"I wonder what world I'll end up in this time," mused Daniel as he opened the second dimension's barrier. After Krauser called to say he needed time to get the blood, Daniel started his next action. Learning from his previous encounter, he upgraded his Ant-Man suit to match the Wasp's flying capabilities, though it wasn't needed this time.
"This time, luck's on my side; I'm on the ground." Unlike the last time he fell from the sky, Daniel had no use for his upgraded suit's flight capabilities.
Boom, boom, boom.
He heard loud thudding behind him. Turning around, Daniel froze, "No way, is this the world I think it is?"
Behind him was a six or seven-meter-tall giant, naked, with bulging eyes and a grotesque face. Daniel immediately recognized this world: Attack on
Titan.
"Room, Slaughterhouse." As the giant reached for him, Daniel swiftly countered.
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"Are you stunned? I can fly," Daniel Davis taunted, waving to the horde of Titans below him from atop his flying skateboard, hovering dozens of meters above the ground. Among the crowd were a few Abnormal Titans.
After dispatching a Titan with his Op-Op Fruit powers, more Titans appeared. To escape their sheer numbers, Daniel swapped places with a Titan using his Op-Op Fruit's ability and took out his flying skateboard to ascend into the sky.
"Good thing I was well-prepared this time; otherwise, it would've been quite a hassle," Daniel mused. Last time he fell from the sky unprepared, so he made sure to cover all bases this time. His Ant-Man suit, although capable of flight, only worked when he was miniaturized. In his normal size, flying was impossible.
He had considered combining Ant-Man and Iron Man's suits for better functionality, but modifications to the Ant-Man suit would complicate its usability.
"If only nanotechnology were available, a Nano Ant-Man suit or a Nano Iron Man suit would be perfect," Daniel thought. Hovering on his skateboard powered by an Arc Reactor, he didn't need to rush anywhere.
"Messing up in Harry's world was a huge mistake," Daniel reflected on his encounter with Dumbledore. He realized he didn't need to confront Dumbledore head-on. Instead, he could've just hidden in the quantum realm, where Dumbledore, no matter how powerful, couldn't reach.
This reminded Daniel of a novel he'd read where the protagonist had a small tower that could merge into the void. Whenever he faced unbeatable foes, he would hide in the tower, becoming undetectable. This tower, if explained scientifically, might have been functioning within the quantum realm.
For Scott and the other Ant-Men, entering the quantum realm was a one-way trip without a specialized quantum tunnel. But for Daniel, he could exit the quantum realm using his portals, bypassing the need for such a tunnel.
Fortunately, the situation in Harry's world turned out well. Although the initial encounter was rough, he gained valuable knowledge from Dumbledore and Grindelwald, especially from Grindelwald. He learned many spells and insights into magical arts, which compensated for his rocky start.
"Why did it have to be this world? There's nothing here I need," Daniel muttered, sitting cross-legged on his skateboard. For him, the Attack on Titan world seemed to lack any useful resources or technologies. The Titan transformation serum didn't appeal to him, especially with its severe reduction in lifespan.
The Nine Titans were becoming obsolete even in their own world, let alone for someone like him. He could easily defeat all Nine Titans without using any advanced technology. A single Incendio spell would suffice to incinerate them all.
If he employed modern technology, it wouldn't just be a Marvel-level world; any technologically advanced society could annihilate the Nine Titans. Even the massive Titans within the walls would be no match for a nuclear strike.
"This world might be a good backup for relocating the magical community," Daniel considered. The Titan world had only recently developed rudimentary airships. Wizards here would be unmatched.
"It could be a backup option," Daniel thought, standing up and observing the scattering Titans below. Holding his wand in his left hand, he descended on his skateboard.
"Incendio," Daniel aimed first at the Abnormal Titans. "Hmm, regular fire spells don't seem effective," he noted as the flames enveloped the Titans but didn't slow their advance. He realized his mistake—Titans lacked pain receptors, and their massive bodies required more than regular fire to be incinerated quickly. Targeting their nape specifically with the fire might work better.
With regular flames proving ineffective, Daniel switched to Fiendfyre. The cursed fire immediately reduced most of the Titans, including those he had previously dissected with his Op-Op Fruit, to ashes.
Daniel left one Abnormal Titan alive, which attempted to leap at him. Abnormal Titans, unlike their regular counterparts, exhibited more erratic and agile movements.
The reason for sparing this Titan was to examine its anatomy. Despite believing this world had little to offer, Daniel was still curious about the origins of Titans. Before his dimensional travel, the story hadn't revealed much about their true origins or the nature of Pure Titans' longevity. While the lifespan of Intelligent Titans was short, Pure Titans seemed to live indefinitely unless killed.
"Room, Slaughterhouse." The Abnormal Titan, though fast, was swiftly dissected by Daniel's Op-Op Fruit ability.
"This isn't a suitable place for research," Daniel noted, glancing around the wilderness. He used magic to secure the Titan's severed parts together and then flew towards a massive forest he had spotted through his binoculars.
"Interesting structure, not quite flesh, more like some other material, maybe similar to dirt or sand. Is this why Titans disintegrate upon death?" Perched atop the tallest and thickest tree in the forest, Daniel conjured a simple platform with magic and began examining the Titan's anatomy.
"An empty shell," Daniel concluded after using his instruments and Op-Op Fruit to investigate. "Pure Titans aren't worth much; I'll need to find an Intelligent Titan or the spinal fluid injector."
"And these cells look a lot like plant cells. Could the Titans' origins be plant-based, like the Sun Ladder or Blood Orchids, but on a grander scale?"
Having extensively studied the Sun Ladder and Blood Orchids, Daniel noticed striking similarities in the cellular structure of the Titan, predominantly plant-like with minimal human characteristics. It resembled sand or dirt, although Daniel's lack of geological expertise left him uncertain.
"If Titans are plant-based, that's remarkable. Only Eldians can transform into Titans, even with spinal fluid injections," Daniel pondered. "To fully understand, I need to find an Intelligent Titan. I wonder what timeline this is in—has Eren's hometown been destroyed?"
After concluding his preliminary examination, Daniel clasped his hands, summoning a golden sword in his right hand, and severed the Pure Titan's nape, killing it.
Pure Titans' true forms had entirely fused with their Titan bodies, leaving no trace of a separate human form in the nape.
"What's this? Strange," Daniel's expression shifted as the Titan's body vanished in a cloud of steam. "It's not merely turning to ashes and integrating into this world; it's as if it disappears into another space. Fascinating."
Daniel observed the Titan's disappearance with his Op-Op Fruit ability, noting the similarities to souls entering a dimensional space.
"It's almost like a soul entering a dimensional space, but these Titans seem to lack souls," he mused. Kamar-Taj's magic had deep insights into souls and dimensional spaces. At his current power level, Daniel could even force a soul out of a body like the Ancient One. Naturally, he could perceive souls if he wished.
Daniel's current abilities allowed him to see things beyond normal human perception, akin to children born with the ability to see spirits. But he preferred not to use this ability casually; no one enjoyed seeing such things regularly.
Thankfully, most souls in the Marvel universe, unless exceptionally persistent, were drawn to Hell or Heaven after death. Harry's world had similar rules, although it being a magical world, some souls lingered longer. Most, however, couldn't interfere with the living world and only rarely had any impact.
For instance, Harry could only see his parents' spirits during his encounters with Voldemort due to Priori Incantatem.
In Kamar-Taj's teachings, every world had a soul dimension that absorbed deceased souls. The nature of these dimensions varied across different worlds. Some, like Marvel's Hell and Heaven, maintained conscious souls. Heaven admitted only the purest souls, unlike Hell, which took in many.
Most soul dimensions, however, did not preserve consciousness. Souls typically became pure energy after death. Yet, there were exceptions where souls retained some consciousness, potentially leading to memories of past lives, often interpreted as past lives in ordinary terms.
Occasionally, individuals were born with vivid past life memories, making them akin to reincarnated or transmigrated beings. Most, however, had vague, unconscious reincarnations.
Human individuality was likely tied to the soul dimension, a mystery even beyond the comprehension of the Ancient One or higher entities. This soul dimension was inaccessible to most, possibly even to the Ancient One herself.
This inaccessibility was why Daniel could traverse dimensions without fear of ending up in Heaven, Hell, or a soul dimension. Even if he wanted to, his current abilities didn't allow for such travel.
"Enough speculation for now. I should focus on mastering dimensional spaces to ensure my survival," Daniel thought, glancing at the remaining Titans below. He turned his attention to the vast forest surrounding him.
The trees were at least ten meters tall and over a meter thick, a rarity in both the Marvel and Harry Potter worlds, where such trees were exceptional. Here, they were commonplace.
"This world might be good for the lumber business. Were these trees designed to combat Titans?" Daniel wondered. The Survey Corps relied heavily on these dense forests to maneuver against Titans. In a regular forest, no matter their skills, they couldn't fight Titans effectively.
"Where to go next? Inside the island or outside?" Daniel contemplated his next move.
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