Chapter 45: Unflustered
May 2, 2023 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
Swish, swish, swish—
Inside the Anti-World, Dark Avengers Base.
Hawkeye Clint drew his longbow, accompanied by the vibration of the bowstring.
An arrow shot from his fingers, piercing the air with a crisp sound, striking the target's body.
However, witnessing the arrow hit the figure, Clint's eyes showed no hint of joy.
Colin stood rooted to the spot, allowing the arrows to strike his body, producing a clanging sound.
"That's why I hate fighting guys like you..."
A corner of his mouth twitching, Hawkeye complained casually, but his movements didn't pause in the slightest.
He reached for an arrow, loading a specially made arrowhead from his quiver.
Aiming at Colin opposite him, he released his fingers. The arrow, modified by Howard, sliced through the void and struck Colin's body again. Hawkeye released his fingers, feeling no challenge from firing at such close range for a master archer like him.
What's more, Colin, as the target, had no intention of dodging.
Lowering his head, Colin looked at the arrows that had bounced off his body again. He gained a deeper understanding of the unlocked [Super Durability], an absolutely advantageous power, especially in direct combat.
Shaking his head, Colin was about to say something.
However, before he could speak.
*Bang!*
In the next instant, the arrow that had fallen to the ground erupted in a massive flash of fire, instantly engulfing him.
As a member of the Dark Avengers, Clint was already familiar with fighting opponents who possessed extraordinary powers. Don't forget that among the Thunderbolts, Luke Cage also possessed Invulnerability.
To counter this characteristic of Luke Cage, Hawkeye had, with Howard's assistance, developed a series of specially designed arrows.
Of course, the current skirmish was not a true life-or-death battle.
Therefore, Clint had specifically adjusted the arrows he used, reducing their explosive power and damage.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, the smoke from the explosion dissipated, revealing Colin, still completely unharmed.
"Alright, let's stop here for today."
Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists.
Just as Colin was about to continue using his [Flight] ability.
Hawkeye, on the opposite side, was the first to lower his longbow, ending the battle.
"It can basically be confirmed now that ordinary conventional weapons can no longer cause much damage to you." As he spoke, Clint folded his longbow to palm size and put it away, musing: "While such a power can certainly help you avoid many dangers and injuries, it is not invulnerable. Therefore, you cannot be careless, especially standing still and not dodging, like in the fight just now..."
"Unless you are confident that your defense can block all damage."
[Power - Super Durability (Black Iron)]
[Power Description: Ordinary bullets can no longer harm Superman, and neither can artillery. Only powerful special military weapons can penetrate his skin.]
Hearing this, Colin's gaze swept over the text's annotation, and he nodded.
Indeed, his current [Super Durability], which had just been unlocked to the Black Iron level, was certainly not yet at the point where he could ignore enemy attacks, especially in a world like the Anti-World, where black technology constantly emerged.
"Then you should be more careful and not easily expose your powers. Perhaps consider learning some combat skills to enhance your fighting ability, instead of foolishly standing still like an arrow target when facing attacks."
Combat.
Hearing this, a thoughtful look flashed in Colin's eyes.
Just as Hawkeye said, learning combat was a good choice, whether for himself in the Anti-World or for his counterpart in the Main World. The former would enhance his fighting ability, while the latter would make him safer during the Great Depression.
Superman might not need combat, but Colin did.
After all, he had just manifested the [Black Iron Mark] and was still a considerable distance from becoming a true Superman.
"If you've made up your mind, you can go to Nick. I believe he'll arrange everything for you, provided you're ready to become a Dark Avenger."
At this point, Clint's expression became solemn for a moment. He looked at Colin in front of him and reminded him word by word: "Be prepared to sacrifice yourself in combat."
...
[Contacted Twisted Time Node, collected a small amount of Time Shard ×1]
After concluding his conversation with Hawkeye Clint, Colin returned to his temporary dwelling within the base.
He changed out of his tattered clothes, while a line of faint text flashed before his eyes.
So that's how it is.
Looking at the content displayed in the text, Colin could basically confirm that [Time Shards] were obtained by having more interactions with [Twisted Time Nodes].
Musing, Colin looked at the [Time Shard (Clint)] in front of him.
Within its broken glass-like exterior, Hawkeye's figure could be seen flickering within it. He was dressed in a tight suit, constantly shooting arrows amidst cheering crowds.
He had a strange feeling, as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
After repeatedly glancing at the scenes flickering within the [Time Shard], Colin's expression was a bit odd.
The content presented in the shard made it difficult for him to associate it with Clint, who had just fought him in the base.
Shaking his head, he swept away the images from his mind.
Colin held his breath, concentrated, and activated his [Super Hearing].
"...How do you feel, Clint..."
"...Latest report, New York..."
"Darling, listen to me, it's not what you think..."
A large volume of noisy, chaotic sounds rang out, filling his ear canals.
"Howard Stark, Howard Stark..."
Frowning and enduring the interference of these sounds, Colin struggled to adjust his breathing, mentally chanting to focus his consciousness.
"...Report on the situation, Tony."
"Based on the data analysis from the combat, Collin Roper's physical functions in all aspects far exceed those of ordinary people. Moreover, compared to Luke Cage, he possesses special powers such as [Invisibility] and [Flight]...Perhaps he can provide important experimental data and blueprints for future experiments...Maybe you can..."
"Continue collecting data..."
Gradually, these noisy and chaotic sounds began to fade, replaced by Howard's hoarse voice.
Over this period, through familiarization in the Main World, Colin had basically adapted to using [Super Hearing], managing to deploy it in the Anti-World.
It was precisely with the help of this power that he discovered:
Howard was collecting combat data through Tony, the artificial intelligence within the base.
Although Colin harbored some suspicion about Howard's actions.
On the surface, he remained outwardly unflustered, cooperating with the other party's arrangements to obtain more [Time Shards].
(end of chapter)