Chapter 77: Debt Collection Order Triggers the Demon's Wrath
Not everyone knew his true identity, but the DuPont Familywas definitely in the know.
This ancient Family was wealthy enough to rival nations and could even influence presidential elections.
Now, with Wells Fargo Bank under their control pulling such a move, it was no different from a direct declaration of war.
"Boss, how do you plan to handle this?"
Raven didn't call immediately; she was a bit worried.
"We just released the news that we can create Super Soldiers, and then Osborn runs into trouble; my strategic partner and loyal friend Smith's entire Family is murdered. Raven, do you think I should just swallow this insult?"
A smile rippled across Ethan's Face, but it was so cold it made one's marrow freeze.
"I have a feeling their appetite isn't just for genetic technology; they want to push you to the opposite side of everyone and force the government to act against us."
Raven provided a sharp analysis.
After hearing this, Ethan's smile grew even wider.
"That's a good thing, Raven."
Raven was stunned, not understanding his meaning.
"Go notify the people from Wells Fargo Bank. I was just worrying about not finding an entry point."
Ethan, instead, was no longer flustered.
Since the enemy had made a move, they would surely show their tail.
He was in the light while the enemy was in the dark? No, that was conventional logic.
The current situation was that as long as the opponent dared to show their head, it would be their time to die.
He had forged a demon's throne with endless blood, even trampling divine authority underfoot and making the arrogant Military suffer in silence, all for the sake of peace and stability.
He originally had no desire for power; he just wanted to make money, pick up girls, and occasionally play the role of a savior for fun.
As it turned out, the tree wants to be still, but the wind won't stop.
There were always blind fools who wanted to touch his scales.
Half an hour later, a helicopter landed on the helipad atop the Oscorp Tower.
A powerful figure with immense influence in New Yorkstepped down.
Dressed in a sharp suit, he could not hide the anxiety and panic written all over his Face.
It was the new President of Wells Fargo Bank, Bart Barlow.
Although he was the President in name, he knew that the real power lay in the hands of the DuPont Family, with families like Morgan and Rockefeller watching from behind.
He had actually always disliked Smith.
A guy who rose to power through betrayal—on what grounds did he sit firmly as the second-in-command, with influence even overshadowing his own as the actual President?
Now that something had happened to Smith and his fate was unknown, it should have been a good opportunity for him to reclaim power.
But this morning, someone bypassed him and directly issued that debt collection order to Osborn, demanding the return of 13.6 billion U.S. dollars within a time limit.
This completely violated the original agreement.
But the notice had already been sent out, and the entire financial circle was in an uproar.
Although Osborn had recovered its Origin Qi, coming up with that much cash flow in a short period was simply a fantasy.
This was equivalent to a complete falling out.
Bart walked quickly down the stairs. Just as his bodyguards were about to follow, they were stopped by an African-American woman with an afro.
Domino stood with her arms crossed, a cynical smile on her Face.
Bart looked back and gave his bodyguards a look, signaling them not to move.
The current Osborn was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, especially that Ethan; according to the word leaked by the DuPont Family, he was the greatest demon of this century.
Even the DuPont Family didn't dare to easily offend him, so how could he dare to act out?
Inside the office.
Ethan leaned lazily on the sofa, with Raven standing quietly behind him.
Bart pushed the door open and entered. At a glance, he saw the excessively young man in power. An invisible pressure rushed at him, making it difficult to breathe.
"Should the DuPont Family give me a reasonable explanation?"
Ethan's voice was gentle, as if greeting an old friend.
But Bart instantly broke into a cold sweat, his legs turning weak.
"A misunderstanding, Mr. Hao, this is purely a misunderstanding!"
He stood there trembling, like an elementary student who had made a mistake.
Ethan lifted his eyelids, his gaze like a knife: "I want to know where your bank's other Vice President is now? President Bart, can you enlighten me?"
Things weren't that simple.
The Mind Dominator's tentacles recklessly pierced into Bart's mind, flipping through his memories.
Clearly, this guy was also a clueless fool.
If the news of Smith's Family being murdered hadn't come out, he wouldn't even have known who issued the debt collection order.
"This..."
Bart stammered, unable to say a single word except for wiping his sweat.
"The DuPont Family's management of subordinates is too lax; I am very disappointed. Smith once suggested I take direct control of Wells Fargo Bank, but I didn't act out of consideration for the President's Face. And this is how you repay my kindness?"
Ethan's tone remained flat.
But to Bart, who knew the inside story, this was simply the whisper of the God of Death.
With a 'thud' sound.
Bart slumped directly to the floor, then scrambled to get up, changing to a kneeling position.
"Mr. Barlow, stand up. I don't like that Japanese style."
Ethan frowned in displeasure.
"Mr. DuPont asked me to convey that this was an internal dereliction of duty by the bank. We will waive this debt of the Osborn Group, and the funding gap will be filled by the DuPont Family. Additionally, the Family has mobilized all its forces to search for Mr. Smith's whereabouts."
Bart stood up tremblingly and blurted out all his life-saving hole cards in one breath.
Ethan finally smiled.
"Handled very appropriately; then it's settled." He changed the subject, "If any other shareholders in the bank dare to have an opinion, please be sure to give me the list. I would be very happy to have a heart-to-heart talk with them."
Bart nodded repeatedly, like a woodpecker.
"Get out. Poor Smith—I originally wanted to have you all buried with his Family, but your current attitude has saved your life."
Bart's Face was ashen as he scrambled and crawled out of the Oscorp Tower.
As soon as the person left, Raven did a nimble flip over the back of the sofa and sat directly in Ethan's lap.
"What do you think?"
Raven knew his ability; he must have read his mind just now.
"It wasn't done by the DuPont Family, but they did want to use someone else's knife to kill, taking advantage of the chaos to swallow Osborn."
Ethan's hands began to get restless.
Raven's pretty Face flushed slightly, but she still forced herself to talk business: "Then hasn't the lead gone cold?"
"No, the kidnappers will call me very soon."
"I don't understand," Raven said doubtfully. "Even if they kill Smith and the bank successfully collects the debt, they would at most take away the fat piece of meat that is Tesla Energy; they can't swallow the whole of Osborn. Why go through all this trouble?"
Ethan pondered for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
"Luring the tiger away from the mountain. They want me to leave New York."
The last Abomination incident had exposed one of his weaknesses—he was sentimental.
"They are betting that I will go to save Smith. But as soon as I leave, something will definitely happen to Gwen. Once I hand over the genetic technology to save Gwen, they will turn around and destroy the entire Osborn."
The combination of telepathy and the deduction of his super brain allowed him to instantly grasp the dead knot in those messy lines.
"Is it HYDRA?"
Raven narrowed her eyes, radiating Killing Intent.
Chapter 78: Possessing a Puppet, Declaring War, Hunting Time
"You think it's only HYDRA? Their current genetic technology is no worse than ours; all they lack is the super soldier serum. With Dr. Connors in their hands, their research progress is advancing by leaps and bounds."
Ethan seemed to see several large hands in the darkness weaving a massive net, attempting to steal the demon's Treasure Trove.
"And your concerns are correct; their ultimate goal is to expose my identity and make me public enemy number one."
"They want to keep me running until I'm exhausted, with no time to track down the real culprit. By the time I have a free hand, they will have already laundered their reputations and moved on."
Ethan's smile grew even more brilliant.
He still had a hidden ability—Super Brain.
The genetic lock had broken the limitations of his brain domain, and combined with his Kryptonian lineage, his brain's processing speed had long since surpassed photonic computers, even exceeding Professor X.
"Are we going to save Smith?" Raven asked.
"Of course, but first I have to take you somewhere good."
"Where?"
"Xaviers School for Gifted Youngsters!"
Ethan grabbed Raven's hand, and his sling ring sliced through the Void Realm.
Raven looked at the building on the other side of the portal and stood up abruptly, her face full of shock.
"That's... Cerebro?"
The two stepped through the portal and into a pitch-black underground space.
This was the Holy Land Magneto had built for Charlesback then, and also the throne from which Charlesmonitored the World's minds.
"Why should we let them lead us by the nose?"
Ethan sneered, his voice echoing in the empty Underground Room.
"There's clearly a simpler and more brutal solution, isn't there?"
Raven's gaze was complex.
If Charles were still alive, he would have fought with his life to drive this demon out, never allowing him to lay a finger on this place.
Ethan walked up to the massive silver-white instrument and stroked the cold helmet.
"Raven, go catch up with your old friend Charles; don't let him come out to cause trouble."
His tone carried an unquestionable majesty.
"Understood, Boss."
Raven's expression was solemn.
She knew the power of this thing all too well; if Ethanharbored evil thoughts and put on this helmet, he could instantly wipe out all of humanity.
"Don't worry, I'm just looking for someone."
Ethan's voice seemed to possess a magic that soothed the Soul, allowing Raven's tense nerves to relax.
He put on the helmet.
Buzz—
Instantly, his consciousness was infinitely magnified, entering a void dimension.
Countless points of light emerged before his eyes; white represented ordinary people, while red represented Mutants or superpowered individuals.
"Smith..."
With a thought from Ethan, countless images flew backward at high speed.
Found him.
Perspective locked.
In a dim and damp secret room, Smith was tied to an iron chair, covered in blood and on the verge of death.
A group of black-clad men armed with live ammunition stood around him.
"You can call that demon now and tell him to bring the money to ransom the man."
"What about the super serum?"
A seductive female voice rang out.
"No rush, the inside man will move at the critical moment. My goal is all of Osborn's gene banks."
A man's voice was filled with fanaticism and greed.
"Are you sure he'll come?" The woman hesitated slightly. "That's the Ice Demon we're talking about."
"He'll come," the man said hoarsely. "Is the Serpent Societyready on their end?"
"They've been keeping an eye on Gwen. But that Ghost-Spider is hard to deal with; I'm afraid making too much noise will get her killed."
"It's better if she dies; isn't that exactly what we want? Throw the dirt on the Fantastic Four; that idiot Human Torch just arrived in New York."
The man laughed sinisterly. "Let that friendly neighborhood New Yorker die and completely enrage the Ice Demon. HYDRA wants to kill with a borrowed knife, and I want to take out the Fantastic Four. It's a match made in heaven."
Ethan let out a cold laugh in the void.
So it was just this bunch of small fry.
Since you want to play, I'll play a big game with you.
In the next second, his consciousness flooded into the mind of that Serpent Society underboss like a deluge.
Possession!
In the secret room, the underboss who had been on guard with his gun suddenly shuddered, his eyes turning cold and mocking.
He glanced at the dying Smith and thought: You've suffered, old friend.
Then, he abruptly raised the automatic rifle in his hand.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Tongues of fire spat out in precise bursts.
The other black-clad men in the room didn't even have time to react before they were all shot through the forehead and collapsed in pools of blood.
Having done this, Ethan knew the mastermind had been alerted.
But so what?
Hunting time has officially begun.
"Smith."
The possessed underboss walked up to Smith.
A flicker of focus returned to Smith's dull pupils: "Mr... Mr. Hao? Is that you?"
"Sorry I'm late."
Messy, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
A large number of enemies were approaching.
Beneath the X-Mansion, Ethan's original body moved its fingers slightly, and the sling ring once again threw out sparks.
A golden portal opened directly behind Smith.
"Go!"
The possessed underboss kicked Smith into the portal, sending him straight to the Osborn office.
Having sent the hostage away, Ethan turned around and looked at the man and woman stepping out of the shadows.
The man wore metallic armor and an iron mask; the woman had a provocative figure and was dressed entirely in green.
"Doctor Doom, and Madame Hydra... oh no, I should call you Viper now."
Ethan controlled the Puppet body and took a step forward.
Dozens of guns were instantly pointed at his head.
"Professor X?"
Viper's brow furrowed. "Aren't you dead? Why are you helping the Ice Demon?"
"Don't misunderstand, I am Ethan."
The Puppet grinned, a smile that looked exceptionally hideous against its blood-stained face.
"I'm officially informing you that I am the Chairman of Osborn and the demon you speak of. Although I don't need to pry open your skulls to know what you're up to, since you dared to touch my woman and even tried to scheme against me..."
Ethan stared at Viper with a playful gaze.
This woman had many identities and was as slippery as a fox.
"So the Lord Demon has graced us with his presence. My apologies for the lack of respect."
Victor von Doom stepped out of the shadows, his iron armor making a dull clanking sound.
It seemed this version of Doom had just returned from outer space and obtained that terrifying power.
"Run, run to your heart's content."
Ethan's voice came through the Puppet's throat, carrying a chilling frost.
"Since you want to push me to the opposite side of the World, I'll give you that chance. It just so happens I'm a lazy person and lacked an excuse to rule the World."
Before his voice had even faded, an invisible mental shockwave swept the entire area.
Thump! Thump!
Except for Doom and Viper, all the surrounding minions instantly collapsed, bleeding from their seven orifices, brain dead.
"Victor, you're a decent opponent. Next, every player involved in this game will face the demon's reckoning. Whether you can survive depends on your luck."
These words were not just for the two in front of him; they were blasted directly into the minds of all participants via telepathy.
It was a declaration of war from the Dominator of Souls.
After speaking, the Puppet's body slumped down.
In the X-Mansion Underground Room.
Ethan took off the helmet and glanced deep into the core of Cerebro.
There, a weak but resilient mental force was reviving.
"Professor Charles, I look forward to your return."
He gave a meaningful smile, took Raven's hand, and stepped through the portal.
Back in the office, Smith was struggling to stand up.
Raven hurried forward and pulled him up, her blades flashing as she instantly cut the ropes.
"Smith, listen to me, go back and sleep right now."
"I can guarantee you that not a single one of those people pulling strings behind the scenes will survive the night."
Ethan sighed softly, his tone carrying an unquestionable dominance.
Smith's eyes were bloodshot to a frightening degree, a testament to extreme exhaustion.
Yet he still gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing the surging anger and fear in his chest.
Chapter 79: Omega Beams Massacre New York
"Mr. Hao, I beg you, please inject me with the super soldier serum!"
"Or even the Lizard Serum will do. No matter how much it costs, I won't hesitate even if it bankrupts me!"
Smith's voice was trembling, yet it carried a streak of resolute ruthlessness.
"Put your heart at ease. As long as a brother has performed a service, I, Ethan, will never treat them poorly."
"Your primary task now is to rest and build up your strength. I will arrange for a team of elite guards to provide 24-hour close protection for you."
"Until I have finished cleaning up all those pieces of trash outside."
Smith gave a grateful look, turned around, and left with heavy steps.
"Boss, do we need to send people to keep an eye on Columbia University?"
"That is completely unnecessary."
Ethan sat in his leather executive chair and shook his head slightly.
"Your duty is to stay rooted in the Osborn Group like a nail and watch over our base."
Raven's brow furrowed, a look of worry on her face. "But I'm afraid Gwen might be in danger over there."
"She will absolutely be fine. I say so."
Ethan shook his head again, but his gaze drifted out the window.
Through the massive floor-to-ceiling window, deep within the rolling white clouds in the distance, several black dots were rapidly enlarging.
Those were fighter jets, screaming toward them with ear-piercing sonic booms.
Following that, streaks of white smoke cut through the sky; those were the long tail flames trailing behind missiles.
Seeing this scene, Ethan's eyes instantly underwent a transformation.
His originally black pupils were instantly consumed by a crimson light, burning like the fires of Hell.
Sizzle!
Two beams of scarlet heat rays erupted from his eye sockets.
These beams seemed to have a life of their own, refracting continuously and bizarrely in the air, capturing targets as precisely as a game of Snake.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The incoming missiles were detonated mid-air by this energy, turning into clusters of brilliant fireworks.
Even the fighter jets in the sky were not spared, instantly sliced into scrap metal and exploding in mid-air.
The blinding light illuminated the entire sky over New York.
The sky was left with dense, crisscrossing red light trails—the afterimages left by the heat rays.
The Mutants, superpowered individuals, and mercenaries working for money who were lurking near Columbia University...
They didn't even have time to scream before their bodies were instantly vaporized by the terrifyingly high temperature.
Not only that, the entire nest of the Serpent Society and all the HYDRA sleeper agents planted within New York City...
At this moment, not a single person could escape the scythe of the God of Death.
This was not just a massacre; it was a purge.
The terrifying power within Ethan's body completely erupted.
With the powerful Mental Energy of the Mind Dominator, he forcibly harnessed the violent energy within his body.
This was his first time using his self-created Omega Beams; although their power was not yet as terrifying as that of the legendary Darkseid...
Cleaning out everyone in New York City who harbored ill intentions toward him in just a few short seconds was as easy as turning over his hand.
His super-brain was operating at an overload.
He was simulating the frequency of Cerebro, forcibly amplifying his own mental power, finally barely achieving the desired effect.
Raven now walked up behind Ethan.
She discovered in horror that the window glass, which had just been melted by the high temperature, was actually restructuring itself automatically under the influence of a bizarre power.
"Thirty-two thousand, six hundred people..."
The red light in Ethan's eyes faded, extinguishing the Omega Beams.
At the same time, that cold System notification sounded in his mind:
[Congratulations to the host for successfully creating Omega Beams (Entry-Level).]
This is the correct way to use the System; it feels absolutely amazing.
"What did you say?"
Raven hadn't heard the number clearly just now.
"Look at this scenery. Is it beautiful?"
Ethan pointed toward the red afterglow slowly dissipating outside the window.
"It's beautiful, and also very tragic."
Raven nodded subconsciously.
"In just those three short seconds, this light circled New York once and took thirty-two thousand, six hundred lives."
Ethan's tone was as flat as if he were talking about what he had eaten today.
"From now on, not a single enemy of ours can be found in all of New York."
As he spoke, a gold-and-red figure flew in from the distant sky.
It was Iron Man's mark armor, hovering before Ethan's window with the roar of thrusters.
Ethan looked at Tony Stark's flashy iron armor, a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
"Tony, this aggressive entrance doesn't seem like your style. What wind blew you, the Young Master, over here?"
Faced with Ethan's greeting, which was like that of an old friend, Tony Stark's mood, which had been angry to the extreme, strangely calmed down instead.
"Why did you kill Rhodey?"
Tony Stark's voice through the repaired curtain wall glass was not loud, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness.
Ethan, of course, heard it perfectly clearly.
"You mean Colonel Rhodey? That really is quite a pity; I actually personally appreciated him."
"Speaking of which, I saved your life last time. Have you finished that artificial intelligence System you owe me?"
Hearing this, Tony Stark instantly flew into a rage and directly raised the repulsor in his palm.
Boom!
A dazzling energy blast slammed hard against the glass.
The glass shattered instantly.
The violent energy blasted straight onto Ethan's chest.
Raven screamed and wanted to rush forward to push Ethan away.
But she found herself as if under a freezing spell, unable to move at all.
As the dust settled, Ethan patted the dust off his clothes as if nothing had happened and looked up coldly.
"Have you had enough? Are we playing house?"
Just then, a piercing alarm sounded inside Tony's helmet.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!"
"Warning! External temperature plummeting!!"
"Warning! System is about to freeze!!"
Jarvis's anxious voice kept ringing out.
Tony had clearly installed an anti-freeze System into the armor.
But in front of this man, that high technology was like paper, completely useless.
Tony Stark realized something was wrong and tried to pilot the armor to flee.
But he discovered in horror that the armor was like it had been welded into the air, motionless.
"Since Colonel Rhodey is dead, it means he also participated in this operation against me."
"I don't care which old geezer in the Military gave him the order, but since he dared to offend me, there was only one path: death."
Ethan's tone was indifferent, as if stating a universal truth.
"Tony, even if you are currently acting as a dog for S.H.I.E.L.D., do not interfere in my business again."
"Otherwise, next time, you will die a very ugly death."
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible massive force threw Iron Man out directly like a piece of trash.
Looking at the one hundred million desire points that instantly surged in the background, Ethan's mood became quite pleasant.
Chapter 80: The Ice Demon's Massacre Leads to a Gathering of Heroes
As expected, fear is the most fertile soil for harvesting desire.
At this moment, all of New York was plunged into a state of immense panic.
Anxiety filled the streets, and the sound of sirens echoed through the skies.
Tens of thousands of people were instantly evaporated by that terrifying red light; there was no way to suppress such news.
This international metropolis of over twenty million people was completely shaken.
Following the frantic reports from the news media, countless citizens began to flee the city with their families.
Aboard S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier.
"Is this guy insane?"
Nick Fury stood up abruptly, a thick murderous intent flashing in his single eye.
"Does that Ice Demon really think that by holding all of New York hostage, we won't dare to move against him?"
Agent Hill's chest heaved violently; she was clearly shaken by the news as well.
A deathly silence filled the entire command center.
"Isn't this demon usually quite normal? Why did he suddenly go on a killing spree? Tens of thousands of people... gone in an instant..."
Whenever Nick Fury recalled that red light, his very Soultrembled.
No matter how sophisticated the missile, it paled in comparison to that infinitely refracting ray.
"The Military just dispatched fighter jets and locked onto the Osborn Group building from a distance."
Agent Hill took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down as she reported.
"So, this war was provoked by those idiots in the Military?"
"No, I just inquired with the Department of Defense. No high-ranking official with the authority has issued an attack order."
Agent Hill's expression became exceptionally grim.
"Someone is deliberately provoking a war between us and the Ice Demon. They want to sit back and watch the tigers fight, then reap the rewards."
"But they clearly miscalculated. The power the Ice Demonwields goes far beyond frost; his psychic power is even more terrifying than Professor X's."
Nick Fury turned around abruptly, looking at Agent Hill in shock.
"This is also intelligence I just received from Raven."
Agent Hill gave a bitter smile.
"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was invaded. Just at noon, someone activated Cerebro there."
"What does he want?" Nick Fury asked.
"He's looking for people—finding everyone who intended to kill him and wiping them out completely."
"Based on my understanding of Ethan, his mindset is like that of a cleaner; he wants to clear out all trouble once and for all."
Agent Hill's voice carried a strong sense of warning.
"Are you suggesting I stay out of it?"
Nick Fury asked in return.
"By the way, there's a large gathering in New York tonight, bringing together various Mutants, superhumans, and even superheroes."
"The theme is to discuss how to deal with today's crisis. The organizer is Mr. Fantastic, Reed."
Agent Hill sighed and said, "Raven told me that Ethanwill also be attending this gathering!!!"
"He said he wants to give everyone a chance. After all, the hunting hour has begun, and he should give the prey a chance to resist."
Hearing this, Nick Fury ran out without a word. "Prepare a plane for me immediately. I need to get to New York right now!"
The rooftop of the Empire State Building.
Mr. Fantastic Reed and Tony Stark have summoned nearly all the superhumans in New York City.
All sorts of characters were gathering here.
Leveraging the reputation of the Fantastic Four and Iron Man, many who were originally hiding in the sewers put on their uniforms and arrived.
They were engaged in a heated discussion on how to defend New York.
Madame Hydra, wearing a mask, looked grim. "It's only been six hours. Is it really safe for us to sneak back into New York like this?"
Although she was gnashing her teeth in hatred, she was even more afraid of dying.
"The Ice Demon's existence has already threatened the lives of every single one of us."
"Everyone involved in this operation will be here. It's the perfect chance to kill with a borrowed knife—using these superhumans in New York to wear down the Ice Demon."
Doctor Doom, Victor von Doom's voice was cold, carrying a hint of malice.
"In my eyes, these people are nothing more than slightly more Advanced cannon fodder."
"I just received news that Wenwu, the former hegemon of the Ten Rings, has returned. Dracula, the King of the Dark Dimension, is also here. Even the Vatican has invited down a true Angel."
Victor von Doom's face twisted into a ghoulish smile.
"This will be an unprecedented Peak showdown."
"Only if he dies can we live."
Suddenly, Madame Hydra heard the roar of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
A man with a skeletal head wearing a leather jacket got off the motorcycle and strode into the venue.
"It's actually him?!!"
"Who?"
"Ghost Rider!!!"
Victor von Doom's expression also changed slightly.
"The Spirit of Vengeance? It seems even God can't sit still and is personally intervening to destroy this demon?"
"Who knows, but I feel that tonight, New York will be drenched in blood."
Madame Hydra swayed her hips and entered the Empire State Building venue.
The Ice Demon killing tens of thousands in a single move had completely triggered the deepest fears of all factions.
The Vatican has yet to thaw, the Holy Land is frozen, and the believers have fallen into despair.
Victor von Doom knew his plan had succeeded.
Everything was done to draw out those legendary powers to fight against this monster.
And he, amidst the chaos, would steal the power of the gods and become a true god.
His intuition told him that tonight would be the moment of his apotheosis.
The venue was truly a gathering of heroes.
Tony Stark looked at so many heroic figures and was momentarily dazed.
But his heart was filled more with excitement.
Colonel Rhodes' death meant he had lost his best friend.
He had to seek justice.
But he knew he couldn't beat Ethan on his own, so he had to leverage others' power.
Dr. Reed Richards was also determined to deal with the Ice Demon this time.
Because the Ice Demon had not only frozen the Vatican but also destroyed the carrier strike group, causing a massive environmental disaster.
All of this was intolerable to Reed.
He was confident he had found a way to counter the freezing energy.
As some of the smartest people on Earth, Tony and Reed decided to join forces.
The Empire State Building had been booked entirely.
Jarvis sent invitations to every superpowered individual.
The energy detectors set up at the scene were a masterpiece the two of them had rushed to create together in a very short time.
As soon as Victor von Doom appeared at the banquet, Reed spotted him.
But Reed temporarily set aside his prejudices and took the initiative to walk over.
"Victor, I hope you don't cause trouble this time. We must join forces."
Reed said in a low voice.
"Reed, if the Ice Demon isn't—"
The only ones who could truly pique Ethan's interest were the Bald Priest emitting a holy aura and the middle-aged man with a gloomy and demonic temperament.
Chapter 81: Freezing the Ghost Rider
Within the current organization of the Holy See, this Bald Priest was definitely considered the ceiling of combat power.
He wasn't just a mortal body; he had a genuine angelic phantom backing him up.
As for Count Dracula, his reputation was even more resounding, a literal living advertisement for darkness and evil.
He was a legendary old monster whose tales had circulated for a thousand years.
In addition to these two heavyweight contenders, there was also an extremely special anti-hero on the scene: the Ghost Rider, burning with the fires of Hell.
The Ghost Rider's Penance Stare, which directly strikes the Soul, was the only power on the field that made Ethanfeel a slight hint of wariness.
But that was all. With the Ghost Rider's current capabilities, he shouldn't even dream of getting an opportunity to release that ultimate move in Ethan's face.
The Bald Priest moved at that moment. His fingers quickly traced a cross on his chest as he looked up at the sky with a face full of piety, shouting, "Lord, the most wicked devil is before us. Please grant your loyal servant the holy radiance that cleanses the World, and help me judge the greatest source of evil in this World!"
In contrast to the priest's fanaticism, Count Dracularemained nailed to the spot, unmoving.
This old Vampire was actually very wary of the Bald Priestbeside him.
This was the most troublesome Ascetic Cultivator in the Holy See, and the only one who hadn't stayed in the Vatican nest, thus becoming a fish that escaped the net of being collectively frozen.
At this moment, Dracula was already beating a retreat in his heart, harboring the intent to withdraw.
The human before him, known as the "Ice Demon," had a level of power that had completely shattered his worldview.
The opponent might not be able to kill his immortal self, but he definitely had the ability to throw him into an eternal ice hole and Seal him away completely.
He hated that feeling of suffocation—of being unable to move and being tightly sealed.
Although he had long been unable to walk freely in the sunlight due to the curse.
As the uncrowned king of the night, he still hoped to slip into a beauty's bedroom in the middle of the night for a Soul-deep exchange.
A playful smile played at the corners of Ethan's mouth.
From the corner of his eye, he coldly scanned the superheroes on the field who were still stubbornly refusing to kneel.
One by one, they gritted their teeth and forced their bodies upright, their eyes reflecting grief, indignation, and unwillingness as they stared fixedly at the high-and-mighty Ethan.
Ethan let out a soft sigh, seemingly feeling pity for them.
To be honest, he hadn't intended to kill the The Punisher, but the guy shouldn't have made a move against him, especially with such intense killing intent.
Ethan understood Frank the The Punisher's character all too well; he was an evil spirit who had crawled back to the human World from Hell just for revenge.
This kind of person was fearless; as long as they identified you as an enemy, they would try every possible means to kill you.
No matter how despairing the enemy's strength was.
The The Punisher would never take even half a step back.
His gaze shifted, and Ethan saw Jessica Jones standing in the corner.
She just stood there quietly, even holding a glass of red wine, leaning lazily against the wall with a smile as she watched him slaughter everyone.
Regardless of how terrible and messy this private investigator's past life was.
Right now, she had clearly let down her guard completely and silently accepted her status as his "one-half lover."
This relationship was very subtle—more than friendship, less than lovers.
It wasn't that the feelings weren't there, but rather that both tacitly maintained this comfort zone.
This allowed neither of them to have any psychological burden or pressure.
Besides Jessica Jones, Daredevil Matt was also standing in the messy banquet hall.
However, the blind lawyer had his head lowered, his senses locked onto the nearby remains of Luke Cage, Power Man, of which only half a corpse remained.
That was supposed to be an invulnerable body of steel.
In the end, it seemed that this boastful defense was nothing more than a burden that made the dying process more painful and prolonged.
The terrifying energy of the Omega Beams still sizzled within that half-corpse, the flesh continuing to burn under the high heat, emitting a pungent scorched smell.
The fact that it hadn't turned to ash by now showed that this Marvel Power Man's Physical Body indeed had something to it.
Unfortunately, he had now completely returned to the cold embrace of the Goddess of Death.
The entire venue was deathly silent; no one dared to make a move.
Those who had luckily survived understood in their hearts that they were only breathing because of a momentary mercy from that Ice Demon.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the Bald Priest from the Holy See.
A brilliant and holy radiance was wrapping around him layer by layer.
A massive six-winged angelic phantom slowly spread its wings behind him, firmly protecting him in the center.
The sense of pressure emanating from the priest was exploding exponentially.
This made the group of desperate heroes feel as if they were seeing the dawn of a comeback.
It was the light of hope brought by an unconditional trust in God that reached deep into the Soul.
The only person on the field whose face was pale and looked extremely grim was Count Dracula.
"Ha—"
A heavy breath, sounding as if it came from the depths of Hell, rang out.
The flames of vengeance began to flare up wildly.
Upon the Ghost Rider, whose heart had been completely pierced by the Omega Beams, a raging fire suddenly erupted on his skeletal frame that had yet to dissipate.
Seeing this, the Bald Priest revealed a satisfied, sinister smile.
The holy radiance weirdly enveloped the Ghost Rider, forcibly sustaining his last breath.
Carrying an intense obsession for revenge and having crawled back from the depths of Hell, the Ghost Rider's aura actually became even more violent than before.
On those forest-white bones, the hellfire crackled loudly.
Deep within his hollow, profound eye sockets, the endless fire of anger from Hell projected outwards.
Seeing this, Ethan was not only unruffled but mocked, "What a joke. Clergymen trying to save a demon and even resurrecting a vengeful spirit—your religion really has no shame at all in order to beat me."
He paused, his tone becoming even colder. "If Mephisto, the Lord of Hell himself, had descended, I might be a bit wary and even willing to sit down and discuss territory division with him. But this Ghost Rider before me seems to be just a half-finished toy made by Mephisto."
Ethan shook his head and commented, "Stuffing the Soul of the demon Zarathos into the Spirit of Vengeance, which has divine attributes... the Ghost Rider stitched together from these two is indeed a bit tricky. But with your meager Divine Power, it's not enough to develop all of the Ghost Rider's potential."
Despite his verbal belittling, Ethan's gaze toward the Ghost Rider held a hint of appreciation.
After all, to be able to stand up after taking an Omega Beam head-on, his vitality was indeed tenacious.
Although that Omega Beam was only at the Entry-Level, at this stage, it was already one of the top killing methods in Ethan's hands.
The Ghost Rider turned a deaf ear to Ethan's taunts.
He suddenly took a step forward, charging over while covered in flames.
However, in the next second, black frost instantly coiled around his skeletal body.
That terrifying extreme cold instantly extinguished the originally violent flames of revenge, even completely freezing all atomic motion within his bones.
The Ghost Rider stared fixedly at Ethan, a desperate wail emerging from his throat.
"This is the most ultimate freezing power in the World. Even if a god's true body were frozen, the divine body would instantly necrotize."
Ethan coldly delivered his verdict.
This had already surpassed the power scope of ordinary demons; it was a god-level power that reached the level of manipulating atoms.
Coincidentally, when freezing power reaches this Realm, it naturally counters all forms of energy in the World.
Absolute Zero had already evolved into a rule.
Under this absolute low temperature, all energy would instantly lose its activity.
Chapter 82: Tearing Apart the Six-winged Angel
The reason Ethan had hesitated to take the final step was his fear of becoming the Incarnation of the Ice Lawitself and losing his self-awareness.
Moreover, his current desire points were not yet enough to promote any kind of power to the Fourth Stage he had categorized.
Law, Rule, God of Dominance.
That was the supreme power truly belonging to the Fourth Stage.
"Ice Demon, you certainly live up to your reputation!"
The Bald Priest roared, his fists clenched tight as his clerical robes directly exploded.
His muscles, knotted like coiling dragons, were exposed to the air, seemingly containing infinite explosive power.
Holy Light flowed between the muscle textures, vowing to judge all heresy.
At this moment, the angelic shadow behind him had disappeared.
In its place, a pair of huge, pure white six-winged wings actually forced their way out of the Bald Priest's back.
As the wings snapped open, boundless Holy Light poured out like a tide.
Ethan's body, forged like steel, stood firm like a demon god; his tall and robust silhouette was like an insurmountable mountain, firmly blocking the Holy Lightfilling the sky.
"Is that it? Any more tricks?"
Ethan felt the sleeping power within him Awakeningfrantically.
Faintly, the roaring sounds of dragons and elephants seemed to come from within his body.
The talent tree bestowed Ethan with even more terrifying Physical Body strength.
Three strands of demon power, powerful down to the atomic level, were frantically injected into the Kryptonian genes that possessed infinite evolutionary potential.
In that instant, the erupting power directly pierced through the surrounding Void Realm.
It caused the eerie sight of a void collapse; the sunken area was like a black hole, greedily swallowing all the Holy Light in the sky.
Not only that, the ability of the Glint-Glint Fruit was also frantically Fusion-ing and devouring this Holy Light.
After all, Holy Light is also a manifestation of light.
The Devil Fruit had been developed to this stage.
It had long since sublimated into a conceptual rule-based ability.
All the light in this world seemed born to be dominated by Ethan.
Although Admiral Kizaru in the original work was brave.
His development of the Glint-Glint Fruit was simply as naive as a child who had just learned to walk compared to the current Ethan.
The Holy Light filling the sky was assimilated, dissolved, and frantically distorted.
The holy will originally contained within the Holy Lightwas violently dismantled.
The priest, who had transformed into the Six-winged Angel combat form, took a heavy step forward, causing the entire towering Empire State Building to tremble violently.
His strength, speed, and defense had all Breakthrough the limits of humanity at this moment.
Like a divine messenger descending, he harnessed the power of light and charged toward Ethan without looking back.
"Do you guys always like to fight so brainlessly and straightforwardly?"
This kind of combat technique, which had no skill to speak of, although it pushed strength and speed to the extreme.
In Ethan's eyes, it was still far from enough.
Superman's terrifying basic attributes, plus the rule-based enhancement of three Devil Fruits, and the true Power of Thirteen Dragons and Thirteen Giant Elephants within his talent surged and roared in his body.
His Super Brain and psychic power instantly operated to the limit.
In that instant, a beam of light directly pierced through the firmament, and that terrifying pressure, like a god descending to earth, even transmitted to the deep reaches of the Universe.
A simple grab, a twist, a punch.
Ethan accurately grabbed the priest's fist, snapped his arm with a crack, and then delivered a heavy punch straight into the Bald Priest's chest.
Boom!
His heart shattered at the sound.
But that holy radiance still firmly protected his vitality.
It did not let him die instantly.
Under the nourishment of the holy radiance, the shattered heart was even repairing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The Bald Priest spat out a large mouthful of blood, his face full of disbelief.
The holy Angel power was still desperately maintaining his last breath.
But Ethan had no intention of giving him any chance to breathe or fight back.
A series of fluid Baji Mizong Fist strikes were instantly unleashed; a rain of fists continuously bombarded the Bald Priest's Physical Body, directly turning him into a pile of mush. The terrifying power, along with the internal energypenetrating his body, completely shattered the angel Origin within him.
The battle was intense beyond imagination.
The dazzling radiance was so bright that people could not even open their eyes.
The light illuminated the entire New York night sky.
A giant angelic shadow wailed in the sky.
Holy radiance poured down frantically as if it cost nothing.
However, this could not save the Bald Priest from his decline and fall.
Not until Ethan cruelly tore off those Six-winged Angelwings and used the Glint-Glint Fruit to devour all the light did peace return to the world.
In these short thirty seconds.
The people in the Empire State Building, and even the citizens of all New York, could finally barely open their eyes from that blinding glare.
As for that once-arrogant Bald Priest, he was now slumped on the ground like a puddle of blood, without a single sound.
To be fair, this Bald Priest was indeed very strong.
He was even a bit stronger than Ethan was when he had just advanced to the second stage.
But in the hands of the current Ethan, he could not pose any substantial threat at all.
Ethan also used his full strength like a lion hunting a rabbit, employing all sorts of means.
In his view, the best respect and return for an enemy was to do his best to kill them.
He must never leave the opponent even the slightest hope of a comeback.
Let the enemy sink completely into despair.
Black frost quickly covered the blood on the ground, freezing the Bald Priest's broken corpse into translucent ice crystals that dissipated with the wind.
"Heh, it seems that old bat Dracula has some self-awareness; he slipped away quietly amidst the chaos. He's truly an expert at clinging to life."
Ethan looked around again; Count Dracula was long gone.
But he could clearly sense the other's weak vital signs, which were fleeing the New York area at an extremely fast speed.
Reed Richards stood up with difficulty at this time.
The other three of the Fantastic Four had already been heavily injured by Ethan and were lying on the ground.
But they were only heavily injured; their lives were spared.
Only the Invisible Woman, Susan Storm Richards, had not appeared from beginning to end.
Perhaps relying on her unique invisibility superpower, she had luckily escaped Ethan's perception.
But this possibility was, to be honest, very slim.
"I could have killed you easily, but after thinking about it, I'll spare your dog life. However, you must remember at all times that the lives of you three were bestowed by me. Therefore, you owe me a life."
Ethan looked directly at Mr. Fantastic Reed, his tone unquestionable.
Mr. Fantastic Reed fell into a deathly silence.
As a smart man, he could be certain that the Ice Demonhad not used his full strength at all, while they, the so-called superheroes, had already appeared so vulnerable.
The opponent looked down on them like a god, raising the butcher's knife yet forgiving their lives like a merciful heavenly father.
Chapter 83: Divine Might Descends, Embracing the Beauty
This feeling of being given charity made them feel incredibly humiliated and disgusted.
"This doesn't seem like your style. Since you've revealed your identity and stood before everyone, you actually didn't root them all out."
Jessica Jones gasped for air, her chest heaving violently.
She herself possessed a powerful physique far beyond that of an ordinary person.
The ripples of powerful energy that overflowed just now gave her an unparalleled sense of impact.
But she knew in her heart that what weighed down on everyone tonight was a towering mountain.
An immovable, Ancient Divine Mountain.
This suffocating feeling of being surrounded by absolute power on all sides made her experience an unprecedented shudder.
Every time she saw Ethan, this man became even more inscrutable.
When they first met, although his body was strong, he was only on par with her in a contest of strength.
But the current Ethan was as high and mighty as a deity.
And under the wash of his Qi-aura, she was like a small boat in a violent storm, liable to capsize at any moment.
"If I killed everyone, how could I maintain a continuous deterrent? Besides, the people I killed—every single one of them had hands stained with blood. They look glamorous on the surface, but their hearts are filthy and evil; it's sickening to look at."
Ethan walked over, his tone softening slightly: "Of course, with the exception of that Bald Priest. He is a pure devotee, a worthy ascetic Cultivator. It's just a pity that our positions are naturally opposed. Unless the Vatican is willing to let go of its hatred and God is willing to set aside this Face, I will always be at the top of the Vatican hit list."
Ethan opened his heart, unreservedly sharing his true inner thoughts with Jessica Jones.
Among all his women, even his official girlfriend Gwen had never truly touched the most secret depths of Ethan's inner World.
Jessica Jones was the sole exception.
Not just because she was his first woman in this World.
But also because they were Soul confidants who could talk about anything.
"I'm afraid your days ahead will become increasingly restless. I really want to stand by your side and help you, but I'm afraid I'll become a weakness others can use against you."
Jessica Jones reached out to stroke Ethan's thick, burning chest.
Ethan gave her a sense of security that this cold Worldhad never provided.
This was also a peace of mind that Jessica Jones had never experienced before.
Most of the time, she was like a stray cat with its claws out.
Seemingly strong and fierce on the outside, able to protect herself, she was actually full of wariness and fear toward this World.
The psychological trauma the Purple Man inflicted on her back then was truly too deep.
It was precisely Ethan's forceful intervention that slowly smoothed over those pains in her heart.
But the more it was like this, the more she felt an underlying sense of inferiority.
This was something even she hadn't noticed.
So, after experiencing the previous kidnapping incident, Jessica Jones had almost cut off contact with Ethan, hoping to stay away from his life.
But tonight, watching him descend like Divine Might, wiping out most of New York's Superhuman Circle with just a glance.
Jessica Jones was deeply shaken on the spot, as if tightly wrapped in that thick sense of power. Her blood boiled, and the excitement in her heart instantly reached its Peak.
At this moment, she finally understood completely that in this helpless World, Ethan was her only reliance.
She could no longer look at Ethan as the child he once was.
He was no longer the youth who needed her secret protection from local thugs in Hells Kitchen.
Now, Hells Kitchen had become much calmer under his governance.
Business at Jessica Jones's Detective Agency had also started to pick up.
But this was only the beginning.
"Haha, actually you know in your heart that it's because of your existence that I always remember I'm still human. I'm willing to work hard to become stronger to protect you all; this gives me a clear goal and motivation for gaining power."
Ethan took the opportunity to pull the petite Jessica Jones into his arms.
At least at this moment, Jessica Jones belonged to him.
Jessica Jones keenly heard the word "you all," and she immediately knew that there was definitely more than one or two women around Ethan.
In fact, she had sensed it long ago.
That Ghost-Spider Gwen was Ethan's official girlfriend.
With Jessica Jones's detective skills, finding out about this trivial matter was as easy as turning over a hand.
But although Jessica Jones knew it well, she didn't expose anything.
This man was good in every way, except for being too amorous.
But there are plenty of amorous men in this World, yet none can possess the power to change heaven and earth like the Ice Demon.
At least, she was one of the women who had conquered the Ice Demon.
"I'm just a bit curious. New York is clearly your territory, and with your temper, you usually wouldn't get this angry. The only possibility is that someone among this group was foolish enough to plot a conspiracy to kidnap Gwen, like last time, which made you so irritable."
Jessica Jones's voice became exceptionally soft as she gently soothed Ethan.
She was even proactively finding reasons to justify his atrocities.
"Mainly, after acquiring the Osborn Group, it caused some stir. Many blind fools thought they saw an opportunity to bully me, which led to this alliance. These people were planning to orchestrate a storm sufficient to alarm the entire World."
Ethan reached out and lifted Jessica Jones's chin, looking into her eyes filled with exotic charm, deeply captivated: "And what I need to do is sweep all the methods these enemies arranged into the trash before they even have a chance to launch them."
"The Vatican Church, Carrier Battle Groups, and the port attack—if these three things were truly exposed, the blow to you would be immeasurable. Countless people would surely take to the streets in protest, forcing the government to deal with you. By then, both you and the government would be caught in a dilemma."
Since Jessica Jones stopped her decadent drinking recently, her mind had become much sharper, and she accurately analyzed the serious consequences in just a few sentences.
"Don't worry. Right now, it's the USA government that doesn't want to go to war with me, because they know I can break into the White House or any of their military Bases globally at any time, sending all their maritime forces to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish."
"This would directly shake the Foundation of their hegemony. Those politicians are shrewd; they aren't that stupid. The one who took the lead in attacking and annoying me this time was actually an Evil Organizationlurking within the government."
Having said that, Ethan wasted no more words and kissed her fiercely.
Jessica Jones pushed against his chest, panting: "I have important business to go out for tomorrow. You wouldn't want to see me running around New York in a wheelchair, would you?"
Chapter 84: Smith
Jessica Jones spoke very tactfully.
But her attitude clearly signaled a white flag of surrender.
"This doesn't seem like the fiery little wildcat performance you give in bed, Jessica."
A smug, wicked smirk appeared on Ethan's face.
"How can the current you compare to before? Don't you have any idea how powerful you are now?"
Jessica Jones gave Ethan an annoyed roll of her eyes.
"Go back. I know you have a lot of messes to clean up tonight, especially on Gwen's side."
Jessica Jones turned around.
Ethan did not continue to press her to let him stay the night.
Jessica Jones felt her side instantly become empty, and a surge of loneliness welled up in her heart.
But that feeling was quickly covered by the lingering afterglow in her body.
She truly didn't dare keep Ethan overnight; that really would cost a life.
It was also fortunate that, as a superpowered individual, her recovery was relatively strong; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to withstand the storm-like assaults of the increasingly non-human Ethan.
With a body like cast steel, a superhuman could barely keep up with the rhythm; an ordinary woman simply couldn't withstand that kind of physical impact.
"You should find more women. Otherwise, it's hard to imagine what kind of mess a passionate and energetic guy like you would become if you were forced to abstain."
Jessica Jones muttered softly.
But soon, she fell into a deep sleep.
She had actually always suffered from severe insomnia.
Recently, it had become severe to the extreme.
Without heavy drinking, it was difficult for her to fall asleep.
But the few minutes she spent lying in Ethan's arms just now gave her an unprecedented sense of security, allowing her to quickly drift into dreamland.
After leaving, Ethan did not return to the Villa.
Instead, he went straight back to his office.
At this time, Smith was already waiting outside the office door like a statue, having been there for a long time.
Ethan originally wanted to tell Smith to go home and rest, but where did he have a home to return to? How could he face a home that had been wiped out and was filled with bloody memories?
In extreme grief, Mr. Smith found Raven again, pleading to be transformed into a superhuman.
Even if it meant injecting strengthening gene technology that was still in the experimental stage.
Smith was even willing to go bankrupt to pay the costs.
But Raven knew Smith's status in Ethan's heart; this was the top trader who had earned tens of billions in assets for Ethan.
After the Vlad Family was wiped out, the fact that their massive wealth could fall into Ethan's hands was entirely due to this man's strategic planning behind the scenes.
"I'm sorry, Smith. It was my fault for not sending people to protect your family properly."
Ethan's face was heavy, and a flash of guilt appeared in his eyes.
Smith was his capable lieutenant. When a subordinate suffered such a loss, especially one connected to him, Ethan's mood naturally couldn't be good.
"Sir, I sincerely thank you for avenging my family. I am very satisfied with this result. With those bastards accompanying my family on the road to the Yellow Springs, I believe they won't feel lonely."
Smith's tone was indifferent, as if he were talking about someone else's business.
Immense grief had already dried up all his tears.
Now, he no longer needed that weak liquid.
"Rest assured, this matter isn't over. I will pull up the roots for you and eliminate all participants."
Ethan solemnly gave his promise.
In New York City, there wasn't actually a true mastermind behind the scenes.
Although Victor von Doom had only recently become Doctor Doom,
and despite his influence and network being massive,
he was definitely not the ultimate chess player.
Moreover, Ethan had already roughly guessed who the opponent was.
This time, the Ten Rings overlord, Wenwu, was just one of the chess pieces.
The Vatican had paid a huge price to invite him to New York.
He came here, in fact, to visit his son.
Unfortunately, before father and son could recognize each other, Wenwu had already paid the price with his life.
However, this person was also not the true mastermind.
He was just a chess piece whose fate had been plucked and activated by someone.
The true mastermind had been hiding in a dark corner, inconspicuous, even using his abilities to tempt others to act for him.
His projected power on Earth wasn't considered strong; he could even be counter-killed by the Ghost Rider he once personally created.
But when his true body descends upon the mortal world, it will surely be an unrivaled and terrifying existence.
That would be Mephisto.
Lord of Hell, King of Evil, Great Demon, King of the Demon Realm!!
These were all his terrifying titles.
"Is it because of my high profile that he mistakenly thinks I am a true demon descended to Earth, a potential competitor to him as the King of Evil, so he wants to test me?"
Ethan murmured to himself.
Smith didn't hear clearly what the boss was saying, but his eyes were bright as he finally stated his purpose for waiting at the office: "Sir, you must have seen my loyalty, but my power is too weak. I hope to possess enough power to protect myself."
"Even if the process of obtaining power involves life-threatening risks or unknown side effects!"
Smith gritted his teeth and spoke his heart word by word.
"Smith, your request isn't excessive. In fact, I should have put you on the list for enhanced human transformation long ago to prevent you from suffering this undeserved disaster. After all, your loyalty is obvious to all, and I recognize it deeply."
Ethan snapped back to reality, his expression becoming serious.
"But I hope that after you gain power, you won't use it to act recklessly. Of course, since the power is given to you, you can use it however you want. However, you should understand that we have too many enemies. I need the Osborn Group to gather massive wealth. If you use power too brazenly to dominate others' wills, you will eventually be consumed by that power."
For a moment, Smith felt as if he were truly meeting Ethan for the first time.
These words were both a warning and an unreserved disclosure of the risks.
But it meant that Ethan had agreed to his request for the gene serum injection.
"I approve your request. If you don't want to go back and face that empty house, you can stay in the company lounge for the night. But we can't inject the gene serum tonight; you'll have to wait until tomorrow. At that time, go directly to Vice President Raven."
Ethan instructed carefully.
"Understood. Thank you, sir. I will follow the rules."
Smith breathed a long sigh of relief.
He turned and left the Osborn Group building.
Tomorrow, he would undergo a Rebirth and become a superhuman.
This was an ultimate goal he had once dreamed of.
Now, it was finally going to be realized after the tragedy.
Ethan took the ten iron rings and played with them in his hands.
Clearly, this weapon was too powerful.
Never mind all Ten Rings at once; even just one of them possessed unimaginable destructive power.
This was practically the Marvel version of the Universe Ring.
"But carrying this string of iron rings around all the time isn't very convenient."
Ethan sighed slightly.
With a thought, his telekinetic power easily took control of the Ten Rings, shrinking them to fit around his arm, hidden beneath his sleeve.
At this time, in the sky above, a helicopter was slowly landing on the rooftop helipad.
Nick Fury had actually arrived in New York.
But this old fox would never come directly to the Osborn Group.
The so-called 'kings do not meet.'
At least for now, as the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Furywould not rashly appear to see Ethan when he couldn't be 100% certain of his true attitude.
After all, the risks involved were too great; he might be killed on the spot if things went wrong.
In his view, the only pity was that Professor X Charles was dead, leaving him with one less bargaining chip.