Chapter 214: Don't Blame Me for Not Playing Fair
"Call Hulk out, I have a matter to discuss with him."
Banner just walked out of the elevator, and his feet stopped abruptly.
He looked at Lu Chen sitting on the sofa, swallowed, and his fingers subconsciously tightened around the corner of his white lab coat.
"Uh... The calling out you mentioned, is it what I think it is?"
"Is there a second Hulk in your body?"
Lu Chen pointed at him.
"It's that green big guy."
Banner didn't move.
Looking for Hulk?
These five words slammed into Banner's ears, practically no different from a death sentence.
He knew all too well what that green monster meant.
That was not some superhero's superpower, but an inescapable nightmare.
Every time Hulk took over the body, Banner's consciousness would completely disconnect.
When he opened his eyes again, what he faced was always ruins all over the ground, innocent passersby screaming in terror, and the Military's endless guns and artillery.
He remembered General Ross's armored vehicles, and those armed helicopters smashed into scrap metal by Hulk.
Every transformation meant he would have to hide like a rat for the next few months.
That feeling was terrible.
He hated Hulk.
He regarded this monster as a malignant disease that could destroy all his life at any time.
"No."
Banner shook his head.
Lu Chen didn't urge him.
Banner's concerns were normal.
If any person had such an irritable monster living inside their body, he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.
But Hulk was not a pure ability.
He had his own consciousness, and would also get angry and hold grudges.
Kept suppressed deep in the body as a disease by Banner for a long time, it would be strange if problems didn't arise.
"I know Hulk has made you lose a lot."
Lu Chen stood up.
"It's normal that you fear him."
"Losing control and hurting people, being hunted by the Military, having no way to live normally, and not daring to establish too close relationships with others."
Banner gave a bitter smile, lowered his head to look at his own hands, and didn't take up the conversation.
"But he has saved you many times, hasn't he?"
Lu Chen looked into his eyes.
"Without him, you would have long been left with not even ashes in the gamma-ray laboratory."
"That's different."
Banner lowered his head and put his hands into his pants pockets.
"He saved me just because if I die, he will die too."
"That's not help, it's more like a survival response."
"Have you asked him this yourself?"
Banner was stumped by the question.
Ask Hulk?
He couldn't even communicate normally with the other party.
Most of the time, in his brain, Hulk only had anger and roars left.
As long as Banner tried to suppress it, that anger would grow stronger and stronger, finally breaking through his control.
Lu Chen looked at him.
"You can't control Hulk, but I can help you."
"How to help?"
"I'll act as an intermediary for your communication."
Banner looked up and stared at Lu Chen, seeming to want to trace any sign of joking from his face.
None.
This youth indeed had the qualification to say such words.
If he really lost control, at least someone could pin him down.
This might truly be an opportunity.
Banner was silent for a long time before tentatively asking: "Right here?"
Lu Chen glanced at his feet.
If Tony knew that he was still conscientiously making armor for someone in the lab, and then turning around that person let Hulk tear down the house on the top floor, he would probably be able to curse for a month.
"Of course not."
Telekinesis enveloped Banner, and the two rushed directly out of the building.
New York was soon left behind, and the sea surface swept past rapidly beneath their feet.
Not long after, the two landed on a deserted island.
Banner's feet landed, and he staggered a bit before steadying himself.
He looked around and found that he was standing on a bare reef.
All around was rolling Water, and not even a blade of grass could be seen.
This should be an isolated island far away from the mainland.
"It's spacious enough here."
Lu Chen stood with his hands in his pockets, standing ten meters away from Banner.
"Let's begin, Dr."
Banner swallowed, although he had already made up his mind.
But when it really came to this step, he shrank back a little.
Every time he actively let Hulk out, it was like opening a cage with his own hands.
He didn't know whether the one coming out would be a consciousness that could communicate, or a monster that only knew how to destroy.
Lu Chen didn't say anymore.
Banner had to make this decision himself.
It was very simple to force Hulk out by beating him, but once that happened, the so-called reconciliation would completely become a joke.
This time, besides Copying abilities, he indeed wanted to try whether he could resolve the conflict between the two.
After all, a sober and controllable Hulk was far more useful than a big guy who went crazy at any time.
Banner took a deep breath.
"What if he isn't willing to communicate?"
"I will make him willing."
"Sounds very persuasive."
Banner closed his eyes, trying to mobilize his emotions.
No reaction.
Banner gritted his teeth, raised his hand and gave himself a big slap in the face.
Slap!
Lu Chen was slightly stunned.
Slap! Slap!
He gave himself two more big slaps in succession.
This time he used ten percent of his strength, breaking the corner of his mouth directly, and the taste of blood spread in his mouth.
Pain.
Frustrating.
The manic feeling suppressed deep in his heart for a long time was finally ignited.
Banner's pupils suddenly turned ghastly green.
The blood vessels on his neck stood out like tree roots, and his originally thin body began to swell out of control.
A few seconds later, Banner had disappeared.
That gentle and cowardly scholar disappeared, replaced by a green monster two and a half meters tall and weighing over half a ton.
"Roar!"
Hulk opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Lu Chen.
That face, he remembered.
It was this little guy who knocked him out last time.
When foes meet, eyes blaze with hatred.
Hulk clenched his fists, his soles crushed the ground, and just as he was about to rush up, Lu Chen hurriedly raised his hand.
"Stop, stop, stop."
Mental power pressed over.
Hulk's stepping foot stopped in mid-air, the anger on his face didn't disappear, but his body relaxed little by little.
Lu Chen had a clear idea.
Mental appeasement was effective.
This guy wasn't immune to mental abilities, it was just that his emotions were too strong.
Ordinary Mind Control might be scattered by the anger as soon as it touched his consciousness.
"Hulk, can you understand me?"
Hulk glared at him.
"Hulk... hates you."
"As long as you can understand."
Lu Chen walked forward.
A low roar issued from Hulk's throat, and his fists clenched again, but he didn't attack immediately.
It seemed communication was possible.
It's just that with this level of intelligence, talking probably had to be simple.
If he discussed personality independence and self-identity with him, it was estimated that talking until tomorrow would be useless.
Lu Chen walked in front of Hulk and directly pressed onto the back of Hulk's huge hand.
The system prompt popped up accordingly.
[Discovered Copyable Super Ability]
[Super Physique LV7]
[Infinite Fury LV8: Continues to grow stronger as anger increases, reinforcement effect is lifted after emotions calm down]
Seeing the second ability, Lu Chen's gaze fixed.
Infinite Fury.
This was the truly terrifying part of Hulk.
Looking at the basic body alone, Hulk was only at the LV7 level.
But as long as his anger continued to rise, his strength could keep growing upward.
In theory, there was no upper limit.
Of course, theory was just theory, this wasn't a comic after all, if he really saw some Green Scar form, Lu Chen could only say see you next time.
Emotions needed time to accumulate.
If he really encountered an enemy far stronger than him, the opponent wouldn't stand there waiting for him to get angry, and could completely knock him down before Hulk grew up.
But even so, this skill was still better than physique.
[Infinite Fury LV8 starting to Copy]
[Estimated time required: Nine days]
Nine days?
Lu Chen glanced at the progress.
Still acceptable.
If Hulk was knocked out, the time should be able to be halved.
If it were last time, he would have already taken action now.
But this time he wasn't in a hurry.
He really wanted to let Banner talk with Hulk.
Lu Chen withdrew his thoughts and was just preparing to speak to chat with Hulk a couple of sentences.
Suddenly, a fierce wind abruptly attacked from the left side, and Lu Chen's left hand blocked to the side.
Bang!
The green giant fist smashed onto his arm.
The ground sank downward, and cracks crawled all the way to dozens of meters away.
Little guy.
I was guarding against you.
Mental appeasement was not control after all.
Hulk looked quiet on the surface just now, but the anger in his brain had never dissipated.
Seeing that the sneak attack was useless, Hulk smashed over with his other fist following closely.
Lu Chen blocked it again, retreated dozens of meters backward taking advantage of the force, and the soles of his shoes dragged out two long marks on the ground.
Not bad.
Even angrier than when they last met.
Lu Chen shook his arms.
"Hulk, I know you can understand."
Hulk bent down, supported the ground with both fists, and stared at him fixedly.
"If you throw another punch, don't blame me for not playing fair."
Hulk paused for a moment.
The next second, he grinned his big mouth wide.
"Hulk, won't listen!"
Lu Chen sighed and moved his wrists.
"Getting angry makes you stronger, right? I'll let you feel so good you ascend to heaven, let's see if you can still get angry."
"Don't beg me to stop later."
Chapter 215: A Bridge Between the Two
"Hulk smash you!"
Hulk roared and charged forward, the reef rocks shattering beneath his feet in swaths.
A giant green fist crushed down from above.
Lu Chen did not meet it head-on; he shifted half a meter sideways right past the edge of the fist. The giant fist slammed into the reef, blasting seawater and rock debris high into the air simultaneously.
Hulk immediately twisted his waist and swept his other fist horizontally.
This time, Lu Chen didn't even bother to dodge.
The instant the fist struck his chest, his body suddenly turned intangible.
Hulk felt his arm hit nothing as it passed right through Lu Chen's body, slamming heavily into the cliff face behind him.
Boom!
Half of the cliff face collapsed on the spot.
Lu Chen solidified once again, without having shifted from his standing spot at all.
Hulk looked down at his fist, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"Fake?"
"Real."
Lu Chen patted his chest.
"Too bad you can't touch me."
"Hulk can touch!"
Hulk spun around abruptly and spread his arms wide, completely trapping Lu Chen from both sides.
Lu Chen's mental power sank into Hulk's consciousness a step ahead of time.
A subtle interference threw off Hulk's judgment of distance by half a beat.
His two huge hands slammed together with a loud crash.
Bang!
Between his palms was nothing but compressed air.
Lu Chen had already floated above Hulk's head, the soles of his shoes even lightly tapping against Hulk's hair.
Hulk reached up to grab him.
Lu Chen turned intangible once again.
Five thick fingers passed right through his waist without catching even a corner of his clothes.
"Roar!"
Hulk was completely enraged.
He slammed both fists into the ground, sending an Impact spreading across the reef in all directions. The entire island quaked, and rocks along the edges continuously slid into the sea.
Lu Chen's feet lifted off the ground, and the Impact swept past beneath him.
Hulk took the opportunity to leap up.
His half-ton body shot up dozens of meters high, then bringing his fists together, he smashed down towards Lu Chen's head.
Lu Chen waited until the fists were right upon him before entering an intangible state.
Hulk passed straight through his body and plunged into the reef below.
Seawater surged back in with a roar.
A few seconds later, Hulk stood up from the rubble, his face covered in seawater.
Lu Chen was still hovering in the same spot.
"Wanna go again?"
Hulk ripped up a reef rock several meters wide, flexed his arms, and hurled it fiercely into the air.
The giant stone blocked Lu Chen's entire line of sight, and Hulk charged right up to him immediately behind it.
This punch was nearly twice as fast as before.
The telekinesis barrier Lu Chen deployed in front of himself dented for a split second.
The next second, Lu Chen shed the frontal resistance and redirected all the force to the side.
Hulk's fist missed, grazing past his face, and his massive body was thrown off course by its own momentum, shattering dozens of meters of reef along the way.
Lu Chen looked at his back, having formed a judgment in his mind.
The enhancement from Infinite Rage had already begun to accelerate.
If Hulk kept building up power, this island wouldn't last much longer.
His mental power transformed into soothing waves, suppressing the most uncontrollable part of Hulk's rage while preserving his ability to judge.
Hulk did not quiet down.
He only felt even more frustrated.
Couldn't touch with fists.
Couldn't hit with stones.
Ground-slam attacks were also dodged by Lu Chen floating in the air.
He had even tried feints, intentionally throwing a punch to the left while his real attack lunged from the right.
Lu Chen had simply given his ankle a nudge with telekinesis and used electric currents to give his body electrotherapy on the side.
Hulk lost his balance on the spot, his shoulder slamming into the ground.
Half of the reef beach had already been turned into ruins.
Hulk raised his fist once again.
This time, he didn't smash it down right away.
He looked around at the rubble, then down at his hands, the rage on his face gradually turning into gloominess.
"Why don't you hit Hulk?"
"I already hit you last time."
Lu Chen descended from midair.
"That score has long been settled. If I press you into the ground again today, I won't be able to talk about what I came to talk about."
The rage in Hulk's eyes had not fully dissipated.
"What you want to talk about?"
"Banner."
Hearing that name, Hulk clenched his fist tightly again.
"Banner bad!"
"How he is bad, you can tell him to his face."
Hulk froze for a few seconds, then shook his head violently.
"Banner hides. Banner scared of Hulk."
"Before transforming just now, he already agreed to meet you."
Lu Chen raised his hand.
"I can build a mental channel. I'll only start if you're willing. You can call it off anytime."
Hulk stared at him for a long time.
The mental soothing was still taking effect, allowing him to understand every word Lu Chen said.
Eventually, that giant fist slowly uncurled.
"Hulk wants to see Banner."
"Alright."
Lu Chen closed his eyes.
Mind Control LV6 rapidly contracted, its commands, bindings, and suppressions all removed, leaving only the most basic connection.
Deep within consciousness, Banner's remaining mental defense fluctuated gently.
Lu Chen sent an inquiry.
A few seconds later, that layer of defense was voluntarily released.
Both sides agreed.
The Mental Cage expanded immediately.
The oppressive feeling originally used to trap enemies was completely drained away by Lu Chen, leaving behind only a stable mental space.
The door opposite opened slowly.
Banner walked out from inside.
The moment Banner saw Hulk, his footsteps paused, and he unconsciously took half a step back.
Hulk also tensed up, a low growl coming from his throat.
Lu Chen raised his hand.
"Stand where you are first."
"You've both agreed to meet. Whatever you have to say, say it directly."
Banner looked at his hands.
"We're both conscious at the same time right now?"
"Yes."
"What about our physical body in reality?"
"I'm maintaining it. You don't need to fight over control."
Banner slowly exhaled. He lifted his head, seeing the other "himself" in full for the first time while remaining conscious.
A green body over two meters tall.
Bulging veins.
Eyes suppressing rage.
Hulk was likewise sizing up Banner.
One so massive he took up half the room.
One so thin and gaunt he looked as if he could be blown over by the wind at any moment.
They shared the same body, yet had never actually spoken face-to-face.
The silence lasted for over ten seconds.
Hulk spoke first.
"Banner always locks Hulk away."
"I have to stop the transformation. When you lose control, you hurt people."
"Banner scared of Hulk."
"Yes."
Banner didn't avoid it.
"I'm very scared of you."
"Every time you appear, my consciousness cuts out. By the time I wake up again, all that's left around me are ruins, wounded people, and the Military hunting me down."
"I don't even know what I've done."
Hulk growled low, "People hit Hulk first!"
"You're talking about the exact same event, but each of you only remembers half."
Lu Chen looked at the two of them.
"The pursuit in Brazil is the most typical example. I can project both of your memories simultaneously."
The area around the room transformed rapidly.
Dilapidated houses.
Narrow streets.
Humid, muggy air.
Banner was sitting in the room, trying to use his breathing to control his heart rate.
Bang!
The door was kicked open by the Military.
Tear gas canisters rolled into the room, and several soldiers rushed in with guns raised.
Heart rate rapidly spiked.
Field of vision gradually turned green.
The image froze at the moment Banner lost consciousness.
Immediately after, the perspective switched.
When Hulk opened his eyes, bullets were already firing in from all directions.
Raising his arms to protect his head, he charged out of the room, attempting to break out of the encirclement.
The soldiers kept firing.
An armored vehicle at the mouth of the alley blocked the road, its mounted weapon beginning to turn.
Hulk smashed his fist into the front of the vehicle.
The armored vehicle skidded sideways, collapsing a wall of a nearby residential house.
Screams instantly echoed from inside the house.
Hulk turned his head to glance back.
He didn't continue pursuing the soldiers, leaping straight onto the roof to leave the residential area.
The scene stopped right there.
Banner stared at the collapsed wall.
"You knocked that vehicle flying."
"There might have been people underneath."
Hulk pointed at the soldiers around them.
"They hit Hulk."
"Hulk wanted to leave. They kept blocking."
"There are three facts here."
Lu Chen interrupted them.
"The Military's attack forced Hulk out."
"Hulk broke through the encirclement carrying you."
"His counterattack also put the residents inside the house in danger."
Lu Chen looked at Banner.
"The first two cannot be erased."
He then looked at Hulk.
"The last one must also be taken responsibility for."
Banner slowly nodded.
Hulk looked down at his hands.
His shoulders, which had been tense just a moment ago, gradually relaxed downward.
"Hulk didn't want to hurt people in house."
"I know."
Banner's voice softened a little.
"But when you're angry, it's hard to judge directions. Your intentions and the final result are sometimes completely different."
"That's why I've always tried to stop you from coming out."
Hulk snapped his head up.
"Banner wakes, Hulk goes back into dark!"
Green emotional waves burst from his body. The mental space shook violently, surrounding lights rapidly extinguished, and white walls were swallowed by darkness.
This time, there was no guidance from Lu Chen.
The scene before them came from Hulk himself.
In a long, enclosed darkness, Hulk sat alone on the ground.
He could hear muffled sounds from the outside world.
He could also feel Banner's heartbeat, fear, and pain.
When danger appeared, the door in front would briefly open.
Once Banner returned to safety, that door would close again.
At first, Hulk would smash the door in anger.
Later on, he just sat in the darkness, waiting to be let out the next time.
"Banner hurts, door opens."
Hulk looked down at his palms.
"Banner safe, door closes again."
"Hulk keeps waiting."
Banner's breathing grew heavy.
"I thought after every transformation ended, you also lost consciousness."
"Hulk is always here."
Hulk raised his head to look at him.
"Banner never listens."
Banner fell completely silent.
Chapter 216: Baji—Hulk!
Lu Chen didn't defend either side.
To Banner, transforming meant losing control and blacking out.
To Hulk, transforming meant being needed briefly, only to be locked back in the dark afterward.
The same body.
Two vastly different feelings.
Over the years, the more scared Banner felt, the stronger his suppression became.
The lonelier Hulk felt, the heavier his rage was when slamming against the door.
They had been deepening each other's fears all along.
After a long time, Banner finally took a step forward.
"I'm still afraid of you."
He looked up and stared straight into Hulk's eyes.
"This fear won't disappear just because we met today."
"The destroyed streets won't magically restore themselves either. We need to take responsibility for the damage caused."
Hulk did not fly into a rage.
"I owe you a statement, too."
Banner took a deep breath.
"Every time I couldn't hold on, the one who stayed outside to face the bullets, artillery, and manhunts was always you."
"You've saved me many times."
For the first time, Banner voluntarily spoke that name.
"Thank you, Hulk."
The guard in Hulk's eyes loosened a bit.
Banner continued, "We can start by establishing a line of communication."
"If you want to come out, just knock three times behind the door. I'll answer when I hear it."
"If we encounter mortal danger and I lose the ability to make judgments, you can directly take over the body."
Hulk thought for a moment.
"Hulk can say no?"
"Yes."
Banner nodded earnestly.
"When I need your help, I'll ask for your opinion first."
"If there are ordinary people nearby, protect them first. If someone is creating danger, you can stop them."
"Once the danger is cleared, stop immediately."
Hulk frowned.
"What if bad guy runs?"
"If he's still hurting people, chase after him and stop him."
Banner explained patiently.
"If he's just fleeing and can no longer hurt anyone, leave him to others."
"We neutralize danger; we don't seek revenge."
Hulk counted on his fingers, trying hard to memorize these rules.
"Protect tiny people first."
The corner of Banner's mouth twitched.
"Ordinary people."
"Ordinary people."
Hulk repeated.
"Danger gone, Hulk stop."
"Right."
"When Banner wants to come back, must ask Hulk first too."
Banner was taken aback for a moment.
Then, he nodded.
"Okay."
"As long as circumstances allow, I'll ask you first."
Banner raised his hand, palm up.
Hulk stared at the hand for a few seconds before slowly extending a finger.
The moment they touched, the two consciousnesses actively drew close for the very first time.
A hairline crack appeared on the side wall of the room.
Light seeped out from the crack.
The crack gradually expanded, finally coalescing into a door.
On each side of the door, there was a handle.
This passageway had just appeared and was far from stable.
Fear, anger, and misunderstanding could all cause it to close again.
At least at this moment, they could hear each other.
However, years of estrangement and misunderstanding couldn't be completely wiped away by a single conversation.
The atmosphere turned somewhat stifled for a moment.
"So, Dr., do you have anything going on lately?" Lu Chen spoke up, breaking the silence.
Banner thought for a moment. The research on Nano Suits was already being led by the three geniuses—Tony, Shuri, and Helen Cho. He mostly provided suggestions regarding energy conduction, and it was already on the right track.
"Currently, I'm mainly following what you said—exploring the God energy deep inside the Earth's core," Banner answered.
Lu Chen pondered in his heart.
That thing was originally just something he used to scare the Avengers.
Speaking of which, this was also related to Thanos. The God embryo that was supposed to reach the critical awakening threshold in recent years due to population growth had its nourishment drastically cut due to that snap wiping out half the population, forcing it to be suppressed back down.
Calculating the time, even without the snap, there would still be a period of peaceful days before reaching that critical threshold.
"How about you take a few days off?" Lu Chen said. "You've been hiding and running all these years, you must be tired. Let Hulk take over the body, and come out with us to have some fun for a few days?"
Banner's expression showed some hesitation.
Handing over control of the body voluntarily? That was still a far too daunting option for him.
"Hulk want to play!"
The big green guy in the mental space didn't hesitate at all, directly voicing his demand.
Banner pursed his lips, taking it as a way out.
"Alright, taking a few days off sounds pretty nice too."
As the words fell, the entire mental space began to collapse.
On the deserted island, the green giant opened his eyes once more. He looked down at his fists, then looked up at Lu Chen not far away, his gaze somewhat complex.
This person had beaten him up the very first time they met.
But it was also this person who had helped Hulk.
Lu Chen noticed the inner conflict in his head and stepped forward.
"Ah Hao, there's a saying in my hometown: no fight, no friendship," Lu Chen patted his thick arm. "Why are you acting like a kid, still sulking here?"
Hearing this, Hulk instantly became unhappy.
He stomped his foot hard, causing the solid reef ground to collapse into a shallow crater.
"Hulk! Not! Kid!" he retorted in a muffled voice.
"Alright, alright, you're not a kid," Lu Chen curled his lip. "Then with a frame so big and strength so great, all you do is flail wild punches—don't you feel embarrassed?"
"I'll train you to make you stronger, strong enough to handle most types of enemies."
Hulk tilted his head, his interest piqued.
"Roar?"
"For example, teaching you some martial arts."
As Lu Chen spoke, he pulled out a tablet computer from his system space, swiped a few times on it, and opened a folder.
This was video material he had specially downloaded back when he was at Godolkin University to learn fighting techniques.
Sanda, Baji Quan, Military Style Boxing... it had everything.
Lu Chen handed the tablet over.
"Be careful, don't crush it. Take a look yourself and see which one interests you, then I'll teach you."
Hulk hesitantly extended two fingers and gingerly pinched the tablet.
On the screen, a figure dressed in martial arts robes was demonstrating routines, with fluid movements and explosive force.
Hulk was utterly absorbed. His huge body squatted on the ground, head leaning in close, afraid to miss a single detail.
Seeing him so immersed, Lu Chen walked to the side, took out another phone, and dialed Simone's number.
The call connected quickly.
"My Lord."
"Are Wanda and Pietro awake?"
"Please wait a moment, My Lord. I will go check," Simone's voice was calm and steady as always.
Less than half a minute later, a reply came from the other end.
"My Lord, Ms. Wanda is awake and getting familiar with her powers. Mr. Pietro is still sleeping, but his vital signs are stable."
"Got it." Lu Chen glanced at Hulk, who was engrossed in watching videos nearby. "Track the signal of this phone, get a transport plane, and bring the two of them to me."
"Understood, sir."
Hanging up the phone, Lu Chen looked back.
Hulk was clumsily imitating the opening stances of various martial arts from the videos, but due to his body structure and proportions, the movements looked rather comical.
He didn't disturb him, just waited quietly, while taking a glance at the Copy duration on his panel.
[Infinite Rage LV8, Remaining Time: 8 days, 23 hours]
Without knocking him out this time, the Copy progress was indeed much slower.
However, a Hulk who could communicate and learn was far more valuable as a teammate than a monster who only knew rage.
Of course, that was provided this teammate listened to orders.
As time ticked by, Hulk had flipped through all the videos, finally pointing to an instructional video of Baji Quan and saying unclearly, "This one! Loud sound!"
"Alright, this one it is."
Lu Chen walked over and took back the tablet.
"First lesson: stance training. Sink all your strength down to your feet, instead of swaying three times every time you throw a punch like you do now."
Hulk nodded, half-understanding.
Chapter 217: Ikaris Wakes Up
A few hours later, the roar of an engine came from the distant sky.
A fighter jet broke through the clouds and slowly landed on the other side of the island.
The cabin door opened, and Simone, dressed in a professional suit, walked down, followed by several former HYDRA Agent who now belonged to Vought Company.
When they saw the huge green figure on the island, their steps paused noticeably, but they still braced themselves and followed behind Simone.
"My Lord." Simone walked up to Lu Chen and slightly bowed.
"Hmm." Lu Chen patted Hulk, "Raise his meal standards for the next few days to the highest level, and satisfy whatever he wants to eat."
Simone's gaze fell on Hulk, who was curiously sizing up these newcomers.
"Understood." She nodded in acknowledgment, then turned around and began to direct her subordinates to unload the supplies.
Wanda also pushed a mobile hospital bed down, and lying on the bed was none other than Pietro.
The first thing she saw was the big green guy squatting on the ground and Lu Chen standing next to him.
Lu Chen waved at them.
An invisible force lifted Wanda and the bed, carrying the two of them directly over and landing them steadily on the reef.
"Boss, why did you bring us here?" Wanda asked.
Lu Chen looked at her, somewhat surprised: "Boss? When did you change your form of address."
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Wanda reached out to brush away the hair falling by the side of her face.
"I definitely don't want to call you 'Leader' like my brother does." Wanda explained, "It sounds like a gang leader back in our hometown."
"My name is Lu Chen," Lu Chen said, "As for the form of address, whatever you like is fine."
Wanda silently repeated the name in her heart; once a name is remembered, the relationship is no longer as simple as just obeying orders.
"Although you have both awakened your abilities, you are still too immature and need training." Lu Chen pointed at Hulk not far away, "I happen to be training him anyway, driving one sheep or two makes no difference, let's do it together."
Wanda's gaze fell on Hulk.
That green giant was clumsily imitating the video on the tablet computer, trying to strike a strange pose, looking somewhat comical.
She was somewhat surprised in her heart, but quickly calmed down.
Having already witnessed Lu Chen's light cannons that casually tore open the sky, and having gained superpowers herself, she felt she could accept whatever happened now.
"What should I do?" Wanda asked.
"What is your ability right now?"
Wanda looked at the gravel by the beach and extended both hands.
Wisps of scarlet energy overflowed from her fingertips, wrapping around a stone and lifting it up into the air telekinetically.
"It seems I can manipulate objects, just like this."
Lu Chen had a clear idea.
This was only the most superficial manifestation of Chaos Magic. Besides telekinesis, there were also mental abilities.
However, trying to bite off more than you can chew leads to poor mastery.
"Practice this first," Lu Chen said, "From light to heavy, see how heavy of an object you can lift."
Wanda walked over to the pile of stones and picked one about the size of a fist.
The red light wrapped around it again.
The stone left the ground by half a meter.
Lu Chen glanced at her wrist.
"Don't use your arms for force, concentrate."
"I am already very focused."
The stone shook, flew up, and crashed toward Lu Chen.
Lu Chen extended two fingers and pinched the stone.
The expression on Wanda's face became a bit awkward.
"This is an error."
"Errors are acceptable."
Lu Chen put the stone back on the ground.
"Next time, don't practice facing me. Training fees are very expensive, don't break the coach."
Wanda pressed her lips together and turned around to continue practicing.
Lu Chen's gaze turned to Pietro on the hospital bed, and his mental power directly invaded his mind, waking him up from his deep sleep.
"Ah!"
Pietro sat up abruptly, his memory still lingering on the intense pain of being pierced through by the energy of the Mind Stone. He cried out in surprise and subconsciously touched his own body.
"I'm not dead?"
"Of course you're not dead," Lu Chen interrupted him, "Since you're awake, stop lying there, get up and train."
"Oh... oh."
Seeing his sister already practicing nearby, Pietro felt a bit embarrassed on his face.
He actually woke up later than his sister.
He stood up, stretched his body, and instantly felt the difference. This body was filled with explosive power, stronger and sturdier than ever before.
Lu Chen looked at him.
"Anything wrong? If not, run a couple of steps."
Pietro acknowledged, and tentatively took a step forward.
The next second, he found that the surrounding scenery instantly became blurred.
By the time he stopped, he was already several hundred meters away.
"This..."
He looked down at his legs, his face full of excitement. He tried to exert force again, and his entire body turned into a silver-white phantom.
Ten seconds later, he had run a full circle around the island. Twenty seconds later, he was back in his original place. Starting from the third lap, he ramped up his speed, leaving only a continuous moving afterimage of himself.
Wanda was still practicing manipulating stones.
Pietro swept past her, and a playful urge welled up in his heart.
His figure flashed, and he appeared behind Wanda, who was intently lifting stones, reaching out to fiddle with her hair.
Wanda was completely focused and didn't react at all.
Pietro found it uninteresting and set his sights on Lu Chen not far away.
He wanted to show off in front of him.
Pietro casually picked up a leaf, his figure disappearing again, preparing to quietly place this leaf on Lu Chen's shoulder.
However, when he went around behind Lu Chen at what he thought was his fastest speed and reached out, he found that Lu Chen's gaze had somehow kept up with his movement trajectory and was quietly looking at him.
Lu Chen reached out his hand and grabbed the leaf at his fingertips.
"What do you think you're doing, kid."
Pietro's figure stopped, and he scratched his head sheepishly.
"Just playing, just playing."
Although he said this with his mouth, the pride in his heart after gaining superpowers was shattered by more than half.
Just how strong is this man?
He could easily capture even a speed like his own.
He firmly etched this matter into his heart.
Lu Chen ignored him further, letting him familiarize himself with his power on his own, while he walked over to Hulk.
"Standing stance isn't about stiffening your legs, it's about sinking your center of gravity."
Lu Chen walked behind Hulk, reached out to press his shoulders, and helped him adjust his posture.
"Right, relax your waist and hips, power rises from the ground, feel the strength of stepping on the ground..."
While hand-in-hand teaching Hulk how to exert force, he was distracted by monitoring the Copy progress in the background.
[Infinite Rage LV8 Copying]
Time passed bit by bit.
A peculiar scene presented itself on the island.
A green giant was clumsily learning fist techniques, a young girl was using telekinesis by the seaside to lift increasingly larger reefs, and a young man was running frantically across the island, stirring up waves of air.
Meanwhile, in a certain corner of Earth. Inside the medical chamber of that huge Eternal spaceship.
A man covered in scars and blood slowly opened his eyes.
Ikaris.
Chapter 218: Status of the Eternal
The Domo, medical pod.
Ikaris opened his eyes.
The dazzling white light made him instinctively squint, followed by a tearing sensation all over his body, with every inch of muscle fiber crying out in agony.
The last frame of memory was the massive amount of energy released right in his face by that man, and the terrifying explosion piercing through the entire atmosphere.
Sersi!
He sat up abruptly, aggravating his injuries, and the excruciating pain caused him to let out a muffled groan.
"Hey, hey! Your body hasn't recovered yet."
A familiar voice sounded beside him. Phastos held down his shoulders, preventing him from further action.
Ikaris was a little surprised. He saw clearly that the person in front of him was a teammate he hadn't been in contact with for hundreds of years.
But he couldn't care about reminiscing. He grabbed Phastos's arm and asked eagerly, "Where is Sersi? Did that man take them away?"
"I know, I know, calm down first." Phastos tried to appease him, but Ikaris's strength far surpassed his; even heavily injured, he wasn't someone he could easily hold down.
"I'm going to save her!" Ikaris struggled to get out of bed, his eyes full of anxiety.
Just at this moment, a gentle psychic power enveloped his mind, smoothing out the most agitated part of his emotions.
Ikaris's movements paused.
Druig walked in from the doorway, his expression as gloomy as ever, but his eyes carried a hint of concern.
"If you rush out now, do you want to get blown up by him again?"
Following Druig's words, a few more people walked in from outside the cabin door.
Heading them was the brawny Gilgamesh, followed by Tina with her aloof temperament, and a lightweight girl who was sizing him up with bright eyes.
Makkari.
"Don't be impatient." Gilgamesh spoke, his voice as honest and steady as ever, "A few days have already passed. We also want to rescue Sersi very much, but even you were defeated in the hands of that You-Know-Who, so we need to discuss this long-term."
Ikaris's body finally relaxed. He leaned back against the medical bed, panting rapidly.
He lost, and lost thoroughly.
"Who saved me?" he asked.
Makkari raised her hand and began to gesture in sign language.
She first pointed to herself, then upward, crossing her hands quickly to indicate large-scale energy fluctuations detected. Then she spread her arms, her body falling downward, and pointed at Ikaris, making a lifting action.
After seven thousand years of getting along, no one needed a translation.
"She has stayed on the Domo." Druig said, "After the spaceship discovered the energy fluctuation, she rushed to the scene. At that time, both you and the other party fell from high altitude. After she brought you to a safe location, she wanted to turn back to save Sersi and Sprite."
Druig paused, his expression becoming somewhat solemn.
"But she sensed that that man had already begun to absorb the surrounding residual energy to recover himself. The speed was astonishingly fast. She had no certainty, so she could only evacuate with you first and then notify all of us."
Ikaris fell silent.
He had personally experienced that terrifying resilience; Makkari's choice was correct.
"Why did he attack Sersi?" Tina asked coldly, energy glowing subconsciously in her hands, condensing into the outline of a short sword.
Gilgamesh gently grasped her wrist, and the energy glow dissipated accordingly.
"I don't know." Ikaris shook his head, recalling the scene at that time, "I only sensed that he wanted to make a move against Sersi, so I rushed over to stop him."
"Didn't you communicate before fighting?" Phastos asked.
"No."
Ikaris thought for a moment and added, "He kept testing my abilities. It didn't look like a spur-of-the-moment decision, but more like a target chosen in advance."
Druig leaned against the cabin door. "We checked on the others' situation these past few days."
Ikaris looked at him. "What about Ajak?"
"Is she not coming? With her healing, I should be able to recover faster."
Hearing this name, everyone's expressions sank.
"Ajak has also disappeared." Druig's voice was very low, "Makkari went to the farm in South Dakota to check, and it was deserted. Except for Kingo, who is filming movies in Bollywood, almost all of us clan members who have integrated into human society have been attacked by him once, except for Kingo."
"That's not right." Druig changed the subject, "Kingo might have also encountered him."
He looked at Ikaris and explained, "When Makkari took me to find Kingo, I tried to call him in my mind with psychic power, but I found a strange psychic imprint lingering on the outer layer of his consciousness. It was very covert and very powerful."
"I had no certainty of communicating with him without alerting that imprint. In the end, I could only control an ordinary person to notify him to rush over and rendezvous as soon as possible."
Ikaris's heart sank.
Was Ajak also abducted?
What on Earth did that man want to do?
A terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
Could it be... that he knows the secret of the Emergence?
Regarding the truth that the newborn God Tiamut is going to tear Earth apart and destroy mankind, only he and the leader Ajak knew among the Eternal.
This secret must never be exposed, at least not now.
Ikaris quietly guided the topic: "It seems he is attacking us purposefully. Could it be... that he is related to those Deviants we sealed thousands of years ago?"
This was a reasonably sound guess.
He couldn't confirm whether Lu Chen had already obtained the truth from Ajak, let alone let others know that the secret of the Emergence might have already been touched by outsiders.
Over the years, not everyone in the Eternal was willing to watch humans die. Ikaris knew this very well. Sersi, Phastos, Gilgamesh, they would all hesitate.
And hesitation would cause the mission to go out of control.
Gilgamesh spoke: "Don't be in a hurry to define him yet. After you recover, we will investigate and find out together."
"I have already tracked down some of his traces." Phastos, who had been silent all along, spoke up, pulling up a virtual screen displaying the footage of the Battle of New York, with Lu Chen's figure prominently among them.
"He appeared in New York, fought side by side with the people from the Avengers, and their relationship seemed pretty good. We know far too little about him."
Gilgamesh took over the conversation: "Therefore, before you recover, we'd better not act alone, lest we be defeated by him one by one. When Kingo arrives, we'll act together again."
"My body..." Ikaris still wanted to argue.
"It's terrible." Phastos directly interrupted him, pointing at the complex data streams on the medical pod's screen.
"That move that hit you left a large amount of unknown energy similar to radiation, but with a higher energy level, lingering inside your body. They are continuously devouring your cells and weakening your self-healing ability. Otherwise, with your physique, you would recover much faster."
"You need quiet recuperation, at least half a month." Phastos gave his conclusion.
Ikaris looked at his own palm.
Half a month.
Sersi was in the enemy's hands, and Ajak had also disappeared. That man named Lu Chen had already seized the initiative. Every extra day he rested, the situation would undergo another layer of change.
But right now, he couldn't even stand steady.
"Half a month is too long."
"Then lie down for a month." Phastos said, "You can choose."
Makkari gestured an approval gesture beside him.
Ikaris looked at her. "Even you think so?"
Makkari nodded seriously, then pointed at his chest and made a sleeping motion.
Druig translated: "She says you're like an old machine leaking energy right now, and you'd better not run around."
Phastos added: "Her original words weren't that polite."
Gilgamesh reached out and patted Ikaris's back.
"Recover from your injuries first."
Ikaris finally nodded and lay back down.
He closed his eyes, but his mind couldn't calm down.
Sersi had been captured, and her life or death was uncertain.
Ajak had also disappeared, likely having fallen into that man's hands.
Did he know the secret of the Emergence?
Did he abduct Ajak to stop the Emergence, or did he want to get the method to communicate with the God from her?
Innumerable doubts and worries entwined him.
For the first time, Ikaris felt that things were slipping out of his control, as well as the control of the God Arishem the Judge.
Chapter 219: Power of the Nine Dragons!
"Don't lift your feet, relax your waist and hips!"
Lu Chen jumped up and pressed a palm onto Hulk's shoulder, forcing his over-two-meter-tall body back into the stance of the Liangyi Pile. "Sink your center of gravity; legs aren't meant to be used for brute forcing it. Right now, you're just relying on raw strength to hold up, and you won't be able to stand like that for long."
Hulk gritted his teeth, his forehead already covered in sweat.
"Hulk is very stable!"
"By the time you said that sentence, your left foot had already slid outward."
Hulk lowered his head to take a look, his expression immediately turning ugly. He wanted to pull his foot back, but the moment he moved, he lost his balance. His massive body swayed a few times, almost sitting right down into the reef.
Lu Chen reached out to press against his chest, forcibly pushing Hulk back.
This guy's strength was truly exaggerated, and his body was strong enough, but his method of exerting force was frighteningly crude. In past skirmishes, every punch he threw was like slamming his own body against a wall. His strength was huge, but the waste was even greater. If things went on like this, encountering an opponent who truly understood how to deflect and leverage force would sooner or later make Hulk suffer a big loss, like that purple sweet potato.
"Stand for another hour," Lu Chen said. "After you finish standing, I'll teach you how to throw a punch."
Hulk's face instantly fell.
"Still need to stand?"
"If you want to become stronger, you have to stand."
"Hulk is very strong!"
"Then you don't have to practice."
Lu Chen withdrew his hand and turned to walk aside.
Hulk immediately grew anxious.
"No! Hulk wants to become stronger!"
That's good.
Lu Chen stopped in his tracks and nodded with satisfaction. Mental soothing was still suppressing Hulk's anger, but what truly made him willing to persevere was the temptation of becoming stronger. As long as the goal was clear enough, this big guy was actually easier to communicate with than Banner.
"One hour," Hulk re-assumed his stance and said in a muffled voice. "After standing, I'll learn boxing."
"Depends on your performance."
Lu Chen looked up toward the side, waving at the siblings not far away who were each familiarizing themselves with their abilities.
"Wanda, Pietro, come over."
The two of them had awakened their abilities for too short a time, and their methods of using power still remained in the stage of blindly bumping around based on feel. Wanda was better off; her Chaos Magic could both attack and defend, giving her at least the means to protect herself.
Pietro's problem was much bigger.
Being fast didn't mean he wouldn't get hurt. Facing enemies slower than him, he could naturally play with them like an old man playing with a child, but once he encountered opponents of the same tier or even faster, the shortcoming of insufficient physical strength would be directly magnified. That speedster named Makkari among the Eternal was a high-speed warrior in the true sense.
Pietro right now was far too lacking.
Wanda and Pietro walked over one after the other. A few strands of hair on Wanda's forehead were stuck together by sweat. Pietro was quite energetic; just as he stopped, his feet still carried the undissipated dust.
"Boss," Wanda raised a hand to greet.
"Boss, what's up?" Pietro asked with an excited look on his face, having just refreshed his fastest record for circling the island.
Lu Chen didn't answer, directly taking out two vials of potions from the system space.
The first version of Compound V improved by the Sage. Its function was very clear—specifically strengthening the physical body, and it was much more stable than ordinary Compound V.
Both of their gazes fell upon the syringes.
"What is this?" Pietro asked curiously.
"Things to make you stronger."
Lu Chen handed the two injections to them respectively.
Wanda took the potion, glanced at the needle first, and then looked at Lu Chen. "How do we use it?"
"Aim at your thigh or arm, stick it in, push it all the way down, it might hurt a bit."
Lu Chen didn't specify to what extent it would hurt, nor was there any need to say. Explaining all the consequences in advance would instead easily cause them to focus on fear.
Wanda didn't ask further.
She pulled off the needle cap and jabbed the potion into her arm.
Pietro glanced at his sister and followed suit by pushing the syringe in.
After the medicinal liquid entered their bodies, the movements of both froze simultaneously.
Wanda's fingers tightened, her breathing turning rapid. Pietro bent over even further, gritting his teeth as beads of sweat on his forehead dripped down the bridge of his nose.
"Ah... this thing hurts even more than before!"
"Hold on," Lu Chen stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over the state of the two. "Don't use your abilities to suppress your physical reactions; feel how it changes you."
The pain came quickly and went quickly as well.
Dozens of seconds later, the abnormalities on the two gradually subsided.
Pietro suddenly stood up, clenching his fists as he felt the brand-new power surging within his body.
Muscles, bones, and even every single cell felt as though they had been remolded, filled with an unprecedented sense of toughness and explosive power.
Lu Chen pulled the hands of the two, and the system panel popped up before his eyes.
Wanda's Super Physique was upgraded from LV1 to LV3.
Pietro was upgraded from LV3 to LV4.
Not bad at all.
"How does it feel?" Lu Chen let go of their hands.
"Awesome!" Pietro happily jumped in place. "I feel like I can punch right through a wall right now!"
Wanda felt it in more detail. She could clearly perceive that when she urged her Chaos Magic, the burden on her body became smaller, and the connection between her spirit and energy also became more stable.
Looking at the excited appearance of the two, Lu Chen reversed his hand and took out two more injections.
"Don't celebrate too early," Lu Chen said. "This is only the first step."
The smile on Pietro's face froze.
This time, the liquid in the syringe was darker in color, as if it had compressed a lot of power. They used Sam's blood as raw material, specifically targeting people with lower concentrations of Compound V in their bodies. The lower the concentration, the more obvious the medicinal effect.
The siblings were both stunned.
The smile on Pietro's face stiffened for a moment.
"Boss... again?"
That heart-rending pain from just now was still fresh in his memory, and he was a bit scared.
"What?" Lu Chen handed the potion in front of him. "Are you afraid of becoming stronger?"
"That's not it!" Pietro immediately refuted, stiffening his neck as he said, "It's just... it hurts a bit."
"Rest assured." Lu Chen shoved the injections into their hands. "This thing doesn't hurt the body much."
Hearing this, Pietro breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then I can rest easy!"
As long as it wasn't physical torture, anything else was fine to talk about.
The two picked up the injections once more and jabbed them down without hesitation.
Indeed, no overly strong pain came from the body.
But just when Pietro thought he could breeze through it, a completely different kind of pain erupted from the depths of his mind without warning.
Those scenes that he had deliberately forgotten, or rather didn't dare to recall, surfaced before his eyes one by one.
The home in Sokovia, his parents' warm smiles.
Then came the loud roar of artillery shells falling, and the house collapsed instantly. He and Wanda were buried beneath the ruins, guarding a missile that could explode at any moment, spending two desperate days and nights.
That helplessness, fear, and hatred piercing deep into the bone marrow swallowed him once again.
On the other side, Wanda also closed her eyes, her body trembling slightly.
She also saw it, saw her parents die before her eyes, and saw the desire to change her destiny.
She also saw her own weakness.
Lu Chen stood before the two of them, not making a move to help.
He could directly cut off this mental pain, or use his power to drag them out of the memories. But he didn't do that.
If power comes too easily, people will not understand awe. Even less will they know what on earth they rely on to possess it.
Wanda and Pietro had already been taken in by him. He could give resources and opportunities, but he couldn't bear the price of every transformation for them. Only by personally experiencing the difficulty and pain of acquiring power could they truly master this power.
"Hang in there." Lu Chen only said three words.
Pietro's body swayed, his hands gripping tightly onto his trouser legs.
"No... this isn't physical pain..."
Closing his eyes, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth, "Boss, get these things away!"
"Walk out of it yourself."
Wanda opened her eyes, a red light carrying within them.
"I don't want to go back there again," Wanda said in a low voice. "That is not my destination."
She raised her head and looked at Lu Chen.
"I saw the weakness of back then, and I also saw why I craved power."
Wanda wiped away the sweat from her temple, her voice still trembling somewhat, yet she didn't flinch.
"But now, I already have the power to change my destiny."
She paused for a moment.
"All of this is because of you. Boss, thank you."
Lu Chen waved his hand.
"Don't thank me. Being able to hold on is your own ability."
He glanced at the state of the two, confirming that the potion had completed integration.
"Not bad, very energetic."
He was very satisfied with Wanda's current state.
Pain was the best catalyst; it could give birth to the firmest will.
"So next..."
Before Wanda and Pietro had completely recovered their senses, Lu Chen reversed his hand and pulled out two more injections exactly like the previous ones.
"Let's continue."
The expressions of the two changed together.
Pietro stared at those two syringes, his voice even trembling.
"No way?"
Wanda looked at Lu Chen. "There's more?"
Lu Chen handed the potions in front of them.
"Scared?"
Pietro and Wanda took a step back simultaneously.
In the distance, Hulk, who was standing in his pile stance, opened his eyes and stretched his neck to look over.
"Why aren't they fighting?"
Lu Chen smiled.
"Because this time, it's their turn to hurt."
Hulk thought for a moment and nodded earnestly.
"Hulk likes this training."
"Big guy, shut up!" Pietro grabbed the potion, gritting his teeth as he said, "Bring it on!"
Finishing his sentence, he jabbed the needle straight in.
Wanda looked at her brother and also raised her hand.
The second round of enhancement began.
Chapter 220: 5 Doses Per Person
"Bring it on!"
Pietro clenched his teeth and pushed the third syringe all the way down.
The familiar pain and despair felt as if they were going to grind his soul to pieces and reassemble it.
"Boss... I..." Pietro knelt on the ground, supporting himself on the beach with both hands, his fingernails digging deep into the sand, his whole body trembling. He wanted to beg for mercy, but swallowed the words back when they reached his lips.
He saw his younger sister not far away.
Wanda also looked terrible, but she was standing, her body swaying, yet she never fell down. In her eyes, a crimson light flickered, as if she were fighting against the nightmares in her mind.
Pietro clenched his teeth tightly and forced back that cry for mercy.
He couldn't be worse than his sister.
Lu Chen stood in front of them, his gaze sweeping across their physical states.
Compound V had already raised their physiques by a notch, and Sam's blood had further strengthened the efficacy of the drug. At this rate, another dose should render it ineffective.
A few minutes later, the efficacy of the third injection passed.
Lu Chen didn't give them any time to rest, directly handing over the fourth potion.
Pietro raised his head, looking at the syringe, fear flashing in his eyes for the first time.
Wanda directly took it from Lu Chen's hand, without saying a word, and stabbed it straight into her own arm.
Pietro was stunned for a moment, then cursed, grabbed his own, and shoved it fiercely into his arm.
When the pain of the fourth injection gradually faded, the siblings looked like they had been fished out of the water, soaked all over, panting heavily. But their eyes had become completely different from before.
That was a kind of resilience that washed away impetuosity and settled down.
"How do you feel?" Lu Chen asked.
"Still... still alive." Pietro grinned, wanting to smile, but it pulled at his sore muscles.
"Can you still stand up?" Lu Chen asked.
Pietro raised his head and said, panting, "Of course I can! I can still run."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward.
The sandy ground beneath his feet was stepped into a shallow pit, and Pietro's body rushed out, running a circle around the island. When he came back, he didn't stop like before, but instead scraped two marks on the ground with both feet, forcibly stabilizing his body.
His face was full of excitement.
"Did you see that? This time I stopped much faster than before!"
"You almost hit that reef just now." Wanda raised her head, her voice still a bit weak, but she had already regained some spirit, "If the boss hadn't moved the stone away, you should be lying on it right now."
Pietro's smile disappeared.
He turned his head to look, and the reef that had originally stood in front had been moved to the side.
Lu Chen withdrew his psychokinesis.
"Your speed has increased, but your control is still not enough."
Pietro's excitement decreased a bit, but he didn't refute.
When he ran out just now, he only felt his body become lighter, and everything around him slow down. But when he wanted to stop, his legs still rushed forward in the original way.
"There is still one more." Lu Chen took out two potions and handed them to the siblings respectively.
Pietro's face turned green.
"Boss, seriously? Again?"
"This is the last injection," Lu Chen said, "It only hurts the body, not the brain."
Hearing this, Pietro instead breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to the mental torture just now, the physical pain was simply enjoyment.
The two took the potions, this time without the slightest hesitation.
When the liquid was injected into their bodies, an unspeakable excruciating pain exploded from the depths of every cell, as if it were going to smash their bones, muscles, and internal organs completely, and then recast them with raging fire.
But amidst this excruciating pain, the two also clearly felt that an unprecedentedly majestic vitality was crazily nourishing their bodies.
When the effects of the potion were completely absorbed, the siblings wobblingly stood up.
Lu Chen pulled their hands, and the data on the system panel made him nod in satisfaction.
The effect of V1 was not wasted. Since the superpowers brought to them by Compound V were only Super Physique, V1's potency acted entirely on the physical level, and both of their muscles, bones, and internal organs were completely strengthened,
Their Super Physique directly broke through to LV6.
What surprised him even more was Wanda.
Under the successive mental shocks, the Chaos Magic within her body was actually catalyzed as well, raising her normal level from LV5 to LV6.
Such exaggerated potential. Lu Chen clicked his tongue inwardly, looking at the empty syringe in his hand, roughly knowing that this was also the current upper limit of Compound V.
He still had to find a smarter researcher, or obtain higher-level transcendental materials.
"Did we succeed?" Wanda opened her eyes.
"Barely enough."
Pietro clenched his fists, the muscles on his arms tensing up.
"Can I beat Hulk now?"
In the distance, Hulk, who was practicing boxing, stopped his movements and turned his head to look over.
"Hulk heard that!"
Pietro immediately shut his mouth.
Lu Chen looked at him: "You can try."
"I think I'd better forget it."
Hulk grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.
"Silver hair, coward."
"Who are you calling a coward?" Pietro turned around and was about to rush over.
Lu Chen raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't rush to throw your life away first."
A force pressed down, and the sandy ground under Pietro's feet split to both sides. The expression on his face froze, and then he obediently retreated.
This temper of his had to be worn down slowly.
Lu Chen looked at Wanda again.
"There is one more thing, V1 can not only strengthen your bodies, but also make you stop aging."
Pietro opened his mouth wide.
"Wait, Boss, what did you say?"
"Immortality."
As these four words fell, the siblings were somewhat at a loss.
Pietro lowered his head to look at his hands, then looked at the syringe on the ground. He was only in his early twenties this year, and Death was still far away from him. The word Immortality sounded like something from someone else's story.
But no matter how he thought about it, this was a grace unimaginable to mortals.
Wanda grabbed his arm.
Pietro turned his head to look at her.
"What's wrong?"
Wanda didn't answer, just pulled him along to walk in front of Lu Chen.
She glanced at the empty syringe, pulling her older brother to bend her knees and about to kneel down.
"Boss, I..."
She wanted to swear allegiance, in the oldest and most sincere way.
However, an invisible force supported her knees, making it impossible for her to kneel down no matter what.
"Stop kneeling around all the time." Lu Chen raised his hand slightly, straightening the two of them up, "My people don't do this."
Wanda was suspended in mid-air, the red light in her pupils had not yet dissipated. Hearing these words, her ears turned red first.
"My people?"
She chewed on these three words repeatedly in her heart, and a wonderful emotion grew in the depths of her heart. She and her brother had depended on each other for survival since very early on, and this was the first time someone else had referred to her in this way.
Pietro didn't think that much. He was intoxicated by the newly acquired power, patted his chest, and guaranteed carelessly, "Don't worry, Boss! No matter what mission it is, I guarantee to complete it for you!"
Lu Chen smiled, too lazy to pierce through him.
This was a typical expansion period after a sudden surge in power, but it wasn't a big problem.
When he truly encountered an enemy he couldn't beat, he would naturally know where the gap lay.
"All right, go eat and rest first, and we'll continue training in a bit."
He waved his hand, dismissing the two, and turned to walk over to Hulk.
"Still training?"
"With Immortality, there is plenty of time."
Pietro's face collapsed.
Wanda couldn't help smiling, then pulled her brother to walk towards the direction of the fighter jet.
Lu Chen turned around and walked in front of Hulk.
Hulk had already reset the starting posture of Bajiquan, with his two fists placed in front of his chest, stepping very heavily.
"Have you learned stance training?" Lu Chen asked.
"Hulk can stand!"
"Very good, I'll start teaching you boxing."
"Bajiquan doesn't mean just making you swing your fists blindly," he said, "Close-quarter combat, shoulder-bashing and leaning, collapsing and striking assaults. The core is the Six Openings, Eight Major Moves, and Vajra Eight Styles."
If the boring stance training just now made Hulk drowsy, now hearing that he could box, his eyes lit up all at once.
"Fight!" Hulk roared excitedly.
"Watch closely." Lu Chen lowered his waist and planted his stance, throwing a punch into the air.
The wind of the fist whistled, carrying a fierce and unstoppable momentum.
"Hulk want to hit too!"
Hulk imitated Lu Chen's appearance, clumsily throwing a punch.
"Bang!"
The fist smashed into the air, making a dull explosive sound, full of strength, but completely without method.
"Don't swing with your arms, power rises from the ground, force comes from the waist and hips!" Lu Chen walked to his side and reached out to pat his lower back.
"Come on, hit me."
"Hulk, hit you?" Hulk hesitated a bit.
"Use your maximum strength."
Getting permission, Hulk no longer hesitated, roared loudly, and a straight punch blasted towards Lu Chen's chest.
This punch was enough to punch through a building.
Lu Chen didn't dodge or avoid, meeting it with a punch of his own.
Their fists intersected, producing a muffled sound.
Lu Chen didn't move at all.
But Hulk felt a clever force transmitted along his fist, making his whole body sway.
He blankly looked at Lu Chen, his eyes full of excitement.
"Again!"
Having a sparring partner who could box with him to his heart's content instantly ignited Hulk's fighting spirit.
On the other side of the island, the few Agents brought by Simone watched all this from afar, their eyes complex.
They had witnessed with their own eyes the painful appearance of Wanda and her brother accepting enhancement, and they also saw the completely different powerful aura emanating from their bodies after the enhancement ended.
When Wanda and Pietro walked over to prepare for a meal, the gazes of several Agents subconsciously fell on them, and an undisguised desire surged in their eyes.
Who wouldn't want to become stronger?
Simone noticed the restless emotions of her subordinates, and her face immediately darkened.
"Are you all very free?"
Several Agents immediately stood straight.
"No, Ms. Simone."
"If not, go patrol." Simone swept across them, "Whom My Lord is willing to give enhancements to is My Lord's arrangement. You draw a salary, just do your own jobs well."
One of the Agents couldn't help saying, "We just want to know how to get that kind of potion."
"Want to know?" Simone looked at him, "Then complete the mission brilliantly. My Lord has been watching you, maybe one day My Lord will inject you with a dose."
Several people immediately shut their mouths.
But when they resumed standing guard, their backs were straightened much more.
Naturally, all of this did not escape Lu Chen's perception.
He caught the punch thrown by Hulk, his fingers pressing against the other's wrist bone, smoothly dragging Hulk in front of him.
Before Hulk could stand firmly, Lu Chen smashed an elbow strike into his abdomen.
The green giant's body bent down.
"This strike is close-quarter combat."
Hulk clutched his stomach, but there was no pain on his face; instead, he showed an even more excited smile.
"Again!"
Lu Chen glanced at Simone in the distance. She could be of some use.
This thought flashed through his mind, and at the same time he raised his hand, catching Hulk's powerful and heavy collapsing punch.
Chapter 221: Tony Crashes In
"Bang!"
Hulk smashed a fist onto Lu Chen's arm, leaving two deep impressions in the sandy ground beneath his feet.
Following the force transmitted through the fist, Lu Chen glanced at Hulk's stance and pushed him on the chest with a raised hand.
"Your legs didn't keep up, and your waist didn't turn either. Only your arm is moving in that punch."
Hulk lowered his head to look at his own fist, then looked at Lu Chen, roaring unconvincedly, "Hulk is very strong!"
"Being strong is not an excuse."
Hulk grinned and reset his stance.
"Again!"
Lu Chen did not refuse.
Over these past ten days, Hulk had to repeat every single movement—stance training, punching, body strikes, and turning—tens of thousands of times. At first, he found it troublesome and wanted to run away after standing for less than ten minutes. Later, after being pushed back down by Lu Chen several times in a row, he finally understood the principle that without practice, there would be no good punches.
The current Hulk had at least learned to control his own body.
The past fighting style of relying solely on anger to drive strength was far too wasteful. Hulk's strength was already terrifying enough, and with the continuously growing anger, if this power were truly unleashed, his combat prowess would rise by another notch.
As for the Copy progress, it was also completed.
Although he wasn't knocked out, Lu Chen sat nearby while he slept and used double acceleration several times, directly saving more than half the time. Since he could slack off, naturally he wouldn't honestly just wait around.
"Almost there."
"Alright, that's it for today." Lu Chen glanced at the sky, "Time to eat."
"Eat!" As soon as Hulk heard this word, the fighting spirit on his face instantly turned into an honest and simple smile, and he strode off towards the direction of the fighter jet.
Ten days of training were enough to make the relationships among several people much more familiar. Wanda's Chaos Magic could now be stably condensed, and Pietro had also learned to stop, turn, and leverage force during high-speed movement.
As soon as he walked to the table, Simone brought several Agent personnel over.
Lu Chen swept his gaze across the crowd and finally looked at Simone.
"You've handled things quite well these past few days," Lu Chen said.
Whether it was the allocation of supplies or the blockade of this sea area, she handled everything in an orderly manner without any omissions.
Simone was inwardly delighted, but her face still maintained respect: "This is my duty."
"What should be done and rewards are two different things."
Lu Chen took out two syringes from the system space and placed them on the table.
One was the same as the ones Wanda and the others had injected, glowing a light golden color throughout, specifically used to strengthen the physical body.
The liquid in the other syringe presented an unstable eerie blue color, seemingly containing another completely different kind of power.
"These two serums. The golden one can make your body stronger. The blue one can grant you a superpower, but the risk is greater, and I don't know what specific superpower it is." Lu Chen looked at her, "Choose one."
The surrounding Agent had their breathing stagnate, their gazes locked tightly onto the two syringe tubes.
Simone's body also stiffened for a moment. She looked at the serums on the table, then bowed deeply.
"My Lord, I only did some insignificant small things and do not deserve such a reward."
Her voice was very sincere. She knew very well that something capable of granting extraordinary power had immeasurable value. As a subordinate who had just defected not long ago, how could she possibly be worthy of this?
But Lu Chen smiled.
"You are the manager of Vought Company, leading a batch of enhanced Agent under you. If you are weaker than them, why should they submit to you?"
Simone raised her face.
"I can manage them through orders and discipline."
"That's the method for ordinary people." Lu Chen reached out and tapped the tabletop, "This isn't an ordinary company anymore. If you want them to listen to you in times of danger, you must have the strength to make them obey."
Simone was silent for a few seconds.
She understood Lu Chen's meaning. This was not merely a reward, but also an acknowledgment of her status and an investment in the future.
Simone picked up the serum with higher risk.
"I choose this one."
"Are you sure?"
"Certain."
Lu Chen looked at her and added, "Inject it into your arm or thigh. After the drug effect starts, do not use abilities to suppress your body's reactions; lie down if you can't hold on."
Simone nodded.
Without the slightest hesitation, she pulled off the needle cap, thrust it straight into her arm, and pushed the liquid medicine all the way to the end in one breath.
She had seen clearly the heart-wrenching pain when Wanda and Pietro injected it that day. But at this moment, she merely clenched her teeth, her body trembling uncontrollably from the excruciating pain, with fine beads of sweat seeping from her temples, yet she stubbornly stood straight without making a single sound.
She wanted to leave a good impression on Lu Chen.
Lu Chen was indeed somewhat impressed.
This woman's willpower was stronger than he had imagined.
A few minutes later, the drug effect slowly receded. Although Simone's face was still pale, her breathing had stabilized. She could feel that her body was filled with unprecedented strength.
"Go back and rest first." Lu Chen withdrew his hand, "After your body adapts, come report back."
"Yes, My Lord."
Simone turned and left, but stopped after walking a few steps.
"I will not disappoint you."
Lu Chen looked at her back without responding.
This sentence sounded very simple, but he knew Simone had completely placed herself in the position of Vought Company. Very good; with a strong management team, the people below would have something to look forward to.
The backs of the several Agent straightened even more.
They didn't get the serum, but they saw hope. As long as the missions were completed well enough, perhaps the next dose would be their turn.
Lu Chen smiled and ignored these people's little thoughts. He was just about to get up to urge the brother and sister, who had become a bit lazy right after eating, to continue training, when a flashy gold-and-red armored suit cut across the sky, hovered precisely above the small island, and then slowly descended.
The faceplate opened, revealing Tony Stark's face, which carried a bit of exhaustion and a bit of smugness.
"Where is my Dr. Banner?" He scanned the area, "The food I left for him has been left for over ten days. If he doesn't come back soon, I'll have to suspect whether you used him as fertilizer on the island."
Lu Chen looked at him.
"Banner is sleeping."
"Sleeping?" Tony raised his hand to point at Hulk in the distance who was practicing his punches, "You call that thing Banner?"
Hearing the voice, Hulk turned his head to look over.
"Hulk is not Banner!"
"Fine, at least he still knows who he is." Tony stepped closer, handing out the metal case he was carrying in his left hand, "Celebrate. This is the masterpiece completed by a super genius without sleep or rest."
Lu Chen took the case, but did not open it immediately.
"You really didn't pick a good time to come," Lu Chen said.
Tony looked at him strangely, failing to hear the deeper meaning in his words, thinking he was joking.
"What?" Tony raised an eyebrow, teasingly saying, "You want to beat up the chef right after eating, huh? Let me tell you, this suit of armor of mine is not just for show..."
Before he could finish speaking.
Answering him was a huge reef entwined with scarlet energy, whistling and rapidly striking from the side, aiming directly at his head.