"What a disappointing answer."
Nolan let out a quiet sigh.
He had never wanted a conflict with Wakanda.
As a successful businessman, he firmly believed that conflict was rarely the best solution. Money was. Violence might be efficient in the short term, but it always carried hidden risks that were difficult to predict or control.
Compared to that, Nolan preferred the peace that commerce could bring.
That was the mindset a true merchant should have. Unfortunately, money could not solve every problem.
W'Kabi clearly did not understand the meaning behind Nolan's words.
"I am waiting for your answer, outsider!" he shouted.
At the same time, the surrounding warriors fixed Nolan with fierce, hostile stares.
These Wakandan soldiers displayed exceptional discipline and combat readiness. They looked nothing like warriors from a highly advanced nation that had not experienced large-scale war in generations.
Or perhaps there was another explanation.
They simply did not take Nolan seriously.
Nolan looked calmly at W'Kabi.
"Since conflict can no longer be avoided, then the only choice is to end it as quickly as possible. You want my answer? Very well, I will give it to you."
As he spoke, Nolan raised his right hand. Magic surged outward.
A portal opened.
A Terminator T-800 stepped through, scanned its surroundings, then moved aside.
W'Kabi's pupils shrank.
Behind that machine stood countless identical robots, packed tightly together.
"Charge! Charge!" W'Kabi roared.
This Nolan Locke clearly possessed abilities far beyond the ordinary. Whatever method he was using to summon these machines, W'Kabi knew one thing for certain. He could not be allowed to continue.
Since Nolan Locke had already given his answer, then it was time for Wakanda to show him the consequences.
With W'Kabi's command, the Border Tribe warriors at the front raised their energy shields and advanced step by step, shouting their battle cries as they pressed toward Nolan.
Nolan did not move. He simply stood there, watching W'Kabi issue his orders.
A trace of unease crept into W'Kabi's heart.
Surrounded by elite warriors, Nolan Locke showed no sign of tension. It was as if everything was still under his control.
That made no sense.
By all logic, the situation should already be firmly in W'Kabi's hands.
More and more Terminators poured out of the portal.
The Border Tribe warriors finally collided with the machines.
The first wave of Terminators carried no weapons. They did not need them.
Their fists were weapons in their own right.
All the Terminators surged forward in a countercharge.
They were fast. Terrifyingly strong.
Yet when their heavy blows slammed into the energy shields, the attacks were completely ineffective. The shields held firm, blocking them with ease.
The machines quickly adjusted their tactics.
After suffering some losses, one Terminator managed to break past the first layer of energy defenses and plunge into the Wakandan formation.
That single breakthrough marked the beginning.
All the Terminators began attempting to escape the shielded zone.
Against their overwhelming strength, even Wakanda's finest warriors had little ability to resist. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen soldiers were struck down.
Then, like a tide, more machines emerged from the portal.
After the first defensive line was breached, no new Terminators appeared. Instead, NS-5 intelligent robots leapt out in rapid succession.
In only moments, W'Kabi realized the situation had spiraled out of control.
But he did not panic.
This operation was never meant to rely solely on these warriors.
In his eyes, defeating Nolan Locke himself was not the real objective.
What mattered was forcing the king to understand that vibranium could never be placed on the trade market.
This was a show of force. A direct challenge to the throne.
"Border Tribe!" W'Kabi roared.
At his command, even more warriors surged forward.
"Nolan Locke, I should have known you came prepared to invade Wakanda. Your actions have exposed your true intentions.
I will show you that Wakanda is not a place you can violate!"
Listening to W'Kabi's impassioned declaration, Nolan responded with only two words.
"An idiot."
Those words sent W'Kabi into a rage, and the conflict escalated further toward full-scale war.
A cold glint flashed in Nolan's eyes.
Since the fighting had already begun, this was no longer a simple confrontation.
He could use this opportunity to push down the price of vibranium.
If Wakanda sold vibranium by the gram, as Ulysses Klaue once did, then even as the head of Locke Technology, Nolan would not be able to afford it.
In that sense, the current situation suited him just fine.
Equality, after all, was built on strength.
And this also meant that what had started as a planned encirclement was rapidly transforming into a true war.
Within a short time, taking advantage of Wakanda's lack of preparation, Nolan's forces had already seized control of an entire district.
"H-23 series fighters have been activated. Launch platforms are under construction. R-series missiles are standing by…"
Red Queen's voice continued to report the progress in real time.
The H-23 fighters, R-series missiles, and various other weapons were all products developed independently by Locke Technology.
Their performance was impressive, but they had been useless against the Ancient One. That was why Nolan had never deployed them during that encounter.
As a result, they had become some of the few major weapons Locke Technology had not lost.
Now, with the company's arsenal depleted to a minimum, these weapons had become the backbone of this battle.
Gunfire tore through the streets.
In a matter of moments, Wakanda had already suffered more than a hundred casualties.
As for civilians, Nolan not only refrained from harming them, he ordered his machines to actively protect them.
If civilians were deliberately targeted, all of his previous efforts in Wakanda would have been meaningless.
That said, Wakanda's strength was undeniable.
After the initial chaos, the Border Tribe warriors quickly began to regain control of the battlefield.
By then, however, the intensity of the conflict had reached a point where escalation was inevitable.
W'Kabi's face darkened.
This had gone far beyond his expectations.
He never imagined Nolan Locke possessed such overwhelming power, or that he could summon an entire army from elsewhere.
These forces were terrifying, both in equipment and discipline.
Worst of all, Border Tribe warriors were trading their lives against machines.
Wakanda was powerful, but it was not vast. Its population numbered only a few million at most.
Losing over a hundred warriors might not sound catastrophic, but these were elite soldiers, among Wakanda's finest.
And this was the capital.
Compared to W'Kabi's grim expression, Nolan remained calm.
"When everything is ready, activate it."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on the direction of the royal palace.
He found it strange.
What were T'Chaka and T'Challa doing at a time like this? Did they truly intend to let the capital descend into chaos?
Inside the palace.
T'Chaka and T'Challa stood in a tense standoff with the council of elders.
T'Chaka felt a deep sense of regret. Once again, the council had prevailed.
They refused to see that continued isolation would eventually erode Wakanda's advantage. By the time others caught up, regret would come far too late.
Suddenly, Okoye rushed in with members of the Dora Milaje.
"Your Majesty!"
Seeing her, both T'Chaka and T'Challa felt a brief sense of relief.
The elders' expressions, however, turned grim.
This was bad.
"Okoye, go with T'Challa immediately and rescue Nolan Locke," T'Chaka ordered without hesitation.
"Your Majesty, forgive me, but today no one may leave," an elder said coldly. "Even if we must die, vibranium cannot leave Wakanda."
"Elder Hassan, do you even understand what you are doing?" Okoye shouted.
Hassan replied calmly, "I know exactly what I am doing. After today, I will take responsibility as First Elder and end my own life to preserve the king's authority. But until then, Prince T'Challa cannot leave."
He glanced toward the direction of Nolan's position.
This should be over soon.
With W'Kabi and the Border Tribe warriors, that outsider would never survive.
Ten minutes. Just ten more minutes.
As each of them wrestled with their own thoughts, a thunderous explosion echoed through the distance, followed by a brief flash of fire.
"What was that?" T'Chaka's expression changed.
That was no natural phenomenon.
Before he could react, a soldier rushed in.
"Elder Hassan, the situation is out of control!"
Hassan turned sharply toward him.
"What are you saying?" His voice trembled.
Combined with the explosion, the report filled him with dread.
"The outsider somehow summoned an army and has already taken control of an entire district."
The words hit Hassan like a physical blow.
T'Chaka's face also changed dramatically.
This was the capital.
A district had fallen?
The explosion suddenly made sense.
Heavy weapons had been used.
W'Kabi would never deploy such weapons in the capital. That left only one explanation.
Nolan Locke's power far exceeded their imagination.
T'Challa's face went pale.
This was his fault.
"Damn W'Kabi."
Both father and son were furious and anxious.
"Hassan, get out of my way!" T'Chaka shouted. "You are destroying Wakanda!"
This time, not only Hassan, but the other elders fell silent.
They could hardly believe what was happening.
"That outsider cannot possibly run rampant in the capital," one elder said weakly.
"This is Wakanda."
Yet even as he spoke, his confidence was gone.
T'Challa was the chosen heir, the next Black Panther. Intelligent, powerful, and principled.
There was no reason for him to lie about something this serious.
Hassan forced a bitter smile.
"Let us hope it does not come to that."
On the battlefield, as the Titan armor rose into the sky, both sides seemed to fall into an uneasy silence.
W'Kabi stared at the massive machine.
Wakanda did not place much emphasis on robotics, but even he could tell that a war machine bristling with cannons was anything but ordinary.
Still, he was Wakanda's military commander.
"Border Tribe, defensive formation!
Activate the central barrier!"
He issued orders one after another.
Even so, the unease in his heart only grew.
The central barrier was designed to repel external invasions. Inside the capital, its effectiveness was limited.
Nolan looked at W'Kabi in the distance, then toward the palace, where T'Chaka and T'Challa still had not appeared.
His expression turned colder.
Whatever the reason, the king's absence was a fact.
In that case…
"Titan," Nolan said calmly. "Fire a full salvo."