Inside the stronghold.
Tyrone heard William's retreat order.
But his body felt like it was filled with lead.
"Boss, I... I can't move!"
The suspended black crystal was like a black hole.
It was exerting an irresistible suction force on him.
The dark power within him was no longer a docile pet.
Instead, it had become a surging torrent, uncontrollably pouring towards the crystal at the top of the altar.
He wanted to turn himself into a Shadow, to merge into the darkness.
But he failed.
Tyrone felt he was no longer the darkness, but rather a conduit for energy transmission.
"This thing... it's sucking me in! My abilities are out of control!"
Tyrone's communicator let out a suppressed cry of alarm.
The atmosphere in William's office instantly shifted from the surprise of "discovering a new continent" to the crisis of "an aircraft carrier about to sink."
Jarvis's calm electronic voice added fuel to the Fire: "Sir, Tyrone Johnson's bio-signal has formed a stable connection with the target energy source."
"The target's energy reading is increasing exponentially. According to model calculations, it has broken through the 'regional threat' threshold and is escalating towards a 'city-level disaster' level."
On the screen of the tablet in his hand, the energy light point representing the underground stronghold, which had been a gentle orange dot, turned into a dazzling blood-red in just a few seconds.
And it was flashing wildly.
Like a heart about to explode.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'cleaners' are in position."
Jarvis dutifully switched the monitoring screen.
On an ordinary street corner in Manhattan, several "municipal workers" wearing orange reflective vests and hard hats had cordoned off half the street with tape.
They skillfully moved a round device that looked like a high-tech manhole cover from a utility vehicle and placed it on the ground.
One of the Agents, while operating the device, grumbled to his companion:
"The boss is really in a hurry this time, A-level priority, like catching aliens. What could possibly be down there? Mutant Ninja Turtles?"
"Shut up and work, rookie."
Another experienced Agent tapped his helmet.
"Did you forget about that 'weather balloon' in New Mexico? The initial energy reading wasn't even this high. I have a feeling we're about to see something beyond your pay grade."
As soon as he finished speaking, the energy intensity curve on the portable screen in front of him suddenly broke through the red alert line, emitting a sharp alarm.
"Damn it! The energy is still rising! What the hell is this thing!"
William was faced with a deadly choice.
Option A: Force Maurice to drag Tyrone out.
The consequence could be the violent severing of the energy connection, triggering an unpredictable energy explosion.
In corporate terms, this is called "violent liquidation of high-risk assets," and the accompanying "collateral damage" could wipe a corner of Manhattan off the map.
Option B: Leave Tyrone inside and wait for S.H.I.E.L.D. to dig him out and find this prehistoric stronghold.
This is called "malicious acquisition of core assets by a competitor," not only completely ruining his secret passage plan but also having to deal with Nick Fury's grim face.
Two options.
One was physical ruin.
One was professional ruin.
"Emil."
William suddenly spoke, looking at Emil Blonsky, who stood beside him like a statue.
"Here's a thought experiment for you. Suppose an employee welds himself and a new product together during testing, and forcing them apart would cause the product to explode."
"If they're not separated, a competitor will come in five minutes to seize the product and the employee."
"From a risk management perspective, what is the optimal solution?"
Emil skipped the thought process and gave the coldest and most practical answer.
"Compensating one employee's work injury benefits is cheaper than compensating for the reconstruction costs of the entire New York City."
This made Maurice, who had returned to the dock, shiver.
He felt he had not signed an employment contract, but a military order to sacrifice himself for the company at any time.
"A good approach, but not my style."
William shook his head.
"Our company emphasizes humanistic care, never giving up on any employee, and never giving up on any potential profit."
His thoughts raced. The Data Touch ability gave him an intuitive "feel" for all the data streams transmitted by Jarvis.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s detection equipment signals were like a group of persistent worker ants, frantically drilling downwards.
If he couldn't block it, then he wouldn't.
"Tyrone!"
He ordered through the communicator.
"Listen, don't try to resist that power now, try to guide it!"
"You're not being sucked by it; you're actively giving it to it!"
"Imagine you're a generous philanthropist making an unprecedented energy donation!"
In the underground stronghold, Tyrone, who was almost drained, was completely stunned when he heard this.
"Boss? Are you sure? I feel like I'm going to be completely depleted!"
"Trust me! And trust the insurance you bought!"
William's tone was firm.
"Pour all that energy into that crystal for me! Use all your might!"
Tyrone gritted his teeth and gave up resisting.
He no longer tried to retract his power but instead actively opened the floodgates.
In an instant, an even more massive dark power, like a breached dam, surged madly into the crystal on the obsidian altar.
Buzz—
The crystal's flickering frequency reached its peak.
Finally, it burst out a silent, pure black energy Impact, sweeping across the entire stronghold in an instant.
The patterns on the walls, a mix of ancient totems and future technology, all lit up at the same moment, then quickly extinguished.
It was like a super power bank filled with electricity, automatically disconnecting from charging mode after reaching its threshold.
The suction force on Tyrone suddenly disappeared.
He slumped to the ground, his body feeling empty.
On the surface.
In the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents' instruments, the energy curve that had been soaring red suddenly plummeted.
Instantly returning to Zero.
"What's going on? Report! The energy signal has disappeared!"
"Is the equipment malfunctioning? Reboot! Reboot quickly!"
"It's not an equipment problem, Officer! That energy source... it just vanished into thin air! Like someone pulled the plug!"
At Nick Fury's Triskelion headquarters, everyone stared at the light point on the big screen that instantly changed from red back to green, their faces filled with disbelief.
In William's tablet, Jarvis's voice sounded again.
"Sir, the energy fluctuations have subsided. Tyrone Johnson's vital signs are stable, in a state of extreme fatigue. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s detection operation has reached a stalemate."
William breathed a sigh of relief.
He had made the right gamble.
Even if Tyrone failed, there was still insurance for claims.
At least there would be no danger to his life.
The stronghold was a super-sized charging station.
That crystal was the charging port.
As long as it was "fed," it would enter hibernation mode.
"Well done, Tyrone. Your project bonus is doubled."
William said into the communicator, then looked at Maurice.
"Supervisor, go and bring our hero back. Remember to handle him with care; he is now a valuable asset to the company."
Maurice grunted, turning into a puddle of Water, and submerged back into the riverbed.
William stood still, watching the "municipal workers" on the screen, who were like headless flies.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"