Kolkata.
The city is a massive, contradictory blend. On one hand, there are new commercial districts with high-rises and dazzling buildings; on the other, sprawling, bustling, chaotic, and filthy slums.
Deep in an alley in the slums, there was a modest clinic. Inside, a thin man treated a malnourished girl with a high fever. This man was none other than Bruce Banner.
Once a genius physicist and gamma ray expert, he was now an exiled fugitive, moving from place to place, treating the poorest and most helpless in exchange for barely enough food to survive. He used this ascetic way to atone for his "sins" and seek inner peace.
At this moment, Banner's face was haggard, eyes sunken, filled with lingering fatigue, anxiety, and deep sorrow. Every movement was cautious, each breath deliberately slowed. He was like a tightrope walker on a cliff, trying to control his mood as much as possible, for he could clearly feel it: the angry green monster within him was never fully asleep. Like a caged beast, it constantly roared and threatened to break free, destroying everything in its path.
This self-suppression had exhausted Banner's spirit for years.
"There you go, child, drink this and rest," Banner handed a bowl of medicine to the girl's mother, managing a tired smile. As the patient left, Banner collapsed onto a worn wooden chair, letting out a long sigh of relief.
But as he closed his eyes to enjoy a rare moment of peace, an invisible ripple suddenly disturbed the air in the simple clinic.
The next moment, without warning, a slender figure appeared out of thin air in front of him. The visitor wore black, with black hair and black eyes, a handsome face, and an otherworldly aura that clashed with the dirty, chaotic clinic and the entire slum.
"!!!" Banner's pupils contracted violently! His heart skipped a beat, then adrenaline surged through him! His body recoiled from the chair like a shock, every muscle tensed, ready to smash through a wall and escape at any moment. Only two words echoed in his mind—They've come!
To Banner, this mysterious stranger who appeared out of nowhere could only be the latest and highest-level agent sent by General Ross, the man who'd hunted him like a bloodhound for years. Only such secret government organizations could have such elusive means!
"Huff… huff…" Banner's breathing grew ragged, and he felt the "big guy" inside awakening, starting to roar from the sudden fear and alertness! He grew desperate—he didn't want to transform here and harm innocent civilians.
But just as Banner's psyche was about to snap, the stranger didn't pull out any weapons or tranquilizers. He simply stood there, observing Banner up and down with a gaze full of… curiosity and inquiry. Not like an agent viewing a target, but like a scientist observing a fascinating subject.
Knowing his appearance might be a bit intimidating, Lucci stepped back, signaling he meant no harm, and spoke in a calm, charismatic voice: "Hello, Dr. Banner. Don't be nervous. I'm not here to capture you."
His voice seemed to have a strange calming effect, miraculously soothing Banner's explosive emotions. Banner kept his guard up but croaked, "You… who are you?"
Lucci smiled indifferently but didn't answer directly. "Don't be nervous. I just want a good talk with the big guy inside you."
Banner was stunned, his whole body going numb. The "big guy" inside him was his greatest secret and source of pain. He'd always regarded it as a curse, as a disease—something to hide and rid himself of at all costs.
But standing before him, this mysterious man needed say no more. Banner felt completely seen through, a naked sense of terror.
At the same time, Lucci's eyes were as deep as the starry sky, already activating his cosmic insight.
In Lucci's sight, Bruce Banner's thin body instantly became transparent. Bones, muscles, nerves, blood vessels… every human tissue structure was clear before his eyes. But he focused deeper—down to the microscopic world. He saw, at the core of every cell, coiled around the double helix of DNA, a violent and strange energy, full of destruction and creation, glowing with emerald green like fire.
Gamma radiation! But not ordinary gamma rays—these had already, during the lab accident, become deeply and irreversibly fused with Banner's DNA. They were no longer just external rays, but, like his blood and genes, a part of Banner's life.
Lucci's gaze went deeper. He saw that when Banner's mood was stable, the gamma energy lay dormant in every cell like a sleeping dragon, maintaining a subtle balance. But when Banner's emotions changed violently—as now, when adrenaline flooded his brain and his nerves were in a highly excited state—a transformation occurred!
He saw bioelectric signals for "rage," "fear," "excitement" surging through the gamma-charged cells, like throwing a spark into a bucket of pure gasoline!
Boom! The gamma energy in the cells ignited and activated, multiplying and dividing exponentially! This process released unimaginably pure physical energy, driving Banner's body through dramatic changes—bone density increased a hundredfold, muscle fibers proliferated and swelled, skin became indestructible…
The process by which Hulk transforms, the lowest and most fundamental principle, was completely understood by Lucci in less than a second.
"I see…" An epiphany flashed through Lucci's heart. "Rage isn't the switch that triggers the Hulk transformation. Rage, and all intense mood swings, are actually fuel! This fuel ignites the gamma energy engine, which then transforms Dr. Banner's body into the Hulk!"
"And the reason he loses control, why Hulk feels like a separate personality, is because…"
Lucci's gaze pierced Banner's soul and consciousness. He saw that Banner's consciousness was split from years of repression and fear—the rational, self-controlled, kind "Bruce Banner," and the rageful, destructive, primal "Hulk," like two hostile tenants sharing a body. When Banner's mind was strong, he could suppress Hulk. But when the "fuel" was sufficient, Hulk's consciousness took over, suppressing Banner's rational mind deep into his soul and controlling his body.
Naturally, the root of the problem and its solution emerged in Lucci's mind.
"You… who are you? What do you want?" Banner's voice was rough and tense, feeling utterly exposed under Lucci's gaze. He'd rather face a squad of armed commandos than this unpredictable, mysterious adversary.
Lucci kept his gentle smile, withdrawing his intense gaze. Instead of answering, he asked rhetorically, "Do you… believe in gods, Dr. Banner?"
"Gods?" Banner was momentarily stunned, then gave a self-deprecating smile. "I'm a scientist. I only believe in data and facts. 'Gods' are just constructs people create in the face of incomprehensible fear."
"Well said," Lucci nodded in satisfaction. Then he spoke naturally, and his words once again left Banner reeling: "You can understand me as a higher life form. I am—the Crown Prince of Asgard, heir to the Nine Realms' protector, and the new Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj."
Titles Banner couldn't comprehend spilled from Lucci's lips.
"Of course," Lucci added, seeing Banner's confused expression, "you can just call me Lucci."
Banner: "..."
He was baffled, his face a question mark. Asgard? Wasn't that the realm of Norse gods? Kamar-Taj? What was that, some kind of clubhouse? Sorcerer Supreme? The title sounded like something out of a second-rate fantasy.
For a second, Banner wondered if the man in front of him was a severe delusional patient who'd escaped from a mental hospital. But his rational mind told him otherwise—anyone who could appear before him like this was no ordinary madman.
"I don't know you, and I don't want to! Please leave, or I can't guarantee what will happen!" Banner said, his voice already tinged with threat. The "big guy" inside was already straining at the leash.
Lucci remained unfazed. He smiled indifferently, then uttered words that shattered all of Banner's defenses: "Whether you recognize me or not doesn't matter. What matters is—I can help you… control the big guy inside."
This sentence struck Banner's most vulnerable spot like a bolt of lightning—control! The word was a fatal temptation! He'd dreamed of controlling the green monster! But… was it really possible?
Lucci didn't give him time to ponder. "In fact, you've been taking the wrong approach all along, Dr. Banner. You try to suppress him, expel him, treat him as a disease or curse. That's completely wrong."
"He's not your illness. He's a part of you." Lucci's voice thundered. "He is your repressed self, your most primal source of power. You want so much to be a gentle, kind, self-controlled person—but deep down, you're desperate to unleash, to destroy, to let go."
"The conflict between you and him, your fear and rejection, that's the root of all your suffering."
Every word pierced Banner's soul like a needle.
He'd always thought Hulk was an alien monster, brought forth by gamma rays. But this mysterious man was saying… Hulk was himself? That Hulk was a part of him? The idea frightened him, but… he couldn't refute it.
Seeing Banner's shaken eyes, Lucci felt the time was ripe, and continued nonchalantly. "And I can help you solve this little problem. Not by destroying or banishing him—but by letting you truly, completely, integrate."
Integrate. That word exploded like thunder in Banner's mind. His body trembled uncontrollably—not from fear, but from a deep, ultimate yearning. He stared at Lucci, lips moving but unable to utter a word.
It had been too long… Ever since that damned experiment accident, his life had spiraled into disaster. He'd lost everything—career, love, dignity, and the chance for an ordinary life. He'd become a monster he himself feared and hated. He'd become a fugitive, hiding in the shadows of the world. He'd tried every method to rid himself of the "big guy." He'd consulted top biologists, practiced obscure meditation and yoga, even attempted… suicide. All failed. The "big guy" was like a shadow he could never outrun. He'd become desperate, started accepting his fate, torturing himself for a moment's peace, learning to suppress and control like an ascetic. He thought his life would be endless pain and depression.
But today, when he was most desperate and numb, this mysterious man appeared and said—I can help you. I can let you become one with the big guy. I can let you control him.
To him, it was like a dying man in the desert suddenly seeing an endless oasis. Like a convict sentenced to life suddenly being told by the warden he was innocent and could become the warden himself.
It was… truly unbelievable.
"You…" Banner forced out, his voice hoarse. "Why would you say that? Who do you think you are? A god?"
His heart was filled with fierce suspicion. He didn't believe anyone could solve the "terminal illness" that even he was powerless against. It must be a trick! Or a more sinister trap—another scheme by General Ross!
But… deep in his heart, beneath the rough waves of doubt, a spark of longing burned madly! What if? What if this man was telling the truth? Was there really a chance, however slim, to escape this inhuman life?
This desire was the deadliest temptation, instantly gnawing at all his reason. He looked at Lucci, whose eyes seemed to see through everything, yet contained no malice—only absolute confidence, and a faint compassion, like gods gazing down at mortals.
At last, Banner's tense body slowly relaxed. He slumped in the chair, clutching his head in agony—torn between doubt and longing, reason and fate. Within him, an unprecedented battle raged.
Time ticked by. Lucci didn't rush, waiting quietly for him to decide.
At last, Banner looked up, bloodshot eyes boring into Lucci as if trying to pierce his soul. He saw Lucci's calm, smiling face, unchanged from start to finish. He made a gamble—a final bet. After all, his life was so bad, it couldn't get worse. What could be worse than this? Might as well bet on a dead horse being a live horse doctor.
"…" Banner's voice trembled slightly, carrying the last faint hope. "What… do I need to do?"
Lucci smiled in satisfaction. He can be taught.
For Banner's "case," Lucci had already come up with several solutions in seconds. He could use supreme spiritual will to erase Hulk's consciousness, leaving only pure gamma energy for Banner to summon at will—but that didn't address the root, and erasing consciousness wasn't Lucci's style. He could also use the power of time to go back to before Banner was exposed to gamma rays, stopping it all at the source—but then there'd be no Hulk, and he'd lose his "muscle."
Ultimately, Lucci chose the most perfect solution, the one most aligned with his own "Path"—it's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Let him conquer himself.
"It's simple." Lucci's voice sounded in Banner's ear, steady and calming. "First, understand that your greatest enemy isn't the Hulk inside, but… your fear of him. The more you fear and suppress him, the crazier and more destructive he becomes. Like a spring—the harder you press, the harder it bounces back."
Lucci extended a finger, a beam of light flowing forth, filled with countless intricate spiritual runes and mysterious energy. This was a unique spiritual cultivation technique he'd just created, combining his deep understanding of Hulk's transformation with ancient philosophy from the time-traveler's memory—the "Monkey Mind and Horse Will" method. These techniques reconciled split consciousness and harnessed violent power.
He named it—"Suppressing the Horse Will With Monkey Mind."
"I'll teach you a set of methods now," Lucci said, looking at Banner. "Remember the core—your angry, restless heart is the monkey mind. Your majestic power, the endlessly running Italian horse. In the past, you tried to cage the horse and chain the monkey. In the end, both were hurt."
…