Hulk looked into Lucci's eyes and instantly understood. He suddenly realized—this great being didn't save him from hell just to grant him a peaceful life, but to bestow new life and power upon him. There must be expectations for him. And now, perhaps this was a "test" to see the results of this. It was also a chance to express his loyalty to his benefactor.
Realizing this, Hulk hesitated no more. He knelt on one knee before Lucci and, in his most sincere and respectful tone, declared:
"Whether you are a god or a guide... from today on, you are my mentor in rebuilding myself!
It was you who saved me from endless rage, pain, and loneliness!
You gave me new life and hope to become a guardian!
This kindness, Hulk... will never forget!"
He looked up at Lucci, his expression filled with fervent reverence and absolute loyalty.
"Hulk will serve you!
I will clear every obstacle in your path!"
On the outskirts of the slums, an atmosphere of slaughter engulfed the already chaotic district. Countless heavily armed special forces blocked all intersections and seized every commanding position, moving like silent phantoms. All their sights were trained on a humble clinic at the heart of the slums.
Inside a modified armored command vehicle, which looked like a mobile fortress, an old man in a straight military uniform, with gray hair and a cold face, peered through a high-powered telescope at the clinic. This was none other than General Ross—a man almost paranoid and obsessed in his pursuit of Hulk.
"Report to the general! All units deployed! The encirclement is complete! The target is hard to contain!"
A subordinate's voice came through the communicator.
"Excellent," said General Ross, lowering his binoculars coldly, a mocking smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
This time, he had cast the net. Not only had he mobilized every elite force available, but he had also equipped them with the latest sonic weapons and armor-piercing rounds. Furthermore, he had brought out his trump card—enough of a "monster" to take on a "monster."
He pressed the red button on the podium. At the back of the command vehicle, a special truck, looking like a heavy container, slowly opened its rear door. A savage, tyrannical aura seeped out.
"Grrrr—"
A beastly and unwilling roar of pain echoed from within. Inside, chained to the wall with special alloy chains as thick as arms, was a creature even larger and more terrifying than Hulk. Its skin was a muddy yellow, its bones jutted out into grotesque spikes, a thick, dinosaur-like tail hung from its back, and a high-voltage shock collar with crackling blue lightning was around its neck. It was Emil Blonsky—once a special forces soldier who, driven by the pursuit of power, injected himself with a mix of super-soldier serum and Banner's blood, becoming the fearsome monster known as Abomination!
"Give him a little sedative," General Ross commanded coolly through the communicator.
The operator pressed a button. Instantly, a surge of electricity ran through the collar, causing Abomination to roar in agony, his huge body convulsing violently, but his arrogance clearly suppressed.
"General, do you really want to use this monster? He's too unstable!"
The adjutant looked worried.
"Hmph," Ross snorted. "To fight a monster, you need a stronger monster. Blonsky is crazy, but his strength rivals Hulk. As long as he wears that collar, he's the sharpest blade in my hand!"
Ignoring the adjutant, Ross picked up a loudspeaker and issued a final ultimatum to the clinic.
"Everyone inside, listen up! Bruce Banner! You're surrounded! Surrender immediately! Drop all resistance and place your hands on your head! Now!"
Inside the clinic, facing General Ross's oppressive ultimatum, Hulk knelt on the ground, slowly raised his head, and looked at Lucci, awaiting his order. Lucci, as if he hadn't heard the shouts outside, smiled faintly. Gesturing to the aura containing Asgardian combat techniques, he placed his hand on Hulk's forehead and calmly said,
"Go. Show the world what you have become... wisdom and strength."
In an instant, Hulk absorbed the information in that aura, stood up with a shocked expression, and walked out. This time, he didn't burst through walls like before. Instead, he gently pushed open the already crumbling wooden door—a movement that seemed oddly out of place for his huge body—and stepped outside confidently.
…
The moment the green giant emerged from the clinic into the sunlight, General Ross's pupils shrank in the command vehicle. He… he's out!
All the soldiers tensed up, fingers on triggers, as if facing a formidable enemy. But everyone noticed something strange. The Hulk before their eyes was completely different from what their intelligence had described. His eyes were no longer wild and furious, but… calm, truly calm! His movements were no longer erratic and destructive, but composed and filled with the demeanor of a grandmaster! He wasn't an uncontrollable monster, but an invincible martial artist!
For the first time, a sense of foreboding crept into General Ross's heart.
"What's going on? His state is wrong!"
But there was no time to think.
"If he won't roar, show him what a real beast is! Release the monster!"
With his order, the chains binding Abomination were immediately released. The long-suppressed monster leapt out like a tiger, letting out a ground-shaking roar and charging at Hulk madly! His body, even larger than Hulk's, shook the ground with every step, leaving deep footprints behind. His ferocity and tyranny could terrify any army!
"Crush him! Blonsky! Smash him!"
Ross roared excitedly from the command vehicle.
…
On the battlefield, facing the rampaging monster charging like a heavy truck, the reborn Hulk stood quietly, his eyes as calm as water. In his gaze, the rapid movements of Abomination were instantly analyzed for flaws—speed, power, angle… all the data was clear in his mind.
As the bony spikes swung to smash his face, Hulk moved—not by meeting the charge head-on, but by a deft sidestep, just slightly off, perfectly dodging the monster's powerful impact! The massive body, unable to stop, rushed past Hulk, leaving a huge opening!
Now!
A flash of light appeared in Hulk's eyes! Without hesitation, he twisted his body: waist, hips, shoulders, arm—every muscle coiled like a rope! Using the most standard and perfect combat technique, he compressed the endless gamma energy in his body, focusing it all into his right fist!
Then, a simple uppercut! Aimed at Abomination's unstable jaw, thrown off balance by his own charge! The punch was as fast as lightning! The energy, perfectly compressed and suppressed, exploded completely upon contact!
"Bang——!"
A dull but thunderous sound erupted in the sky!
In the stunned eyes of all, Abomination's ugly, monstrous head… like a watermelon hit by a high-speed shell… burst apart, spraying blood and flesh into the air!
It was as if the world's pause button had been pressed. The battlefield fell into utter silence. The massive, headless corpse staggered forward a few steps under its own inertia, then crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, raising a cloud of dust.
The surrounding earth was stained a shocking dark red.
Silence. Total silence.
Whether it was the armed special forces or the frightened slum residents watching from afar, everyone who saw this scene was utterly terrified. Their mouths hung open in shock; their eyes were wide with horror—their minds unable to process what they saw. This was beyond their understanding—a being of violent, terrifying beauty.
One punch kill!
Just one punch!
The military's most fearsome monster, rated as a top-level threat, was… decapitated with a punch?
…
In the command vehicle, the excitement and smile on Ross's face froze. His high-powered binoculars still aimed at the battlefield, he stared dumbfounded at the headless corpse and the scattered flesh and blood. His mind went blank.
"No… no… this… this is impossible…"
He muttered in disbelief. He couldn't trust his own eyes. This was his ultimate trump card—a biological weapon tested countless times, even surpassing the original Hulk in some ways! He thought it would be a battle of dragons and monsters, enough to raze the entire slum. He was ready to clean up the aftermath after both sides were exhausted.
And the result?
Just one punch!
His trump card, his hope… was reduced to a headless corpse?
But what truly terrified him was the green giant who delivered that fatal punch. Through the drone camera, Ross saw that the green giant didn't roar in victory or continue a mad rampage. He simply withdrew his fist, shook his hand as if brushing away a fly, and showed no expression at all. His eyes remained as calm and rational as a deep lake.
At that moment, a cold chill swept through Ross's soul! He backed away and collapsed into the command seat, eyes full of endless fear and confusion.
"Is this… is this still… the uncontrollable monster that only roared in anger?"
"No…"
"This… this is someone wearing Hulk's skin—a god of battle!"
…
In front of the clinic, after delivering that devastating punch, the new Hulk ignored the twitching headless corpse in the pool of blood. With cold, oppressing eyes, he looked at Ross's troops from afar. They trembled in terror.
He didn't roar or threaten. Just a glance—enough to convey absolute power and a chilling warning.
"Retreat…"
Swept by his gaze, every soldier swallowed hard, cold sweat pouring down their backs, their hands trembling on their guns. No one dared to move, shoot, or even breathe.
Confirming that the "flies" had been driven away, Hulk withdrew his gaze, turned around, and walked back into the humble clinic. Upon returning to Lucci, all the cold, oppressive aura he showed outside vanished instantly, replaced by the sincere respect and humility a student has for his teacher. He bowed deeply to Lucci.
"Teacher. Luckily, I did not lose my life," he said in a deep voice.
Lucci looked at the respectful Hulk, then at the gruesome corpse outside, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Well done.
The combination of strength and wisdom achieves miraculous results.
With superior combat technique and infinite power, you can easily defeat those who only rely on brute strength.
From today, no one with eyes will dare disturb your peaceful life."
Hearing these words, Hulk was filled with hope for the future. At the same time, in the command vehicle, General Ross, having witnessed the green giant's overwhelming power, saw him bow respectfully to a man in the clinic, calling him "teacher"—
Ross's mind buzzed as if struck by a heavy hammer! A terrifying thought surfaced! He looked at the man through the drone feed and suddenly recalled a top-secret file—a supplemental report on a suspected Asgardian arrival in New Mexico, mentioning an unidentified "god" who traveled with Thor. The god was described as having "black hair, black eyes, extraordinary temperament, and unfathomable power."
Ross stared at the figure standing before Hulk: brown hair, extraordinary demeanor, Hulk's mutation… and Hulk called him "teacher"…
All the clues snapped together, forming a terrifying truth!
An unknown god!
It was this terrifying being from Asgard who transformed Hulk! Hulk was no longer a "weapon" or "threat" to Earth—he was now the servant of a god! And Ross had just tried to provoke… the gods themselves with human soldiers?
Having realized everything, Ross's face went paper-white with terror! He dared not hesitate for even a second and issued the most urgent order to his communicator:
"Retreat! Evacuate all units! Immediately! Now!"
….
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