Karl's lips twitched slightly as he watched Blonsky's broken body being carried away.
Sure enough…
Those who court death seldom escape it.
Ross immediately escalated the engagement.
"Deploy air support!"
Moments later, an AH-64 attack helicopter roared overhead, descending into a hover.
Its miniguns opened fire.
Missiles streaked toward the Hulk.
Explosions rippled across the campus.
Yet the barrage did little more than stagger him.
Bullets flattened against his skin.
Missiles knocked him back — but did not stop him.
They caused pain.
Nothing more.
Betty's Intervention
Suddenly, Betty broke free from the soldiers restraining her and ran toward the Hulk.
Ross's face drained of color.
"Cease fire! Cease fire immediately!"
The helicopter halted its attack.
At that moment, Hulk ripped a chunk of armored wreckage from the ground and hurled it.
The debris smashed into the helicopter's tail rotor.
The aircraft spun violently out of control.
It plunged toward the ground.
Directly toward Betty.
Ross froze.
Hulk saw it.
In an instant, he sprinted forward, scooped Betty into his arms, and turned his back to the crash.
The helicopter struck the ground in a fiery explosion.
Debris slammed into Hulk's back.
Flames surged around them.
When the smoke cleared, Hulk still stood.
Shielding her.
Ross's eyes widened.
For the first time, he saw something beyond the monster.
Hulk carried Betty away from the burning wreckage.
Ross exhaled in relief.
His daughter was alive.
Hulk glanced once in Ross's direction…
then bounded away.
With several immense leaps, he vanished beyond the university grounds and disappeared toward the outskirts of the city.
Ross lowered his radio slowly.
"…All units withdraw."
He looked at the devastation surrounding him.
He already knew:
The political consequences would be catastrophic.
National Outrage
Unknown to Ross, two students had recorded the entire battle.
Within hours, footage flooded the internet.
Armored vehicles inside a university.
Tanks firing in a civilian area.
A monster fighting the military.
By evening, protests erupted nationwide.
"PROTEST! We are citizens, not collateral damage!"
"Is this how our taxes are used?!"
"They brought tanks onto a college campus!"
"Accountability now!!"
Television panels erupted with debate.
Civil liberties groups demanded investigations.
Defense officials scrambled to control the narrative.
Karl Observes
Back at the manor, Karl watched the news with mild amusement.
If public protest truly changed military behavior…
Ross would never have deployed tanks inside a university.
He dismissed the thought.
Instead, he dispatched several Shadow Ninjas.
Their mission:
Monitor Samuel Sterns — "Mr. Blue."
His future biologist.
His future asset.
Raven Approaches
Raven — still in her "Green" identity — walked over and sat directly in his lap.
Karl wrapped an arm around her waist naturally.
Though neither had formally defined their relationship, their closeness had grown unmistakable.
"What's this?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"A billionaire watching public protests? I thought people like you stopped caring about ordinary lives."
Her professional attire contrasted sharply with her dangerous curves and confident posture.
She radiated warmth, danger, and seduction all at once.
Karl met her gaze.
"I'm not watching the protests," he said softly.
"I'm watching the big green guy."
She leaned closer, her breath brushing his ear.
"Is he more interesting than me?"
Karl's eyes lingered briefly — appreciatively — before returning to hers.
"Not even close," he murmured. "You win."
Her smile deepened.
Their lips met.
What began as a playful kiss quickly deepened into something far more intense.
Weeks of tension, loneliness, and unspoken desire ignited at once.
The world outside faded away.
The Morning After
Karl woke the next morning to soft sunlight filtering through the curtains.
Raven slept beside him, her breathing steady, her expression peaceful.
He smiled faintly.
Yesterday had been… intense.
And unexpectedly comforting.
As he lay there recalling the night, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
System Notification
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained a sign-in opportunity. Would you like to sign in now?]
Karl blinked in surprise.
Then realization dawned.
The first time the system triggered had been after he and May became intimate.
Now it triggered again after being with Raven.
So…
each time he formed a deep intimate bond with a woman…
he gained a sign-in opportunity?
Karl sighed helplessly.
"…System, sign in."
Rewards
[Ding! Sign-in successful!]
Rewards obtained:
✔ Kaiōken Training Inheritance
✔ Resurrection Cross ×1
✔ Bat Mask ×1
✔ Purification Rune ×1
Item Descriptions
Kaiōken Training Inheritance
Origin: Dragon Ball
A combat technique created by King Kai. Temporally multiplies battle power several times over. Extremely taxing on the body.
Resurrection Cross
Can resurrect a creature that died within 24 hours.
After resurrection, the target enters a weakened state proportional to its strength.
Bat Mask(Shadow Mask Series)
Origin: Jackie Chan Adventures
Summons bat soldiers capable of flight, extreme speed, and energy projection.
Collect all ten masks to unlock full access to the Shadow World.
Purification Rune
When embedded into an object or liquid, removes harmful side effects.
Single-use item.
Karl examined the rewards thoughtfully.
Four items.
Previously, he had only received three.
Was it because Raven was a mutant?
Because of her power potential?
Or because of the emotional bond formed?
Karl shook his head.
The system rarely explained itself.
But one thing was certain:
He had just become significantly stronger.
And the future was becoming more interesting by the day.
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