Back at the manor, Hong Fei's energy surged wildly, leaving him no time to speak to anyone. He flew straight from the courtyard to his room, collapsing on the floor in shivers, drool pooling beneath him. The breakthrough had come suddenly—his physical fitness and energy levels aligned perfectly in their second stages.
Overnight, the internal injuries caused by the abrupt eruption of Dragon Power healed completely. His skill card slots expanded from four to five, and he gained an unexpected boon: his energy could now convert into Dragon Power. More crucially, Dragon Power could directly fuel the Eyes of Death and his skill cards.
The difference between using energy and Dragon Power was like comparing a battery to gasoline. The latter's raw potency far outmatched the former's limitations. If Hong Fei chose to, he could convert all his energy into Dragon Power, amplifying the effects of his skills. But now wasn't the time. His control over Dragon Power was shaky, his integration level too low to harness its full potential.
His physical fitness enhanced energy recovery speed—a bonus of 1, as he thought of it. Switching to Dragon Power might reduce that to 0.1. He wished for a system that could constantly remind him of his Dragon Power integration level, but alas, no such convenience existed.
Mastering Dragon Power had to be his priority. The next morning, Hong Fei soaked in a warm bath, dressed in fresh clothes, and settled on the balcony with a cup of hot water, reflecting on yesterday's gains: six skill cards in total.
The first two were white-tier cards, courtesy of Matt and Luke—though Hong Fei hadn't even noticed when they'd dropped. The first, Legal Pioneer (White) - Matt Murdock, promised excellence in law. The second, Hard Skin (White) - Luke Cage, granted bulletproof skin, though it was limited to just that.
The career card was useless to him. If Master Hong ever faced litigation, he'd hire an army of lawyers rather than handle it himself. The second card seemed decent at first glance, but on closer inspection, it offered little practical value.
Next were two green-tier cards. The first, Shield Master (Green) - Steve Rogers, was straightforward but irrelevant to Hong Fei's needs. The second, UH-60 (Green) - General Ross, intrigued him. The card allowed him to consume a large amount of energy to summon a brand-new UH-60 helicopter, with his energy serving as its fuel.
The Shield Master card was a no-brainer—Hong Fei had no use for it. General Ross's drop, however, was an equipment card, simple and utilitarian. What was a UH-60? The name meant nothing to him. Turning the card over, he saw its image: a helicopter.
After searching online, he understood—it was the Black Hawk helicopter. Hong Fei's knowledge of it was limited to the movie Black Hawk Down, though he'd never actually watched it. Unlike tanks, he hadn't yet had the chance to pilot a helicopter. He'd have to learn from Frank when he had the time, then take it for a spin himself.
The next card was a blue "Equipment Card." Its active skill read: Veronica (Blue) - Tony Stark: "Consume a large amount of energy to obtain a brand-new Veronica system." Mentioning the codename "Veronica" might confuse some, but referencing one of its components would instantly resonate: the Hulkbuster Armor.
Tony Stark's "Anti-" series of armors were legendary. In the comics, the four armors designed specifically to counter Hulk, Thor, Magneto, and Phoenix were particularly iconic. Veronica wasn't just a single armor—it was an entire combat system engineered to neutralize or even subdue the Hulk. The Hulkbuster Armor served as its centerpiece, but the system included multiple functional modules.
These modules featured independent satellite communication, autonomous operation, battle damage support (which could summon spare parts to replace damaged components), and an isolation pod designed to contain the Hulk. That prison-like pod had nearly succeeded in trapping the Hulk during one encounter.
At this stage, though, Tony shouldn't have developed Veronica yet. Did this skill card count as an advance overdraft? Recalling yesterday's battle, Tony's Anti-Hong Fei Armor 3.0 utilized remote delivery and secondary equipment—suggesting he'd already conceptualized a similar system.
The real question was deployment. Veronica was meant to be stationed in space, allowing Tony to summon it swiftly when needed. If Hong Fei materialized the entire Veronica system, would it appear directly in orbit? He set that thought aside for now, as there was still one final skill card in his hand. Purple.
Active skill card: Equal Match (Purple) - Steve Rogers: "Force yourself and the enemy into an Equal Match state. Energy consumption fluctuates with the disparity in strength, lasting for at least three seconds. Use with caution.
Equal Match: Upon activation, ignore the disparity in strength between both parties, resulting in an inevitable stalemate." The moment Hong Fei read it, a single thought sprang to mind: Isn't this just forced parity? No matter the opponent, it guaranteed a deadlock.
Using it against a weaker opponent was pointless—its true value lay in facing a stronger adversary. Against an overwhelming foe, it bordered on overpowered. Still, it had limitations. The Equal Match state ensured a stalemate, but once the energy drained and the effect ended, the outcome could still be defeat if the opponent was insurmountable. That didn't diminish its power, though.
From a positive perspective, facing an unstoppable enemy usually meant instant death—or activating Equal Match to impose a "stalemate" buff lasting at least three seconds. Not invincible, but better than immediate demise. Three seconds could feel like an eternity or a blink, but it was infinitely preferable to instant death.
Hong Fei might never encounter an enemy capable of killing him instantly. Against a superior but not unbeatable opponent, the stalemate could buy him crucial time—to strategize, prepare a counterattack, or wait for reinforcements. Once ready, he could end the Equal Match state, potentially turning a 10% chance of victory into 50% or even 100%, flipping defeat into triumph. That was where its true potential lay.
The deep purple card didn't show Steve in his uniform, shield in hand. Instead, it depicted a scene from before he'd received the serum—a moment in an alley where he'd been knocked down by a punch, yet stubbornly rose to his feet, clutching a trash can lid as a makeshift shield. Interesting.
This was the second purple card Hong Fei had acquired, but the first truly complete purple skill card. "Odin's Seal" had been a one-time use, after all. If his hunch was correct, this new card was likely one of Steve's core abilities. Pleased, Hong Fei tucked it away and immediately laid out all his white cards.
There were fifteen white skill cards in total. From these, he singled out three: "Wrath of Man," "Rapid Regeneration," and "Affable Smile." Each had its merits and potential for upgrading, but with only one upgrade available for now, he'd have to choose carefully. "Wrath of Man" currently came with significant side effects, so its true value would only be unlocked after an upgrade.
"Rapid Regeneration" was underwhelming for Hong Fei. When he'd used it the day before, its triple healing effect barely outpaced his body's natural recovery rate, making it little more than a minor boost. As for "Affable Smile," it was a god-tier skill—if he could upgrade it, he absolutely should.
Since the effects didn't provide a clear priority, he considered necessity instead. "Wrath of Man" offered a comprehensive, rapid burst of power after sustaining heavy injuries, which could pair remarkably well with "Equal Match." However, in the near future, it seemed unlikely he'd face an enemy capable of inflicting such damage.
"Rapid Regeneration" would only be worth upgrading if it could match Deadpool's healing factor. Until then, there was no rush. That left "Affable Smile," which felt like the most pressing upgrade.
Over the past few years, Hong Fei had honed his skills as a master manipulator—though he preferred to think of himself as a cultivator of chaos. He'd introduced countless twists and turns to this world, though his influence remained largely confined to Earth and the superheroes he'd encountered.
Beyond these familiar figures and this fragile planet, countless lives and events unfolded in an orderly fashion across the universe. In just a few short years, in this vast cosmos where powerhouses emerged en masse, the ripples he'd created might have already dissipated before even leaving Earth's atmosphere. Even if he'd influenced some, deeper changes hadn't yet had time to take root.
Analyzing the timeline of the movie universe, the next major event would be the Asgardian princess putting on a grand spectacle for Earth's inhabitants, opening the door to the wider universe. More characters would soon emerge, cascading into view like a volcanic eruption.
At a time like this, combining "Affable Smile" with "Deceive Time and Crowd"—whether in direct combat or subtle scheming—would be incredibly advantageous. Someone might argue: isn't the Tesseract in Hong Fei's possession? Couldn't he prevent this entire chain of events? If he did, wouldn't countless lives be saved, and wouldn't his own abilities skyrocket?
To that, Hong Fei could only shake his head with a pained smile. "You're missing the point." While the Tesseract was indeed in his hands, Loki could still open the door from the other side. Even if Hong Fei could stop it, should he? Did he not want the energy anymore?
No, he couldn't just stop it. He needed to get involved, actively carving out a role to collaborate with Loki—or rather, to manipulate events alongside him. And not just that—he had to ensure the situation escalated, becoming bigger, fiercer, and more far-reaching than ever before.
After this event was settled and his energy had truly increased, he found himself ready for a fresh start—ready to step forward and lend his strength to Earth's protection. Both body and energy would be his to command, seized with both hands.
Isn't that just perfect?