28Pay-to-win enchanting table
pay-to-win enchanting table
On the plane back.
"Bruce, I missed you so much."
"Betty, I feel the same."
Banner and Betty were embracing, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, grinning from ear to ear; it was sickeningly sweet.
Meanwhile, in the private room on the other side, Hawkeyeand Black Widow were staring straight at Loya, their eyes gleaming like wolves spotting a sheep.
Loya felt his skin crawl under their gaze. He crossed his arms defensively and asked, "What? Why are you staring at me like that? I only broke Ross's leg; I didn't kill him."
He then straightened his back, sounding righteous: "What? Are we in S.H.I.E.L.D. supposed to just swallow our pride? That old guy beat Hawkeye until he couldn't take care of himself; breaking one of his legs was already me showing restraint."
Just half an hour ago, in order to complete Banner's mission, he had gone to find Ross to get Betty back.
I won't go into the details of what happened in between.
In short, just as Banner had said, Ross seemed to have a screw loose; he was acting like a madman.
When he saw Loya, not only was he unafraid, but he immediately opened fire. When the shooting had no effect, he took his daughter hostage and threw in some racist and elitist trash talk.
This made Loya laugh. He had always been the type to fight back when provoked, and besides, Ross didn't know what he looked like anyway, so he just snapped the old guy's leg and brought Betty back safely.
If it weren't for the fact that killing Ross might affect future missions, he would have finished the old guy off already.
As for the Military's reaction after breaking his leg, that was Fury's problem. Friction between two factions, getting a little hurt is normal, right?
Hawkeye retracted his gaze and smiled. He truly admired Loya for actually daring to break Ross's leg.
This general was no simple figure; he often clashed with S.H.I.E.L.D., but it wasn't a major issue. He believed Furywould be very happy to hear this news.
However, that wasn't what he was concerned about.
"I wanted to ask you about that special ability of yours, the one that healed all my injuries earlier."
Although he hadn't undergone a detailed medical examination, based on his many years of experience, Hawkeye knew very well that his physical health was simply not what it should be for his age.
People say that when you reach middle age, you can't help but have some minor ailments, and he was no exception.
Coupled with his long career as an Agent, he inevitably had some deep-seated injuries that were hard to eradicate. They didn't affect his normal life, but they were always somewhat uncomfortable.
Loya's ability hadn't just healed his severe injuries at the time; it had also cured various lingering injuries and minor ailments.
This was simply miraculous. For an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D., the value of such an ability was self-evident.
Of course, Hawkeye was asking on behalf of a friend this time.
"That?" Loya narrowed his eyes and started spouting nonsense. "Didn't I say it before? That is the blessing of the god of cattle and horses, it is extremely precious. Why, is there someone else you need to heal?"
Compared to straightforward power, the effect of the Horse Talisman, which could instantly heal everything, had an even greater impact.
It's like how it's easy for a nuclear bomb to destroy a city, but restoring it is incredibly difficult.
The same applies to people. Isn't what most people want just to be free from illness and disaster?
Loya knew this too, but he wouldn't reveal any information about the Horse Talisman; instead, he would dress it up a bit.
He wanted others to believe that this ability was extremely powerful and also exceptionally precious, not something that could be used whenever one wanted.
He had this idea the moment he drew the Horse Talisman. If used correctly, this ability was a great item for increasing favorability and grinding missions.
Adding flowers to a brocade will never compare to providing help in a time of need.
Hawkeye didn't answer immediately but asked, "Then to what extent can it heal exactly?"
Loya said slowly, "Even more powerful than you can imagine. For instance, if you were missing a kidney or an eye, it could grow them back. Even if you've had a vasectomy for years, it could still make you fully functional again."
He put his hands together and made a very pious expression, "Let us praise the god of cattle and horses."
"..."
Hawkeye and Black Widow were confused, but they still followed Loya's lead and said solemnly.
"Praise the god of cattle and horses × 2"
At this moment, Black Widow's eyes lit up; the way she looked at Loya was as if she had found a rare treasure.
"Can you still use this ability? I have a friend who really needs it. Don't worry, I'll pay." Hawkeye finally stated his purpose.
And Loya's next words left someone here very disappointed.
"I can't use it anymore." Loya looked at Hawkeye. "I said this ability is very precious; it's for saving my own life. There was only this one time."
Hearing this, Hawkeye was somewhat disappointed, but also very touched. Loya had actually used such an ability on him; in that emergency situation, no one would have said anything if Loya hadn't used it.
[Hawkeye Favorability + 5, Current Favorability: 75]
"Yo, here it comes."
Loya was secretly delighted; this method really worked.
So he said, "However..."
Someone's heart lifted again.
"It's not like there's no chance to obtain it again."
"Then how can I obtain it?" Hawkeye immediately leaned in to ask.
"Well..." Loya rubbed his chin. "When I have the chance, I'll tell you. You should be able to imagine how rare such an ability is."
Hawkeye nodded. Naturally, he didn't believe in any "blessing of the god of cattle and horses," regarding it as Loya's cover for such an ability.
But for such an ability to be so powerful and precious was reasonable. Even if it were a superpower, it couldn't be used continuously; otherwise, it wouldn't be scientific.
"Well, thank you, Loya."
Ring-ring.
Just then, Loya's communicator rang. It was Fury calling.
"This guy finally has some free time."
He answered Fury's call, which he hadn't been able to get through to earlier.
"Hello, Officer, the mission was successfully completed. Everyone is on the plane."
"Good, Agent Loya, you did very well." Fury's tone was very pleased. "Your bonus this time will be doubled, as a reward for breaking Ross's leg."
"?"
Loya was a bit dumbfounded. He never expected there to be a reward. If he had known, he would have broken all five limbs. The competition between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military was quite intense.
It seems Nick Fury wasn't answering the phone earlier because he was busy going head-to-head with the Military.
After reporting the mission, Loya handed the communicator to Black Widow; Fury had more tasks for her.
Loya happily went to check his system mission rewards.
[Mission 'Hand in Hand' Completed]
[Rewards: EXP + 1000, Banner Favorability + 30, Item 'Enlarge Pill * 3']
[Enlarge Pill: After consuming, gain a ten-minute boost to Strength and Constitution attributes, and can control the body or a specific body part to enlarge.]
[Evaluation: That's right, it's exactly what you're thinking.]
[Mission 'Hulk Rampage' Completed]
[Rewards: EXP + 5000, Fury Favorability + 10, Item'Shrink Pill * 3', Item 'Moonlight Amulet', Item 'pay-to-win enchanting table']
[Shrink Pill: After consuming, attributes are unaffected; can control the body or a specific body part to shrink within half an hour.]
[Moonlight Amulet: Wear this amulet to transform into a werewolf at night, boosting Strength and Constitution attributes.]
[Evaluation: For you, I turned into a werewolf.]
[pay-to-win enchanting table: Spend money to randomly enchant items; one million USD per enchantment.]
[Evaluation: Are you a Kryptonian too?]
[You have leveled up, Draw count + 1, Free attribute points + 3]
"pay-to-win enchanting table?"
Loya's gaze was completely drawn to the last item, his heart racing with excitement.
An enchanting table—this was a special item that could enhance the power of other items, allowing him to take his strength to the next level.
It's just that one million per use is really a bit expensive.
However... the Marvel Kryptonian seems to be his patient.
29Unlock new achievements
Achievement Unlocked.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, Director's office.
Fury held the phone, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
"Hello, Ross, stop calling me. I've told you many times, you have no right to inquire about any information regarding my Agent. Remember, any information."
"Nick Fury! Your Agent cost me dozens of Super Soldiers! Those are state assets!"
Ross roared on the other end of the line, furious, his face red and neck thick with rage.
Every time he looked at the pile of flesh-merged monsters in front of him, he felt incredibly frustrated.
He had been quite relieved that the soldiers swept away by the tornado were still alive.
Unexpectedly, due to their powerful healing abilities, these soldiers who had been split in half merged randomly with other people's bodies while healing.
They combined in groups, their brains mashed together, completely ruined.
Only Bronski remained of the Super Soldiers, he hadn't captured Hulk, his daughter had been snatched away, he had broken a leg himself, and that damn black guy Furykept being sarcastic.
Ross now wished he could kill everyone in S.H.I.E.L.D.!
Once he completed that experiment, he would definitely take revenge!
"Oh."
Fury replied with an indifferent "Oh," and said slowly, "So what?"
"You!" Ross was so angry he couldn't speak, almost throwing the crutch in his hand, "You just wait. I will find that damn Agent, and your leverage too!"
"Why find him? To break your other leg? By the way, I have some special medicine for bone healing here. Want me to send you a dose?" Fury's tone was calm, but he was barely holding back a laugh.
"Fuck!!!"
Ross completely snapped and hung up the phone.
"Whew."
Fury let out a breath, feeling refreshed. Ross had always been against S.H.I.E.L.D. and often damaged the reputation of S.H.I.E.L.D.; making him miserable felt incredibly satisfying.
After adjusting his mood, Fury said into the communicator, "Hawkeye, you can come in now."
Soon, Hawkeye and Black Widow appeared in the office.
"Fury, you seem very happy?" Black Widow asked, raising an eyebrow as she saw Fury's relaxed expression.
Fury smiled slightly, "After talking to Loya, Ross called me a dozen more times. He must have been furious just now; he probably went to take his blood pressure medication."
"Have things been handled over there?" he asked.
Black Widow nodded, "It's handled. Banner and his girlfriend have been arranged to a secret location, and Loyahas gone to the branch office to meet Pierce."
Fury nodded and looked at Hawkeye, "Now you can report what you've investigated."
Hawkeye's expression was somewhat grave, "The Vampire gene serum created by Ross is stronger than the one the Military had before, and the self-healing ability is even more exaggerated.
But the Super Soldier Serum they replicated isn't perfect. I suspect the Vampires are evolving. Also, Bruce Banner has been injected with the Vampire gene serum."
Fury didn't seem surprised, "That's right, the Vampires are evolving. I've already arranged for people to investigate this, so you don't need to worry.
The Vampire gene destruction agent I have is also being updated. Whether it's the Vampires or that old madman Ross, they won't be able to stir up any trouble.
As for Banner, there's even less need to worry. After the Vampire gene is active for a while, it will be killed off by the gamma radiation. You should tell me how Loya subdued Hulk; I'm more concerned about that."
Because he had been bickering with the Military, he hadn't had time to understand the situation over there. Loya's call had been made in his spare time.
"Then take a look at this first," Hawkeye said, handing over a physical examination report.
This was a basic physical examination report he had done upon arriving at S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. had special equipment, so the report was generated quickly.
Fury took the report and scanned it quickly, then looked at Hawkeye with his one eye in confusion, "Why are you so healthy?"
He had some understanding of the physical conditions of his subordinates; Hawkeye's previous check-ups always had some common ailments typical of middle-aged people.
Hawkeye spread his hands, "This is just a side effect. At Culver University, I almost died. It was Loya who healed me with his special ability and restored my body to a perfectly healthy state."
"What?" Fury was confused. Could this guy really be a miracle doctor? Did his fake resume turn into a real profession?
Hawkeye told Fury everything about how Loya healed him, as well as the questions Loya asked on the plane.
When he learned that this special ability could actually regenerate organs, Fury subconsciously touched his blind eye. It seemed there was hope for his single eye.
But when he learned what that power was called, his mouth twitched, "What do you mean 'blessing of the god of cattle and horses'? Did he really say that?"
Hawkeye shrugged. Although the name was abstract, he was telling the truth.
Fury rubbed his forehead helplessly. So, what Coulson said before about Loya talking nonsense was true:
"Well, this must be some special ability of his, and there must be great restrictions on its use, so don't worry about it. But don't leak any information; this ability could easily cause unnecessary trouble."
After making the arrangements, he looked at Black Widowagain.
Black Widow understood and handed over a USB drive.
Fury expertly inserted it into the computer to watch, but this time, he no longer had his previous composure.
"What the...!"
If the last time he watched the video of Loya throwing grenades to curve hundreds of meters away and using a Barrett as a submachine gun shocked Fury but was still acceptable,
then this time, he was lost. He realized he really couldn't seem to understand this World anymore.
Exploding his clothes to transform out of thin air was one thing, but why was there a ball of light above his head? Was he cosplaying as God?
And how could he fly? This speed, it was approaching the speed of sound, right?
How did he also know sword skills? Killing dozens of people in an instant.
Wait a second, he could also summon a tornado dozens of meters wide? A walking natural disaster?
He could actually go head-to-head against Hulk and beat Hulk unconscious? So it was physical subjugation—beat him until he submits.
And what was this flying carpet at the end? Did it even fit the style?
Fury realized he had really recruited a Pokémon—all kinds of miscellaneous abilities, seemingly without any upper limit.
Fortunately, Loya was on his side and was a rare, normal person. When he didn't have missions a couple of days ago, he was even acting as a vigilante on the street, kicking the balls of several rapists.
If he were on the enemy side, he might as well pack up and retire.
Fury sighed and said, "You don't need to worry about Loya's affairs. Just keep things as they were; I'll handle the rest."
Hawkeye and Black Widow felt the same. For such a rare top-tier combat talent like Loya, S.H.I.E.L.D. had to treat him seriously; that would be good for everyone.
Just as the two were about to leave, Fury called out to stop them, "By the way, help me send a bottle of that special bone-healing medicine to Ross."
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. branch office.
Loya sighed. He had been thinking about going home to research the "pay-to-win enchanting table" and the lottery, but unexpectedly, he received a notice that Pierce wanted to talk to him.
He was actually looking forward to seeing if he was going to be turned.
He found the specified office and pushed the door open. He saw a kind-looking blonde old man sitting behind the desk, with a gentle smile on his face, looking like a trustworthy elder.
Just looking at his appearance, one would never guess that this person was actually the head of Hydra.
"Hello, Pierce." Loya greeted politely and sat opposite him.
"Hello, Agent Loya." Pierce looked at Loya with eyes full of appreciation; this one was much stronger than the Winter Soldier he had in his hands.
"I wonder why you are looking for me this time?" Loya just felt tired. Acting back and forth was too much trouble; it would be better to just say "Hail Hydra" directly.
Who would have thought that Pierce really didn't talk any nonsense and got straight to the point, "Are you interested in working for me?"
Loya looked confused. He really didn't expect this development; he thought they would chat about family life first, "I don't understand what you mean."
Pierce smiled gently, "It means becoming a member of my organization and fighting to protect the order of the World."
Loya's heart stirred. Could it be that it would happen today?
He pretended to be confused, "Aren't you the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.? If I work for S.H.I.E.L.D., isn't that the same as being your subordinate?"
Pierce shook his head, not answering directly, but asked instead, "After the serum incident, what is your opinion of Ross?"
"Uh... damn him?" Loya thought back and forth and only had this one answer. After all, he had already broken one of the guy's legs; if it were more serious, wouldn't he just be dead?
"That's right." Pierce's eyes became more appreciative, "He conducts human experiments without authorization, creates Super Soldiers, and repeatedly threatens the security of the World, potentially causing massive casualties at any time.
"But..." His eyes became very deep, and his tone became angry, "Ross has a faction behind him that lets him ignore the rules and avoid punishment. There are many people above him who are rotten to the core, and they are threatening the security of the World.
He paused and continued, "And Fury is excellent, but not decisive enough; he is influenced by those bureaucrats. He is better at handling the aftermath of events and does not understand the principle of prevention."
It must be said that Pierce had a way with words. If Loyawere really an idealistic youth, he might have already kowtowed and pledged allegiance.
But unfortunately, he only pretended to be half an idealistic youth; he just wanted to earn two paychecks and two sets of missions.
Just as he was thinking about how to respond, Pierce spoke up first:
"This is the reason why I invited you. You have ideals, you have powerful abilities, you can complete tasks that ordinary people cannot, and you can prevent things to protect the World. You need a more suitable platform to utilize your abilities. Join us.
His voice was full of bewitching power, "Every one of your targets is an existence that endangers the security of the World. Moreover, joining us will not affect your status in S.H.I.E.L.D. I will also make Fury increase your bonus, and the bonus for completing tasks here is double that of S.H.I.E.L.D."
[Alexander Pierce has issued a mission to you]
[Mission: HYDRA's Cattle and Horses]
[Objective: Join HYDRA]
[Reward: EXP +1000, Pierce Favorability +10, Item *1]
Hearing the system prompt, Loya stood up abruptly, his tone firm, "Then I have no choice but to join. I wonder what the name of our organization is?"
Pierce smiled slightly, appearing exceptionally sincere, "There is no name. We are just a collective of like-minded people fighting for the stability of the World. You will understand in time."
Loya secretly curled his lip. He was blowing smoke really well; he almost believed him.
However, he didn't care about these things. The achievement was already unlocked, and he would have one more source of missions in the future.
[Mission Completed]
[Achievement Unlocked: The Truth of the World, Lottery Draw +1]
30Mystery cannot change fate, and spending money cannot change destiny.
Metaphysics won't change your luck, and money won't change your fate.
[Mission 'HYDRA's Beast of Burden' Completed]
[Achievement Unlocked: The Truth of the World, Gacha Draws +1]
[Rewards: EXP +1000, Pierce Favorability +10, Item 'Banana Peel']
[Banana Peel: If seen, it must be stepped on; if stepped on, one must fall.]
"Speaking of which, joining Hydra and joining S.H.I.E.L.D.doesn't seem to make much of a difference."
After leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. branch, Loya sat in the car heading to the bank, muttering to himself.
[Remember this site's domain name; the best tool for chasing Taiwan novels is super reliable.]
After confirming his membership in Pierce's organization—one that was called 'like-minded' but was actually Hydra—Pierce pulled him aside for a chat and had him fill out some very official-looking forms and paperwork.
It wasn't exactly the same as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s procedures, but it was pretty much the same.
It was nothing more than some confidentiality matters and a dedicated mission communicator, along with a mention that some maneuvers would be made over at S.H.I.E.L.D.
The difference was that Pierce didn't explicitly state that his organization was Hydra.
He only said it was a mysterious organization hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. but superior to it, directly serving World security, and that it might eventually replace S.H.I.E.L.D.Only after completing certain missions could more information be revealed.
He clearly looked like a veteran pyramid schemer; his brainwashing was one layer after another.
But this rhetoric was too reasonable; after all, S.H.I.E.L.D.was essentially a Hydra branch to begin with.
Moreover, Loya was just a target to be corrupted; Pierce couldn't possibly just blurt out that he was Hydra right from the start.
Starting with individual missions and gradually instilling Hydra's ideology until complete brainwashing—that was their usual method.
Loya's stance: I'm just here to do system missions; let the missions come and the bonuses flow.
He now had an additional stable source of missions and was someone who could draw two salaries—even double from Hydra. Loyalty, it's all about loyalty!
After Loya left, Pierce received the latest combat video recording of Loya from Fury. He laughed even more heartily after watching it.
Loya joining them was all part of the plan.
According to various records from S.H.I.E.L.D. and evaluations from psychologists...
This guy Loya actually had psychological issues; he really just liked the feeling of legitimately earning bonuses after finishing missions, with little sense of belonging to an organization.
When an organization more mysterious and powerful than S.H.I.E.L.D., and which aligned better with his internal assessment of righteousness—and offered double bonuses—offered an olive branch...
It would be weird if he didn't join.
At this point, whether he could be fully brainwashed and corrupted was no longer important. Being able to complete missions that ordinary Agents couldn't was already a huge win.
Pierce took one last look at the incredibly powerful Loya in the video and sighed with a smile:
"Fury, oh Fury, thank you for sending another talent. When the Project Insight is completed, what will you be thinking?"
...Under the respectful gaze of the bank manager and the intense, lingering looks from the beautiful tellers, Loyacarried two large bags of cash back to the car.
It couldn't be helped; the 'pay-to-win enchanting table' required cash and didn't accept cards—it really wasn't keeping up with the times.
Regrettably, there were no robbers along the way, much to Loya's disappointment, as he lost an opportunity to earn some extra cash.
Returning to the Villa, he still bathed and changed clothes, maintaining a basic level of respect for metaphysics.
Then he took out the 'automatic cooking pot' and put in some tomatoes and beef brisket. The cooking pot automatically prepared a dish of tomato-stewed beef brisket according to his wishes.
It was full of color, aroma, and flavor; there was no need to add any seasoning at all, as the cooking pot generated it automatically.
One could only say that products from the system were always high quality and didn't follow any laws of science.
After enjoying a delicious meal, Loya took out the 'pay-to-win enchanting table'.
The enchantment table was centered around a square block of obsidian with diamonds embedded in the four corners. At the very top floated a book with illegible text, and above the book hovered two spheres of light.
One was for money, and the other was for items.
With a heavy heart, Loya dumped the US dollars in all at once, and several large characters appeared on the system panel.
[Enchantment Uses Available: 5]
This was all the money he could use right now.
If you were to ask where the rest of the money went...
Naturally, it was used to buy the dip on Stark Industriesstock.
After Tony closed the weapons division, Stark Industries' stock dropped repeatedly and was currently in a slump. When he later announced he was Iron Man, the stock would skyrocket.
How could he not get in on such a guaranteed profit?
Loya thought for a moment and took out his favorite golden desert eagle, placing it on the enchantment table. Enchanting this gun should offer the best value for money.
"Enchant!"
With a flash of light, text appeared before his eyes.
[Attack +1]
"?"
This clearly looked like a basic enchantment.
Again.
[Penetration +1]
"Still giving me trash?"
"I don't believe this."
"Enchant again!"
[Vibration +1]
"Hmm? This is interesting."
Loya thought for a moment and took the 'golden desert eagle' off.
He then used a standard bullet and fired a shot at a nearby wall.
Bang!
The bullet instantly pierced the wall, and accompanied by an invisible Vibration, debris flew everywhere, leaving a fist-sized hole.
"This is pretty good."
Loya looked at the hole with a surprised expression. He could imagine how terrifying it would be if this bullet hit a person—they'd be blown to bits—and this was only a +1 effect.
Putting away the 'golden desert eagle', Loya took out the 'heavenly halberd'. Since the ranged weapon was enchanted, the melee one couldn't be left behind.
"Enchant!"
[Bleed +1]
[Sharpness +1]
"Bleed?"
Sharpness went without saying; it was literal.
As for this Bleed...
With a thought, Loya transformed the 'heavenly halberd' into a long saber and made a cut on his palm. Blood instantly began to seep out.
After bleeding for a bit, he used the Horse Talisman to heal himself.
His keen perception also noticed a difference.
Simply put, it increased the amount of bleeding and hindered healing.
This and Vibration should both be considered mid-tier enchantments.
Looking at the appearance of this enchantment table, it was clearly a modified version of the one from Minecraft. Loya remembered there were some special high-level enchantments.
For example, Smite or Fire Aspect for weapons.
Or Respiration and Thorns for armor.
Unfortunately, metaphysics won't change your fate, and paying won't change your luck. He was a pay-to-win player, yet five million dollars only got him two barely acceptable results. It was infuriating.
"Forget it, I'll just consider them as 'fodder' for my gacha draws."
Loya decisively chose to make peace with his luck. In his previous life, he always hit the hard pity when pulling in games; he had seen through it all.
[Remaining Draws: 2]
Looking at the number of draws on the panel, Loyacontinued his metaphysical prayer: "Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Jesus, God... please bless me with something good."
[System, draw!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Inequality]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ability: Absolute Value]
"Wuhu!" A smile appeared on Loya's face. "I knew it, the fodder strategy really works."
Getting two abilities at once made him ecstatic. He decided that in the future, he would always use some 'fodder' before drawing.
[Inequality: You can violate any supernatural contract without being punished.]
[Evaluation: I accept ≠ I am willing.]
[Absolute Value: Upon use, all attributes are multiplied by 2, but you cannot move on your own.]
[Evaluation: High damage from the left fist, high damage from the right fist.]
31Where did that Tyrannosaurus Rex come from?
Where did a Tyrannosaurus Rex come from?
"Inequality? Isn't this that...?"
Loya was a bit dazed. At first glance, this ability was very abstract; in reality... it was also very abstract.
The usage he could think of was to make deals with Dimensional Demon God, sign a contract, scam them for items, and then run away. Since he violated it, they couldn't do anything to him anyway.
But then again, he currently really didn't have that confidence.
Take Dormammu for example. Although he was always being persecuted and toyed with by Doctor Strange using the Time Stone, he was actually very powerful, at least at the Single-Universe Level.
If it weren't for Kamar-Taj, Earth would have been destroyed long ago. It was far beyond what Loya could currently challenge, let alone other demon gods.
The "Inequality" ability should be used later when there's a chance. Deliberately looking for trouble with Dimensional Demon God would be unwise.
But the "Absolute Value" ability was very powerful.
Just like its name, a simple and crude 2x multiplier to all attributes, an absolute numerical boost, was exactly what Loya liked most.
The downside was also obvious: inability to move independently.
Without further ado, Loya intended to test this ability immediately.
He stood up in the middle of the living room, took a deep breath, and activated the ability.
'Absolute Value'
Boom!
Loya only felt a roar in his head, every muscle in his body trembled, his bones hummed slightly, and a clear stream seemed to flow through his mind; the World became brighter and more real.
This kind of thing happens when attributes suddenly increase, just like with "Grace of the Sun" at noon before.
Fortunately, this situation disappeared in an instant and would not affect combat.
Feeling the explosive power within his body, Loya couldn't help but want to let out a long cry, but he held back.
Then he tried to take a step and walk.
As expected, he couldn't move.
There was nothing wrong with his legs, but he just couldn't move an inch, as if some kind of rule had nailed him to the spot.
He then tried to control the power of the wind to make himself float.
As expected, it still didn't work.
You should know that with his current attributes, using "Wind Control Swordsmanship" to destroy this Villa would be a piece of cake.
Yet he couldn't move his body even a tiny bit.
Since that didn't work, Loya took out the "hovering flying carpet," stood on it, and activated the ability again; as expected, he still couldn't move.
"Is it this rigorous? Not even a single bug is allowed to be exploited?"
Loya rubbed his chin, his eyes lit up, and an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
After deactivating the ability, he jumped directly into the air and then activated "Absolute Value" mid-air.
Something unexpected happened.
He actually suspended in mid-air!
Without any other support, he was frozen there against common sense, as if gravity had failed him.
"???"
"What the hell? Even this counts as not being able to move?"
Loya was extremely shocked; if Newton knew about this, his coffin would explode.
If that's the case, while this ability is very powerful, the restrictions are also very large.
Either the enemy is willing to trade punches to the flesh, standing still like a pile driver.
Or act as a stationary mage relying on high attributes for long-range strikes, then give them a "fist of love" when the enemy thinks he's a squishy mage and comes to attack.
Loya stared at the system panel, and another idea suddenly popped into his head.
He quickly stepped into the garage, drove the car to a slope, and then sat in the driver's seat.
He released the handbrake, letting the car slide down slowly.
At this moment, he activated "Absolute Value."
This time he didn't stay fixed in his original position; instead, he moved along with the car.
"As expected, I just need someone else to carry me!"
Loya immediately thought of how to maximize the effect of this ability.
That is—ride the Hulk!
Become a Hulk Knight!
...Night fell, and a drizzling rain began to fall in New York City.
Loya packed his gear, originally intending to go to Hell's Kitchen for some bounty missions and scare Kingpin along the way, but he didn't expect to receive a call from Furyfirst.
"Agent Loya, I have a new mission for you." Fury's tone was urgent, the background noise was chaotic, and there were faint voices of people being saved, seemingly calling while busy.
"My people found that Norman Osborn has been in frequent contact with Japanese people lately. This is very unusual. You need to go to Oscorp Tower to investigate. The suspicious locations will be sent to your device later."
[Fury has issued a mission to you]
[Mission: Osborn's Secret]
[Objective: Investigate suspicious locations]
[Reward: EXP +1000, Item *1]
"Copy that, Officer."
Loya hung up the phone. "Japanese people?" He immediately thought of The Hand.
Could that guy Osborn be making some kind of deal with The Hand?
Thinking about it carefully, this possibility was quite high. The Hand was doing experiments, and the Osborn family had a genetic disease; it was reasonable to try it when desperate.
Of course, he still had to investigate to find out.
Loya put on his "Lifan" mask, donned the "invisibility cloak," and drifted out the window like the wind.
The rain outside was continuous, but not a single drop could wet him; a wind sphere enveloped his body, blowing away all the raindrops.
After his attributes were boosted by leveling up, the effect of his "Wind Control Swordsmanship" became increasingly powerful. Now, flying with the wind was no problem, though the speed was a bit lacking.
Before long, Loya arrived outside the Oscorp Tower while invisible.
At this time, it was almost twelve o'clock. One floor of the Oscorp Tower still had its lights on; damn capitalists indeed.
Loya was about to sneak in when he spotted an acquaintance.
A guy in a red and blue spider suit was clinging to the shadows outside the window, peeping at a busy figure on that floor.
This person was naturally our friendly neighbor Peter Parker, who should now be called Spider-Man.
And the busy figure inside was naturally Gwen Stacy, who should be Peter's current crush.
Seeing this, Loya raised an eyebrow and slowly approached.
"Gwen is really pretty, but why hasn't she gone home so late? There's no need to work so hard for an internship."
Peter's eyes were full of that girl, his teenage feelings laid bare, but the gap in their status made him hesitate.
One was the daughter of the Police Commissioner, the other had parents whose whereabouts were unknown; they didn't seem like they could be together no matter how you looked at it.
Just as Peter was watching intently, a powerful hand reached out from behind and suddenly covered his mouth.
"Who... mmm... mmm..."
The abrupt sound startled Gwen. She instinctively looked out the window and found nothing. Thinking she had misheard, she frowned and continued her experiment.
Outside the window, Peter was scared out of his wits. No matter how much force he used, he couldn't budge those arms that were like hydraulic pincers.
This was the first time since gaining his superpowers, and he didn't dare make a sound, fearing Gwen would hear and come over to get hurt.
Just as Peter didn't know what to do, the mysterious man carried him up rapidly, and a familiar voice sounded in his ear.
"Kid, peeping isn't good behavior. Careful, or you'll end up in jail."
"You're... it's you?"
Peter was overjoyed, instantly recognizing the mysterious man who had saved Uncle Ben.
Loya carried him to the roof of the building, let go, and asked, "What are you doing here acting all sneaky?"
He had a reason for finding Peter; the suspicious location Fury gave was the underground lab.
If he remembered correctly, Peter's father used to work for Osborn and had an ID that could directly enter. This kid coming here late at night likely had the same idea.
"It really is you," Peter blurted out, seeing that face where the upper half was invisible.
Then he hurriedly covered his mouth. Oh no, he seemed to have exposed his identity.
Loya shook his head; he really was still just a kid. "Stop pretending. I know who you are. Are you wearing that suit to become a master thief, or do you have designs on that girl from earlier?"
"No, no, sir, I don't." Peter waved his hands frantically, his face turning red. In his eyes, Loya was not just a benefactor but also carried the authority of an elder. Being questioned like this made his heart race with intense nervousness.
He quickly explained, "I'm not being a thief. That girl is my classmate... uh, I... I..."
"You have a crush on her." Loya sighed. This kid was afraid of everything. "Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Are you planning to sneak into the underground lab?"
"How do you know everything?" Peter took a step back, eyes wide. Could it really be as Uncle Ben said? Is this a god?
Loya smiled slightly. "I can smell the sour stench of a crush. Pursue her bravely, young man. Now, take me into the underground lab with you."
After a brief thought, Peter agreed to the condition. The other party had saved Uncle Ben, so he couldn't be a bad person. Besides, he couldn't resist at all.
Since it was very late, no one was using the freight elevator in the Oscorp Tower.
Loya and Peter entered the freight elevator openly.
Peter was prepared and placed his father's ID on the sensor. The elevator slowly moved toward an area that was never open to ordinary employees.
While waiting, Peter couldn't help but strike up a conversation out of curiosity. "Sir, thank you for saving my uncle last time. Your face..."
"It's a mask," Loya answered briefly.
"Wow, this mask is so realistic; I didn't notice at all!" Peter looked incredulous. He wanted to say more, but Loyaraised a hand to interrupt him.
"Shh, don't make a sound."
As the elevator got closer to the final area, a faint sound seemed to come from below.
It sounded like the roar of some creature, low and muffled.
Peter's superhuman senses also allowed him to hear the sound; it was a biological roar he had never heard before.
The elevator doors slowly opened, reaching the final floor.
Unlike the laboratories upstairs...
This floor was filled with large genetic cultivation containers and complex pipes. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant, making it look more like a biological laboratory for highly confidential and dangerous experiments.
In the very center was a large, man-made terrarium, about the size of half a basketball court.
Inside, there were mountains and water, with various vegetation growing vigorously, like another World.
At the edge of the terrarium was a creature with incredibly thick thighs and pitifully short forelimbs, staring intently at the two sudden intruders with a pair of blood-red eyes.
When Loya saw the creature clearly, his eyes widened in disbelief. "What the hell? Where did a Tyrannosaurus Rexcome from?"
32How dare they launch a sneak attack!
How dare you launch a sneak attack!
"Wow! A Tyrannosaurus Rex. This color is so strange. Why did Mr. Osborn put a model here? It wasn't here last time."
Peter was also startled, but his first thought was that it was just a mechanical model, realistic at best.
As he spoke, he leaned in, trying to get a closer look.
Roar!!!
[Remember this site's domain w͓͓̽̽k͓̽n͓͓̽̽.c͓͓̽̽o͓͓̽̽m͓͓̽̽ and wait for your reading]
Unexpectedly, as soon as he took a step forward, the Tyrannosaurus Rex opened its huge maw and let out a deafening roar through the glass, scaring Peter into a backflip away as he looked at the terrarium in shock and uncertainty.
"Pe... oh no, Spider-Man, don't move yet." Loya pulled Spider-Man behind him, then quickly turned on the camera equipment on his chest and took out a communicator to call Fury.
"A discovery so soon?" Fury's voice came through the receiver. This time the background music was no longer noisy; he must have finished his business.
"Yes. In the underground laboratory of Oscorp Tower, I found a dinosaur—a Tyrannosaurus Rex."
Loya didn't know what to say. He had previously joked about The Hand and the Vampires opening a Jurassic Park, but who knew Osborn actually had one here? Was he really planning to open Jurassic Park, or was this for fundraising?
"What the...?" On the other end, Fury immediately sat up straight and said incredulously, "A dinosaur? A living one? You're not joking?"
It wasn't surprising he found it hard to believe. Who would have thought a dinosaur from over a hundred million years ago could appear in modern times? Surely they weren't actually going to open Jurassic Park.
Loya sighed. He wouldn't have believed it either if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. The last time with the dragon bone growing flesh was bizarre enough, and now there was a full-blown dinosaur; it was hard not to link it to the dragon bone.
He took out his phone, found Fury's contact, and took a few photos on the spot to send over.
"I've sent the photos. See for yourself."
Fury opened the photos. When he saw the dinosaur in the pictures, his eyes nearly popped out.
"It really is a dinosaur. Has the Oscorp's biological experimentation reached this level?"
The photo clearly showed a juvenile dinosaur.
But unlike the dinosaurs seen in movies, this one was dark red overall with blood-red pupils and exceptionally sharp fangs. There were even two noticeably longer teeth on its upper jaw.
This reminded Fury of a Vampire. After a moment's thought, he said, "The investigation mission is complete. Uh... can you bring this dinosaur back?"
[Mission 'Osborn's Secret' Completed]
[Reward: EXP +1000, Item 'Memory Bread']
[Memory Bread: Press a slice of bread onto a book, and the text will be printed onto the bread like a photocopy. Eat the bread, and the content will be instantly memorized (disappears after excretion).]
"..."
Loya silently glanced at the Tyrannosaurus Rex in the terrarium. Although it was only a little over two meters tall, it was clearly abnormal. "Maybe I can bring you back a head."
"Then bring back a head and destroy the lab. You must have realized there's something wrong with this Tyrannosaurus Rex." Fury immediately issued a new mission.
[Fury has issued you a new mission]
[Mission: Mutated Ancient Creature]
[Objective: Bring the head of the Mutated Tyrannosaurus Rex back to S.H.I.E.L.D.]
[Reward: EXP +2000, Random Item *2]
"Yes, Officer! Mission guaranteed to be completed!"
Loya hung up the phone and looked at Spider-Man. "Kid, hurry up and do what you need to do. I'm going to start my mission."
"Mission?" Spider-Man's eyes lit up when he heard Loyacalling him 'Officer'. "Are you from some secret department? Like the CIA or something? That's so cool!"
Loya tapped Spider-Man's head. "Don't ask too much. Those who know, know; if you don't know, it's useless for me to tell you. In short, those who know, know."
Spider-Man lowered his head and rubbed it. "What are you going to do? I can help you. I have super strength too. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."
Loya turned to stare at Spider-Man. "So you were clinging to the outside of Oscorp Tower in the rain just to see that girl? And you even brought your ID with you?"
"Uh... I... well... that..." Spider-Man instantly became tongue-tied. It didn't take much to imagine his face turning bright red under the mask.
Loya curled his lip. It really was so. This kid was quite the romantic, but his courage was just too small.
He shook his head. "Just watch me work. Don't move around, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble."
"Mhm, mhm." Spider-Man nodded quickly, staring intently at Loya. He felt this was a good opportunity to learn some skills; people from special departments must be incredibly powerful.
Then, he saw Loya pull out a golden desert eagle from out of nowhere.
Spider-Man's head was full of question marks. Didn't he say not to make a move? Why did he take out a gun? If he fired, wouldn't everyone outside find out?
However... the scene he imagined did not occur.
Loya pulled the trigger, and a bullet burst from the muzzle, striking the glass of the terrarium.
The glass didn't shatter; instead, countless fine cracks spread from the point of contact, branching out like a spider web.
Even a shot from the enchanted "golden desert eagle" couldn't pierce the glass. One could imagine its hardness; no wonder it could contain a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Since one shot wasn't enough, then hundreds more!
Watching Loya fire, Spider-Man's neck unconsciously lengthened, and his eyes nearly popped out.
He saw every single bullet accurately hit the exact same spot; the precision was unbelievable.
The most terrifying thing was that there was no sound—absolutely no sound!
The entire room was as quiet as if it were in a vacuum.
There was no sound from pulling the trigger, no sound from the shot, and no sound when the bullet hit the glass.
Inside the crack-riddled terrarium, Spider-Man saw the Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring repeatedly and slamming its massive head against the glass, yet not a single sound was made.
Now, the way he looked at Loya wasn't just with awe, but also a hint of worship. As expected of someone from a special department—so cool, so powerful. Such a department must be incredibly strong.
[Peter Parker's Favorability +10, Current Favorability: 75]
Loya, who was firing, raised an eyebrow. This can increase favorability too?
After a moment, it dawned on him; it must be his trick of silencing the sound.
That's right. As a master of wind control with max-level "Wind Control Swordsmanship," silencing a bit of sound was simple.
It's all skill, definitely not cheating!
Finally, under Loya's continuous gunfire and with the cooperation of the Tyrannosaurus Rex inside, the cracks on the high-strength glass grew denser until it could no longer hold and shattered with a crash.
"Roar!!!"
The moment the glass shattered.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex opened its maw full of fangs and let out a roar that couldn't be heard at all, as if performing a pantomime.
It charged at Loya in a rage, each step extremely heavy, making the ground tremble.
At the same time, an exceptionally nauseating stench wafted over, smelling like a mixture of rotten eggs and blood.
Loya stared at the Tyrannosaurus Rex and noticed its saliva sizzled as it hit the ground, emitting white smoke—it was highly corrosive.
This fellow was clearly not a traditional Tyrannosaurus Rex, but a biological weapon.
Loya aimed at the Tyrannosaurus Rex's neck and pulled the trigger.
With a bang, the bullet shot forth.
If anyone could see the bullet's trajectory, they would notice its difference.
The surface of the bullet was a lustrous black, surrounded by a swirling current of air that didn't dissipate.
This was a bullet enhanced by Armament Haki and wind magic; its power was staggering.
Just as Loya expected, the bullet accurately struck the Tyrannosaurus Rex's neck, blasting a large hole with a bang, leaving only a thin layer of skin connecting it.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex's footsteps halted abruptly. A flash of human-like terror appeared in its bean-sized eyes; that tiny thing had almost severed its neck.
Yet in that moment of hesitation, Loya had already flashed in front of it. He swung his black longsword, cleanly and decisively severing the Tyrannosaurus Rex's head.
If he had been any later, the creature might have already healed.
Loya caught the massive head. Looking at the still-twitching head and the wriggling granulation tissue extending from the severance, he sighed in disgust:
"As expected, it has Vampire genes too. This regenerative power is truly disgusting."
Just then, Spider-Man, who had been full of admiration, suddenly had a drastic change in expression. His hair stood on end as if a powerful crisis was descending, and he roared at the top of his lungs:
"Sir! Look out!"
A ninja dressed in dark red ninja attire rose from the shadow behind Loya like a ghost. The longsword in his hand gleamed with a cold light, aimed straight for the heart!
33Why isn't he dead even though his head has exploded?!
Why isn't he dead even after his head exploded!
Time seemed to slow down several times over.
Spider-Man's superhuman perception allowed him to see all of this with absolute clarity.
A mysterious ninja seeping out of the shadow was thrusting a blade toward his benefactor.
He could even see the ninja's dark, lifeless eyes and the cold light reflecting off the long blade.
But he could do nothing, only watching as the sharp blade drew closer, inch by inch, to Loya's heart.
Spider-Man's eyes nearly split from strain as he roared in despair, "No!"
At this moment, he truly wished he was the one being stabbed.
Without any accident, the long blade struck Loya's heart.
Crack!
However, something beyond Spider-Man's expectations happened again.
When the blade hit Loya, there was no sound of metal entering flesh, but rather a crisp sound of metal clashing against metal.
It was as if the blade hadn't struck a body of flesh and blood, but a piece of high-density alloy.
With a crack, the long blade actually snapped into several pieces!
"Huh?"
Spider-Man's expression instantly shifted from grief and rage to bewilderment. What was going on now?
The ninja was also stunned, a brief moment of shock appearing in his dark pupils. He was an immortal ninja resurrected by "God" and possessed God-given power—how could he fail to pierce a human's skin?
If he had looked closely, he would have seen that where the clothes were torn, Loya's skin had a lustrous black sheen that looked incredibly powerful.
'Armament Haki: Hardening'
Loya turned his head with a sinister grin, grabbed the ninja with one hand, and performed a massive over-the-shoulder throw, slamming the damn thing hard into the ground.
Boom!
A small crater instantly appeared in the ground, with cracks spreading outwards.
Naturally, the ninja couldn't withstand this violent heavy blow and died on the spot.
But no blood flowed from his body; the moment he died, his form turned into a plume of black smoke and vanished.
Loya sneered, "Shadow Ninja!"
From the moment he entered, he felt something was wrong; the defenses were far too weak.
If it were just an ordinary lab, it would be fine, but there was a Tyrannosaurus Rex inside—a Tyrannosaurus Rexwith Vampire genes, and perhaps even a connection to the Dragon Bone.
Its importance went without saying.
Yet there were no guards, and not even an alarm had been triggered, just a single pane of high-strength glass. Who would believe that?
So, after entering the lab, Loya had activated "Absolute Value."
This was also why he had consistently used the "golden desert eagle" despite being able to shatter that glass with a single punch.
He was constantly guarding against a possible sneak attack and lowering the alertness of any hidden ambushers.
Until he jumped over and cut off the Tyrannosaurus Rex's head, the moment when one's vigilance would be at its lowest.
The ninja hidden in the shadow finally made his move.
Unfortunately for him, Loya had reactivated "Absolute Value" at that time.
Steady, it's all about being steady; wisdom, it's all about wisdom.
Under this attribute, "Armament Haki" was already extremely powerful; with a direct hardening, it wasn't something these ninjas could even hope to contend with.
Even the Shadow Ninjas of The Hand wouldn't do; these guys only had slightly impressive resurrection traits and sneak attack abilities, but their combat power hadn't reached a level of qualitative change. It was hard to say if they could even beat Matt, let alone Loya.
"Sir, what was that just now? A ninja?"
Peter was also quick-witted; seeing that Loya could handle it easily, he scurried over, scanning the surroundings with a wary look.
Loya spat, "Just some trash ninjas from The Hand. Don't be afraid, they aren't strong; you could kill them with one punch."
"The Hand?"
Spider-Man hadn't heard this name before, but he had seen ninjas on TV—powerful warriors from the Island Nation.
He didn't expect them to actually exist, much less be able to travel through shadows. It was truly incredible.
And Sir was even more amazing, calling these magical ninjas "trash."
Clap, clap, clap!
At that moment, a series of claps suddenly rang out.
A dense shadow appeared in the center of the terrarium.
An Asian man wearing a white suit and holding a katana, looking like he was living quite a comfortable life, slowly walked out.
Behind him followed ten Shadow Ninjas dressed in dark red ninja gear.
Loya narrowed his eyes. This guy seemed to be a leader of The Hand, Murakami, one of The Five Fingers. He was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, specializing in ninjutsu, kendo, and various killing techniques.
Murakami lightly clapped his hands and spoke slowly, "If I'm not mistaken, you are the Mysterious person who has repeatedly disrupted our plans. Your strength is indeed great, but you underestimate us far too much."
While speaking, Murakami was also scrutinizing the man before him.
Openings—he was full of openings from head to toe. From his stance to his movements, this man was nothing but openings.
How could such a person repeatedly sabotage The Hand's plans?
Loya casually punched the Tyrannosaurus Rex head in his arms to keep it from moving and said disdainfully, "Trash is trash, I'm just stating a fact. What? Not convinced? If you're not convinced, come and get me!"
Murakami shook his head with a composed demeanor. "Sir, you don't need to use provocation, nor do you need to force a calm front.
You destroyed our labs and took out our partners, all relying on some kind of high-yield bomb. But here, do you dare use it?"
He bowed slightly in a polite gesture. "If you are willing to tell us..."
Bang!
The moment Murakami bowed, Loya had already pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through the air, heading straight for the other's forehead!
A sneak attack!
The instant he heard the gunshot, Murakami reacted.
Relying on physical fitness far beyond ordinary people and centuries of experience, he flicked his wrist, his katana swiftly unsheathed. His pupils constricted as he stared disdainfully at the whistling black bullet.
A thermal weapon? A pistol?
He could deflect bullets decades ago, let alone now. What a clumsy trick from a crude person with no martial honor!
With invisible "Qi" wrapped around his blade, Murakamiperformed a beautiful downward slash, intending to split the bullet in two.
Boom!
However, the expected scene of the bullet being split did not occur.
A violent roar erupted when the blade collided with the bullet head, and an invisible shockwave exploded from the point of contact, blowing glass shards everywhere.
"Na... Nani!?"
Murakami's arm muscles trembled, and his eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the black bullet in front of his blade.
How could a single pistol bullet withstand his katana?
But why couldn't he shatter the glass with one shot before?
A trap!
Murakami realized it instantly. He thought to himself, "As expected of someone who can repeatedly disrupt the organization's plans, he truly has something special about him. I must end this quickly! I'll take him out in close combat!"
He immediately thought of a countermeasure, drawing his katana back to his waist to avoid the bullet while lowering his body, almost pressing against the ground.
"Godspeed Drawing Technique!"
Murakami's figure instantly blurred as he charged toward Loya at extreme speed, his eyes fixed only on the exposed neck.
The previous failure of the Shadow Ninja had proven that this man had armor on his body; he had to go for the neck for a fatal blow!
But during this process, he saw a yellow object fall from Loya's body and subconsciously looked over.
"Is that a banana peel?"
But it was that one look that caused an uncontrollable urge to suddenly surge in Murakami's heart.
Step on it!
I must step on that banana peel! If I don't, my life is over!
Faster than thought was the body's instinct. The moment he saw the "banana peel," his body was already charging toward it.
It was like a dog seeing poop—unstoppable.
Without any suspense, Murakami stepped firmly on the banana peel. A sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart, followed by a bewildered confusion.
"Why did I step on a banana peel?"
No one answered him.
The moment he stepped on the banana peel, his body leaned back uncontrollably. His years of balance training seemed to evaporate instantly, as if he simply had to take this fall.
As his body tilted back, time seemed to slow down.
He saw the head of the Tyrannosaurus Rex carefully bred by The Hand biting wildly, and he saw a golden pistol pointed right at his head.
Bang!
With the sound of the shot, Murakami's head exploded. Red and white matter splattered in all directions, but it was blown away by a gentle breeze just as it was about to touch Loya.
Loya twirled the pistol and blew away the white smoke curling from the muzzle. "Some member of The Five Fingers... nothing more than..."
Before he could finish, his brow furrowed slightly, his eyes sharpened, and he cursed under his breath, "Damn, his head exploded, so why isn't he dead yet!"
At the spot where Murakami's head had exploded, thick black smoke billowed out, quickly constructing a head formed from the smoke. Its features were exactly the same as Murakami's!
34A despicable escape
Despicable Escape
The anomaly occurred in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, Murakami's head was replaced by black smoke.
The black smoke condensed into a solid, lifelike form, making it look like an Asian man with a black man's head on his shoulders.
Loya did not strike immediately; instead, he listened carefully for a system prompt.
With such a bizarre resurrection, and given that Murakamiwas one of "The Five Fingers" of The Hand, if he wasn't a boss, he at least had to be an elite, right?
Unfortunately, the system did not provide any indication.
Just as Loya was extremely disappointed and preparing to purify "Black-Head Murakami" using the "Divine Illumination," the guy made a move that caught everyone off guard.
He stood up abruptly. The expression on that black head was vivid, almost indistinguishable from a real person.
Murakami looked at Loya with deep apology in his eyes. If his head weren't made of black smoke, he might have even shed tears.
He bowed deeply, his body bending almost at a ninety-degree angle, and said in a sincere tone:
"I'm sorry! Forgive me, Sir, it is my fault for not being able to satisfy you."
The air fell silent instantly. Loya and Spider-Man looked at Murakami, very confused.
What kind of stunt was this?
Why did he suddenly start apologizing?
What's going on? Is he raising a white flag to surrender?
I didn't even use a nuclear weapon, did I?
Murakami bent his waist even lower, his voice extremely sincere: "Your Excellency! I will… definitely come back!"
Before he could finish, a thin black line appeared out of thin air above Murakami's black head, dragging him toward the shadow in the ecological box. The speed was too fast for the naked eye to track.
Loya's expression changed drastically, his teeth grinding in anger: "How dare you play me!"
"Taste my Divine Illumination!"
Loya attacked in a rage. A holy light erupted from above his head, and under his control, the beam shot straight at Murakami's chest.
At the same time, he pulled the trigger. A bullet imbued with Haki, wind element, and holy light burst from the muzzle, flying toward Murakami's black head at incredible speed.
Boom!
The moment the beam touched Murakami's chest, his body melted at a visible rate, like butter hitting a hot griddle.
In an instant, his body emitted billowing black smoke and melted away completely, leaving only the black head attached to a neck.
And at this moment, the bullet also struck his black head.
Unfortunately, a swirl of black smoke enveloped the bullet, frantically wearing down its power while carrying Murakami's black head into the shadows.
The Shadow Ninja following him fled as well, and the abyss-like shadow vanished instantly.
Loya's "remove the black head" plan ultimately failed.
"Consider yourself lucky to have run fast!"
In truth, he knew he couldn't kill him; after all, these Shadow Ninja all possessed immortality, not to mention Murakami, who was one of The Five Fingers.
The power they drew from "The Beast" was naturally more potent, making them harder to kill.
Loya was just a bit annoyed that he had actually been played.
Aren't you a Japanese samurai?
Where is your bushido spirit?
If you can't win, you apologize, then run away and make threats, right?
No wonder The Hand has existed for so long; everyone in it knows how to read the situation and act accordingly.
Loya silently made a note of Murakami in his little notebook. Next time he encountered this guy, he would use a direct holy light baptism, plus use his third hand to stir things up inside him!
No, that goes for everyone in The Hand.
"Wow, so these things actually exist in the world. I always thought they were just special effects from movies. This is so cool."
Spider-Man was extremely shocked; what he had seen and heard today had completely reshaped his worldview.
He had always thought that after being bitten by a spider, possessing superhuman strength, superhuman senses, and the ability to climb walls was already impressive enough.
Yet he didn't expect that there were so many magical things in the world.
Ninjas who could travel through shadows, a gentleman who could withstand blades with his bare body, and even someone who could emit light attacks—it was truly overwhelmingly powerful.
Spider-Man looked at Loya with admiration: "Sir, was that light beam you used just now magic?"
Young people are always curious about these things.
Loya nodded and chuckled: "Yes. Why, do you want to learn?"
Spider-Man's eyes lit up, and he said in a light tone: "Can I?"
"No, I was just teasing you." Loya smiled. The anger Murakami had provoked had subsided quite a bit; teasing kids was really fun.
Spider-Man shrugged helplessly. It seemed his dream of becoming a Magical Spider-Man had been shattered.
Loya glanced at the Tyrannosaurus Rex head in his hand. In the short time he had fought Murakami.
This guy had already grown the rudimentary form of a body; it was small and very cute.
However, it had stopped growing. It must have run out of energy, which was consistent with the law of conservation of energy.
"Spider-Man, is there anything else you need to investigate? If not, we're heading out." Loya asked.
Spider-Man shook his head. What he needed to investigate, he had already checked long ago. Now, this place had changed completely, and he didn't know if it had anything to do with Dr. Connors.
Loya didn't waste any time and continued to complete the unfinished task.
He placed two TNTs inside the laboratory.
This move once again caught the attention of the curious baby, Spider-Man.
"Sir, how did you pull these things out of thin air? Sir, is this spatial magic? Sir, are you going to destroy the laboratory? Sir, are these bombs? Sir, will this destroy Oscorp Tower? Sir..."
"Alright, alright, stop asking." Loya's head was spinning from the questions. "It won't destroy Oscorp Tower, so you can rest easy. Don't you know how far away from the surface we are?"
Having said that, he grabbed Spider-Man, got into the elevator, covered the Tyrannosaurus Rex head with his clothes, and walked out in such a grand manner.
It was hard to imagine that such a large secret laboratory below had no surveillance.
The two arrived a few hundred meters away from Oscorp Tower.
Loya decisively triggered the TNT explosion.
Boom!
A muffled sound came, and the ground shook several times in succession, as if it had experienced a small earthquake.
Sure enough, just as Loya had predicted, the underground laboratory was quite far from the surface, so Oscorp Towerdid not suffer much damage, just some broken glass.
He believed that with their deep pockets, they shouldn't be angry.
Fortunately, by the time they came out, Gwen had already left, and no innocent people were hurt.
"Alright, Spider-Man, let's part ways here. I'm going back to submit my mission." Loya was now full of thoughts about the mission rewards.
Spider-Man rubbed his hands and said embarrassedly: "Sir, could we exchange contact information?"
Loya subconsciously wanted to refuse, but then he thought about it—Spider-Man was notoriously disaster-prone and a natural mission trigger machine. Perhaps he could rely on him to trigger a few elite monsters in the future.
So he replied: "Don't call me Sir, just call me Big Brother Loya." He recited a string of numbers. "If you have anything, come to me. I guarantee you a reasonable price."
After saying that, he departed with the wind, his figure quickly disappearing into the night sky.
Leaving only Spider-Man, who was left looking blank in the lonely night wind.
"Do I… look like a rich person?"
35Why don't you believe me!
"Why don't you believe me!"
Hell's Kitchen, The Hand branch.
The room located deep within this place was dark and oppressive.
A candle half a person's height floated in mid-air, burning silently.
The candle body was bright red like blood; with every flicker of flame, one seemed to hear shrill wails, and with every wisp of white smoke that dissipated, one seemed to see the outline of a painfully twisted soul.
Beneath the candle was a pool about two people long and one person wide.
The pool was engraved with dense, twisted black symbols, and the entire room was the same, looking incredibly evil.
Inside the pool was half a pool of black liquid, emitting wisps of black smoke.
Splash!
Suddenly, a black human head emerged from the blood pool, terror still lingering in its eyes.
Then, wisps of black smoke gathered toward the black head.
The black smoke quickly constructed a human phantom, the black head gradually took on a bloody color, and strands of granulation tissue entangled, as if about to grow flesh.
Looking closely, a bullet was still stuck in the forehead of the black head.
Bang!
The door was pushed open.
An old woman with a kind face slowly entered, looking at the figure in the blood pool in surprise:
"Murakami, weren't you supposed to be watching our precious Tyrannosaurus Rex? How did you end up like this? If I hadn't sensed the rapid loss of divine power and used black magic to pull you back, do you know how much of my god's power it would cost to reconstruct your body and soul?"
"Enough!" Murakami barked. By now, his whole body had taken on a bloody color, and he was about to be reconstructed by this black smoke into a new body.
He removed the bullet from his forehead and looked coldly at the old woman: "Madame Gao, I know my god is assimilating that animal totem and cannot spare any effort.
Divine power is finite, but this time it was not without gains; I have discovered the person who has repeatedly sabotaged our plans."
"Oh?" A fierce glint flashed in Madame Gao's eyes. "That means that Mysterious person has sabotaged our plan to copy the dragon bones again? And you couldn't stop anything, nearly got killed, and look like an incompetent husband?"
Murakami really wanted to get angry; what did she mean by incompetent husband?
But he understood that they couldn't have infighting at this critical moment, so he suppressed his anger and said: "You haven't experienced it, you don't understand. That Mysterious person is extremely powerful; although his combat ability is not even as good as the lower-ranked ninjas in the organization, he possesses an unrivaled physique.
His marksmanship is extremely precise; he can hit the previous bullet with the next one. He also has a gold pistol with extremely powerful destructive capabilities, is skilled in some kind of purification magic, a kind of magic that affects sanity, and a kind of magic that eliminates sound.
I was initially interfered with by his sanity-affecting magic, otherwise I would have definitely been able to kill him, and I wouldn't have had my god-bestowed divine body purified by that purification magic."
The more Madame Gao heard, the more confused she became, and she even suspected that Murakami was lying.
How could one person be proficient in so many completely different fields at the same time, especially purification magic and sanity-affecting magic?
This is absolutely high-level magic; even she had practiced black magic for hundreds of years and had never been able to master this sanity-affecting magic to a profound level.
Otherwise, there would be no need to subtly influence Kingpin, Osborn, and those people in the Military; wouldn't it be better to just control them directly?
magic that can affect someone with a firm will like Murakami must be mastered to a very profound level.
Not to mention purification magic, which is a type of magic that relies even more on talent.
It was even a purification magic capable of purifying divine power; this not only requires an extremely high attainment in magic, but the rank of the magic itself must also be extremely high, otherwise, it would be impossible to purify divine power.
Regardless of which one it is, it is extremely difficult to master; both talent and time are indispensable.
Madame Gao considered herself to have some talent, but she hadn't been able to master it after spending hundreds of years; she didn't believe anyone else could, as not every magician has a long lifespan.
How could someone have a powerful physique, be skilled in shooting techniques, and also be proficient in magic?
Even they, "The Five Fingers," could only shine in their respective areas of expertise; it was impossible for short-lived species like ordinary humans to achieve this.
She seriously suspected that Murakami was lying to reduce his responsibility, but now was the critical moment for the "God's Descent," and The Five Fingers absolutely could not fight for power and profit at this time, affecting the plan to rule the World.
So Madame Gao said: "Then tell me what he looks like, and I can directly have the police station look for him."
Murakami's expression changed, and he said helplessly: "He was wearing a mask; I don't know what he looks like."
Madame Gao's expression gradually became impatient, and her gaze also became somewhat unkind.
Seeing this, Murakami hurriedly handed over the bullet in his hand: "This is the bullet fired by that person; I specifically kept it. Aren't you skilled in tracking magic? You can track this aura to find him."
Only then did Madame Gao's expression soften; she took the bullet and placed it on the ground.
This was the place where divine power gathered, and using black magic here would provide a boost.
"Gibberish... gibberish..."
Madame Gao chanted an incomprehensible incantation while making magic gestures, and a stream of black smoke coiled around the bullet.
This was a tracking technique within black magic, which could track the source through the life aura touched on an object.
This was also one of her most proficient magics; The Handwas able to assassinate many hidden targets by relying on this skill of hers.
If the bullet had been touched, she could find the person who touched it through the tracking technique.
A short while later, Madame Gao's expression became completely gloomy.
Nothing, there was nothing at all. Apart from Murakami, there was no other life aura on the bullet; everything was void.
"Hmph!" Madame Gao snorted coldly, looking fiercely at Murakami. "Apart from your life aura, there is no one else's on it. Which part of your words is true?"
"Impossible!" Murakami said firmly. "I saw him fire this bullet; it's impossible for it to not have his life aura."
"Heh." Madame Gao looked down at Murakami. "The Japanese are still so fond of lying. The Hand can accept failure, but not by exaggerating the strength of others to reduce one's own responsibility."
"What do you mean!" Murakami's eyes carried a hint of killing intent. The power struggle between The Five Fingers of The Hand and the struggle for the god's favor had been going on for many years, and he seriously suspected that Madame Gao was taking this opportunity to suppress him.
"Heh, suit yourself. Handle the situation with Norman Osborn yourself. As for the rest, everything will be clear when the day of God's Descent arrives."
After speaking, Madame Gao walked out of the room without looking back and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Leaving only Murakami, who had a gloomy face, in the blood pool.
He had adopted that posture to secure a chance to escape, completely violating the Bushido spirit, yet he hadn't expected that after returning, he would get nothing at all.
He even lost a large portion of the power bestowed by the god because of it, and was even less trusted by this old woman, being mocked with sarcasm.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He smashed the blood pool in a rage, blood splattered everywhere, and he roared frantically: "Damn guy, next time we meet, I will definitely kill your whole family!"
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Loya, who was standing at the door of Fury's office, rubbed his nose.
"I actually feel like sneezing. Could it be that bastard Murakami is thinking of me? This dog of a thing played me and is still obsessing over me; next time I see him, I'll definitely make him die a miserable death."
He muttered a few words in his heart and pushed the door to enter the office.
"Officer, I'm back."
Loya placed the bundled clothes on the desk and opened them, revealing the head of the Tyrannosaurus Rex inside.
"Roar!"
Just after seeing the light of day again, the Tyrannosaurus Rex roared impatiently.
Clang!
Loya punched the Tyrannosaurus Rex on the head, directly knocking it unconscious.
"Loya, you completed the mission very well!" Fury was not scared; instead, he smiled, because Loya was simply too useful. Not only were the missions he completed all high-difficulty, but his completion rate was 100%; it was simply amazing.
[Mission 'Mutated Paleontology' Completed]
[Rewards: Experience +2000, Item'Shrinking Flashlight', Item 'Temporary Painkiller']
[Shrinking Flashlight: After illuminating the target, it can shrink it, and it will recover after a period of time]
[Temporary Painkiller: After taking it, you will not feel pain for a period of time, but when the time ends, the pain will double]
Fury called people to take the Tyrannosaurus Rex head to the laboratory, then took out a brand-new ID card from the drawer and handed it to Loya: "Loya, you are now a Level 5 Agent."
He lowered his voice and said: "And your salary is double that of a normal Level 5 Agent, and I have also increased your mission bonus by 20%. You must not tell anyone else, otherwise, people will gossip."
After speaking, he showed a confident smile, as if he had given a huge favor.
Loya returned a perfunctory smile and complained in his heart: "Look at how stingy you are; the bonus for missions at Hydra next door is directly double. No wonder S.H.I.E.L.D. became Hydra S.H.I.E.L.D.."
He complained internally, but on the surface, he still had to pretend; this is the pain of an adult. "Director, you are so good, Director, you are so awesome!"
...
Not long after leaving S.H.I.E.L.D., Loya received a call from Pierce.
"Loya, I need you to steal Wilson Fisk's ledger. His recent cash flow is skewed towards Japanese companies, but a part of it is missing. This part might help us find The Hand's lair and eliminate this cancer!"
Pierce's voice was impassioned and powerful, carrying an inspiring force; it felt like stealing had become a good deed.
[Pierce has issued a mission to you]
[Mission: Steal the Ledger]
[Objective: Steal Wilson Fisk (Kingpin)'s ledger]
[Rewards: Experience +1000, Pierce Favorability +5, Item *1]
Seeing this mission, Loya's eyes lit up.
Wilson Fisk is Kingpin.
This wave, it belongs to taking revenge under orders, satisfying both public and private interests.
A win-win, winning big!