Chapter 201: Taking Down Strucker
The moment he heard the unfamiliar voice, Pietro's entire body stiffened, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, and his heart filled with terror.
But in the next instant, this intense terror transformed into extreme fury!
His muscles suddenly tensed all over his body, and his adrenaline surged!
Under the effect of the adrenaline, his physical strength, which had been almost completely exhausted, forcibly burst forth with its final potential once again!
Pietro made an instinctive reaction.
His facial features distorted uncontrollably, his teeth clenched tightly, and his body suddenly twisted as he abruptly turned around.
Before he could even see clearly who the owner of the voice was, he had already lunged fiercely toward the direction from which the voice came!
At the same time, he opened his mouth and roared loudly: "Wanda! Run!"
As Pietro, who grew up in the war-torn country of Sokovia, he knew very well how dangerous it was for a stranger to suddenly enter a shelter.
Let alone the fact that this stranger spoke very standard English and muttered some weird words, which made it even more terrifying!
It perfectly matched the characteristics of an American psychotic serial killer and a perverted scientist in his imagination.
Pietro had once sworn to protect Wanda well and would never allow anyone to hurt her, even if it cost him his own life.
It was just a bit of a pity—perhaps there would be no chance to take Wanda out for a big meal in the future.
However—
A moment later, however.
Pietro, who had already intended to give up his life, froze in expression, sensing that something was wrong.
Why hadn't the distance between himself and that stranger changed?
And why did the soles of his feet feel so floaty?
Subconsciously lowering his head to look down, after seeing the situation in front of him, his pupils shrank sharply, his expression horrified, as if he had seen a ghost.
"Flew—flew up?"
Pietro stammered, slowly raising his head to look in disbelief at the tall man in a black suit opposite him.
"You—how did you—how did I—how could this be?"
Loya looked at Pietro, speechless: "What are you doing? Do I look that much like a bad guy?"
He hadn't expected Pietro's reaction to be so intense; just hearing a voice made him put up a posture of fighting for his life, and he hadn't even done anything yet! He had even taken out fried chicken drumsticks beforehand.
How strange, was this kid's temper always this fiery? No wonder his awakened superpower was running fast.
Just as Loya was about to start explaining and let the Wanda siblings relax their guard, an unexpected ability triggered without warning!
Loya frowned slightly, as if he had sensed something, his eyes flickered, and then his expression changed drastically.
He turned his head to look at Wanda and shouted loudly: "Don't be impulsive! I'm not a bad guy!"
While speaking, Loya flashed and appeared beside Wanda, grabbing her shoulder with one hand.
Immediately afterward, he activated "Divine Illumination" and used mental power to soothe Wanda's emotions.
As a gentle golden holy light enveloped Wanda, accompanied by the soothing mental power, Wanda's emotions finally stabilized, and the hard-to-detect yet terrifying faint red light around her body gradually disappeared.
Seeing this, Loya let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that it was a good thing he reacted quickly, otherwise things would have gone bad.
Just a moment ago, the ability "Script Intuition" had mysteriously activated.
This ability told him that if Wanda's emotions were not soothed, Wanda would fall into an out-of-control berserk state, causing irreversible harm to herself and subsequently leading to a catastrophe.
Therefore, Loya stepped in to soothe her to avoid any accidents.
He was very puzzled.
What was going on with these two siblings?
One started fighting without a word, and the other almost went berserk, about to unleash Chaos Magic.
Why was each one more hot-tempered than the last?
Did he look that evil? To the extent that Wanda's not-yet-fully-awakened Chaos Magic almost erupted because of him.
Loya was a bit baffled.
He now doubted whether the "Affinity Aura" and "Charm Suit" actually had any effect.
He could only try to explain: "You guys shouldn't get so excited, I'm really not a bad guy, it's completely a misunderstanding. Do you think a bad guy would bring you delicious food?"
After saying that, he showed the fried chicken drumsticks in his hand and used the power of wind to spread the aroma, making it drill straight into the noses of the Wandasiblings.
The overwhelmingly tyrannical aroma exploded in their nasal cavities. Looking at the fried chicken drumsticks that seemed to be glowing with golden light, the Wandasiblings secreted saliva frantically, swallowing repeatedly, their stomachs growling like thunder.
Their vigilance dropped significantly without them realizing it.
Coupled with the mysterious power that held Pietrosuspended in mid-air and that dazzling golden light, their vigilance dropped even further.
After all, if Loya really were a bad guy, relying on such powerful strength, there was no need at all to waste any nonsense words with them; he could just strike directly, let alone bring food.
Furthermore, that golden light gave people a really warm feeling, making one feel peaceful at heart; it completely didn't look like something a bad guy could use.
Even Loya himself gave them a very approachable feeling, as if his whole person was glowing, making people feel inclined to get close.
But the habits formed over a long time still made it impossible for them to easily trust a stranger.
Pietro managed to pull his gaze away from the chicken drumsticks with difficulty, turning to look at Loya, still maintaining his vigilance. Speaking in accented English, he interrogated: "You're not a bad guy? Then why did you suddenly break into our shelter? And what happened to my sister just now?"
He could tell that something abnormal seemed to have happened to Wanda just now.
Loya shrugged and explained: "Actually, I followed you inside together, wanting to give you a surprise, but I didn't expect to scare you. As for your sister's situation, well, that's one of the reasons I came to find you."
In fact, as early as when Wanda and Pietro went to collect food, he had already locked onto the two of them.
Loya had thought the two hadn't eaten anything, making it a great opportunity to close the distance using food and give them a surprise, but he hadn't expected it to turn into a fright, almost backfiring.
After saying that, he released his control over Pietro.
As soon as Pietro landed, he immediately protected Wanda behind him, his gaze shifting back and forth between the chicken drumsticks and Loya, still harboring vigilance.
Just at this moment, Wanda tugged at the corner of Pietro's clothes and said softly: "Pietro, he's not a bad guy."
Pietro: "???"
Oh sis, please grow some brains; don't think that just because the person opposite looks handsome, he's a good guy. People's hearts are unpredictable—were there few gentle scumbags we've seen before?
Besides, is that guy as handsome as your brother?
This sentence went through his mind, but in the end, he didn't say it out loud. Intuition told him that if he said these words, it would definitely anger that guy opposite.
"It's true, I can feel it, believe me." Seeing Pietro's suspicious expression, Wanda emphasized it once again.
Just a moment ago, she felt as if a strange energy had appeared within her body, almost making her lose her mind, as if she were about to turn into a monster.
It was only with Loya's help that she calmed down. Although she couldn't feel that power anymore right now, the feeling she had towards Loya under those circumstances was still there.
That was a very peculiar feeling.
The other party was like the sun in the sky, radiant with boundless light, yet approachable and warming to people's hearts.
She didn't know why she had this feeling, but Wanda was certain that the other party was not a bad guy.
At the same time, she also wanted to know what had happened to her just now.
Seeing Wanda be so firm, Pietro didn't say anything more, except that he looked at the chicken drumsticks a few more times.
In fact, he also understood that even if he stayed vigilant, it was useless.
The other party was obviously a legendary superpowered individual, completely someone an undernourished ordinary person like himself could not resist.
[Wanda's Favorability + 20]
Seeing the system prompt, Loya raised an eyebrow. It seemed that under the blessing of the "Affinity Aura" and "Charm Suit", as long as they weren't enemies, the initial favorability should be twenty points.
Wanda must have sensed that he wasn't a bad guy when her Chaos Magic was about to spin out of control, which was why she lowered her guard.
Thinking of this, Loya immediately handed over the chicken drumstick in his hand and smiled: "My name is Loya, I know you guys have a lot of questions. But I suppose you haven't eaten yet; come have something to eat, how about we chat while we eat?"
To make the two siblings completely at ease, Loya first picked up a chicken drumstick and happily took a bite.
Seeing this, Wanda and Pietro secreted even more saliva, and their stomachs were growling loudly.
Therefore, the two no longer hesitated and immediately picked up a chicken drumstick each.
Even if there really was any danger, a well-fed ghost was still much better than a starved ghost.
Crunch~
As their teeth intersected up and down, the crispy skin of the chicken drumstick was bitten through.
Delicious!
An indescribable aroma exploded in their mouths.
The unique meaty fragrance mixed with the compound flavors of seasonings and grease permeated the oral cavity, rapidly occupying their entire taste buds.
Their tongues were trembling; it was too delicious!
Wanda and Pietro couldn't help but close their eyes, feeling as if they were placed in a paradise of gourmet food.
This was a taste they had never experienced before, and furthermore, the most delicious thing they had ever eaten since becoming war orphans, as well as their best meal.
These were fried chicken drumsticks after all; previously, they had only seen them in videos from peace organizations, and they never imagined that one day they would actually get to taste them.
Wanda didn't say anything, just chewing in large mouthfuls, tears shimmering in her eyes, her expression a bit out of control.
Pietro chewed in big bites, unable to help praising vaguely: "So delicious! @ % * & —— This chick —— This chicken didn't die in vain!"
Seeing them eating so eagerly and fearing they might choke, Loya immediately took out two large cups of iced cola from the System Space and handed them over with a smile.
The two of them had no mind to think about anything else, directly taking the iced cola and taking a sip.
Hiss~
Ha~
Refreshing!
With a mouthful of iced cola sliding down their throats, Wanda and Pietro let out a simultaneous breath of pure comfort.
The greasiness of the drumsticks vanished under the washing of the iced cola, replaced by an unprecedented refreshing and exhilarating sensation.
Their oral cavity felt as if it had been completely refreshed.
Taking another bite of the chicken drumstick, the flavor reached a whole new level.
Their expressions were full of intoxication, every hair on their bodies standing on end, their complexions ruddy, their whole bodies feeling thoroughly cleared and soaring with pleasure, causing their favorability toward Loya to skyrocket.
[Pietro favorability +40]
[Wanda favorability +40]
Loya smiled slightly and seized the opportunity to ask why they had been so hostile at first.
To let Wanda eat in peace, Pietro took the initiative to explain: "Because the English you spoke was very standard."
Loya: "???"
That was the reason?
What the hell?
Following that, while eating, Pietro told Loya the reason.
After hearing the reason, Loya was somewhat amused yet exasperated, not knowing what to say.
Simply put, it was because his English was very standard, very much like those U.S. soldiers who invaded Sokovia.
Therefore, Pietro had initially concluded that Loya was a bad guy, assuming him to be a perverted scientist or a maniac, or something similar.
To use another metaphor.
It would be like a Middle Eastern person wearing robes and a headscarf suddenly appearing in your home; could you not be afraid? Could that hostility not be huge?
This was all caused by world-renowned reputations.
Pietro's response was entirely a stress reaction under a life-or-death crisis.
As for Wanda, her emotions were also nearing the brink of loss of control under the life-or-death crisis, which was why she almost caused the unawakened Chaos Magic to lose control and erupt.
Loya helplessly shook his head, not expecting that a guy like him who used to always fail English would actually get tripped up by English.
Crunch! Crunch!
Glug! Glug!
The room was filled with the sounds of chewing and swallowing. Wanda and Pietro stuffed their faces without caring at all about their image, oil smudged all over their faces.
Soon, a large plate of chicken drumsticks was wiped out by them.
Along with swallowing the last sip of cola.
Burp~
The two of them unceremoniously let out a satisfied burp, rubbing their bellies with contentment.
Their bellies had been stuffed big by Loya's chicken drumsticks.
This was the most delicious thing they had eaten in all these years, and also the fullest meal they had ever had, making them feel like life had suddenly become wonderful.
In the process of eating and chatting, Pietro also completely lowered his guard against Loya.
The other party was, just as Wanda said, a good person.
Loya handed over paper tissues for them to wipe their mouths.
After wiping his mouth, Pietro introduced himself: "My name is Pietro Maximoff."
Then pointing to Wanda beside him: "This is my younger sister, Wanda Maximoff."
He thanked him: "Thank you for the food. I wonder what business you have looking for us? And what is going on with my sister's condition?"
Loya smiled slightly: "I'm looking for you because I want you to cooperate with me in participating in an experiment."
"An experiment?!"
The two of them were instantly startled; mentioning the word experiment made them think of some very terrifying things.
Loya quickly appeased them: "Don't be nervous. This is actually related to some conditions within you."
He looked at Wanda: "Just now, you should have felt a surge of energy inside your body, right?"
Wanda nodded: "Yes, but I can't feel it anymore now. Why is that?"
Loya thought for a moment and explained: "Simply put, both you and Pietro have something special about you, capable of awakening powerful abilities, but it requires a trigger. The experiment I mentioned is that trigger."
His tone carried a hint of enticement: "After awakening your abilities, you will have the power to do whatever you want to do. Don't you want to understand the meaning of life? Don't you want to truly live?"
In fact, Wanda inherently possessed Chaos Magic, but it was unawakened and unusable, only producing some effects during extreme emotional fluctuations, making it difficult even to perceive.
Only after being stimulated by the Mind Stone could she truly use it at will.
Actually, Loya remembered a theory that part of the reason Wanda and Pietro had managed to survive until now was due to Wanda unconsciously using Chaos Magic.
The ability to alter reality and adjust probability was simply too buggy.
It was a pity it couldn't be used on the system, otherwise he would score big hits every single time and have the time of his life.
"This—" The two of them lowered their heads, falling into deep thought.
In fact, to them, this wasn't a multiple-choice question at all.
Wanda raised her head a step earlier, her eyes carrying an inexplicable curiosity: "Why are you helping us?"
Even if the other party was a good person, she also knew that no one would treat you well for no reason; this was experience gained from years of arduous survival.
Loya smiled, his gaze sincere: "Helping you is actually helping myself, and you'll know soon enough. You just need to understand that I won't let you get hurt, trust me."
He seemed to be glowing, carrying a mesmerizing charm that made people convinced.
Wanda was silent for a moment, then looked at Pietro: "Let's go. With power, we can take revenge."
Her voice carried an undisguisable hatred.
"Revenge?" Right at this moment, Loya interrupted, "Do you two only have such a simple pursuit as revenge? That would be such a waste of your abilities."
The two of them looked at him in unison, their eyes filled with incomprehension.
Loya's expression was playful, looking very much like a strategist urging a general to rebel: "The Sokovian government is incompetent, treating its own people like grass and mustard! The nobles here run amok, oppressing their own compatriots! Furthermore, multiple foreign invading forces are eyeing us hungrily, trying to get a share of the pie!"
He paused, his tone deepening, an unusual brilliance in his eyes: "As the saying goes, kingship rotates, coming to my house this year. Wanda, with power, why can't you be the Queen of Sokovia? Lead the people here out of the dire straits!"
Wanda: "!!!"
Wouldn't this be too bold?
But it seemed rather tempting.
Pietro: "??y?"
Queen? Then what about me?
Under a string of bluffs and blarney from Loya, the two naturally agreed to cooperate in the experiment with the Mind Scepter.
This was very normal; in the original plot, Strucker could bludgeon them into volunteering for experiments, so there was no reason Loya couldn't.
As for the matter of letting Wanda be queen.
It was actually a spur-of-the-moment idea by Loya.
On his way to find Wanda, he had carefully observed the current situation of Sokovia.
Not looking at it from political and ethnic perspectives——no wait, he didn't seem to have any absolute specific standpoint and didn't need to consider this; as long as he felt comfortable himself, that was fine.
Anyway, from a human perspective, the people here had suffered too much.
Looking at those nobles acting high and mighty and doing whatever they pleased made Loya feel nauseous.
It was already the 21st century, yet they were still running a feudal system!
It made one's blood pressure skyrocket!
At the same time, it could also be considered a way to verify his hypothesis regarding his ability Grace of the Sun.
Thus, such an idea came about.
This country needed a fire, a raging fire that could shake heaven and earth!
Burn these damn nobles to death, all those things that deserved to be hanged from street lamps.
Wanda could completely become this fire.
Just as Loya was about to take Wanda and Pietro to the base to awaken their abilities.
Buzz buzz buzz~
The phone in his pocket vibrated.
Loya took out his phone to check, and there was a message on the screen.
It wasn't sent by Fury, but by Pierce, with only a short sentence.
"Take out Strucker! He is Hydra!"
[Pierce issues a quest to you]
[Phased quest triggered]
[Quest: Wrap-up]
[Objective: Kill Strucker]
[Rewards: Experience +2000, Random Item x2]
[Quest Standby Completed]
[Rewards: Experience +500]
Loya: "??y?"
No way, only a single night has passed, and now he has to kill Strucker?
Chapter 202: Hail Hydra!
Looking at the message about killing Strucker on his phone, Loya's eyelids twitched.
This progress was way too fast. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, and Pierce was already sending Strucker on his way.
The guy was probably still immersed in the excitement of studying the Mind Scepter.
Pierce was indeed ruthless. Who knew what else happened in between to make him so eager to silence him?
He had speculated before that Pierce would target Strucker sooner or later, but he hadn't expected it to happen so fast.
Loya sighed inwardly, but this was exactly what he wanted.
Strucker was bound to die; it was just a matter of how much value he could create before his death.
Just then, the phone vibrated, and another message arrived from Pierce, providing supplementary information about the mission.
"Be sure to take out Strucker before twelve noon today. Remember to act covertly and do not cause chaos in the base. Subsequent support will arrive soon."
"Received!"
Loya replied, then glanced at the time on his phone. There was still a little over an hour left before noon, so he decided to settle it quickly.
First complete Strucker's mission, then kill him to complete Pierce's mission.
If he was lucky enough to trigger another quest, that would be a huge profit.
So he put away his phone, turned to look at Pietro and Wanda behind him, and chuckled softly. "Something came up, so we need to speed things up a bit. I'll use a special method to take you there."
With that, Loya reached out his hand to Wanda. "Give me your hand."
Wanda blinked, holding his hand with a somewhat bewildered expression.
The touch was warm, truly feeling like embracing sunshine, making her heart feel warm.
At the same time, her stomach felt warm as well, and the uncomfortable bloated feeling was greatly relieved, which was truly magical.
[Wanda's Favorability +2]
Loya raised an eyebrow. He had simply used the "Digestion Spell" through physical touch to relieve Wanda's discomfort from overeating.
After all, she was going to touch the Mind Stone later. If her body got stimulated and she couldn't help vomiting, it would be embarrassing.
He believed no girl would want to embarrass herself in public.
He just hadn't expected that holding hands could increase favorability as well. It seemed that galgame dynamics weren't that hard after all.
Don't ask where he learned the "Digestion Spell"; these were all minor spells from the "compendium of spells," very easy to learn, the kind you understand at a glance.
Besides that, there were all kinds of minor spells like the "Satiety Spell," "Laxative Spell," "Emetic Spell," and so on.
One could only say that Invincible Xiaoyu was truly an authority; even these strange and quirky spells were recorded.
However, to Loya's surprise, Wanda's hands were not as rough as he had imagined, at least not looking like those of someone struggling to survive in a war-torn region.
It had to be said that Pietro was a good brother, giving Wanda the best care even in such an environment.
Just then, Pietro extended his hand with a curious look on his face.
Having seen what happened earlier, he was very curious about what kind of special method Loya was talking about.
Loya merely rolled his eyes at Pietro, placed his other hand on Pietro's shoulder, and chuckled. "Let's go~"
In the next moment, the figures of the three vanished instantly.
When they reappeared, they had already arrived at the secluded location where Loya had prepared the chicken drumsticks earlier.
Looking at the dense trees in front of them and smelling the fresh air so different from the city ruins, Wanda and Pietro couldn't help widening their eyes in shock.
How did they go from the city to the outskirts in the blink of an eye?
What was going on?
Loya explained with a smile, "You can understand it as a unique type of magic."
"Magic?"
Hearing this, both were startled. They had only seen magic on television, never expecting to see it with their own eyes today.
With time tight for the mission, Loya didn't have time to say much, simply quoting a classic line: "Want to learn? I can teach you."
[Wanda's Favorability +5]
[Pietro's Favorability +5]
Before the shock of magic could dissipate, the next scene left Wanda and Pietro slack-jawed once again.
With a wave of Loya's hand, a military-green off-road vehicle appeared out of thin air on the open ground before them, leaving them scratching their heads, unable to fathom where it came from.
Seeing their inexperienced expressions, Loya smiled slightly. "This is also magic. Get in the car first; we can talk about any questions later."
He wanted to see if he could trigger another quest, so he couldn't teleport directly to the castle base; otherwise, it might cause unnecessary
suspicion.
With the boost from the "King of Riding" ability, Loyadrove fast and smoothly, arriving at the castle base's parking lot in less than ten minutes.
Just as he got out of the car, before he could look for Strucker, he ran into Ward coming from the opposite direction.
Ward walked over with an anxious look. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze fell on the Wanda siblings stepping out of the car.
He froze for a moment, then asked, "Who are they?"
Loya shut the car door and casually replied, "Who else could they be? The experiment subjects."
"What?" Ward was startled and quickly pulled Loya aside, lowering his voice. "You received the mission, right? Why are you still bringing them here?"
Loya nodded and chuckled in response, "Why? Is there a problem?"
Ward sighed. "Higher-ups want us to eliminate Strucker, and quietly, to avoid causing too much of an impact. Bringing them here is completely pointless—just two more burdens."
He really felt like crying now.
He never expected that before twenty-four hours had even passed, higher-ups would suddenly assign a new mission, and one like this at that.
Asking two agents to kill the leader of a large armed base while remaining discreet enough not to cause major chaos...
Was this a mission meant for humans?
He knew Loya was absurdly strong, but the key wasn't assassinating Strucker; it was how to do it without causing chaos.
Ward had already investigated: Strucker spent almost most of his time observing experimental research in the laboratory.
Even if he wasn't in the lab, someone would go to his office every so often to report work progress to him.
Trying not to cause chaos was practically impossible.
This guy didn't even take afternoon naps. What supreme leader works this hard? He literally wasn't giving them any opportunity.
Loya smiled slightly. "Don't worry about these little things. It's mealtime, go get food, and leave everything to me."
Saying that, he didn't bother to explain further, leading Wanda and Pietro toward the interior of the castle base.
Ward rubbed his forehead helplessly; he understood Loyaless and less.
Even if he was an ace agent, even if he possessed extraordinary strength, he shouldn't be this arrogant, right?
This mission might end up triggering a base Riot—it was impossible to kill everyone, wasn't it?
However, during mission operations, he was ultimately just a subordinate and could not command Loya, who was his absolute superior.
Ward stood in place and thought for a moment, ultimately deciding to follow.
Even if things went sour and the base fell into chaos, relying on Loya's strength would give him a much higher chance of survival.
Loya walked through the castle base with Wanda and Pietro.
Before they had walked long, they ran into Strucker on the way, who had rushed over after seeing the surveillance.
Strucker's gaze swept over Wanda and Pietro, finally landing on Loya.
His expression was somewhat impatient, and his tone carried displeasure. "Only two volunteers?"
He had discovered that the Mind Scepter seemed to possess something akin to self-awareness, and now he urgently needed test subjects for testing.
Loya only bringing back two was truly a bit disappointing; the quantity was too small to test out results.
The feeling of the secret being right before his eyes yet unreachable was truly maddening.
Loya feigned indifference, saying coldly, "Some volunteers find it inconvenient to come during the day; there will be plenty tonight."
Strucker instantly understood the underlying meaning.
This meant that tonight he would kidnap plenty of government and noble officials to bring over.
Realizing this, a smile instantly surfaced on his face, and he lightly patted Loya's shoulder. "Good, good, good! I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Once it's done, you'll receive the highest tier of mission rewards."
Loya remained calm on the surface, but inside he was overjoyed.
You dead pervert, talking about rewards. In a bit, your base, your subordinates, and your life will all be mine; who cares about this petty reward.
However, superficial courtesy still needed to be maintained.
Loya barely squeezed out a smile. "Actually, I'm not really interested in rewards or anything. It's all to make S.H.I.E.L.D. better."
Strucker said nothing, merely smiling. He had seen plenty of hypocritical people; this was the same as certain billionaires claiming they didn't like money.
Usually, when someone said that, it meant they needed more money.
Money didn't matter anyway; whatever he gave would end up back in his own pocket eventually.
A hint of ruthlessness hid in his eyes as an evil plan took shape in his heart.
At this time, Ward also caught up.
Led by Strucker, without needing any identity verification along the way, everyone unimpededly reached the underground
laboratory.
Inside a room made of special glass and heavy alloy, the Mind Scepter was fixed on an experimental platform, its tip rippling with faint blue light.
Strucker spoke to Wanda and Pietro, "The experiment is very simple. In a moment, the two of you will enter this room one by one and touch that scepter."
"Ah?"
Wanda and Pietro froze, almost thinking they had misheard.
They thought the experiment would be something high-end and complicated, but it turned out to be just this? Just touch it? What kind of experiment was this?
The two couldn't help becoming nervous, unconsciously casting their gazes toward Loya.
Loya gave them a reassuring look, and only then did they relax a bit.
Led by researchers, Wanda and Pietro entered the waiting area to perform preparatory work.
Meanwhile, standing outside the special room, Loyacasually pulled out a bottle of perfume and opened the cap.
Strucker on the side glanced at Loya without speaking, simply stepping a bit farther away from Loya out of instinct.
He hated the smell of cheap perfume the most. If Loyaweren't still useful, he really would have liked to put a bullet through the guy.
And seeing this scene, Ward felt helpless in his heart, not knowing what to say.
The mission deadline was getting closer and closer. Leaving aside that Loya wasn't making a move, he actually had the spare time to spray perfume here. He was truly exasperated!
The two had different thoughts, but both overlooked one point.
From the moment this perfume bottle was brought out, no scent had emanated from it at all.
The perfume in Loya's hand was the "absolute command perfume" extracted from the Purple Man, capable of absolute mind control via spoken commands over anyone who smelled the fragrance, making it perfectly suited to control this base.
He used the power of wind to keep the perfume's scent gathered together, not leaking even a single trace.
Achieving this was not difficult.
This was the reason Strucker and Ward didn't smell anything.
Loya activated "Voice of All Things," accurately grasping the location of everyone in the entire base.
Then, using the power of wind once more, he precisely delivered the invisible scent outward.
At the same time, his mouth moved slightly as he uttered a few words, which were likewise unheard by anyone.
He delivered these few words along with the scent of the perfume.
"Voice of All Things" and wind magic combined at this moment, exerting a breathtaking effect.
If anyone possessed a god's-eye view, they would notice that apart from Wanda and Pietro, who were about to undergo the experiment, as well as Strucker, Ward, and a few others...
everyone else in this base stiffened for a brief moment, their eyes turning dull and hollow.
AI Model: gemini-3.5-flash-lite
But this anomaly vanished in a flash, and everyone resumed their work.
Without Strucker noticing anything at all, the entire base had already changed hands.
Loya's lips curled up slightly as he put away the perfume and cheerfully waited for Wanda to conduct the experiment.
Not long after, Wanda, dressed in an experimental lab coat, passed alone through layers of heavy alloy doors and entered the interior of the specially-made room.
The moment she stepped into the room, something unexpected happened.
The Mind Scepter trembled slightly, and the deep blue energy shell at its tip unexpectedly detached itself automatically from the scepter, flying slowly toward Wanda!
Seeing this scene, Strucker's body tensed up, and his face was written full of shock.
This was a situation that had never occurred in so many rounds of testing, which happened to corroborate his research hypothesis.
There was some kind of consciousness inside the Mind Scepter!
In other words, this scepter would automatically choose people!
He couldn't help approaching the observation window, trying to see every single detail clearly.
Inside the experimental room, Wanda looked at the blue energy shell in front of her, unable to hide her shock. Her body trembled slightly, and for a moment she was somewhat at a loss.
Just at this moment, Loya's gentle voice sounded in her ear: "Don't be afraid, trust me."
With Loya's encouragement, Wanda no longer hesitated. Gathering her courage, she stretched out her right hand, her fingertips gently touching the energy shell.
Snap!
At the very moment of contact, the energy shell exploded violently, revealing the yellow gemstone body within.
Boom!
A blinding light instantly burst forth, illuminating the entire room brightly.
"Ah! My eyes!"
Screams rose and fell outside the room, and the onlookers were blinded by the sudden strong light, unable to open their eyes.
Knowing what would happen, Loya had long since closed his eyes. At the same time, he pushed the "Voice of All Things" to its limit, focusing on the Mind Stone itself, trying to hear something.
Sure enough, he heard some unusual sounds—information given by the Mind Stone based on Wanda herself.
This information was very chaotic and intermittent.
But summing it up, it was just two words—destiny!
Loya frowned slightly; what he hated most was any sort of fatalism.
He wanted to see whether, with his presence here, the so-called destiny would still become a set fact!
Inside the room, amidst the brilliant yellow light, Wandasaw a figure quite similar to herself floating in mid-air.
She forced her eyelids open, trying to see more clearly.
However, the yellow light suddenly contracted at this moment, returning into the Mind Stone as if time were flowing backwards. The shattered energy shell also restored itself, bringing the Mind Stone back to the top of the scepter.
As the yellow light dissipated, Wanda's gaze scattered, her body went limp, and she collapsed powerlessly to the ground, falling unconscious.
Strucker was brought to tears by the strong light, but still endured the discomfort and opened his eyes. Looking at Wanda, the only successful experiment in the room, he urged frantically: "Someone come! Take her to the laboratory, check all her physical indicators, and draw blood to test her gene samples! Quick!"
As the only successful experimental subject, he couldn't wait to know the mystery within.
While shouting, Strucker picked up a syringe and rushed toward the observation room, wanting to observe at the very first moment whether there were any abnormal changes in the experimental subject's flesh.
Just as he wanted to approach the observation room and reached out to open its door, a strong, powerful hand grabbed his shoulder, carrying an irresistible massive force.
Strucker furrowed his brow into a knot; he really hated others touching his body.
But he didn't want to waste time and only wanted to hurry up and research, so he used force to break free from Loya's large hand.
However, no matter how hard he tried, it was to no avail; Loya's hand remained as motionless as a mountain.
Strucker turned his head, wearing an expression of displeasure, and said impatiently: "Let me go! Agent, you are an ace agent, but you are also my subordinate; you should know your limits! I will give you what I should give you, but don't push your luck. I believe you should understand this simple logic."
He had only been a bit amiable at the beginning, yet it made this Loya push his luck. How utterly unappreciative; how on earth did Pierce train his subordinates?
If it weren't for the other party's outstanding abilities and temporary utility value, Strucker would have already flipped out.
He had a certain drug where just one milligram could poison an elephant unconscious; it would be more than enough to deal with Loya.
As expected, the people from S.H.I.E.L.D. had no rules at all and were nowhere near as good as Hydra. In Hydra, who would dare treat him like this?
Don't think that having a bit of skill makes one amazing; in this world, smart people have always held the right to speak.
Loya showed no intention of letting go whatsoever, and instead said cheerfully: "Commander, is there anything else you need my help with? Just give the order."
Strucker: "???"
He now felt that Loya was truly stupid!
Couldn't he see that he was very angry right now? How could someone be so stupid as to not know that even if they wanted more benefits, they had to read the room?
There was a faint murderous intent in Strucker's eyes as he said impatiently: "You want money, right? I'll double it for you later, get lost quickly! Don't disturb my experiment! If you disturb me again, I'll tell Pierce! You wouldn't want to be disliked by your own superior, would you?"
The Mind Scepter experiment concerned the grand plan of the future; he couldn't waste a single second.
Loya sighed inwardly; in this paranoid and manic state, there really was no chance to trigger a quest.
It was almost twelve o'clock now; even if it were triggered, there wouldn't be enough time to complete it.
By comparison, the quests on Pierce's side were more stable and important.
He had already earned one quest from Strucker, so it wasn't a loss; if this attempt didn't succeed, then so be it.
Thus, Loya pulled Strucker closer and smiled as he softly spat out a sentence in his ear: "Hail Hydra!"
Strucker was struck as if by lightning, his eyes wide open in roundness.
He looked at Loya in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock.
Hydra?
Hydra!
Loya actually was Hydra!
But why hadn't Pierce told him about this matter?
And why would Loya say it out himself?
The quick-witted Strucker instantly realized something was wrong; there must be a huge problem in this!
However, before he could think deeply, Strucker's expression changed abruptly, turning deathly pale.
An indescribable, sharp pain came from his chest, carrying a burning sensation akin to incinerating the soul.
He lowered his head trembling, only to see a flaming sharp blade pierce right through his chest, piercing straight through his heart.
"Th—this—why?"
Strucker's mind went completely blank, and he could clearly feel his life rapidly slipping away.
He couldn't believe in the slightest that such a thing would actually happen, that he was actually going to die, and that he would die so hastily.
Dying right when the experiment succeeded, dying at the hands of Hydra, dying at the hands of a guy he considered a fool.
Strucker's lips trembled, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face was full of unwillingness.
Clearly the experiment had succeeded, he was about to step onto a new peak, he was going to rule the entire world.
Clearly there were still so many methods to deal with Loyathat he hadn't used, clearly there were still so many things he hadn't finished doing, clearly he was still so young, clearly—
Why—
His pupils were already beginning to scatter.
Just at this moment, Loya didn't forget to deliver a finishing blow, mocking: "You dead pervert, didn't you want to research me? Didn't you want to kill me? Come on, I'm standing right here, hurry up! What? Can't move your hands?"
Strucker widened his eyes, looking at Loya in disbelief, seemingly unable to believe that the other party actually knew his purpose.
His lips moved, trying to speak his final last words: "My—my people—won't let you off—Fu—F*ck—"
Before he finished speaking, searing flames spread from his chest, and in just a fleeting moment, completely burned Strucker into nothingness, leaving him unable to even finish his last words.
Strucker, one of the leaders of Hydra, died just like that. What he thought would be someone avenging him was merely wishful thinking.
Everyone in this base was controlled by Loya; no one would care about matters after Strucker's death.
Loya put away the sharp blade. He was always cautious; even though Strucker was an ordinary person, he still used "solar judgment" to finish him off, avoiding any possibility of resurrection.
Ward, who was standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded seeing this scene.
With only a few minutes left until twelve o'clock, he had thought Loya wouldn't do this quest.
Yet at the slightest disagreement, he went and stabbed Strucker to death.
The crucial point was that even if he was going to stab him to death, he shouldn't do it here!
This was a laboratory, after all; people were coming and going everywhere, and a Riot was about to break out!
Did they really have to fight a bloody path out?
Ward was already dazed, subconsciously drawing the handgun from his waist, preparing for the upcoming battle.
However, just as he looked around, preparing to find a suitable defensive location—
Only then did he suddenly realize that the experimental personnel coming and going had no reaction whatsoever to Strucker's death, going about their own business as if Strucker didn't exist at all.
Ward's face revealed a look of horror, completely unable to believe everything before his eyes. What kind of situation was this? How could this be possible?
Could it be that Loya was the leader here?
Was he dreaming?
Just at this moment, his nose twitched slightly, and he caught a faint, elusive unusual fragrance.
The next moment, his gaze glazed over for a moment, and he froze in place.
Loya put away the absolute command perfume, ignored Ward, and instead entered the experimental room, carrying Wanda to the bed to rest.
Afterwards, he instructed the researchers to let Pietro, who knew nothing, inside to touch the Mind Stone.
The Mind Stone's reaction to Pietro was much smaller, merely trembling once and knocking Pietro unconscious.
Having settled the Wanda siblings, Loya sat on the sofa and cheerfully looked at the rewards for this quest.
[Quest "Assassination" Completed]
[Rewards: EXP + 2000, Item "Leg-Extending Eye-Staring Pill * 1", Reward "Half-Step Smiles-Dispersing Stride Pill * 1"]
[Quest "Recruiting Volunteers" Completed]
[Rewards: EXP + 2000, Item "Newton's Coffin Lid", Reward "Materialist Medal"]
[Leg-Extending Eye-Staring Pill: A mud pill rubbed off a legendary figure's body. Although it looks filthy, it has the miraculous effect of bringing the dead back to life.]
[Half-Step Smiles-Dispersing Stride Pill: The number one miraculous poison in the world! Whoever falls victim to it cannot laugh nor walk, otherwise they will explode and die.]
[Evaluation: The world laughs at me for being too crazy, while I laugh at others for not seeing through it.]
[Newton's Coffin Lid: By using the coffin lid, a domain will be formed centered around the coffin lid. Within this domain, all existences must obey the laws of physics!]
[Evaluation: Coffin Lid: Newton, this time let me defend your dignity!]
[Materialist Medal: Holding this medal, the user can inflict unimaginable damage upon all idealistic existences, and comprehend the Fist of Materialism! This is a fist technique capable of causing massive damage in the material realm.]
[Evaluation: Don't believe in any supernatural powers; I just happen to be naturally gifted with superhuman strength.]
Chapter 203: Conjecture on Void Fishing
"Nice, the rewards this time are actually quite good."
Loya raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over the system rewards, and he couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips upward.
The rewards this time included numerical boosts, mechanical changes, and even some insidious items; it could be said that the variety was complete.
"The 'Kick the Bucket Pill' goes without saying; it's equivalent to a resurrection coin."
Although Loya had the 'resurrection seal', a prop that could resurrect, it was limited to the current universe, making it restrictive.
"The 'Kick the Bucket Pill' is different; it offers unlimited resurrection. Its value is naturally very high—as high as a three-story building."
"And the'Smile Half-Step Crazy' is truly an essential medicine for home, travel, and silencing enemies."
With a thought from Loya, a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle appeared in his hand.
He opened the red stopper and counted; there were ten brown pills the size of fingernails, emitting a sweet, honey-like scent.
"Say, could I dissolve this in water and use it to coat weapons with poison?"
Loya thought to himself, then immediately stored the bottle in his System Space.
He could try it if he got the chance. If it worked, he could combine it with the 'folding stool' to create a guaranteed-hit super poisonous hidden weapon.
"Newton's Coffin Lid"—just seeing this name made Loyaunable to hold back his amusement.
What even is this? Carrying a coffin lid while fighting in the future? It sounded so strange, like he was sending people to their graves on the spot, right?
However, the effect of this prop was indeed good; everyone within its area of effect had to obey the laws of physics.
The deeply persecuted Old Man Newton could finally stand up for himself.
This effect was extremely lethal to many existences.
For instance, those things that didn't obey the law of conservation of energy.
It had an even greater restraining effect on the vast majority of Mutants. Many Mutants seemed to conform to the laws of physics, but in reality, they weren't scientific at all.
Could it restrain Steve?
That shield of his could return 100% of the time after being thrown; it felt quite contrary to the laws of physics too.
Of course, this prop was also a double-edged sword. Loyahimself would be affected by it and would also have to obey the laws of physics.
But this impact wasn't significant; he just needed to choose his opponents carefully.
For enemies who needed to violate the laws of physics to grow stronger, this prop was basically a dimensionality-reduction strike.
As for the "Materialist Medal," this was the item Loya was most interested in among the rewards this time.
Simply put, it was a special attack against idealism, and the scope of that was vast.
For example, the Dimensional Demon God; those things were typical idealistic existences.
If they dared to descend into reality through someone else's physical body, he would definitely let them taste what the Iron Fist of materialism was.
When he encountered that bastard, the Beast, who liked to possess people, he would definitely punch him to death!
Of course, there were also things like deities of faith; these were even more typical of idealism and would be heavily restrained by the "Materialist Medal." If one punch didn't kill them, he'd consider it a dud.
And the "Fist of Materialism" that came with the mastery of this item made Loya even more interested.
With a thought, a circular medal appeared in his hand.
The medal was oval-shaped and about the size of half a palm.
The front was red, imprinted with a golden five-pointed star, while the back was black, outlining the shape of a fist.
Just looking at it, one could feel a powerful aura rushing towards them, filled with a sense of oppression.
Just that—
After sensing the message from the medal, Loya was somewhat dumbfounded.
So that's what the "Fist of Materialism" meant.
With a thought from Loya, the medal slowly melted and then quickly attached itself to his right palm, wrapping around the entire hand, looking like a uniquely styled red metal glove.
This was the Fist of Materialism.
As long as he wore the glove transformed from the medal, the damage from his punches would be greatly amplified.
It was basically: basic attacks are fist techniques, and fist techniques are basic attacks. The left fist had high damage, and the right fist had high damage.
How should he put it? It felt a bit strange, yet inexplicably reasonable.
Moreover, "Newton's Coffin Lid" and the "Materialist Medal" could be used in tandem; they were a perfect match, maximizing physical attack damage.
After briefly studying the newly acquired items, Loya put them away and then checked on Wanda and Pietro.
The Chaos Magic within Wanda was slowly awakening; it would still be a while before she woke up.
And Pietro—was asleep.
This guy had eaten so much and had been shocked, so now he was sleeping soundly.
Loya shook his head with a light chuckle, then took out his phone.
Having completed the assassination mission, he naturally had to report his work to Pierce and see if he could trigger the next stage of the mission.
He quickly tapped the screen and sent a message.
"Commander, the mission is complete. Everything went smoothly. Please advise!"
On the other side, after seeing the message, Pierceimmediately started typing on his keyboard.
"Well done! The team to take over is on the way and will arrive soon. Stand by for now!"
After sending the message, he breathed a sigh of relief. Loya was indeed useful.
Pierce turned his head to look at Fury, who looked a bit nervous on the side: "Loya has taken care of it. The only factor that could have affected the battle has been eliminated."
Fury's expression relaxed a bit, and he nodded: "Then shall we begin the operation now?"
Pierce nodded: "The diluted version of the gene virus is ready, right? Time is tight. Begin the operation according to the plan immediately. Use the virus to slowly deplete Hydra's power. When they are forced by pressure to recall that monster at any cost, lure him into our trap and have Loya come over to help eliminate him. If we don't completely resolve this monster, there will be endless trouble."
A smile appeared at the corner of Fury's mouth: "It's ready. Those damn Hydra members certainly won't expect we still have this method. This time, we will definitely eliminate Hydra completely! End the possibility of them making a comeback."
"We will definitely eliminate Hydra! Long live S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
Pierce said with a meaningful smile.
Fury also laughed along. This plan was almost foolproof, and he had even prepared other contingency plans just in case. Hydra had almost no chance of turning the tables.
The long-cherished wish of many years was finally about to be realized.
The two smiled at each other, both imagining a bright future.
It was just that the futures they imagined were completely different.
Meanwhile, on Loya's side, the moment he saw the message, a system prompt sounded in his ears.
[Pierce has issued a mission to you]
[Stage mission triggered]
[Mission: Stand By]
[Objective: Wait for further instructions]
[Reward: EXP + 500, Random Item * 1]
"Wait, why can a'Stand By' mission be triggered again?"
Loya looked at the system panel with great confusion; this mission had already been triggered last time, and now it was here again.
It clearly never triggered this kind of mission before.
Could it be because this mission itself was a necessary part of the entire stage mission? That's why it could be triggered multiple times?
Mission triggers had conditions; the simplest explanation was necessity.
Triggering the mission meant that Pierce had a necessary need for Loya to stay here, which meant that having Loyastay here was part of his plan.
This made Loya even more curious about what the subsequent missions would be.
Even standing by had become part of the mission; it was conceivable that the missions to follow wouldn't be simple.
Hopefully, they would be quick.
Once this stage mission was finished, he could go roam in the dungeon.
The main thing was that he didn't know the relationship regarding the flow of time.
Rushing into a dungeon without finishing this mission might be fun, but the long-term benefits wouldn't be good. After all, this place was the main source of missions.
However, his luck was quite good this time.
Although the EXP was a mere 500, there was also a random item, which was quite good.
Based on Loya's experience from doing missions for a long time, the probability of obtaining an item with a few hundred EXP was relatively low; only with over 1,000 EXP was it guaranteed to obtain an item.
He put away his phone.
Now that Wanda and Pietro hadn't woken up, and the Hydra members coming to take over the base hadn't arrived yet, he was idle. He might as well find something to do.
Loya rolled his eyes, walked to the balcony, and took out a pitch-black fishing rod from his System Space.
[void fishing rod: A fishing rod that can be cast into the void to fish. Depending on the bait, one might catch different types of items and creatures (It is recommended to cut the line in time when catching certain creatures to prevent being dragged away by the "fish". The line can automatically recover)]
He had wanted to try the effect of this "void fishing rod" for a long time, but due to being busy, he hadn't had the time. Now was the perfect time to cast a few lines and test it out.
He would also test the specific effects of different baits catching different things.
Loya looked around and couldn't find any suitable bait, so he casually took two bananas out of his System Space.
He peeled one to eat himself, and used the other as bait.
There was no hook on the fishing rod; it was like the saying "the willing fish bites the bait."
However, this was quite reasonable. Since it could randomly catch all sorts of things, having a hook would actually be strange. He couldn't hook everything, could he?
So, Loya tied the banana to the fishing line and cast it outside the balcony.
The fishing rod shimmered with a faint light, and the line jolted violently, plunging into the void along with the banana.
While waiting for a bite, Loya took out paper and pen, writing and drawing to record some things.
This was some magical knowledge; he would teach it to Wanda when she woke up.
Even without guidance, Wanda was able to teach herself and stand on her own. If she had his guidance—the Vice Sorcerer Supreme of Kamar-Taj—she would definitely soar~
What he recorded were mainly the basic magic theories he had summarized, as well as the most critical "Abnormal Self-Defense Spell."
As everyone knows, you can only deal damage if you are alive; this is an eternal truth.
Learning to protect oneself first is the top priority.
Soon, half an hour passed, and Loya had long since put the paper and pen aside.
He frowned, his face inexplicably darkening, and he fell into deep thought.
Fishing for freshwater fish results in a skunking, fishing for saltwater fish results in a skunking; could void fishing also result in a skunking?
Could it be that my fishing skills really have a problem?
Impossible! It must be the issue of not tying a hook!
Just as Loya started to doubt his skills and was frantically making excuses for his "skunking," the fishing rod shook slightly, and the tip sank; clearly, something had been caught.
Loya's face was filled with ecstasy; he yanked the rod, and ripples appeared in the void.
Something unexpected slowly emerged from the void.
"This is—a banana tree?"
Loya was dumbfounded.
That's right, it was a banana tree!
The trunk was thick, laden with fruit, and the roots were very fresh; it was clearly uprooted.
The other end of the fishing line formed something like a cover, wrapping the entire banana tree.
This was the way the "void fishing rod" caught things.
After Loya pulled the banana tree out, he casually placed it on the balcony, filling it up completely. He looked at the banana tree, deep in thought.
Using a banana to catch a banana tree—could it be that like attracts like?
He instantly had this guess.
After all, if explained by attraction, shouldn't a banana catch a monkey or something?
Now that he had caught a banana tree, it really seemed to imply that like attracts like.
However, thinking was useless; he needed to verify it a few more times. If that was really the case, it would be interesting.
He still had the Phoenix Force within his Cosmo, but it was still merging with the phoenix constellation and couldn't be called upon for the time being.
Once he could call upon it, if he used a portion of the Phoenix Force as bait, couldn't he fish for the Phoenix Force?
That way, he could save quite a bit of time.
Just as Loya was preparing to continue verifying, Wanda's confused voice came from behind: "This—what is going on?"
She propped herself up, rubbing her eyes vigorously, looking at the banana tree on the balcony with disbelief. She even pinched herself to confirm she wasn't dreaming.
Why is there suddenly a banana tree on the balcony, hey!
And what are you doing holding a fishing rod? Don't tell me this tree was fished up, right?
Loya put away the "void fishing rod" and walked over happily. He said: "Don't worry about those details. The important thing is, how are you feeling now?"
Wanda tilted her head and replied: "I can feel a new type of energy in my body that I can control, just like when I was almost out of control before."
As she spoke, she extended her right hand, and a mass of crimson energy gathered in her palm.
Loya nodded: "Not bad, this is your awakened ability, called Chaos Magic, which is a very powerful ability."
Wanda nodded gently, a look of fear appearing on her face: "But when I touched that stone, I seemed to see some things. In the future—in the future, I seem destined to lose everything, and the ending is very tragic."
She hugged her chest with both hands, her body trembling involuntarily, "And I saw a monster with horns; he seemed to want to eat me!"
"Fake!" Loya immediately retorted, "The future is not set in stone. What the hell does a gem know? It must be lying to you. As for that horned monster, it's just something the gem used to scare you. Don't believe it; it has deceived so many people."
He had guessed who that horned monster was; it was most likely that guy, Chthon.
After all, this guy also used Chaos Magic, so it wasn't strange for there to be a connection between them.
In some universes, Chthon would even possess Wanda's body through Chaos Magic to invade reality.
However, he absolutely didn't believe in things like fate. Even if it existed, he could blast it to bits!
Under Loya's careful comfort, Wanda finally escaped from that fear.
At the same time, a system prompt sounded in his ears, and her favorability increased quite a bit.
[Wanda favorability +3, current favorability: 70]
A few minutes later, Pietro also woke up.
His ability was naturally still super speed, which made him extremely happy. After testing it for a while in the base, he couldn't help but show off: "With this ability, who will be able to catch me when I sneak food in the future?"
Hearing this, Loya couldn't help but twitch his lips.
This was just as outrageous as having a spatial superpower and using it to deliver packages and takeout.
Can't your ambitions be a little bigger?
Chapter 204 The Sun's Grace - Liberation
Grace of the Sun · Liberation
Putting aside whether his ambitions are big or not for now.
Loya glanced at a smug Pietro, feeling that the primary task was to make Pietro see himself clearly.
After gaining his powers, this guy was obviously getting a bit full of himself.
After acquiring power, he became a bit carried away.
[Remember the domain name of this site, read Taiwan novels on Taiwan Novel Website, t w k ä ṅ. c ö ṁ, super worry-free]
This kind of thing happening to a youngster like him is quite normal; after all, having suffered so much hardship, it's hard not to show off once you've flipped the tables.
However, to prevent Pietro from becoming arrogant, careless, and looking down on enemies, which could lead to injury or even death,
Loya felt it necessary to make him understand a principle.
Arrogance brings disaster.
Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit.
You only have one life, caution is king, never look down on anyone, and always ensure your own safety first.
Make sure things like getting hit by bullets in the original plot never happen again.
For a speedster to get hit by a bullet is truly shameful, utterly embarrassing.
Thus, Loya looked at Pietro with a smile: "Pietro, do you think you are fast?"
Pietro, who was bragging to Wanda about how fast his speed was, turned his head with a smug look: "Of course, I am the fastest!"
With that, he accelerated and vanished in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared again, except this time he had two cups of water in his hands, handing them smugly to Loya and Wanda.
Ever since awakening his powers, Pietro felt the world had slowed down.
Normal things appeared far too slow in his eyes, making people anxious just watching them.
Even bullets were like that, practically crawling like snails.
This power was simply terrifyingly strong!
When he ran, nobody could see him, so he could do whatever he wanted!
It looked much more powerful than Wanda's so-called Chaos Magic; from now on, big brother will protect his little sister!
"Alright." Loya took the cups with a meaningful smile, "Then do you think Wanda can keep up with your speed?"
"Of course not!" Pietro said with a confident face, "My running can't be seen with the naked eye, Wanda definitely can't keep up. Even bullets can't catch up to me."
Having a simple understanding of Wanda's abilities.
Wanda's abilities gave him the impression of being flashy with maxed-out special effects, but their actual performance didn't seem all that strong; it definitely couldn't compare to his Super Speed.
Furthermore, they were born of the same mother; he already had Super Speed, so if Wanda had both Chaos Magic and Super Speed, wouldn't that be too unfair?
Loya smiled slightly: "I actually think Wanda can keep up with your speed, and more than that, she can stand completely still and still precisely lock onto your position, watching your every move all the time."
"Ah? Me?"
Before Pietro could voice his doubt, Wanda spoke up first.
She tilted her head slightly, her mouth slightly open, pointing a finger at her own head, staring blankly at Loya.
How come she didn't know she was this amazing? She couldn't even control her Chaos Magic well, let alone keep up with Pietro's speed.
Looking at her adorable expression, Loya couldn't help but rub her head.
Wanda's body trembled slightly, her facial expression didn't change much, but deep down she inexplicably felt a bit comfortable, really liking this feeling.
[Wanda Favorability + 1]
Loya raised an eyebrow, saying with a smile: "It's you. Pietro is much slower than you."
"That's impossible!" Pietro crossed his arms with a disbelieving expression.
How could Wanda possibly be faster than him? He was the fastest man!
Loya didn't say much more, just smiling mischievously: "Don't be so confident, and don't look down on Wanda's abilities. Why don't you try it and find out? Run in circles around Wanda and see if she can keep a lock on you the whole time."
"No problem!" Pietro nodded, striking a ready-to-run pose.
He needed to prove his speed; how could he be looked down upon by his little sister!
Loya secretly mobilized his mental power, then smiled slightly and shouted softly: "Start!"
Boom!
As soon as the words fell, Pietro impatiently kicked off forward, his entire body seeming to enter another dimension.
The dust in the air, the banana leaves swaying in the wind on the balcony, the trajectory of Loya and Wanda blinking their eyes————
Everything, absolutely everything, became infinitely slow in Pietro's eyes, as if time was about to pause.
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a smug expression appearing on his face.
He already said he was the fastest, why wouldn't they believe it?
Now you know how awesome he is.
Just as Pietro was feeling immensely pleased with himself, the unimaginable happened!
Wanda actually moved!
She slowly turned her head, staring at Pietro with great confusion. A moment later, the corners of her mouth twitched, as if she was about to burst out laughing.
"How is this possible?!"
Pietro widened his eyes in disbelief; not only had Wandakept up with his speed, but her expression right now made it seem like she thought he was hilarious.
How could this be?
Could Wanda really be faster than him? Had he been mistaken all along?
He was shocked beyond measure, so he accelerated once again, attempting to shake off Wanda's gaze.
However, no matter how hard he ran, pushing his power to the absolute limit, he still couldn't shake off Wanda's line of sight.
Wanda could even drink water while looking at him, her expression utterly leisurely, except the smile at the corners of her mouth seemed increasingly hard to suppress, as if saying: Is that it?
Pietro was completely dumbfounded; wasn't this Chaos Magic a bit too overpowered?
How could there even be such a trick?
Refusing to give up, he tried to speed up once again, his expression twisting into full comedic distortion.
But the result was still the same; Wanda easily locked onto Pietro's position.
The only extra change was that Wanda couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
Pietro felt as if his heart had suffered ten thousand points of critical damage, feeling like a clown.
Thus his expression became even more exaggerated, and Wanda laughed even more happily.
Loya was also barely holding it in.
Pietro had always felt that he had pushed his speed to the absolute limit, so fast that it couldn't get any faster.
But in reality, from an outsider's perspective, Pietro was actually running in slow motion with a very comical posture, accompanied by all sorts of distorted, ghostly expressions.
Who could keep a straight face at this?
Wanda was just smiling; not laughing out loud was already considered very restrained.
Pietro right now looked very much like a clown meant to amuse people.
Actually, this was because Pietro was affected by Loya's mental power.
This was a very simple application technique of mental power.
Loya called it sensory deception.
Simply put, it was like this.
Brain: I am so fast! I'm going to fly!
Body: Huh? Who am I and where am I? Brain, did you call me just now?
This belonged to the brain and body splitting up after being deceived; the brain felt fast, but the body felt nothing at all.
This was also the direction Loya planned to train Pietro in.
Training the body to develop conditioned reflexes, reacting faster than the brain!
This could avoid most dangers.
This was the inspiration given to him by the "Kamehameha".
In "Dragon Ball", there was a special technique called "Ultra Instinct".
The body would react instinctively, judging and making attack and defense maneuvers.
Pietro certainly wouldn't be able to train to this extent, but as long as he trained enough to develop conditioned reflexes, it would be enough—similar to Spider-Man's Spider-Sense, automatically avoiding danger.
If he got shot again by a gun, that would really be inexcusable.
Looking at Pietro, whose expression was becoming increasingly bizarre, Loya gave a light cough and spoke: "Alright, stop."
Pietro heard this and stopped his actions, his face full of shock and confusion:
He felt that his earlier vow that he was the fastest man looked so foolish.
Being outdone right after saying that was too embarrassing.
Loya explained simply: "This was just a little trick of mine. Do you realize your shortcomings now?"
Pietro nodded upon hearing this, letting out a huge sigh of relief. Good thing it was due to Loya's trick and not because of Wanda.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to lift his head in front of Wanda in the future; an older brother needing his younger sister to protect him would be too shameful.
At the same time, he realized Loya's strength—falling into a trap without even knowing how or when, that was simply terrifying.
Magicians are truly amazing, I want to learn!
"Then what have you understood?" Loya asked with a chuckle.
AI Model: gemini-3.8-flash
Pietro blurted out, "If I run into magic in the future, I'll turn and run immediately, or else not give them the chance to act at all! Just rush in with a flurry of punches!"
Loya cupped his forehead helplessly. "Just what on earth did you understand?!"
He was utterly exasperated by this guy; he was being cautious, sure, but his logic was completely skewed.
Loya sighed in exasperation. "I want you to understand that you should never underestimate anyone, nor grow arrogant because of your abilities. Even when facing an opponent who seems weak, you must maintain maximum vigilance and make full preparations. Understand?
Most importantly, strike decisively and never give your enemy the chance to enter a second phase. And don't waste time spouting nonsense either—villains die from talking too much, and the same goes for heroes."
He then turned to Wanda and said earnestly, "You too, Wanda. If you can't manage this, how are you going to liberate Sokovia in the future? Those enemies won't show mercy. To maintain their rule, they will stop at nothing. You have to be cautious every step of the way, or you won't even know when you've walked into a trap."
This was his rule of thumb: prepare beforehand, take action instead of wasting words whenever possible, show no mercy once a fight starts, and chain-lock them to death without giving them any chance of a phase two.
However, after Loya finished speaking, Wanda and Pietrolowered their heads, their spirits suddenly dampened.
Loya frowned, sensing something off about their mood. He asked, "Do you not want to liberate Sokovia anymore?"
The two shook their heads.
Tsk. Sensing their feelings carefully, Loya realized that confusion was what they felt most.
He let out a sigh. "Tell me. Speak your minds. It seems you have some concerns."
Wanda sighed. "I... I don't know what to do."
Initially, hearing Loya talk about liberating Sokovia and having her become queen had indeed gotten her blood pumping. She had been eager to take action immediately, to give Sokovia a new life and ensure everyone had enough to eat.
Yet after actually obtaining powers and thinking it through carefully, she realized the reality.
It was far easier said than done.
What was she supposed to do? Where should she start? How was she supposed to gather strength?
Everything was an unknown, with no place to begin, leaving her completely lost.
This was a dilemma for an entire nation. She was merely someone who had gained a bit of power—how could one person rival a country?
Even the leaders of the resistance movements never harbored such grand ambitions; they only fought for their due interests.
Starting as an orphan of war and ending up the queen of a nation—even novels wouldn't dare write a plot like this.
"I don't know what to do either." Pietro shared similar thoughts.
It sounded simple in theory, but putting it into practice was another matter entirely. There were so many things they hadn't considered in the initial rush of excitement.
Now that it had hit them, they were at a complete loss.
Pietro's eyes darted as an idea struck him, and he said, "Brother Loya, why don't you liberate Sokovia instead, and then become king? Wouldn't that solve everything? You're so powerful and know so much, you'd definitely have it wrapped up in no time."
He looked at Loya expectantly. "And we can work under you."
Pietro was filled with admiration and gratitude toward Loya, the person who had saved their lives and awakened their powers.
He practically viewed him as omnipotent.
Since he could tell them to liberate Sokovia, he could surely handle it himself.
Deep down, Pietro felt Loya was well-suited to be king; only a genuinely good person like him could make Sokoviaa better place.
Around Loya, he felt a long-lost sense of equality and respect.
It was an experience he hadn't felt in all these years—class differences seemed nonexistent when it came to him.
Someone like him could definitely lead the people of Sokovia to rise up!
He just couldn't understand why Loya didn't do it himself instead of telling them to.
Wanda also looked at Loya with expectant eyes, as if a crown already rested upon his head.
She could feel warmth like that of the sun radiating from him; perhaps someone like him was the true savior.
Loya didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How had the topic turned back to him?
Still, he had indeed overlooked one thing: it was completely normal for Wanda and Pietro to feel lost.
After all, not every country shared the mindset of 'Are kings and nobles born great?', nor did every culture possess the art of dragon slaying.
At the end of the day, Wanda and Pietro were only in their twenties. Making such a massive leap from ordinary people to taking on something of this scale—feeling bewildered was only natural.
However, having him become king and liberate Sokoviawas out of the question.
Loya looked at Pietro and Wanda, gently shaking his head. "No matter what, I won't do it. This is something only you two can do, but I will help you."
Hearing this, Wanda and Pietro looked somewhat disappointed, but they still nodded.
Unwilling to give up, Pietro pressed on, "Why? Is being a king not a good thing?"
Loya smiled faintly. He had actually considered the idea initially; this nation was in such dire straits that improving the lives of ordinary citizens was by no means a bad thing, and it would also allow him to test the ability "Grace of the Sun"—truly killing two birds with one stone.
Yet after observing the nation through the "Voice of All Things," he had gained many new insights.
That was also why he had chosen to help Wanda and Pietro liberate the country rather than doing it himself.
He explained slowly, "Because I am not Sokovian, nor have I experienced the true suffering of its people. Even if I can empathize with everyone and with this land, what I haven't lived through remains unlived."
"What does that matter? At least life would be better," Wanda said, puzzled.
Loya chuckled. "If one has never walked and measured this land, how could one truly understand its suffering? And how could that ever be called liberation?"
"My thoughts and values are entirely different from the people of this land. Is the liberation I envision truly the liberation you desire? Would such a liberation have any meaning? Would it even be liberation?"
"Even if I were to liberate this country using my own ideas and beliefs, using power capable of opposing an entire nation to resolve every problem, what then?
Standing at the Peak with absolute power would merely plunge this nation into another cycle, an endless loop that never ceases,
where everything seems to have changed, but in truth nothing has.
Then what difference would there be between me and the so-called nobility? It might liberate people's bodies and bring them a prosperous life, but their spirits would still be shackled. That is not liberation; it is merely another cycle. A stronger entity defeating another strong entity, nothing more."
He smiled faintly. "Liberation is not as simple as you think. It is not just about physical liberation; the mind must be liberated as well. I might be able to bring physical liberation, but when it comes to the liberation of the mind, it has to come from you!"
Loya's eyes seemed to shine with light. "You are children of this land. You have witnessed its glory and seen its decline, and you are just like the majority of its people.
Only when you stand up and resonate with those who are just like you, working together to overthrow this corrupt rule, liberate their minds, and liberate this land—only then will this land be truly liberated, truly saved."
"I am merely an outsider, whereas you are the ones most qualified! You are the true Masters of this land!"
As Loya spoke these words, he did not notice:
The sunlight behind him, which should have shone upon the ground, oddly shifted direction and bathed him in light, making him shine brilliantly as though a Celestialdescending to the mortal realm.
Wanda and Pietro were deeply shaken by this wondrous phenomenon and Loya's words, their eyes wide and their mouths agape.
Just then, a system notification chimed in Loya's ears.
[The Sun has acknowledged your understanding of and will toward liberation. You have received the Blessing of the Sun.]
[Grace of the Sun has leveled up, adding a new blessing effect.]
[Blessing Effect: Liberation]