radicalducati Page 42
Page 42
There were no cheers, no slogans. Everyone present silently paid their respects once more to the wall inscribed with names, then turned and left the hall in an orderly fashion.
The medals on their chests are heavy, representing not only honor, but also the weight of the deceased and the responsibility for the future.
Chapter 104: Delving into the Root Causes – The “Strange Phenomenon Research Center” is Established
Three days later, a proposal marked "Top Secret" landed on Kingpin's desk. The proposal's title was concise and powerful: "Plan for Establishing a 'Center for the Study of Strange Phenomena' and Conducting Systematic Research." The list of drafters included two heavyweight names: Bruce Banner and Otto Octavius.
This proposal stemmed from the remains of a destroyed energy node on the Sahara battlefield. Otto's mechanical tentacles collected energy samples from the ruins, and after initial joint analysis with Banner in the "Ivory Tower" laboratory, they discovered a disturbing, microscopic homology between the energy signatures and residual energy fluctuations from the previous "Involution" monster incident, and even earlier, the "Deep Sea King" event. This homology wasn't entirely identical; it was more like different branches growing from the same eerie tree.
This discovery sent chills down the spines of both top scientists. If there is indeed some common "source" or "mechanism" behind these seemingly independent strange events, then merely reacting passively after the monsters appear is tantamount to putting out a fire with a bath.
Kingpin carefully read the dozens of pages of the proposal, which detailed the necessity of establishing a specialized agency, the planning of research directions (including energy tracing, social causal analysis, biological variation mechanisms, prevention and early warning mechanisms, etc.), and the necessary resources and support. He read quickly, but did not miss any of the key points on each page.
An hour later, he pressed the communicator.
"Notify Dr. Banner, Dr. Octavius, and the relevant department heads that they will be in the first conference room in one hour."
The atmosphere at the meeting was somber. Besides Banner and Otto, attendees included Wesley, who was in charge of logistics; Fitz from the equipment department; the head of the intelligence analysis department; and several top scholars recruited by the association in fields such as biology, energy physics, and social psychology.
Without any pleasantries, King cut straight to the point: "Dr. Banner, Dr. Octavius, I've reviewed your proposal. What's the conclusion? In the simplest terms."
Banner adjusted his glasses, his tone calm yet undeniably serious: "Chairman, the data doesn't lie. We are over 80% certain that the energy sources of the 'wolf' level and above monster incidents that have erupted globally over the past year are not entirely random. They share some kind of 'underlying protocol' or... 'contamination source' that we haven't yet understood."
Otto continued, his mechanical tentacles tapping the ground impatiently: "This means that the monsters are not simply 'mutations,' but more like a phenomenon that has been 'induced' or 'catalyzed.' All our previous responses have only been clearing the surface weeds without digging into their roots. If we don't find this root cause, we might be able to destroy three Dragon-level monsters today, but tomorrow ten, or even... something more terrifying, could appear."
A suppressed gasp rose from the audience. The conclusion was too horrifying.
"So, your purpose in proposing the establishment of this research center is to dig up the roots?" Kingpin's gaze swept over the two men.
“Yes,” Banner nodded. “We need to systematically collect and analyze the remnants, energy samples, environmental data from all the strange events, and the socio-psychological state of the hosts before their mutations. We need to build mathematical models to simulate the mutation process and try to reverse-engineer its origin. This requires a top-notch interdisciplinary team, as well as… the unique resources and technical support that the Association can provide.” He glanced at Otto and added, “especially Dr. Octavius’s expertise in energy structure and artificial intelligence analysis, and… the Association’s cutting-edge technology library.” His last sentence was somewhat subtle, but the meaning was clear.
Otto slightly raised his chin. Although he didn't speak, his eyes showed that he agreed with Banner's statement and had no doubt about the key role he could play.
Kingpin paused for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping the table. The entire conference room was deathly quiet; everyone awaited the chairman's decision. This was not merely the establishment of a new department, but a significant shift in the association's strategic direction, moving from "crisis response" to "root cause investigation and prevention."
“Yes.” Kingpin finally spoke, his voice resolute. “The ‘Strange Phenomenon Research Center’ shall be established immediately. Bruce Banner, you are appointed as the center’s director, responsible for overall research direction and coordination.”
Banner nodded solemnly.
“Otto Octavius, you are hereby appointed as Chief Technology Officer, responsible for energy analysis and technology development, and leading the ‘Source Tracing’ project.”
Otto's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, seemingly quite satisfied with the title and the authority it granted him.
"The center has the highest priority in resource allocation, can access all non-core databases of the association, and has the right to submit customized R&D requests to the Equipment Department." Kingpin looked at Fitz, who immediately straightened his back to indicate that he understood.
"Wesley, coordinate logistics and allocate the fifth to eighth basement levels of Headquarters Block B to the center for renovation according to the highest biological and energy protection standards."
“Understood, Chairman.” Wesley quickly took notes.
“But,” Kingpin’s tone shifted, his gaze sharpening as he locked onto Banner and Otto like a hawk, “I need more than just papers and theories. I need applicable results. Early warning mechanisms, preventative measures, even… targeted countermeasures. Time may not be on our side.”
“We understand,” Banner replied in a deep voice, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders.
Otto, unusually, did not raise any objections. He simply adjusted his goggles with a mechanical tentacle, his eyes filled with excitement and focus in the face of a challenging task.
Once the order was given, the entire association sprang into action again, operating like a sophisticated machine. In just 48 hours, the previously empty underground floors of Zone B were filled with all sorts of cutting-edge instruments and equipment. Energy shielding rooms, high-precision material analyzers, live sample containment units (currently empty, but of extremely high specifications), supercomputer arrays... were built with astonishing efficiency.
On the day the research center was officially established, the main members held their first informal meeting. In addition to Banner and Otto, the psychic Lin was also invited to join, responsible for studying the psychological changes in the process of the monsters' mutation from a spiritual and conscious perspective; Electro Max was included in the energy analysis team because of his unique perspective as an energy life form and his high sensitivity to energy anomalies; even Spider-Man Peter Parker was specifically requested by Banner to regularly share "field investigation" data because of his frequent front-line combat experience and intuitive understanding of various strange abilities.
Peter looked at the futuristic lab in front of him, scratched his head, and muttered to Max beside him, "Wow, this place looks even cooler than Mr. Stark's lab... But if I'm to share the 'data,' what should I say? 'That guy who sprays acid smells like rotten eggs'?"
Max chuckled, a faint blue light flickering within him: "Peter, sometimes your senses are more direct than the instruments, that's what Dr. Banner says."
In the center's main laboratory, Otto was directing mechanical tentacles to place energy samples brought back from the Sahara into a massive, sensor-laden ring-shaped analyzer. Banner stood at the control console, adjusting complex data models.
“The energy structure is extremely unstable, with a strong tendency for self-destruction and… encryption traces.” Otto frowned as he looked at the scrolling, garbled data stream on the screen. “It’s like they’re deliberately hiding something.”
“Try using gamma energy spectrum for in-depth scanning,” Banner suggested, “and cross-compare it with the residual frequencies of mental pollution collected from the ‘involution’ freak provided by Miss Lin.”
Different energy beams were directed at the restless, dark red sample, and the data stream began to change, with some vague, regular signals emerging from the noise.
On a secondary screen, dots representing the energy signatures of dozens of different strange events from the past are slowly moving within a three-dimensional coordinate model. Driven by a new algorithm set up by Banner and Otto, these seemingly chaotic dots begin to show a subtle tendency to converge in a common "direction."
Although that "direction" remains vague and distant, like a cloud of dark matter in the depths of the universe, it is undoubtedly a landmark discovery.
Chapter 105: System Upgrade! The boss... has become a human bug?!
Just as everything was in ruins (mainly physical reconstruction), an "internal upgrade" targeting Wilson Kingpin was launched without warning as he reviewed Otto's budget request for a "quantum decoherence shielding laboratory" that could buy several small island nations.
[Critical event detected: "Multi-node Dragon-level Disaster Mitigation" complete.]
[Stability Assessment: Regional crisis resolved, foundation for civilization's continued existence strengthened.]
[Meets the upgrade requirements stipulated in Article 7, Section 3 of the core agreement.]
[System version update: V2.918 → V3.0.]
[Update Content: Enhanced core privileges, optimized host life form, and unlocked high-level ability modules.]
[Energy infusion begins...]
A series of cold, precise, and emotionless prompts swept through Kingpin's mind. Compared to before, these prompts were more concise and information-dense, as if the guide had transformed into a highly efficient and ruthless central processing unit.
What followed was a torrent of energy, far more powerful yet restrained than before. It didn't violently wash over him, but rather permeated, transformed, and optimized every fundamental unit of his body in a way that bordered on the level of rules. There was no pain, only a strange sensation that the very essence of his life was being redefined. He looked down at his hands—the very hands that had once laid the foundation for underground order with their bare hands. Beneath his skin, it seemed as if a microcosm of the galaxy was silently churning, and an awareness that he could easily crush his former self, in his prime, like cracking a walnut, naturally surfaced.
Before my eyes, the system interface has been completely revamped. It still features a cool-toned blueprint full of technological flair, but the layout is simpler, the information is denser, and the data flow at the edges carries a breathtaking sense of efficiency.
[Host Status Panel - V3.0]
ID: Wilson Grant Fisk / Kingpin
Authority Level: Founder of Order (III)
Life Form: Semi-Data-Driven Immortal Body (Primary) - Significantly enhanced resistance to physical damage and energy erosion, possessing super-fast regeneration capabilities (energy-dependent). Note: Conventional physical destruction methods are no longer a lethal threat.
Core competency modules:
1. Order Field (Prototype) - Unfolds a rule-based domain based on the host's will. Within its range, friendly units receive a slight boost to all attributes, while enemy units are subject to rule-based suppression (the effect is positively correlated with the energy level difference). Physical constants within the domain may undergo a limited shift.
2. Microscopic Matter Manipulation (Atomic Level) - Within authorized limits, non-living matter can be deconstructed and recombined at the atomic level. Energy consumption is positively correlated with the total amount of matter and the precision of the operation. Warning: Direct use on living organisms is prohibited (insufficient authorization).
3. Spatial Anchor Point (Primary) - Allows setting up to 3 permanent spatial coordinates for beyond-line-of-sight teleportation. Cooldown: 72 standard Earth times. Error rate: <0.001%.
• Access to advanced tech trees (partially unlocked)
• Rule-level building blueprint library (access rights open)
• Conceptual defense theory (database unlocked)
• Application of causal weapons (theoretical model, insufficient permissions)
Kingpin's gaze swept over the lines of description, lingering for a moment on "semi-datafied immortal body" and "microscopic matter manipulation." This went beyond mere power enhancement; it was more like... tampering with the underlying code of the real world. With a slight thought, he retrieved the system log's assessment report on this upgrade. The report analyzed the data from the Dragon-level battle with the utmost composure, concluding that the current host's strength was insufficient to deal with potential higher-level threats. Based on the core protocol, an emergency upgrade procedure was initiated.
[Version Upgrade Rewards Distribution:]
1. Exclusive Equipment Blueprint: [Armor of Order - Prototype] (Upgradable Adaptive Armor) - Data has been transferred to the manufacturing terminal.
2. Building Upgrade Permit: [Headquarters Restructuring - One Time] - Optional Options: , , .
3. Random Technical Blueprint: [???] - Quality: Legendary. Stored in an encrypted database; requires specific conditions to unlock.
Kingpin ignored the latter two points and focused his attention on the [Armor of Order]. With a thought, a massive stream of data flooded his mind—a suit of armor design far beyond the current comprehension of Earth's technology. It was not merely a platform for defense and attack, but also a sophisticated energy cycle and rule-interference node, capable of deeply resonating with his "Order Field" and "Microscopic Matter Manipulation" abilities, and even absorbing and transforming external free energy for self-repair and evolution.
"That's more like it," Kingpin thought to himself. Compared to the previous fancy descriptions, this method of directly enhancing essential power suited his taste better.
To verify his newly acquired ability, he turned his gaze to the solid steel globe in the corner of the office, which served as decoration. Without any preparation or warning, he simply locked onto the target with his consciousness and initiated the manipulation of microscopic matter.
Silently, the region on the globe representing "North America," along with part of its supporting structure, vanished instantly, as if swallowed by a swarm of highly sophisticated nanobots. There was no explosion, no flash, no change in temperature; the matter was decomposed and dispersed at its most basic level. The edges of the resulting void were smooth as a mirror, reflecting the cold gleam of the overhead light, as if it had always been that way.
Just then, the office door was pushed open without knocking, and Otto Octavius barged in impatiently, his four mechanical tentacles waving, clearly making a final push for that exorbitantly priced collider.
“President Fisk, regarding that budget, I think you must understand its strategic value…” His words trailed off.
Otto's mechanical tentacles emitted piercing alarms from their sensors. His eyes, behind his goggles, were fixed on the missing piece of the globe, then abruptly shifted to Kingpin. In his sensor readings and high-precision vision, Kingpin's life force became as unfathomable as an abyss, and the surrounding space exhibited an extremely subtle yet undeniable distortion that defied known laws of physics. And the missing piece of the globe… there was no residual energy, no trace of any force, as if… it had been simply forgotten by the universe itself!
“Chairman…” Otto’s voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper scraping. One of his mechanical tentacles pointed uncontrollably at the globe, then at Kingpin. “You…you just now…what kind of technology was that?! Your life readings…this is impossible! It completely contradicts any known law of conservation of energy and theory of matter structure! You…what exactly are you?!”
Kingpin looked at Doctor Octopus, whose worldview had been subjected to a nuclear-level shock, and then felt the abnormal state of his body called "semi-datafied immortal body," as well as the absolutely calm and objective system interface in his mind.
He paused for a few seconds, then calmly replied in a statement of fact, with an unquestionable tone:
"Doctor, regarding the budget issue and prioritization, I suggest you shift your research focus to how to quantify and understand... the 'rules' themselves."
Otto: "!!!"
He looked at Kingpin, then at the globe that seemed to mock all the knowledge he had ever acquired, and for the first time, he truly felt a fundamental tremor in his understanding of "science." The Kingpin before him no longer seemed like a simple superhuman, but rather... a walking loophole in the laws of physics?
Jin ignored the dazed Otto, his consciousness sinking into the system, pulling up the manufacturing requirements list for the "Armor of Order." The list of materials and energy requirements made even this seasoned veteran raise an eyebrow slightly.
“It seems,” he thought, “that the association’s resources and the funding applications for the ‘Center for the Study of Strange Phenomena’ will likely need to be directed in a new and more prioritized direction.”
Chapter 106: Boss, did you exploit a bug in the universe?
Dr. Otto Octavius, a top scientist who has dedicated his life to explaining the world with formulas and laws, is currently experiencing a cognitive crisis comparable to the Big Bang. Like a spectator seeing a magic trick for the first time and finding himself to be the pigeon, he points at the globe with a missing piece, its mechanical tentacles tracing meaningless lines in the air, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single logical question.
Kingpin, seeing Otto nearly triggering a protective shutdown on the spot, decided to use more systematic data to verify the newly acquired capabilities, and incidentally... to give this important chief technology officer a more intuitive "scientific" shock.
“Come with me, Doctor.” Kingpin stood up, his body beneath the expensive suit seeming more… “solid” than ever before. He led the way out of the office, his steps steady, as if he had just casually tidied the desk.
Otto was like a robot that had been forcibly turned on, his four mechanical tentacles following him instinctively, while his sensors remained firmly locked on Kingpin, trying to analyze some clues that conformed to the laws of physics from that inhuman life magnetic field and sense of spatial distortion.
They arrived at the association's highest-level "super-heavy firing range." This place was usually used to test the Sandman's crystallized sand spear's ultimate penetrating power, or the amount of damage a single angry punch from Dr. Green could cause. At this moment, the firing range was deserted, with only the thick, new composite armor plates gleaming coldly under the lights in the distance.
"Doctor, set the highest defense level target," Kingpin calmly instructed.
Otto snapped out of his daze, his mechanical tentacles rapidly operating the control panel, while he couldn't help but ask, "President! What exactly... that globe...?"
“Record the data.” Kingpin interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the armor plate in the distance, which was over three meters thick and thick enough to withstand continuous bombardment from heavy armor-piercing shells.
He didn't strike any exaggerated poses, nor did he even slightly gather his strength as usual. He simply raised his right hand, made a fist in the air, and aimed it at the target at least a hundred meters away.
Command confirmed: Initiate microscopic matter manipulation (atomic level). Target locked. Execute deconstruction procedure.
There was no sound, no light effects, and no shockwaves.
In the distance, in the center of that seemingly indestructible armor plate, a circular area about one meter in diameter had vanished into thin air, as if erased by the most skilled Photoshop master using "content-aware fill"! Leaving behind a large, perfectly smooth circular hole, so smooth it could even be used as a mirror! Through the hole, one could see the buffer layer further away.
Otto's mechanical tentacles froze instantly, and all the sensor readings on the control panel, which had been fluctuating wildly, returned to a jumbled mess—because they simply couldn't understand what had just happened! No energy release, no particle collisions, no heat changes, it was just... nothing?
“No…impossible…” Otto muttered to himself, his eyes wide behind his goggles. “This violates the law of conservation of mass! It violates the law of conservation of energy! It violates…all the fucking fundamental laws!” He rarely swore.
Jin ignored his breakdown and moved on.
Command confirmed: Deploy the Order Force Field (prototype). Range: Standard test area.
An invisible, indescribable wave instantly spread from him, enveloping the entire firing range. Otto jolted awake, feeling as if he were trapped in sticky glue; the movements of his mechanical tentacles became abnormally sluggish, and the processing speed of his computing core seemed to slow down considerably. Even more terrifying, he detected that the physical constants of the surrounding space appeared to have undergone extremely minute, but undeniably real, shifts!
[Order field in effect. Rule suppression coefficient within range: 0.03. Spatial constant offset rate: <0.001%.] The system's cold notification sounded in Kingpin's mind.
"What...what kind of hell is this?!" Otto felt like he was about to cry; this was even more despairing than when his tentacle AI betrayed him. At least that time could be explained as a technical glitch, but this was a complete dimensional attack!
Just then, several core heroes who rushed over after receiving a mixed message from Otto (with trembling tentacles) that read "SOS/Come witness a miracle/My worldview has collapsed" happened to witness this scene.
As Electro Max floated into the firing range, the electricity flowing merrily around him seemed to have been doused with ice water, instantly becoming sluggish and dimming. "Uh... why do I feel like... I'm out of power?" He looked around blankly.
Spider-Man Peter Parker, sensing something was wrong with his spider-sense, slammed on the brakes and stopped at the doorway, peering out from the door frame: "Wow! What's going on in here? I feel like I've stumbled into the dean's office, I'm so uncomfortable!"
Flint, the Sandman, walked in with a frown. The sand beneath his feet flowed noticeably slower, and the crystallization process became much more sluggish. "Master, the 'rules' here... seem to have changed?" he asked in a muffled voice, his most immediate impression being this.
Dr. Bruce Banner (Professor Mode) was the last to enter. He adjusted his glasses, feeling the strange oppressive force surrounding him, and the physics-defying hole in the armor plate in the distance. His gaze became incredibly serious and… curious. “Wilson, you… seem to have undergone some ‘small’ changes?”
Kingpin deactivated his Order Field, and the eerie sense of oppression within the firing range vanished instantly. He turned around, looked at the core members before him with their varied expressions, and calmly dusted off non-existent dust from his hands.
"The system permissions have been upgraded, and new capability modules have been acquired." He explained the most outrageous thing in the simplest language.
"System upgrade?!" Peter was the first to jump up, pointing at the huge hole. "Boss! You call this a 'system upgrade'? This is clearly a bug in the universe! What kind of patch gives out a skill that can directly delete map terrain?!"
Max flew to the hole, his blue face filled with disbelief. He reached out to touch the smooth edge, yet hesitated, afraid his electric current would further "decompose" it. "Chairman...you...you've become a walking, human eraser now?"
Flint walked to the cave entrance, touched the edge with crystallized sand, feeling its incomprehensible smoothness, remained silent for a moment, then looked at Kingpin with a complicated expression: "Chairman, in the future... if we're demolishing buildings, will I not have to lift a finger?" He was actually considering work efficiency!
Otto finally recovered somewhat from his petrified state. He pointed at Kingpin with a mechanical tentacle, his voice weak and accusatory after his scientific faith collapsed: "System upgrade?! Chairman Fisk! Please be serious! This is a phenomenon that cannot be explained by the current scientific system! This involves the origin of matter and the level of rules! You must tell me, have you secretly contacted some higher-dimensional being? Or... are you actually a universe administrator in human form?!"
Even the most composed Banner couldn't help but join in the questioning: "Wilson, this ability... does it have any side effects? How much energy does it consume? What are the limits of its range and mental workload?" His scientist's spirit was burning brightly.
Kingpin was surrounded by this group of people, listening to their reactions ranging from shock to complaints to academic discussions. He felt it was even more of a headache than dealing with three Dragon-level threats at the same time.
[Capability module operating status: Stable. Energy reserve: 97.3%. No abnormal mental load detected.] The system provided the cold, hard data in a timely manner.
Kingpin took a deep breath and decided to end the chaos.
"Alright." His deep voice carried an undeniable authority, instantly silencing everyone.