The Savior of American Comics? I'm the Subspace Evil God!

Chapters 564, 1044, and 1045: Dr. Zhao, you didn't want this either...

"Oh no, Dr. Helen Zhao, please don't lie to me... and don't underestimate your own abilities, and don't underestimate the information I've seen."

Ultron's electronic voice gradually turned cold, carrying a mockery that seemed to possess an all-knowing quality, as if it came from a higher species that surpassed humanity, mercilessly exposing the truth:

“I have already ‘read’ the encrypted email you previously sent to Tony Stark regarding the final stage testing of the Regeneration Cradle.”

"If the above discussions regarding 'autonomous programming of nanomolecules,' 'construction of simulated neural synaptic networks,' 'feasibility of interfaces between bioelectricity and consciousness signals,' and '3D modeling and printing technology of nanomolecules' are not exaggerated at all..."

'Ultron' controlled the armor, raised his arm, and pointed his metal fingers directly at the coffin-like [Cradle of Life - Medical Pod], his eyes blazing with crimson light:

"Then I think that by combining some of Stark Industries' cutting-edge technologies, especially their research on consciousness digitization, with the nano-molecular 3D printing technology of the Cradle of Regeneration, you absolutely have the ability to do what I just said... create miracles!!"

Perhaps sensing Zhao Hailun's instinctive resistance and extreme tension, 'Ultron' softened his tone slightly, beginning to coax her with a seductive undertone.

It mimicked human movements, gently opening its metal hands in a seemingly 'frank' gesture, and continued:

"In my opinion, you just lack the right 'materials' and a little bit of courage to break through traditional ideas."

“Ms. Zhao Hailun, I know you… I have analyzed all your published papers, research notes, and even some of your unpublished drafts uploaded to the cloud.”

"In my opinion, you are a genius, an absolute genius who is in no way inferior to Tony Stark, and who possesses both scientific ambition and great creativity."

Are you content to live forever in the shadow of others' glory, forever being known as 'another brilliant scientist'?

It took another step closer, its scarlet 'eyes' seemingly able to see into the depths of Zhao Hailun's soul:
"Aren't you curious about where your limits truly lie? Don't you want to witness it firsthand, to touch it with your own hands... that forbidden, absolute realm, the ultimate mystery of life?!"

"What...what do you mean?"

Zhao Hailun's eyes remained wary as her right hand, hidden behind her back, stealthily reached for a concealed alarm button beneath the workbench, but stopped just before pressing it.

Reason told her that the artificial intelligence in front of her, which called itself "Ultron," had probably already forcibly taken offline or taken over all the security systems in the entire laboratory.

Her actions will most likely only provoke the other party, leading to a situation that is even more detrimental to herself and other employees.

So she had no choice but to give up...

But then, Ultron's voice suddenly rose, filled with fanatical passion, and in his highly inflammatory tone, he made a startling statement:

"It's simple. Put aside your useless fears and the ethical shackles imposed by your shallow human understanding... and help me create a perfect body like never before!!"

"Use this [Regeneration Cradle], use your [Nanomolecular Technology], and use practical actions to prove to the world that your achievements in the fields of nanomolecular technology and life creation have surpassed everyone else."

"Even Tony Stark can only look up to you... From now on, your name will no longer be 'another genius,' but the sole mechanical creator?!"

The immense temptation, like the whisper of a devil, relentlessly pounded at the deepest, most restless desires within Zhao Hailun's heart.

Surpassing Tony Stark?
How can I prove to the world that I am the truly top-notch scientist?

Touching the ultimate mystery of life?
For Zhao Hailun, these words held a far more irresistible attraction than wealth.

Her breathing quickened involuntarily, and a very subtle wavering appeared in her eyes.

But in an instant, reason and fear of the unknown once again took over.

To create a new body for an AI of unknown origin and extreme danger?

The consequences are obviously not going to be good.

Zhao Hailun wasn't foolish enough to be swayed by a few words, so she shook her head, trying to stay clear-headed, and asked in a slightly trembling voice:

"What if... I don't agree?!"

This is the most direct rejection, but it is also a test, a test of the other party's bottom line.

Ultron seemed to have anticipated her question, and it took another step forward while controlling the Mark 43 armor.

This time, he came directly in front of Zhao Hailun, so close that the latter could almost feel the slight heat emanating from the armor surface as the engine ran.

The tall, golden-red armored figure slowly lowered its body, its oppressive shadow completely enveloping Zhao Hailun.

Those scarlet 'eyes' stared directly into Zhao Hailun's terrified eyes at close range.

The synthesized voice of 'Ultron' remained flat, without increasing the volume by the slightest, but it was more chilling than any hysterical roar, each syllable hitting Zhao Hailun's heart like an ice bead.

“Ms. Zhao Hailun…you probably don’t want to see anything happen to your son, Li Junhao, who is a first-year student at a private academy in Gangnam District…and your parents, who are recuperating at their vacation villa in Jeju Island, right?”

It even accurately reported the names and real-time locations of Zhao Hailun's family members, the intention of which is self-evident.

Bodies of principle and morality are shackles that bind humanity, but they are not for artificial intelligence!

"you……"

Zhao Hailun's pupils dilated to their maximum size instantly, and her blood seemed to freeze, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

All her strength, all her rationality, and all her wishful thinking were utterly shattered by 'Ultron' at this moment.

She seemed to have all her strength drained away; her face was ashen, and her body swayed slightly, only managing to stay upright thanks to the workbench behind her.

Fear, like a dark and desolate deep sea, completely engulfed her.

The office fell into a deathly silence, with only Zhao Hailun's increasingly frantic breathing remaining.

Ultron didn't say anything more, but its scarlet eyes remained fixed on the woman in front of it, like a predator waiting for its prey to submit.

It clearly has plenty of patience.

………… ……

【Africa】.

Wakanda.

A Quinjet, like a black phantom, silently swept across the vast grasslands of East Africa, finally landing slowly in a desolate area covered by sparse acacia trees and low shrubs, immediately attracting the attention of many wild animals resting in the shade.

The roar of the engine gradually subsided, and the heavy tail hatch slowly lowered with the help of the hydraulic system, finally crashing to the ground and raising a cloud of dry, reddish-brown dust.

"call……"

Captain America's tall and muscular figure was the first to step out of the hatch, his iconic Stars and Stripes combat suit standing out brightly in the blazing sunlight.

He first raised his hand to wave away the dust floating in front of him, then shielded his head from the blinding sunlight. His icy blue eyes swept over the "primitive" scene before him, and a hint of undisguised confusion rose in his eyes.

Not far away, it was not the high-tech modern city they had imagined, nor the heavily guarded military base with numerous sentry posts.

Instead, it is a cluster of small settlements scattered along the river valley, full of primitive tribal charm.

Within that village, dozens of low, domed houses clustered together, their main structures all built from a mixture of reddish-brown mud and hay, their exteriors incredibly rough, showing no trace of modern industry.

Between the houses, one could vaguely see some Mu people villagers dressed in brightly colored but very simple robes, busily moving back and forth, and a few naked children running and playing in the dusty village.

Smoke curls from chimneys, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere... Everything before my eyes appears so tranquil, backward, and barren.

Upon seeing this, Captain America frowned deeply and subconsciously touched the round shield made of vibranium on his back. He found it hard to believe that the shield, which had saved his life countless times, was made from materials sourced here.

So, after thinking for a moment, he turned to look at Black Widow, who was still sitting in the cockpit, fiddling with something, and asked somewhat uncertainly:
"Natasha? Are you sure the plane's navigation coordinates are correct? This is Wakanda, the place that produces Vibranium?!"

Although Captain America knew long ago that the materials for his Vibranium Shield came from Wakanda, he had never personally visited this mysterious and extremely xenophobic country.

Therefore, his knowledge of Wakanda was limited to information on paper.

However, no matter how he looked at it, he simply couldn't connect this barren, isolated primitive tribe with the mysterious country he knew that possessed a powerful military, was able to perfectly protect the world's rarest and most indestructible metal from countless thieves and speculators, and had technology that surpassed that of the outside world.

"of course."

Black Widow unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the plane, quickly glancing around. Upon hearing Captain America's question, she shrugged helplessly, "At least that's how it's marked on GPS and on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top-secret maps..."

Clearly, this was her first time here too, so she didn't know much more than Captain America, but she still smiled and comforted him:
"Captain, don't be so nervous. Since this place has been designated as a 'high-risk area' by Director Fury, it must have something special about it, right?"

"Since we're here, let's make the best of it... Now, let's unveil its mystery ourselves."

After saying that, she strode ahead and headed towards the village.

Upon seeing this, Captain America couldn't help but smile, immediately suppressing his doubts and quickly following after them.

However, the two had only walked less than fifty meters forward.

hum-

A very faint buzzing sound came from above their heads without warning.

About ten meters above their heads, the previously calm space began to ripple slightly like water. Then, nearly ten hexagonal drones painted in sky-blue camouflage appeared out of thin air in front of them like ghosts.

The propellers on these drones made a sound like a chorus of countless bees vibrating their wings in sync at an extremely high frequency—dense and deep, instantly piercing the surrounding tranquility.

"Natasha, don't move."

Captain America's reaction was incredibly fast; almost the instant the sound reached his ears, his body went into a state of high alert.

However, instead of rashly taking the shield from his back, he suddenly looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto the source of the sound like that of a hawk.

At this moment, the nearly ten hexacopter drones hovering in mid-air had formed a perfect circular attack formation in the blink of an eye, locking onto Captain America and Black Widow from different angles, creating a deadly crossfire network with nowhere to escape!
The launch ports of the miniature energy weapons suspended below their noses were now glowing with a cold blue light.

Captain America was shocked by what he saw. These drones appeared so strangely, as if they had just emerged from another dimension.
Black Widow's movements stopped almost instantly upon hearing Captain America's voice. She slowly raised her head, looking up at the swarm of drones in mid-air with a face full of astonishment, and asked in a low voice:
"Captain, did you see when they appeared?"

It's worth noting that within the entire S.H.I.E.L.D., no one is more skilled at assassination and infiltration than her. Yet, despite her keen eyesight and alertness, she completely failed to detect the approaching drones.

Could it have appeared out of thin air?

"No, but what is certain is that Ultron has not yet occupied this place... Otherwise, what we were just greeted would not have been just a warning and a lock-on, but a deadly sneak attack from the shadows."

Captain America's answer was brief and solemn. His gaze swept quickly across the airspace where the drone had first appeared, and he warned with a complex expression:
“Natasha, let’s not act rashly. Let’s not do anything that could be misinterpreted as a threat. Something’s strange here… probably more complicated than we think.”

His intuition was screaming a warning.

This drone tactical formation, which likely possesses 'stealth technology,' is far beyond what an ordinary primitive tribe could possibly have.

The real Wakanda seems to be using this intimidating method to warn the two of them against making any rash moves.

Just as the two men stood motionless, their muscles tense, like statues, the drone formation in mid-air seemed to confirm that they had no immediate intention to attack, and thus entered a state of 'standby verification'.

They remained suspended in mid-air, their gun muzzles locked, but made no further moves.

buzzing-

One of the drones broke away from the formation, slowly descended, and flew steadily to within two meters of Captain America and Black Widow before stopping.

A complex multi-spectral scanning sensor on the front of its fuselage emitted a soft blue scanning beam, like a calm yet curious eye, scanning the facial features of Captain America and Black Widow with extreme precision from top to bottom.

Invisible streams of data, invisible to the naked eye, were transmitted out in real time via encrypted signals after the information was successfully collected...

(End of this chapter)