In the Marvel Universe: I can summon items from all dimensions.

It's unclear which important figure the Hand has taken hostage, but it's surprising that it has directly alarmed Nick Fury—but are these so-called elite agents really effective? Before America's curvy man was exposed, when has any S.H.I.E.L.D. operation been without its share of mishaps?

It's hard to judge Mason because he himself is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

Seeing that Elliott had stopped sending messages, Mason put away his phone and tried to open the window.

Although I don't know why no second ninja broke in, it's always better to secure an escape route first.

The next moment, Mason's expression froze.

The window was clearly not locked, yet it seemed to be frozen in place with the space, remaining completely still despite his forceful pulling.

"What's wrong?" Lorna walked over.

"Something's wrong." Mason took two steps back and replied, "The window won't open."

"?" She glanced at the window in confusion, then raised her hand and gently turned it.

Mason could roughly tell that she was using her powers to pull the window, but the result made no difference; the window remained completely still.

Lorna's expression turned to surprise and doubt. Then, she raised her chin, and the clock that had rolled to the ground after hitting the person floated up and smashed towards the window with the astonishing force of a cannonball.

The result was just a muffled thud. The seemingly fragile glass wobbled a couple of times but didn't break. Instead, the clock was completely twisted and deformed from the impact.

"What's going on?" Lorna blinked in confusion. "Are hospitals starting to use demagnetizing materials and bulletproof glass these days?"

"No, no, no, this is clearly supernatural force." Mason waved his hand. "This room, or rather the entire hospital, is enveloped in a powerful protective shield—aren't you quite familiar with the X-Men? You must have seen this kind of scene quite often, right?"

"The X-Men aren't made up of just anyone; at least I've never seen anything like this before."

Lorna bit her lip, somewhat annoyed, and said, "But I can tear down the whole wall, or..."

Before he could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred.

The black-clad ninja, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly twitched.

Just as a human body suddenly turned into shapeless clay, his torso swelled abnormally, as if a herd of snakes was passing through his muscles, twisting, contracting, and expanding, making him unrecognizable as human in a few seconds.

"Holy crap! There's a second stage?!" Mason gasped, pointing at the black-clad ninja... no, the black-clad fleshy monster, and yelled, "Finish him off! Finish him off now!"

Almost simultaneously, at exactly twelve o'clock, the summoning ability was activated once again. Realizing this, Mason used the opportunity without a second thought.

The galaxy in his mind began to sway and spin once more, and a moment later, a piece of paper appeared silently in Mason's hand.

[The Book of Mercenaries (Fragment)]

[How to use: Submit your request by handwriting or thought, and the Mercenary Book will send a recruitment request to suitable candidates. After the employer and employee reach an agreement, the Mercenary Book will bring the mercenary to the employer.]

【Special Feature: Fragment (This is only a fragment of the complete Mercenary Book, with 3/3 uses)】

[Note: The corpses of employers killed by mercenaries for various reasons could circle the galaxy. Use with caution if you don't want to die.]

The description of the new summons, as it had appeared before, surfaced in Mason's mind.

Something's... subtle?

They seem very powerful, but it's hard to judge them just by the word "mercenary"—after all, there are just too many beings who can be given this title.

In any case, it's at least better than Sadako's videotapes. As for whether it's more powerful than an air gun... we'll have to use it to draw a conclusion.

The tumor on the ground is deforming further, seemingly trying to re-develop into a human shape.

The strong smell of sulfur filled the room, and the temperature inexplicably rose, making one involuntarily think of keywords like hell.

Lorna panicked and levitated the metal objects in the room—such as a smashed clock and a hospital bed railing—intending to launch another attack.

After two loud thuds, reminiscent of the sound of hand-beaten beef balls, the tumor on the ground showed no sign of stopping its movement.

What kind of trick is this...? It seems there are more than just one or two ninjas who have broken into this hospital. If they all have this second-stage transformation, the trouble will be much bigger than we thought.

Then, Lorna gritted her teeth and waved to some unidentifiable device in the corner of the room. The thing, which was about the height of a person, floated up shakily.

Is the intention to overwhelm this bizarre enemy with sheer weight?

But something seems... off?

Magneto could lift a stadium like it was a dumbbell, so it must weigh at least hundreds of thousands of tons, right? How come your supposedly Alpha-level strength is struggling to lift even a few dozen kilograms? If this is your full strength, then you're not even as strong as the TV series version!

Girl, pull yourself together! Does this kind of performance live up to the confidence I had in you?

No, no matter what, I have to find a way to do something.

Mason gripped the paper tightly in his hand—while holding it, he felt as if his mind was connected to something… Yes, it felt like browsing a forum or chat room, where he could input information simply by thinking.

It's a novel experience, but not difficult to grasp.

Mason quickly adapted to the feeling and immediately wrote down two requirements in the fragment of the Book of Mercenaries according to the user guide.

[Does anyone know how to deal with a group of supernatural ninjas? I need help urgently.]

His thoughts were written down and inscribed on the tattered pages of the Book of Mercenaries. In less than a second, the entire page emitted an astonishing heat, almost burning Mason's palm.

Almost immediately, a message popped into Mason's mind.

[Yabo Ren, General Manager of Super Beast Wholesale Market: Hello, if you need military support, you might consider Super Beast Rental. Our company offers fair prices and honest service. We also offer generous gifts to both new and old customers. If you are interested, please place an order immediately.]

Ah...ah?

A...Apo people? ??

Of course he knew where this name came from—a famous villain in the Ultraman series, the nemesis of the meatpacking plant director of the Land of Light, the ultimate workaholic who has been working since the Showa era and into the Reiwa era, and the super beasts he created are renowned in the M78 universe, whether in single combat or as fusion material, they are top-notch.

No, buddy, I was just planning to do a ride-hailing service, and someone like Lawyer Ma (Daredevil) or Uncle Frank (The Punisher) would be enough. Why did this person who can fight Ultraman come up in my feed? Does this make sense?

But... we're already here, right?

As long as it can help me get out of this predicament, I'd be willing to do anything, not just Yapool, but even Chicken Neck Man or Gold Foil Man. If I could control a super beast, as long as it wasn't an outrageous version, wouldn't the Hydra Hand be nothing but fragile trash that breaks at the slightest touch?

As mentioned before, this "Book of Mercenaries" allows employers and employees to communicate through a form similar to online chat. So he immediately gave himself a nickname, contacted the guy who called himself Yapo, and started chatting with him.

[Brainstorming Hero: Yes, I urgently need military support.]

[General Manager Yabo Ren of the Super Beast Wholesale Market: Our company currently sells the Missile Super Beast Belokern, the Moth Super Beast Doragri, the Assassin Super Beast Baraba, and the Celestial Maiden Super Beast Aprasal. These are suitable for various occasions. If you purchase or hire more than ten, you can get a 30% discount. Which one would you like, Mr. Brain?]

Mason's expression changed as he suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem.

The Book of Mercenaries certainly promises a tempting future, but it seems to only provide a trading platform; everything else needs to be handled by the user—in other words, it requires spending money.

These Asians... probably don't accept US dollars, right?

Oh no! The opportunity to take off was right in front of me. Am I going to crash and die halfway because I can't afford to refuel the plane?

[Brainstormer: This is my first time doing this kind of transaction. Could you please explain the specific steps?]

[Yabo Ren, General Manager of Super Beast Wholesale Market: We usually barter. Our company prefers various energy sources and biological tissues, but we also accept labor, weapons, technical blueprints, and useful intelligence. We can adjust the terms according to your preferences, Mr. Brain.]