Lord of Cinder in American Comics

"Anderson! How did you turn bad too? I don't believe you don't know who they are!"

Moses and Marvin were temporarily recruited by the IRS using their retirement funds. They were originally CIA field agents, and this group had experienced a series of events from the Cold War to the Gulf War. It's fair to say they were providing intelligence for military operations, and Anderson couldn't possibly be unaware of these people.

Those who managed to retire alive from the CIA were no pushovers; they could easily cause trouble at any moment. Yet Anderson still kept them on.

“We need them…sir, almost all of the Bureau of Control’s personnel are operatives, all of them retired Marines and General Sheffield’s Task Force 141. We don’t have our own intelligence team.”

"From the moment all the dangerous incidents occurred, it was all thanks to your intelligence. If we had had our own investigative channels during the previous vampire incident, we could have completely avoided the street battle with the vampire, and we could have even taken him out with a guided bomb before he transformed..."

Ash knew, of course, that what Anderson said was true and correct. Ash had always avoided making the members of the Control Bureau more specialized and professional, hoping that on the day she left, these people could return to their original teams as they were before.

However, his subordinates grew in number and their composition became increasingly diverse. What was originally just a nominal combat cleric within the military became the head of the Control Bureau, and the original Firelink Shrine became a sanctuary for a group of assassins.

Ash has become increasingly attached to this world, and seeing Anderson's current sincerity, Ash cannot refuse.

"Fine, you're the housekeeper, you're in charge..."

Just as Ash was about to leave, Anderson stopped her again.

Anderson handed Ash a stack of documents and said, "Sir, you have to participate in an equipment test today, and the chief researcher of a laboratory wants to talk to you. He has been looking for me many times, but he can't find you."

## Chapter 199: The Inexperienced God

In order to have the best time to slack off, Ash usually delegates authority and sets aside a short period each week to sign off on things that he has to do himself.

The timing was entirely Ash's own whim, a random occurrence. And the fact that the window hadn't been repaired was also Ash's own request.

After all, walking through the building lobby, returning the greeting to her subordinates, and then taking the slow elevator was a weekly ordeal for Ash. She simply jumped up from downstairs instead, avoiding any interaction with anyone. She just needed to finish reading the documents on the table and then quietly leave.

Therefore, the number of times you can see Ash inside the base is very limited.

Ash originally intended to use this method to completely distribute power, allowing his subordinates to gradually take control, so that he could find an excuse to retire.

Unexpectedly, the other directors of the Control Bureau have now become Ash's loyal henchmen.

Anderson, formerly Hammer Farron's adjutant, was acquainted with Ash. After Ash rescued Hammer Farron, Anderson became Ash's adjutant and is now the head of the Control Bureau.

Frank, needless to say, had his wife saved by Ash, so he had no reason to go against Ash.

These two men also controlled almost all the combat personnel who originally belonged to the Marine Corps.

On the other side, Task Force 141 only had Ghost as its commander.

The Ghost's real name is Simon Riley. During a mission, due to the betrayal of one of his teammates, all of them were captured alive. Simon was also buried alive. After thirteen hours, Simon crawled out of the ground and decided to continue his mission.

However, when he finally found his teammates, he discovered that his two former teammates had already betrayed him and had killed Riley's entire family.

Ghost began his revenge, first killing two sleeping teammates, then killing the target at the enemy's secret manor and setting the manor on fire, while also making the authorities believe he was dead.

He lost everything—the ghost—his family, his comrades, his home, his enemies. Until he was brought to Task Force 141 by Sheffield.

In all missions, only Ghost never questions the reasons or challenges Ash's orders. He simply does his utmost, leading from the front to complete the mission.

If you were to ask Ash who he trusts most within the entire base, it wouldn't be the butler Anderson, nor the Punisher Frank, but only Ghost.

Therefore, although the current control center does not require Ash's constant attention, it is actually always under Ash's control.

Ash took the document, glanced at it briefly, and immediately became interested in the equipment listed. Looking through the list of designers, Ash discovered that the designer was exactly the same as the lab chief Anderson had reported to him about.

Ash handed the documents to Anderson, but decided to meet him anyway, saying, "Let's meet at the firing range in half an hour."

Half an hour later, at the firing range. Although called a firing range, it was actually a comprehensive training facility covering more than 4 square kilometers. It was originally ravaged by the orcs who invaded from the dimension. After Ash took over, he found that it was not cost-effective to renovate it, so he simply used it as a training ground for urban warfare and indoor CQB.

After the target was set up, Joseph Allen of Task Force 141 appeared wearing an exoskeleton.

This exoskeleton has no power unit; it is entirely composed of hydraulics and auxiliary devices. An independent support structure is attached to the back and connected to the combat vest.

Mechanical mechanisms provide support, and the weapon even has support points on the exoskeleton, allowing Allen to hold an M249 in one hand and fire continuously.

Since there is no power unit, Allen's movement speed is inevitably slowed down, but Allen can carry more ammunition.

After finishing firing, Allen let go of the light machine gun in his hand. However, the light machine gun did not fall to the ground. Instead, it was attached to his waist with the muzzle pointing downwards.

With his right hand behind his head, Allen pulled out the rocket launcher from his back and fired while maintaining a standing posture.

Next up was another set of equipment, which, compared to the previous one, had many more sensors and battery packs, and key parts were also equipped with additional protective armor.

Anderson stood beside Ash, explaining the specifications of the equipment.

"This is a prototype. It is designed with a high-energy battery that can provide eight hours of power and includes enhanced combat capabilities. The designers took into account Stark's suggestions and equipped the backpack with a jet propulsion device. It only requires a little power to allow a fully armed soldier to jump to a height of four meters."

Furthermore, its modular design allows for the addition of various weapons, and it can even carry multiple grenade launchers.

The head-up display can be linked to a data link to provide friend-or-foe identification and battlefield interaction. It also has a built-in emergency treatment system to provide medication to wounded personnel.

This equipment is an enhanced version of the previous unpowered exoskeleton, with added modules. Ashe saw that it included a bulletproof shield, grappling hook, mobile shield, bomb launcher, and even a small drone.

After the demonstration, Anderson hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "The designer knew about your rogue warrior ideas and specially designed one, but it might displease Stark."

What could possibly upset Stark? This immediately piqued Ash's interest.

"Bring it up here and let me see. I want to see exactly why Stark is unhappy!"

The idea of ​​a rogue warrior originated from a long-held thought of Ash's. Ever since being frequently mowed down by heavily armored warriors wielding Gatling guns in the Call of Duty games, Ash has become a staunch supporter of rogue warriors.

This weapon set, designed specifically to cater to Ash's particular preferences, fully showcases the rogue warrior's characteristics of thick armor, high defense, and sustained, fierce firepower.

"Is this AST?"

This suit of armor is strikingly similar to the AST exoskeleton from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, with the three-meter-tall device completely covered by sharply angled armor. The chest armor extends upwards, covering the entire neck of the machine, and then from the shoulders are more massive armored equipment stations.

"According to the designers, this is a heavy-duty exoskeleton for individual soldiers that integrates firepower, protection, and information technology. Because it is larger, it can carry more batteries and has a battery life of up to twelve hours."

Anderson stood to the side, explaining that the heavy armor had taken down all the targets using only the twin-barreled machine gun mounted on its right arm.

The machine gun was then retrieved, and with heavy steps, the heavy armor slammed into a wall, sending bricks and stones flying everywhere.

Next, it walked over to a target vehicle and smashed it into a solid block of iron with its fist.

Anderson's concern was that Stark, as the primary designer of this armor, might cause misunderstandings if he saw that Ashe also possessed such a weapon.

However, Ash knew that Stark didn't take this weapon seriously. In fact, jetpacks existed as early as the 1960s, and the military's Land Warrior program had never stopped.

Such an exoskeleton system is not difficult to develop; energy and price are the primary issues restricting military procurement.

These three exoskeletons show traces of almost every type of exoskeleton, suggesting that the designers consulted every available piece of information to complete the equipment.

Ash was becoming increasingly curious about this designer. In the Marvel universe, the ability to complete a design and put it into practical use so quickly demonstrates his exceptional intelligence; he couldn't possibly be an unknown figure.

But looking at the signature on his hand, it was 'Wernher von Boris,' a name that didn't match anyone else's.

Ash's first impression of the designer was his youth. This designer was too young; he should have been in class right now, not a chief researcher at a military laboratory.

At first glance, Ash noticed the magical power swirling around the young man, a mixture of traditional divination and soul blessing.

When the young man stood next to Ash, he didn't seem to be showing off his masterpiece to his superior at all; instead, he seemed hesitant.

Upon seeing him, Ash decided to be blunt and asked, "So, what do you want from me? Or what do you want from me?"

Upon realizing that Ash had pointed out his purpose, the young man took a step back, appearing even more awkward, and hesitated without speaking.

"You referenced almost every design idea for the three exoskeleton designs, and even used a lighter alternative alloy to reduce costs. But have you considered that I am not short of money? If you adopted the best design standards, the first exoskeleton could have been used without affecting normal combat operations."

When it came to his own design, the young man gained confidence and did not refute Ash's criticisms, since Ash was right.

“I can redesign it. I don’t even need to lift a finger for such a small thing. If I didn’t care about the price, I could even design armor that’s no less impressive than Stark’s!”

The young man then launched into a long explanation to Ashe about how to upgrade, how to establish a unified automated maintenance system, and even proposed a plan on how to integrate Stark's reactor into the current armor after acquiring it...

After the young man finished speaking, Ash continued, "Now can you tell me what you need from me?"

"Freedom, I need freedom, I want to leave the military laboratory..."

Military laboratories offer the fastest access to the latest resources and information, but personal freedom is inevitably restricted.

These three exoskeletons were the young man's stepping stone, the gift that made Ash agree to let him leave.

"Actually, you don't need to do this. If you want to leave, you can just submit a report."

Ash's casual words surprised the young man, who hadn't expected Ash to be so easy to talk to.

"Given your personality, someone must have suggested that you use an exoskeleton to bribe me into letting you go. But have you considered what would happen if I discovered your talent and decided not to let you go?"

Ash's perverse sense of humor always involves mixing hypothetical conditions into his conversations, using drastically different possibilities to disrupt the train of thought of the person he is talking to.

The young man thought about it seriously for a moment before saying, "Susan gave me this advice. She believes that after you benefit from it, you will hide my involvement and then try to gain more power from the higher-ups."

If you look at Ash's public information, it is indeed as analyzed above. It was under the protection of Sheffield and Ross that Ash was able to rise to the top. In order to climb to the next level, he might do what is said.

Ash didn't comment on this analysis, but instead changed the subject, asking, "Can you tell me what you're planning to do after you leave?"

"I want to participate in aerospace engineering; I want to explore the mysteries of the universe..."

When talking about their ideals, the young people's hard work and dedication to their dreams even revealed a willingness to pay any price.

No one can stop someone else's dream. The rumors in Konoha can't stop them, the Navy and Kaido can't stop them, the Storm Famila arena can't stop them, and even Ashe can't stop them.

Ash pulled out a check, wrote a touching number on it, and handed it to the young man.

"Consider it me buying your design; this is an investment in you. But I have one last question: you're not using your real name, are you?"

The young man, holding the check, was one step closer to his dream. He explained gratefully, "My mother was a Gypsy witch. She told me not to tell anyone my real name, lest someone with ill intentions or a demon appear. So my name is a combination of my biological father's and my adoptive father's names."

"Now that I've become your investor, can you tell me your real name?"

“Victor von Doom, you can call me Doom.”

Chapter 200: The Red House

The young and inexperienced Lord Doom is now working in Ash's laboratory.

And the first investment was actually from Ash? Then Doom became the leader of Latvia, and gradually elevated it into a world power while attempting to conquer the outside world.

Or perhaps he establishes a company only to be swindled out of everything by a charlatan, ultimately becoming a second-rate villain who ignores even basic physics.

Doom just mentioned a name, Susan, which should be the name of the Invisible Woman. This means that Doom will be involved with the Fantastic Four in the future.

However, Doom also possesses divination skills and soul blessings, which seems to suggest that he follows the path of the God Doom.

The future of the world is becoming increasingly unclear!

With a sigh, Ash let the inexperienced Doom go, and then prepared to find a good reason for Frank's deceased wife to be resurrected.

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