Lord of Cinder in American Comics

The white gorilla nodded and squeaked. Laura couldn't understand what the little guy meant at all, so she could only follow its guidance and climb up the snow mountain again.

The snow-capped mountains are now the only safe place for Laura.

But Laura never expected that the white gorilla would lead her to Mbaku's side.

At this moment, Mbaku sat on a straw mat atop the snow-capped mountain, shirtless with only a fur covering his shoulders, as if in meditation, waiting for Lara's arrival.

Laura showed no panic upon seeing Mbaku, and waited for him amidst the snow and wind on the mountaintop.

"Just as the White Ape God said, there is not a trace of demonic violence in you..."

Laura, seeing that Mbaku was finally ready to talk, spread her hands helplessly and said, "Sometimes I wonder what Mr. Greedy is after, but you didn't call me here just to talk about this, did you?"

Mbaku shook his head and said, "It's not me looking for you, it's the White Ape God. This land has suffered too much damage, and the Black Panther God has been imprisoned in the Spirit Realm..."

Laura was somewhat skeptical of M'Baku's explanation. Her previous research indicated that the white gorilla god and the black panther god were clearly antagonistic totems. Logically, the black panther god should have been happy to be imprisoned.

Mbaku noticed Laura's confusion and slowly explained, "After that star fell, the animals on this land gradually developed their own will, cooperating and coexisting with humans. Until their will broke through their bodies and entered their own world."

But in that world, they discovered that their existence depended on humans from the outside world. They could only wander endlessly in the dreams of humans on this land, searching for their own representatives.

Gradually, different totems and different beliefs emerged on this land.

Mbaku tells the story of everything that happens on this land from another perspective: the animal gods need human help to maintain their existence, and humans rely on the power of the animal gods to survive on this land.

The relationship between the two sides was entirely mutually beneficial until the tribe belonging to the Black Panther God broke everything. Technology flourished here, but the tribe belonging to the Black Panther God became fewer and fewer. In the past, the Black Panther God could still express its own will within the tribe, but now it no longer has the opportunity to speak.

The spirit world is the space where those animal gods live. Without the support of the outside world, the black panther no longer has the strength to carry out divine descent.

After hearing the story, Laura asked in confusion, "But what can I do? If I tell the outside world about this, you will definitely attract a lot of attention, and the existence of vibranium can destroy you!"

"Then let them perish! Only through struggle can we survive! What matters to Wakanda is not those vibranium mines! We are not ignorant of the outside world, nor are our guardians!"

The guardian deities of the eighteen tribes had already discovered all this, but they only yielded to protect the lives of their own people. We await outsiders to reveal the secrets of this land.

Laura believed the previous stories, but she wouldn't believe what was being said now. If these tribes wanted to spread the word, they wouldn't have waited until now.

The urgency they're in now can only mean one thing: they've encountered a crisis they can't handle.

Laura immediately thought of Nick Fury, whom she had met before, a man wanted by the entire world; his appearance already represented disaster.

If this situation escalates into a full-blown conflict, no one will believe Wakanda is innocent. Look at those skyscrapers, those constantly moving vehicles, and those rhinos' armor—it's all vibranium.

Would a place like Wakanda, which needs aid year after year, really have this kind of technology and capability? It's probably another place funded by aliens!

Laura shook her head, rejecting Mbaku's offer. She was there for archaeological adventure, not to be a scapegoat.

Seeing Laura's refusal, M'Baku inwardly grumbled at the White Ape God's decision. Hiring someone like this clearly meant they were after the person's power and hoped to find a backer to protect them after the storm.

The animal gods in the spirit world also understood the changes in the outside world; vibranium would inevitably be exposed, and finding a reliable backer was crucial for survival. Greedy individuals were at the top of their list of potential targets.

But Laura simply won't agree! And the powerful figure she'd been hoping for hasn't shown up at all.

Just then, a tall white gorilla climbed up the cliff, and its tribal followers handed Mbaku a tablet with information recorded on it.

After reading the message, Mbaku could no longer sit still. He crushed the tablet in his hand and stared at the brightly lit city below with fury in his eyes.

M'Baku looked at Laura and said, "That was the White Ape God's will just now, but now it's my will. Help me spread the word about Wakanda!"

Mbaku's change of heart left Laura bewildered. What news could have angered this mountain tribe chief, who could have sat back and watched the fight unfold before reaping the benefits?

Seeing Laura's confusion, Mbaku said, "Tchaka issued an order for the youth of every tribe to go to the vibranium mines for training in new technologies. Hmph! That's not training! It's that those man-eating creatures need to replenish their strength!"

The youth of the tribe are the future; without them, the entire tribe will lose its reason for existence. Even if some youths manage to acquire one or two technologies, it will have no impact on the overall development of the tribe.

After coldly speaking to Laura, Mbaku turned to the tribal followers who were climbing up the mountain with the white gorilla and said, "Go and inform all the other tribes that I am launching the King's Challenge! T'Chaka must pay the price for his orders!"

The darkness of Wakanda was already stirring, with animals from various tribes constantly moving about, conveying the will of their tribes.

But the city's owners didn't care about these things, or rather, the current owners don't care.

Tchaka watched in shock as the person before him changed his appearance and became his own. At the same time, he felt completely powerless, and blood was flowing continuously from the wound on his chest.

Since this king is disobedient, let's replace him!

The new T'Chaka completely ignored the corpses at his feet; he was now the true king of Wakanda.

T'Chaka emerged from the dark tunnel just as he always had. He addressed the guards, "Activate Wakanda's defenses. Wakanda needs to end the tribal challenge peacefully! And from this moment on, Wakanda no longer needs to hide!"

Laura was still unaware that she couldn't get out, while outside, Devlin and Jimmy Tang, who were camping, were shocked as they watched their car being crushed into pieces by an inexplicable force.

Davelin drew his weapon and fired a shot into the sky. The bullet clearly bounced off the ground, and the startled birds flew erratically, the ripples from the impacts particularly noticeable in the night.

"Jimmy? We're facing Wakanda?"

As Wakanda fully activated its defenses, a hidden city gradually emerged in the distance, its lights shining brightly.

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Chapter 422: The Transaction

Wakanda appeared before Davelin, and then before the entire world.

The series of battles had put the entire Earth on edge, and the emergence of Wakanda once again strained that precarious situation.

What Wakanda actually looks like is no longer important; its structure and ideology are irrelevant.

To Earth, who does this hidden city represent, or rather, what kind of will it represents?

The Wakandas, isolated by the protective shield, underwent a series of tests and interrogations by the World Security Council, with multiple parties involved and their testimonies cross-checked to ensure they were telling the truth.

However, the more they looked at the identical testimonies, the more worried the group of five became about the situation in Wakanda.

The Earth should hold no secrets from these five individuals and the will behind them.

Nick Fury has caused so much trouble! Earth hasn't dealt with him yet, and it's also trying to figure out the alien forces on Earth.

For these five wills, Wakanda is definitely a potential threat that could explode at any moment.

How could a tribal nation hidden in North Africa possess technology that surpasses the overall level of the Earth, and even have a protective shield covering the entire city?

A protective shield! This is essential technology for interstellar travel. To others, this could be interpreted as Wakanda already being capable of interstellar travel, or that they were cultivated by an extraterrestrial force.

If Gaul hadn't stopped them, the group of five would have already been discussing planting mushrooms in Wakanda.

Africa, as Gaul's backyard, saw its foreign legion, a formidable weapon, deployed to the area around Wakanda within hours.

If the foreign legion cannot resolve this matter, Gaul will sow its own seeds to appease the world's sentiments.

Davelin never imagined that his unintentional act would have such consequences.

But he was so anxious that he was scratching his head, and now he had to explain to the World Security Council why he was here to carry out his activities.

Following such an event, all underdeveloped regions on Earth may receive a review and assistance. Perhaps this is a good thing for those countries struggling below the poverty line…

But the important thing now is to break through Wakanda's defenses and figure out what's going on inside.

Within Wakanda, the general populace did not react much to or express any opinion regarding the tribal challenge to the king. After all, tradition was deeply ingrained in their hearts.

Even more intriguing to them is the reason why the King's Challenge hasn't yet activated its protective shield. King Black Panther has been cultivating Wakanda for a long time, and his supporters are spread throughout the country.

However, this was not what Laura had hoped to see. The moment she saw Nick Fury, she wanted to spread the word that Nick Fury was in Wakanda.

After all, the idea of ​​loving Mother Earth is deeply ingrained in the hearts of every Earthling, except for Nick Fury.

So Lara summoned the demon she least wanted to see but had no choice but to rely on—the Greedy One.

As they watched the small patch of lava spread out before them, the wind and snow at the top of the snow-capped mountain became scorching hot. The lava slowly rose, and the figure of the greedy one condensed within it.

The greedy man stretched, looking like he was still half asleep, and said with his eyes closed, "Laura! I want you to tell me a reason why you can wake me up in the middle of the night!"

"Mr. Greedy One, I need help! Humanity needs help!"

Laura is forced to tell the greedy man what she saw and connect everything in Wakanda with the golden apple he is looking for.

The greedy man instantly lost his drowsy appearance. He casually glanced at the city of Wakanda and immediately identified his target.

"Alright, do you want me to see you out now?"

Although it was a question, the Greedy One did not give Lara the power of choice. With a flick of his hand, lava on the ground flew up and formed a portal.

Laura took a deep look at the city below, realizing that what followed was no longer her concern, and followed the greedy man.

Standing on the other side of the portal, Lara felt the sea breeze and pondered the matter of the Greedy Ones.

Lara was quite surprised by the greedy man's attitude. After all, the information unearthed from various ancient tombs had already explained the function of the Apple of God. Now that a target was right in front of them, the greedy man had lost his desire.

Laura tentatively asked, "Mr. Greedy One? Do you know the saying 'all things are vanity'?"

The question Lara asked was a quote and belief from a great organization she found in an ancient tomb; they were often the ones who influenced history.

If the greedy knew about the organization that Lara learned about from the ancient tomb—an organization that had protected civilization across the river of time—they would surely have two different attitudes.

Laura carefully observed the greedy man, and as soon as he expressed disgust, she was no longer prepared to help him. She had even prepared to spread information about him.

However, the greedy one simply smiled and said, "You said 'nothingness, everything permitted.' This is the famous saying of the Assassin Brotherhood. Believing in nothingness, recognizing the fragility of society's foundations, we must become the guardians of our own civilization. That is, believing in everything permitted, understanding that we are the decision-makers of our own actions. We must bear the consequences of our actions, whether it be honor or tragedy."

The greedy man's vision transcends time, and those assassins who once protected civilization seem to stand right before him.

The greedy man recounted the assassins' story in detail: "It all started in 431 BC, during the Peloponnesian War in Greece..."

According to the greedy, the story of the assassins begins with Alexios founding a cult, then moves to Altaïr Imbeng Lahad embracing the Apple of Gold and dying in the library of Masyaf Castle, and finally to Ezio Auditore da Florence's realization of his prophetic identity...

The greedy man recounted the great deeds of the assassins in detail, and the lava beside him even changed shape to create statues of assassins from different eras.

No demon would identify with those assassins.

As Lara looked at the statue next to the Greedy Man that was exactly the same as the one in the ancient tomb murals, she became even more certain of the Greedy Man's identity.

After all, the easiest person to convince is oneself.

Laura's tone now held a hint of excitement as she asked, "Mr. Greedy One, where do we go next?"

"Where to? You've found all the Golden Apples outside! There are six Golden Apples in total. Apart from the one in Wakanda, the remaining one is either at NASA or in the White House."

The greedy man seemed to know everything, leaving Lara, who was ready to make a big splash, powerless.

The sea breeze gradually cooled Laura's already excited mood, and she could almost see the boring life she would lead back to Crawford Manor as a countess!

Laura squatted on the beach, looking somewhat dejected, and rested her hands on the sand, looking bored.

"But... Miss Laura Crawford, would you be willing to embark on the next adventure?"

The voice of the Greedy Man came from behind Laura. Laura turned around in surprise and looked at the smiling Greedy Man.

The greedy one stretched out his arms to the sea, welcoming the waves that kept crashing onto the beach, and said, "The earth can no longer sustain the thrill of adventure, so why not lower our gaze to the endless space?"