Marvel's female superheroine travels through multiple worlds

"But who am I? I'm Tony Stark, the top mechanical engineer of the 21st century!" Tony said with a smile, showing off with considerable narcissism.

"However, the current Ark Reactor cannot support the energy requirements of this main cannon."

"After a forced launch, the fortress will instantly lose its buoyancy and drain all its stored energy."

"Unless it is at a sufficient height, the fortress will fall to the ground like a meteorite, which is quite dangerous."

He rubbed his temples in frustration and continued to explain.

I wanted to give Lu Yunmeng an even bigger surprise, but it's clear that current technological bottlenecks are insurmountable for the time being.

"Isn't this great? We already have a concept and a physical form. I believe you can do it." Lu Yunmeng smiled gently and patted Tony's shoulder to comfort him.

That's great. Once it's built, we can unleash divine punishment; if we run out of energy, we can launch a meteor shower. Its deterrent power is far greater than that of nuclear weapons.

This is likely one of the reasons why the military is hesitant to take action before finding the Blackwatch headquarters.

"Of course, I'm a genius. Give me some time, and I can make the reactor's loop rotate even faster!"

"This will support the basic energy needs of the air fortress, while also allowing for long-range strikes on the ground!" Tony patted his chest proudly and said confidently.

"By the way, theoretically, if the energy output of the arc pulse main cannon can be adjusted properly, this fortress could completely break through Earth's gravity and ascend into space," Tony said again, seemingly remembering something.

"However, not all testing has been completed yet, so there are still many risks." He shook his head and sighed.

Technological development and progress have always required taking one step at a time; they cannot be forced. Only a solid foundation coupled with extraordinary imagination can enable humanity to create a powerful future.

However, it will take time.

Tony was initially unable to cure palladium poisoning and believed his days were numbered, so he put many of his research projects on the aerial fortress on hold.

But now, he plans to go to S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately to see what the old man has left him.

Chapter 72 Leech Remedies

After observing the main control room of the air fortress, Tony Stark left first.

He plans to have a serious talk with S.H.I.E.L.D. and also put the research on the new element on the agenda.

Palladium poisoning was like a poisonous thorn, deeply embedded in his heart.

Although the symptoms have temporarily subsided, it is very difficult to completely eradicate them.

Tony knew he had to find a solution as soon as possible, or the aura of Iron Man would gradually fade.

Meanwhile, Lu Yunmeng continued her tour of other facilities inside the air fortress that had already been renovated.

Yelena went to MIT, while Elohill secretly protected Pepper and Tony at Stark Industries.

Several familiar faces were gone, and what remained were mostly Black Widows who had returned to Blackwatch Keep after completing their infiltration missions in various locations.

However, she soon saw Melina wearing a white lab coat and fiddling with experimental equipment.

This former Black Widow agent, who emerged victorious from four brutal training sessions in the Red Room, possesses exceptional talent in the field of research.

"Hi, Chief, it's been a long time. I thought you had returned to Krypton," Melina greeted gently with a smile and a wave.

"Melina, there is no Krypton in this universe. Strictly speaking, I am a superhuman with super genetic mutations, not Superman."

Lu Yunmeng stepped forward and politely hugged the still charming young woman, smiling as she spoke.

"Okay, I don't actually want a race or civilization in the universe that likes to invade everywhere to exist."

Melina shook her head, feeling uneasy at the thought of the various terrifying aspects of the Kryptonians in the comics.

A group of super life forms that become stronger by basking in the sun, completely unreasonable.

If it were to actually appear in this world, humanity would be utterly powerless to resist it.

"By the way, you've come at just the right time. I've recently developed a special drug and am currently testing it on pigs."

Melina suddenly remembered something, picked up the tablet from the table, swiped it a few times, and then handed it over.

Lu Yunmeng reached out and took the tablet, looking at the data on it with a puzzled expression.

"Leech potion?" she asked, looking up in surprise.

“That’s right, this stuff is a super drug made from gene cells extracted from leeches through chemical synthesis,” Melina replied calmly and confidently.

For the past two years, Melina, Dr. Banner, and Dr. Betty have been working together to find a cure for the brain's neural circuit control agents.

A year and a half ago, the antidote was successfully developed, and tens of thousands of Black Widows, including Taskmaster Antonia, received intramuscular injections.

The effect was excellent; almost all of the Black Widows regained their self-awareness.

But there was one exception—Serville Melantis, the Black Widow who controlled a Middle Eastern oil company, underwent a strange mutation after being injected with the drug.

Her brain circuit control was not deactivated; instead, after the drug was injected into her body, her muscle strength was greatly enhanced, and she was able to lift 500 pounds.

It's worth noting that Serville is a slender girl, less than 170 centimeters tall.

Melina was intrigued by the abnormal muscle strength.

She examined the other person's body and extracted their genetic information, discovering that the antidote had not failed. Instead, a certain substance resonated with the body after the antidote was injected, inducing a mutation in the body's genes.

Research revealed that this substance was actually cellular tissue from leeches.

Serville has a strange habit: when she is under too much stress, she likes to find a bunch of leeches to crawl all over her body and suck her blood to relieve her emotions.

The residue in the leech's body is the culprit that caused the changes in her genes.

Melina acted decisively, starting with the antidote and leeches to conduct more in-depth research.

After more than a year of effort, the first-generation leech serum was finally completed.

Experiments on pigs revealed that terrestrial organisms, without altering their physical structure, began to adapt to the underwater environment.

Holding your breath for more than 15 minutes significantly enhances the body's various resistances.

When sulfuric acid was poured onto the pig's skin, it only began to slowly dissolve after 5 minutes. Melina even began to doubt whether the thing was still a pig at all.

Moreover, this domestic pig has become as strong as a calf, and can dent an iron gate with all its might.

"However, slowing down aging only affects appearance and has little effect on lifespan," Melina explained with some helplessness and regret.

"The side effect was a surge in appetite; this little pig once ate three times its usual amount of food in one go."

"Dr. Banner was unwilling to conduct experiments on humans, so to this day, leech serum remains in the animal testing stage."

"With Serville's experimental data, the drug's compatibility with the human body reached 83%, and the success rate was as high as 68%."

"Even if it fails, there are no side effects on the human body, only a period of weakness."

Melina's expression was somewhat bitter, clearly indicating that she was still troubled by the inability to conduct human experiments.

From a researcher's perspective, she hopes this technology can be made even more perfect.

It now seems that although it has some decent features, it is still far from perfect.

Therefore, the animal experiments will be completed in stages, and then the third stage of preliminary human trials will begin.

Only in this way could she obtain data more quickly. She even considered giving herself an injection.

"I hope you can allow preliminary human experiments, even if I am the subject," Melina said solemnly after a moment of silence, stepping forward to look at Lu Yunmeng.

Speaking of which, today is a good opportunity. Dr. Banner is taking his girlfriend, Dr. Betty, on vacation.

Could she take advantage of this...? Never mind, Melina quickly abandoned this unrealistic idea.

She wasn't a heartless beast without any moral bottom line. Now that the leader was back, she would leave the decision to the leader.

Lu Yunmeng's face remained calm, but her heart was in turmoil.

Isn't this just an alternative form of super soldier serum?

It significantly enhances various bodily functions, slows down the aging process, improves the body's resistance, and increases lifespan.

Although the improvements in various indicators are not significant, in some respects, if humans can successfully use it, the leech drug will be more perfect than the unstable super soldier serum.

"How is Serville now?" Lu Yunmeng asked in confusion.

"After being re-injected with the improved antidote, she returned to normal and is now showing off her prowess on the training field."

Melina smiled slightly.

She found it amusing to recall the girl's excited expression as she swung a 50-kilogram dumbbell in one hand like a windmill.

"Well done. Continue to refine the research. I want all the Shadow Guards to be injected with this drug."

"I will discuss this with Dr. Banner in detail to ensure the smooth progress of the third phase of the plan."

"Oh, by the way, I'll ask Tony to give you a raise."

Lu Yunmeng's eyes were full of praise, and she praised him generously.

"No need for a raise. We have more money than we can spend; enough is enough. As for the upcoming research, you're the boss, so it's up to you," Melina said with a gentle smile.

In fact, during the Red Room era, Black Widow agents were injected with similar enhancement drugs.

If the injection is successful, these seemingly delicate women can even achieve the strength of a strong adult man.

Under the influence of the drug, the lactic acid secreted by the muscles will be converted into other substances.

Endurance, resistance, and physical recovery ability will all be greatly improved.

However, this medicine is very crude, does not significantly improve bodily functions, and comes with enormous risks.

Black Widows who cannot tolerate the drug will die on the spot.

Compared to controlled treatments, leech-based medications are more stable, have lower risks, and negligible side effects, yet achieve superior results.

The emergence of leech-based antidote marks another major technological breakthrough for Blackwatch.

In fact, Lu Yunmeng had this plan before forming Blackwatch, but she chose the Super Soldier Serum at the time.

After learning about the failure rate and instability of this serum, she temporarily abandoned the idea.

The appearance of the leech serum gave her hope of arming all the Shadow Guards and enhancing the overall strength of the Blackwatch.

After all, compared to the extraterrestrial civilizations lurking in the deep and boundless universe, Earth's power is far too weak.

Blackwatch cannot rely on her alone; it must achieve a system-wide upgrade.

Lu Yunmeng doesn't consider herself a pushover like Clark Kent; she can't be sued and imprisoned and still wholeheartedly protect the weak.

What she wanted was a power so great that it was impossible for anyone to even think of spying on her, and she wanted lasting peace.