Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

Page 48

“Ah, another of these troublesome little tricks. ‘Chain damage’…sounds like the desperate creation of some down-on-his-luck alchemist or disillusioned engineer. Brute force won’t work, my dear friends in the Guild. What you need is…precise ‘scalpels’, not ‘warhammers’.”

Kingpin's gaze fell on the monitor in the isolation room: "Go on."

Loki seemed to enjoy being needed (even if only temporarily), and he gracefully adjusted his posture (despite being in the isolation room): "This kind of mandatory rule link must have a core node, a 'control unit,' responsible for coordinating the transfer and distribution of damage. Find it, and annihilate it instantly with absolute power, not giving it a chance to transfer damage, and the entire chain network will naturally collapse."

"How do we locate the core nodes?" Banner immediately asked.

“That’s where the fun begins,” Loki’s voice held a hint of slyness. “Conventional detection methods would certainly be disrupted. But… if there’s a powerful enough ‘decoy’ to actively absorb and mark those shifting damage streams, and then trace them in reverse…”

All eyes turned to the golden figure hovering over Brooklyn on the screen, growing increasingly agitated by his inability to launch an attack—Thor.

Thor heard Loki's words through his earpiece and roared, "Loki! You want me to be your target again?!"

“My dear brother, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase the extraordinary resilience of your Asgardian divine body,” Loki said casually. “Besides you, who else can withstand the damage transfer from dozens of monsters simultaneously without collapsing immediately? Of course, if you’re afraid…”

"You think I'm scared?!" Thor, as expected, couldn't resist being provoked. "Tell me what to do!"

An extremely risky, even somewhat crazy, tactic was quickly devised:

1. **Decoy and Marker (Thor):** Thor needs to actively rush into the area with the densest concentration of monsters, using his divine power to attract and withstand the first wave of concentrated attacks. While he is taking the attack, he will carry miniature energy markers that Otto has urgently modified. These markers will attach to the transferred flow of damaging energy.

2. **Tracking and Locking (Research Center)**: Banner and Otto track the transfer paths of all damage energy in real time through the feedback of the markers, and use supercomputers to reverse-engineer the data to find the core node that gathers all the damage and redistributes it among countless chaotic energy flows.

3. **Precision Strike (Kingpin)**: Once the core node is locked, Kingpin needs to use his "microscopic matter manipulation" ability to cross space in an extremely short time and directly and completely decompose the core node at the atomic level, ensuring that it is instantly and completely annihilated, leaving no chance for the damage to transfer.

This is an interconnected plan; any mistake in any link could severely damage Thor, allow key figures to escape, or even trigger a more violent chain reaction of explosions.

"Thor, are you sure you want to do this?" Kingpin's voice came through the communicator.

"For the peace of Midgard! For the glory of Asgard!" Thor roared, transforming into a bolt of lightning that crashed down like a meteor onto the horde of monsters below. "Come! You filthy creations! Come at me!"

He stood like a golden reef amidst the chaotic horde of monsters. In an instant, countless beams of energy, sprays of acid, and physical shocks surged toward him like a tidal wave! Thor's hammer erupted with unprecedented light, and his lightning armor coalesced around him, allowing him to withstand the devastating barrage! He groaned, a trickle of golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, clearly not at ease.

At the same time, dozens of tiny markers he carried were activated, merging into the energy streams attacking him like fireflies.

"Marker signal sent! Tracking initiated!" Otto roared in the research center, as mechanical tentacles connected to the main control panel, and data streamed down like a waterfall.

“Energy path disorder... Model building... Screening for anomalous convergence points…” Banner was completely focused, the rapidly scrolling code reflected on his glasses.

Time ticked by, and Thor endured the relentless onslaught below, his lightning shield flickering erratically. His roars mingled with the monster's howls. Peter and the others could only watch anxiously from the outside, powerless to intervene.

"Found it!" Banner and Otto shouted almost simultaneously. "The core node! Deep inside reactor number three of the abandoned chemical plant! It's an... energy mimic, disguised as a damaged pipe!"

“Coordinates transmitted!” Otto sent the precise location to Kingpin.

On the top floor of headquarters, Kingpin stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze seemingly piercing through space, locking onto that hidden coordinate in Brooklyn. He slowly raised his hand, pointing it at the void, his five fingers slightly clenched.

**Command confirmed: Microscopic matter manipulation (atomic level). Target locked. Execute beyond-line-of-sight pinpoint deconstruction.**

No light, no sound.

Deep within the abandoned chemical plant in Brooklyn, the core node, disguised as a broken pipe and constantly pulsating, vanished without a trace, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser. Along with the vast amount of energy it contained, which was about to be transferred, it was utterly reduced to nothingness.

At the very instant the core node disappeared, all the monsters in the industrial zone below, who were frantically attacking Thor, froze in their tracks. The energy links on their bodies abruptly went out, and their bodies, as if losing their support, began to collapse, dissipate, or revert to harmless waste. The chain reaction was forcibly halted.

Thor felt a sudden relief from the pressure. Leaning on his hammer, he breathed heavily, the lightning around him dimming, clearly indicating a great deal of exertion, but he was not seriously injured. He looked up in the direction of headquarters, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Back at headquarters, Thor was exhausted but couldn't hide his excitement. For the first time, he experienced the feeling of winning through such precise tactical coordination, which was completely different from fighting alone in Asgard.

In the isolation room, Loki got what he wanted—a real cup of coffee (not water) as a "reward," and a sentence from Kingpin:

"Your wisdom certainly has its value. But remember, value needs to be reflected within the framework of rules."

Loki sipped his coffee, watching Thor's "I've done something big" expression on the screen, and Kingpin's unfathomable back, his green eyes gleaming.

He knew he was one step closer to gaining more freedom and authority. And Saul seemed to be beginning to realize that sometimes, listening to his "cunning" brother's advice might not be all bad.

This "chain reaction" event not only reaffirmed the Association's ability to deal with complex and extraordinary threats, but also inadvertently facilitated an extremely awkward yet highly effective "cooperation" between the Asgardian brothers. Kingpin, looking at the post-battle report generated by the system, found his ideas on how to "use" these two gods becoming increasingly clear.

Chapter 121: Team Building in Asgard and Loki's Chess Game

Thor couldn't stay in the medical recovery area for more than half a day. His body, nourished by divine power, recovered incredibly quickly. More than the slight physical fatigue, what made him restless was the mental excitement and a certain…strangeness. He was used to charging into battle, crushing everything in his path with lightning, enjoying the exhilarating defeat of the enemy and the celebratory drinks after victory. But this time, he was like…well, like a sturdy shield, or perhaps, a super lightning rod? It felt strange, but he had indeed solved a problem that even he found troublesome. And, his younger brother, who always lurked in the shadows and played tricks, actually…helped?

This complex feeling made him desperately want to find something to do, such as a good training session or a fight.

When he strode confidently into the core training area of ​​the association headquarters, the scene before him took him by surprise. It wasn't the sweat-drenched, fiercely competitive training he had imagined, but rather a kind of... well-organized "busyness."

Sandman Flint stood before a specially designed sand table, his brow furrowed, manipulating the sand to simulate various complex terrains and obstacles, seemingly practicing precise environmental control. Electro Max sat inside an energy conduit, his body crackling with electricity, intently watching the floating energy readings before him, attempting to compress the raging current into a more stable and concentrated form. Even Spider-Man Peter Parker wasn't performing his signature high-flying acrobatics; instead, he was repeatedly practicing the precise cutting angle of an energy blade against a rapidly moving holographic target, muttering to himself, "Three more degrees... five percent less power... yes, that's it!"

There were no roars, no explosions, only the soft hum of the instruments and the occasional data beep. This was hardly a training ground; it resembled a high-end laboratory or a precision machining workshop!

"What are you doing?" Thor's booming voice broke the silence. He walked over to Peter and looked at the target area that had been precisely cut open and then quickly healed. "To deal with an enemy, why not just throw a punch or a bolt of lightning? Why go through all this trouble?"

Peter landed with a backflip, wiping away non-existent sweat, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Hey, Thor, welcome to the 'Efficiency First' Association. Kingpin said that brute force will cause unnecessary damage and waste energy, and... the post-event reports are hard to write." He made a face, "Precise control reduces collateral damage and saves points too."

"Points?" Thor raised an eyebrow.

“It’s… well, performance points, salary, bonuses, call it whatever you want,” Peter explained. “The better you do, the less damage you cause, the higher your mission evaluation, the more points you get. Points can be exchanged for better equipment, training resources, and even… vacations.” His eyes lit up when he mentioned vacations.

Thor was completely bewildered. Fighting for honor and protection, and associating it with words like "points" and "reports," felt incredibly awkward to him. He looked at Flint and Max, who both gave him a knowing look.

"The rules of the Central Court... no, the Association, are truly numerous," Thor finally remarked, a hint of barely perceptible disappointment in his voice. He felt that his pride and joy, his fighting style, seemed somewhat... out of place here.

Just then, a familiar voice with a hint of mockery came through the training area's loudspeaker (Loki's privileges seemed to have been relaxed a bit more):

“My dear brother, it seems your simple mind cannot comprehend the beauty of ‘collaboration’ and ‘optimization.’ But that’s alright; even a wild beast can learn some simple tricks with the right guidance.”

"Loki!" Thor glared in the direction the voice came from. "Want to taste the hammer?"

“Violence can’t solve everything, brother, especially on someone else’s turf.” Loki’s voice was calm and unhurried. “Perhaps you need some… team activities to fit into this ‘warm’ family? I happen to have a suggestion.”

A moment later, in Kingpin's office. A holographic projection displayed Loki's "Asgardian Cultural Exchange and Team Building Activity Plan." The content was clearly—"Asgardian Glory Gladiator Showdown."

The proposal is presented in a grand and respectable manner: it aims to enhance association members' understanding of Asgardian combat culture, promote friendly exchanges between heroes from different backgrounds, and showcase the power and grandeur of Asgard (while also subtly mentioning that it can satisfy Thor's restless fighting desires and guide them within a controllable range).

Wesley whispered, "Sir, this is clearly another trick by Loki. He wants to use this to observe the abilities of more of the Association's heroes, and maybe he wants to create chaos."

Kingpin examined the plan, his fingers lightly tapping the table. He knew, of course, that this was Loki's scheme. But from another perspective, it was indeed an opportunity to observe Thor's control in formal settings, and also to boost the morale of the Association, which had been somewhat tense due to the recent series of strange events. As for Loki's underhanded tactics, under strict surveillance and rules, they might not be entirely unusable in turn.

“Okay.” Kingpin finally approved, “but the rules must be set by the association. Massive destructive abilities are prohibited; victory is determined by ‘knockout’ or ‘pushing someone out of bounds’. The arena will be a specially constructed ‘multidimensional simulated arena’ at headquarters.”

The news, once announced, caused a huge stir within the association. The God of Asgard himself performing? This was a rare and grand event! Many heroes signed up, eager to witness the god's prowess firsthand. Peter, in particular, excitedly signed up first, wanting to test his new techniques against the god.

Thor was quite pleased with this. Finally, there was an occasion where he could unleash his full power (relatively speaking)! He automatically ignored the words "rules" and "performance," regarding it as a glorious duel.

Meanwhile, Loki, inside the isolation room, watched the eager crowd signing up on the monitor and Thor's impatient expression, a smug smile playing on his lips. An exhibition match? No, this was a stage he had meticulously orchestrated. He intended to subtly orchestrate an "accident" in front of all the Association members—perhaps causing a hero to "accidentally" suffer a serious injury, or perhaps letting Thor "lose control" and cause some damage… In any case, he would plant a seed of distrust and chaos within the Association's perfectly functioning machine. He wanted to see how Kingpin would maintain this facade of "order."

The association's efficient logistics department quickly prepared the arena. It was a circular space that could simulate various environments, with its boundaries isolated by a powerful energy field, and surrounded by tiered spectator seating.

On the day of the match, the arena was packed. Even Dr. Banner and Otto temporarily set aside their research to watch the game. Kingpin sat in the control room, overlooking the entire arena through a huge observation window, with Wesley standing behind him. The system monitored the energy fluctuations and the status of the players both inside and outside the arena throughout the entire match.

Thor was the first to enter the arena. He wore simple armor, a red cape, and wielded Mjolnir; his mere presence drew cheers from the audience. His opponents were a group of A-class and B-class heroes, including Spider-Man Peter Parker.

"Come forth, warriors of Midgard!" Thor roared, lightning crackling across Mjolnir. "Let me witness the power of the Guild!"

The battle escalated rapidly from the start. The heroes coordinated seamlessly, unleashing a barrage of energy attacks, physical restraints, and high-speed harassment. Peter, in particular, used his agility and newly acquired energy blade to create numerous problems for Thor, the blade slicing through Thor's protective lightning shield and sending ripples through it.

Thor fought with great enthusiasm, his hammer flashing and thunder roaring, but he had indeed remembered the rules and controlled the power of the lightning, relying more on strength and speed to suppress the enemy. The battle was intense and exciting, drawing cheers from the audience.

Inside the control room, the system data was stable, and everything was within a controllable range.

However, Loki, watching remotely from the isolation room, grew increasingly cold with a smile. He was influencing a B-rank hero with the "Shockwave" ability on the field through some kind of subtle mental suggestion (a small blind spot in the Association's surveillance system, discovered through his recent research). Just as Thor swung his hammer, clearing Peter and preparing to press his advantage, Loki seized the opportunity and activated his suggestion!

A barely perceptible look of confusion flashed in the eyes of the B-rank hero. The shockwave, originally aimed at Thor's flank, shifted slightly, heading straight for a tiny energy flow node exposed by Thor's hammer swing! If this hit, it wouldn't cause serious injury, but it could very likely disrupt Thor's divine power flow, triggering an instinctive, uncontrollable burst of power from him!

At this critical moment, Kingpin, who had been closely monitoring the battlefield, especially watching for Loki's possible sabotage, had a glint in his eyes. He didn't even use any advanced abilities; he simply used his system privileges to instantly fine-tune the local gravity parameters of the arena.

The shockwave emitted by the B-rank hero underwent a slight, physics-defying curve just before it touched Thor. It grazed the edge of Thor's cloak, struck the energy barrier, and dissipated into nothingness.

Thor seemed to sense something, his movements paused slightly, and he glanced in confusion in the direction where the shockwave had disappeared, but his fighting instincts brought him back to his senses immediately, and he continued to deal with Peter's harassment.

Apart from a very few perceptive individuals (such as Daredevil Matt who slightly frowned), almost no one in the audience noticed this little incident.

Loki's smile froze instantly in the isolation room. His meticulously planned "accident" had been silently thwarted? He hadn't even seen how Kingpin made his move! This feeling of being completely seen through and crushed sent a chill down his spine.

The exhibition match ended with Saul winning by "stopping at the point." Although he didn't get to fully enjoy himself, he enjoyed the cheers of the audience and felt good. Peter, although he lost, earned a lot of points for his excellent performance and couldn't stop smiling. The association members exchanged their thoughts on watching the match, and the atmosphere was lively.

A seemingly successful "team building" activity.

In the control room, Kingpin looked at the report generated by the system, which clearly recorded Loki's abnormal mental fluctuations and his own intervention throughout the process.

[Target L (Loki) attempted to intervene outside the rules; this has been blocked.]

[Target S (Sol) exhibits stable behavior under the constraints of the rules, and its destructiveness is controllable.]

[Recommendation: Maintain close monitoring of L. Consider increasing collaborative tasks between L and S under close monitoring to observe the evolution of L's behavioral patterns.]

Kingpin closed the report, his gaze deep. Loki's game had only just begun, but he seemed to have forgotten that this chessboard had been on Kingpin's table from the very start. And Thor, this powerful piece, was unknowingly being slowly assimilated by the Association's rules.

Chapter 122: The Lighthouse, Herring, and an Unexpected "Truth or Dare"

S.H.I.E.L.D., Trisked Wing headquarters. In a top-secret conference room hidden deep beneath the command center, the atmosphere was so tense it could drip water. Nick Fury's single eye swept over the senior agents he most "trusted"—including the seemingly loyal Sitwell—and several representatives of the World Security Council projected onto the screen.

"Gentlemen, 'Project Lighthouse' has entered the highest priority phase." Fury's voice was deep and carried an unquestionable authority. "The Hero Association's expansion speed and disruptive impact on the global security architecture have exceeded acceptable thresholds. They possess technology we cannot comprehend, an unregulated armed force, and... a core that we cannot penetrate at all."

He pulled up several blurry images: readings from the energy barrier at the Association headquarters, and power growth curves of Association heroes during several battles, far exceeding previous records. "We must know their core secrets, especially what that so-called 'system' really is. The goal of 'The Lighthouse' is to ignite a guiding light within the Association, to find their weaknesses."

The council representative on the projection pondered, “Director Fury, we understand your concerns. However, the association currently enjoys extremely high public support, and any direct hostile action could have disastrous consequences. 'The Lighthouse' must remain absolutely secretive and leave no trace of us.”

“Of course,” Fury nodded. “That’s why I activated ‘Ghost Protocol,’ using the highest-level covert unit, whose very existence is top secret even within SHIELD.” He didn’t say it explicitly, but this “covert unit” wasn’t composed of ordinary human agents, but rather rigorously vetted, absolutely loyal Skrull shapeshifters. This was one of his last trump cards; even his closest comrades, like Maria Hill, only knew of its existence, not its details.

Sitwell adjusted his glasses, a barely perceptible, eerie glint flashing in his eyes behind the lenses. He spoke respectfully, "Director, the plan is flawless. The target has been identified as a mid-level administrator in the association's logistics department, responsible for equipment maintenance. This target is socially adept, has a fixed behavioral pattern, is easy to replace, and difficult to detect. 'Lighthouse' will be replaced during his next field maintenance mission, at which point we will have an eye directly connected to the association's internal logistics and some technical maintenance processes."

Fury narrowed his one eye slightly: "Make sure it's clean and efficient. I don't want to hear any more 'accidents,' like last time when we tried to intercept them to retrieve the monster's remains." In that operation, their elite team didn't even get close to the Association's logistics department before being "invited" back by a group of logistics personnel driving comical multi-purpose cleaning vehicles and humming off-key songs, using non-lethal adhesive and flashbangs. The report was incredibly frustrating.

“Understood!” Sitwell and the other agents replied in unison.

However, unbeknownst to them, thousands of kilometers above their heads, a microsatellite belonging to the Association, disguised as space debris, was precisely projecting an invisible scanning beam onto the Tri-Wing headquarters. "Project Lighthouse," "Ghost Protocol," "Lurking Unit," "Mid-Level Administrator"... these keywords, along with the audio and energy signatures from the conference room, were completely captured, encrypted, and instantly transmitted back to the Association's deep servers at headquarters.

In Kingpin's private analysis room at the Association headquarters, Wesley raised an eyebrow as he looked at the scrolling data and automatically translated and annotated dialogue on the screen. "Sir, S.H.I.E.L.D. has finally decided to use their 'ultimate trump card.' It seems Director Fury is really desperate."

Kingpin slowly poured himself a glass of water, watching the stream of water fall into the glass, his tone calm: "As expected. I just didn't expect him to choose the logistics department as his entry point. It seems that the logistics technology we 'inadvertently' displayed earlier did indeed lead them to misjudge the situation." He was referring to the "cleaning vehicle" that could perform preliminary material analysis while clearing the battlefield, as well as the self-repairing pipes and lines.

“Should we intercept this replacement operation?” Wesley asked.

“No.” Kingpin put down his water glass. “Let them change it. The system has already marked all of that administrator’s biometrics and behavioral patterns. Once the ‘lighthouse’ is lit, we can reverse-track the Skrull’s hideouts, and even… follow that line to find out exactly how many of these cards Fury has.”

He paused, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Moreover, Fury seems to have forgotten that in the face of absolute information superiority, any covert operation is like tap dancing in a minefield."

Just then, a new, seemingly unrelated emergency alert popped up.

[WARNING: Abnormal mental fluctuations detected in Queens, New York. Energy signature matches known anomaly templates by 78%. Pattern analysis: A composite ability based on "information entanglement" and "cognitive distortion." Tentative codename: "King of Social Suicide." Threat level: Tiger (potentially Demon level).]

Kingpin and Wesley looked at the alarm details, their expressions somewhat strange.

Based on information captured in real-time by on-site sensors and social media, this newly emerged oddball appears to have been a washed-up internet celebrity obsessed with posting "truths" and "exposing the dark side" on various online platforms. During a live stream, he suffered an emotional breakdown and mutation after being ridiculed online for his illogical statements and repeated failures to gain attention.

His ability is unusual... cunning. He can force all electronic devices within a certain range (especially those with recording, video recording, and live streaming functions) to uncontrollably play the deepest, most unwanted secrets, embarrassing thoughts, or dark histories of those affected! It's not mind reading; it's more like forcibly extracting and broadcasting those fleeting, rationally suppressed moments of "social death" from the subconscious!

At this moment, a shopping plaza in Queens was in complete chaos. A tall, thin man dressed in extravagant clothes and wearing a self-made crown (the real monster) stood on the fountain statue in the center of the plaza, arms outstretched, emanating a distorted, invisible force field.

Within the force field, a business elite on the phone suddenly has his inner rant about his bald boss played on speakerphone; a couple cuddling together has the girl's phone playing a loop of her inner monologue about secretly complaining about her boyfriend's smelly feet; an elderly woman walking her dog has her old-fashioned phone announcing at maximum volume that she secretly soaked her dentures in her husband's whiskey...

The scene was filled with terrified screams, angry questions, and incredibly awkward silences. The online livestream chat exploded, as many viewers watching from home found their own devices uncontrollably "revealing" information...

“This…” Wesley was at a loss for words. “He’s really… a weirdo with a wicked sense of humor.”

Kingpin looked at the images of the "social death" scenes on the screen, as well as the unique mental pollution waveband captured by the system, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. He pulled up the action schedule of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s "Project Beacon," and then looked at the real-time location and predicted range of influence of the "King of Social Death."

A brilliant, darkly humorous coincidence, or rather... opportunity, has arisen.

"Notify the logistics department," Kingpin calmly ordered. "The team scheduled to go to Queens this afternoon for routine equipment maintenance should depart as planned. Remind them to bring the latest models of 'information filters' and 'wide-area silent force field generators'."

Wesley immediately understood Kingpin's intention: "You want the 'lighthouse' to illuminate something it shouldn't, and absolutely doesn't want to, the moment it's lit?"

“Chief Fury has gone to such lengths to ‘light the way’ for us, so we should give him a ‘surprise’ in return.” Kingpin picked up his water glass and took a small sip. “Make sure that our soon-to-be ‘replaced’ administrator ‘just happens’ to pass by the edge of the ‘King of Social Death’s’ influence. At the same time, mobilize all available public surveillance and network resources to prepare for… a global live broadcast.”

A cold, mocking light gleamed in his single eye.

“Let’s see how perfectly legitimate Director Fury and his grand ‘Project Lighthouse’ will be when ‘Ghost’ is forced to tell the truth to the whole world.”

A seemingly absurd "social crisis" triggered by a freak is about to become the first needle to pierce S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most core secrets. Meanwhile, Nick Fury, completely unaware of this, is secretly preparing for the successful infiltration of his top-secret "Lighthouse."