Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

Page 26

The orders were executed swiftly. The entire association functioned like a precision machine that had been accelerated, with each department operating at unprecedented efficiency. More monitoring resources were deployed to areas prone to anomalies, reserve heroes were ordered to stand by, the defense systems of each branch began self-checks, and the previously abundant equipment, medical supplies, and emergency equipment in the logistics department's warehouses were being consumed and replenished at a visible rate.

Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D., Trident headquarters.

Nick Fury's single eye was also staring at a screen displaying a map of global anomalies, the distribution of the dots on it strikingly similar to the screens inside the association, only with slight differences in the labels and details.

“The frequency is abnormally high, with no clear direction, and the energy characteristics are chaotic but there is an underlying connection…” Maria Hill stood aside, her tone grave. “Sir, this doesn’t seem like an organized attack; it’s more like… some kind of environmental pressure has reached a critical point.”

“Or rather, some kind of ‘catalyst’ that we don’t know is at work.” Fury’s voice was low as he pulled up a report. “Our scientists have discovered that the global background zero-point energy field has experienced unexplained, subtle fluctuations over the past month. The peaks of these fluctuations are highly correlated with the timing of some high-level anomalies.”

He looked up at Hill: “Tell the World Security Council that this is not an isolated incident. We may be facing a… global, extraordinary ecological shift. Prepare them for even greater chaos.”

In every corner of the world, change is not confined to official reports and covert surveillance data.

In London, an old-fashioned taxi driver muttered to himself, looking out the window at the perpetually thick, now eerily fluorescent green fog: “This damn weather is worse than my grandfather’s ‘pea soup’ (referring to the 1952 London smog).

In Tokyo, the owner of a high-end audio equipment store looked at the devastation in Shinjuku Ward on the news, then at the speakers in his store that had inexplicably cracked because customers sang so badly, and fell into deep thought.

In Rio, the ongoing Carnival atmosphere seems to have become more...compulsive, with tireless, ever-dancing figures on the streets wearing colorful masks that seem to grow on their skin.

The internet was also gradually becoming less peaceful. Although most of the strange incidents were quickly dealt with by the authorities or associations, there were too many eyewitnesses, and blurry videos taken with mobile phones and bizarre personal experiences began to circulate quietly on various social media platforms and forums.

Have you noticed that there have been a lot of strange news stories lately?

"The stray cats near my house howled at the moon all night yesterday, and this morning I found they had torn up the security door of the neighbor's house..."

"I'm in Chicago. Last night, I think there was a flash of green light in the sky, and then my dog ​​started barking at the air and is still hiding under the bed and won't come out."

"Is the world about to end? (Just kidding)"

A nagging unease, like a silent tide, began to spread among ordinary people. Although it had not yet triggered widespread panic, the vague premonition that the familiar world was becoming "strange" and "uncontrollable" had already been sown like seeds.

The head of the association's logistics department, a capable middle-aged woman, was carrying a tablet computer and walking briskly towards Kingpin's office. The screen displayed inventory and consumption curves for various supplies.

“Mr. Fisk,” she said quickly but methodically, “at the current rate of consumption, our standard energy battery inventory will drop below the safety line within ten days; reserves of special protective materials and rapid repair gels will only last for two weeks; medical antagonists against mental pollution and energy erosion are being consumed three times faster than expected… The pressure on the global supply chain is also increasing, and the procurement cycle for some raw materials has been extended.”

She looked up, a hint of worry in her eyes: "We need to increase our procurement efforts, at least to 300% of what we planned, and we need to use more of our reserve funds to cope with a situation that may continue to worsen."

Kingpin turned around and his gaze fell on the logistics minister's face. His gaze was as calm as an abyss, which strangely soothed the anxiety in her heart.

“Approved.” His voice was flat. “Use all available resources to ensure the supply of materials. Priority: Maintain the basic operation of the association > Ensure the needs of hero missions > Stabilize existing social services. If necessary, use… non-public channels.”

"Understood!" The logistics minister took a deep breath, nodded emphatically, turned and strode away to begin this silent "logistics war."

Kingpin turned his gaze back to the main screen. New dots continued to appear, like a worsening rash. He tapped lightly on the console, bringing up the system interface.

The frequency and intensity of anomalous events worldwide continue to rise abnormally.

Background energy field disturbance index: +1.7 (continuously rising).

[Warning: If the current trend continues, the potential incubation warning threshold for a "ghost-level disaster" is expected to be triggered for the first time in 15 days.]

[Recommendation: Accelerate resource stockpiling, upgrade global response level, and prioritize the investigation of areas with high energy concentrations.]

Kingpin's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. He stared silently at the cold countdown, as if he could see through the screen an unimaginable behemoth, nourished by some unseen force, slowly stretching its body, about to hatch, in the deepest trenches of the Pacific Ocean, atop a snow-capped mountain where no one goes, or deep within the earth's veins of some bustling city.

A torrential rain was approaching, and the electrical charge in the air was so thick it was suffocating.

Chapter 59: The Growth of the Sandman

Deep beneath the association's headquarters, within a "high-fidelity environment simulation chamber" far surpassing any conventional training area, a silent transformation is unfolding. Here, there are no windows, only an endless virtual space constructed from holographic projections and force field generators. At this moment, the space is set as a vast and desolate desert, with the blazing sun hanging overhead, heat waves distorting the air.

Flint Marco, codenamed "Sandman," the Association's first and currently only S-class hero, stands in the center of this virtual desert. His eyes are closed, his bronze skin gleams with a metallic sheen under the simulated sunlight, and a thin layer of sand, seemingly alive, slowly flows around him.

Compared to when he first joined the association, his demeanor had undergone a subtle change. The weariness and gloom brought on by the pressures of life had not completely disappeared, but they had been covered by a settled confidence stemming from his own strength. His daughter's condition had been effectively controlled with the intervention of the association's top medical resources, and this peace of mind transformed into his near-absolute loyalty to the association and to Kingpin, as well as into the pure motivation for his pursuit of greater power.

"Training program initiated: Advanced sand grain morphology control - 'crystallization' adaptive drill." The system's neutral electronic voice echoed in the space.

In an instant, the situation in the virtual environment changed dramatically. What had been a scorching desert suddenly erupted into a violent sandstorm. Countless grains of sand, carried by the gale-force winds, hurtled towards Flint at a speed exceeding two hundred kilometers per hour, like countless tiny bullets. This was not merely a physical impact; it also contained simulated high-frequency energy vibrations, powerful enough to tear apart ordinary alloys in an instant.

Flint snapped his eyes open, his gaze devoid of any panic. He did not choose to completely transform his body into sand to avoid harm, as he had done before, nor did he attempt to create an even larger sandstorm to fight against it.

He took a deep breath, sinking his consciousness into the core within his body that resonated with the sand. The key knowledge points of the "Advanced Sand Control Tutorial" provided by the system, far exceeding what he could figure out on his own, surfaced instinctively. He no longer merely regarded the sand as an extension of his body and a weapon, but began to try to understand and reconstruct their internal structure.

The low shout did not travel through the air, but rather acted directly on the sand grains surrounding him.

A miracle happened.

The sand and gravel that were originally loose and swaying with the airflow suddenly had an extremely fine yet incredibly dense lattice-like luster flash across their surface the moment they came into contact with the simulated attack!

“Bang bang bang bang—!”

The dense impacts sounded like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, but the expected scene of the sand grains being easily scattered and riddled with holes did not occur. Instead, all the sand grains carrying enormous kinetic energy struck the crystallized sand shield, producing a crisp sound similar to the clash of metal! Most of the sand grains were deflected directly, and the few that managed to embed themselves in the surface were instantly enveloped and assimilated by the flowing sand particles, thus reinforcing the defensive layer.

Energy shockwaves followed one after another, attempting to dismantle the structure of the sand grains from the inside. However, the crystalline structure exhibited amazing energy conductivity and dispersion capabilities. The shockwaves were quickly dispersed and absorbed, like water encountering a porous reef, failing to have an effective impact on the core Flint.

The sandstorm lasted for a full ten minutes.

When the storm subsided and the virtual environment reset, Flint remained firmly in place. The dust around him slowly settled, and the crystalline sheen faded away. He raised his hand, looking at the small handful of sand grains in his palm that had taken on a regular polyhedral shape under his control, reflecting starlight under the light, and a slightly naive smile of accomplishment spread across his face.

[Advanced training "Crystallized Defense" completed. Energy consumption: 17%. Defense effectiveness increased: approximately 380%. Stability assessment: Good.] The system provides cold, hard evaluation data.

But behind these figures lies a qualitative leap. From loose to cohesive, from easily dispersed to capable of withstanding high-intensity physical and energy impacts, Flint's defensive capabilities are now on a completely different level.

This is just the beginning.

The next training exercise is "Crystallization Attack - Sand Crystal Piercing".

The virtual targets in the distance are simulated with different levels of defense using a special force field, ranging from concrete walls to composite armor.

Flint's gaze sharpened, and he swung his arm. Instead of a sandstorm, dozens of condensed, almost tangible sand spears, their tips gleaming with crystalline light, shot towards the target with piercing shrieks, as if launched from a ballista!

"Boom! Sizzle—!"

The concrete target was instantly pierced, leaving a smooth-edged hole. Although the composite armor target was not completely penetrated, it was still impacted and deeply dented, with radial cracks covering its surface. The crystallized sand spears did not completely disperse after the impact; instead, they were embedded inside the armor like diamond fragments, continuing to cause structural damage.

"Attack penetration increased by 215%. Energy concentration: Excellent." The system's evaluation remained concise.

After training, Flint didn't leave immediately. He went to the Custom Workshop of the Association's Equipment Department and found Leo Fitz scratching his head over a bunch of strange parts.

“Hey, Flint! You’re just in time!” Fitz’s eyes lit up when he saw him. He picked up a strangely shaped metal armband that looked like it was made up of countless tiny hourglasses. “Try this! It’s a ‘Sand Core Resonance Stabilizer’ designed based on your ability data and that ‘crystallization’ parameter! Theoretically, it can help you complete the sand grain transformation faster and reduce energy loss. It should provide a good stability boost, especially underwater or in extreme temperature environments!”

Flint took the armlet; it was icy to the touch, yet he could faintly sense the faint energy field within it that resonated with his own sand core. He didn't say much, only nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Mr. Fitz."

"Don't mention it! The stronger you are, the more proud our equipment department is!" Fitz chuckled and buried himself in his pile of parts again.

This is the power of the association. It's not just the knowledge provided by the system, but also the comprehensive support and enhancement of the entire logistical system centered around the core heroes.

A few days later, a real test was about to begin. A sudden "acidic mud monster" that had reached the upper limit of the Tiger level was born in the ruins of a chemical plant in the Port of New York. Its strong acidic slime could quickly corrode metal and concrete, and its body had extremely strong physical resistance and regenerative ability.

The energy barrier erected by the "Iron Wall," which arrived first, hissed and dimmed rapidly under the corrosive acid. The "Swift Shadow's" speed was also significantly reduced within the viscous acid field. Conventional firepower attacks had little effect.

Just when the situation was becoming increasingly dire, Flint arrived.

Instead of rushing into the acid field, he stood at a safe distance with his arms outstretched. Large amounts of sand gathered from beneath his feet and from the surrounding environment, forming a sand wall that kept thickening and reinforcing in front of him.

When the mud monster spewed out another huge torrent of acid, a glint flashed in Flint's eyes.

"Crystallization Barrier!"

The side of the sand wall facing the acid was instantly covered with a thick, hardened layer that shimmered with countless tiny crystals!

"laugh--!"

The acid, powerful enough to melt steel, crashed against the crystallized sand wall, producing a teeth-grinding corrosive sound and billowing white mist. However, the expected rapid melting did not occur. The crystallized layer, at the cost of its own slow depletion, stubbornly resisted the acid's erosion, buying precious breathing room and escape time for the iron wall and the Swift Shadow behind it.

Immediately afterwards, Flint manipulated the sand to form dozens of enormous, crystalline sand tentacles, which, like giant drills, pierced into the mud monster's massive body from different directions! This time, the sand was no longer loosely wrapped, but rather, in its crystalline, sharp form, it forcefully broke through the mud monster's protective layer, penetrating deep inside, and then... violently stirred!

The mud monster let out a painful hiss, like bubbling mud, and its body writhed violently, its regeneration speed slowing down significantly.

"Now!" Flint growled.

Ironwall and Swift Shadow seized the opportunity; one reinforced the blockade with all their might, while the other injected a specially made coagulant into the wound torn open by the sand tentacles at top speed.

The battle ended ten minutes later. The acidic mud monster was successfully solidified and contained.

The scene was a mess, but none of the association's heroes were injured. Logistics teams quickly moved in and began treating the acid-contaminated areas.

Ironwall walked up to Flint, patted him hard on the shoulder (though it didn't really feel like a pat on his sand-covered body), and exclaimed sincerely, "Dude, you're a mobile fortress and battering ram now!"

Flint simply smiled, looking at his hand that had returned to normal, and feeling the sand power within him become even more responsive and powerful.

On the top floor of the Fisk Tower, King witnessed the entire battle through surveillance cameras. He retrieved Flint's ability assessment report, which had been updated with new data:

[Hero: Sandman (Flint Marco)]

[Level: S]

[Ability Assessment: Sand Grain Control (Secondary Ability Awakened: Localized Crystallization)]

[Defense Rating: S]

Attack rating: A+ (close to S-)

[Growth Potential: High]

Loyalty: MAX

[System Notification: The core hero "Sandman" has completed a phased enhancement, significantly boosting his combat power. He now possesses the ability to stand alone and serve as a core pillar of the team. It is recommended to deploy him as a core combat force to deal with high-level (Demon-level and above) threats.]

Kingpin closed the report and turned his gaze back to the increasingly dense clusters of lights on the global map of unusual events.

The growth of the Sandman is clear evidence of the success of the association's systematic training model. In the coming storm that may sweep the globe, every powerful force is an indispensable cornerstone for maintaining order.

Flint Marco, the father who once struggled to pay for his daughter's medical bills, has now become the most solid S-class pillar of the Hero Association, silently supporting the sky that is still temporarily protected by the Association.

Chapter 60: The Calm Before the Storm

An almost eerie calm, like a thick, greasy blanket, briefly enveloped New York and the command center of the Hero Association headquarters.

On the main screen, the dots representing global anomalies seemed to flicker at a slightly slower pace, like a brief, unsettling pause after a frantic heartbeat. No new Tiger-level alerts pierced the air, and no crisis requiring the immediate deployment of S-class heroes erupted somewhere in the world. Even in New York, only a few insignificant Wolf-level missions scrolled quietly across the list—stopping a street fight, finding yet another lost pet, and mediating a tiny "conflict" caused by neighborhood noise (the two parties involved had abilities of "amplification" and "soundproofing," and the argument resembled a miniature sound wave experiment).

The association's daily operations, under this low-intensity rhythm, appeared exceptionally smooth and even... leisurely.

The head of logistics could finally breathe a sigh of relief, watching as the inventory curve stopped its precipitous decline and began a slow, laborious recovery. She approved several routine purchase orders and even granted leave requests from some non-critical staff.

In the equipment research and development department, Leo Fitz, unusually, did not jump up and down at the exploded test bench. Instead, he was writing and drawing on a whiteboard, designing a "hero-specific tactical vest" that was supposedly able to automatically adjust the temperature and even had a massage function, ostensibly to improve comfort during long-term combat.

Several C-level and D-level heroes on leave even met up in the lounge area on the third floor of headquarters to play foosball, their lighthearted laughter occasionally drifting into the serious office area.

Even Peter Parker had a rare, uninterrupted afternoon to catch up on his missed lessons without constantly worrying about the temptation of high-scoring missions popping up on his communicator. He slumped over his desk, scratching his head at his physics textbook, but a long-lost hint of the annoyance of an ordinary high school student played on his lips.

Everything seems to be returning to "normal".

Except for the person in the top-floor office.

Wilson Kingpin stood before that iconic, enormous floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the neon lights and bustling traffic of New York City below. The city's neon lights reflected in his deep pupils, creating a kaleidoscope of colors, yet failing to illuminate the coldness and scrutiny beneath. In his hand, he held a glass of amber-colored liquor, the ice slowly melting within, making a soft crackling sound—the only marker of time in this silent office.

He did not bask in this false tranquility. For someone who had weathered countless storms and knew that chaos was the norm in the world, this sudden, global "ease" was itself a strong signal of abnormality.

This is not like the calm after a storm, but more like the deathly stillness at the eye of the storm—brief, fragile, and foreshadowing an even more violent next wave of impact.

He gently swirled the glass, not taking a sip, but simply savoring its cool touch. His gaze swept beyond the city's outline, as if trying to pierce the earth's crust, looking towards the depths of the Pacific Ocean where the system notification indicated an abnormal accumulation of energy, or perhaps any other dark corner where something indescribable might be brewing.

Just as the water droplets condensing on the glass were about to drip off.

A faint, yet high-frequency, alert sound rang out deep within his consciousness. It wasn't a piercing alarm, but rather a calm reminder from a sophisticated instrument detecting a critical parameter.

The invisible system interface in front of him unfolded automatically.

[Global monitoring network status: Continuously operating.]

Background energy field disturbance index: +1.9 (stable high-level plateau period).

[Frequency of abnormal events: Temporary decline (suspected energy accumulation pattern shift).]

[Deep scan module feedback: The energy enrichment in the Mariana Trench region of the Pacific Ocean exceeds the historical peak by 487%, and shows a stable upward trend. Energy attribute analysis: Complex, including high-intensity bioenergy, geothermal energy, and fluctuations in unknown dimensions.]

[Pattern Recognition: Matches the potential incubation feature library for "Dragon-level disasters," Pre-simulation Model No. 73.]

[Warning: At the current energy accumulation rate, the countdown to the first trigger of the "Dragon-level Disaster" official warning threshold is 71 hours, 28 minutes, and 11 seconds.]

The countdown numbers ticked away with a cold precision, second by second.

Kingpin's face remained expressionless, not even his eyes flickered. He simply stared calmly at the line of numbers, as if he were looking at a regular financial statement.

There was no shock, no fear, only a sense of confirmation that "I knew it."

He had long known that this tranquility was nothing but an illusion. The expansion of the association, the existence of the system, the frequent occurrence of global anomalies... all of this seemed to be a tightening thread, inevitably pointing to a massive node capable of overturning everything.

This level, which in the system's assessment represents the potential destruction of multiple cities, has finally transformed from a vague concept into a clearly visible, ever-approaching countdown.

He raised his hand and downed the cold liquor in one gulp. The burning sensation from the strong liquor spread from his throat to his stomach, but it couldn't dispel the chill that came from a rational premonition.

A low, ambiguous laugh echoed in the empty office.