Hours had slipped by in silence. Dexter remained glued to his chair, eyes flicking between the multiple feeds as the Superhero Registration process unfolded across his screens. Only when the live broadcast from Rochelle Ritchie announced that the registration for the day had officially concluded did Dexter finally lean back.
He let out a long breath, raised both arms above his head, and stretched until his spine gave a satisfying series of pops. The glow of the QT-3000 monitors reflected off his glasses as he powered down the external feeds.
"Enough surveillance for one day," he muttered.
With the registration over, his mind shifted to the growing list of projects demanding his attention. The past month had been remarkably productive, even with everything else happening in the world.
His research into nanites and the supergene had advanced significantly. He had successfully constructed a compact activation device capable of emitting the precise frequency needed to awaken dormant nanites while simultaneously triggering the supergene in compatible hosts.
The only major limitation was his severely restricted sample pool, just two viable supergene samples extracted from the thug and Monkey. He needed more. Far more, if he wanted to properly test his theories and explore the full potential of combining both.
On the business front, Dextrotech Industries had attracted a wave of new investors after Arcee's impressive performance during the invasion. Even the GDN had reached out, requesting a formal meeting in the near future.
Meanwhile, his WRB bots, Charlie and Harold, continued their undefeated streak in the underground robot boxing scene. The steady flow of prize money was already being funneled into new projects and high-value acquisitions.
One such acquisition was arriving tomorrow afternoon: The Steel Samurai, better known as Noisy Boy. Tak Mashido had finally agreed to sell the renowned fighting robot, and Dexter had wasted no time securing it.
A machine with that level of name recognition would bring even more visibility and prestige to the company.
Beyond the financial wins, Dexter had also begun actively hunting for a core team of brilliant scientists. He already had a carefully curated shortlist. The goal wasn't just to expand his company, it was to gather minds capable of helping push humanity forward against threats most people couldn't even imagine.
Dexter stood up and walked toward the adjacent secure laboratory wing. The door slid open with a soft hiss.
Inside, Metal floated silently near the pedestal that housed the collected talismans. Two life-sized wax figures stood motionless beside him, Ultralord and The Crimson Chin, both recreated from popular superhero comics.
Over the past month, Dexter had conducted extensive experiments with the talismans.
He now understood their mechanics far better. The Dragon Talisman granted him combustion powers when used alone, but its effects changed dramatically when integrated with Metal's armor. The same principle applied to the Rat Talisman, which could animate inanimate objects.
When bonded with Metal, the talismans unlocked new, amplified forms. The Dragon form, for instance, granted him fire manipulation along with significant boosts to strength and speed. The Rat Talisman, however, worked differently, it massively amplified the animation ability rather than providing physical enhancements.
Before obtaining the talismans, he had been thinking about how to achieve something similar to T.U.R.B.O. Mode from Max Steel. His initial plan was to develop and combine power sources like the Arc Reactor and the tritium-powered Fusion Reactor designed by Dr. Otto Octavius, both of which were created to produce sustainable, renewable energy. He intended to merge these technologies or build something entirely new from them. However, now that he possesses the Talismans, he has other options available, though the original idea remains in his mind and he may still pursue it in the future.
Curious to test the limits of talisman, Dexter had purchased the two wax figures and activated the Rat Talisman on them.
The result had been both expected and surprising.
Both Ultralord and The Crimson Chin had come to life, fully possessing the powers and abilities depicted in their respective comics. What truly caught Dexter off guard was their immediate and unwavering loyalty.
Unlike the animated objects he remembered from the Jackie Chan adventures, beings that retained free will and their own personalities. These two obeyed his commands without question.
This discovery opened incredible possibilities. With the right method, he could potentially build a loyal army. The current limitation was obvious: he couldn't realistically carry life-sized statues everywhere, especially not into sudden combat situations.
He had been pondering solutions, something akin to Pym Particles that could shrink the figures for easy transport and restore them to full size when needed. Research on that front was still ongoing.
Another breakthrough came from working alongside Metal. They had confirmed it was possible to use multiple talismans simultaneously, but Dexter's body could only handle the immense energy surge for roughly one minute before it became dangerous. Metal had suggested that if they created a device capable of containing and regulating the energy flow instead of letting it course directly through Dexter, they might safely channel up to three talismans at once.
Inspired by an old series he remembered Kamen Rider OOO. Dexter had already drafted blueprints for a specialized belt that could hold and combine talisman cores, much like the Core Medals in the show. Each talisman would represent different abilities and categories. Unfortunately, he still lacked the proper materials. He needed a substance capable of safely storing and regulating that level of exotic energy. For now, the project remained on hold.
Dexter stepped closer to a thick glass partition that separated him from the next chamber. Inside, a swarm of precise robotic arms moved with mechanical grace, carefully assembling components with laser focus.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He tapped a nearby holographic display, bringing up the project status.
[Neurotomic Protocore]
[Completion: 79%]
The glowing blue text hovered in the air. Dexter watched the percentage tick upward ever so slowly as the automated systems continued their delicate work.
"Soon," he whispered.
With the Protocore nearing completion, combined with his growing arsenal of talisman-enhanced forms, activated nanites, and an expanding network of loyal assets, he was steadily building the foundation he needed.
The world was registering its heroes. Dexter was preparing something far more formidable.