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Thud—
The sturdy Fire Lizard Warrior crashed to the ground, the flickering flames on his body dimming.
...
[Prestige +88, +17, +39...]
[Detectable soul found, Warp soul count +1]
...
"Hoo…"
Logan exhaled a cloud of turbid smoke mixed with the scent of fruit, looking fearlessly at the large group of Fire Lizard Warriors roaring towards him, a battle-ready smile on his face. "Little girl, are you scared?!"
Little Wolf Girl looked up at her father's tough, yet incredibly disheveled, profile. A look of madness, utterly unsuited for her age, appeared on her tender, blood-stained cheek. She shook her head slightly and said,
"As long as Dad is by my side, I won't be afraid!!"
...
Logan seemed to be hit by some invisible large-caliber bullet. His sturdy frame trembled slightly, and the soft, warm area in his heart was nourished once more, instantly expanding greatly. He murmured in a voice only he could hear:
"Boss, thank you so much for giving me a chance to enjoy a happy family!!"
Then, with a casual flick, he tossed the cigar from his mouth and looked down at Little Wolf Girl, saying, "Good girl, now open your eyes wide and watch closely… Today, Dad will teach you how to fight these troublesome things!!"
With that, Logan charged directly towards the Fire Lizard army opposite him like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.
And the moment Logan's body moved, Little Wolf Girl, with even greater agility, leaped onto his back, like a fierce young beast waiting for an opportunity, baring her fangs and claws, roaring at the enemies opposite!
"Just by pledging absolute loyalty to Mr. Karl Merks, one can gain superhuman abilities comparable to mutant powers? This is simply too miraculous, isn't it?"
Lorna Dane, not far from Logan and Little Wolf Girl, had clearly heard the conversation between the father and daughter. Her enchanting green eyes, like an elf's, immediately sparkled with intense curiosity.
After arriving in Sokovia, the most "new" things she heard from the people around her were almost all about the various deeds and legends of this mysterious Boss.
However, due to Lorna Dane and Little Wolf Girl's identities, they wouldn't be able to meet Karl himself for a short period, let alone thank him in person.
But fortunately, Lorna Dane was not in a hurry.
Because as long as she could successfully pass tonight's combat assessment, she would have the opportunity to join the Hyperspace Group as a formal employee.
That way, she would have a chance to see his true face in the future.
Thinking of this, Lorna Dane suddenly became full of energy. She immediately manipulated magnetism, steadily placing President Matthew Ellis, who was flying through the air with a look of extreme terror, at the location of Frank and Pietro behind her.
After completing all of this, she used the powerful repulsive force generated by magnetism to fly into the sky, then went all out, dragging the containers piled up on the dock and smashing them towards the group of Fire Lizard Warriors in the distance.
"Cough, cough, that's great, I'm finally saved."
President Matthew Ellis couldn't help but let out a long sigh after landing, and a bit of color finally returned to his pale face.
He truly thought he was going to die this time.
After a brief adjustment, he looked at Frank and Pietro, who stood silently opposite him, and said indignantly:
"You must be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sent to rescue me, right? Then please quickly send me back to Washington D.C. That traitor, Vice President Rodriguez, has secretly colluded with those terrorists to usurp power. I absolutely cannot let his plan succeed…"
As if suddenly remembering something, President Matthew Ellis turned around and pointed at the group of Fire Lizard Warriors fighting Logan and the two others in the distance, saying angrily:
"Oh, right, absolutely do not let those Ten Rings Gang bastards off the hook. They were planning to livestream my burning just now… Thankfully, Stark managed to stall for some time, otherwise, I would surely die with grievances."
However, Frank and Pietro, who heard his command, remained motionless, as if they had not heard his orders at all.
As a result, President Matthew Ellis, who had come to his senses, was terrified, and even his recently recovered complexion turned pale again.
After a moment of hesitation, he asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Uh… are you not here to save me… but to kill me?!"
Looking at the uneasy President, Frank said calmly, "Please rest assured, Mr. President, we are here to save you."
If it were in the past, especially during his military career.
If Frank had the honor of meeting the President in person, he would definitely humbly place his fist over his heart and praise him with the most passionate voice.
But this does not mean that Frank was good at flattery, it only proves that his vision at that time was limited to that height.
However, now it was completely different.
With Karl as a benchmark, even if this man in front of him held the greatest power in all of America… no, it should be said, in the entire World.
But in Frank's eyes, he was still so unremarkable, without even the slightest interest in taking a second look.
There was no other way, because no matter what the other party's identity, as long as they had not left the realm of humanity, they were destined to never be compared with Karl, who was a God.
"Phew… that's good."
Upon hearing this, President Matthew Ellis finally let out the breath he had been holding, but still asked with some uncertainty, "Then who are you…?"
"We are employees from the Hyperspace Group!!"
Frank answered directly, "General Ross sent a request for assistance to our Boss, hoping that we could safely rescue the President."
Frank's words were highly artistic.
He deliberately avoided the White House and the Department of Defense, two important entities, and instead singled out General Ross.
This allowed him to use information asymmetry to create a partial illusion for President Matthew Ellis, making him believe that the rescue was first proposed and initiated by General Ross.
Even if President Matthew Ellis learned the truth from others later, it wouldn't matter, because his subjective perception had already been set.
And General Ross did indeed lead this rescue, so he would most likely still attribute this "favor" to General Ross.
This method is what people call "stealing credit"!
Needless to say, this was naturally Karl's instruction for Frank to answer this way, since General Ross was now one of their own.
By letting his subordinates also bask in the glory, he could maximize his own benefits.
"Hyperspace Group… as expected, you are much more reliable than those useless agents from S.H.I.E.L.D."
President Matthew Ellis was almost moved to tears on the spot, feeling both surprised and delighted. He secretly swore in his heart:
"General Ross, I never thought you cared about me so much. Say no more, from today onwards, you are my blood brother from another mother and father… Don't worry, as long as I am still President, I will never treat you unfairly."
After a moment of heartfelt emotion, President Matthew Ellis glanced at the increasingly fierce battle in the distance, and with a somewhat anxious expression, he tentatively asked:
"Cough, cough, may I ask if the two of you can send me back to Washington now?"
"I learned from the Ten Rings Gang leader that Vice President Rodriguez has actually been secretly colluding with them for a long time,
He wants to become President by eliminating me. If I cannot appear in the public eye before the execution time announced by the Ten Rings Gang ends,
Then, according to the Presidential Succession Act, he will directly succeed to the presidency… By then, everything will be too late!!"
"But rest assured, I will never forget the Hyperspace Group's strong assistance this time. After I eradicate those traitors, I will definitely not let the Hyperspace Group return empty-handed."
Apparently, this last promise was specifically for Frank and Pietro.
After all, on the battlefield, no matter how noble one's status, without the backing of benefit, one could turn into a lifeless corpse in a matter of minutes.
And Frank, upon hearing the President's personal assurance, showed a hint of satisfaction on his face, but still stood rooted to the spot, showing no intention of escorting the other party away.
"Rest assured, Mr. President, there's plenty of time. How about we first enjoy this battle here?"
Frank did not tell the other party about the existence of a live-streaming drone in the sky, because their objective this time was far more than just rescuing the President.
They also wanted to use this battle to leave a deep impression in President Matthew Ellis's mind that the Hyperspace Group was "powerful and unshakeable."
This would not only prevent President Matthew Ellis from being misled and incited by certain small-minded individuals in the future, leading to a falling out with the Hyperspace Group… well, that small-minded individual refers to Nick Fury, that despicable black man who likes to play dirty tricks.
It would also ensure that whenever President Matthew Ellis encountered something difficult to handle, the first person he would think of to help him solve the problem would undoubtedly be the Hyperspace Group.
"Oh, then… then alright."
Seeing that Frank and Pietro remained unmoved, President Matthew Ellis had no choice but to grudgingly compromise. After all, whether he could leave here alive now depended entirely on whether these people were willing to save him.
So, when it's time to bow down and admit defeat, one should bow down and admit defeat. This is called being a realist… After all, no matter when or where, only those who can see the situation clearly will live longer!
"Frank, should I go help Logan and them?"
Pietro looked at the battle ahead, asking eagerly.
"Logan alone is enough to help them…"
Frank shook his head slightly, and reminded him quietly, "After all, this is Boss's test for those two little girls. Only by successfully passing the assessment can they truly integrate into the Hyperspace Group!!"
"Oh, I understand."
Pietro, hearing this, forcibly suppressed the urge to fight in his heart and stood still, content to be a spectator.
At this moment, the battle between Logan and the two others and the Fire Lizard Warriors in front had already entered a heated phase.
Whoosh—
Logan crossed his wolf claws in front of him, enduring the scorching flames sprayed from the mouths of two Fire Lizard Warriors, slowly and laboriously pushing forward step by step.
When he was only two or three steps away from them, Little Wolf Girl, who had been hiding behind him, suddenly darted out. While avoiding the flames, her wolf claws accurately pierced the heads of the two Fire Lizard Warriors.
The two Fire Lizard Warriors lost consciousness instantly and fell to their deaths before they even had time to self-destruct.
"Yay, two more down!"
Little Wolf Girl excitedly shouted to Lorna Dane in mid-air, "Sister Lorna, let two more Lizard Warriors in for us to kill."
Lorna Dane, suspended in mid-air, showed a slight smile on her delicate face upon hearing this. Then, she gently waved her palm towards a certain spot in the "maze formation" she had already enclosed with containers. The containers, which had been closed like walls, immediately split open, forming a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Several enraged Fire Lizard Warriors immediately swarmed out through the passage.
Puff, puff—
But just after the second Fire Lizard Warrior passed through, the containers on both sides closed again.
The few Fire Lizard Warriors who hadn't managed to rush out of the gap were immediately crushed into a pulp.
The other Fire Lizard Warriors in the "maze" saw this and all had expressions of shock and anger. Many had already started to use their high-temperature abilities, attempting to melt the obstructing containers in front of them, to "take a shortcut" and charge directly into battle.
But how could Lorna Dane in mid-air allow them to successfully cheat?
For those who did not honestly follow the rules of the game, they would be instantly crushed to death by a container falling from the sky in the next second.
After a show of force, the other Fire Lizard Warriors immediately became much more obedient, all looking up at the huge containers suspended above their heads, seemingly ready to fall again at any moment.
Ultimately, they had to give up the idea of "taking a shortcut" and patiently wait in the "maze" for the next "path" to open.
There was no other way, since this was a dock, with hundreds of thousands of containers piled up… So, as long as Lorna Dane wanted, she could use a "container rain" to smash all the Fire Lizard Warriors to death at any time.
Although the high temperatures they released were enough to melt steel, they were not enough to withstand impacts from above.
However, as long as they "behaved themselves" and followed the rules of the game, Lorna Dane would not directly slaughter them… because this was also a combat principle that Frank had specifically instructed before the battle.
Although at this time, she did not know that this command was not actually given by Frank, but rather originated from Karl.
Its true intention was, on one hand, to demonstrate the Hyperspace Group's strength to the President, and on the other hand, naturally, to help Karl collect as much Prestige as possible.
How could instant kills earn as much as this current "turn-based" combat?!
And Lorna Dane simply assumed that Frank was testing her mutant abilities and adaptability in actual combat, so she naturally didn't think too much of it.
Furthermore, even she herself believed that this "cornered beast" approach could maximize the display of her mutant abilities, and also allow her little sister Laura to show off her skills and gain some practical combat experience.
So, why not?