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Pagon was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood Gravik's intention, a flash of excitement in his eyes. "General, you're going to personally..."
"Of course." Gravik strode toward the door leading to the Core Laboratory.
"Only when I possess the power to crush everything can I lead our race to the pinnacle."
Not only did he want to integrate Homelander's power, but after conquering Earth, he also wanted to extract the genes of all superheroes and powerful races and integrate them all into his own body.
He wanted to become the strongest and only Ultimate Skrull in this vast Universe.
Pagon bowed his head respectfully and struck his chest with his right fist: "The Supreme God be with you, General."
Ten minutes later, Gravik entered the Skrull Research Center.
"Where is Rosa?" Gravik asked, looking at several researchers standing in front of the console.
Usually, for an experiment of this level, the Skrull chief scientist, Rosa Dalton, would never leave for a moment.
One researcher stopped his work, turned around, and bowed his head respectfully.
"General, Dr. Dalton has been working non-stop on gene decoding for the past week, and her body is severely exhausted. Three hours ago, we arranged for her to go to the medical area for nutrient injections and deep sleep."
Gravik had no suspicions. To overcome technical difficulties during this period, the entire research center had indeed been operating under an overload.
These researchers were all core members who had followed him for years; their loyalty was beyond doubt.
"Is the fusion procedure ready?" Gravik asked, already impatient.
"Please rest assured, General." The researcher pulled up a set of complex double helix gene map data.
"All fusion procedures and algorithmic models have been completely mastered; there are absolutely no problems."
The technician paused and continued.
"However, because Homelander's gene chain is too overbearing, your fusion process will adopt a brand-new intervention technique. This is different from the process you used to fuse other superhero genes in the past."
"Different?" Gravik narrowed his eyes. "Be specific."
"Homelander's genetic cells are extremely exclusive and aggressive." The researcher zoomed in on a simulation animation of cell engulfment on the screen.
"The conventional Centrifugal Injection Method cannot allow you to completely digest these powers, and there is even a risk of causing the gene chain to collapse."
"And so?"
"So the process will be accompanied by some pain," the researcher answered truthfully.
Gravik sneered. Pain? Pain was nothing more than a ladder to the throne.
He recalled the warriors who had just demonstrated their power.
Since these soldiers could succeed, he had no reason to doubt this technology. These research backbones were all loyalists he had personally selected, and he had absolute trust in them.
"As long as it allows me to obtain absolute power, pain is nothing." Gravik unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it aside, revealing his solid green torso as he strode toward the specialized Cultivation Chamber the researchers had prepared for him.
The hatch opened upward with the hiss of releasing air pressure.
Life-support Gel surged from the bottom of the chamber, quickly covering Gravik's calves, waist, and chest, finally submerging his head completely.
Dozens of sharp probes automatically extended from the chamber walls, piercing into Gravik's spine, carotid artery, and various parts of his body.
"Fusion procedure, start."
At first, Gravik only felt a slight stinging pain, but just a few seconds later, this stinging suddenly escalated into a storm that swept through his entire body.
This pain was much more intense than he had expected; it felt as if countless tiny blades were cutting every inch of him.
Gravik clenched his teeth, enduring the pain.
But then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a mercury-like liquid constantly being injected into his body through the probe tubes.
An inexplicable sense of crisis surged in Gravik's heart.
His hands and feet struggled in the gel, and his gaze questioned the technicians outside through the glass.
The researcher outside the glass chamber noticed Gravik's gaze.
He reached out and pressed the intercom.
"Please stay calm, General. As I said just now, Homelander's genes are too powerful. The previous five warriors, limited by their physical bottlenecks, only inherited about 30% of Homelander's power."
"The silver liquid you see now is a special compound we synthesized at the cost of countless resources by extracting Telomerase from Homelander's genes."
"In order for you to be able to fuse 100% of Homelander's power, we must introduce it as a Gene Stabilizer."
"Moreover, the synthesis of this compound is extremely difficult. The current production is only enough for you alone, General."
Thirty percent was already as strong as a monster... if it reached one hundred percent...
Gravik was tempted. Out of greed for power and trust in this group of core members, he abandoned the idea of interrupting the fusion.
He clenched his fists, endured the discomfort, and silently bore the baptism of the silver liquid.
After an unknown amount of time, the roar of the equipment stopped.
The Life-support Gel receded, and the hatch slowly opened.
Gravik walked out of the Cultivation Chamber, gasping for air.
"Congratulations, General. The fusion was very successful." The technician bowed slightly and handed him a clean towel.
Gravik took the towel and wiped the liquid off his body. Then he closed his eyes, attempting to transform into the man draped in the stars and stripes; he wanted to see for himself what he looked like as Homelander.
However, one second, two seconds passed.
His facial muscles only twitched slightly; his green skin seemed to be fixed firmly as if by super glue, and no change occurred.
Gravik opened his eyes, grabbed the researcher's collar, and lifted him up with one hand.
"What's going on?! Why can't I mimic?!" Gravik roared.
The researcher was suspended in mid-air, but there was no panic on his face.
"General, please calm your anger. This is also a side effect we anticipated."
"Homelander's gene sequence is extremely unique and exclusive. When that power is 100% integrated into your body, it overrides and anchors your external physical form."
"While those silver stabilizers strengthened your body, they also solidified your cellular structure. Unstable molecules lost their activity, so naturally, you can no longer shapeshift."
The researcher looked into Gravik's angry eyes and said in a fanatical tone: "But General, the price is worth it! Mimicry is just a trick used by the weak to hide. But you now possess absolutely invincible power. A truly strong person does not need to disguise themselves as anyone else!"
A strong person does not need to disguise.
This sentence struck Gravik's inflated self-esteem.
Yes.
Why should I turn into him?
Mimicry is a hiding method chosen by the weak for survival. It is a disguise made by prey to escape predators.
Does a truly strong person, a king who will rule the Universe in the future, still need to humbly disguise himself as someone else?!
I want the Universe to remember the name Gravik! I want everyone to feel a soul-shaking tremor when they see my true face! This is the true posture of a king!