The Black King had accumulated immense energy, from thunderbolts to missile explosions. Thus, his final explosion was astonishingly powerful.
Even though Su Ye had sunk him to the ocean floor, the blast still caused significant destruction, affecting Boston several kilometers away.
Glass across half the city shattered from the shockwave, and countless civilians were injured or killed.
Fortunately, it was merely an energy explosion without nuclear radiation, so there was no risk of post-blast contamination, bringing a small sense of relief to the surviving citizens of Boston.
At the same time, this explosion seemed to echo those in New York and Los Angeles, reinforcing the grim saying: "Peace is fragile, explosions are daily."
It was impossible for the public not to be worried or afraid.
Many were considering escape, and some tycoons were already taking action.
Black King was dead. Until the very end, he couldn't believe he would die.
He had many ambitions, claiming to fight for more opportunities for mutant survival… well, that was just an excuse.
The future of mutants wasn't the focus. The real goal was to use this as a pretext to establish a nation, or even a civilization, led by mutants.
By then, he would become the emperor of this new civilization.
That was Black King's true goal; otherwise, why would he take on the title of Black King?
He had plotted for decades, orchestrating a "mushroom cloud contest" between two superpowers, and it wasn't just for securing a simple living space for mutants. Black King wasn't that noble.
Later, Magneto inherited Black King's legacy, and his ideas might not have been too different.
Su Ye wasn't entirely sure. As a hybrid of Professor X and Magneto, his thoughts leaned more toward Professor X.
Mutants and humans shouldn't be at odds. Mutations shouldn't be the source of family conflicts or societal instability.
Once the existence of mutants became normalized, they could integrate seamlessly into everyday human life.
Take someone like Iceman—just send him to the fire department. In future wildfires, we wouldn't have to anxiously watch so many firefighters and volunteers risk their lives charging into the blaze, feeling both proud and heartbroken.
Just send Iceman out. He could surf through the mountains on an ice board, suppressing the fire with ice as he goes.
Stylish and efficient.
He could even start a livestream, calling for likes, follows, and double taps.
The virtual gifts would come pouring in.
He'd quickly become a national idol, overloaded with endorsement deals and TV appearances. Add a bit of livestream sales, and life would be sweet.
Isn't that better than following Black King or Magneto in rebellion, constantly living in fear, and worrying about being captured by American scientists for experiments?
So, whether it's Black King or Magneto, Su Ye was sure he wouldn't follow their path.
Black King, who thrived on chaos and sought to spread disaster globally, especially to threaten countries across the ocean, had to die.
Watching the massive wave surge after the underwater explosion, the White Queen in the sky looked devastated, her face ashen. She couldn't even maintain her diamond form.
Fortunately, Su Ye acted quickly, wrapping her up in cables to prevent an unintended wardrobe malfunction.
Through the cables, Su Ye also inadvertently measured White Queen's figure. While her specifics aren't convenient to disclose, it was quite impressive—comparable to Mai Shiranui.
Most importantly, upon closer inspection, Su Ye noticed some areas were naturally hairless—possibly congenital.
With Black King dead, Riptide and Red Devil, who had been fighting Captain America and Wolverine, seemed to lose their backbone. They gradually halted their attacks, nervously glancing toward the Great Wall Guardians.
After taking down Black King, the four powerhouses approached them shoulder to shoulder. They hadn't even made a move, yet Riptide and Red Devil were already trembling.
"Run!"
Riptide shot a glance at Red Devil, signaling him to quickly use his teleportation ability to escape with him.
Red Devil's teleportation ability was formidable. Not only did it have a short cooldown, but he could also teleport frequently in a short period and cover great distances.
He once teleported a military colonel from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C., over 3,000 kilometers, in under ten minutes—excluding the colonel's mental prep and wardrobe changes.
In reality, his teleportation time would be even shorter—perhaps a single long jump or multiple short ones. Either way, it could be measured in seconds.
In any case, until Su Ye mastered Flying Thunder God or other spatial movement abilities, Red Devil would be an excellent travel companion.
Although it was a bit disappointing that this "ride" was male and only useful for business trips, Su Ye certainly wouldn't let him escape.
Just as Red Devil received Riptide's glance and was about to act, he realized he couldn't move.
Su Ye had activated his telepathy. At such a short distance, controlling a mutant with limited mental defenses was a piece of cake.
Meanwhile, Red Devil's arrow-like tail was manipulated to swing from behind him to the front, its tip pointed directly at his forehead.
A voice echoed in Red Devil's mind.
"Don't try to escape. I have countless ways to kill you before you even get the chance. Do you believe me?"
Hearing this, Red Devil caved.
He had joined Black King's team simply because he believed in Black King's strength. He thought following him would lead to a life of luxury beyond his wildest dreams.
As for "fighting for the future of mutants," even Black King likely didn't believe that, so why would Red Devil? To him, it was just a job.
You pay me, I work. Simple as that.
So, when he realized his essential teleportation ability was useless and his life could be snuffed out in an instant, Red Devil surrendered immediately.
"Please spare me, sir! I'm just a worker. If you… no, just spare my life, and from now on, it's yours!"
Su Ye wasn't surprised by Red Devil's submission. After all, he looked like an unpolished beast, someone who deeply understood the law of the jungle: survival of the fittest.
The remaining Riptide, however, had been with Black King for a long time. His upper-class demeanor and refined attire mirrored Black King's style.
Perhaps persuading him to surrender would be more challenging?
Yet when the already-surrendered Red Devil teleported over and coiled his tail around Riptide's neck, Riptide surrendered almost as quickly.
They were both civilized men accustomed to comfort. Fighting to the death? That was for fools and savages. If it were about overwhelming the enemy with technology or equipment, fine—but risking life and limb? No way.
What's wrong with surrendering? The Geneva Conventions guarantee fair treatment of prisoners, right?
So, when faced with an unwinnable battle, surrendering was the obvious choice.
Even American law agrees.
If an operation fails completely with no chance of escape, if weapons and ammunition are depleted with no resupply, if food and water run out with no replenishment, and if communication is completely cut off with no restoration.
When these situations arise, surrender is the right choice.
Fighting to the last man, against dozens or even hundreds of enemies, using rocks or teeth, or clutching a bomb for mutual destruction? That doesn't happen.
After all, they are a civilization with just over two centuries of history.
With Riptide's surrender, Black King's assault was more or less over.
The "more or less" was due to White Queen.
While her body was captured, her spirit seemed to have been blown away with Black King. This was a stark contrast to her post-credits scene demeanor, where she flirtatiously and eagerly joined Magneto.
To this, Su Ye shrugged, thinking, "Whatever, she can do as she pleases."
She's just White Queen. Her telepathy overlaps with Su Ye's, and her diamond transformation isn't unbeatable. Plus, her combat skills are mediocre.
If she couldn't be recruited, she'd be confined like livestock. Occasionally, they'd provoke her with undergarments to trigger her diamond transformation and sell the results.
White Queen wouldn't be able to accept this. No one would willingly be treated like a hairless pig.
At the very least, she'd need something to cover up.
Once her clothes got dirty, she wouldn't need to wash them; just transform them into diamonds and sell them.
Economical!
The Quinjet silently cruised through the night sky, heading from the East Coast to the West Coast.
Onboard, Hawkeye and Black Widow, acting as pilots, were silent. However, their minds were racing with countless thoughts.
With the Avengers' formation and their merger with the Great Wall Guardians, the enemies the superhero teams faced were growing ever stronger.
At the same time, the number of superheroes in their teams was rapidly increasing.
Take the two captives, Riptide and Red Devil. Though they were just prisoners for now, judging by their bootlicking behavior, it wouldn't be long before they became members of the Great Wall Guardians.
And they would probably be among the most daring and aggressive members of the team.
After all, they were captives. If they didn't want to die, they'd have to prove their loyalty.
Looking at those two, then back at themselves, Hawkeye and Black Widow couldn't help but feel disheartened.
They were already reduced to being auxiliary members, just piloting the jet. Would they soon lose even that role?
After all, Red Devil was a far superior transport compared to the Quinjet. He could teleport people anywhere in an instant.
With Red Devil around, who would bother with a plane?
Once S.H.I.E.L.D.'s aces, founding Avengers, and among the first Great Wall Guardians, they now faced the threat of unemployment.
But they were still young and didn't want to retire. After witnessing superhero battles, they would never be content to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. for mundane missions.
Thus, they had to find a way to save themselves.
Only by becoming superhuman could they continue to survive in the ever-expanding superhero team.
And it seemed they had found a way to become superhuman.
The Extremis Virus!
Su Ye hadn't hidden the fact that he brought the Extremis Virus samples back to the lab for Dr. Connors and Gwen to study. So, both of them knew about it.
Now, they independently reached the same decision—they wanted to be test subjects for the Extremis Virus.
Although the initial Extremis Virus was unstable, unsafe, and carried the risk of turning its host into a living bomb, fortune favors the bold.
Only the earliest recipients of the Extremis Virus had the chance to become the premium version of Extremis warriors.
The later mass-produced, stable version would surely lose many functions. By then, injecting it wouldn't be as worthwhile.
What they didn't know was that, at that very moment, someone was already lying on the lab table in Dr. Connors' laboratory in Los Angeles.
"Miss Carter, are you sure you want to inject this experimental version of the Extremis Virus?"
Beside the lab table, Gwen held a tablet, monitoring Sharon's vitals while giving her a final confirmation.
"This is an experimental version. It could lead to many uncontrollable, unknown mutations, and we can't predict what will happen. Are you sure?"
On the lab table, Sharon exhaled slowly.
"I'm sure. Proceed!"
"Alright!"
In research mode, Gwen's expression was serious. Science allowed no room for carelessness.
Soon, Sharon was placed inside the equipment, and a shimmering orange Extremis Virus was injected into her body.
Dr. Connors and Gwen nervously watched the parameters on their instruments, ready to make adjustments at any moment.
The entire process lasted for half an hour.
Then, with the sound of the airlock opening, the device slowly opened, and Sharon was carefully brought out.
"How do you feel?"
Gwen stepped forward, examining Sharon's seemingly unchanged body while asking about and testing her physical sensations.
"I feel better than I ever have."
Sharon opened her eyes, which suddenly glowed with an orange-red light.
At the same time, Su Ye's system notification suddenly chimed.
This system sound usually only played when cards were issued late at night or when girlfriend cards were credited—never without reason.
So when he heard the ding! Su Ye thought he had accidentally triggered White Queen's girlfriend card option.
But clearly, he was mistaken.
Ding! Girlfriend Card [Sharon Carter (Green)] successfully upgraded to [Sharon Carter (Blue)].
[Character: Sharon Carter.]
[Current Affection Level: 100 (Devoted).]
[Note: While her abilities have changed, her loyalty remains. She's not only your personal confidante but also a valuable partner in your career. Let her soar, and you might just build your own Avengers.]