The human body regeneration technology developed by Pent Biochemical Pharmaceutical Company has been perfected, but the World Association of Disabled Persons has raised concerns. They believe the company still harbors dark secrets.
Recently, Laura, the CEO of the Pent Group, announced plans to increase investment in Australia's mineral resources. However, she also expressed dissatisfaction with certain actions taken by the Australian Prime Minister. On the same day, the Prime Minister's approval rating dropped to a record low of 7.6%—prompting speculation about the rise of a new Prime Minister.
Virtual projection technology has entered the era of mass adoption. Pent Group pledged to invest $200 billion in developing this technology across 54 countries worldwide.
News about the Pent Group constantly flashed across projection screens. A quick internet search reveals a flood of headlines. After several rapid expansions, the group absorbed most of the assets once held by Stark Industries and Hydra. Today, the market value of the Pent Group is immeasurable.
In a roadside bar in Ohio, USA, the owner—a white man in his thirties or forties—stared obsessively at the woman beside him. Most men in the bar could hardly tear their eyes away from her.
"Is this the most powerful force in the world right now? And is it controlled by a man?"
Lorelai tilted her head and asked the bar owner, her voice soft and teasing. Her enchanting gaze made his heart tremble. He felt as though he would willingly give her everything.
"Yes," the bar owner replied. "They say the chairman of the Pent Group is a man, and that President Ross's daughter is his girlfriend. But there's no information about him online. Some say the man doesn't even exist."
"Still," he added, "the Pent Group is unquestionably the number one power in the world. They're involved in too many industries. Some people can evade taxes in the U.S., but no one can escape the Pent Group's reach."
Lorelai nodded slightly. With wealth and influence of that magnitude, the Pent Group also possesses the most powerful private military in the world.
Online, military enthusiasts speculate endlessly. According to them, Umbrella is now the strongest private military organization under the command of the UN's five permanent members. But these discussions are based on scraps of rumor. In truth, Umbrella has already become the most dominant military force on Earth.
"Where can I find him—the chairman of the Pent Group?" Lorelai asked softly.
"You might be able to track him down in New York," the bar owner replied, entranced. "President Ross's daughter is often seen at the Pent Group's headquarters there. If anyone knows where he is, it's her."
"Take me there."
"Yes, my Lorelai."
The bar owner nodded instantly. He closed the bar, packed supplies for the road, and brought out his treasured RV. Opening the door with reverence, he invited Lorelai inside.
The power of a sorceress who can charm minds is absolutely fatal to ordinary men. Even without the divine might of someone like Thor, men across the Nine Realms would fall under Lorelai's spell.
Long ago, she nearly incited a rebellion across the Nine Realms, her charm vastly amplifying her destructive influence over men. If it hadn't drawn too much attention, she would've brought the Frost Titans who had once rescued her straight to Earth.
That's why Sif immediately began hunting Lorelai the moment she escaped captivity. If left unchecked, Lorelai could trigger a catastrophe across the Nine Realms—especially now, with Earth already emerging as a powerful force among the realms.
Lately, Earth has had a surge of cosmic visitors: Thor, the Warriors Three, and more. The Super Personnel Bureau, still newly established, has limited intel on these matters.
However, Sharon has already begun planning its expansion. Apart from some trouble in the Middle East, the Bureau has established a global presence—and is now setting its sights on space.
Kain did not object to this.
After gaining permission and technical support, Sharon began construction of a solar system-wide surveillance satellite network. It will take roughly two years before the system begins to show results.
By then, even the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard will be detectable—and possibly interceptable—by the Super Personnel Bureau.
Before Lorelai arrived on Earth, a group of space mercenaries had already landed: Yondu and his crew, hired by Kain.
Shortly after locating the Orb of Power, Yondu's team raced to Earth. A dispute quickly arose within the group: Should they broadcast news of the orb and auction it off to the highest bidder?
The crew was divided. Some supported the idea; others opposed it. In the end, Yondu made the call—he handed the Orb over to Kain.
Although Yondu and his team sometimes take on small, marginal commissions, their reputation as space mercenaries remains intact—especially because of Kain, a man Yondu cannot quite figure out. Kain can survive in space without any equipment and has even commissioned other mercenaries across the galaxy to search for the Orb.
If Yondu and his crew had attempted to sell the orb to someone else, they'd likely have been hunted across the universe.
Yondu's spaceship hovered just outside New York City, concealed by Umbrella forces. With their help, no one could trace the ship. Yondu disembarked with a few crew members and, escorted by Umbrella soldiers, arrived at the Kain estate.
"Mr. Kain, here's what you asked for. We searched the universe for a long time before finally finding it on the planet Morag. But it requires a specific method to open—otherwise, the contents might be damaged," Yondu explained, grinning as he collected the remainder of his commission.
They hadn't made much by selling it to a third party, but this was still the biggest payout they'd received in the past ten years.
"There's an Infinity Stone inside," Kain said calmly. "Even if you break open the orb by force, the stone itself is indestructible. But if you had tried to tamper with it… few of you would have survived."
As he spoke, Kain took the Orb in his hand and gradually increased his grip. A faint cracking sound echoed through the room.
"Mr. Kain?" Yondu asked nervously, his eyes widening.
Before Yondu could finish his sentence, Kain crushed the orb effortlessly in his hand.
Boom!
A shockwave rippled through the villa as a dazzling purple light filled the room. Yondu and his crew recoiled instinctively, trying to escape the dangerous surge of energy.
But just then, a magic circle appeared beneath them, instantly absorbing the violent energy radiating from the Power Stone. Kain stood at the center, now glowing faintly purple, the same hue radiating from his eyes.
Within seconds, the energy surge ceased. Kain's presence returned to normal as he fully suppressed the Power Stone's output.
"It's all right—I didn't mean to startle you," Kain said with a calm smile, slipping the Power Stone away.
"Mr. Yondu, I'm quite satisfied with your operational efficiency. If you're interested, I'd like to establish a long-term partnership."
He waved his hand, summoning a virtual projection listing products from the Hive Laboratory—fully developed technologies and enhancements, valuable even by galactic standards.
The list included:
Anti-Force Suit Gene Enhancement Potion Azure Dragon Fruit Transformation Formula Various Zoan-class enhancements Other bio-enhancement formulas
Since the Pent Group originated in biotech, most of the available options were biological in nature, though there were also weapon systems. However, the more advanced weapons—those capable of planetary destruction—were well beyond Yondu's price range, not to mention his ambition.
As Yondu and Star-Lord scanned the list, they exchanged glances of disbelief. Earth had always been considered a primitive backwater, yet these technologies rivaled or even surpassed what they'd seen in space. Though the spaceship they encountered last time wasn't too outdated, this was on another level entirely.
Still, Yondu remained skeptical.
Kain noticed and chuckled. "Skepticism is natural—Earth's tech wasn't nearly this advanced a decade ago. But I'll make you an offer: choose three items from the list. Consider them free samples. If you're satisfied, I'd appreciate your help promoting them."
"That… that's no problem at all. Thank you, Mr. Kain," Yondu replied quickly, now smiling.
He no longer saw Kain as just an Earthling. Anyone who could command Infinity Stones, wield mysterious powers, and possess such advanced technology clearly wasn't ordinary.
Yondu chose three items:
Genetic Evolution Serum Prototype Anti-Force Suit New-Energy Blaster Rifle – powered by Space Stone energy, capable of blowing up a spaceship with a single shot
After glancing at the list, Kain nodded. "Those three? Got it. Eric, fetch them."
Before Yondu or Star-Lord could question who "Eric" was, a large tray cart appeared out of thin air, loaded with the exact three items they'd selected.
How did that just appear? they wondered, exchanging puzzled glances. But they said nothing, instead smiling politely as they accepted the items.
Yondu planned to test everything once they got back. The performance of the suit and weapon could be assessed easily. The serum? That would take some trial.
Back aboard the ship, Yondu and his crew quickly lifted off and departed from Earth.
After sending Yondu and his crew away, Kain took out the Power Stone and the Infinity Wand, inserting the gem into a slot at the base of the wand. The wand, crafted by the Dwarf King, was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
"There's barely any resistance," Kain noted to himself. "My constitution can easily adapt to the Infinity Stone. And with the Power Stone enhancing it, channeling the Space Stone's energy feels even smoother—it's almost as easy to use as Kamui."
Using the Space Stone used to be interesting, but now it was practically effortless.
"Two Infinity Stones should be enough to deal with Tiamut... No. Better to wait. If I can get the Soul or Reality Stone too, I can resolve Earth's hidden crisis more thoroughly."
Kain had already taken care of the Eternals, and Tiamut—unable to commit suicide—would have to be handled by Kain personally.
Meanwhile, in New York City, the owner of a bar under Lorelai's control drove to the Pent Group headquarters and parked out front.
"Dear Lorelai, we've arrived. The CEO of the Pent Group definitely knows the person you're looking for. Should I go up and ask?"
Lorelai glanced at him coldly.
"You've served your purpose. Now sleep."
With that, she punched the man in the head. The heavy blow crushed his skull instantly, causing him to slump lifelessly over the steering wheel.
Don't let Lorelai's charming abilities fool you—her physical strength far exceeded that of any unenhanced Earthling and even surpassed most super soldiers.
Stepping out of the car, Lorelai walked directly toward the Pent Group building. The surrounding area was tightly controlled by the company, with patrolling guards stationed on every street. Anyone not wearing a Pent Group ID and behaving suspiciously would be stopped and monitored.
But Lorelai had no reason to worry. Almost all the guards were men, and she could subdue them with a single word.
In no time, she entered the Pent Group headquarters. However, her irregular movements were immediately detected by Red Queen, the AI overseeing security. Each guard had a designated patrol route, but now several had gathered at the entrance—clearly influenced.
A woman with stats not recorded in the system was making her way to the top.
Red Queen didn't alert Kain directly. The AI followed protocol, escalating issues through internal channels. Kain himself was rarely disturbed—fewer than ten people on Earth had direct access to him.
At that moment, the Bifrost appeared again. This time, it delivered Lady Sif—Asgardian warrior and daughter of the battlefield—some distance from where Lorelai had landed.
But unlike Lorelai, Sif wasn't so lucky.
The Super Personnel Bureau (SPB) detected her soon after arrival. Sif and the Warriors Three had previously visited Earth, so their biometrics were already in the SPB database. The moment cameras picked her up, a team was dispatched.
Two special operations teams surrounded her—after all, any matter related to Asgard was treated as a high-priority concern.
The SPB squad captain stepped forward.
"Ma'am, according to the agreement from your last visit and SPB regulations, Asgardians may not enter Earth without permission. Please don't resist. State your purpose and prepare to leave."
Sif remained calm. "A fugitive from Asgard has come to Earth. She is extremely dangerous and once caused chaos across the Nine Realms. I've come to capture her and return her to face judgment."
She was polite—on her previous visit, the SPB had been cooperative and even helped locate Thor.
After escalating the case, the SPB captain responded:
"Your request is denied. All superhuman incidents on Earth fall under our jurisdiction. Please depart within 12 hours."
"The situation is serious—"
"We understand the severity," the captain cut in sternly. "You are ordered to prepare for immediate departure under SPB supervision. Any delay will result in detention."
Sif was stunned by the sudden shift in tone.
The change in protocol had a reason—Sharon Carter had recently discovered Thor was in contact with the Avengers, who were now wanted fugitives. She discreetly consulted Kain, who expressed no attachment to Asgard, leading to a shift in policy.
Initially, Earth had been hospitable to avoid Asgard's interference. But now that the Asgardians had broken the unspoken agreement, Sharon's attitude—and Earth's stance—had hardened significantly.
…
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