~The underground space of Umbrella Corporation~
A rumbling sound reverberated through the air, like the heavy panting of a prehistoric behemoth. Its pulsating heart drummed like a war drum, and its surging blood vessels resembled mighty rivers...
Shirtless, Sean engaged in physical training within a square shaped spacious chamber.
The walls were embedded with four dazzling and blinding artificial suns created by Dr. Otto, resembling four miniature stars that emitted intense energy halos.
Standing at the center, the young man's muscles twisted like steel wires, veins bulging and writhing like coiling pythons, swelling into terrifying knots of power. It was as if he were trapped in a viscous swamp, where even the simplest movements required immense effort.
This was a gravity chamber specifically designed for physical training...
By manipulating artificial gravitational fields, the room's gravity could be multiplied. An ordinary person stepping inside would likely be crushed instantly by the overwhelming force, their body collapsing, organs rupturing, and death following swiftly.
Without activating his Sentinel (Sentry) powers or forming a protective force field, Sean treated this place as his personal gym.
Gasping for breath, he performed bench presses, his heart pounding like a war drum. Surging energy coursed between his cells and muscles, while torrents of sweat poured from his pores only to evaporate instantly under the chamber's scorching heat.
The high-intensity training lasted about two hours.
Gradually, his cells absorbed the energy radiated by the artificial suns, and the exhaustion faded. His entire body felt as if it were soaking in a warm hot spring, suffused with a deep sense of comfort.
Sean turned off the gravity chamber's power supply. The energy beams focused on him dimmed, the artificial suns ceased operation, and the artificial gravitational field vanished abruptly.
He stood still for a few seconds before daring to take a step...
During his initial training sessions, the sudden shift in gravity had left him disoriented... his body would feel unnaturally light, and if he misjudged his strength, a single step could send him crashing into a wall.
The dented human-shaped impressions on the alloy walls of the underground space were all souvenirs from those mishaps.
Taking a few deep breaths to recalibrate his control over his body, Sean stepped into the shower. Ice cold water cascaded over his sculpted marble-like physique before he vaporized the remaining moisture.
He then changed into fresh clothes...
"Victor von Doom certainly knows how to stir up trouble." Seated before a computer, Sean meticulously reviewed the events unfolding in Latveria.
Just last night, the Prime Minister's residence in the city center had been struck by a massive explosion, reducing it, along with two adjacent blocks, to rubble. The billowing dust lingered over the city like an ominous shroud.
The mastermind behind this terrorist act, Victor von Doom, had emerged unscathed.
In addition to his innate abilities, the newly minted Doctor Doom had been imbued with extensive knowledge of Kamar-Taj's mystical arts. It was obvious that after detonating the explosives, he had used a spatial teleportation spell to slip away unnoticed...
By the next morning, the slums had erupted into riots.
The mansions of the old aristocracy, those who had been preparing to establish a new regime, were stormed by frenzied mobs.
At 4:50 PM that day, large-scale violent clashes erupted. Both the police suppressing the riots and the rioting civilians suffered heavy casualties, the numbers too gruesome to tally.
"He is manufacturing chaos, sir. Latveria has lost all order... police, gangs, rival political factions scheming against each other... The country is like a runaway horse galloping straight into hell."
Listening to Skynet's report, Sean pondered briefly before asking, "And what is Doom doing in all this?"
"Aside from fueling greater chaos, Victor von Doom has taken control of two small gangs and seized a warlord's arms factory... Then he distributed the weapons to the rioters in the slums."
Sean's fingers which had been tapping rhythmically on the desk stilled...
The new personality he had crafted for Victor von Doom (both in temperament and ideology) aligned closely with the 'Doctor Doom' he knew.
So Doom's actions didn't surprise him. He understood exactly what the man was doing. First, eliminate Latveria's nominal ruler... then, incite civil unrest to breed more conflict and bloodshed, using rage and suffering to cultivate the seeds of vengeance.
The complacent old aristocracy which was still convinced of their impending victory would undoubtedly summon warlords and police to crush the riots, then hastily install another puppet leader.
But Doom had armed the rioters...
With their reasoning drowned in fury and desperation, these ordinary people would see their ambitions grow like unchecked weeds. When a crowd is consumed by fanaticism, it becomes a runaway train, barreling off the tracks toward an unknown destination...
"It seems Doctor Doom intends to shatter Latveria's old order entirely. Coups, riots, clashes, resistance... It's all like a line of dominoes; topple one, and the rest collapse." Sean played a blurry video on his computer.
It showed a group of impoverished slum-dwellers kneeling in a circle at the feet of a figure in a dark green cloak, like fervent worshippers.
"Look... Doom has founded a cult in the name of apocalypse, drawing more followers from this turbulent and fractured nation. Soon, all of Latveria will chant the name of Doctor Doom. He will forge a theocratic regime with Victor von Doom as its one true god..." Sean closed the laptop.
Just as Doom had said, the fastest way to seize control of Latveria was to first destroy its order, create chaos, and then end that chaos.
And in this grand scheme, Doctor Doom would be the mastermind, the one who could both ignite war and deliver peace.
"Skynet, it seems you'll have a new home soon." The young man never doubted whether Victor von Doom could seize ultimate power in Latveria.
Most of the world's complexities only seem insurmountable because one lacks sufficient strength or resources.
Destroying a nation, overturning its old order, and establishing a new regime... this chain of events might appear convoluted and fraught with uncertainty, but for Doctor Doom, it was child's play.
He had assassinated Prime Minister Bonucci, used Skynet to spread propaganda through television networks, blaming the old aristocracy for the terrorist attack, claiming they had struck because the righteous and fearless prime minister had threatened their rule.
He had incited the poverty-stricken and disease-ridden masses, turning the desperate into rioters. Their fervor and rage spread like wildfire.
All Doom needed to do next was toss a spark into the boiling oil...
The riots might be suppressed, but the people demanding more rights and better lives would, through relentless bloodshed, become the unshakable foundation of the Doom Cult.
And when mortal strength failed to secure their victory, a true god bathed in hope and light would descend.
Clearly, Victor von Doom was preparing to play the role of that god...
Sean stepped into the elevator, setting aside Latveria's religious revival for now. Tonight, he still had to attend the inauguration ceremony of Stark Tower.
Compared to the grand spectacle Doom was orchestrating, the dangerous game between the female agent and the scientist was far more enticing to the young man...