The organization was finally running on its own. With every division stable, Kurogai no longer concerned himself with the daily details. That was the reason he built it in the first place—to take care of matters he had no time or interest in handling himself.
Once Rogue proved she could manage the Intelligence Division, Kurogai released full control to her without hesitation. Confident in her growing strength and discipline, he left, turning his attention to a new goal.
This time, his destination was Wakanda.
The decision had been sparked during his battle with the Abomination, when Stark had unexpectedly revealed conditions tied to unlocking the next stage of his ocular powers. Those clues now pointed him toward the heart of Africa.
"Wakanda," Kurogai murmured, his voice low. "A nation hidden in plain sight."
On the surface, Wakanda appeared to be nothing more than a poor agricultural country. That was the story the world believed—centuries of isolation had preserved that carefully maintained image. But Kurogai knew better. Wakanda was no backwater. It was the most technologically advanced nation on Earth, built upon a resource rarer than gold or diamonds: vibranium.
And it was home to a king who fought as the Black Panther.
Kurogai's memory of the hero was sharp. The Black Panther drew his enhanced strength, speed, and senses from a sacred ritual involving the heart-shaped herb. Each king of Wakanda underwent the trial, becoming not only ruler but protector, clad in a suit of vibranium armor.
But truthfully, Kurogai had little interest in the king himself. The Black Panther was formidable by mortal standards, but not a threat to him. The vibranium, however—that was something worth pursuing.
Through Rogue's intelligence network, Kurogai had already received detailed information on Wakanda's location. There was no need for investigation. He summoned his energy, shaped a portal, and stepped through.
Heat struck him immediately. He stood on a rocky hilltop overlooking what seemed to be a lush expanse of jungle. At first glance, it looked like an untouched paradise, a green jewel glimmering in the desert sun.
But Kurogai knew better. Wakanda's image was a projection, a camouflage of advanced design, layered over the truth like an illusion. He focused, his eyes turning stark white as the next ring of his ocular power revealed what lay beneath the surface.
The false greenery dissolved. In its place rose sleek towers and high-tech craft gliding through the air. Aircraft skimmed low over energy fields before settling onto hidden landing pads. It was a nation wrapped in science centuries ahead of the outside world.
"So much technology," Kurogai whispered to himself, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "And all hidden from sight."
He swept his vision further, seeking what he truly desired. Then his gaze settled, sharp and unwavering.
"There you are."
A sprawling mine opened before his eyes. Vehicles rolled in and out, hauling metallic cargo gleaming faintly with an otherworldly luster. Vibranium. Endless veins of it running through the earth.
Without hesitation, Kurogai conjured another portal and stepped directly to the mine's edge. Surprisingly, there were no guards stationed outside—whether a mark of Wakanda's arrogance in their security, or confidence in their cloaking technology, he did not care.
He strode forward, his steps unhurried.
One motion carried him over the edge, and he plummeted into the vast cavern below. He didn't flinch. His descent slowed as time itself bent around him, his personal technique halting his fall until he landed gracefully on a transport track.
"Time Deceleration," he murmured, releasing the effect as his boots touched steel.
The sight before him was breathtaking. The cavern stretched endlessly, its walls glowing with veins of vibranium. Automated machines moved with precise rhythm, loading, cutting, refining—an entire system that seemed to run without human oversight.
"A vibranium mine," Kurogai said softly, pressing one palm against the cold wall. "And so much of it. Enough to reshape the world."
He activated his ocular power, focusing on the resonance between his ring and the rare metal. "Ultimate Pupil—collect special material."
At once, he felt it. The pull. The sixth ring within him drank in the essence of vibranium, threads of power feeding into his body. His vision sharpened as if reality itself was bending closer.
But he was not alone.
In a control chamber above the mine, alarms screamed. A young woman—dark-skinned, her sharp eyes narrowed behind a table of holographic displays—snapped her head toward the sound. She wore a lab coat but carried the commanding energy of someone who belonged here.
"Report!" she barked.
The AI system obeyed. A projection shimmered to life before her, showing the intruder. A lone man, tall and unnervingly calm, stepping into the mine as if it belonged to him.
The woman's expression tightened as recognition flickered. "Someone breached the shield…? How is that possible?"
She leaned closer as the projection zoomed in on Kurogai's figure. His eyes glowed faintly white as he pressed his hand into solid vibranium. Energy bled around him like a storm.
Her stomach twisted. "Oh my God… what is he doing?"
The words left her lips in a whisper, but the urgency behind them was clear. Whoever this stranger was, he wasn't an ordinary trespasser. He was draining the mine itself.
And Wakanda had just found an enemy inside its heart.
____
Milestone,
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter