Card Levels and Evolution Points

In just over two weeks, five new card disciples had successively emerged within the Karl family estate.

Because the Karl family used the Demon Card as its totem, every child who was endorsed by the two instructors and supervisors, then granted Super Agent abilities by Patriarch Kyle, received an identity card representing their membership in the Karl family.

The backs of the identity cards all bore the same design: a two-winged demon wielding a sword, set against a backdrop combining elements such as stars and the cosmos, with black and crimson as the base colors.

The codenames on the fronts of the identity cards held by the five new card disciples were Red One, Red Two, Red Three, Red Four, and Red Five.

This system would continue in the future; even Red Ninety-Nine would not be excessive. It was merely a passing label, signifying recognition by the Karl family and marking the lowest rank of family membership.

Above Red came the Black prefix, representing the ranks of the Karl family’s elite members. At present, Black Widow Natasha was the only one, bearing the solitary codename Black One.

Above Black was the Jack (Knight) prefix, representing the family’s core members. Logan, Yutong, and Howard belonged to this rank.

Howard handled strategic technology and logistics and was not a combatant of the family. Although he had remained at Stark Industries Tower, Kyle had created the first fixed portal, with its location set in the basement of Stark Industries Tower.

Only after the estate on the outskirts of New York and Stark Industries Tower in central New York had been linked by the fixed portal did all the members of the Karl family come to know and understand Howard.

The family members respectfully gave him the codename Great Inventor, placing him alongside Wolf King and Crimson Eyes. Howard himself happily accepted it, leaving Kyle mildly embarrassed for quite some time.

No matter what, the Karl family’s rules and regulations, selection and training, and rank divisions had all gotten on track in less than half a month. Meanwhile, construction of the base on Dragon Turtle Island in the Atlantic was more than halfway complete. In roughly ten days, the Karl family would formally relocate from the estate to the island.

Everything in the Karl family was developing rapidly in the direction Kyle had envisioned. That was the only thing that brought him comfort now…

Because lately, Kyle had felt the abnormalities within his body growing increasingly intense.

At first, he had merely lost the outward signs of his powerful self-healing. But as two weeks passed, his superhumanly sharp senses would occasionally fail—this was certainly not an illusion brought on by excessive worry.

After all, even his physical condition, ten times that of a peak human, would revert partly to that of an ordinary person for several seconds out of every twenty-four hours.

On the fifteenth morning after Kyle learned of his genetic mutation, a silver-white strand had appeared amid the temples of his golden hair, bright as the blazing sun.

This was a sign of life weakening, regardless of natural lifespan.

The resistance of the Healing Factor within his body seemed to be declining by the day. The genetic mutation caused by his own nuclear radiation had begun subtly damaging the extraordinary physique of a Super Soldier, producing all those side effects.

Judging from the situation, Kyle felt that the time he had left was far less than the "one year" Howard had initially diagnosed and predicted. Thus, he went for a second full-body examination.

Stark Industries Tower, third underground level.

Howard had long arranged for workers to labor day and night, secretly converting the floor into a medical isolation ward. Every piece of medical equipment inside was of world-class standard, specially prepared for Kyle’s diagnosis alone.

The news that Kyle had developed a Gene Disease due to nuclear radiation was simply too significant. If word got out, not only America and the entire continent, but the whole world would be shocked.

Thus, Howard was the only doctor conducting the diagnosis. He had not even used a single trusted assistant.

At that moment, beneath the bright, glaring lights of the underground medical isolation ward—

Kyle wore an oversized white hospital gown. His perfectly fit, powerfully built body, proportioned like a golden ratio, actually appeared somewhat gaunt. He sat quietly in a chair, patiently awaiting the final test results.

Before long, Howard emerged from the private room holding the test report. He wore a white lab coat over his shirt and suit, and even through his mask, the grave expression on his face was apparent.

"Do you have any alcohol here?" Kyle suddenly asked with a smile, hoping to ease the heavy atmosphere with a joke.

"What alcohol? Do you know the state your body is in?!"

Howard slammed the test report onto the table. Even Kyle was startled; it was the first time he had seen the normally suave and gentle old gentleman lose his temper so badly.

"Sorry, I lost my composure." Howard took several deep breaths, then sighed. "I just feel useless. There’s nothing I can do to help you now."

"It’s fine." Kyle nodded in understanding, then asked calmly, "Tell me. About how much time do I have left?"

Howard slowly extended one open hand, along with three fingers from the other.

"Eight months." Kyle fell silent. The time remaining was far too urgent, as if Death were constantly at his side, urging him onto the road.

"Kyle, if you’re truly confident, then leave Earth sooner and head for the stars." Howard tightly gripped Kyle’s arms and looked at him in anguish. "Look at yourself. You’re the strongest God-tier Hero recognized by the public! You never leave even a trace of injury after battle after battle, large or small. Yet now you look like a terminally ill patient. Are you sure you can keep this from the family?"

"I still need at least two months." Kyle spoke firmly. There were still far too few card disciples, and the family’s construction had not yet reached the point where he could leave.

Howard continued trying to persuade him. "Then how will you hide it from the others in the family? Logan and Yutong aren’t ordinary people. They’ll definitely notice something wrong with your body."

"I’ll hide it for as long as I can." Kyle shook his head, held his breath slightly, and gathered strength. His muscles swelled piece by piece, restoring his original, perfect, healthy physique.

"You’re impossible."

Howard sighed helplessly. Knowing he could not persuade Kyle, he could only report the latest research progress. "I’ve already researched and solved the formula for the Infinite Formula. However, producing a single dose costs as much as two hundred thousand dollars. We can sustain production for a small number of people, but if we want to cover more than a dozen family members, even Stark Industries as it stands today may not be able to support it."

Kyle had already prepared a solution. "For now, the Infinite Formula serum only needs to be provided to the core members of the Karl family. The card disciples are still young. When they need the Infinite Formula serum to slow their aging and extend their lives, they’ll have to earn it through their own efforts by exchanging Evolution Points."

"Evolution Points?" Howard blinked, once again bewildered by this new term.