The Scorched Hulk

Eternal Fire.

A flame born at the dawn of the universe, burning from ancient times to the present.

Stars formed amid explosions, giving birth to life, extinguishing life, exhausting their energy, freezing over, or collapsing into black holes.

The Milky Way Galaxy had emerged from darkness and desolation. Over billions of years, countless races had been created, and millions of stars had shone forth, illuminating the brilliant light of civilization.

This flame was still burning, which was why it was called the Eternal Fire. Rather than fire, it was more accurately described as a tangible manifestation of the laws of the universe.

This Eternal Fire contained the profound power of rebirth and destruction.

Yet now, Kyle was holding this plate of fire and directly using it as a weapon, slapping it over Hulk’s head…

If Fire Giant, the Eternal Fire’s former owner, had known, he would probably have crouched in his cave, pounding his chest in despair. If Hela, goddess of the cold underworld, had known, she would likely have wanted nothing more than to smash through her prison with a sword and rush to Earth. If All-Father Odin in Asgard had known, he probably would have sat stunned on his throne for a moment as well.

That was the Eternal Fire, comparable to a Cosmic Stone. Could they show it a little respect?

Hearing Hulk’s miserable cries and seeing white smoke rise with sizzling sounds, Kyle was startled by the effect as well. He quickly lifted the Golden Fire Plate back up.

Huff…

The golden plate remained upright. The Eternal Fire within continued burning on its own, neither weakening in the slightest nor growing any stronger.

Kyle relaxed, then looked toward Hulk. His Golden Pupils suddenly contracted, revealing utter shock.

Hulk’s current state was simply too miserable.

He was still rolling on the ground in pain. Most of his cropped hair had been burned away, while his monstrous face and solid chest were charred black, like raw meat placed over a fire and properly roasted until half-cooked.

This was Hulk!

His skin ignored conventional weapon ammunition! Even the Heavy Hammer’s impact of dozens of tons and Divine Flame at five thousand degrees Celsius had only caused superficial wounds!

And now, the Eternal Fire had directly roasted him half-cooked?

Kyle smacked his lips. The incredibly tough Hulk had been roasted by the Eternal Fire until he even smelled cooked?

What he did not know was that before the Eternal Fire, all living creatures were treated equally. Although it possessed only the power of ordinary flames, its burning ignored all resistance and defenses.

Kyle was not the only one dumbfounded. The surrounding soldiers and officers watching the spectacle were also filled with uncertainty as they stared blankly at the burned Hulk lying on the ground.

"Roar!"

Hulk curled up on the scorched earth in pain. His massive body deflated like a balloon, shrinking toward an ordinary human build as the green color across his body rapidly faded.

Under everyone’s gaze, Hulk transformed back into Bruce Banner, bare-chested above the waist and wearing only a pair of oversized briefs below.

Kyle fell silent. Knowing that the battle had been declared over, he put the Eternal Fire and the Axe of the God of War back into Card Space.

"Banner!"

Outside the battlefield, Eliza took advantage of the soldiers’ distraction to break free and rush forward. She dropped to her knees, hugged the unconscious Bruce, and called his name through tear-filled eyes.

"All soldiers, act on my command!"

General Ross stepped forward as well and swept out a hand. The armed soldiers behind him surged forward, surrounding Bruce, Eliza, and Kyle.

General Ross looked at Kyle and said respectfully and politely, "Mr. Kyle, thank you very much for your assistance this time."

Kyle nodded coldly without saying anything more.

"Father, please let Banner go." Holding Bruce in her arms, Eliza pleaded with General Ross.

"I’m sorry." General Ross shook his head and coldly issued an order to the surrounding soldiers. "Arrest the target prisoner—Bruce Banner—and return him to the military base. Execute immediately."

"Yes!"

The soldiers obeyed and moved to take Bruce away. Eliza cried out and struggled to stop them, but she was powerless. In the end, she could only turn her hopeful gaze toward Kyle.

"Mr. Kyle, please!" Eliza knelt on the ground and begged. She knew that only the man before her had the ability to stop them.

"Eliza." General Ross frowned and said apologetically to Kyle, "Mr. Kyle, I’m sorry. My daughter is still young and doesn’t know any better."

Please. She was thirty years old. Still young?

"It’s fine." Kyle shrugged. Before General Ross could smile, he added, "But you can’t take Bruce Banner away."

"Huh?" General Ross’s expression froze.

At the same time, several armed soldiers stopped moving, no longer daring to touch Bruce on the ground.

General Ross took a tense breath and hesitantly asked, "Mr. Kyle, why can’t I take him away?"

"Because I’m taking him away." Kyle looked at him calmly and said as if it were only natural, "Oh, right. I am currently acting as S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Chief Advisor. For the details afterward, you can contact S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel."

"S.H.I.E.L.D…" General Ross’s expression shifted slightly.

Of course he knew S.H.I.E.L.D. It was an independent and mysterious department not solely restricted by the United States, directly managed by the United Nations, with highly centralized duties and authority.

Within the United States, the local military generally had to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D.’s operations.

If it had been an ordinary S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, General Ross, as a general, could still have ignored them and forcibly arrested Bruce.

But the other party was Kyle. Which of Kyle’s personal identities was not far more significant than S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Chief Advisor?

Ross sighed inwardly and said softly, "Then… let S.H.I.E.L.D. take him for now. I’ll negotiate the specific details with them."

Kyle nodded and lightly clapped his hands.

As though answering his summons, a faint beam of light broke through the sky. Avoiding the soldiers deliberately, it shone down separately upon Kyle and Bruce.

"That is…" General Ross raised his head in astonishment. Dozens of meters above them, the vague outline of a Starfighter’s underside could be seen.

"Goodbye for now." Kyle spoke calmly. His body and Bruce’s body began to float slightly, rising toward the aircraft’s cabin.

"Mr. Kyle!" Eliza called after him and asked anxiously, "Can I go with Banner?"

"Eliza, you are not going!" General Ross’s words carried anger.

"It doesn’t matter." Kyle considered it, then smiled faintly. "Ross, I’ll have someone look after your daughter and make sure she returns safely."

Kyle raised a finger, and the beam of light expanded to envelop Eliza’s body.

Wrapped in the beam, the three of them accelerated into the cabin, as though the Starfighter had absorbed and swallowed them.

Its exhaust flared. The aircraft turned in the sky and became a streak of light as it sped back toward New York.

"General, what do we do now?"

Watching the Starfighter depart, an armed soldier asked in astonishment.

"What else can we do?" General Ross’s beard trembled slightly as his gaze swept over the lawn, now unrecognizable after being ravaged by artillery fire and Divine Flame, as well as the soldiers lying dead and wounded everywhere.

He felt as though he had lost both the lady and the troops. With a helpless sigh, he said, "Treat the wounded and clear the battlefield."