Chapter 20: Imprint Synthesis

Colin's mind silently grumbled, expressing his disdain for the tipping system, as he observed Nick Fury pocket the $5 that rightfully belonged to him.

[Establishing contact with distorted time nodes, collecting a small quantity of time fragments x2]

[Black Iron mark (11/10)]

[Faith (272/1000)]

Colin's eyes scanned the displayed text, paying particular attention to the number of "time fragments" shown in the "Black Iron mark," which brought some comfort to his slightly pained heart.

Viewing the situation from a different perspective, at least it was Nick Fury, the "reemployed" person, who chauffeured him on this trip, otherwise he would have lost forty dollars for nothing.

After silently consoling himself, Colin reached out and pulled the handle of the rear seat door, stepping out of the taxi.

"Oh, by the way, sir."

As Colin exited the vehicle, Nick Fury rolled down the window and handed him a piece of paper.

"If you ever need a taxi urgently, you can call this number for a discounted fare."

Accepting the paper offered by Nick Fury, Colin lowered his head and glanced at the numbers written on it, experiencing a subtle sensation in his heart.

Especially when he considered Nick Fury's identity, that subtle feeling intensified.

The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had actually fallen to the point of leaving his number to attract customers.

However, this sense of pity existed fleetingly in Colin's mind before being immediately extinguished. After all, this "pitiful" former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had just taken away his $35 fare and a $5 tip. The thought of that $5 tip caused a twinge of pain in Colin's heart.

"Well then, take care on the road. Goodbye."

Handing over the paper with the number, Nick Fury rolled up the car window, nodded at Colin outside, and stepped on the clutch, driving the taxi forward.

If possible, I hope this is the last encounter because my wallet can't endure such torment.

Watching the taxi depart, Colin initially wanted to make a sarcastic remark in his mind, but in the next moment, his facial expression froze.

As Nick Fury closed the car window, Colin noticed something. There, silently placed on the passenger seat, was a large overcoat, identical to the one he had seen earlier in the mist.

So, Nick Fury had indeed been present at the explosion site!

He hadn't merely been passing by as he had claimed...

He emerged from the explosion site!

But why did Nick Fury appear at the explosion site? Could he be the mastermind behind the blast?

The Songbird had mentioned that the perpetrator of the explosion fled from the scene. However, at that time, Colin had little interest in pursuing the interview and didn't dwell on this question.

Of course, more importantly, judging by the Thunderbolts' attitudes, even if Colin were to inquire about the explosion's details, they would likely be evasive or outright refuse to answer.

As Colin gazed down at the paper with the number written on it, his heart became immensely complex for a moment.

The depths of the parallel world were far deeper than he had originally anticipated.

...

[Black Iron Mark (11/10)]

"It's finally collected," Colin muttered as he gazed at the shattered Time Shards bearing Nick Fury's name. Obtaining these last two Time Shards in such a way was unexpected for Colin. He had initially anticipated a lengthy pursuit of Thunderbolt news or even contemplated seeking assistance from his former boss at the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson, to acquire the final Time Shards.

Looking back at the shattered fragments of Nick Fury's Time shards, Colin could faintly make out an image of the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. wearing a black windbreaker and wielding a gun. This depiction seemed to align more with Colin's perception of Fury than the appearance he had seen in the taxi earlier.

Now, it was time for the final step.

Shaking his head to clear his mind, Colin focused on the (11/10) displayed in the text, taking a deep breath in silence.

As his mind wandered, the words on the page started to flicker.

During this period, the Time Fragments collected by Colin emitted a subtle metallic gleam amidst the swirling green lights that surrounded them.

Suddenly, a searing sensation overwhelmed Colin's hand, as if it were being branded with a scorching hot iron. A cry of pain involuntarily escaped his lips. Yet, before the pain could fully engulf him, a soothing coolness replaced the heat, transforming his cry into a pleasurable moan.

"This must be the effect of the Time shards," Colin pondered, observing the ever-changing black metallic markings on the back of his hand. Although he had a basic understanding of the Iron Mark's capabilities through his experimentation, he had yet to fully grasp its true power.

Colin realized that he had only completed the first phase of the process—creating the mark itself. By synthesizing the outlines of the mark using the 10 Time shards acquired from the Distorted Time Nodes, he needed to channel his "Faith" into the blank Iron Mark before him, condensing a symbol of power.

This process reminded Colin of the primitive origins of religion, where early humans worshipped natural elements turned into totems, seeking blessings for themselves. However, times had changed, and the "Faith" he possessed was no longer as pure as it once was.

His gaze shifted to the numerical representation of his "Faith (272/1000)," and a furrow formed on Colin's brow. Previously, he had regarded the number as a mere statistic, giving it little thought. But now, reflecting on it, the 272 points of "Faith" didn't bring him much joy.

Most of those points had been accumulated through newspaper sales in the real world, where The Messenger had been relentlessly criticizing Hoover. Colin struggled to envision what kind of pattern would form when he amassed enough "Faith" points and invested them into the mark.

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