Chapter 82: The Creation

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In Africa, Ulysses Klaue's base of operations was where Link landed. He instructed the plane to wait and then set off with a large backpack. He didn't stay at any hotels; instead, he hiked until nightfall. Once there, he unpacked and geared up.

His outfit consisted of combat armor, boots, gloves, a tactical vest, and a helmet. He was armed with a submachine gun, a handgun, and plenty of magazines. All the gear had been prepared meticulously, ensuring that no fingerprints would be left behind. He didn't plan to bring any of it back with him.

Once prepared, Link listened intently, and when darkness fell, he took to the air. During this time, the satellite systems were ineffective, unable to track him from space. In Africa, there was no need to worry about witnesses or surveillance. He quickly found his target, flying low to the ground and arriving shortly.

Ulysses Klaue's base was in a ship graveyard, with an old cargo ship serving as his main headquarters. Every time Klaue acted, he took his men out and returned here. Currently, at the Salvage Pier, Klaue was overseeing the loading of goods. The constant war in the region made it a lucrative place for him, with gold and diamonds serving as currency.

Suddenly, the lights went out aboard the ship, and Klaue instantly became alert. "Check the generator!" he yelled.

Gunfire rang out before anyone could respond, throwing the whole crew into a panic. Klaue froze for a moment—was someone attacking him?

"Grab your weapons!" he shouted, running back to his room to grab an assault rifle before coming out again, positioning himself on higher ground to get a better view.

Gunshots echoed continuously through the darkness, but for Link, the night was the perfect cover. He had already scouted the area using his X-ray vision, locating the power lines, generator, and most importantly, the vibranium storage. He cut off both the primary and backup power supplies and then went on a killing spree. No one could see him, and any return fire was wild and aimless. Link, with his submachine gun, systematically eliminated everyone with headshots, leaving no survivors. His X-ray vision made it impossible for anyone to hide.

…

Suddenly, silence fell—there was no more sound. Klaue was drenched in cold sweat, not daring to move. Whoever was attacking his base was clearly an expert. Klaue couldn't gauge how many attackers there were, as there had been no indiscriminate firing. His own men, in contrast, had panicked and fired randomly, making it even harder to assess the situation.

Now, with the gunfire stopped, Klaue heard nothing at all. Then, a hand tapped his shoulder.

Klaue flinched, dropping his weapon in terror. Slowly, he turned around to see a fully armed man with yellow skin standing behind him, pointing a pistol at him. The man smiled briefly before pulling the trigger without hesitation.

Klaue's life ended in an instant. Link had only shown his face so Klaue could die knowing who killed him—a small touch of dark humor. Link discarded the pistol and stripped off all his equipment, stuffing everything into the backpack. Changing back into his original clothes, he calmly restarted the diesel generator he had previously shut down, but left the backup power system completely destroyed.

When the lights flickered back on, Link strolled through the scene of the massacre. The bodies scattered across the shipyard bore expressions of fear and confusion. They had died without understanding what had happened to them. As for Klaue, his face showed only shock.

Next, Link activated the elevator, revealing Klaue's stash of vibranium. He packed as much of the precious metal as possible into his backpack, filling it to the brim. When one bag was full, he grabbed another and stuffed it with gold and diamonds.

Leaving the cash untouched to avoid potential tracking, he found a crate of grenades, pulled the pins, and threw them all over the shipyard. Using his superhuman speed, he ensured that every grenade was tossed out before they could explode. Then, carrying his bags, he shot up into the sky.

Only after he had flown a significant distance did he hear the massive explosion behind him. The cargo ship was thrown into the air, followed by a mushroom cloud from the intense explosion, as the ship's ammunition stores ignited. Link glanced back briefly before flying off, heading back to the plane.

Boarding the plane, he relaxed, resting during the flight. By the next morning, he filed a flight plan and returned to the U.S., having secured a massive amount of vibranium in less than a day.

…

"Alfred, it's time to get to work," Link said as he entered the top floor of the Osborn Tower.

"Sir, did you acquire the materials?" a voice replied—it was Alfred, the artificial intelligence Link had designed.

"Of course. I'm taking them down to the lab. Start preparing for production!" Link said as he headed to the underground workshop. There, he unloaded the vibranium into a smelting device.

"Also, melt down this gold and recast it into bars, marking each with 'LK' and a weight of 500 grams. And order 1,000 grams of platinum."

"Understood, sir," Alfred responded and began executing the plan. The flight board was to be made from titanium alloy, in the same two-tone color scheme as the skin from the *Project Lucian* series.

The two battle suits only required the production of nano modules, with the program already set up. Link was the only one who had access to this level of nanotechnology at the moment.

Link returned to the top floor, grabbing a bottle of bourbon and a cigar before reclining on the rooftop deck to bask in the sunlight. His relaxation was interrupted by a phone call from Coulson.

"Link, you sure caused quite a stir."

"Not really. I just took out Ulysses Klaue, nothing too serious," Link replied casually. He no longer needed to hide certain actions, as his status and position had changed significantly.

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(End of Chapter)