Chapter 22. Talokan, Namor

Not far from where Noah found the vibranium deposit, an ancient underwater kingdom lay hidden. This mysterious kingdom resembled a thriving tribe more than a metropolis. People moved around on whales, merchants offered their wares, and children played and frolicked. Surprisingly, despite the depth, the entire city was bathed in a soft, warm light.

At the center of the kingdom stood a massive structure resembling a temple. At its peak was an artificial sun—an invention of Namor, created so that the people of Talokan could enjoy sunlight even deep underwater.

This was Talokan, the mysterious underwater kingdom from the Marvel universe. Inside the temple, beneath the artificial sun, Namor sat on his throne, listening to a report from one of his soldiers.

"K'uk'ulkan, take a look at this. Our guards have just discovered it," a blue-skinned soldier in vibranium armor from Talokan handed Namor a high-tech tablet.

Namor looked at the screen, which showed a security camera recording. The footage showed Noah emerging from the abyss, and shortly after, the cameras abruptly stopped working, leaving the screen dark.

"Mm? These came from the equipment near the vibranium deposit?" Namor frowned as he studied the footage. He leaned slightly forward on his throne, sensing unease at the sight of the strange figure.

"Yes, our forces just uncovered this. The unknown figure somehow accessed our vibranium deposit," the soldier reported.

"Gather a team and prepare the equipment. We will head to the deposit and investigate what's happening," Namor ordered. He sensed that this stranger was not to be underestimated, and he needed to personally verify the intruder's intentions.

The scene shifts back to the vibranium deposit. Emerging from the Abyssal Dive, Noah headed toward the area marked by the mission's arrow. Surveying the seabed, he raised his hand, focusing his magical energy into the target. His strike caused an explosion of sand and clay, obscuring the view. He then summoned a current to wash the debris away. When the dust settled, the seabed had cleared, revealing a glowing blue mineral—vibranium, the rare and valuable metal from the Marvel universe.

"Lissandra, look. That's our goal—vibranium, a special metal," Noah said. Lissandra likely had never seen such a mineral before.

Lissandra detached from Noah's shoulder and floated toward the vibranium, transforming into a mechanical tentacle for analysis. Her eyes glowed as she scanned the mineral before returning to his side.

"Noah, this mineral has a highly unusual molecular structure. I've never encountered anything like it," she said. Her databases held no information on such a material, but Noah knew that vibranium was unique to the Marvel universe.

"Vibranium is an extremely powerful metal, capable of absorbing heat, energy, and kinetic force. Weapons and armor forged from it are incredibly strong. I plan to use this metal to create your new body," Noah explained.

"I look forward to that. This mineral holds immense potential," Lissandra replied.

Gazing at the exposed mineral, Noah stroked his chin. He pondered how best to mine the vibranium and how to transport it afterward. He wasn't sure if his system's inventory could hold such a quantity of the precious metal.

After some thought, he decided to extract the vibranium first and worry about transportation later.

In the dark ocean depths, as the sand finally settled and Noah prepared to begin mining, he sensed slight ripples in the water. Someone was approaching.

"Talokanil?"

Sensing their approach, Noah halted his path to the vibranium, turned to the source of the disturbance, and slowly descended, positioning himself near the deposit. He crossed his arms behind his back, ready to meet the Talokan warriors. He intended to deal with them first, then return to mining the vibranium.

At a depth of over 3,000 meters in the Atlantic Ocean stood the humanoid form of a giant catfish. Beside him hovered a spherical mechanism, while the ground beneath them glowed with a mysterious blue light—the only source of illumination around. Hundreds of meters away, numerous figures were approaching.

"Lissandra, come to me. We've got enemies incoming," Noah said.

Before he could finish his sentence, the Talokan warriors had already arrived. Noah saw them, and they saw two figures. But these were not ordinary humans—they were a giant catfish and a mechanical device.

At the front was Namor, king of the underwater kingdom Talokan from the Marvel universe, an antagonist and ancient mutant. He possessed immense physical strength and a pair of wings on his ankles, allowing him to swim swiftly underwater and even fly on land, though his abilities were weakened there. In the ocean, his strength was comparable to that of Thor or the Hulk. Noah had never seen him fully unleashed in the films, but now he had a chance.

Alongside Namor were his warriors—the blue-skinned Talokanil, who resembled creatures from "Avatar." They gained this hue after consuming a mystical herb linked to vibranium. Originally, they were land-dwellers, but illness forced them to drink an elixir from this herb, giving them the ability to breathe underwater but depriving them of the ability to breathe on land. This elixir also made their bodies tougher and stronger. Namor, however, was special—he was born a mutant with wings and could breathe both underwater and on land, making him the natural leader of the Talokanil.

Namor stared at Noah, and silence reigned, broken only by the sound of the water. Soon, he spoke first.

"Stranger, you have crossed the borders of Talokan. Explain your purpose here, or we will consider you an enemy," Namor said, holding a vibranium spear and pointing it at the intruder.

"Hahaha, underwater man, I heard you have something valuable. I've come here to offer you a deal," Noah said, his massive tongue licking his large mouth, and his whiskers quivered.

Namor's gaze shifted to the vibranium, glowing blue. He realized the stranger had come for the mineral.

"Stranger, you are an unwelcome guest here. Talokan will not bargain with you. Leave now, or we will take action," he said.

"Don't be hasty, underwater man. You haven't heard the terms of my deal yet. The offer is..." Noah paused, grinning, then continued, "Your lives in exchange for the vibranium. How does that sound?"

Namor's face twisted with anger. This outsider clearly came with ill intentions. Without another word, he ordered his warriors to attack.

Several blue-skinned soldiers charged at Noah with vibranium spears and turtle shell-like shields. Their speed underwater was impressive, and they reached him within seconds, aiming to impale him with their weapons.

However, they didn't feel the impact of flesh. Their spears struck an invisible wall. The warriors saw that a light-white shield had appeared in front of them.

This was the powerful Tongue Lash Shield conjured by Noah using Tahm Kench's magic. The shield easily repelled their attack. Noah opened his massive mouth, and his tongue unleashed a powerful wave at the soldiers. They were flung backward, losing consciousness as they drifted in the water.

Noah didn't want to touch them with his tongue, finding it distasteful, so he used magic to push the enemies away. In the game, Tahm Kench would always lick his opponents, but Noah preferred a different approach.

Seeing his soldiers knocked down, Namor flew into a rage. He decided to teach this insolent intruder a lesson himself.

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