Chapter 10

Even though Vex knew he could "take advantage" of Natasha at any time, he remained calm.

However!

As one of the most popular heroines in the Avengers, Natasha's leap off the soul cliff had once moved Vex deeply.

Just letting her go like that and "giving her to someone else" was something Vex could not accept.

This left him feeling conflicted.

Therefore...

He decided to keep her by his side for now and figure things out later.

In short:

"I might not want her, but no one else is allowed to either."

Understanding Vex's intention, both Natasha and Barton's expressions became rather strange.

But considering Vex, as a powerful alien, was about to establish his race on Earth and would need a "watchful eye" for the long term, Vex also granted her the dream of becoming a mother...

She couldn't have children with anyone else?

Then she'd just have to find a way to have them with him

After much thought, Natasha didn't even bother applying to Fury. She simply nodded in agreement.

"Boss, please take care of me from now on."

Vex smiled.

He reached out and touched Natasha's forehead.

Using the Horse Talisman, he instantly healed Natasha's hidden injuries, scars, and missing parts

"It's done. You're now a normal woman again," Vex said with a smile.

Natasha didn't reply.

She turned her back to Barton, lifted her shirt in front of Vex, and revealed her smooth, white mermaid line.

There...

There had been a bullet scar, but now it was gone!

Natasha let down her shirt again, her expression visibly more relaxed.

It was as if...

She had let go of a heavy burden.

"Boss, aren't you afraid I'll run away?" Natasha joked.

Vex smiled without saying a word.

Run?

Not to mention, Natasha wasn't that foolish.

Even S.H.I.E.L.D. wouldn't approve of that.

"It seems the boss has everything under control," Natasha said with a grin. "It'll take another three hours to fly to Tennessee. You can rest for now."

Waving her hand, Natasha and Barton returned to the cockpit, drawing the curtain to separate the cabin.

Vex relaxed in the massage chair, closing his eyes comfortably.

It wasn't clear how much time had passed when he heard a murmur.

"Hungry... so hungry..."

The sound woke him up; it was Lewis.

When he opened his eyes, Natasha was already feeding Lewis an energy bar.

Lewis quickly devoured the bar, and Natasha handed her another one.

Vex found this odd.

He hadn't activated the Treasury of Kings to retrieve the Body Enhancement Serum KW89.

So why was Louise so hungry?

But when he opened the Golden Gate, he saw the golden test tube still inside.

"System, what's going on?"

The system responded: As an A-grade item, the "King's Treasury" has memory functionality. After completing the target's cellular modification, it automatically retrieved the "Body Enhancement Serum KW89" based on the host's previous usage patterns.

Oh?

That's a nice feature.

"System, is there a distance limit for retrieving items with the 'Treasury of Kings'?"

A radius of 10,000 kilometers.

Given that Earth's diameter is only 12,000 kilometers, there's no immediate concern about retrieval issues.

As he thought about this, Lewis continued eating, finishing off ten servings of military rations. She lay down with a satisfied but somewhat frightened expression.

"Whew—"

"I almost thought I was going to starve to death."

Vex chuckled and patted her head.

"As long as I'm around, you'll live a very long time."

The Dog Talisman grants immortality, and with the Horse Talisman, eternal youth is ensured.

Unless influenced by external forces, Vex and those around him would live indefinitely.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Louise asked, eyes wide. "Does that serum... make you immortal?"

Natasha also looked over, surprised by the potential of such a power.

"Not quite," Vex shook his head. "Our Star Clan naturally has long lifespans, and we can share that with our partners. So as long as I'm alive, you won't die either."

Lewis was beyond excited

She had practically scored an alien husband who could extend her life

But then her expression turned to worry.

This... wouldn't he...

"Haha—" Vex laughed loudly, "Don't worry, silly girl. Our Star Clan's lifespan increases with our strength, so living for millions of years is quite easy."

Millions of years...

Lewis' mouth twitched, both shocked and conflicted.

Humans, even counting the era of ape-like ancestors, have only existed for 580,000 years...

Vex...

He wouldn't be some ancient being who's lived for hundreds of thousands of years, right?

"Boss, can I ask how old you are?" Natasha inquired.

"Me? I'm 21," Vex said casually. "This is my first time venturing out."

Lewis let out a sigh of relief.

She playfully rested her head on Vex's chest and gave him a light punch.

"Boom—"

The deafening thud startled Lewis, causing her to leap back half a step!

Vex, however, remained calm and unbothered.

"You've just gained physical enhancements; it's normal not to have full control yet," Vex said as he lifted a hand. "Come on, try pulling me."

After making sure Vex wasn't hurt, Lewis' face almost crumpled in tears.

For a moment, she had thought...

"What are you thinking?" Vex laughed. "With that tiny body of yours, you think you can hurt me?"

Lewis finally felt reassured.

She reached out to grab Vex's hand, hesitating before cautiously increasing her grip.

Vex stood still without moving an inch.

However, the steel plates beneath Louise's feet slowly began to bend under the pressure...

Natasha's mouth fell slightly open, utterly shocked!

S.H.I.E.L.D. had thoroughly investigated Lewis' background, finding nothing remarkable about her other than her bust size and a lack of any mutant genes.

Yet, this Body Enhancement Serum KW89 had managed to transform her into something so powerful in just a few hours...

This was practically mass-producing mini superhumans!

"Creaaak—"

The steel plates beneath Lewis' feet groaned in protest under the weight.

At that moment, Vex waved his hand, signaling for Lewis to stop.

"Seven times the strength, not bad," Vex commented. "But you'll need to work on controlling it."

Lewis looked down, shocked to see the steel floor bent under her feet!

She did that?

It was too unbelievable!

Barton's voice suddenly came from the front.

"We've arrived at the target location. It's just below us. Vex, are you going to head down yourself?"

"Yeah, open the hatch."

"Buzz buzz buzz—"

The rear hatch opened, and a blast of wind rushed into the cabin.

Both Vex and Lewis squinted slightly, standing firm like immovable mountains.

Natasha, on the other hand, gripped a nearby handle tightly and shielded her eyes from the fierce wind.

Vex stood at the edge, then leaped out of the aircraft into the air.

Barton, ever considerate, adjusted the plane's position so Natasha and Lewis could watch as Vex flew through the sky with nothing but his own body.

°°°

A/N: Last of the mass release. Now, give those stones to me.

Patrëon/Moziel for 20 advanced chapters.