One hour later, having lost contact with the special ops team, the New York military sent personnel to investigate the abandoned factory, only to find the ground littered with shell casings, weapons, and corpses.

Using just their eyes and noses, the soldiers searching the area could sense the ferocity of the battle that had taken place!

Soldiers pushed open the main doors and cautiously entered the factory’s interior.

Throughout the four floors of the factory, there were clues of human activity everywhere, but they had arrived too late; the place was empty.

Most incredibly, there were no signs of anything being moved inside or outside the factory. The people and objects inside seemed to have vanished into thin air.

The situation was too bizarre. They could only halt the search and report it up the chain of command, step by step, until it finally reached General Ross’s ears.

Since the bodies of Blonsky and the other soldiers were not found on-site or in the surrounding area, it was presumed they had been captured by the Joker organization.

As for the lack of signs of movement, it must have been due to Harley’s teleportation.

Ross felt a massive headache coming on; the clue he had finally grasped was broken again.

Left with no other choice, he had to resort to brute force, mobilizing more personnel to conduct a meticulous search starting from the factory as the origin, hoping to find something.

However, three days passed, and they still found nothing.

……

As a former gang member, Jason knew the importance of safe houses well.

And with New York being the Joker organization’s home base, their hiding spots were practically innumerable.

These strongholds were usually on standby and locked down, but they were always stocked with weapons and daily necessities, ready to be put into use immediately should the organization need them.

Thanks to Harley’s superpowers, it took them only half an hour to successfully transfer to a new stronghold, with David and the others accompanying them the whole time.

The three of them were potent helpers in controlling Hulk. As long as the Hulk problem remained unresolved, they couldn’t return to their posts for the time being.

But as core members, they needed to manage the affairs of an entire state.

Their daily workload was very heavy, and the tasks needing attention after being away for a few days had already piled up into a mountain.

After much pleading, Jason agreed to let them leave by tomorrow at the latest.

During these three days, Dr. Sterns had been working tirelessly, forgetting to eat or sleep.

The good news was that the first-generation serum had been successfully developed and was ready for data-gathering experiments.

In a special room at the stronghold, a special ops member was strapped to a surgical bed. All preparations for the experiment were complete.

Dr. Sterns took out a syringe, injected the first-generation dark blue serum into the special ops member’s body, and then retreated with the rest of the research staff, leaving only Jason and his three companions in the lab.

“ARGH!!!”

As the serum entered his body, the special ops member immediately let out a squeal like a slaughtered pig.

He struggled desperately, his skin color slowly turning blood-red.

On the biological instrument’s LCD screen, his heart rate shot straight up, and his blood pressure broke through 200 mmHg, the machine beeping out alarms.

Soon, the muscles all over his body began to writhe, as if hundreds of small snakes had burrowed inside.

As the frequency of the writhing increased, his body size also began to expand rapidly.

In just over ten seconds, he turned into a muscle man two meters tall.

“Success?” Harley was somewhat excited.

Although the transformation speed was a bit slow, the process was almost identical to Banner turning into Hulk.

“Unclear. Be prepared for a rampage!”

The three stood at their posts, already in the best positions to attack.

Jason gripped the energy longsword infused with the suppression serum, staring at him without blinking.

The special ops member’s body continued to expand, soon surpassing two and a half meters, but just then!

Pop!

With a loud bang, his body burst open like a water balloon filled to capacity.

Blood mixed with viscera sprayed out, polluting the pristine laboratory into a complete mess.

Beeeeeeep—

On the instrument’s LCD screen, his heart rate dived like a US stock market circuit breaker, finally flatlining.

“Sigh…”

Jason dispersed his energy, sighing in disappointment.

Counting this one, it was already the third failed case.

Dr. Sterns opened the isolation door and hurried in wearing a full protective suit.

He leaned over the surgical table, ignoring the disgusting stench of blood, and carefully examined the condition of the corpse.

The instruments had recorded the physical condition before and after the injection. He muttered to himself while cross-referencing the data.

“Same as the previous two times. Maximum blood pressure broke 300 mmHg, body temperature neared 95 degrees Celsius, partial dissolution of internal organs…”

Jason didn’t want to hear his muttering and sat down on a chair outside, frowning.

Harley quietly leaned over and comforted him, “Honey, don’t be too anxious. No matter what experiment it is, there will be a lot of failures in the early stages, let alone this kind of genetic experiment. Relax your mind, trust Dr. Sterns, and just wait patiently.”

Jason nodded and explained, “I understand, and I’m not afraid of waiting. It’s just that as long as the experiment makes no progress, I’m trapped here. I’ve only been here for three or four days and I’m already bored.”

Gamma was considered the most important experiment in the current field of genetic biology.

To ensure the safety of the experimental process and that the results weren’t leaked, Jason had to stay here at all times.

For a man who loved freedom and lived unrestrained, this was practically no different from being in prison.

This problem was rather unsolvable. Harley couldn’t think of any solution either, so she just sat beside him and held Jason’s hand to soothe him.

……

After a few hours of boring waiting, once Jason had finished dinner, Dr. Sterns improved the dosage and formula again. The fourth experiment was about to begin.

The filthy lab had been cleaned up, and even the surgical bed had been replaced. The next step was to select a test subject.

Jason accompanied Dr. Sterns to the place where the special ops team was held. These people, including Betty, were locked in a simple iron cage, while the most critical one, Banner, was sedated and held separately.

The two stood outside the cage, scanning the group with scrutinizing eyes like a buyer and a butcher selecting livestock.

When buying livestock, you pick the ones with the right amount of fat and muscle; selecting test subjects was the same.

Logically speaking, a physically robust person would have a higher chance of success than a weak one. Dr. Sterns was selecting subjects based on this logic.

Three tall, muscular soldiers had already been picked, and the differences among the remaining few weren’t obvious, so it would probably take a while to choose.

The miserable screams of their comrades had already terrified these brave special ops members. They shrunk back, not daring to meet Dr. Sterns’ gaze, only closing their eyes and praying to God.

“Stop looking! Pick me!”

Suddenly, a voice spoke out, not loudly, but exploding like thunder in everyone’s ears.

Everyone cast their gaze toward the source.

They saw the man lift his head, support himself against the wall, and slowly stand up. It was the special ops team captain, Blonsky.

Dr. Sterns asked curiously, “Hearing those screams, your comrades are scared to death. Aren’t you afraid?”

Blonsky shook his head, his face showing no fear: “No!”

Dr. Sterns asked again, “Interesting. Do you know what will happen next?”

Blonsky remained expressionless: “Yeah, I know. Human trials for the Hulk serum, right?”

Dr. Sterns threatened with malicious playfulness, “The success rate for human trials is extremely low, and the process involves unimaginable pain. Your heart rate, blood pressure, and adrenaline will go off the charts. Your skin will turn blood-red, your body temperature will be high enough to fry an egg, and your internal organs will be devoured and dissolved by the Hulk serum. Knowing this, do you still dare to accept the experiment?”

Blonsky sighed slowly, walked to the front of the iron cage, and stared at Jason’s face.

His expression was written with envy and jealousy: “In my twenty-year military career, I’ve participated in many wars and seen countless deaths. The more I see, the more I experience, the more I understand the truth.”

“Weak humans like to play with strategies and preach courage, but once they encounter absolute power, all schemes and tricks are fleeting clouds. Just like the Japanese army and the atomic bomb in World War II, just like me versus Hulk and you.”

“I love fighting. I’ve spent my whole life pursuing strength. But facing you guys, I realized the strength I took pride in was nothing more than an ant trying to shake a tree.”

Blonsky’s eyes and expression became increasingly fanatical. He gazed at Jason as if a native worshipping a totem.

“I reflected for a long time. The root cause is that the upper limit of this human body of mine is too low.”

“So, to obtain a higher level of power, I’ve decided—I’m rejecting my humanity!!!”

Blonsky roared with a ferocious expression, voicing his wish. “Even if I become a hideous monster that everyone fears, even if I sell my soul to the devil, as long as I can gain power, I am willing to sacrifice everything I have!”

Blonsky’s slightly chuunibyou speech shocked everyone. Jason’s eyes also shifted from indifference to growing interest.

“Even if… you might die during the experiment?”

Blonsky’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed the iron cage and laughed maniacally, “If I can’t get stronger, I’ll be trampled underfoot by you people like an animal for the rest of my life. Rather than that, I’d be better off dead!”

“Not bad. Good eyes.” Jason revealed a rare smile and applauded his resolve.

Dr. Sterns, standing aside, frowned and advised, “Sir, this man’s mental state is a bit disturbed. Plus, he’s older, almost forty, and with his broken bones and severe injuries, the success rate of the experiment is almost zero. We should switch to another subject.”

The corners of Jason’s mouth turned up, and he said with great interest, “It doesn’t matter. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone with such a deep obsession with power. Interesting, too interesting. Give him a chance.”

“But…” Dr. Sterns leaned in closer and whispered, “This man is a military special forces soldier. If the experiment succeeds, I’m afraid…”

Jason waved his hand, interrupting him, “Afraid of what? The previous three were special forces too. Besides, with the suppression serum, nothing will go wrong. Even if it does, I can keep you safe.”

“This…”

Jason grew impatient: “I’m not even afraid of the original Hulk; why would I be afraid of this version?”

“Alright, I understand!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep