Xiao Han suddenly opened his eyes, the dazzling White light causing him to instinctively raise his hand to block it.
But the next second, he found himself unable to move.
His body was fixed inside a cylindrical metal experimental cabin, his limbs tightly bound by some cold-glowing alloy restraints.
A heavy metal collar, with a flashing red indicator light, was around his neck.
"Where is this…?" Xiao Han's temples throbbed, memories flooding back like a tide.
He remembered the out-of-control dump truck on his way home from work, the moment the windshield shattered, the excruciating pain of his chest being crushed by the steering wheel…
"Shouldn't I be dead?"
Outside the experimental cabin, several figures in White protective suits were busy at the control panel, the red skull emblem on their chests causing Xiao Han's pupils to contract sharply.
HYDRA!?
This is… Marvel?
I… transmigrated?
But it was clear his body was still his own; he hadn't soul-transmigrated, so… what was going on?
"Subject X-137 has awakened, vital signs are stable," a cold female voice came through the cabin's internal speaker.
"Prepare for the seventy-third gene serum injection test."
Xiao Han struggled desperately, but the restraints didn't budge.
His gaze swept across the laboratory, through the reinforced glass of the experimental cabin.
He saw various human anatomy diagrams and gene sequence maps plastered on the walls, and in a corner, several empty metal cabins were stacked, with suspicious black stains remaining on their inner walls.
"Serum ready," another male voice said.
"Based on the results of the previous seventy-two experiments, this time we've adjusted the gene recombination sequence and added a new type of catalyst."
"Hope this one makes it through the first stage," the female researcher replied indifferently. "When the last subject exploded, the cleanup took us two full days."
Xiao Han's throat tightened.
Fortunately, he had learned a foreign language specifically for a foreign trade job application, and his U.S. clients all said his English was good.
He realized he had become a HYDRA human experiment subject, and from what he heard, the previous 72 subjects had not survived.
"Injection countdown, 10, 9, 8…"
Xiao Han twisted his body frantically, the metal restraints digging into his flesh, blood trickling down his wrists.
He couldn't die here, couldn't die again in such a ridiculous way!
"…3, 2, 1, injection begins."
A mechanical arm extended from the top of the experimental cabin, its needle glinting coldly as it slowly pierced the vein in Xiao Han's neck.
A chilling liquid surged into his blood vessels, and Xiao Han instantly felt his entire body's blood boil.
"Ahhh!"
Excruciating pain instantly swept through his entire body, every nerve screaming.
Xiao Han saw his skin begin to crack, his muscles abnormally expanding and contracting, and his bones emitting a grating, teeth-aching sound.
"Vital signs rising sharply! Heart rate 200, blood pressure 220/150!"
"Brain waves abnormally active, already exceeding instrument range!"
"God, his muscle density has increased by 300%! He's going to explode, quickly terminate the experiment!"
Xiao Han's vision was submerged in a sea of blood. He felt his cells being torn apart and reassembled, a primal and violent power awakening within his body.
His consciousness gradually blurred, with only the thunderous sound of his own heartbeat remaining in his ears.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind:
"Ding! Detecting abnormal host vital signs, Superman Growth System activated!"
"Host: Xiao Han"
"Current World: Marvel Universe Earth-169278"
"Detecting fatal genetic mutation threat, initiating emergency defense protocol"
"Granting: Full Version Steel Body (Same as DC Superman's Codex-Integrated Biofield)"
An unprecedented power suddenly erupted from within Xiao Han! Every one of his cells cheered, like a giant awakening from slumber.
The serum mutation factors that were tearing his body apart melted away like ice and snow in the sunlight before this power.
Outside the experimental cabin, all the monitoring instruments suddenly sparked!
"What's going on? All instruments are malfunctioning!"
"The subject's vital signs… This is impossible! All readings are beyond the upper limit!"
"Look at the experimental cabin!"
Inside the reinforced glass, Xiao Han slowly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with crimson light.
The special alloy restraints, strong enough to bind a main battle tank, snapped like paper at his gentle struggle.
"No! This is impossible!" The female researcher staggered back two steps. "That alloy can withstand 500 tons of tensile force!"
Xiao Han stood in the center of the shattered experimental cabin, looking down at his hands.
He could feel the surging power within him, a power capable of moving mountains and parting seas.
His Super hearing could pick up the heartbeat of every person in the entire Base, his X-ray vision could see through dozens of layers of steel plates, and every cell of his was filled with almost infinite energy.
"This is… Superman's power?"
"Ding! Host has obtained the complete and growth-enabled Steel Body. Current abilities include but are not limited to: Super strength, Biofield (including flight, plus Super speed), Heat Vision, Arctic Breath, Super hearing, X-ray vision, etc."
No sooner had the system's prompt sounded than the laboratory's blast door suddenly opened, and over a dozen fully armed HYDRA Agents rushed in, their energy weapons all pointed at Xiao Han.
"Don't move! X-137, immediately kneel and put your hands on your head!"
"Fire!"
Xiao Han slowly raised his head, a smile playing on his lips.
In his eyes, the Agents' movements were as slow as snails; he could clearly see the trajectory of every energy projectile flying towards him.
Over a dozen blue bullets simultaneously shot towards Xiao Han, but they were deflected the instant they made contact with his Biofield, as if hitting an invisible wall.
Xiao Han stood still, not even a corner of his clothes stirring.
He gently exhaled a breath—Arctic Breath!
A bone-chilling cold swept through the entire laboratory. All the Agents were instantly frozen in thick layers of ice, their last expressions of terror preserved.
Xiao Han walked to the main console, and with a gentle press of his palm, the entire alloy control panel was flattened like modeling clay.
Alarms blared throughout the Base, and red warning lights flashed wildly.
"Warning! Base entering Level One combat readiness! All combat units immediately proceed to Sector B Laboratory! Repeat, all combat units…"
Xiao Han's X-ray vision penetrated layers of walls, seeing hundreds of HYDRA soldiers assembling. Further away, three heavy mechs were starting up.
He smiled slightly, his body slowly floating into the air.
"Just in time to test my strength."
He crashed through the laboratory ceiling like a cannonball, breaking through twelve layers of reinforced concrete floors, and directly burst into the Base's central hall.
The HYDRA soldiers didn't even see what happened before they were sent flying by the Impact.
"He's there! Fire!"
Hundreds of energy beams interwoven into a web of Death, yet they couldn't even touch Xiao Han's clothes.
He hovered in the center of the hall, a red light flashing in his eyes.
Heat Vision swept across!
HYDRA's heavy armor was cut open like butter, load-bearing pillars melted into molten iron, and the entire Base began to shake violently.
Xiao Han flew towards one of the mechs, grabbed its 30-ton body with one hand, and smashed it into the other two like a toy.
Boom!
The three mechs crashed together, turning into a fireball.
The Impact ripped off half of the Base's roof, and Sunlight shone through the hole onto Xiao Han, making him feel his power increase even more.
"Monster! This is a monster!" The surviving HYDRA Commander slumped to the ground, his pistol trembling uncontrollably.
Xiao Han landed in front of the Commander, his Super hearing picking up a conversation on an encrypted channel deep within the Base:
"Initiate self-destruct sequence! The subject cannot be allowed to escape!"
"But Officer, we still have our people in the Base!"
"Execute the order! Countdown 60 seconds!"
Xiao Han shook his head, instantly flying in front of the Commander: "You even kill your own people?"
"For the great cause of HYDRA, sacrifice is necessary!" The Commander laughed maniacally. "You won't escape! Everything within five kilometers will be razed to the ground! Hail HYDRA!"
Xiao Han sighed, then suddenly shot into the sky, directly crashing through hundreds of meters of rock to reach the surface.
His gaze locked onto the core reactor of the underground Base, and he took a deep breath.
Arctic Breath!
A chilling current of absolute Zero surged through the passages into the underground, instantly freezing the entire reactor.
The self-destruct sequence was forcibly aborted just as it began, and the Base became a massive ice sculpture.