William didn't answer directly, but instead posed a question that Bronski couldn't avoid.
"You crave power, don't you, Mr. Bronski?"
Abomination didn't speak, but his silence was the best answer.
"You crave power because you were once a top warrior, and you firmly believe that power brings victory and glory. But you got one thing wrong." William wagged his finger.
"You lost that battle in Harlem. Not because of power; you were about as strong as him. You lost because of 'product iteration'."
Product iteration? What the hell is that term? A flicker of confusion crossed Abomination's chaotic mind.
William seemed to read his thoughts, the smile on his lips growing wider.
"Hulk is version 1.0 of rage—pure, direct, knows nothing but smashing things, but its system is stable with no unnecessary plugins. And you, Mr. Bronski, you're a half-finished product, a test version riddled with bugs, mixed with jealousy, resentment, fear, and opportunism. Your power is impure and muddled, your rage filled with selfish distractions."
"You were just a bigger, tougher punching bag. And what was the result? You were rubbed into the ground by the legitimate user. So, you lost."
These words precisely pierced Abomination's most unwillingly acknowledged scar.
He lost.
Yes, he lost.
Even though his power was almost equal to his opponent's.
He was swatted like a golf ball by that green giant with a broken helicopter propeller, and finally choked unconscious by cold iron chains like a dead dog.
This was his greatest humiliation as a warrior.
"How do you prove it?"
"It's simple."
William handed the tablet over again.
This time, the screen no longer displayed complex insurance clauses, but a vivid red virtual button that pulsed slightly like a heartbeat.
Below the button was a concise line of text:
["Form Stability and Self-Control Assurance Insurance" — Authorization Confirmation]
"This policy doesn't require ink and paper to take effect; it requires your 'will'."
William explained, his tone like he was introducing a groundbreaking luxury item.
"Your body, your DNA, underwent violent and unstable mutations due to gamma radiation. And our company happens to provide a 'gene calibration signal,' a signal capable of temporarily suppressing this mutation and allowing your original, human genetic sequence to regain dominance. See how simple this interface is? It's designed for customers like you… who aren't used to reading complex clauses."
He pointed to the red button, his voice full of allure.
"The principle isn't important; the result is. It's not magic; it's biotechnology, a paid service. You just need to focus your will on this authorization, confirm that you 'agree' to accept the insurance, and immediately apply for your first claim. If successful, you turn back into a human, and the contract takes effect. If it fails, nothing happens, and you can continue to mock me here as a lying charlatan."
"You have nothing to lose, Mr. Bronski. But you might win back your entire life."
William's voice was full of temptation.
Abomination stared intently at the red button.
His brain was working at high speed.
This little bug was right.
He had nothing left but this monstrous body and endless imprisonment.
What else did he have to lose?
Pride?
His pride had been shattered by Hulk in Harlem.
Freedom?
He didn't even have the freedom to decide his sleeping position.
If this was a scam, at most he would have hoped in vain.
But what if… what if it was real?
He would be able to feel the warmth of the sun again, instead of the cold light shining through the observation window.
He would be able to taste food again, instead of being passively injected with life-sustaining nutrients.
He would be able to… be a human again.
Then, with human wisdom and calm, to wield this Beast's power, and take revenge on Hulk, fair and square!
This temptation, he couldn't refuse.
"Good."
Abomination squeezed the word through his teeth.
Although he didn't understand the use of his confirmation through the glass wall, Abomination didn't say much more.
None of that mattered to him.
From William's perspective, he could see the blue cursor representing Abomination's mental power, trembling yet incredibly resolute, moving towards the red [Authorize] button.
Then, it clicked.
[Ding!]
[Customer "Emil Blonsky" has confirmed signing the "Form Stability and Self-Control Assurance Insurance"!]
[First claim application has been triggered!]
[Claim Item: Form Restoration (Abomination → Human)]
[Claim agreement effective, execution begins!]
The next second.
"Ah ah ah ah —!!!"
A heart-wrenching scream erupted from Abomination's throat!
The sound was filled with unimaginable pain, as if every cell in his body was being torn apart and reassembled!
His mountain-like body began to tremble and convulse violently.
His original muddy yellowish-brown skin began to fade at a visible rate, flaking off in large chunks, revealing the new, tender skin beneath.
The gnarled muscle groups deflated like punctured balloons, rapidly shrinking and collapsing.
Most horrifying were the hideous bone spurs at his spine and joints.
They didn't disappear, but rather, as if absorbed in reverse by some invisible force, they retracted into his body inch by inch, accompanied by crisp "crackling" sounds!
This process was ten thousand times more painful than when he first transformed into Abomination!
It was an agonizing pain of being shattered and then re-molded!
Abomination curled up on the ground, his massive body shrinking rapidly at an abnormal rate.
From over three meters tall, he shrank to two and a half meters.
Two meters.
One point nine meters… William stood calmly outside the observation wall, watching this breathtaking "reverse transformation."
Finally, the heart-wrenching screams gradually subsided.
In the center of the giant circular cage, the humanoid Beast that once gave S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Military so much trouble had completely disappeared.
In its place was a naked man, covered in mucus and blood, curled up on the ground, trembling slightly.
He had short blond hair, a strong physique, and well-defined muscles.
It was Emil Blonsky's former appearance.
The man laboriously raised his hand and brought it before his eyes.
It was a normal-sized, human hand.
No claws, no thick calluses, the skin even had the fresh pinkness of new growth.
He slowly, tremblingly, clenched his fist.
Then, slowly opened it again.
"I…"
Emil Blonsky looked up at the man outside the wall, who still wore a faint smile, his voice hoarse and full of disbelief.
"I'm back…"
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