"Sir, are you sure you want to experiment like this?" Medusa's voice came through the communicator in his ear.
"Medusa, practical experience is the only standard for verifying truth," Zhou Yi tapped the communicator. "Moreover, what we are doing now is very important."
"Sir, I don't think digging a several-kilometer-long underground tunnel is a good option. Especially when Dawn Type I has not yet been tested. If an accident occurs, you might be trapped three hundred meters underground, making rescue very difficult."
"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. Let's start, Medusa."
"I understand, Sir!"
The machinery in front of Zhou Yi whirred to high power. Several flexible mechanical arms extended, surrounding Zhou Yi's body, and began to attach specialized gear to his joints—knees, ankles, wrists, elbows, chest, shoulders, and head. These pieces of equipment were designed to protect the wearer and to manipulate the proliferation and deformation of the nanometal.
As the gear was loaded, other mechanical arms appeared, their fronts shaped like injectors. They inserted long needles into the joint equipment, injecting countless silver-gray metallic liquids. Layers of fine, hexagonal metal blocks, imperceptible to the naked eye, spread like mercury, quickly covering Zhou Yi's entire body. This initial layer provided the innermost protection, like a metal bodysuit.
Then came the second stage: thicker metallic liquid flowed out and began to strengthen the armor thickness. The initial joint equipment was covered with a fine yet thick external metal layer, while other areas underwent extensive aggregation and deformation.
This stage lasted about a minute, until Zhou Yi was completely enveloped in a thick layer of silver-gray armor.
Dawn Type I Nanometal Armor
The Dawn Type I nanometal armor made its debut. The streamlined design gave it a simple yet sharp aesthetic, with thick armor at the joints exuding a sense of power. The interlocking metal plates gave him the appearance of a Dragon Slayer from mythology.
The helmet's design was futuristic: crystallized nanometal extended from two external earcups, connecting at the back of the neck and extending protective gear from the jaw. The center of the meteor-shaped helmet was entirely composed of bright, mirrored crystals, allowing only a blurred outline of a human face to be seen.
When needed, the protective area could retract to retain only the ear communication device—a fallback for when his identity might eventually be revealed.
Finally, as the crystallized nanometal at the center of the helmet emitted a faint glow, Zhou Yi's voice, now electronic, spoke.
"Medusa, this startup time seems to be quite a bit longer than expected," Zhou Yi tapped the helmet. "But the design of the exterior is very good."
"The startup time error is due to the nanometal armor adapting to your self-contained energy. Also, thank you for the compliment."
"But I don't like this color." He looked at the gloomy metallic gray. "Medusa, adjust the main parts to black, and also leave me a memorable mark."
The armor's external color instantly changed at a molecular level to pure black. Subsequently, a golden Sun pattern, as if just emerging from the ground, appeared on the thick armor of both shoulders. This transformation gave the mechanical-looking armor a sleek, dark aesthetic.
"This feels much better." Zhou Yi gave his final commands. "Medusa, assist in correcting my direction of travel, and remember to seal the exit. I don't want this place to become an underwater world when I return."
"Understood, Sir!"
"Very good, let's get to work!" The crystals on Zhou Yi's helmet emitted a dazzling white light—refracted heat rays from his pupils. This light's extreme heat instantly dissolved the ground's metal and soil, forming hard crystalline structures. Zhou Yi leaped, diving into the ground to begin drilling.
Using ultra-high temperature ray drilling and intelligent AI positioning, Zhou Yi drilled at an unimaginable speed, reaching a depth of over three hundred meters. Ten minutes later, he opened a tunnel leading to the seabed rock layer near the waters off Long Island.
When Medusa notified him of the breakthrough, Zhou Yi punched through the final rock layer. He then flew out, lifted several large, tens-of-feet-square rock layers, and carefully smashed them onto the exit, concealing the tunnel exit under what looked like a natural underwater rock mountain.
Having completed the concealment, Zhou Yi broke through the resistance of the seawater and flew into the sky. Once airborne, he realized how long the tunnel was; only a faint outline of land was visible. He was confident that the Agents monitoring his home would never expect him to appear this far away.
"Medusa, help me monitor the Police Department network within New York to see if there's anything we can intervene in."
"Sir, part of the nanometal on your right hand is damaged. I suggest you complete the repair before proceeding with your next plan." Medusa noted the fractured metal at his finger joints, where the nanometal's base layer was visible.
"Record the research direction for the next type of nanometal, and continue to strengthen its protective capabilities. Also, monitor the Police Department network; these minor issues can be dealt with later."
"Yes, Sir." Medusa accepted the command. Soon, Zhou Yi's ear was flooded with mundane police calls: indoor thefts, illegal street racing in Manhattan, and officers discussing cookies.
Annoyed by the waiting, Zhou Yi handed the task over to Medusa and flew directly into outer space. As a solar-powered individual, basking in the sun was more productive than listening to police chatter.
His extreme speed tore through the clouds, leaving deep red light and shadow in the thick atmosphere due to friction heating. The nanometal armor's surface turned slightly red, but no further changes occurred until he left Earth's protective layer, confirming its high level of thermal insulation.
Zhou Yi's reckless flight immediately attracted the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors.
"Officer, an unidentified flying organism, designated 484, has been detected." The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, assigned to track newly discovered aerial targets, quickly notified Commander Hill.
Hill, already impatient with 484 (Zhou Yi's file codename), immediately ordered: "Send me the image, and contact Eleventh Squad."
The satellite camera barely captured the figure streaking past in synchronous orbit. The blurry image showed a person in sci-fi exoskeleton armor flying past the camera in a classic Boy Scout salute pose. Hill saw this as a clear provocation.
"What do you think you are, an outstanding child?" she cursed indignantly, then ordered: "Notify Eleventh Squad, report to me!"
"Officer, Eleventh Field Team reporting to you. I am Agent Morse."
"Barbara, report your situation."
"The target has been staying inside the Villa, with no signs of leaving. However, apart from the target going out to get a pizza an hour and a half ago, the target's exact location has not been clearly identified."
Commander Hill immediately ordered: "Barbara, find a way to infiltrate. Try to gather information from that Villa without the target noticing you. I think there should be another passage in there; the target is no longer inside."
Agent Barbara Morse—a strikingly tall blonde beauty, over 180 centimeters, with an athletic physique—paused and stepped out of her black SUV.
"Officer, are you sure you want to do this? The target is not an ordinary person." Barbara knew that anyone supervised by Level Nine Agent Maria Hill and directly ordered by Director Fury was serious.
Hill, without disclosing the true identity of 484, stated, "I am confident, and this is an order."
"Understood, Officer!" Barbara accepted the command and, unseen by anyone, began her stealth approach toward Zhou Yi's Villa.