Noon at the First Military Hospital in the United States.
Due to being in a time of war, there were many injured officers and soldiers being treated in the hospital, as well as family members who came to visit. However, being a military hospital, everyone here was very disciplined and kept their voices low, fearing to disturb others.
Kyle, dressed in patient-specific clothing, walked through the corridors of the hospital's lobby. His young and handsome face immediately attracted the attention of many opposite-sex individuals.
Thanks to the relatively less crazy information dissemination compared to the 21st century, few people recognized Kyle as the hero of the recent counterattack campaign.
In fact, Kyle, the youngest lieutenant officer in the United States, was not as famous as Steve, known as "Captain America."
Facing the expressive gazes of the nurses, Kyle responded with a smile instead of words before he walked out of the hospital building and entered the green park outside.
The sun was shining brightly at this time, with lush trees and green grass surrounding the park. The pond's fountain blinked with a clear light, making it a delightful sight for the patients and visitors.
Of course, Kyle was not the kind of person who could endure resting for a long time.
He took a few deep breaths of fresh air and began to warm up his body by doing a set of Military Fitness Boxing, which was also his formal routine.
As he finished the set, his bones crackled like popping beans, and his body, which had been stiff and sluggish, became invigorated and his complexion became much rosier.
"Feels good." Kyle exhaled a warm breath of air. Despite the lingering pain in his healing left shoulder, he felt far more comfortable than lying weakly in a sickbed, being someone accustomed to the battlefield environment.
Tomorrow, he would be heading to the training base with Joseph. He didn't want to display any signs of lethargy. Having made a promise to outperform Steve, he aimed to excel in everything he did.
At some point, Kyle had developed his own sense of pride and principles.
"Oh, I almost forgot about the spoils from the counterattack campaign."
Drenched in sweat, Kyle sat on a park bench, closed his eyes as if taking a rest, and quietly delved into the Card Space within his mind.
In contrast to the previous battle, the vast white space was devoid of the numerous cluttered white and green Item Cards.
However, this time, the rewards surpassed any previous encounter!
Twenty-five uncategorized Blue Item Cards were prominently placed at the center of the card vortex. Each card contained an infinite energy source capable of granting modified firearms astonishing destructive power.
Yet, upon seeing the Blue-Grade Cube Fragment, Kyle had already devised a plan for its usage.
Rather than utilizing this energy on firearms, it would be better suited as material cards for Card Tributing!
"With two Blue Card Tributes, even if I don't draw cards beyond the blue grade, I will still possess two Blue Cards that can significantly enhance my personal strength." Kyle brimmed with anticipation as he looked at the twenty-five Blue Item Cards in front of his mental manifestation.
The boundaries and potential outcomes of Card Tributing varied greatly. It held the possibility of both losses and unexpected rewards.
[Stealth], a Blue Ability Card, stood as the ultimate result of Card Tributing.
Without the Stealth Ability, Kyle would struggle to infiltrate the enemy base, let alone breach their defenses.
"May the goddess of victory in New York bestow upon me a fortune-boosting luck. I must achieve favorable outcomes." Kyle felt as if he had returned to the lottery segment of a game from his previous life, his emotions filled with excitement and apprehension as he sacrificed 10 Blue Cards.
Tribute Extraction!
"You sacrificed [Cube Fragment]×10!"
"Extraction Succeeded. Congratulations, you've obtained [Blue Eagle]."
A Blue Card, clearly of the Biological Type, materialized before Kyle's eyes. The blinking blue light on the card indicated its exceptional grade coefficient.
"Rare Blue on the first try?!" Kyle couldn't believe his luck. Drawing a Rare Blue card was akin to hitting the jackpot. He swiftly took hold of the new card and examined it closely.
[Blue Eagle]: An unusual avian lifeform residing on cliffs at an altitude of ten thousand meters. Rare Blue Card.
The blue eagle was three times larger than a typical eagle, boasting a wingspan of up to ten meters. Its feathers were dark blue, and it possessed remarkable vitality and defensive capabilities, enabling it to withstand attacks from conventional heat-based weapons.
With a visual range of ten thousand meters, it could unleash sonar-like screeches as an attack technique. It could achieve a maximum flight speed of Mach-4, although its carrying capacity diminished when transporting a passenger.
"A rare flying mount of the 'flying type'?" Kyle was astonished. In an online game, it would undoubtedly be an exclusive and coveted rare mount for affluent players.
In the Marvel World, this blue eagle could be classified as an extraterrestrial monster-level lifeform!
"It can reach speeds of up to Mach-4, even faster than a fighter jet." Kyle contemplated. He personally found the blue eagle immensely appealing, but unfortunately, its unique existence rendered it impractical for regular use.
Imagining himself riding the blue eagle in the real world or summoning it to attack enemies, he could picture being either shot down by his own country's fighter jets or pursued by a group of Biologists eager to capture and dissect it.
In terms of practicality, the rare blue "Blue Eagle" likely couldn't match up to the Rare Green "Toxic Hornet's Nest."
"Well, let's set it aside for now. It will still prove useful in specific environments. After all, it's my first Rare Blue card!" Kyle consoled himself, placing the "Blue Eagle" in the emergency usable space for convenient emergency situations.
The next step was the second Card Tributing. After this draw, he would only have five "Cube Fragments" remaining, which wouldn't be sufficient for another extraction.
"Please, grant me a card that's more practical." Kyle silently prayed.
Now he understood that a card's practicality was of utmost importance. The cards suitable for immediate use held the greatest value!
"You sacrificed [Cube Fragment]×10!"
"Extraction Succeeded. Congratulations, you've obtained [Vibranium Bracer]."
"Vibranium, what an extraordinary item!" Kyle's face lit up with excitement as soon as he heard the name of the new card.
After all, anything bearing the prefix "vibranium" couldn't be ordinary!
Vibranium, the premier material in the Marvel World, originated solely from Wakanda, the secretive nation of Black Panther. In the outside world, Captain America's shield was the only known item forged from vibranium, in the future.
Kyle eagerly grasped the new Item Card and meticulously examined its properties.
"[Vibranium Bracer]: A right armguard crafted from pure vibranium. Blue Item Card."
It perfectly conformed to the wearer's right arm and effortlessly neutralized various physical injuries and the impact of heat-based weapons.
"Isn't this like the right-hand component of Black Panther's suit, minus the claws?" Kyle expressed his satisfaction.
Though it wasn't an Ability Card, it served as advanced black technology equipment, something he desperately needed at present.
With the impending Super Soldier Physique, Vibranium Bracer, and Stealth Skill, this combination would truly make Kyle invincible on the battlefield!
(End of this chapter)
Early the next morning.
Following breakfast at the hospital, Kyle changed into a fresh officer's uniform sent by Joseph. The uniform featured a Second Lieutenant rank badge.
Lucy was even more concerned about Kyle's appearance than he was as she meticulously adjusted the collar and sleeves of his uniform, smoothing out every wrinkle with her hands.
"I'm not attending a fancy social gathering. There's no need to dress so formally," Kyle joked but Lucy seemed preoccupied and remained silent, not responding to his words.
"What's wrong? Did something bother you?" Kyle inquired further.
Summoning her courage, Lucy nervously asked, "Kyle, are you going back to the battlefield with that bearded officer?"
"Not to the battlefield just yet. I haven't been assigned with any mission so we're simply returning to the training base we were at before," Kyle reassured her with a smile. "Why the concern? It's normal for officers to return to the battlefield."
"Can I come with you?" Lucy lowered her head, her small hands fidgeting and clasping each other as she asked.
Kyle's expression turned serious as he replied, "Lucy, do you think the battlefield is a fun place? Have you forgotten how you managed to escape from there?"
"But… my family died on the battlefield, and I have no home anymore. If even you leave, then I…" Lucy's beautiful eyes filled with tears.
"Well, that's an issue."
Kyle stroked his chin as he pondered for a moment, and proposed, "I have an idea. My family home is here in New York. My parents died in the previous war, and it's currently vacant. If you don't mind, you can stay there for now."
Having seen his own file at the training base, Kyle knew he was an orphan before joining the military and he resided in a retro mansion left behind by his deceased parents.
The keys to the house were stored in a storage facility in New York, retrievable with proper identification.
"Stay at your place?" Lucy's eyes widened and a rosy blush spread across her fair and delicate face as she heard Kyle's words, these words held a different meaning for her.
Wasn't this like living together in advance, even if the other party wouldn't often be home?
"You can stay for as long as you like," Kyle smiled, lovingly tousling Lucy's golden hair as he spoke.
For now, Kyle had no intentions beyond treating Lucy like a close sister.
"Kyle, you're so kind to me," Lucy's eyes sparkled with joy. She quickly tiptoed and lightly kissed Kyle's cheek before darting away, blushing like a startled rabbit.
"Uh, that was unexpected…"
A subtle feeling stirred within Kyle as he touched the cheek that had received an unexpected kiss but he swiftly brushed aside these thoughts.
Now was not the time for comfortable romance.
He needed to continue growing stronger, strong enough to face any unforeseen crisis in this world.
Accumulating Military Achievements, rising in rank, building a reputation, gaining power, and even wealth— many things awaited Kyle.
Being thrown into this Marvel world, merely desiring to be an ordinary person would be a waste of the Extracting Card Ability bestowed upon him by fate.
Kyle had his own life blueprint, waiting for him to add vibrant strokes to it.
Around 8 o'clock in the morning.
Joseph arrived in a jeep to personally pick up Kyle and take him to the military airfield.
After bidding farewell to Lucy in New York, Kyle boarded the transport plane with Joseph, returning to the training base he was initially in.
Meanwhile, at the training base. A stage had been set up in the square for a speech, and Steve, as Captain America, was scheduled to address the crowd. However, this had political implications.
The base commander had issued orders for all soldiers in the training camp to attend the speech on the square, and failure to comply would result in discharge. Interestingly, this time, no officers were present alongside the soldiers.
This was because not only the soldiers but also all the officers scoffed at Steve, who claimed to be Captain America but had never set foot on the battlefield.
It could be imagined that when Steve, dressed in tight clothes bearing the American flag symbol, took the stage to deliver his speech, he would face strong resistance from the soldiers.
And indeed, that was the case.
Steve stood on the podium, facing the deafening silence below, attempting to warm up the atmosphere as he addressed the hundreds of soldiers before him. "Alright, who's ready to volunteer?"
"Cut the crap. We're here to volunteer, aren't we?" A soldier in the crowd impatiently shouted, causing laughter to erupt among the seated soldiers on the square.
"We want to see some dancing, not speeches!"
Amidst the soldiers' uproar, Steve awkwardly responded, "I believe they'll be performing a song later, so I was thinking of what to do with the extra time."
"Get lost!"
"Hey pretty boy, maybe you should dance in those shiny boots of yours!"
The soldiers showed him no respect, becoming rowdier by the minute. Some began hurling fruits and bottles onto the stage.
Agent Carter who was standing behind the stage, clenched her fists, she wanted to intervene and support Steve but felt utterly powerless at this moment.
At this moment.
"What is the meaning of this?" A cold and commanding voice suddenly reverberated from behind the square. Instantly, all eyes in the square turned toward the source, filled with surprise.
There stood a young man in an officer's uniform, his presence emanating a faint aura of authority. His sharp, icy eyes met the gazes of the soldiers below.
"That's a Second Lieutenant." A soldier, who had been on the verge of arguing, noticed the rank insignia on the young man's chest and, to everyone's disbelief, swallowed his words.
"A Second Lieutenant? But he is so young? Why haven't we heard of him before?"
"He can't be older than us, right?"
Amidst the nervous whispers, some recognized the young officer and exclaimed loudly with mixed expressions, "It's Second Lieutenant Kyle!"
Second Lieutenant Kyle?
The new recruits were momentarily stunned, their gazes now filled with admiration as they looked upon the young officer.
"Is it really him?!"
"No doubt! Who else but Kyle could be a Second Lieutenant at such a young age?"
"Oh my god! The American hero, he's my idol."
"Who isn't? I joined the military because of his achievements!"
The soldiers on the square became overwhelmed with excitement, struggling to find the right words to express themselves. Finally, someone shouted, "Stand and salute!" In an instant, hundreds of soldiers rose to their feet, turned around, and saluted the young officer. "Good day, sir!"
"Thank you for your service, sir!"
Facing their admiration, Kyle, his expression stern, responded, "No need for salutes. Just two weeks ago, I was one of you. But is this how you treat your fellow soldiers? Is this the extent of your military conduct?!"
The soldiers exchanged glances, their jaws clenched, and swiftly turned around again, bowing apologetically to Steve on the stage. "We're sorry!"
Steve on the stage remained silent, gazing at the cold and formidable young officer standing behind the soldiers and a mix of excitement and embarrassment stirred within his heart.
Suddenly, he recalled the scene at the training base, as the sun was setting when Kyle had emerged victorious in the shooting competition.
At that time, Kyle had said to him, "Steve, from now on, no one will dare to look down on us."
(End of chapter)