บท 41: Nick Fury: This Damned Dock Again?

As Qi Jun focused his thoughts, the [Mutated Stone] suddenly erupted with a power far greater than what Qi Jun had felt before, engulfing the entire dock!

"Holy smokes!"

However, he realized that the stronger he became, the more influential the [Mutated Stone] would become.

But Qi Jun had not expected that after just two enhancements, the power spread by the [Mutated Stone] could cover the entire dock.

From initially being able to absorb energy within a five-meter radius to, after two enhancements, covering the entire dock?

What kind of incredible power is this?!!

.............

Stunned momentarily, Qi Jun soon laughed so hard that his wrinkles showed.

+100

...

Indeed!

The energy absorption was still increasing tenfold!

Before even a single breath had ended, the absorbed energy points had already surpassed the initial absorption limit.

And without pausing, it swiftly climbed towards even higher peaks!

.............

Meanwhile, inside the fire site, due to Qi Jun's latest absorption, a more intense blaze suddenly erupted!

The already sky-high flames surged an additional several meters!

The crackling of the burning materials startled the first-responding firefighters into fleeing in utter panic.

However, soon, everyone realized that even at the original safety barriers, they could still feel the intense heat and successive heat waves.

In less than ten seconds, the surrounding crowd felt their skin starting to burn.

The massive discomfort forced the onlookers to turn and flee, fearing they would get cooked if they delayed even a second.

Even the firefighters, who had just arrived, quickly fled with the crowd.

.............

The commotion at the safety barriers did not catch Qi Jun's attention.

Because Qi Jun discovered that his consciousness—or perhaps his psychic power?—was now able to attach to the energy emitted by the [Mutated Stone].

Although he couldn't change anything, Qi Jun felt like he had activated a mental radar, akin to mastering Observation Haki, where everything the [Mutated Stone] energy touched was visible to him!

Qi Jun naturally noticed the changes at the fire site.

Even more, Qi Jun understood why this was happening!

Because this was the result after the [Mutated Stone]'s power swept through!

Qi Jun had issued the command to absorb energy, and the [Mutated Stone] naturally executed it.

However, the fire site's energy intensity was insufficient to satisfy the limits of Qi Jun's body after his second enhancement.

Thus, while the [Mutated Stone]'s power drew fire energy, it also catalyzed the materials' rapid burning!

Qi Jun could 'see' that all the burning materials swept by the [Mutated Stone]'s power were burning at an accelerated rate as if a super-fast-forward button had been pressed!

A motorbike-sized pool of crude oil could burn for at least half an hour.

But now? Qi Jun clearly 'saw' it burned up in just one minute.

The consequence was naturally a fierce surge in the fire, even at times breaking through the range of the [Mutated Stone]'s power and radiating outward.

Terrifying!

Even Qi Jun had yet to anticipate that the [Mutated Stone] would employ such a catalytic tactic.

The cause was merely Qi Jun's desire to absorb energy quickly and massively!

Qi Jun was the weaker party the first time he absorbed fire energy.

The second time, Qi Jun was on equal footing.

The third time, Qi Jun was the powerful one.

The burning of the fire site could not keep up with the energy absorption, so naturally, another method had to be used to catalyze the burning.

Although there would inevitably be some losses, who cares?!

.............

Indeed, driving the [Mutated Stone] to absorb energy actively only required a thought.

The [Mutated Stone] would naturally react according to whatever Qi Jun thought.

However, Qi Jun did not expect this reaction to be so frightening!

But.

Qi Jun stated: I like it!

.............

Whoo~~

Whoo whoo~~~~

Meanwhile, the super-energy reaction alarm sounded again at the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters' command center!

"What's happening?"

Before the alarm could be silenced, Nick Fury, with his ever-stoic expression, appeared in the command hall.

It must be said, as a former member of the rapid response force, Nick Fury had not lost his combat instincts!

"It's that same exploding dock again!"

Maria Hill, dressed in her no-nonsense attire, reported with a stern face.

Unlike Nick Fury, who oversees the big picture and manages all of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hill, though the deputy director, is responsible for command and operations at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and needs to be in the command center at all times, hence her intimate familiarity with the source of the alarms.

"We just detected a Level 5 energy fluctuation, nearly equivalent to the blast strength of a medium-range missile!"

"According to on-site intelligence, even the safety barriers two hundred meters away from the dock suffered from a strong heat wave impact, with a severe burning sensation!"

Hill's briefing was delivered in her usual excellent manner.

"Are you suggesting that this smuggling dock, besides smuggling crude oil and laundry detergent?"

"Is even smuggling arms?"

"But what does this have to do with us?"

"These matters are for the CIA, FBI, even the Intelligence Service!"

"But, since the headquarters issued an alert, it must be because a superhuman event occurred?"

Taking a deep breath, Nick Fury felt inexplicably irritated. Why was it always this damned place?

"Speak!"

"What's going on?"

Hill gave him a stern look, her face expressionless. It was unclear what she was thinking.

"That's exactly why!"

"Because, according to satellite detection, the explosion at the dock, equivalent to a medium-range missile, saw its spreading energy quickly halted, as if someone intercepted the dissipating energy."

"Moreover, it's being massively and rapidly weakened! As if it's being absorbed!"

"According to experts' calculations, based on the trend of energy reduction, the fire at the dock couldn't be extinguished very soon."