The man before him slowly turned around as Martin Li's voice trailed off.
When Martin Li saw the man's face, his expression shifted to shock and surprise.
"What!? It's you!?"
"That's right, it's me, Pierce."
The man who appeared before Martin Li was Alexander Pierce, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Martin Li was quite familiar with the people of S.H.I.E.L.D. and certainly knew Pierce.
However, countless questions flooded his mind. He knew that Pierce, from S.H.I.E.L.D., had close ties with Tony Stark. Why would he choose to help him?
Could it be that Pierce had some hidden agenda?
Curious, Martin Li asked, "Why did you save me?"
"Because you are useful to me, Martin Li."
"What do you want?"
"It's simple. I need you to serve me."
At this, Martin Li burst into laughter. "Serve you? Dream on. You don't even know your limits. How do you expect me to serve you?"
As he spoke, Martin Li grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and threw it at Pierce.
Pierce, however, regarded the move with a hint of admiration. He smiled, and bolts of lightning appeared in his hands in an instant. They struck Martin Li and caused him to howl in pain. He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.
Pierce calmly walked over to Martin Li and crouched down beside him.
"Martin Li, it seems you haven't understood one thing. You are an insignificant and powerless ant in my presence."
He then changed the subject. "You seek revenge, don't you? Serve me, and I will give you the power and the opportunity for your vengeance. I think that's a deal you'd find worthwhile, no?"
Martin Li, struggling with the pain, looked at Pierce with disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Of course. We have a common enemy."
"Why should I trust you?"
Pierce leaned in close. "Hail Hydra!"
Martin Li's eyes widened in disbelief. Pierce was with Hydra, which explained why he was willing to save him.
After a moment of hesitation, Martin Li extended his hand, clearly deciding to submit to Pierce.
Pierce's lips curled into a smile. "Good. Martin Li, I assure you, you won't regret this decision."
"I hope so."
Meanwhile, at the sixth underground level of Hiden Intelligence, Levi took a sip from the coffee Iz had handed him, savoring the taste with satisfaction.
Levi's gaze shifted to the large virtual screen, which displayed recent events. Seeing this, Levi smiled slightly.
At that moment, the system's voice echoed in his ear.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for acquiring 2.5 million world points!]
[You can now purchase an Intermediate World Inheritance Card!]
[Would you like to make a purchase?]
Without hesitation, Levi responded, "Of course, proceed with the purchase."
[You have obtained an Intermediate World Inheritance Card!]
Levi handed his coffee back to Iz, who instinctively took it.
Eagerly, Levi raised his hand and opened the system interface, retrieving the Intermediate World Inheritance Card. The card floated in the air, emitting a faint glow.
Levi touched the card without hesitation.
[Congratulations, host!]
[You have obtained the Intermediate World: Kamen Rider Kuuga Inheritance!]
Hearing the system's announcement, Levi was taken aback, pleasantly surprised.
Kuuga held significant meaning, being the first of the Heisei Kamen Rider series and breaking away from the traditional cyborg motif of the Showa era Riders. Without Kuuga, the Heisei and Reiwa series of Kamen Riders might never have existed.
In the lore of Kamen Rider Kuuga, there was no secondary Rider, making it unique.
As Levi absorbed all the information about Kamen Rider Kuuga, he opened his eyes, fully understanding the intricate details.
In the year 2000, in the mountains of Nagano, Japan, archaeologists unearthed an ancient relic containing a stone belt and a mummified body, Kuuga's belt. However, they inadvertently awakened the Gurongi, the belt's ancient enemies, upon opening the casket. The Gurongi were ancient monster beings, also known as "Unidentified Life Forms" by the police.
The archaeological team was slaughtered by the Gurongi, prompting police officer Kaoru Ichijo to investigate. During the investigation, a young man named Yusuke Godai, who would become Kuuga, appeared. The awakened Gurongi began terrorizing the area, attacking civilians and even the police. Sensing the belt's call, Yusuke donned it, transforming into Kamen Rider Kuuga and engaging the Gurongi in battle.
The Gurongi, ancient monsters from the same era as the Linto tribe, sought to eradicate humanity, called "Linto," as modern humans were their descendants. In ancient times, the Linto created the Amadam belt to combat the Gurongi, with Kuuga as their champion.
Reflecting on this rich history, Levi sighed deeply.
[Congratulations, host, for acquiring the Amadam transformation belt "Arcle."]
The system's voice echoed again as the stone-like belt with intricate runes materialized before Levi.
Recognizing the Linto script, Levi knew the belt's stringent requirements: the user needed a strong will to protect others' smiles, even at their own cost.
Levi called a bio-engineered human from his company to test the belt, but the human did not react to wearing it.
It was clear the belt chose its user. Levi handed the belt to Iz, instructing her to keep it safe.
"Yes, sir," Iz replied, carefully storing the belt.
At that moment, Iz sensed something and spoke to Levi.
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