PhoeniXcel
patreon
009 Change Your Goals, The Heart Of The Strong!
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 12:12:25 +0000 UTCRussell’s eyes lit up in surprise.
From 1800°C to 2600°C!
That was huge.
Tungsten’s melting point is around 2600°C—one of the highest among all metals. At that temperature, most alloys would melt. Without a doubt, this was a massive upgrade!
More importantly, Russell had keenly noticed a crucial detail:
The rise in Extremis’ temperature limit wasn’t because of the super soldier serum itself—it was due to enhanced physical fitness.
In other words, as long as he obtained more physical enhancement entries in the future, Extremis’ high-temperature control could continue to improve!
“I didn’t expect this to be a growth-type entry. What a pleasant surprise.”
He smiled and activated both entries.
In an instant, he could feel a significant transformation. His muscles and bones grew denser. His blood thickened, flowing like liquid metal. The heart of the furnace pumped with fierce vitality—each pulse bursting with explosive energy.
He instinctively threw a punch into the air.
Whoosh!
The sound tore through the atmosphere.
“My strength has probably tripled.”
Russell nodded, clearly satisfied.
Now, if he encountered that HYDRA captain again, he was confident he could crush him in hand-to-hand combat alone.
Absolutely.
The [Elite Combat] entry also filled the gap in his technique, making it even more critical.
Next, Russell began collecting spoils.
The Void was extremely barren. Anything useful was precious.
He planned to head to the black market soon and see if he could trade for more supplies.
From the body and surrounding gear, he gathered:
One M29 Smith & Wesson revolver
One Glock 19
Over ten rounds of Magnum bullets
Three full 9mm magazines
Two high-carbon steel daggers
One fragmentation grenade and one stun grenade
Three packs of compressed biscuits
A tube of unidentified white powder
One military water bottle
One combat uniform and windbreaker
Though the pants were a bit too baggy at the hips, they were better than walking around naked. Special circumstances—he couldn’t afford to be picky.
Before leaving, Russell sliced open his palm and let the blood drip onto the corpse. It ignited immediately, burning like white phosphorus.
Within seconds, the HYDRA captain’s body was reduced to ashes.
Russell glanced at his hand—the wound had already healed.
His physical fitness had clearly improved.
Extremis had been upgraded in nearly every way.
He exhaled softly.
“Be a normal captain in your next life, Steve.”
With a sigh, Russell turned and walked toward the north.
That was where the black market was located.
After spending a quiet night hidden in a tree hollow, Russell found the valley by noon the next day.
It wasn’t easy to locate, but along the way, he spotted several vehicles heading north. Groups of people were also moving in that direction.
It wasn’t a peaceful road.
Several skirmishes broke out—and a few people died.
Russell didn’t get involved. None of the bodies were left behind, so he couldn’t identify which variants were involved.
Following the tire tracks, he eventually reached a vast mining area in the valley.
The entire site had been excavated—cut straight into the rock.
No doubt—this was the black market.
Hiding in the shadow of a large boulder, Russell frowned.
Coming here alone might not have been a good idea.
Getting in was easy.
But leaving safely? That was another matter.
Suddenly, the roar of an engine echoed from the distance.
A vehicle with red-and-gold paint streaked across the road.
Russell’s pupils contracted sharply as it passed.
He recognized the driver immediately.
Sunglasses. Goatee. Steel armor.
Tony Stark.
And in the passenger seat—Maguire’s Spider-Man, dressed in a black suit that squirmed unnaturally.
A chill crept up Russell’s spine.
That wasn’t just a suit—it was Venom.
Inside the Jeep—
Peter Parker frowned as they passed the boulder.
“Tony,” he said, “someone’s behind that rock. Watching us. He’s radiating hostile intent.”
Iron Man, casually steering with one hand, puffed on his cigar and didn’t even slow down.
“Relax, Peter. This whole dump reeks of hostility. It’s probably just some idiot.”
He smirked, took another drag, and added lazily, “If he’s still here when we come back… we’ll kill him.”
Then his eyes lit up with excitement.
“The auction’s what really matters right now… Tsk, tsk. You’ve never tasted Pepper, have you? That woman is something else.”
He grinned perversely. “I brought a micro reactor today. I have to win her.”
Peter’s face twitched with interest.
He never had a chance to experience Pepper Potts in his own universe. The idea that he could here? It thrilled him.
Both men quickly forgot the stranger behind the rock, eagerly anticipating the auction ahead.
Hidden in the shadows, Russell’s gaze turned icy.
There was no doubt—those two were the variant teammates of the HYDRA captain.
Now, with Tony and Peter away…
Only Baron Mordo remained in the base!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Baron Mordo wasn’t weak—not by any stretch.
But if Russell just sat around waiting for some miracle to hand him power, he’d be no better than a coward. The lucky entries he got at the beginning couldn’t be relied on forever.
If he wanted to become stronger, he had to seize it himself.
This was Marvel.
A universe with unimaginable monsters and multiversal threats.
If you hesitate—you die.
And after that first kill, he felt no fear anymore.
He was never meant to be ordinary.
“It’s settled, then!”
His eyes blazed with resolve.
In the next instant, the blood vessels under his skin lit up like molten wires, the heart of the furnace roared to life, and his body became a blur of motion—
A blazing afterimage sprinting toward the HYDRA base.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can visit my Patreon page:
I upload 2 chapters daily on Patreon!
There are 30+ advanced chapters available for you to read.
Your support would be greatly appreciated.
