novelraw Page 17
Page 17
"Mr. Stark, as we all know, you hold differing views on the Hero Association's concept of 'hero professionalization.' Recently, we've noticed that the Association seems to have begun its own equipment development. What are your thoughts on this?"
Tony gave the camera a standard Stark-esque smile, a smile that was seven parts mockery and three parts pity.
"Evaluation? To be honest, when I saw their... uh, 'gear,' I almost thought my lab network had been hacked and redirected to some prank website." He shrugged, his tone relaxed, but every word seemed barbed.
"I believe that equipment development should at least follow some basic principles, such as... reliability, practicality, and, please, at the very least, aesthetics!" He deliberately emphasized the word "aesthetics".
“I can’t understand what kind of thought process leads someone to think that attaching a megaphone that shouts ‘Go! Go ...! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go!! Go
“And those vests that look like they were dug out of a WWII logistics warehouse, covered with all sorts of odds and ends…” Tony shook his head. “I guess the designer’s inspiration came from a hybrid of a ‘multi-purpose Swiss Army knife’ and a ‘vagrant’s duffel bag.’ I can’t think of any other use for them besides increasing weight and drag.”
“What impressed me the most… well, ‘impressed’,” Tony paused, a playful look on his face, “was that ‘hair gel’ that’s supposedly for sand. That’s beyond my understanding of ‘gear’; it’s entered the realm of performance art. Maybe their next step should be to develop a spray that makes water ‘wetter’ or a fan that makes flames ‘burner’?”
An even louder burst of laughter erupted from the audience.
Tony and the others' laughter subsided slightly. Leaning forward a little, they faced the camera, their tone becoming slightly more serious, but the sarcasm was even stronger.
“Listen, I’m not mocking innovation. Innovation is great. But innovation needs to be built on a solid scientific foundation and basic engineering logic, not on wild ideas and…finding treasure in the junkyard.”
"Mr. Kingpin may be a successful... 'resource integrator'," he said again, using that suggestive term, "but in the field of technological research and development, he and his association are still stuck in the mud. Arming heroes with this kind of stuff to deal with real crises? This is not only irresponsible, but also a disregard for the lives of heroes who might be injured or even killed due to equipment deficiencies!"
He concluded emphatically: "True technology is the Mark series armor, the Arc Reactor, the power to change the world and protect life! Not these gimmicky...children's toys!"
"If the Hero Association's so-called 'professionalism' and 'support' refer to providing this level of equipment, then I can only say that their understanding of the word 'hero' is fundamentally distorted."
The interview sparked another wave of public debate. Stark's supporters applauded him, believing he had incisively exposed the Association's "makeshift" nature. Meanwhile, the Association's supporters countered that Stark was arrogant and out of touch with the masses, arguing that the Association's equipment prioritized practicality and cost-effectiveness, making it more suitable for widespread adoption.
Inside the Association's Equipment Department, Dr. Leo saw Stark's mockery on television. Far from being angry, he excitedly ruffled his messy hair and addressed the shield on the workbench that was still muttering, "Rising ambient humidity detected; moisture protection recommended":
“Did you hear that, old pal? Stark’s mocking us! That means he’s scared! He feels threatened by our pragmatic technology!” He slammed his shield down. “Just wait! Once our precious ‘Sandstorm Generator’ is successfully tested, we’ll see who the real toy is!”
On the top floor of the Fisker Tower, Kingpin looked at Tony Stark's flamboyant face on the screen, his expression showing no sign of anger, only an unfathomable calm.
“Let him laugh,” Kingpin said to Wesley indifferently. “Soon he will understand that some things cannot be denied by words and showing off.”
His gaze seemed to already see a future moment when Stark's dazzling technology would be thwarted by the Association's seemingly "rustic" but absolutely practical equipment or technology.
Tony's second taunt, like a pebble thrown into a lake, has barely subsided in its ripples. But beneath the surface, deeper undercurrents are quietly stirring. The clash of technologies and the battle of ideas are destined to go beyond mere verbal sparring.
Chapter 37: Technological Overwhelming: The Defeated Counterfeit Armor
Tony Stark's televised remarks, scathingly mocking the Association's equipment department, stirred up a storm in the public sphere. Supporters believed he had hit the nail on the head, exposing the Association's haphazard nature; opponents criticized him for arrogance and detachment from practical needs. However, just as this war of words was raging, a real crisis unexpectedly revealed the pragmatic strength hidden behind the Association's quirky style.
In the Port of New York, at a private dock belonging to "Pioneer Technologies," a company rivaling Stark Industries, alarms blared late at night! It wasn't a theft, but a serious internal incident—their secretly developed "Mammoth" prototype powered armor, heavily "borrowed" from early Mark I design concepts, had been activated without sufficient testing by a fanatical senior engineer and completely malfunctioned due to system instability!
This "Mammoth" armored vehicle is about 3.5 meters tall, with a rugged and bulky appearance. It is covered with exposed hydraulic pipes and rough welds, which is far removed from Stark Industries' sleek and elegant design style. It looks more like an assembled industrial robot. However, it inherits the core characteristics of the Mark I model - immense strength, and is equipped with the company's self-developed, extremely unstable high-energy arc generator as a weapon.
The out-of-control "Mammoth" armored vehicle rampaged through the dockside warehouse area, wielding its massive metal arms to easily overturn containers. Thick arcs of electricity shot out in all directions, triggering a chain of explosions and fires, turning the entire dockside into a hellish scene of thunder and fire. NYPD patrol cars and SWAT teams arrived at the scene, but their small arms were like tickles to the armor, while the casual arcs of electricity it unleashed could short-circuit and disable police cars, making it impossible for the SWAT teams to get close.
[High-intensity energy reaction and large-scale physical destruction detected at Pioneer Technology Wharf, New York Harbor! Threat level assessment: Demon!]
[Event Type: Heavy Powered Armor Malfunction ("Mammoth" Prototype), possessing extremely high physical defense and area-of-effect energy attacks, posing an extremely high threat!]
[Mission Issued: Immediately intervene to subdue or disable the "Mammoth" armor, control the fire, and prioritize personnel safety. Mission Level: Demon. Reward Points: 550. Warning: The target's energy attack has an area-of-effect effect; proceed with caution!]
A piercing, high-level alarm sounded in the association's command center.
"Mammoth? Vanguard Technology?" Wesley looked at the footage transmitted from the drone. Although the armor looked crude, its destructive power was not to be underestimated, especially the indiscriminate arcs of electricity it emitted, which posed a huge obstacle to rescue and subjugation. "Sandman!"
“I’ve reached the outer perimeter, Mr. Wesley,” came the voice of Flint the Sandman. He stood on a crane, looking down at the steel behemoth raging in the sea of fire, his brow furrowed. His sandification ability was impervious to physical attacks, but he was quite wary of high-voltage electric arcs. The assessment report clearly stated that his sand structure was prone to failure under high temperatures and strong energy impacts.
"Target energy attacks are your weakness; don't try to withstand them head-on. Focus on containment and controlling the area to create opportunities for police evacuation and follow-up actions," Wesley's instructions were clear.
Sandman acted immediately. Instead of charging directly at "Mammoth," he manipulated large amounts of sand to create thick sand barriers between the armor and nearby flammable warehouses and oil tanks, preventing the fire from spreading. At the same time, he continuously created sandstorms to interfere with "Mammoth's" sensor vision and attempted to wrap sand around its leg joints to slow its movement.
However, the out-of-control system inside the "Mammoth" armor seemed to take the Sandman's interference as an attack. It violently changed direction, and the arc generators on its arms suddenly lit up with a blinding blue-white light!
"Zzz—!!" Two thick arcs of electricity shot towards the Sandman like lightning snakes!
The sandman instantly crumbled into sand, the spot where he had stood struck by the electric arc, leaving the ground scorched black, and some of the sand particles in the air were instantly vitrified by the intense heat. Flint reformed in another location, his expression grave; this energy attack was indeed troublesome.
Tony Stark also received a notification from S.H.I.E.L.D. (Furry believed this involved the disastrous impact of Stark Expo technology) and arrived at the scene in his Mark VII. He saw the crude, ugly, and wanton "Mammoth," especially the arc generator on its arm, a clear copy of his earlier technology, and a surge of anger welled up inside him.
"It's those damned plagiarists again! And they've caused such a mess!" He immediately joined the fray, using the Mark VII's agility and superior firepower to harass and attack the "Mammoth" from the air.
However, the Mammoth's armor was surprisingly thick, and Tony's palm cannons and micro-missiles could only leave some dents and chars on it, unable to cause fatal damage. Meanwhile, the Mammoth's wildly waving arcs of electricity forced Tony to dodge frequently, and the battle became a stalemate for a time.
"Jarvis, analyze its weaknesses!"
"Sir, the target's armor has extremely high physical defense. The main threat comes from its unstable energy core and arc weapons. It is recommended to prioritize destroying its energy system."
The logic is clear, but how do you break through that thick armor and directly attack the sophisticated internal energy system? Tony's weapons are better suited for external explosions than internal destruction.
Just as Tony was strategizing, Sandman was trying to hold them back, and the Mammoth was becoming increasingly agitated, at the Association's command center, Wesley received a signature, excited communication from Dr. Leo of the Equipment Department:
“Mr. Wesley! 'That thing'! The first batch of prototypes has just passed final safety testing! It might be just the right thing to deal with this giant, electrifying iron block!”
Wesley's eyes flashed, and he made a decisive decision: "Arrange for its immediate transport to the battlefield! Authorize the Sandmen to receive and use it!"
A small drone from the association stealthily entered the battlefield airspace and precisely airdropped a matte black metal box near the Sandman. Flint opened the box, inside were three simple, even somewhat crude-looking devices resembling oversized hand grenades, with "EMPD-1" scrawled in white paint on the side.
【Item Name: Electromagnetic Pulse Paralysis Grenade (Prototype I)】
[Effect: Upon detonation, it generates a high-intensity, short-duration, directional electromagnetic pulse, causing overload, interference, or temporary paralysis to precision electronic equipment and energy conduction systems without special protection within the range.]
[Note: Limited effectiveness against purely mechanical structures and biological organisms. Use with caution; be aware of friendly fire.]
"Electromagnetic pulse..." The Sandman instantly understood. No matter how crude the "Mammoth" armor was, its control system, energy conduction, and weapon activation inevitably relied on electronic devices! This was practically a tailor-made nemesis!
At this moment, the "Mammoth" was being drawn by Tony's aerial firepower, frantically shooting arcs of electricity into the sky, revealing the rough heat dissipation structure on its back and the location of what appeared to be energy conduction tubes.
“Stark! Draw its attention!” Sandman shouted over the radio.
Although Tony didn't understand why, he still increased the firepower as instructed.
The Sandman grabbed an EMP grenade, concealed it with sand grains, and hurled it like a slingshot! The sand grains dissipated in flight, and the black grenade traced a precise arc, heading straight for the area on the back of the "Mammoth" armor most likely to be filled with wiring and sensors!
A soft, crisp sound, like a short circuit.
The grenade exploded, but instead of a flash or shockwave, a faint blue electromagnetic ripple, barely perceptible to the naked eye, instantly spread out and covered the "Mammoth's" torso!
"Buzz—Zzz—Crackling!"
The Mammoth armored vehicle abruptly halted its forward charge. The lights around it flickered wildly with garbled codes, and the arc generator went out instantly like a deflated balloon. A series of teeth-grinding sparks and the sound of burning components erupted from within! The massive body lost power and crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, with only occasional sparks from the gaps in the armor serving as evidence of the internal electronic disaster.
The noisy battlefield fell silent in an instant.
Tony Stark hovered in mid-air, watching as the once ferocious armor instantly turned into a pile of scrap metal, his expression beneath the visor filled with astonishment.
That's it... resolved?
That seemingly insignificant black box?
Flint the Sandman also breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the other two EMP grenades in his hand, and gained a new understanding of Dr. Leo's "pragmatism".
Inside the command center, Wesley remained calm. Meanwhile, Dr. Leo from the equipment department was excitedly clutching his multi-functional shield, cheering, "Long live pragmatism! Stark's fancy techniques are no match for targeted solutions!"
In the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center, Fury stared grimly at the paralyzed Mammoth on the screen and the EMP grenade in Sandman's hand. "Analyze that pulse weapon immediately! I need the details!"
Online, related news and discussions have once again erupted.
The Association's Mysterious Weapon Instantly Destroys the Out-of-Control Armor!
Technological Domination? The Association's "Homemade Equipment" Makes Another Miraculous Victory!
"On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Targeted Solutions versus General-Purpose Technologies..."
Tony slowly landed beside the wreckage of the "Mammoth," looking at the marks left by the crude EMP grenade, then glancing up at the Sandman in the distance. His earlier mockery of the "children's toy" now sounded incredibly jarring.
The association demonstrated in the most direct way the terrifying effectiveness of simple, inexpensive, yet absolutely lethal targeted technologies in specific scenarios.
This unexpected crisis, triggered by counterfeit armor, unexpectedly became a battle to vindicate the Association's "unconventional" technology tree. Kingpin's Association once again proved to the world that they possess far more than just a few capable heroes.
Chapter 38: Sandman Advances to S-Rank
Inside the Capability Assessment Room in the basement of the Fisk Building.
Flint Marko, the Sandman, stood calmly in the center of the platform. Completely different from the fear, despair, and humility he felt when he first stepped into this place months ago, he was now still robust, but his brow held a newfound composure and confidence forged through hardship. His breathing was steady, his gaze resolute, like a sandstone that had become even more steadfast after being polished by wind and sand.
This assessment is not for the mission, nor to test the effectiveness of the new equipment, but a routine, periodic capability review. It will also determine whether he can officially obtain the formal title that the system has already determined but has yet to grant.
The deep blue scanning beam, like living tentacles, gently and precisely swept over every corner of his body, collecting data on the most subtle energy fluctuations, cellular activity, mental load, and control over his abilities. On the control panel screen, a waterfall of data refreshed at a speed far exceeding that of a conventional computer, eventually condensing into a detailed new report.
[Hero: Sandsman - Flint Marco]
[Competency Level Review Report]
[Core Ability: Sandification/Sand Particle Manipulation]
[Current Development Progress: 31%] (13% improvement from the last assessment)
[Sand Grain Manipulation Precision: Excellent] (Capable of stable micro-structure construction and complex morphological changes)
【Speed of morphological transformation: Extremely fast】(nearly instantaneous, maintaining partial desertification without mental stress in normal state)
[Environmental sand particle sensing and control radius: 15 meters] (8 meters larger than the last assessment)
[Sand particle cohesion strength and energy conduction efficiency: significantly improved] (thanks to the assistance of external surfactants and enhanced self-control)
[Practical Application Evaluation: Excellent. Participated in and led multiple handling of Wolf-level, Tiger-level, and Ghost-level threats, including but not limited to "Road Rage Mech," "Client's Weird Man," and "Iron Monger Incident." Demonstrates flexible tactical application, exceptional environmental adaptability, and outstanding on-the-spot command and teamwork skills.]
[Potential assessment remains: S level]
[Overall combat strength rating: Upgraded from B- to A.]
[Special Contribution: As the association's first core hero, he possesses maximum loyalty, a positive image, high public recognition, and made outstanding contributions to the association's early development.]
[System Recommendation: Meets the criteria for S-rank hero promotion. It is recommended to immediately grant an official S-rank title and grant higher privileges and resource allocation.]
The door to the assessment room slid open, and Flint stepped out, a hint of barely perceptible anticipation on his face. Although he couldn't see the specific data, he could clearly feel his progress over the past few months. Every real battle, every training session, and every piece of knowledge or aid he redeemed with points had elevated his understanding and control of his abilities to a new level.
Wesley was already waiting outside, holding the newly printed assessment report in his hand, with a rare, genuine smile on his face.
“Congratulations, Mr. Marco.” Wesley handed him the report. “After the system’s final review and comprehensive evaluation, your abilities, contributions and potential have all reached the association’s highest standards.”
He paused, then announced clearly and solemnly:
"From this moment forward, you are officially promoted to S-class hero of the Hero Association."
Despite having a premonition, Flint's heart still skipped a beat when the term was officially announced. An indescribable surge of warmth coursed through his body. This wasn't just a title, a rank; it was the highest recognition of all his past efforts, struggles, and sacrifices! It was proof of his transformation from Flint Marco, struggling in the mire of Hell's Kitchen, to the respected "Sandman" who could protect his community!
He took the report, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement. Although he couldn't understand the complex data, the prominent "S" grade designation and the "A-grade combat strength rating" that followed said it all.
“Thank you… thank you association, thank you boss, thank you, Mr. Wesley.” Flint’s voice was choked with emotion. He tried to remain calm, but the light in his eyes betrayed the turmoil in his heart.
“This is what you deserve, Mr. Marco.” Wesley patted him on the shoulder. “The boss specifically instructed that, in addition to the fixed high salary and benefits for S-class heroes, the association will award you an extra 5000 points to recognize your recent outstanding contributions, especially your key role in dealing with the Iron Monger incident. At the same time, access to the A-class and below shops will be officially opened, and the equipment department will prioritize tailoring higher-level exclusive equipment for you.”
Five thousand points! Plus, even higher privileges and exclusive equipment!
Flint felt his breathing quicken. This meant he could improve himself faster, acquire more powerful skills and knowledge, and better protect those he wanted to protect!
Almost simultaneously, his internal communication device and the apps of all registered heroes received an association-wide system announcement:
[Association-wide Announcement]
[Hero Promotion Notice]
Hero: Sandman (Flint Marco), after comprehensive evaluation by the system and approval by the association's management, has been officially promoted to an S-class hero.
This announcement is made to commend them. We hope that all heroes will take this as an example, strive to improve themselves, and contribute to maintaining world peace and order.
—Hero Association Management
This announcement was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge reaction within the association.
Inside the training area, several C and D-level heroes who were resting looked at the announcement with envy and longing on their faces.
"S-rank! My God! Boss Sandman has really been promoted!"
"Well deserved! Look at what he's done, he's dealt with several demon-level threats!"
"A 5,000-point reward! That's so generous! We need to work harder too!"
Daredevil Matt sat in the corner of the lounge, "listening" to the announcement through special equipment. He nodded slightly. He had worked with Sandman before and knew the man's strength and character; this promotion was not unexpected.
Master Jingxin remained silent, but when he saw the announcement, his eyes behind the silver mask flickered slightly.
Even Jessica Jones, who had just completed a collaborative mission and still had mixed feelings about the association, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and mutter to herself, "S-rank? Heh, the treatment is really good."
This announcement is not only an endorsement of Sha Ren personally, but also sends several clear signals to all those who follow the matter, both inside and outside the association:
1. The association's promotion system is clear and transparent, with merit and ability being the sole criteria for evaluation.
2. The S-class designation is not just for show; the Sandman is a living example, inspiring those who follow.