"I look forward to that day. Don't hold back on the samples—use as many as needed to speed up the experiments."
Russell then waved his hand and conjured a massive amount of temporary Compound V, instructing Edgar to use them for selecting candidates for the team and conducting experiments.
The current iteration of temporary Compound V still carried severe side effects. Not only did it induce tumor growth, but after three to five doses, it led to inevitable death.
Finding a viable candidate who could transform into a top-tier superhuman after taking the drug was no easy task.
If it weren't for the goal of acquiring the Homelander's template, he wouldn't even consider using death row inmates—even those with unforgivable crimes—as disposable test subjects.
It simply wasn't worth it.
"Sir, I promise to assemble a temporary superhuman team that meets your expectations as quickly as possible," Edgar said, bowing his head.
This temporarily resolved the issue of mass-producing Compound V.
But screening suitable candidates would still take time. After all, finding a group capable of suppressing or even capturing the Homelander together was no easy feat.
"All the better," Russell replied.
In truth, Russell wasn't in a desperate rush.
After all, Uncle Nolan wasn't a mortal enemy, nor could he currently do anything to Russell. The ones truly at risk were the people of the Invincible world.
Even if Russell didn't have immortality, even if he deliberately stood in Omni-Man's way to stop him from conquering the world, the worst that would happen was Russell getting seriously injured. Uncle Nolan would then stop.
He was never in any real danger to begin with.
"The only difference is whether the people of the Invincible world live or die, and whether I can position myself as Earth's savior—leveraging the global panic Omni-Man creates to maximize my conquest points."
Having handled everything here, Russell left Edgar's office and flew directly over a secluded district.
This area had stores, playgrounds, and tutoring centers, but had been walled off from the outside world entirely.
Morning sunlight spilled across the green lawn, where a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy was playing with a toy car.
This was where Vought had placed Ryan, the Homelander's son.
A gust of wind swept past, and the boy was knocked out by a precisely controlled force that rendered him unconscious without harm. Russell's figure flickered and appeared above, as if he had never moved.
[Mini-Homelander Template Acquired]
[Fixing the Mini-Homelander Template requires 12,400 Conquest Points. Proceed with fixation?]
[Yes]
With a single thought, Russell, who was currently using the Allen template, felt a slight surge of power—barely perceptible.
He left the area and flew to the Redwood National Forest. Among the towering ancient trees, he once again attempted to use laser vision.
His indifferent eyes turned into deep red, glowing like molten lava, radiating a deadly aura.
Ryan had no experience controlling laser vision, but that didn't matter.
When Russell copied the baby with laser eyes before, that infant hadn't offered any guidance either. After some quick experimentation, he had mastered it.
Zzz!
A deep red beam swept across. Trunks of towering trees, several meters in diameter, were neatly sliced through as if they were crops under a scythe, collapsing in droves.
All within several miles—trees that had stood like giants—crashed to the ground in unison, shaking the earth.
Molten soil formed glowing red streams of lava.
A startled flock of birds hadn't even fully taken flight when Russell shifted his gaze. In an instant, the extreme heat vaporized them midair—flesh, feathers, and bones—leaving no trace behind.
A quick test of the mini-Homelander's laser vision had left Russell quite satisfied.
He rose into the sky and surveyed his handiwork. In the vast Redwood National Forest, now spanning hundreds of square miles, a deep crimson scar had been carved through the sea of trees—still steaming with heat.
"I didn't even use my full power, yet it already matches the Homelander's laser eyes."
Russell left without the slightest hesitation. In the distance, a helicopter belonging to the forest rangers seemed to be taking off in a panic to investigate, but the truth behind the destruction of this ancient forest would never be uncovered.
Perhaps it would become an unsolved mystery, like crop circles.
Super Seven Conference Room
"Breaking news—just this morning at 9:40, on a flight over the Atlantic…"
"We interrupt this broadcast to report that a Boeing 737 over North America…"
"One hour and thirty-seven minutes ago, Transatlantic Flight 37, en route from Paris to Chicago, was hijacked mid-air by three terrorists armed with rifles. Their motives are currently unknown…"
A wall of screens played news from all over the world—different languages, different faces, but the same tense, grim expression. All were reporting on the same major developing story.
Vice President Madelyn lowered the volume and turned to the group.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"The company has been working hard to break into the Department of Defense and integrate superhumans into national defense. That's a contract worth tens of billions—but the legislation keeps hitting roadblocks."
"Now, the entire United States, maybe even the world, is watching this flight.
"Terrorists. Hijacking... What does that remind you of?"
"The World Trade Center attacks," Starlight immediately blurted out.
The collapse of the Twin Towers had become a scar and a national trauma in U.S. history—one of the most infamous terror attacks in the world.
"Exactly!" Madelyn snapped her fingers and gave Starlight a look of approval. "I have some contacts in North American air defense. They tell me things are looking grim…"
Meanwhile, sitting beside Russell, Firecracker behaved like a docile, infatuated little girl—completely ignoring the serious tone of the meeting. But when she saw Madelyn praising Starlight, her lips curled in annoyance.
Just today, Russell had brought her into the Super Seven.
He'd taken her to see Vice President Madelyn at Vought, and the woman had immediately stood to greet them. Then, with a single, offhanded order—like a boss speaking to a subordinate—Russell had elevated her overnight into a member of the Super Seven, something she'd never even dared dream of.
Looking back, it all felt like a dream.
But that floating, dreamlike joy only lasted until she saw Starlight in the conference room.
She had imagined Starlight's reaction would be one of shock, wariness, hostility—maybe even regret.
What she hadn't expected was for that b**** to not even recognize her. Instead, Starlight had smiled politely and congratulated her on joining the team.
At that, Firecracker's eyes nearly sparked with fury.
Russell noticed her clenched teeth, clearly already plotting how to exact a harsher revenge than originally planned.
"When someone ruins your life and you spend more than a decade obsessing over revenge—only to realize that your enemy has long forgotten you, never once considered the lifelong damage they caused—it's all the more maddening."
Back in the conference room, Madelyn continued revealing insider information about the hijacking. The atmosphere grew heavier. Even Queen Maeve, usually indifferent to Vought affairs, couldn't help but sit up straight.
Russell, however, remained unmoved.
He already knew this hijacking was going to happen. And beyond that, he felt no PTSD from this kind of situation.
"But still… this globally watched terrorist hijacking is indeed a great opportunity."
.....
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