Marvel: The Imposter Inventor

Chapter 379 One Year

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

For a planet plagued by disasters, this seems to be a rare year of peace.

Throughout the year, aside from the aftermath of the initial Skrull rebellion and the worldwide purge of the Skrull race,

Only occasionally will some low-level villains appear, blowing up banks or doing some minor tricks like destroying cities.

The kind of catastrophe that sounded like it would destroy the Earth, or even the entire universe, never happened again.

Apart from North America, which remains in chaos, people on Earth have surprisingly enjoyed a peaceful year.

In this peaceful situation, people were also surprised to discover...

Earth's technology seems to have unknowingly embarked on a fast track of rapid development.

From electronics and mechanics to biomedicine, from ordinary everyday technological products to expensive mechanical prosthetics and intelligent robots, and even the magical abilities that superheroes once only saw on television.

These novel technologies, which ordinary people never dared to imagine, are gradually entering thousands of households.

What's even more surprising is that the source of all this seems to be that small country that was once ravaged by war but was insignificant in everyone's eyes.

Sokovia.

Oh, perhaps it should be called the Land of Progress now!
A street in Novigrad, the capital of Sokovia.

Bright sunshine spilled onto the brand-new, bustling streets.

Today, Sokovia, as the birthplace of all kinds of emerging technologies, is very different from what it used to be.

Looking down from above, rows of futuristic skyscrapers and spires are scattered throughout the city.
All sorts of drones shuttled and hovered between buildings in the sky above the city.

Some drones have a relatively simple and rugged design, with badges or text related to urban security engraved on them.

Some are decorated with attractively designed takeout boxes of varying sizes hanging on the walls.

Even worse, you can occasionally see a few unlucky kids, whose owners I don't know, hanging under several rapidly moving drones, laughing and joking all over the city.

However, compared to these changes in urban infrastructure and supporting facilities...
The ordinary people living in this city seem even more distinct from those outside.

On the streets, aside from those who are always looking around and making a fuss about everything, the most obvious sign that distinguishes locals from tourists seems to be that almost every local walking on the streets of Sokovia is accompanied by more or less intelligent robot 'servants'.

Of course, if this doesn't count as a difference, then...
"Your Excellency Baron, are there really so many ordinary people in Sokovia who have voluntarily undergone ability modifications?"

Bucky, who had just walked out of the airport, hadn't quite reacted when only two 'bunny-eared girls' passed by him.

But as more and more 'strange half-orcs' with strangely colored animal ears and tails appeared before him, he finally couldn't help but ask the receptionist beside him a question.
Upon seeing this, Baron Zemo's smile froze slightly. He coughed twice and offered a somewhat vague explanation.

"Ahem, ever since Orange Industries launched the superpower capsules, ordinary citizens of Sokovia have had a certain priority in purchasing them."

"However, for security reasons, only the purchase of E-level abilities is currently permitted. Among these, the capsules for beast transformation abilities are indeed quite popular among the general public."

As he said this, Baron Zemo couldn't help but blush. Who knows how, after the ability capsules were officially promoted, these originally honest and simple Sokovia people managed to select these beast-like abilities from among the various miscellaneous 'trick-level' abilities with astonishingly unified will.

As a result, Sokovia is now filled with all sorts of kemonomimi girls, as well as all sorts of weird wolf-like and cat-like boys.
"Ahem, actually it's not just ability modification. In Sokovia these days, mechanical modification—or, as Lord Orange would call it, cybernetic body modification—is also quite common."

As they were talking, Zemo, who was trying to change the subject, gestured to his bodyguard to show Bucky something.

It was only at this point that Bucky realized this.

The seemingly ordinary officer who had been following them all along actually had a well-disguised mechanical prosthetic arm on his left arm.

At the opening and closing of its forearm, a chilling metallic gleam flashed across the sharp blade resembling a mantis's forearm.

'No, it's not just the arm!'

Bucky was surprised to find that there was also a flash of red light in the man's left eye, which was clearly something that an ordinary creature's eyeball could not do.

Seeing his expression, Baron Zemo spoke again, his tone no longer showing the embarrassment he had before, but rather a hint of pride.

"Currently, apart from the more common brain-computer interfaces and prosthetic eyes that facilitate work, the modifications aimed at the general public are more medical modifications, such as replacing prosthetics and artificial organs. These can greatly help patients who were previously unable to receive treatment."

"Other more advanced military prosthetics are not yet available to the general public."

"However, what Lord Orange previously indicated was that if President Steve was willing, we could sell it to the new American military at a fair price and provide accompanying surgical services."

Upon hearing this, Bucky subtly and somewhat awkwardly moved his left mechanical arm.

'Since when has it become acceptable to openly discuss things like human modification?'

Although Bucky didn't say it aloud, Zemo, who was watching his expression closely, quickly guessed what he was thinking.

Zemo, who was usually eloquent, did not elaborate on this issue.

After all, he himself had once been one of those who opposed the promotion of this technology, and only after truly understanding the Orange Group's prosthetic modifications could he comprehend it.

Just how much convenience can this incredibly mature technology bring to people's lives?

At this moment, it was just an ordinary diplomatic meeting, and since the person in charge, Baki, was not interested in it, he naturally did not bring it up again.

Changing the subject, Baron Zemo's face regained its gentle smile.

"It's still early before the formal meeting and banquet, so I'll take the delegation to their accommodations for a short rest."

"In the afternoon, if you are interested, we will also arrange for a guide to take you around Novigrad."

Upon hearing this, Bucky hesitated for a moment.

"Then, if I would like to see Mr. Orange first?"

(End of this chapter)