American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

Chapter 344 of this book contains a surprise in cross-border procurement. Click to unlock now.

The arms race assembly line, after running at high speed for only two hours, emitted a discordant click.

The vines that Ivy was controlling, which were carrying metal ingots, stopped in mid-air.

On the holographic screen in front of Tony Stark, which displayed the raw material inventory, the progress bar for vibranium had turned a glaring bright red, followed by a constantly flashing warning that the inventory was running low.

"Hey Bruces, we've got a little trouble."

Tony's voice came through the command channel, sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Our vibranium reserves, and the ones we borrowed from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s warehouses, are all used up."

All the Bruce projections simultaneously stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the inventory list.

One of the Bruce projections reported.

"The existing vibranium reserves in the Xiuen warehouse are far from sufficient to support subsequent research and development."

"Who designed that railway gun? It's such a waste of metal!"

"Shall we dismantle the railway gun?"

"No way!!! Ask Tony if he has any. Isn't this metal from Tony's world?"

"I've already contributed all of my inventory!"

Tony shrugged, his face clearly saying, "Don't look at me, I really don't have a single drop left! That was all I was saving for the full-body coating of my next generation of armor! Now it's all yours!"

"With your meager stock, it's not even enough to make Mr. Hulk a pair of radiation-proof boxer briefs."

"you!"

Tony felt challenged.

"Can we find alternatives from Urumqi or Nitrogen?"

Steve Rogers asked immediately.

"no."

Reed Richards immediately rejected the proposal.

"The three metals have completely different properties. Vibranium's core function is to absorb and store kinetic energy, which is the basis for forming a stable causal deflection field. Replacing it with other metals would only create a bunch of flashy but impractical armor that would crumble at the slightest touch."

The laboratory fell silent.

This is a problem that cannot be solved immediately with money or technology. Vibranium is a unique product of Wakanda in the Marvel Universe. Most of the people present are Batmen. Apart from Bruce from the Shuon universe, the other Batmen didn't even know what vibranium was before, let alone hoard it.

"We can try to engage in contact and trade with Wakanda."

Bruce in the main world begins to consider alternative plans.

Suddenly, Xiu En sat up.

He wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air hard, like a squirrel searching for a pine cone.

"What's wrong?" Ivy asked curiously.

"I think I smell something."

Xiu En's eyes were a little confused, but also a little excited.

He stood up, closed his eyes, and his innate instinct for top-grade metals and energy, inherent in his Golden Crow bloodline, was pushed to its limit at this moment. His perception pierced through the barriers of the Ximu Realm, crossed countless dimensions, and finally locked onto a single coordinate point.

"Found it."

He opened his eyes.

"What did you find?"

Diana asked, puzzled.

"One world."

Xiu En replied, a bright smile spreading across his face.

"A world where vibranium is as plentiful as stones on the roadside, where you can dig it up, take it away, and even use it as pots and pans by the locals."

"What?"

All the heroes present, including the dozen or so Batmen, wore expressions of disbelief.

"Do you know a world where vibranium is everywhere?" Tony's voice trembled.

"To be precise, I could smell it. Its scent is as striking as the sun in the night throughout the entire multiverse. It's incredibly fragrant."

"are you sure?"

Clark asked somewhat uncertainly. He still couldn't quite get used to Shum's peculiar ability to perceive the universe through taste.

"Of course I'm sure. My intuition never fails me."

He glanced at the heroes who were still worrying about materials, and waved his hand.

"Alright, you guys can continue studying the blueprints here. Leave the purchasing to me."

He summoned several clones and instructed them to first go to the familiar Marvel universe to find someone to purchase some vibranium as a temporary measure.

Shuen plans to go to this unknown world, abundant in vibranium, on his own; it will be faster that way.

After saying that, he walked directly to Ivy's side.

"I'll be right back. Keep an eye on the house for me, and don't let them steal all my snacks."

"understood."

Ivy rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.

"Go early and come back early. Remember to bring back some local plant seeds; I want to expand my garden."

"no problem!"

A golden portal opened. On the other side of the portal lay a vast, unbroken African savanna.

He turned back, waved to the crowd, and walked into the portal. The portal closed behind him, and he vanished without a trace.

Inside the command center, only a group of superheroes remained, staring at each other in bewilderment.

Clearly, some heroes are not yet adapted to Shuen's style.

"so?"

"He's going to get the goods now?"

"That seems to be the case."

"He found a world rich in vibranium through smell, and then went there alone?"

"What kind of monster is this guy?"

"Hey, Shum isn't a monster, don't talk about him like that."

A golden portal closed in the sky above the vast African savanna, and Shuen's figure emerged from it, landing in knee-high grass. The scorching sun baked the earth.

He stood there, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Xiu En let out a satisfied sigh.

"Little Flower, can you smell it?!"

He excitedly talked to the sunflower that had appeared on his shoulder at some unknown time.

"I've found it! I've found the legendary Promised Land! A paradise where even the air smells like potato chips!"

"That tastes like mineral dust, not potato chips. Can't you be more aware of your own sense of taste?"

"No, this is potato chips! The purest, most natural potato chips, a gift from Mother Earth!"

Xiu En retorted excitedly, even bending down to smell it.

"Hmm, cumin flavored, and a bit salty, not bad. Looks like the soil here is quite flavorful."

He nodded in satisfaction.

Just then, the sound of footsteps came from not far away.

Shuen looked up and saw several unusually large rhinoceroses walking towards him with rhythmic gait. Their skin was a metallic black. Their eyes gleamed with red light.

Xiu En's eyes shone even brighter.

"The snacks are here!"

These rhinos reminded him of sandwich cookies wrapped in a thick layer of chocolate.

The outer shell has a strong potato chip flavor, while the inside contains the taste of machinery and electricity.

He walked towards the rhinoceroses with a kind smile on his face, as if he were preparing to eat.

The lead rhinoceros stopped in front of him, assuming a ready-to-attack stance. Its horn turned slightly, and a red scanning beam shot from its eyes, scanning Xiu En from head to toe.

[Unknown life form. Energy level unknown. Threat level unknown. Immediate retreat recommended, and report to the King.]

However, before its retreat suggestion could be uploaded, Xiu En had already reached out and touched the metal casing with anticipation.

"This crispy crust looks good."

As he spoke, he opened his mouth and took a bite.

"Crack!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

The super alloy armor, made of pure vibranium, was easily bitten off by Shu En as easily as biting into an apple.

He chewed on the black, crispy crust and nodded in satisfaction: "Hmm, not bad, it has a hint of sunshine and fresh grass."

However, as he swallowed the crispy crust and prepared to taste the filling inside, the taste of cheap lubricant exploded on his taste buds.

"Ptooey! Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

Xiu En spat out what was in his mouth—a pile of chewed-up wires and parts, still sparking with electricity. His face was contorted in a grimace.

"What the hell! It tastes awful! The filling is rotten!"

He complained angrily.

"This is utterly deceiving consumers! All show and no substance!"

The rhinoceros robot that had been bitten was completely unable to comprehend what had just happened, its core processor unable to grasp the situation. A barrage of error reports—"Armor physically gnawed at by an unknown creature," "Internal circuitry severely damaged," "System about to crash"—overwhelmed its thinking.

"Terrible review! Definitely deserves a terrible review!"

The rhino robot tried to resist, but it was like a cheap plastic toy, easily torn in two. Countless parts, circuit boards, and hydraulic pipes were scattered all over the ground.

Upon seeing this, the remaining robots immediately abandoned all disguises, their back armor opened to reveal sonic cannons and energy guns hidden inside, and red warning lights flashed wildly.

[WARNING! Highest level threat detected! Open fire immediately!]

But they didn't even have a chance to fire.

Xiu'en's figure blurred into a blur, flashing among them. Several loud cracking sounds of metal being violently torn apart rang out. When he returned to his original spot, the border patrol robots had been reduced to a pile of smoking scrap metal.

"It doesn't taste good at all."

Xiu En looked at the parts scattered all over the floor and shook his head in disappointment.

Unbeknownst to him, his violent act of tasting and dismantling had been clearly captured by countless miniature surveillance cameras hidden throughout the grasslands, disguised as flowers, trees, and shrubs, and transmitted to the kingdom with the highest priority.

"His Majesty!"

A member of the Royal Guard rushed into the throne room.

"The border guardians, the Rhino Squad, have all been eaten!"

King T'Challa watched the final images transmitted back on the holographic screen in front of him.

Those border guards, crafted from pure vibranium, were bitten to pieces by a humanoid creature, like fragile cookies.

"Did he eat them?"

Another member of the council asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yes, I ate it."

Okoye's expression was extremely serious.

"From an energy analysis perspective, the Guardian Rhino's outer shell armor was destroyed by the bite force, much like when we eat a piece of roasted corn."

"Dora Mirajane has assembled, Your Majesty!"

A fighting spirit ignited in Okoye's eyes.

"Please allow us to strike and arrest this intruder who has desecrated Wakanda's sacred relics!"

"No."

T'Challa raised his hand to stop her.

"A creature that can eat vibranium like a snack cannot be defeated by numbers alone. The guards remain in the capital and increase vigilance. Okoye, activate Ghost Protocol."

He stood up, his black royal robe slipping off his shoulders to reveal the black battle armor beneath. With a thought, countless silver nanoparticles surged from the necklace around his neck, rapidly covering his entire body.

Within seconds, the majestic king vanished, and in his place appeared the silent guardian of Wakanda, the black panther.

"I'll go and meet him myself." His voice came through the mask, becoming deep and magnetic.

Meanwhile, Shuen was completely unaware that he had become the top topic of discussion at the highest meeting of a hidden kingdom. He was strolling aimlessly across the grassland.

He was actually very anxious.

The family factory was still waiting for him to bring rice to cook; if those heroes didn't have new armor, who knows how many would be wiped out by Kang's army.

But on the surface, he still maintained a leisurely vacation posture.

"Little Flower, look at this stone."

He picked up a dark, unremarkable-looking stone from the roadside and put it in his mouth to chew.

"Hmm, it's black pepper flavored, and very crunchy, but a bit tough on the teeth. Are all the stones here this delicious?"

"That's vibranium ore, you idiot."

"It's rich in various trace elements, which is indeed good for your health. But could you please stop stuffing everything into your mouth?"

"You wouldn't understand the ways of gourmets, you're just a plant that only knows photosynthesis."

Xiu En retorted confidently, and as he spoke, he picked up another piece from the ground and handed it to his side.

"Here, would you like to try some?"

The air was completely still.

"Forget it, you're out of luck."

Xiu En, realizing he'd made a fool of himself, ate the stone. He walked on, heading towards the direction where the smell of potato chips was strongest.

The scent seemed to emanate from deep underground, guiding him deeper into this continent.

But the source seemed to be protected by another power of the sun, so Xiu En couldn't find it for the time being.

Because he was in a hurry, he actually walked very fast, and with each step he took, he left a faint golden afterimage in the place where he stood.

But to a skilled tracker, his highly purposeful approach actually reveals more information.

A black figure moved like a ghost through the canopy of the jungle.

T'Challa the Panther blended perfectly into the shadows. The vibranium patterns on the soles of his feet resonated with the earth's magnetic field, making each leap and landing silent. The holographic interface on his visor was analyzing the various data transmitted from the front with remarkable efficiency.

The target's energy fluctuations are stable, and it shows no obvious hostility.

[Thermal imaging reveals that the target's body temperature far exceeds that of any known carbon-based life form, approaching that of a small star surface?]

The target is advancing on foot at a steady pace of 150 km/h.

T'Challa stared at the unbelievable data before him, utterly shocked. This intruder completely exceeded his understanding of life forms.

Black Panther remained patient, like a master hunter, lurking at a distance behind his prey, observing and analyzing, waiting for the perfect moment to make contact. He had absolute confidence in his stealth skills and the invisibility capabilities of his Black Panther armor.

"Ivy,"

Xiu En's telepathic communication carried a hint of amusement.

"It looks like there's a little black cat following me."

"cat?"

"Hmm, a little cat wearing a black bodysuit, very agile, likes to jump from tree to tree. He seems to have been following us for over half an hour. Do you think he's lost and wants some dried fish from us?"

As the sun god, Shun's perception of light and shadow was instinctive. On this sun-drenched grassland, no unnatural distortion of shadow could escape his eyes.

From the moment T'Challa approached within five kilometers of him, the sunlight had already reported every move of the little black cat to Hugh.

"He smells pretty strong like potato chips, much more sophisticated than that robot from before."

"Be careful, he might have ill intentions."

"Relax, relax."

Xiu En said nonchalantly.

"It's just a kitten, what bad intentions could it possibly have? Look, it's moved to another tree, and that move was pretty cool."

He found the tracking game amusing and decided to play along with the stealth master, pretending he hadn't noticed anything. He even pulled a dried fish cake from his trench coat pocket.

Xiu En broke the biscuit in half and placed it on a conspicuous rock by the roadside, warmed by the sun.

Then he continued walking forward.

In the shade of the tree canopy, T'Challa watched the luminous figure's strange behavior, lost in thought. His enhanced sense of smell told him that the thing on the rock smelled of food.

Is this a provocation?

Or is it some kind of communication method that he cannot understand?

In the shade of the tree canopy, T'Challa watched the other's strange behavior and fell into deep thought.

His tactical computer was unable to analyze the opponent's intentions, and the logic module oscillated between three options: friendly feeding, meaningless discarding, and contemptuous provocation.

But as a warrior and a king, T'Challa trusted his intuition more.

He couldn't sense any clear malice from the man, but his unbridled attitude was a huge threat in itself.

Wakanda does not welcome any variables that are beyond its control.

He took a deep breath.

Instead of passively guessing, it's better to take the initiative and find out the opponent's strengths and weaknesses through confrontation.

The black panther leaped down from the treetops dozens of meters high, using the shadows of the forest to move at high speed, and pounced on Xiu En from behind!

"For Wakanda!"

He silently recited the oath in his heart, and his right hand extended a vibranium claw that shimmered with a ghostly blue light, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and grabbed at the back of Xiu En's neck!

"Finally down!"

T'Challa's pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw the luminous figure raise its left hand to meet his claws.

T'Challa felt as if his vibranium claws were gripping the sun!

A surge of energy, imbued with terrifying heat and immense force, emanated from the opponent's palm. His vibranium suit, capable of absorbing almost all kinetic energy, saw its surface energy patterns flash wildly, attempting to absorb and convert the violent energy, but it overloaded in less than a second!

A smell of vibranium being melted, mixed with a strong electric burning sensation, came from his fingertips, causing him to subconsciously withdraw his hand.

He took a few steps back and looked down, only to see that five clear finger marks had been burned into his indestructible vibranium claws!

Shuon looked at T'Challa and gave him a bright smile, a smile that carried an air of familiar warmth.

"Hey T'Challa! Long time no see! How have you been? Still worrying about whether your country should open up to the world?"

"???"

He knows me? How could he know me? And know Wakanda's top secrets?

After greeting everyone warmly, Xiu En suddenly slapped his forehead, his expression turning somewhat awkward.

"Oh, sorry, I had too many memories from the clone and got it a little wrong."

He scratched his head sheepishly.

"I forgot, you in this universe haven't seen me yet. That one doesn't count, let's start over."

He reached out his hand to the bewildered black panther.

"Hello, my name is Xiu En, a cross-universe purchasing agent passing by. It's nice to meet you."

T'Challa stared at him.

"A cross-universe...purchasing agent?"

"yes!"

Xiu En nodded, then pointed in the direction he had just come from.

"The potato chips in your world taste much richer and more authentic than those in the Marvel worlds that my other clones have visited before. That's why I came here to buy some and take some back with me."

As he spoke, he picked up a piece of vibranium ore from the ground, took a big bite, and ate it with relish.

"It's just strange."

Shuon chewed on a stone while looking at T'Challa with a puzzled expression.

"If I remember correctly, you in the other world quite liked the cookies Afu made. I just put one on the rock, why didn't you eat it? Was it not to your liking?"

He watched as the other person chewed on the sacred stone of Wakanda like a snack, listening to his ramblings about another version of himself and the cookies.

Black Panther realized that he might be facing a god from a higher dimension? Or a madman?

And these two are often not very different.