I put monsters and super powers in America

"In short, you have to strike a balance. You have to have your feet on two boats without letting either one capsize!"

……

Wisdom Tree Bookstore, 4 p.m.

The autumn sun shines through the glass windows along the street, casting warm and lazy spots of light on the floor.

Zhulong was sitting behind the cashier counter bored, his chin supported by one hand, seemingly in a daze, but his eyes were scanning back and forth between the two girls in the bookstore like radar.

Tifa, wearing the bookstore's slightly oversized linen apron, was standing on tiptoe on a small wooden ladder, carefully placing the newly arrived hardcover picture books one by one on the high bookshelf.

This action made her full breasts, which were already wrapped in the sports vest, look even more majestic; and the pair of slender, toned, and explosive thighs under her denim hot pants were also stretched into a thrilling arc.

Meanwhile, Jingxue quietly crouched in the corner of the children's section. She was also wearing the bookstore's apron, but underneath was a plain white long-sleeved T-shirt and washed blue jeans. She was patiently sorting through the picture books that had been tossed about by the children, one by one, and reclassifying them.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bookshelf, casting mottled shadows on her fair and delicate cheeks, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly like butterfly wings.

She sorted the books gently and attentively, her slender fingers sliding across the covers of the brightly colored picture books with an innate tenderness, as if she were treating treasures.

However, the main dragon's mind at this moment was not at all on these two equally pleasing scenery.

"This big guy can really hold it in..."

His consciousness, through the invisible link between him and the Gaia creature, was locked onto the big guy that should have been silent dozens of kilometers away - the adult Yabe Dragon monster.

Ever since the last time it caused a big commotion at Griffith Air Force Base and was repelled by the main dragon at the cost of its life, this adult Yabe dragon has been strictly following the only order issued by the main dragon - to hide itself and not appear in front of humans.

It did so well that neither military satellites nor Anduriel's intelligence network had detected any trace of it in the past few weeks, as if it had completely evaporated from this world.

Even those people in the Pentagon are almost forgetting it.

The main dragon had forgotten about it for a while until he had nothing to do and checked its movements.

Then I was shocked!

Not only is this guy not idle, but he is also secretly engaged in "big infrastructure".

It seemed to have a flexible and profound understanding of the main dragon's order to "hide and not appear" - "not appearing ≠ not doing anything."

In the "vision" of the archosaur, this huge beast was lurking in the depths of the turbid waters of the Hudson River, heading north and upstream.

In order to ensure that its whereabouts are absolutely concealed, it is even extremely cautious and sends out the smallest and most inconspicuous cub first. Every late night, it quietly climbs ashore and, like a scout, carefully explores the surrounding terrain and signs of human activities.

After confirming that a certain direction is absolutely safe, it begins its "tunnel project" which is truly a masterpiece of nature.

"This excavation capability... if it could be used to build a subway for infrastructure maniacs, the efficiency would skyrocket." The main dragon couldn't help but marvel inwardly at its drilling speed, which far exceeded that of top-level shield machines.

The [Digging] talent originating from Gaia's dream became extremely terrifying after being downgraded and upgraded.

Not only can it treat hard soil and even rock layers as "liquids" with slightly higher density and "swim" freely in them; even more outrageous is that it can also secrete a special energy mucus that instantly compresses and solidifies the excavated soil, forming a smooth and solid "tunnel wall" on both sides of the tunnel, like poured concrete.

However, this time, Yabe Ryu's tunnel project did not last long.

After digging less than five kilometers in a certain direction, it stopped quietly.

Then, it carefully broke out of the ground, and used its unique power to compress, shape, and solidify the soil at the entrance and the surrounding vegetation, eventually forming a "camouflage cover" that blended perfectly with the surrounding environment and had no flaws, perfectly hiding its tunnel exit.

"Why stop here?"

The dragon's curiosity was piqued. He immediately opened his phone and pulled up a high-definition electronic map of New York State. Following the flow of the Hudson River and the direction of Yabe Dragon's excavation, he quickly and accurately located the camouflaged tunnel exit.

A familiar place name on the map made his pupils shrink slightly.

“Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant?”

The dragon master immediately retrieved detailed information about the nuclear power plant.

This nuclear power plant, located less than 40 kilometers north of New York City, was permanently shut down in 2021 due to a series of safety hazards such as aging equipment, substandard earthquake resistance, and excessive population density in the surrounding area, amid strong protests from the public and environmental organizations.

However, "shutdown" does not mean that everything will be fine.

Since a suitable permanent high-level radioactive nuclear waste storage site that satisfies all parties has not been found so far, the used and highly radioactive nuclear fuel rods at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant have been sealed in huge shielded steel drums made of special concrete and multi-layer steel for so-called "dry storage" on site.

The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has solemnly assured the public that this storage method is absolutely safe enough to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake and terrorist attacks.

Because of this, in the past few years, the number of staff left in nuclear power plants has been decreasing, and the phenomenon of overstaffing has become extremely serious.

Most of the time, the entire factory is in a semi-abandoned state with no one to look after it.

Therefore, even a behemoth like Yabe Ryuu did not attract anyone's attention when it silently emerged from the ground late one night and appeared near those huge concrete shielding steel barrels.

The main dragon could clearly "see" that the Yabe dragon and its still-growing cubs were greedily, like a drug addict seeing an addictive substance, deeply sniffing the faint but deadly radiation smell leaking from the shielded steel barrels.

But out of absolute obedience to the master dragon's orders and the creature's own caution against unknown dangers, it did not immediately rush forward to feast.

It just took its children and dived into the deep tunnel again. Like the most patient hunter, it lay dormant underground, watching and waiting with peace of mind.

After seeing this scene, a long-forgotten but crucial question in the master dragon's mind suddenly became clear as if illuminated by lightning!

"Wait a minute! The creatures from Gaia's Dream, after being reduced to the real world... they actually feed on radiation?!"

"No... maybe it can't be simply called 'food'. They may need to absorb high-intensity radiation energy to promote their... secondary evolution?"

【correct. 】

[Gaia Dream creatures that have undergone secondary evolution in the real world will retain their secondary evolutionary traits if they return to Gaia Dream.]

"Oh? That's interesting."

"Besides the power of will, there are actually ways in the real world to repay Gaia's dream."

Just when the main dragon was carefully considering whether to use Yabe Dragon for an experiment.

[+1000 Wishes, from the hopes of many U.S. military officers to capture or kill Leviathan (Dallas Dragon).]

"Wait a minute? Those guys from the United States think they're up to speed so soon? Are they going to have another big one?!"

"This is faster than I expected!"

50. Leviathan has taken the bait!

USS Nimitz, bridge.

Beyond the enormous bulletproof portholes lay the boundless Pacific Ocean, dyed a golden red by the setting sun. Like a pack of silent steel sharks, several Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers formed a circular defensive formation, guarding this ocean powerhouse, displacing over 100,000 tons.

The fleet commander, Admiral John Aquilino, a naval veteran with a hooked nose and sharp eyes, was staring expressionlessly at the distant horizon through a telescope. His snow-white officer's uniform was ironed to perfection, and the four stars on his shoulders reflected a cold light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Inside the bridge, the atmosphere was tense and solemn. Dozens of naval officers and sailors were busy at their respective stations, with only the subtle humming of electronic equipment and the tapping of keyboards echoing in the air.

"Admiral, encrypted communications from the Pentagon." A young communications officer quickly walked behind him and reported in a low voice.

Admiral Aquilino slowly put down the telescope and took the communication headset. There was no emotion on his weather-beaten face.

"This is the Nimitz, speaking."

From the earphones came the Defense Minister's unique voice, slightly hoarse but full of unquestionable authority.

"Aquilino, what's the situation with the fleet?"

"Everything is normal, sir. We are patrolling the scheduled sea area and are ready to execute the 'Whale Hunt' plan."

"Excellent." The Minister's voice was filled with a hint of excitement that was hard to conceal. "Now, let me reiterate to you the core logic of this operation. Listen carefully. This is related to whether we can avenge our previous humiliation and turn that damned animal into the most valuable trophy in our laboratory."

"Yes, sir."

"After seventy-two hours of non-stop modeling and deduction, our top-tier biological behavior analysis team and supernatural matter research team have reached a very clear conclusion." The Defense Minister cleared his throat and explained in a confident, didactic tone, "The attacking behavior of the creature we call 'Leviathan' is typical, driven by 'territorial awareness.'"

"Remember those twenty unfortunate 'Super Maruns'? They were attacked because their armor, made of monster muscle fibers, exuded a highly concentrated scent of 'supernatural factor'! To Leviathan, it was like a strange lion suddenly intruding into its hunting grounds and urinating everywhere to mark its territory! Of course, it would rush forward without hesitation and tear the intruder to pieces!"

"And the same reason applies to its subsequent attack on the Jones. That ship was stockpiling spare armor and some experimental equipment containing extraordinary factors. To it, the smell was like finding a pile of dog shit in its own living room. It was unbearable!"

"As for why it only dismantled the ship but didn't devour everyone on board..." The Defense Minister paused, a shrewd smile in his tone, "That's because the 'Jones' itself, plus the several escorting ships, this massive steel cluster, displayed 'organization' and 'weight' of nearly 10,000 tons, which gave it an illusion - it mistakenly believed it was facing another giant marine creature of the same level! So, after expelling the 'invader', it chose to leave instead of exterminating it. This is a very typical behavior pattern of high-level predators dividing their spheres of influence!"

Listening to this "well-reasoned" analysis, even someone as calm as Admiral Aquilino couldn't help but admire him secretly.

"These researchers are really good at making their crooked theories work."

"So, this plan, codenamed 'Whale Hunt,' exploits this fatal 'cognitive flaw,'" the Defense Minister continued. "That large remotely operated submersible, converted from a decommissioned 'Los Angeles'-class nuclear submarine, we've codenamed it 'Proteus.' Inside, it's loaded with over a kilogram of highly concentrated, high-purity 'Transcendent Factor' gel. To Leviathan, that smell is like ten thousand strong men dancing outside your house—it's like shitting on its head! It'll absolutely charge in like crazy!"

"And when it used its teeth, claws, or any other method it could think of to tear at Proteus's solid shell..."

"...The specially modified W80 tactical nuclear warhead inside the submarine will detonate at the most critical moment." Admiral Aquilino calmly took over the conversation.

"That's right!" The defense minister's voice was filled with bloodthirsty pleasure. "A zero-range implosion with the equivalent of 500,000 tons of TNT! Even a god would be reduced to ash! When the time comes, your mission is to rush to the epicenter immediately after the explosion, salvaging the damage and finishing off the wounded! If something goes wrong with that damn nuclear warhead, those two Super Hornets carrying B61-12s overhead are your last resort! Do you understand?!"

"Understood, sir." Aquilino's answer remained calm, but his fingers gripping the armrest tightened unconsciously.

This was a plan of utter madness: using a submarine and a nuclear bomb as bait to hunt down a creature that existed only in mythology.

But... he had no choice.

"Excuting an order."

Following Admiral Aquilino's order, the huge aircraft carrier formation, like a awakened behemoth, began to adjust its course and headed at full speed towards the distant designated ambush area south of Hawaii.

……

The operation went exceptionally smoothly.

Just a few hours after the remote-controlled submarine "Proteus" was deployed into the waters south of Hawaii and began to release the smell of extraordinary factors that was full of "provocative" meaning to Leviathan, the "Global Hawk" long-range drone and space-based reconnaissance satellite hovering in the sky successively captured the familiar and heart-pounding huge blue back.

Leviathan appeared.

Like a shark that smelled blood, it was attracted from the deep sea hundreds of miles away. It surfaced briefly several times, and each time it was one step closer to the Proteus.

The locations of several discovery points transmitted back from the satellite can clearly outline a precise navigation track that points directly towards the bait.

It's hooked!

On the deck of the USS Nimitz, the catapults of two F/A-18 Super Hornets were poised for launch. Under their bellies, they carried two uniquely shaped bombs—silver-white, sleek B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs.

"catapult!"

Accompanied by the deafening sound of steam catapults, two fighter planes loaded with destructive power roared into the sky and formed a formation at high altitude, like a hovering god of death, following the dark blue figure from a distance.

The atmosphere in the aircraft carrier's CIC was so tense that water could almost drip out.

The real-time images sent back by the drone clearly showed that the Proteus was being slowly followed by a huge, dark blue shadow.

Leviathan was getting closer and closer to the bait... fifty miles... thirty miles... ten miles...

It seemed extremely cautious, circling and probing around for a long time, as if trying to confirm the origin of this "uninvited guest" that suddenly broke in.

This was entirely within the Pentagon's expectations, and their extraordinary research experts said it was a move by a top predator to test its opponent.

In the end, the domineering and strong "provocative" smell of its "kind" completely infuriated it.

“Ouch——!!!”

A roar filled with anger and tyranny came from the deep sea, and even through the thick sea water, it still caused ripples on the sea surface.

Leviathan, take the bait!

On the Pentagon's big screen, a huge shadow was shown suddenly accelerating and rushing towards the Proteus.

In order to please the highest authority and to firmly tie this "historic honor" to the president's credit book, the Secretary of Defense flatteringly connected the ultimate control of the red button that symbolizes destruction directly to the "Resolute Desk" in the Oval Office through an absolutely confidential line.

The underwater ultra-high-definition camera carried by the "Proteus" transmitted the final images back in real time.

Visibility was extremely low in the deep, murky waters. Suddenly, a pair of enormous, vertical pupils, like burning blue will-o'-the-wisp, lit up from the darkness! Immediately afterwards, a massive head, covered in pale blue scales, slammed towards the camera! Its massive jaws, studded with razor-sharp teeth, could be clearly seen frantically tearing into the submarine's sturdy titanium hull, emitting a terrifying, teeth-grinding "crunch" sound!

"Now! Press it!" The defense minister's voice sounded in the channel, full of temptation.

then……

"Goodbye, big lizard." An old voice said triumphantly from the White House communication channel.

……

At the same time, the moment the highest authority presses the button.

Thousands of kilometers away, in New York State, at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.

The night is dark and everything is silent.

The vast nuclear waste dump, housing hundreds of giant concrete-barrier steel drums, resembled a forgotten, dormant steel graveyard. Only a few dim, underpowered security spotlights flickered feebly in the night breeze, illuminating a small area.

Suddenly, a piece of ground in the center of the storage yard bulged upward silently, and then a huge, ferocious head covered with dark green scales cautiously poked out from the ground.

It was the adult Yabe dragon monster.

Its orange-yellow pupils scanned the surroundings warily. After confirming that there were no living creatures in the area except for a few wild cats foraging for food, its massive body slid silently out from the ground like a ghost.

Yabe Ryu's massive, fifty-meter-long frame cast a distorted, eerie shadow beneath the dim light and dappled shadows of the trees. Its movements were incredibly light for a creature of its size, making no unnecessary sound. Its scales, as fine as obsidian, reflected a cold luster in the dim light, like a work of art from another world, imbued with a mysterious beauty.

It walked straight to a huge concrete shielding steel barrel marked with a conspicuous radioactive warning sign, and then stretched out its claws that were like iron hooks and flashed with cold light.

It just scratched lightly on the thick and solid concrete outer wall.