Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

Upon hearing this, all three of them looked up at the girl who had come to ask the question.

This is a girl with obvious Asian-American features. Her facial features are three-dimensional but not sharp. Her long, golden-brown curly hair falls naturally over her shoulders. She is dressed simply and plainly, and her expression is somewhat reserved.

"A new transfer student?" Li Ai asked instinctively.

“Yes, my name is Daisy Putz, and I just arrived at this school today,” the girl said shyly.

Upon hearing this, Li Ai glanced at the other two, saw no objection, and agreed:

"Then you can sit down, there are plenty of empty seats anyway."

"Thank you so much," Daisy said, then sat down next to Jessica.

Li Ai took the opportunity to lower her head and think about something.

Because in his memory there was also a person named Daisy, who had a complicated background, was also of Asian descent, possessed powerful superpowers, and joined S.H.I.E.L.D. after experiencing many things, codenamed Shockwave.

But Li Ai remembered that she would have to go through a lot before she could regain the name 'Daisy'. If she really was 'Shockwave' Daisy Johnson, it reminded Li Ai of an animated series she had watched in her previous life, "Avengers: The World's Strongest Heroes," in which Shockwave was a secret agent trained by Nick Fury.

If Daisy in this universe is already a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, then what is she doing at Midtown High School?

Li Ai immediately thought of the incident where she killed the demon at the Storm King Art Center, which led to an investigation by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Could it be that S.H.I.E.L.D. has begun to suspect that ZZZ is hiding in Midtown High School? Li Ai boldly speculated.

As he expected, other schools that checked into the hotel that day also welcomed 'transfer students' one after another.

I'll have to keep a closer eye on Daisy Putz from now on… Li Ai thought to himself, taking a couple of bites of pasta before remarking:

"The food in the cafeteria is really good today. Could they have gotten a new chef?"

“Not only that, even that beverage machine that used to break down all the time has been replaced with a new one,” Jessica said, pointing with her fork at the beverage machine not far away.

“It feels like we’ve switched suppliers,” Flynn said.

Daisy ate quietly until their mealtime ended and they left the restaurant to be served to the next group of students. This was a rule at Midtown High School, which divided students into two groups to avoid overcrowding in the cafeteria.

The four of them then went to their respective classrooms for class.

After the last class in the afternoon, Li Ai packed her things, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and walked out of the school gate.

Back home, the house was empty. Li Ai threw her schoolbag on the sofa, took out some steak and pasta from the refrigerator, and made herself a hearty dinner.

After finishing his meal and resting briefly, Li Ai went to the operations room to complete his daily training and study how to modify the second Dream Eater Claw.

After a period of intense training, Li Ai was covered in a light sweat. He took a shower first, then lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.

Two and a half seconds later, he entered a shared dream world.

As Li Ai grows stronger, the number of doors he can see is increasing, exceeding the population of New York City. This means that the range of his abilities is gradually expanding, and may even extend to other states in America.

Chapter 63 Hulk's Birthday

When Li Ai opened her eyes again, she found herself standing in a bright corridor, wearing a white coat.

Culver University, Professor Ross, graduate students... a flood of memories came to mind, confirming his identity in this dream.

Just then, a woman also wearing a white coat walked towards him and called out, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

The woman wasn't exactly young and beautiful, but her extensive knowledge gave her an intellectual air, and Li Ai, who was immersed in this dream, also knew the other woman's identity.

Those who are close to Elizabeth Betty Ross will simply call her Betty, while Li Ai, currently a graduate student under her, will be addressed by her honorific title.

"Professor, I'm getting a little nervous just thinking about what I'm going to do next," Li Ai said with a smile.

"It's perfectly normal for young people to act like that."

A male voice came from the other end of the corridor. Li Ai turned her head and saw a man wearing glasses, with a refined demeanor, but with a hint of confidence in his brows walking towards her.

Bruce Banner, a brilliant scientist with seven doctoral degrees, is now a professor at Culver University, not the Hulk who is constantly hunted by the military.

The brilliant scientist patted Li Ai on the shoulder and encouraged her, "Cheer up, we are changing the history of mankind."

“Yes, Professor Banner,” Li Ai replied.

"There's still an hour and a half before the experiment starts. You can rest here a bit longer, or do some preparation for the experiment," Betty said seriously.

"Also, I've marked all the problems in your paper. Send them to me in five days. Don't let it affect your scholarship."

"If you have any problems, you can come to me," Dr. Banner said approachably.

"Keep going, we're changing the future."

The two then left hand in hand.

A genius scientist and a female PhD are indeed a perfect match, but unfortunately, even in dreams, this relationship will not last.

Based on her memories of her past life and her understanding of her identity in her dreams, Li Ai can confirm that today is the day Banner absorbs an excessive amount of gamma rays and ultimately becomes the Hulk.

However, researching gamma rays was not Banner's initial experiment; it came from Betty's father, Thaddeus E. Ross, a high-ranking military officer known as General Ross.

In the 21st century, the Pentagon restarted its research program on super soldiers, and this task fell to General Ross.

Later, General Ross found his daughter and Banner, but instead of telling Banner directly that the military was researching super soldiers, he indirectly told Banner to develop a serum to prevent radiation poisoning, saying it could save countless lives in a future nuclear war.

Kind-hearted Banner and Betty were naturally willing to accept this research project called 'Gamma Pulse'. They even developed an incomplete super soldier serum and saw experimental animals that could directly receive gamma rays after being injected with this serum.

The two naive scientists were clearly no match for General Ross, a seasoned veteran who had been working in the Pentagon. General Ross took all the results to heart and prepared to push for further human trials.

Ultimately, Banner, out of confidence in his technology, or perhaps to avoid harming innocent people, chose to become the first human test subject.

The experiment started off smoothly, but after the energy level of the gamma rays increased, Banner mutated and eventually became a monster.

Li Ai turned to look at the digital clock on the wall.

"2005, this is a dream made up of past memories," Li Ai said helplessly.

In reality, Dr. Banner has been on the run for several years, and who knows which country's slum he's hiding in right now to control his emotions.

But this doesn't mean Li Ai has no room to maneuver. Following the memories of this identity, he went to Betty and Banner's laboratory and copied the incomplete super soldier serum formula.

This incomplete version of the Super Soldier Serum has obvious shortcomings compared to the original version. A small amount of injection provides limited enhancement, while a large amount of injection will cause spinal mutations and subtle changes in the mind. Compared to Steve Rogers, it is indeed a failure.

But for Li Ai, this is a very valuable research resource that might come in handy.

After obtaining the incomplete Super Soldier Serum formula, he searched for General Ross within the building.

This is a shared dream, with Dr. Banner hiding abroad. The most likely dreamers are the Ross father and daughter.

Although the Ross father and daughter have most likely broken up in reality, their subconscious minds are still pointing to the same goal: 'finding Banner'.

Betty wants to find her former lover, while General Ross wants to turn Banner into a powerful weapon.

Same goal, different ideas.

Li Ai also recalled a Marvel movie she had watched before her time travel, in which Ross became president through dishonest means. Although he eventually suffered the consequences and was imprisoned, that was more than ten years later.

Thinking about this, Li Ai felt that it was a bit unfair to Dr. Banner.

So he located the lounge of General Ross and other high-ranking military officials and deployed ZZZ sensors to eavesdrop on their conversations.

"Ross, your daughter's boyfriend is going to test the machine himself, what if something goes wrong?"

"For example, radiation can be very harmful to the human body if you develop a malignant tumor."

"It's alright. I've seen their experiments on animals; the serum perfectly counteracted the harm from the gamma rays," General Ross said confidently, standing among several high-ranking Pentagon officials.

"We will soon have a new group of Captain Americas who will fight in various places to defend America's authority."

After promising the Pentagon officials a rosy picture, General Ross exchanged a few pleasantries with them, then used the excuse of needing to use the restroom to slip away alone.

"Betty, Banner, you're too naive. I just changed the name of the weapons enhancement program, and you obediently developed a new super soldier serum..."

These are all things General Ross said in private back then, a reflection of his subconscious. And where General Ross couldn't see, there was a sensor recording all his words and actions.

After collecting the evidence, Li Ai returned to the experimental site and looked at the replica of the accident from that year.

Dr. Banner injected himself with the incomplete super-soldier serum, then lay on the machine and had it fire gamma rays at his forehead.

Even without human intervention, the equipment would continue to operate automatically, gradually increasing the energy level of the gamma rays. Dr. Banner's muscles began to swell, and his skin turned green.

Just as the two dreamers and Li Ai were about to watch the birth of Hulk again, a strange feeling suddenly spread throughout the shared dream.

Li Ai felt a chilling aura sweep past and enter Dr. Banner's nasal cavity, turning Dr. Banner in the dream into another kind of creature.

Chapter 64 A Rare Opportunity for a Match Between Majors

Dr. Banner's skin turned from green to black, his eyes turned blood red, his headlamp sprouted a pair of curved horns, the mounting bracket snapped in the blink of an eye, and even the instruments were flattened by his enormous size.

stab-

Because a large amount of electricity was concentrated when the instrument was started, the destruction of the instrument caused a short circuit in the power supply of the entire laboratory. On the other side of the protective glass, Betty was pale.

Finally, 'Dr. Banner' transformed into a four-legged monster with two horns on its head. It stared at Ross and his daughter with its scarlet eyes and said smugly:

"Aren't you happy to see me like this, Betty? I'm no longer that nerdy Banner!"

“No, Banner, I don’t want to…” Betty covered her mouth, a tear sliding down her cheek, her heart filled with sorrow.

But her father, General Ross, pointed at the two-horned monster and said, "Is this your true face? Banner, you really are a born madman..."

Before General Ross could finish speaking, the two-horned monster had already completed its growth and pounced on the father and daughter.

click-

The two-horned monster smashed through the radiation-shielding glass, and when it opened its blood-red maw, Ross and his daughter could even smell the stench of blood.

But then, something unexpected happened.

It wasn't just the glass that shattered; the surrounding walls, floor, and ceiling also broke. The two-horned monster's pupils contracted, and it even stumbled off course.

When it landed again, its limbs were already on a soft lawn.

The Ross father and daughter stared in astonishment at what they were seeing. A powerful current of air appeared beneath their feet and carried them to safety.

In the sky, where the sun once was, a black crescent moon was replaced, but it still provided enough light for this dreamlike place.

This 'black crescent moon' is one manifestation of the invasion of creatures from the Nightmare Dimension.

Wearing a secret agent uniform and holding a blue capsule, Li Ai appeared before the two-horned monster and remarked:

"It's rare to find a job that matches my major."

The two-horned monster before him was a creature from the Nightmare Dimension. They drew fear from the nightmares of intelligent beings. Even if the dreamer didn't have a nightmare, they would 'voluntarily help,' but at the cost of the dreamer suffering the pain encountered in the nightmare. At best, it would cause mental depression; at worst, it would affect the body. There are recorded cases in books that have caused the dreamer to die.

This creature is classified as a 'dream demon' in the library of the New York Sanctum Sanctum, or simply a dream demon.

"Who exactly are you?!"

A hint of fear appeared in the eyes of the two-horned monster. It hadn't noticed anything before the other party made a move. Didn't that mean that the other party's control over the dream was likely superior to its own?

“Just a passing dream agent,” Li Ai replied to the dream demon in a firm voice.

At the same time, the ZZZ Driver appeared. He looked at the dream demon in front of him, put the blue capsule into the slot, and immediately a mechanical sound rang out.

【Stream!】 (Surging!)

Awaken! Awaken! Awaken!

“I’m in position, Henshin!” Li Ai raised his hand and slid the capsule. Dark blue mist spread from the driver to his whole body, and a powerful airflow swirled around him, making it difficult for the two-horned monster to get close.

Good Morning! Rider! Z·Z·Z! Stream!

As the mechanical sound faded, Kamen Rider ZZZ Tech Surge Form transformation was complete.

This form is predominantly black and blue, and the arc-shaped pattern on its chest is actually an enhancement device that can improve nerve responsiveness. The overall lines are smooth and dynamic.

After completing the transformation, Li Ai reached out and summoned the Dream-Devouring Claw, which transformed into a stream of light and flew into his hand.

【Knife Mode】

Seeing this, the two-horned monster realized that the other party was coming for him and would never let him leave, so it decided to fight back.

The two-horned monster stomped its four legs on the ground, instantly creating four depressions in the lawn. Its figure transformed into an out-of-control main battle tank and charged towards Li Ai, cracking the ground wherever it passed.

Facing the charging two-horned monster, Li Ai swung his battle blade, which was wrapped in high-pressure airflow. A blue high-pressure air blade shot out, splashing dirt everywhere and disrupting the two-horned monster's vision.

Another gust of air appeared beneath Li Ai's feet, allowing him to move freely in the air like a surfer, while the two-horned monster below could do nothing to him.

[Gun Mode]

Li Ai switched to the Dream Eater's Claw mode and aimed the gun at the side of the two-horned monster. As he pulled the trigger, a high-pressure gas bullet accurately blasted a basketball-sized wound into the two-horned monster.

The two-horned monster had no organs inside its body, only wisps of black smoke rising from it. Then it looked up at Li Ai in the air, opened its blood-red maw, and shot a black ball of light towards Li Ai.