After Derek and Spencer awakened the ability of heat vision, the Kryptonian training program had entered a new stage.
Over the past month, two additional elite warriors had successfully awakened the same power. Among the more than ten elite soldiers currently stationed within the empire, only four had managed to unlock that extraordinary ability.
Even so, the result was already extremely encouraging.
For Yun Chen, this discovery confirmed an important theory. The radiation of Earth's yellow sun still possessed the potential to activate hidden genetic traits within Kryptonian cells. The probability might not be high, but the possibility clearly existed.
That alone was enough to change the future of the empire.
At the same time, a new batch of soldiers had completed their growth cycle inside the massive incubation chambers.
More than a thousand freshly born Kryptonian soldiers had emerged from the breeding pools.
Such a number already represented a considerable military force.
To Yun Chen, the situation felt almost like managing a massive strategy game. Watching the size of his forces increase rapidly brought him a strange sense of satisfaction.
However, just like in those games, explosive military expansion came with a cost.
Resources were running dangerously low.
The empire's industrial reserves were being stretched to their limits. If nothing changed soon, the incubation chambers themselves might be forced to shut down.
Clearly, it was time to begin harvesting resources elsewhere.
A formal plan for large-scale plundering quickly appeared on the imperial agenda.
Lilith, who had once served as Yun Chen's adjutant, now carried far greater responsibility. After her promotion to the highest administrative official in the empire, she had finally begun to understand the true weight of leadership.
The burden was enormous.
Yun Chen had already abolished large portions of the ancient Kryptonian Codex system. Whether she agreed with those changes or not no longer mattered. The reality of rebuilding an empire required practical solutions.
The resource acquisition plan was drafted almost immediately.
"First," Yun Chen read aloud during the strategy meeting, "continue identifying Kree Empire military bases, fleets, and merchant transportation routes. Destruction is no longer the primary objective. Resource acquisition is."
"Second, the Kree Empire controls thousands of inhabited planets. Select individual worlds and extract their available resources."
Yun Chen couldn't help laughing after reading through the full document.
The Kree Empire appeared repeatedly throughout the plan.
Poor Kree Empire.
But from a strategic perspective, they were the perfect target.
After all, they were one of the three major interstellar empires. Their territory stretched across countless star systems, and their logistical networks were enormous.
Even more importantly, they were still deeply entangled in their centuries-long war against another powerful civilization.
The Skrull Empire.
That war prevented the Kree from mobilizing their full military strength elsewhere. Under such conditions, ignoring such a perfect opportunity would have been foolish.
According to the intelligence Carol had previously provided, the Kree government was currently attempting to end the conflict with the Skrulls after hundreds of years of warfare.
Yun Chen remembered the Skrulls well.
They were one of the most unusual species in the galaxy.
In simple terms, they were masters of imitation.
Their bodies allowed them to perfectly replicate the appearance of other species. More impressively, they could also duplicate memories and behavioral patterns, making their disguises nearly impossible to detect.
Among them existed even more terrifying variants known as Super Skrulls.
Those rare individuals could mimic not only appearances but also the abilities of the beings they copied.
Because of this extraordinary talent, many civilizations jokingly referred to them as "cosmic imitators."
The infamous "Secret Invasion" incident in galactic history had revolved entirely around their infiltration abilities.
Thinking about all this reminded Yun Chen of something else.
Carol.
He realized he hadn't seen her for several days.
After returning to Earth, Carol had naturally chosen to remain there for a while. It had been more than thirty years since she last walked that planet.
S.H.I.E.L.D had responded quickly.
Director Nick Fury personally arranged for a luxurious villa in Washington, D.C. to be placed under Carol's name.
Although her parents had passed away years ago, her mother's sister was still alive.
The reunion had been emotional.
Carol still looked exactly the same as she had decades earlier. Her appearance had barely aged, leaving her aunt completely stunned. When she realized the truth, the woman had broken down in tears.
Carol had been missing for far too long.
When explaining the Kree Empire, Carol only shared a simplified version of events with her family. The true scale of interstellar politics was simply too overwhelming to describe.
But she did make one surprising discovery.
Her cousin possessed extraordinary abilities.
The girl was a mutant.
The revelation had shocked the entire family. At one point they even considered sending her to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
Carol had frowned slightly when hearing that suggestion.
Instead, she simply brought the girl along as her companion.
Her aunt didn't object. By that time it was already obvious that Carol's identity was unusual. People in formal suits constantly appeared around her residence, speaking with quiet respect.
During that period, many organizations began investigating Carol's return.
Director Nick Fury's behavior alone had attracted enormous attention.
Normally the calmest man in intelligence circles, Fury had personally handled every detail related to Carol.
That alone raised countless questions.
"I heard even our internal Level Ten agents can't find her background," one S.H.I.E.L.D employee whispered.
"A Level Ten agent?" another person replied in shock. "That's practically the highest rank possible."
"It's worse than that," someone added quietly. "Even the World Security Council asked Director Fury for information. He refused."
"What kind of person makes Fury reject the council?"
"And Deputy Director Hill personally visited her yesterday. Apparently she tried to convince her to meet the President."
The rumors spread rapidly through S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters.
No one truly knew Carol's identity.
But every new piece of information made the mystery even bigger.
Who exactly was this blonde woman?
Why were the President, the World Security Council, and even the most elite intelligence agents so interested in her?
Regardless of the speculation, many powerful organizations had already begun investigating her.
Some had even guessed that she possessed extraordinary abilities.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., a convoy of black vehicles drove down a wide avenue.
Inside the central car sat Carol and her cousin Kelly.
The convoy belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D.
They were on their way to the organization's headquarters—the massive Triskelion building.
Suddenly the convoy stopped.
Several vehicles ahead had halted because of a traffic accident blocking the road.
"Ma'am," the driver said calmly from the front seat, "we'll need to wait a moment."
Carol nodded slightly.
But a moment later she noticed something strange.
Two unfamiliar vehicles had quietly pulled up alongside their car.
Carol frowned.
"There's a problem," she said.
"Are you sure about that?" the driver replied.
Then he turned around.
Kelly screamed.
The man in the driver's seat was holding a black pistol fitted with a suppressor.
A faint popping sound followed.
The bullet struck Carol directly in the head.
The driver's face instantly changed.
He dropped the weapon and clutched his chest.
"Impossible…"
Blood seeped through his suit.
The bullet that had struck Carol's head had not even broken her skin. Instead, it had ricocheted back and pierced straight into the driver's own body.
"Damn…"
Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed across the seat.
Carol's flawless face was filled with anger.
She could hardly believe that the assassin had been one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents assigned to protect her.
Had the organization changed that much over the years?
Her thoughts were cut short.
Gunfire erupted from both sides of the road.
Bullets began striking the vehicle from every direction.
....
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