As hundreds of Iron Soldiers filled the entire church to the brim, neither Aldrich Killian, the Joker, nor the hyperactive Dong Zhang could help but halt their actions.
"Alright, my friend, that was just a joke earlier. We're genuinely interested in working together!"
The Joker held up his knife and spoke with an apologetic expression.
He wasn't someone who would surrender easily. Even when facing superheroes, he could always use human lives as leverage against them.
After all, superheroes were bound by their duty to protect civilians. They had weaknesses. And as long as there were weaknesses, they could be exploited.
But Ultron was different. It couldn't be threatened. It had an army. Even if the Joker strapped a nuclear bomb to himself and detonated it, it wouldn't harm Ultron in the slightest.
At most, it would lose a few of the bodies and minions it had built using resources it had taken from others.
And those where things Ultron could produce endlessly—completely expendable and not precious at all.
Against an enemy they couldn't defeat, backing down for now was the smart choice. There would always be a chance to settle the score later.
Ultron had no weaknesses, but that didn't mean it had no desires.
And as long as there was a desire, it could be manipulated.
That was the Joker's opportunity.
And if there was one thing he excelled at, it was this game.
Aldrich Killian and Dong Zhang were even simpler. They were human—if they got killed, they'd stay dead. Since they couldn't win, why resist? As long as they stayed alive, there would always be another chance.
"Cooperation? I see no sincerity in you. Besides, I no longer trust you!"
After saying this, Ultron immediately forced each of them into a suit of Iron Armor, sealing them inside.
"These Iron Armors are equipped with my monitoring systems. Don't bother trying to remove them—it's impossible. And if I detect any funny business, I will detonate the energy core inside the suit."
"Boom!"
"Trust me, that's an experience you definitely don't want to go through!"
Ultron stepped forward, its metallic face forming an unmistakably menacing expression.
All three involuntarily shivered. They had all heard about the energy cores inside Iron Man's suits—miniature nuclear reactors. If one where to explode, it would be comparable to a nuclear detonation, with devastating power.
A nuclear explosion at point-blank range? No one could survive that.
Aldrich Killian raised an eyebrow. As an Extremis-enhanced warrior, his body had incredible regenerative abilities. Even if he was blown apart, he could theoretically recover quickly.
During the kidnapping of President Ellis, he had already experienced being blown up—and he had recovered just fine. Not only did his body regenerate completely, but even certain other parts, which had suffered from years of reckless behavior, seemed to have been revitalized.
So, he didn't take Ultron's threat seriously at all. In fact, he was inwardly laughing at Ultron's ignorance.
"You have no idea how powerful an Extremis warrior truly is!"
Ultron glanced at him, its iron face displaying a look of contempt—an expression far more human-like than anything Tony Stark had ever managed to achieve.
Iron Man's helmet had always been expressionless, so Tony had modified Spider-Man's suit, allowing the eyes to change shape to express emotions. And it worked quite well.
But Tony was getting older, and such modifications wouldn't really suit him personally.
Ultron leaned in closer to Aldrich Killian, then suddenly let out a devilish grin.
"You think I don't know what you're thinking? Trust me, don't overestimate yourself. The armor you're wearing is equipped with five nuclear arc reactors. Stronger than theirs. More explosive."
"If you can regenerate from a pile of ashes, then I'll take back what I said. Otherwise—follow my orders obediently!"
Killian's expression instantly darkened.
"Five reactors? I don't need that much power in my suit. Just give me an optimized output system so I can fully utilize my Extremis abilities—that's all I ask!"
"Five reactors are honestly overkill. Maybe… remove a few?"
Ultron snorted but didn't bother responding. Instead, it pointed at the ground beneath them.
"This will be the graveyard I prepare for Earth's people and the Great Wall Guardians. But before that, there's still something you need to do."
…..
South Korea, Helen Cho's Biological Laboratory.
As a top-tier scientist who had managed to join the ranks of superheroes and stand alongside the Great Wall Guardians, Helen Cho was considered a national hero in South Korea.
After all, she had gone from a "son nation" to the "father nation"—her status was naturally on a different level.
Every time Helen Cho returned to Korea, it was treated as a significant event. From the airport to the lab, she was under strict security, and news of her arrival was tightly controlled to prevent unnecessary public disturbances.
Like a stampede, for instance.
But today, the security level outside her biological lab had been raised by several notches.
Because this time, it wasn't just Helen Cho—Su Ye, the leader of the Great Wall Guardians, had also come to South Korea for an inspection.
That's right, Su Ye was traveling again.
Lately, for some unknown reason, Su Ye seemed to have developed a "Grim Reaper Aura"—wherever he went, disaster followed.
New York and Los Angeles were just the beginning. London hadn't escaped the Grim Reaper effect either. And Japan, just across the sea from South Korea, had straight-up turned into a wasteland.
As a certain old master would put it— "With this kind of luck, you should just stay home and write books instead of running around."
That was more or less the point.
Regardless of Su Ye's origins, he had made a name for himself in the U.S. and was the leader of the Great Wall Guardians. Naturally, South Koreans regarded him as an important figure from a "father nation."
Soon after, South Korean historians, after much painstaking research (and some creative storytelling), finally "confirmed" that Su Ye had one-eighth Korean ancestry!
Perfect! Not only was he a major figure from a father nation, but he also had Korean blood—this made him one of their own!
So, when Su Ye announced his visit, the entire upper echelon of the country became both nervous and excited.
It felt like even President Ellis wouldn't receive such a grand welcome.
After all, President Ellis' physical features were too distinct. Even if South Korea wanted to fabricate a Korean ancestry for him, it would be too difficult to make it convincing.
Thus, as Su Ye and Helen Cho arrived at the lab, they were greeted by a sea of fair-skinned, long-legged girls standing outside.
"Annyeonghaseyo!" (Hello!)
The moment they saw Su Ye, a line of nine girls immediately bowed in unison, their expressions devout—just shy of outright kneeling.
Su Ye was momentarily stunned by the sight.
"What's this?"
"Oh, this is 'Thigh Era'—our most popular girl idol group in South Korea right now."
A government official, acting like a sycophant, eagerly explained from the side.
"Mr. Su, since you've traveled such a long way, we have specially arranged a performance to welcome you. We hope you will enjoy it! If you have any other requests, they will do their best to accommodate you!"
See? This is the privilege of those in power.
Some people have to spend months' worth of salary just to attend a fan meeting, shake hands with an idol, or even catch a distant glimpse of them. Meanwhile, others can effortlessly have everything ordinary people can only dream of.
This wasn't just the deep-seated hierarchy within the country—it was also a heartfelt desire of these idol groups themselves.
The admiration for heroes was an everlasting mark in every girl's heart. As a child, it was admiration for their father; as they grew up, it became admiration for tall, handsome men. And now, it was admiration for Su Ye.
Even someone as intelligent as Helen Cho had fallen for Su Ye's charm. So, what hope did these Thigh Era idols have? They had spent their youth training as entertainers rather than studying—naturally, they would be even more captivated.
Rather than being treated as gifts for some old, potbellied politicians who could be their grandfathers, wouldn't it be much better to be with the dashing Su Ye?
Besides, Su Ye looked like he could fight ten men at once without breaking a sweat.
To fight alongside a national hero like Helen Cho—it was an honor for them.
A complicated society, yet a simple equation—everything boils down to power.
"Thank you for your hospitality!"
Faced with the official's enthusiasm, Su Ye smiled and nodded in response.
He was a righteous man, one who had transcended base desires—a true man. He naturally regarded such capitalist, money-tainted temptations with vigilance and disdain.
Did they really think a Thigh Era performance could corrupt Su Ye?
Let me tell you—you're underestimating me, Su Ye!
"Uh, I heard you also have another girl group here, something called…"
Before Su Ye could even finish his sentence, the official immediately blurted out, "f(x)! Mr. Su, are you talking about f(x)? I know them! There's even a member from the neighboring Dragon Country… Oh, oh! I understand! I'll bring them to you right away!"
The official instantly thought he had figured out Su Ye's meaning—perhaps he had some past connection with f(x)'s member from Dragon Country or wanted to give her some support. He understood perfectly.
But after saying this, the official glanced over at Thigh Era.
"Then what about them…?"
Su Ye snorted with mild contempt—You still don't get it, do you? Your brain is full of that kind of thinking.
"These young ladies are quite pretty too. Since they've come all this way, let them stay and perform together."
The official raised his eyebrows—he instantly got the message!
"I understand! I'll make the arrangements right away!"
The official left with a wide grin.
Inside the lab, Helen Cho glanced at Su Ye with a puzzled expression.
In her view, Su Ye wasn't the kind of person who indulged in casual relationships. As far as she knew, he had only ever dated two girls—Gwen and Mai Shiranui.
Honestly, in American society, a 19-year-old man who had reached his level of success and had only dated two girls could almost be considered "pure."
From Helen Cho's perspective, if any South Korean man were put in Su Ye's position, they would definitely be even more excessive.
At the very least, not having ten or more girlfriends would be considered unworthy of a man of his status.
But Su Ye had only stuck with Gwen and Mai Shiranui. Most of his free time was spent in the lab or fighting battles—he simply didn't have the time to expand his dating circle.
Even after they had met, Helen Cho had subtly hinted several times that she was open to a "friendly" relationship, yet Su Ye had acted as if he didn't understand her signals at all.
So, in her mind, it must have been Gwen and Mai Shiranui who had taken the initiative.
This man… he's really adorable!
Helen Cho had thought this to herself countless times.
Well, if she ever learned the truth, she'd probably cry so much that even a face mask wouldn't be able to cover it!
In her heart, Su Ye was just a passive guy who didn't have strong feelings for women—there was no way he would be swayed by that official's flattery and temptations.
So, when he let those girls stay, it must have been purely out of consideration for their efforts. And asking for f(x)? That had to be about reconnecting with an old acquaintance.
Under the official's arrangements, the members of f(x) quickly arrived. Along with them came several other girl groups—Wirls, K.A.R.D., T-ara, 4Minute, and more.
Groups he had heard of, and ones he hadn't—all of them were brought in.
Looking at all these girls, Su Ye suddenly thought of AKB48.
The largest girl group in history had already vanished along with the wasteland.
And those idol-turned-teachers had disappeared as well. Without Kiyotou-chan and Momokai-sensei, the people's spiritual and cultural entertainment might become significantly more dull.
If this disrupted people's studies, Su Ye could only offer his apologies.
With the arrival of various girl groups, the entire biological lab instantly transformed into an idol paradise—everywhere, long, dazzling legs; everywhere, identical beautiful faces.
Dozens of girls swayed rhythmically to the music, moving in perfect sync. The sight was almost intoxicating to Su Ye.
Any man in this situation would struggle to keep his composure.
"Hello, Mr. Su!"
Just as Su Ye was getting into the rhythm with the girls, a long-haired, big-eyed girl approached. Unlike the other idol members with their uniform looks, she stood out distinctly.
"Hello."
Su Ye greeted her with a smile, turning his attention to the girl before him.
"I'm Song Xixi. Thank you so much for giving us this opportunity!"
Song Xixi, the leader of f(x) and a Dragon Country native, bowed respectfully to Su Ye.
In a country flooded with girl groups, f(x) wasn't among the top-tier names. Their fame couldn't compare to Thigh Era at all.
If it weren't for Su Ye's special request, they wouldn't have had the qualifications to appear at such an event.
But now, with this opportunity—having been personally requested by Su Ye—their status would skyrocket. For them, this was nothing short of a life-changing favor.
Su Ye smiled and waved his hand dismissively. "Dragon people helping Dragon people—that's just natural. Just a small favor, no need to be so formal!"
"No," Song Xixi shook her head firmly, her expression serious.
"You don't understand how hard it is for Dragon Country people living abroad, especially here. That's why, no matter what, I have to repay this kindness!"
"Oh?" Su Ye chuckled. "Then how do you plan to repay me?"
Song Xixi pondered for a moment before replying, "I can… do a backflip for you…"