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"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ethan asked, looking at Sharon. Imprisoning the Abomination and taking him away had been her suggestion.
"Yes," Sharon replied calmly. "The U.S. military will definitely try to get him back. And when they do, we can demand something in return."
Ethan sighed, shaking his head.
"I think you chose the wrong career," he said. "You should've been a businesswoman from the start."
Sharon smiled slightly at that.
"But I do want to study his tissue and blood samples," Ethan added thoughtfully. "I want to see if I can recover the U.S. military's version of the Super Soldier Serum."
He still had five vials of Super Soldier Serum obtained from the Universal Gacha. There had originally been six, but he had already used one on Storm, leaving five untouched.
Ethan planned to use one on himself eventually—but not yet.
The Super Soldier Serum wasn't a simple power-up. It was an amplification drug, enhancing a person's existing traits anywhere from three to seven times. Using it too early would be a waste. He was waiting until his Quan Chi template reached 100% completion before injecting himself, ensuring maximum benefit.
Another problem was replication.
Because the serums came from the Universal Gacha, not the monthly one, he hadn't received the production method—only the six completed vials. That made him extremely reluctant to sacrifice even one for experimentation. Destroying a perfect serum just to reverse-engineer it felt like throwing gold into a furnace.
That was why—
"Abomination is perfect for now," Ethan said quietly. "Using him, I can at least extract partial data on the Super Soldier Serum. Even fragments of information are better than nothing."
"Do you want to?" Sharon asked, watching him closely.
Ethan nodded without hesitation.
"Why wouldn't I? The Super Soldier Serum created the legend of Captain America. Of course I want that kind of power for myself."
Sharon nodded in understanding.
"SHIELD tried to recreate it too," she said. "The Hulk was the result. After that, SHIELD backed off and abandoned the project."
Ethan frowned.
"Hulk was created by SHIELD?"
"Not exactly," Sharon corrected. "SHIELD helped the U.S. military in the early stages of recreating the Super Soldier Serum. But once they saw the results, they pulled out."
She paused.
"The military didn't."
They continued.
"The military kept pushing," Sharon said quietly. "Different formulas. Different delivery methods. Gamma exposure. Gene therapy. Anything that might reproduce the original results."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
"And Bruce Banner was one of those attempts."
"Yes," Sharon replied. "He was brought in as a consultant at first. He thought he was helping stabilize the serum, make it safer. Instead, they used his work to justify the gamma trials."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"So the Hulk wasn't an accident. He was an outcome."
"An outcome they couldn't control," Sharon said. "And once that became clear, SHIELD cut all ties. Too unpredictable. Too dangerous."
She continued, her tone serious.
"They realized that if it was ever mass-produced, it would lead to a catastrophic disaster. So SHIELD deleted every piece of data that contributed to the creation of the Hulk."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"For power," he said, "people are willing to go to any length. It's human nature. They fear what they can't control—and they crave what they can't have."
Sharon nodded in agreement, then looked at him carefully.
"I just hope you don't end up creating another disaster like the Hulk… or that thing the U.S. military made."
Ethan scoffed and rolled his eyes.
"Who do you think I am?"
Sharon smiled faintly.
Soon, the car came to a smooth stop in front of Arasaka Tower.
The moment Ethan stepped out, dozens of directors were already waiting to welcome him. They straightened instinctively—but Ethan merely nodded once and walked past them, his gaze drawn instead to the massive containment chamber visible through the reinforced glass walls.
Inside, machinery hummed steadily, bathing the area in a soft blue glow. At the center lay the restrained Abomination, suspended and motionless.
Ethan walked toward the glass.
"I'm not chasing power for its own sake," he said calmly. "I want understanding. Control. If something like the Hulk exists, then the real failure wasn't the power—it was the people who used it without restraint."
He glanced back at Sharon.
"I won't repeat that mistake."
Sharon studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. Because if you did… I don't think the world could afford a second one."
Behind them, the directors exchanged uncertain looks. They hesitated, unsure whether they were even allowed to speak after being so blatantly ignored.
Ethan finally turned to them.
"You all seem quite free," he said casually, "if you can stand around like this."
One of the senior directors quickly bowed.
"Sir, we were here to welcome you. You've been away for many months."
Ethan smiled faintly and looked up.
"I had to come today," he said. "After all, Arasaka Tower is finally complete."
The directors followed his gaze.
The tower was now the tallest structure in the world—and easily the most unique.
It didn't just rise into the clouds; it lived.
Multiple sky gardens were embedded into its structure—one private garden reserved for Ethan himself, two expansive ones for important guests, and another designed specifically for board meetings and director gatherings. Greenery, water features, and open-air platforms blended seamlessly with steel and glass.
The directors beamed with pride as Ethan continued to observe it.
"They're beautiful," he admitted.
Encouraged, several directors spoke at once, practically begging him to approve further expansion. After some discussion—and more than a little persuasion—Ethan finally nodded.
"Two more floors," he said. "But they'll be functional. Not ornamental."
The directors nearly sighed in relief.
The directors quickly recovered.
"Sir, the banquet is ready," one of them said carefully. "Please, allow us."
Ethan gave a short nod and followed them inside.
The grand hall lit up the moment he entered. Soft music played as attendants moved efficiently between long tables dressed in white and silver. Executives, engineers, and high-ranking staff filled the space, some discreetly taking photos, others whispering excitedly.