"I just went out for a business dinner. As for why I'm happy…" Rowan glanced at the two of them and smiled. "Because I ran into something good." "Something good? What is it?" Hill was curious. Rowan was usually calm and reserved — for him to call something a "good thing" was rare. Rowan grinned. "You'll find out tomorrow. You'll thank me for it then." "Huh? It has to do with us?" Hill blinked, even more puzzled. "Yes," Rowan replied with a mysterious smile. The Extreme Martial Hall had agreed to give him two vials of Dragon Blood and four portions of Jade Marrow. Jade Marrow, like Dragon Blood, was a treasure that could enhance physical abilities without side effects. Although its effects weren't as overpowering as Dragon Blood, each portion was worth 20 billion. Hill, being an ordinary person, could easily increase her physical strength seven- or eightfold by taking Jade Marrow — enough to reach the level of a beginner warrior. Natasha, whose own strength was already between an intermediate and advanced martial hall trainee, would likely reach mid-warrior level after consuming Jade Marrow. With warrior-level strength, Natasha could safely use the Doomsday Virus to repair her body. By then, her combat power might rival that of a high-level warrior. After teasing Hill and Natasha just enough to pique their curiosity, Rowan went to wash up. That night, as Rowan was pondering how to seize Wakanda's vibranium mines, the doorknob turned. Natasha quietly slipped into his room. Rowan smiled slightly, and when Natasha slid into the crook of his arm, he wrapped her in an embrace. The cool, smooth touch told him she was wearing nothing more than lingerie. Soft, muffled sounds soon filled the room. Rowan even used his psychic power to float the mattress so it wouldn't creak. When the storm passed, Natasha lay against him, breathless and glowing, and asked curiously, "Rowan, what exactly was that 'good thing' you mentioned?" Rowan smiled, brushing her lips with his fingers before placing his other hand gently on her lower abdomen. Natasha's body trembled, eyes wide in the dark. Sensing her reaction, Rowan's lips curved upward. "So soon? Really?" Her voice was hoarse. She hadn't expected this day to come so quickly. "Yes. And your strength will increase a lot," Rowan whispered in her ear. Natasha didn't speak for a long time. Then she shifted, and before Rowan could ask, she slid under the covers. Rowan sucked in a sharp breath. He had always liked Natasha's lips, and had certain… thoughts. He didn't expect her to take the initiative before he even asked. Rowan was making breakfast when Hill, halfway through her meal, noticed Natasha shuffling out, looking a bit worn out. "Natasha, did you get too much heat from the hot pot last night? Your lips look a little swollen…" Hill said suspiciously. Rowan almost choked on his orange juice. Natasha touched her lips, ears flushing red. "Do they? Must be." She sat down and kicked Rowan under the table, glaring at him. Rowan just ate calmly. The night before, he had guided Natasha for nearly half an hour before she, exhausted, had to stop. After breakfast, Rowan drove to the company. The first-floor lobby was nearly repaired, and several large trucks were unloading outside. "Boss, I've secured the new office building. It's five hundred meters south of Stark Tower, forty-seven floors in total," Sharon reported, heels clicking as she walked up to him. "Near Stark Tower?" Rowan couldn't help but smile wryly they'd be neighbors with Tony now. That wasn't great news, because Stark Tower would soon draw Loki's attention and become the center of the Chitauri invasion. But since Sharon had already secured the building, there was no point changing the plan. Besides, Rowan intended to infiltrate Wakanda soon. Once he stole their energy shield technology, he wouldn't have to worry about building defenses. "Alright, you handle the relocation," Rowan said. After discussing work, Sharon left to get busy. Rowan activated his teleportation ring and went to the Devouring World. "Friday, how much of the video have you analyzed?" he asked upon entering the room, where Friday was watching training footage. "Sir, I have recorded and analyzed sixty-three percent of the instructional videos," Friday replied. "Good, keep going," Rowan nodded. The Extreme Martial Hall's precious instructional videos and countless combat recordings were the perfect data to train Friday. Once Friday processed it all, she would be able to form a complete martial teaching system. Rowan then entered the training room and activated the bullet-dodging simulator. This was the same machine used in the warrior qualification test to measure neural reflex speed — it could fire rubber bullets from varying angles and speeds. His version was the elite training camp's high-end model, with twenty difficulty levels. Passing level five meant basic-level mastery of movement. Passing level six meant "subtle" level mastery. Rowan trained for about two hours, drenched in sweat despite his high physical endurance. "I can now pass level two perfectly and barely clear level three," he thought. His neural reflex speed was indeed exceptional — and this without focused movement training before. If he now practiced Flowing Light, the movement technique paired with Ninefold Thunder Blade, he might reach the "subtle" level quickly. The doorbell rang. Rowan grabbed a towel and went to answer it. A warrior in combat gear stood outside. "Hello, are you Mr. Rowan?" "I am," Rowan nodded. "I am here by order of Inspector Norris to deliver something to you. Please wait a moment." Latest content published on novel•fire.net The warrior jogged back to a nearby armored vehicle. Several other combat-ready warriors kept watch around it. He returned with a small coded case. "Mr. Rowan, this is from Inspector Norris. Please accept it." Rowan thanked him, noting the man's heavy, oppressive aura — likely a high-level warlord. Carrying the weighty case upstairs, Rowan quickly verified his fingerprint and was scanned by a blue light before the box clicked open. Inside were two long rectangular wooden cases, four square ones, and a cylindrical container made of Kroll alloy. A usage manual lay at the bottom. Opening one long case, Rowan found a glass vial cushioned in foam. It held golden blood, filling a third of the tube. Under the light, it gleamed like a flowing river of gold, or molten sunset — every drop radiating intense energy. ————————————————————————————————————————————————— Already hooked? 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