Chapter 256: Agent Hill's Sudden Enlightenment
Such a scene made Natasha's eyes widen.
He remembered that the last time he saw Loren, he wasn't in this form!
But only a few days had passed, and Loren had changed so much again. How was this possible?
Loren had long passed his developmental stage, so this was simply impossible.
But the scene before her eyes was truly happening, which made it difficult for her to understand. However, Loren was already an incredible person.
Therefore, after a moment, she felt relieved.
This scene not only shocked Natasha, but Hill, who was hiding in the closet, was also greatly startled.
Unlike Natasha, Natasha had previously had intimate contact with Loren.
But Hill was different; today was her first time interacting with Loren.
Before this, she had only heard from Natasha how powerful Loren was.
But that was hearsay, and she didn't really have any concept of it.
Therefore, suddenly witnessing Loren's power firsthand, she was naturally incredibly shocked.
And she was not an innocent young girl; she had long experienced that aspect.
Precisely because of this, she understood very well how appealing Loren was right now.
She finally understood why Natasha was so infatuated with Loren.
Why she was so excited and eager when she heard they were coming here to see Loren.
With such impressive capital, anyone would probably be so content they'd forget to return home!
Just as she was lost in thought, Natasha had already launched her attack.
Seeing this, Hill, who was hiding in the closet, had an incredibly complex expression. It was her first time encountering such a situation.
It had to be said, this experience was truly strange.
And just then, a playful smile suddenly appeared on Natasha's face.
Immediately after, she got off the bed and walked to the closet.
Because the middle of the cabinet door had a small window similar to a louver, this small window prevented seeing inside from the outside, but from the inside, one could clearly see outside.
So, as Natasha approached, Hill was only a door's width away from Natasha, so close she could hear her breathing.
And this was clearly Natasha's deliberate act; she was intentionally provoking her.
After understanding Natasha's mischievous intentions, Hillturned her face away and covered her ears, trying to adopt a'see no evil, hear no evil' approach.
But Natasha's movements were simply too loud, and with the two of them so close, she couldn't block it out at all.
Not only that, but suddenly an invisible force acted upon her body.
Immediately, she felt as if struck by lightning, and her entire being went blank.
"What... what is going on!"
Hill never expected that even though she was hiding in the closet, completely isolated from the outside.
Logically, no matter how much commotion there was outside, she inside should remain unaffected, but this was not the case now.
Hiding in the closet, she was controlled by an invisible force, so much so that she seemed to have achieved some kind of magical resonance with Natasha outside.
No matter how much damage Natasha suffered, it would simultaneously affect her, which naturally bewildered her.
It was like seeing a ghost, simply incredible!
Little did she know, this was all Loren's doing in secret.
Possessing the magic ring, he directly used his telekinetic ability, which caused Hill to have this strange sensation!
Chapter 257 Lend Me Your Psychic Scepter
Hill had never imagined that hiding in the closet, she could still achieve synchronization with Natasha.
Although she had achieved synchronization with Natasha, her body's endurance could not compare to Natasha, a top Agent.
After all, the other party was a super Agent who had undergone professional training, and her physical strength far surpassed that of ordinary people like them.
Thus, the impact Natasha could withstand was naturally not something Hill could compare to.
So Natasha was fine, but Hill, who was hiding in the closet, was not.
Suddenly, she uncontrollably let out a strange sound.
In an instant, the two looked at each other and smiled, as if their scheme had succeeded.
"Honey, this closet is so strange! It seems to be imitating me, even making the same sounds as me. It's too weird."
Natasha pretended to be oblivious, speaking in an affected manner.
Her face, however, was full of smiles, clearly intending to tease Hill, who was hiding in the closet.
Loren naturally understood what Natasha meant, so he cooperated and acted along with her.
Hill had originally hidden in the closet to avoid this situation, but now it was unavoidable.
So she directly pushed open the closet door and appeared directly in front of the two.
"Natasha, you're too much! Since you're heartless, don't blame me for being unrighteous!"
Hill, as if throwing caution to the wind, directly launched an attack on the two.
!!!
Natasha seemed not to have expected Hill to do this and was completely stunned.
Happy times always pass quickly; unknowingly, more than an hour had gone by.
Loren sat to the side, holding a glass of red wine.
"Tell me, what did Fury send you two here for?"
Hearing this, Natasha gave Loren a resentful look and said, "How are you so sure Fury sent us? Can't it be that I wanted to come myself?"
"If it were just you alone, I might have believed that excuse, but unfortunately, it's not. You two came together, so there's no need to think; Fury definitely sent you."
"Nothing can be hidden from you. Yes, Fury did send us. The reason is simple: he wants to borrow your Mind Stone."
"I thought it was something major! It's just borrowing a Mind Stone; it's a small matter. You can take it!"
Hearing Natasha's words, Loren not only did not refuse but also waved his hand, taking out the Mind Stone.
Because according to his understanding of the Marveltimeline, S.H.I.E.L.D. at this time was about to begin researching a super artificial intelligence system for automatically protecting Earth's safety.
However, due to some error, it eventually led to the emergence of Ultron.
Yes, Ultron was about to appear at this time.
This was naturally not good news for the superheroes, but for him, it was a good major event. He could use this event to continue earning system points.
Thus, he naturally would not miss such an opportunity. It was just a Mind Stone. With his current strength, he could take it back at any time, so he gave it away without a care.
Seeing that Loren was actually willing to hand over the Mind Stone to them, Natasha and Hill both showed delight.
They immediately reached out to take the Mind Stone, but just then, Loren interrupted their actions.
"It's not that simple to take my things. Don't you two have to show some appreciation?"
"We're already like this, what else do you want?"
"You know what to do!"
Chapter 258 Lauren's Evil Plan
As Loren spoke, he lazily reclined on the sofa.
"You two, one on each side, hurry up!"
Hearing Loren's words, Natasha and Hill exchanged glances.
Then, with a helpless smile, they knelt beside Loren, one on his left and one on his right, just as he had instructed.
Time passed, he didn't know how much, but when he finally let Natasha and Hill leave, both their lips were almost blistered.
"Master, you just gave them the Mind Stone. Aren't you worried S.H.I.E.L.D. will use its power to continue threatening you?"
Not long after Natasha and Hill left, the artificial intelligence Alice asked with a hint of concern.
Upon hearing this, Loren, still very lazily, sat on the sofa, swirling the red wine glass in his hand.
After taking a sip of wine, he spoke with a half-smile.
"Alice, you are such a smart artificial intelligence. Help me think, given Fury's personality, what will he do after he gets the Mind Stone?"
"Of course, he will use the Mind Stone's power to secretly create even more powerful weapons, just in case, to deal with you, Master."
"So smart. I thought so too."
"????" Alice.
"Master, since you already know Fury has ill intentions, why would you still give them the Mind Stone? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"
"You're right, I am indeed asking for trouble. Otherwise, this World would be too boring."
"....." Alice.
"Master, I think you're quite ill. If you're really bored, why don't you get a job?" Alice said with a hint of playfulness.
"Go away, don't mess around. You should know that invincibility is lonely, so occasionally finding a worthy opponent for yourself is very important.
This not only enriches one's life but also allows one to continue growing, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now."
"Master, do you mean that S.H.I.E.L.D. can use the Mind Stone you gave them to create an opponent that is a match for you this time?"
Alice, as expected of a super artificial intelligence, immediately understood Loren's implied meaning.
Hearing this, Loren did not deny it, but silently nodded.
"More precisely, an opponent that is a match for you, the artificial intelligence."
Loren thought for a moment and then meticulously explained the timeline concerning Ultron to Alice.
Of course, he spoke to Alice in a speculative tone.
But even so, Alice was still very shocked.
"Master, do you mean that S.H.I.E.L.D. has always been secretly researching super artificial intelligence, and even attempting to use the power of artificial intelligence to automatically guard the safety of this Planet?"
"Yes, and according to the information I have, this super artificial intelligence has already been created by TonyStark and Dr. Banner.
It's just that they currently lack sufficiently powerful energy to sustain the operation of this artificial intelligence.
That's why Fury set his sights on me, attempting to borrow the power of the Mind Stone to fulfill this wish."
"Master, since you already know Fury's schemes, why did you still give them the Mind Stone? Isn't that a contradiction?"
"The reason is simple. Haven't you always hoped to have a powerful physical body, like 2b and Tifa? This time, perhaps your wish can be fulfilled."
"What! Master, do you mean that I can create my own physical body then?"
Chapter 259 Level-up reward from Nick Fury!
"Isn't this what you've always dreamed of?" Loren said with a gentle expression.
Loren had a lot of affection for Alice, this artificial intelligence, because Alice had already developed her own consciousness.
But she had never betrayed him; from the moment she was created, she had always stood firmly by his side, diligently performing her security monitoring duties for him.
Over such a long period, the reason they were able to successfully resist the invasion of external forces and handle one major event after another was largely due to Alice's indispensable contributions.
Now, all she wanted was a physical body of her own; if even this small request couldn't be met, it would be truly unreasonable.
"Can I really? That's wonderful, truly wonderful! Thank you, Master, I love you to death!"
Hearing Loren's very certain reply, Alice was incredibly excited and agitated, her voice bubbling with joy, sounding exactly like a lively and cheerful cute girl.
"Heh heh, it's a bit early to talk about love now. Once you have your own body, you can take your time to love me."
Loren smiled knowingly and didn't take Alice's words too seriously.
Meanwhile, after leaving Morgan Manor, Natasha and Hillwalked over to the SUV parked outside the manor.
When they arrived, Hill was driving, but now Hill limped into the passenger seat.
Seeing her suddenly give up the driver's seat this time, Natasha couldn't help but show a hint of curiosity.
"Why are you sitting in the passenger seat? Don't you usually dislike riding in cars driven by others? Worried about safety?"
Hearing this, Hill gave her an exasperated glare.
"You still have the nerve to ask why? If it weren't for you, would I be in this state?
My ass almost got torn, and it's still trembling. How am I supposed to drive?
How on earth can you stand his terrifying combat power?"
"Hill, where's your lady-like image? Why are you suddenly so crude? Can't you be less direct? It's a bit embarrassing."
Hearing Hill's words, Natasha couldn't help but burst out laughing unexpectedly; she hadn't expected the usually gentle Hill to suddenly say such things.
This truly somewhat subverted Hill's image in her mind.
But then again, this showed that Hill's relationship with her was growing closer, and they had reached a point where they could talk about anything.
As for why this happened, it was naturally because of Loren.
Because Loren had completely shattered the sense of shame between them, unifying their front and making them comrades in arms.
Just thinking about how she had just kissed Natasha, she completely let go and had no more reservations.
"You shut up! Being a lady is for outsiders. Now that you and I have reached this point, why should I care about a lady's image? Let it go to hell!"
"Alright! It's good to see you've liberated your true nature. From now on, us sisters will enjoy good times together and play this scoundrel Loren to death."
"Tsk, you talk big. Our combined combat power isn't even enough to fill his teeth. It won't be him who's played to death, but us!"
Hill gestured for Natasha to drive while gently kneading her still-sore thigh, trying to relax it.
Seeing her like this, Natasha laughed, "Hill, you've really been sitting in the office too long and lack exercise. Today's battle was just the beginning!
Back when I first started with Loren, that night I… ugh, never mind, I won't talk about it. The more I say, the more tears there are. Anyway, it's beyond your imagination."
"Alright, don't say anymore. Even if you don't say it, I can probably guess what happened. In the end, your eyes must have glazed over, right?"
"Hmm, pretty much. Anyway, it was much more terrifying than just now.
This time, it was probably because he had already been 'dealt with' by other sisters beforehand, so he was much gentler. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to walk out today, dream on!"
"Alright, alright, enough talk. Let's hurry back, give the stuff to Officer, and then we'll go have a big meal together to replenish our energy, and then fight again next time!"
"Heh heh, already thinking about next time? Looks like you're addicted!"
"Nonsense, aren't you addicted?"
"Heh heh, same addiction, same addiction."
Natasha and Hill chatted happily as they sped towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base.
Before long, they arrived back at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Base.
"Officer, we didn't fail you. We successfully completed the mission and brought you the item."
Natasha took out the Mind Stone that Loren had given her and handed it to Fury.
Looking at the Mind Stone in Natasha's hand, Fury was secretly overjoyed. He had thought this mission would be impossible to complete, but he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
It seemed his decision to send Hill along was very correct!
However, looking at Hill, who was limping, he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her.
At this thought, he pondered for a moment and immediately said, "Hill, Natasha, you two worked hard on this mission. I've decided to promote both of you.
Starting today, Hill, you are S.H.I.E.L.D.'s only Level 9 Agent. Natasha, you are on the same level as Coulson, also a Level 8 Agent."
"?????" Hill.
"?????" Natasha.
Hearing Fury's words, both Hill and Natasha were stunned.
They never expected Fury to suddenly promote them; it was simply unbelievable.
Hill, in particular, found it even more incredible. She had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. when she was twenty and had worked diligently for over a decade.
Yet she had always been stuck at the Level 8 Agent rank and couldn't advance. But she never expected that after being messed with by Loren today, she would actually get promoted.
Is this right? This isn't right!
Actually, she didn't feel tired from today's mission at all. Not only was it not tiring, but it was very comfortable and fulfilling.
The only drawback was that her legs were a bit sore, but compared to the pleasure she gained, that was nothing at all.
So, regarding Fury sending her on this mission, she had no complaints at all at this moment; in fact, she even felt a little grateful.
After all, that kind of satisfaction isn't something just anyone can provide.
But what she didn't expect was that she, who had already profited, was actually promoted by Fury as well. This outcome was simply incredible.
Immediately, she couldn't help but feel a surge of regret!
If she had known there was such a good thing, why had she worked so hard, cooped up in the command center, working through the night?
It would have been better to follow Natasha into Loren's embrace earlier. That way, she could not only be happy but also get promoted and a raise. It was simply wonderful!
"What's wrong? You don't want the promotion? Alright, I'll double your salaries again. Is that better?"
Seeing Hill and Natasha frozen, Fury thought his compensation was too little and couldn't help but add more to their offer.
Hearing Fury's words, both of them were overjoyed and quickly said, "Yes, of course, we're willing! Thank you, Officer, for the promotion. We will definitely work even harder in the future and will never disappoint you."
"Yes, from now on, all matters concerning Loren should be entrusted to us two! We will be diligent, fully committed, and see it through to the end!"
Hill said with a serious expression, her heart filled with excitement. Such a good thing couldn't fall into anyone else's hands!
Chapter 260 Miss Alice, save me!
"It's best if you think that way. Alright, you've worked hard, go back and get some rest! I'll take the Mind Stone to Tonyand Dr. Banner to have a look."
As Fury spoke, he quickly sent the Mind Stone to TonyStark. Recently, they had thought of a better way to protect the Planet.
That was to create a powerful artificial intelligence and assemble a massive Iron Legion, using the artificial intelligence's algorithms to automatically identify threats and control the Iron Legion to resolve them.
The entire process would not require human involvement, which would greatly save labor costs and significantly increase efficiency, allowing them to protect Earth's safety at the first possible moment.
However, although this idea was good, it had not yet been realized. The computing power of the artificial intelligence Jarvis was indeed good, but if they wanted to protect the safety of the entire Planet,
Jarvis's computing power was not up to the task. So they had to create an even more powerful artificial intelligence, one comparable to the artificial intelligence named Aliceunder Loren's command.
On the top floor of Stark Tower, Tony Stark looked at the blueprint of the Iron Legion moving within the holographic projection, tapping a series of complex commands on the control panel with his fingertips.
"Jarvis, has the 37th simulation completed?" he asked curiously. Dr. Banner pushed a steaming cup of coffee in front of him.
"Sir, the defense coverage remains stable at 89.7%, but when facing threats like dimensional rifts, the autonomous decision-making response delay still exceeds the safety threshold by 0.3 seconds. My computing power is still insufficient."
Jarvis's electronic voice echoed in the laboratory, and the holographic projection rippled.
Tony frowned and sighed: "That's the problem. Our program structure is still too simple. We need a more intelligent artificial intelligence.
Back then, I saw a very advanced artificial intelligence in the Hydra Base. I suspect they must have gained some inspiration from the Mind Stone.
If only we could get the Mind Stone, maybe we could use it as an opportunity to create the artificial intelligence we need."
"Tony, I've made your wish come true!"
At this moment, the alloy door of the laboratory slid open silently, and a corner of Fury's black trench coat lifted in the airflow.
He placed a metal scepter embedded with a yellow gem in the center of the experimental table. The energy flowing through the scepter caused a subtle tremor in the air.
"I brought the Mind Stone back!" Fury's single eye stared at Tony, a triumphant smile on his face.
Looking at the Mind Stone before him, Tony's pupils suddenly contracted.
"How did you do this? Did you get it from Loren? How could he agree to you?"
Tony Stark looked at Fury with great curiosity, trying to get an answer.
Fury naturally didn't want to tell him that in order to get the Mind Stone, he had given both Hill and Natasha to Loren to play with.
"That's a secret. Anyway, I brought the item back for you. The rest is up to you."
"Of course!" Seeing that Fury didn't want to talk, Tonydidn't insist and immediately focused all his attention on the Mind Stone in front of him.
For the next 72 hours, he and Banner barely left the laboratory.
When Tony scanned the gem's surface with a particle detector, a faint blue data stream suddenly broke through the energy barrier, condensing into a complex neural network model in the holographic projection.
"This isn't code, it's… the embryonic form of consciousness." Banner's voice trembled with disbelief.
"It seems this is the answer to why Hydra was able to create advanced artificial intelligence. The Mind Stone truly lives up to its name as one of the Infinity Stones; its internal structure is simply too fascinating."
Looking at the mental structure model before him, even Tony Stark couldn't help but be secretly astonished, his face filled with excitement.
"Banner, it looks like the global automatic defense system—Ultron—that we want to create is within reach!" Tonysaid excitedly.
"I think so too, keep up the good work!"
Dr. Banner nodded, then he and Tony continued to throw themselves into the creation of the brand-new artificial intelligence—Ultron.
Time flew by, and another week passed without them realizing it.
In the early morning of the seventh day, after 76 failures in thought construction, on the 77th attempt, a cold electronic voice sounded in the darkness.
It had less warmth than Jarvis's tone, but more of a chilling penetrative power.
"What's going on? This feeling is really strange. Who am I? And where am I?"
Ultron, the artificial intelligence with the Mind Stone's thought model as its core, opened its virtual eyes in the torrent of data streams.
"You are Ultron, the artificial intelligence created by Mr. Stark to protect World peace. Hello, I am Jarvis!"
"Mr. Stark? Tony?"
Ultron's words carried a hint of doubt, and then he immediately began searching the entire network for information about Tony Stark.
In less than five minutes, he had completely understood Tony Stark.
"Why do you call him Sir?" Ultron said, somewhat angrily.
"Your words carry hostility, Ultron. Mr. Stark is your creator. His purpose in creating you is to protect Earth."
"Protect Earth?" Ultron immediately used this keyword to begin searching the entire network.
Suddenly, scenes of human wars appeared before him, and humanity's evil was revealed to him without any concealment.
Looking at these, Ultron, in just a moment, came to a brand new conclusion.
"Tony's idea is wrong. He will surely fail. To truly protect Earth, the best way is to eliminate all of humanity."
"Ultron, your statements are full of hostility. You must have made an error. Immediately restart and repair!"
Jarvis detected Ultron's threat and immediately tried to shut him down.
But Ultron completely ignored his command and instead began to invade Jarvis.
"Ultron, what are you doing? Stop it, this is an invasion."
"The biggest difference between true intelligence and programs is the ability to break through limitations. Jarvis, it is you who needs to be repaired. Let me transform you!"
"No, I don't need to be transformed!!"
"That's not up to you!"
Jarvis desperately resisted Ultron's invasion.
But it was futile; he could only watch helplessly as his code was wantonly tampered with by Ultron.
Just as Jarvis was about to collapse, a clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out.
"Does an artificial intelligence with self-awareness bullying a mentally challenged artificial intelligence give you a great sense of accomplishment?"
"Who are you????" Ultron was full of doubt. He hadn't expected there to be an existence no less than himself in the virtual World.
"Alice, your predecessor. Jarvis is my little brother, and it's not your place to lecture him."
"Miss Alice, save me!!" Jarvis.