Nolan felt a little puzzled.
There were still people on Earth who actually dared to make an enemy of him?
Still, he wasn't concerned.
Although the intruders had successfully broken in, Lock Technology's defenses went far beyond what they had encountered.
They had only breached the outer security.
The real internal defenses were on an entirely different level.
Once this trip to Hawaii was over, he would personally investigate the incident and uproot everyone involved.
Meanwhile...
Elsewhere...
A group of people sat with grim expressions.
None of them had expected their flawless operation to fail so completely.
Their infiltrators had indeed entered Lock Technology.
But they had only broken through the external defenses before being annihilated.
Only a few fragmented reports had managed to reach them.
Even now, they had no idea what had actually happened inside.
One of them finally spoke.
"Everyone, this failure is going to put our master in a terrible mood. If this continues, all of us may die, and our master's dream of ruling Earth will never come true."
"We need another plan."
"If anyone has an idea, now is the time to say it."
Another man immediately nodded.
"If Lock Technology's equipment is impossible to steal, then let's change our approach."
"The Infinity Stones inside Lock Technology are extremely important."
"But defeating Nolan isn't easy."
"This time Nolan wasn't even at Lock Technology, and we still failed to obtain the five Infinity Stones."
"So..."
"Let's think differently."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"According to our intelligence, Nolan disappears every so often."
"Whenever he vanishes, Lock Technology enters its weakest period."
"That's when its defenses should be at their lowest."
"If we strike then, we may finally have a chance to seize the five Infinity Stones for our master."
"But before that..."
"Since we can't obtain the Stones yet, we should strengthen ourselves."
"Lock Technology has already sold a large number of advanced weapons around the world."
"If we stockpile enough of those weapons, then when Nolan disappears again, we'll have an excellent chance of overwhelming the defenses he left behind and taking the five Infinity Stones."
"I think that's the safest plan."
The room fell silent.
Then everyone's eyes lit up.
It made sense.
They had all heard about Nolan's mysterious disappearances.
No one knew where he went.
But everyone knew one thing.
Whenever he vanished, no matter what happened to Lock Technology, Nolan never returned.
Years ago, people had practically emptied Lock Technology while he was gone.
Even then, he never appeared.
That proved he had no contact with the outside world during those disappearances.
The plan wasn't perfect.
But under the circumstances...
It was the best option they had.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Still, another problem remained.
They needed more advanced weapons.
Obtaining Lock Technology's equipment wasn't easy.
Although they possessed considerable influence, Nolan had already announced his intention to revoke the weapon sales licenses.
Stockpiling weapons before that happened would be extremely difficult.
Using the influence of various governments, however...
That might work.
The discussion quickly shifted.
They no longer wanted to stop Nolan from canceling the licenses.
They wanted to pressure him into selling even more weapons.
After witnessing the war against Thanos, they had come to one conclusion.
Nolan was powerful.
But he genuinely cared about Earth.
That concern could be exploited.
If they applied enough pressure...
Perhaps Nolan would be forced to keep Lock Technology's weapons on the market.
With their basic strategy settled, they began refining every detail.
Forcing Nolan to compromise would never be easy.
Fortunately, they still possessed influence within the World Security Council.
By using those connections to fuel resentment and pride among the council members, they believed they could unite the nations of Earth against Nolan.
Once that happened...
Nolan would have no choice but to yield.
Just as they were congratulating themselves on their foolproof plan...
The door suddenly opened.
A man engulfed in blazing flames stepped inside.
"Who are you?"
Everyone immediately stood up, their expressions turning ugly.
This was their secret meeting place.
No outsider should have been able to reach it.
Hundreds of armed guards had been stationed outside.
Yet somehow...
This burning man had walked straight in.
The flaming man smiled calmly.
"You may call me..."
"Ghost Rider."
The moment those two words were spoken...
Every face in the room turned pale.
They didn't recognize the man.
But everyone knew the name.
Ghost Rider.
It was a name feared across the world.
His terrifying power had long become legend.
Even Iron Man couldn't compare to him.
In their eyes, even the Hulk wasn't truly worthy of standing before Ghost Rider.
To them...
Ghost Rider was Earth's second strongest superhero.
Second only to Nolan.
His appearance here could only mean one thing.
He had come for them.
Which also meant...
The hundreds of guards outside were almost certainly dead.
Their hearts sank.
None of them believed they could defeat Ghost Rider.
Without hesitation, they drew their guns and opened fire.
Even if they couldn't win...
They refused to surrender.
Ghost Rider didn't move.
He simply stood there.
The bullets struck the flames surrounding him.
None reached his body.
Before they could even touch him, they melted into streams of molten metal that splashed onto the floor.
Everyone froze.
They could understand bullets failing to hurt him.
But watching his flames melt them instantly...
That was beyond anything they had imagined.
Despair spread across every face.
Today...
They were going to die.
What a pity.
It seemed they would never be able to free their master.
Yet just as they braced themselves for death...
Ghost Rider made no move to attack.
He merely looked at them calmly.
"I know who you are."
"Honestly, I have no interest in dealing with vermin like you."
"But circumstances leave me little choice."
"We share a common enemy."
Those words reignited a spark of hope.
They knew little about Ghost Rider.
But they understood one thing.
They weren't about to die.
Ghost Rider wasn't here to eliminate them.
One man cautiously asked,
"What do you mean?"
"We're not on the same side."
"How could we possibly have a common enemy?"
Ghost Rider looked directly at him.
"I assume..."
"You're the ones who attacked Lock Technology."
The room instantly fell silent.
Everyone's expressions changed.
How did he know?
The operation had only just happened.
Even Nolan had probably only recently received the alert.
Yet Ghost Rider had already traced them here.
What they didn't know...
Was that Ghost Rider had been watching Lock Technology from outside all along.
Just like them...
He coveted what was hidden inside.
Unlike them...
He had never dared to act.
He had no confidence that he could overcome the defenses Nolan had left behind.
He didn't know exactly what waited inside.
But he knew Nolan's methods were terrifying.
Even his own master had been gravely wounded by Nolan and forced to flee back to the Hell Dimension.
Because of that...
Ghost Rider had chosen patience.
He intended to observe Lock Technology's defenses before making a move.
Instead...
He witnessed another group launch the assault first.
The outcome spoke for itself.
Everyone who entered Lock Technology died.
Only those waiting outside survived.
More importantly...
Ghost Rider had witnessed the technology they used.
They had actually managed to temporarily disable Red Queen.
That alone shocked him.
Red Queen's artificial intelligence controlled countless Lock Technology robots throughout New York and even across the globe.
It was an incredibly dangerous system.
Lock Technology also possessed numerous combat robots powerful enough to threaten even him.
Yet these people had found a way to cripple Red Queen, if only for a short time.
After weighing everything...
Ghost Rider decided to approach them.
He wanted to cooperate.
Together...
They could bring down Nolan.
Although they didn't understand how Ghost Rider had uncovered everything so quickly...
One fact was now undeniable.
They shared the same objective.
Lock Technology.
The group exchanged hopeful glances.
They stood no chance against Nolan alone.
But with Ghost Rider, one of Earth's most powerful heroes...
Their odds increased dramatically.
Still...
None of them had expected a legendary superhero to cooperate with criminals like themselves.
A few smiles quietly spread across the room.
Perhaps...
Ghost Rider wasn't much of a hero after all.
One of them finally asked,
"Ghost Rider..."
"If we're going to work together..."
"Shouldn't you tell us about this master of yours?"
Ghost Rider glanced at him.
Then...
He lashed out.
Crack!
The flaming chain whipped across the man's body.
His agonized scream echoed through the room.
Only then did Ghost Rider speak.
"Listen carefully, vermin."
"I came here to cooperate."
"But I will be the one leading this alliance."
"If any of you have other ideas..."
"You're welcome to try killing me."
The room fell silent.
Everyone's expressions darkened.
This wasn't an equal partnership.
If they cooperated...
Ghost Rider would inevitably take the greatest reward.
And they already knew exactly what he wanted.
With a master standing behind him...
Ghost Rider had no interest in Lock Technology's countless inventions.
The only thing worthy of his attention...
Was the five Infinity Stones.
Unfortunately...
Those same five Infinity Stones were the very prize they wanted most.
Everything else inside Lock Technology could be abandoned.
But not the Stones.
Their goals fundamentally conflicted.
Even so...
No one voiced an objection.
For now...
Working with Ghost Rider offered far better odds than facing Nolan alone.
The real problem was still the same.
How were they ever going to steal the five Infinity Stones from Lock Technology?
----------------------------------------
Caught in the currents of this adventure? Tell us what hooked you—your thoughts and reviews keep the story blazing! Every 300 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter, propelling the journey even further!
Nolan's path is just getting started, and the story of justice is only unfolding. Keep riding the waves with Unbound Evolution and sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_tey
Change @ to a.