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Kerry's report lasted for three hours. After Kerry left, Ivan sat alone in a chair, seemingly lost in thought.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and a flash of light emanated from them. He clenched his fist, and a powerful gust of wind emerged, accompanied by a deafening noise, as if invisible ripples spread outward.
For nearly a year, Ivan had been using supernatural powers to absorb energy, strengthening his physical body, and rigorously practicing internal boxing. His strength had increased rapidly. If he were to face Wonder Woman now, with the cooperation of his superpowers, he might not necessarily win, but he would at least remain unbeaten, avoiding the embarrassment of their previous encounter.
However, recently, Ivan noticed that his method of using supernatural powers to strengthen his body was becoming less effective. His physical fitness had reached about thirteen times that of an ordinary person, equivalent to Captain America's level. While there was room for further improvement, progress had slowed significantly, almost as if he had hit a bottleneck.
Ivan was deeply troubled by this situation and suspected that he might have reached the limits of human physique. He realized he needed to break through these boundaries and evolve further to continue strengthening.
As for how to achieve this breakthrough, Ivan had two options. The first involved slowly accumulating energy, continuously infusing it into his body until it reached a certain level, and causing qualitative changes through quantitative ones, ultimately leading to a body evolution. However, this method would be a lengthy process, potentially taking decades, and Ivan was not keen on waiting that long.
The second method was much simpler: finding a higher-level energy source and forcing his body to evolve after absorbing it. The challenge lay in locating energy suitable for Ivan's body.
"Queen Red, what about the second-stage body strengthening analysis task? Any leads?"
To be honest, Ivan had asked this question casually and didn't expect the Red Queen to provide a solution. However, her response took him by surprise.
"Yes, Dr. Ivan, have you identified the most suitable energy for strengthening your body?"
"What? You've found it? Tell me where it is, and I'll retrieve it immediately."
"No need to go through that trouble. It's right here. According to your genetics, the energy that suits you best is right within you."
Ivan's eyes seemed to flicker with countless letters, and an image eventually appeared in his mind. It was a familiar phalanx.
This part of the phalanx was known to Ivan because the main ingredient for creating the superhuman serum was extracted from it. However, obtaining it had been a challenging endeavor.
"The energy contained in this phalanx is truly extraordinary and of a high level. It can help you break through your body's limits and evolve again."
Ivan contemplated for a moment and asked, "Why this? Theoretically, the energy within the Tesseract should be of a higher level. I have a substantial amount of energy extracted from the Cube. Can't I use that energy to strengthen myself?"
"The energy level within the Cube is indeed higher, particularly space energy, but it isn't suitable for your physique. If you use space energy for strengthening, the success rate of breaking your limits is only around 60%, with the possibility of accidents. Even if successful, space energy won't significantly enhance your physical capabilities, but it might grant you mastery over space abilities. Do you want to proceed with using space energy?"
Ivan shook his head without hesitation. With the Red Devil's assistance, he didn't urgently need space abilities, and he had plans to explore magic, which contained space-related spells. Therefore, space abilities were not a priority.
"Although space energy is more advanced, the energy in this phalanx is better suited for you. Based on my calculations, it can greatly improve your physical abilities and enhance your energy absorption. I suspect that this mutant phalanx may be connected to or even the origin of mutants."
This revelation sparked excitement in Ivan. He had long suspected that this phalanx might be connected to the Celestials group. If so, everything would make sense. Perhaps Apocalypse's emergence was due to the Celestials' bloodline, resulting in the first mutants on Earth, with the mutation gradually spreading.
Joy lit up Ivan's eyes. He had searched tirelessly for a high-level energy source capable of breaking his body's limits, and now it appeared to be right under his nose, presenting the greatest opportunity.
"Alright, let's use this energy to strengthen my body. However, there's a challenge. The energy within the phalanx is limited, and even if I absorb all of it, it may not be sufficient. How do we address this?"
"Dr. Ivan, rest assured. I've already devised a solution for this. I've analyzed the energy within the phalanx, and though it's not fully understood, I have a general understanding. Creating an energy converter won't be an issue, but we'll need to cut the phalanx in half to serve as the core of the converter. This way, we can filter and convert various energies, particularly light and electrical energy, which are easier to process."
"Excellent. Let's proceed immediately. I want to obtain the energy converter as soon as possible." Ivan grew impatient and verified the materials required to construct the converter. He promptly messaged Kerry, asking for assistance in acquiring the necessary materials.
With the Red Queen as his superintelligent assistant, Ivan faced minimal difficulty. Red Queen provided a blueprint for the energy converter, and Ivan skillfully handled the materials he had prepared earlier. He used his unique abilities to disassemble, reassemble, and synthesize components, swiftly assembling an intricate instrument in the laboratory.
Next, Ivan retrieved a half-meter glass bottle from a safe in the laboratory, containing the mysterious phalanx. He took half of it and, after meticulous grinding and carving, transformed it into a circular structure with a surface still adorned with tiny holes, fitting it into the energy conversion device.
It was undeniable that Ivan's ability to deconstruct and reassemble had a profound impact on mechanical manufacturing. The first two energy conversion devices were fabricated within two days, with most of the time dedicated to material preparation.
The principle behind this energy converter bore some resemblance to Ivan's energy absorption and transformation ability. He could absorb energy and convert it into magical energy, avoiding the need for metabolism and achieving a form of immortality. This was the ability that had allowed Ivan's father to live for countless years. The instrument Rasputin had used to open portals to summon the son of the devil was also somewhat similar, using magic energy to convert space energy, albeit with greater ease.
Now that the energy converter had been manufactured, Ivan was eager to test its effects. The Red Queen had mentioned that the converter could more easily convert electrical energy and light energy, but collecting light energy was a bit troublesome. Ivan decided to use electrical energy. The base itself was powered by a small nuclear generator located just below the laboratory. A hollowed-out underground space had been created to house the generator.
Ivan connected two lines from the underground generator to the energy converter, pressed the switch, and grasped the two handles protruding from the device with both hands. Suddenly, a surge of pure energy flowed through the converter and into Ivan's body.
Boom! Ivan felt as if a loud explosion had occurred in his mind. This magical energy began to spread throughout his body. Every cell seemed to be rejoicing, and an indescribable sense of comfort washed over him. It felt as though he was immersed in a soothing hot spring or had returned to the safety of his mother's womb. The sensation was so profound that he nearly cried out, utterly mesmerized. Slowly, he closed his eyes.
The energy seemed to harmonize perfectly with Ivan's body, making it exceptionally easy to absorb. Compared to his previous method of directly absorbing electricity for physical enhancement, the effects were significantly better. Ivan could sense his body growing stronger once again.
Unknown to Ivan, chaos had erupted in the entire base. As he began to absorb energy, the base's lighting systems flickered on and off, various equipment experienced power shortages, and the underground generator strained under the heavy load. The nuclear power generator grew brighter, but it couldn't keep up with the energy converter's consumption speed. There were sporadic crackling sounds and occasional sparks, hinting at the possibility of an imminent burnout.
It didn't take long for Ivan to reopen his eyes, awakening from the intoxicating sensation. It wasn't that he wanted to stop, but rather, the energy converter had ceased its energy transmission, pulling him out of that blissful state.
Once Ivan opened his eyes, he was met with darkness in the laboratory. Startled, he wondered why the power had gone out.
"Dr. Ivan, are you all right?" The Red Devil's voice came from behind him.
"Azazel, I'm fine, but what's happening in the base? Why is there a power outage?"
Red Devil twitched when he heard Ivan's words. Having been with Ivan for so long, he had noticed the bursts of sparks and the chaos that had unfolded. He realized that Ivan had unknowingly drained all the electricity from the base.
Upon learning the cause and effect, Ivan was equally astonished. The base was powered by a nuclear generator capable of providing electricity for an entire city for a year in theory, yet Ivan had managed to deplete this vast energy source in a short time. It was truly unbelievable.
Ivan hurriedly made his way to the underground power generation room and witnessed the nuclear energy reaction device running on the brink of exhaustion. He couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. Fortunately, he had the resources to handle this situation.
Ivan personally activated the base's backup power supply, restoring order and returning everything to normal. The chaos was a thing of the past, and the base resumed its usual operation.