Hulk and Banner

Oaks's supposedly indestructible fur was matted and messy, and his eyes were bruised, though it was hard to tell on a bear's face.

Even his powerful forepaws, bolstered by nature's blessing, were trembling slightly.

In terms of raw attack power, he was still inferior, and since Hulk's strength grew almost infinitely with his rage, Oaks would likely have to flee if they kept fighting for another morning.

After all, the restorative magic he could utilize in bear form was limited.

And switching forms... without his formidable defense, even the wind from Hulk's punches could injure him.

As for kiting him? He was here to test his strength, not to take Hulk down.

Across from him, Hulk's skin—which even tank shells couldn't pierce—had been torn open in several places by Oaks's sharp claws, though the wounds had already stopped bleeding thanks to Hulk's powerful self-healing ability.

This significantly limited Oaks's attack style, which relied heavily on tearing and bleeding.

"Hey, big guy, that was satisfying, wasn't it!"

Oaks panted heavily. While his stamina remained abundant thanks to his restorative magic, the prolonged, high-intensity combat was starting to wear him out mentally.

After all, he hadn't let loose like this in both his lives combined!

"Hulk, win!"

"...Fine, fine, you win. You win, you're the best."

Shaking his head helplessly, Oaks watched in surprise as Hulk let out a hearty roar, followed by a wide grin spreading across his wild, green face:

"Hulk, like, big bear!"

"Hulk, big bear, friend!"

With the mind of a toddler, Hulk's wild instincts keenly sensed the goodwill Oaks held toward him.

The previous battle had allowed Hulk to release his wild nature in a way he never had before—it was hard to find an evenly matched opponent!

Since his birth, between the suppression from Bruce Banner, the pursuit by the U.S. military, the terrified screams of everyone who saw him, and the vehicles and buildings he had destroyed...

All in all, everything Hulk encountered was fear, anger, rejection, and malice directed at him.

This big bear across from him was the first opponent he had ever met with whom he could release his nature to his heart's content, without needing to worry about anything.

Most importantly, the other party seemed to be one with the environment, so pure and natural that...

It made him feel incredibly at ease.

For the first time ever, Hulk uttered the word "friend."

He didn't care, nor did he think to wonder, why a bear could talk.

"Friends, huh..."

Oaks laughed heartily and shifted back into his human form: "Alright, we're friends!"

"Hulk, friend, big bear?"

Seeing Oaks transform from a bear into a human, Hulk widened his eyes and scratched his head—

Although the appearance had changed, Hulk could feel that this was the same big bear from before.

Since the feeling hadn't changed, that was that.

Hulk struggled with the thought for a second before letting it go—the other party had agreed to be his friend, and since Hulk now had his first friend, that was truly wonderful.

"Haha... I can turn into a bear. When we first met, wasn't I a leopard?"

Oaks smiled and stepped forward, patting Hulk's thick arm:

"My name is Oaks, I'm a Druid. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hulk..."

Emerald-green natural energy gathered in Oaks's hands, and the next moment, Hulk found himself enveloped in a sphere of green light.

A scent as fresh as grass and trees swirled around him, and the wounds of all sizes on his body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Hulk, better!"

Hulk patted his chest in amazement, where the largest wound had also healed:

"O...Oaks, strong!"

"Haha... haven't seen this trick before, have you?"

Oaks felt a bit smug. While Marvel heroes each had their own strengths in terms of destruction, this level of healing ability was rare.

"Hulk... sleepy!"

With his wounds healed, Hulk calmed down completely. He let out a massive yawn and plopped down onto the ground:

"Hulk, sleep..."

"Creak..."

Oaks watched with emotion as the giant green Hulk gradually shrank, transforming into a disheveled white man—Bruce Banner—and couldn't help but remark aloud:

"These purple shorts really are the top-tier artifact of the Marvel Universe..."

A while later.

Dr. Bruce Banner, owner of the Marvel Universe's top-tier artifact, looked at the red-haired young man in front of him with a strange expression.

Wearing casual clothes in a tropical rainforest—are you serious?

"Um... if I may ask, is the injury on your face alright?"

Dr. Banner considered himself to have a bit of a sense of humor. The previous incidents with Hulk and the military's pursuit had left him anxious and restless; he had tried various methods to control his emotions, but clearly, he had been failing.

Yet, after waking up this time, his feelings seemed somewhat different—how long had it been since he spoke to someone in such a relaxed tone?

Well, to avoid hurting others, he had chosen to live in seclusion, and it had been ages since he had spoken to anyone at all.

Moreover, what was truly strange was that he had no memory of what Hulk had experienced during this transformation.

"Sss..."

Oaks instinctively touched his eye socket. He had almost forgotten; when transforming back from an animal form, physical injuries didn't just vanish.

He cast a Rejuvenation Spell, and under the swirling green light, the dark circles under Oaks' eyes faded visibly, which gave the shirtless Dr. Banner quite a start.

He instinctively tightened his loose trousers, looking dazed:

"Good thing it didn't scar. I didn't do that, did I?"

"Uh, Hulk did."

"..."

Banner covered his face in agony. Since this guy knew about Hulk, he surely knew about him too.

Wait, something didn't seem right...

"Dr. Bruce Banner, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Oaks Lin, a biologist."

No sooner had Oaks finished his introduction than he saw the look in Banner's eyes turn to one of horror:

"Wait, you were hit by Hulk and only sustained minor injuries? And that green light just now... was that energy radiation? And it has healing effects?!"

Before Oaks could open his mouth, Banner began to think hard:

"Oaks? Cornell? Dr. Lin?"

"...That's me. You're quite well-informed, Dr. Banner."

Oaks rubbed his chin. Why did everyone he met lately seem to know who he was?

"I do have seven doctoral degrees, after all. Naturally, I keep a close eye on the scientific community."

Banner's explanation was impeccable.

"Alright, Dr. Banner..."

Oaks took off his hoodie and handed it to him:

"Although you have a very impressive amount of body hair, I wouldn't recommend performance art in the rainforest."

"...Generally speaking, I wouldn't take that as a compliment."

Banner blushed, took the hoodie, and pulled it on:

"It's a bit tight."

Oaks handed him a vine:

"To free up your hands."

"Ah, thanks."

Banner took the vine, tied his pants, and let out a sigh of relief.

"It's really not easy. For the past two years, everyone I've encountered has been a violent thug or someone impossible to communicate with. I never expected to run into a fellow scientist."

Sighing, Banner looked at Oaks with a bitter smile:

"Has Ross become so extreme that he's using a young genius like you to hunt me down? How far away is the military?"

"...I'm just here to investigate plants. Academic research."

"..."

Banner rolled his eyes—as if he believed that!