Face Simulator

Luo Xia's gaze was immediately drawn to the Goblin Glider in the center of the room. Norman Osborn didn't find this strange; after all, the item was placed in the most conspicuous spot and was the largest piece of equipment compared to the others.

However, Norman Osborn apologized to Luo Xia, "This glider is a failed prototype; it's not operational for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xia's heart sank halfway. Still, he refused to give up and walked over, reaching out to touch the Goblin Glider. The AllSpark immediately sent a notification.

[Individual Combat Glider, integrity 15%, too severely damaged to activate.]

With only 15% integrity, it was practically no different from scrap metal. Luo Xia felt a bit disappointed, but there was nothing he could do. As expected, the Oscorp of this timeline hadn't fully developed the Goblin Glider yet; it seemed he would have to wait for another opportunity in the future.

As long as he could successfully rescue Harry this time, he would have plenty of chances to get his hands on the finished version of the Goblin Glider through this connection.

Setting that thought aside, Luo Xia turned his attention to the other high-tech equipment. There were various light and heavy weapons, all from the most popular firearm brands, but these items weren't of much use for a rescue mission.

However, Osborn recommended two pieces of equipment that left Luo Xia quite satisfied.

The Auto-Tracking Homing Dagger could lock onto biological targets and track them. Its power was quite impressive—it could instantly slice a grown man in two and would automatically fly back to the user's hand.

This thing moved silently, making it perfect for assassinations. It was a pity that although its integrity was high, it couldn't be activated into a robot.

Luo Xia then remembered what Violet had said: only mechanical products with suitable energy circuits could be successfully activated into robots. However, Luo Xia truly had no idea what the standard for these so-called "suitable energy circuits" was.

If the first piece of equipment only slightly increased the hope of a successful rescue, the second item recommended by Norman Osborn left Luo Xia pleasantly surprised.

It was a translucent mask, thin as a cicada's wing.

"A Face Simulator—that's the name I gave it. It contains one hundred million nano-scale light-sensing elements that can distort light to modify your facial contours, like this."

As Norman Osborn spoke, he placed the device onto his own face.

He blinked at Luo Xia, and the translucent mask rippled, transforming Norman Osborn's typical Caucasian face into the likeness of Luo Xia.

Although the body type and hairstyle didn't match at all, the facial features and contours looked exactly like Luo Xia's from every angle.

Incredible; the disguise capability of this thing was heaven-defying.

With this, as long as he found someone with a build similar to his own, Luo Xia could take their identity and blend in with the kidnappers. As long as he didn't speak, he shouldn't be discovered, which significantly boosted his confidence in the rescue mission.

Norman Osborn took off the mask and handed it to Luo Xia. "A single charge lasts for three hours. When worn, it automatically tracks your facial movements, so as long as you don't speak, your expressions and gaze will be perfectly synchronized. When you find the target you want to simulate, just look at their face and blink rapidly three times. For now, this thing can only store seventy-two faces."

Luo Xia held the mask in his hands; it was heavier than he had imagined, but that didn't affect wearing it.

More importantly, when Luo Xia's hands touched the mask, the AllSpark provided a special prompt.

[Face Simulator, integrity 100%, non-metallic special mechanical construct. Consumes 675 points of AllSpark energy to activate. By spending an additional 150 points of AllSpark energy, the activated robot can be specialized and enhanced. Based on analysis, it is recommended to enhance Stealth Assassination specialization.]

Ability specialization enhancement—this was the first time Luo Xia had encountered such a prompt. He couldn't tell if this was a special effect unlocked because his AllSpark energy cap had increased several times, or if this Face Simulator itself was unique.

Luo Xia hesitated for a moment before deciding to use the last robot slot of his first-stage AllSpark. Just for this specialization enhancement ability, Luo Xia felt it was worth a try.

Luo Xia put on the mask, tested its functions, and easily transformed himself into the likeness of Norman Osborn.

"Norman, with this equipment, I guarantee I will help you bring Harry back," Luo Xia promised Norman Osborn.

"Then I'll leave it to you; this is all I can do," Norman Osborn said with a look of utmost sincerity.

Luo Xia took off the mask and tucked it away, then grabbed three of the homing daggers and hung them at his waist.

Fully prepared, Norman Osborn escorted Luo Xia out of the underground passage, and the two parted ways.

Norman Osborn returned to the company to continue playing the role of a father anxious over his kidnapped son; that wasn't difficult at all.

Meanwhile, Luo Xia quietly slipped into the night, found a deserted corner, and injected nearly two thousand points of AllSpark energy into the Face Simulator.

However, before the Face Simulator could be activated into a robot, Luo Xia suddenly let out a cry of pain. A wound about half a centimeter long appeared on the palm of the hand holding the mask, and the Face Simulator fell to the ground due to the sudden, sharp pain.

[Warning! Warning! The instantaneous output of AllSpark energy is too high, causing damage to the host's body. Please be sure to prioritize safety.]

The AllSpark sent a notification to Luo Xia, but this prompt was hardly good news.

"What the hell? Is this AllSpark energy actually a form of physical energy?"

Luo Xia carefully examined the wound on his palm; it wasn't very deep, but it wasn't a clean cut either. It looked like a laceration caused by something forcibly bursting through the skin.

The bleeding stopped quickly, and it was only a superficial wound, but it left Luo Xia feeling worried. An output of less than two thousand AllSpark points had already caused a wound on his palm; if he needed to output tens of thousands of points in the future, wouldn't his entire arm be destroyed, or would he even lose his life?

It seemed that strengthening his physical fitness needed to be put on the agenda. His previous idea of relying solely on robots and black-tech equipment to handle everything was nothing more than wishful thinking.

Thinking of this, Luo Xia felt a surge of resentment toward Tony; people really couldn't be compared. Not everyone could wear armor and go head-to-head with the Hulk without being shaken to death.

Just as Luo Xia was looking for something to bandage his wound, he suddenly heard a voice in his ear, spoken in crisp, standard Chinese.

"Bring the wine, let the cups not stop! Assassin Li Bai, reporting for duty, Commander."