The Gathering Storm, the Kingdom's Choice

The outlines of the mountains north of New York were enlarged and refined again and again on Wakanda's detection screens. Princess Shuri had mobilized nearly half the nation's computing resources, using them like a Vibranium comb to painstakingly sift through the energy background noise across that vast region, trying to isolate the unique signature of artificially controlled Thunder energy and the faintest traces of Vibranium resonance from countless natural lightning events and weak geomagnetic fluctuations.

Progress was slow, but steady. The search area was gradually shrinking.

"The signal source seems to possess some kind of adaptive shielding ability. Whenever our scan frequency gets close, it makes an extremely subtle shift, like a living thing..." Shuri murmured at the virtual screen, her eyes filled with the excitement of a technological maniac facing a challenge. "But that only exposes its existence! It's in this area—an energy core capable of self-adjustment!"

Inside the royal palace, King T'Chaka studied the progress report sent by his daughter, his brow tightly furrowed. Finding the other party's exact location seemed only a matter of time, but what came after that?

Prince Zuri and Royal Guard Captain Okoye once again requested permission to act.

"Your Majesty! Since we've already narrowed down the general area, please allow me to lead an elite squad on a field reconnaissance mission!" Okoye pressed a hand against her spear, her voice ringing with conviction. "At the very least, we need to know what exactly is lurking on our doorstep!"

"Conducting military reconnaissance on another nation's territory without authorization—if we are exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable!" T'Chaka said gravely. "Especially when we are facing an individual with such power."

"We can disguise ourselves as explorers or a geological survey team!" Zuri suggested. "We only need to confirm the location. We will not make contact or provoke them. We must seize the initiative, Your Majesty. We cannot remain passively waiting for their next unknown move forever."

T'Chaka fell into a long silence. As king, he had to bear responsibility for the safety of all Wakanda. Taking the initiative to provoke an enemy who could enter and leave Wakanda at will and wipe out an alien fleet with a casual gesture was an enormous risk. Yet blindly retreating did not seem like a long-term solution either.

Inside the Thunder Temple.

"Warning. Wakanda's detection scan frequency is escalating. Its pattern has shifted to high-frequency active probing, attempting to force the shielding system into producing stronger feedback for localization." Remy's alerts came more frequently than before.

Lin Ye opened his eyes from meditation, frowning slightly. "They just won't stop? Looks like the last warning wasn't memorable enough."

He had held no ill will toward Wakanda to begin with. He even somewhat admired their technology. But their relentless pursuit was beginning to test his patience.

"Can you reverse-lock their detection source? Especially the location of the main control node."

"It can be attempted. The other side is using multiple frequency hops and disguised nodes, but the core signal source points toward the Wakandan capital's Royal Institute of Technology area. It is most likely Princess Shuri's laboratory." Remy analyzed swiftly.

"Shuri, that little girl?" Lin Ye recalled the genius girl from the files. "She does have some skill."

He pondered for a moment, then came up with an idea.

"Remy, prepare a little gift. No destructive attack—it needs to be shocking enough to serve as a lesson."

"Please specify the contents of the gift."

"Calculate the pattern of energy fluctuations in the barrier above their royal palace. Find a time when they are holding an important meeting, or when there are plenty of witnesses." A mischievous curve lifted the corner of Lin Ye's mouth. "Then use a bolt of absolutely pure lightning, containing no hostility whatsoever, but with an energy intensity precisely set at 99% of their barrier's maximum threshold, to polish their palace's golden roof and give it a coating. Remember, it must be bright enough and conspicuous enough, but it absolutely cannot break the barrier."

Remy fell silent for a moment, seemingly carrying out a complex calculation and simulation. "Instruction understood. Calculation complete: the operation will require energy equivalent to a medium-sized thunderstorm and extreme-precision compression control. Feasibility: 78.3%. There is a 4.5% chance of minor overload causing a brief localized barrier failure of 0.1 seconds."

"That'll do. Execute it." Lin Ye nodded. "Make it clear to them that I can send lightning to the top of anyone's head at any time, and that I can control it precisely enough not to harm a single person. This is the final warning."

Wakanda, Royal Palace Council Chamber.

King T'Chaka was gathering the cabinet and council of elders to discuss how to deal with the "Thunder" threat in the northern mountains. The atmosphere was grave, and the hawkish and conciliatory factions argued fiercely.

Just then—

BZZZZ!

The entire royal palace was suddenly enveloped by an indescribably terrifying pressure of energy! Everyone felt their scalps go numb and their hair stand on end!

Immediately afterward, a pure white bolt of lightning, so dazzling and condensed that words could not describe it, fell vertically from the clear sky without warning like the sword of divine judgment!

It was not an attack. It was more like a display?

The lightning struck the palace's highest golden dome with incomparable precision! Yet there was no explosion!

The Vibranium energy barrier, capable of withstanding missile bombardment, fluctuated violently and emitted a strained hum. Its light flickered to the extreme, yet it ultimately did not shatter!

Like flowing mercury, the lightning instantly covered the entire surface of the dome, dyeing it into a roof of lightning too brilliant to look upon! Extreme heat and energy surged and condensed there madly, yet strangely, not a trace of destructive energy leaked out. Instead, it seemed to be carrying out an incomparably exquisite energy coating?

Several seconds later, the lightning abruptly vanished, as if it had never appeared.

Inside and outside the palace, there was deathly silence.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the palace dome—it was not damaged in the slightest. The already gleaming golden roof had become even more radiant, as though it had been granted an eternal film of lightning that refracted dreamlike luster beneath the sunlight. It even faintly emitted lingering energy that made hearts tremble!

This was practically a miracle! Or rather, a godlike demonstration of power!

"Your Majesty! The energy barrier reached 99% peak load! It nearly overloaded and collapsed!" a technician reported in terror.

King T'Chaka stood before the window, looking at the newly transformed roof, his palm trembling slightly. He completely understood the other party's meaning: If I can precisely control lightning well enough to polish your roof, I can make it land just as precisely on you—or on any one of your people. The previous warning had not been an empty threat.

"Cancel all reconnaissance plans." T'Chaka's voice carried a trace of hoarseness and helplessness. "Withdraw all external detection forces. Downgrade the priority of upgrading the barrier system to second tier."

"Your Majesty!" Zuri and Okoye protested unwillingly.

"This is an order!" T'Chaka spun around sharply, his gaze fierce. "We are facing an existence we cannot comprehend! His warning has been clear enough! Any further provocation could bring true destruction upon Wakanda! From this moment onward, everything related to 'Thunder' is to be classified at the highest level. Without my command, no one may actively contact, investigate, or discuss it in any form!"

He looked at the dazzling roof outside the window and added, "As for that roof, consider it decoration bestowed by the gods."

Wakanda's tracking operation came to a complete halt beneath that single "Polishing Lightning" strike. They had finally recognized reality and chosen to lie low.

Inside the Thunder Temple.

"The gift has been delivered. All active detection signals from Wakanda have disappeared," Remy reported.

"Good." Lin Ye nodded in satisfaction. "I hope they've learned their lesson this time."

Having dealt with Wakanda's trouble, he turned his attention back to New York.

"Remy, is there any new activity on Hydra's side? That clown Ward and his teacher Garrett seem to be rather restless."

"Several accounts connected to the Clairvoyant project have shown abnormal fund movements. They are suspected of gathering resources to launch a new project. Grant Ward's whereabouts disappeared twenty-four hours ago and cannot be tracked."

"Oh? He's hiding?" A cold glint flashed through Lin Ye's eyes. "Find him. Let's see what tricks they're trying to play this time. This time, it's our turn to take the initiative."

His patience was limited, especially when it came to enemies like Hydra, who kept buzzing around like flies.

A storm was brewing, and this time, it would descend upon the enemy's heads of its own accord.

(End of Chapter 24)