In S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret underground research base, the sealed laboratory was kept at a constant temperature and lay deathly silent year-round. Only the instruments' screens flickered with densely packed readings of the Tesseract's energy.
Nick Fury was rubbing his throbbing temples, his face full of exasperation.
Earth had been in a ridiculous state of chaos lately.
First, the Life Foundation had experimented on living people using alien life. Then Rimuru had single-handedly turned the global auto industry upside down with his advanced electric-vehicle business. Stock prices had soared, new regulations had taken effect, and he had monopolized an entire untapped market. Every one of those developments had disrupted an industry and defied conventional understanding.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had watched it all unfold, yet it still had no idea what Rimuru was truly holding in reserve.
He seemed content to run businesses and conduct research, but in truth he was hiding a whole arsenal of futuristic black technology. There was simply no telling how much he had up his sleeve.
Fury grumbled to himself that the most troublesome superpowered unknown these days wasn't a hidden superhuman or the looming threat of aliens, but Rimuru, who did whatever he pleased and came up with something new every day.
But before he could finish digesting those matters, an even bigger problem suddenly landed on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s doorstep.
Deep in the underground laboratory, the Tesseract, which had been stable under observation, lit up with a faint blue glow of its own accord, without warning.
Hum~
A low energy tremor penetrated layer after layer of rock. Every monitoring instrument instantly flashed red, and piercing alarms rang throughout the base.
Agent Coulson rushed into the command room, looking anxious but also wearing a trace of weary resignation, as though he was used to this. He quickly reported the emergency.
"Director,