Ye Mo slowly withdrew his hand, which had been hovering in mid-air, the faint static electricity at his fingertips dissipating into the air. He didn't speak immediately, but first looked down at his palm, then glanced up at Emma Frost, whose face was pale, and T'Challa, whose brows were furrowed. The blast of energy that had felt like it was going to blow his skull off had passed, and now all that remained was a strange feeling of exhaustion, like the feeling after running five kilometers. But then, an unprecedented sense of clarity crept up his spine.
System notification: The seventh layer of the Gene Spiral Tower is stable. The new ability module ' Vibranium Sense ' has been loaded.
A mechanical voice, audible only to him, rang out in his mind, crisp and decisive, without any unnecessary words, like a programmer clocking in and pressing the enter key. Ye Mo breathed a sigh of relief. Although this thing didn't appear or emit light, its efficiency was undeniable. He didn't rush to explain anything, but instead closed his eyes. Keeping his eyes open at this point would be pointless; his vision was overexposed by the residual high-intensity energy, so it was better to close his eyes and retract his attention.
He tried to listen to the sounds around him with his usual lazy attitude. Before, he would passively take the hits or tough it out, but now it was different; this time, he was actively "listening." His consciousness was like a thin thread, silently extending outwards. The originally dark hall had changed in his perception. The cold rocks were no longer inanimate objects, but had become countless tiny ripples of vibration. The dust in the air was moving, and the metal floor beneath his feet was emitting an extremely low-frequency hum.
Then, he "saw" it.
It wasn't something seen with the eyes, but rather a scene "imagined" in the mind. Around the dark red Vibranium Ye Mo followed these ripples deeper, penetrating the thick rock layers and the reinforced alloy walls.
"Found it," he murmured to himself.
The feeling was strange. Before, he felt like a blind man feeling an elephant, but now he suddenly had X-ray vision, and this vision was specifically for Vibranium. He could clearly perceive the complex crystalline structure inside the ore, and even sense the direction of the huge mineral veins buried deep in the earth thousands of meters below. They were like a huge net covering the entire underground of Wakanda, and each node of this net flickered with a faint light in his consciousness.
Ye Mo opened his eyes, the lingering golden afterglow in his pupils slowly fading, revealing his usual slightly roguish gaze. He didn't show the ecstatic joy of gaining divine power; instead, he seemed relaxed, as if he had just finished a hearty meal and let out a satisfied burp.
"Hey, that corner over there." Ye Mo raised his right hand and casually pointed to a shadowy spot on the far right of the hall. There were several ordinary-looking decorative boxes piled up there, covered with a thin layer of dust, clearly untouched for a long time.
Emma Frost paused, then looked in the direction he was pointing. As Telepathy, her first instinct was to try and read Ye Mo's thoughts, to find out what treasure this kid had discovered. But she quickly realized she couldn't read anything. Ye Mo's mind was as calm as a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotional fluctuations or mental activity. This wasn't magic, nor Telepathy, but something purer and more physical.
" Ye Mo, are you sure?" T'Challa's voice turned serious. As king, he knew every inch of the country like the back of his hand, but he truly didn't know what was hidden in that corner. It was part of the private collection room left by the previous king, which even the highest-ranking guards were not allowed to approach.
"Not sure?" Ye Mo raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips. "How about I go over and move a box for you? But be careful not to trip over."
T'Challa didn't hesitate; his trust in Ye Mo reached a new level at this moment. Or rather, his awe of this unknown power overwhelmed his doubts. He turned his head and whispered a few instructions to Okoye behind him. Okoye's eyes sharpened, and she immediately led two female guards over quickly.
Footsteps echoed clearly in the hall. Ye Mo, hands in his hoodie pockets, leaned back slightly against a nearby stone pillar, looking on with amusement. Emma Frost, standing beside him, quietly tugged at his sleeve and asked in a low voice, "What method did you use just now? I couldn't sense any fluctuations in your spiritual energy."
"I didn't use any special methods, I just gained a pair of eyes." Ye Mo casually made up a story, his tone as indifferent as if he were commenting on the weather. "It's just a gift from God, I guess, we just happened to be on the right frequency."
Just then, several female guards walked to the corner. They deftly moved the heavy decorative boxes aside. As the boxes were pushed open, a black metal plate embedded in the wall was revealed. One of the guards stepped forward, skillfully entered a password, and the metal plate slowly slid open, revealing the space inside.
Inside lay a palm-sized fragment of Vibranium. The fragment was irregularly shaped and had a deep blackish-purple surface, but it still shimmered with a unique luster in the dim light.
The hall fell silent instantly.
T'Challa's breathing became noticeably heavier. The fragment was one of his father's most treasured possessions, said to have been extracted from a meteorite during an ancient battle and later sealed here due to unstable energy. Apart from the core members of the royal family, no one knew its exact location; even its specific coordinates were triple-encrypted.
Now, an outsider has found it simply by pointing with his finger.
Okoye stepped forward, carefully removed the fragment, and reported to T'Challa, "Your Majesty, it's confirmed. This is a fragment of ' Obsidian '."
T'Challa turned around, looking at Ye Mo with a complex expression. At that moment, the wariness in the young king's eyes completely vanished, replaced by a deep sense of shock and relief. He took a step forward, walked up to Ye Mo, and solemnly extended his right hand.
"Thank you for your honesty, Ye Mo." T'Challa's voice was deep and powerful. " Wakanda's history is full of tragedies caused by concealment. We've become accustomed to hiding, accustomed to being on guard, but we've forgotten that sometimes, true security comes from trust. If you can use your abilities to perceive crises rather than create fear, it will be a blessing for us."
This was a very weighty statement. It was not only an acknowledgment of his abilities, but also a way of including Ye Mo in Wakanda's core circle of allies. For Ye Mo, who had always just wanted to live a peaceful life, this kind of political promise gave him a bit of a headache, but he still cooperated and shook T'Challa's hand.
Their palms touched, and Ye Mo felt the warmth and strength emanating from the other's hand. He pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses, his signature nonchalant smile on his face, but his tone was unusually serious. "Don't worry, my principle is simple—safety is all that matters. Knowing where the danger is allows you to avoid it, right? I don't want to get hit by some rock before I've even lived long enough."
It sounded like a joke, but T'Challa understood the deeper meaning. Ye Mo wasn't showing off his power; instead, he was emphasizing that his abilities were for "risk avoidance," not "plunder" or "control." This was a clever statement that demonstrated his value while dispelling any potential suspicions the other party might have.
Emma Frost stood to the side, watching this scene, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up within her. She saw the strength and wisdom beneath Ye Mo's exterior, and she also saw the relief in T'Challa's eyes. At this moment, the bond between the three was stronger than before. She knew that from now on, they would no longer be simple partners, but true comrades-in-arms who could fight back to back.
Ye Mo released his grip and turned to look at the Vibranium fragment that had been removed. In his perception, this fragment was just a tiny dot in the entire network. If he wanted, he could even know the location of every single gram of Vibranium in this underground city, including those veins buried thousands of meters deep in the rock strata, which even the most advanced technology could not detect.
This sense of control reassured him. In this chaotic world filled with superheroes and villains, having an informational advantage was often more important than having combat power. He knew that from this day forward, he would have absolute initiative in the face of any threat involving Vibranium.
"Looks like," Ye Mo dusted off his hands, his tone as casual as if discussing dinner, "This trip wasn't a waste. At least I know where to go treasure hunting without needing to buy a map anymore."
T'Challa couldn't help but chuckle, easing the tense atmosphere. He waved his hand, signaling the female guards to carefully collect the fragments, then turned to Ye Mo: "Now that you've confirmed the ability, perhaps we can discuss Wakanda's current defense system in more depth. After all, Klaue is probably not alone behind him."
Ye Mo's smile faded slightly. He glanced at the towering rock walls around him, then at the busy scientists in the distance. He knew that the peaceful days might be coming to an end again. But that was exactly what he wanted, wasn't it? He was already tired of the boring life; a little excitement was much more fun.
"Sure," Ye Mo shrugged, putting his hands back in his pockets. "Just don't make me get into a fight. I'll give directions, you guys do the fighting. Clear division of labor, no cheating."
Emma Frost rolled her eyes, but couldn't help laughing. She leaned close to Ye Mo's ear and whispered, "You're getting better and better at playing dumb."
"That's called survival wisdom." Ye Mo blinked, then said seriously, "Let's go see just how amazing your 'black technology' really is. If we can borrow some research funding, that would be even better."
Upon hearing this, T'Challa's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation. He said no more, turned around, and led the group out of the Silent Zone. Ye Mo followed at the back, his steps light. In his mind, the energy network made of Vibranium was still clearly visible, every point of light pulsating, as if telling the secrets of this world.
He looked up at the metal door of the elevator closing slightly. The outside world was still noisy, but his heart had become incredibly calm. New abilities had been unlocked, new allies had been established, and new challenges awaited him not far away.
Ye Mo took a deep breath, feeling the new life force flowing through his veins. He knew this was just the beginning. The real storm was yet to come. But he wasn't afraid. Because he held the key in his hand, and that key was enough to open the door to the future.