In the middle of the desert, a massive green beast rampaged wildly, sending waves of yellow sand into the air. Dust clouds surged as the ground trembled under its feet, obscuring its towering figure.

Suddenly, the creature was slammed by an invisible force. It soared out of the dust storm, crashing into a sand dune that exploded on impact. A lean figure stepped calmly out of the dust, not a grain of sand clinging to his black coat.

It was Kurogai and the Hulk.

Days had passed since the confrontation in a small Canadian town. Now, Kurogai faced off against the Hulk once again.

After their last encounter, the Hulk had grown reluctant to battle him. Kurogai's strange fighting style left the Hulk feeling helpless—none of his attacks ever connected, while every one of Kurogai's landed with brutal precision. To the Hulk, it was a one-sided beatdown. Naturally, he had no desire to engage again.

But that didn't matter to Kurogai.

With a simple illusion cast over Bruce Banner's mind, Kurogai could provoke the doctor into an emotional frenzy—triggering the transformation into the Hulk whether the green giant liked it or not. That's what led to today's skirmish.

"No! Hulk doesn't want to fight!" the emerald behemoth bellowed.

In response, Kurogai launched another devastating blow, giving the Hulk no choice but to retaliate. As the clash continued, the Hulk's movements began to falter. His form began to flicker, and eventually, his enormous figure shrank down, revealing the exhausted form of Dr. Banner.

"Mr. Blackwood," Banner said weakly, breathing hard, "what's the result this time?"

Over the past several days, Banner had come to understand Kurogai's methods. There was a pattern to these battles, and he'd sensed that Kurogai was after something. Strangely enough, with every encounter, Hulk seemed more hesitant to emerge.

To Banner, that was a relief. At this stage of his life, he feared the destruction Hulk might cause. Knowing there was someone who could suppress the Hulk gave him a strange sense of hope.

So the two had formed an unspoken alliance: Banner would allow Kurogai to provoke the transformation, and in return, Kurogai would suppress the Hulk's rampage. Both got what they needed—Banner found peace of mind, and Kurogai pushed forward with his goal of evolving his strange, supernatural ability.

"Hulk lost," Kurogai said, dusting off his sleeves with a faint smirk. "But he's becoming less and less eager to fight."

It was true. The Hulk, once driven entirely by rage and instinct, was starting to think. Kurogai could feel it. Somewhere in that brute force was a growing consciousness.

"Yeah... I feel it too," Banner said, his voice lighter. "The trigger that forces Hulk out... it's fading."

"That's good news for you," Kurogai replied. "Go get some rest. You need it."

Banner nodded and walked away. Kurogai, untouched by the battle thanks to the flames of the Phoenix Force within him, simply closed his eyes and turned inward—into the realm of his mysterious power source, the Ultimate Eye.

He had ignored its messages during the past few battles, but now, in the silence of the desert, he focused.

[The Fifth Eye Ring is saturated. You may upgrade the level of the Fifth Eye Ring. Do you wish to upgrade?]

[The Fifth Eye Ring is saturated. You may upgrade the level of the Fifth Eye Ring. Do you wish to upgrade?]

[The Fifth Eye Ring is saturated. You may upgrade the level of the Fifth Eye Ring. Do you wish to upgrade?]

Kurogai narrowed his eyes, absorbing the notifications. Three consecutive upgrade messages. That meant the conditions for advancement had been met multiple times during recent fights. He simply hadn't acted on them—until now.

"Three chances to upgrade? Let's do them all," Kurogai murmured.

A warm surge of energy flowed through him from the Ultimate Eye. It concentrated in his pupils, shifting and twisting, until the time dial etched into his irises ticked upward from one mark to two.

Roar!

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet burst open. A giant desert lizard, nearly two meters long, lunged toward him, jaws wide in a bloodthirsty snap.

This was the desert, after all. Danger lurked beneath every dune—and this creature clearly thought Kurogai was an easy meal.

"Perfect timing," he muttered. "Let's test what I've gained."

Without a trace of panic, he raised his hand. A sleek black handgun materialized out of thin air. He fired.

Bang!

The bullet pierced through the air and struck the lunging creature. Instantly, the lizard's body slowed. One foot moved as if through molasses, its eyes blinking at a snail's pace. Its entire frame was now crawling in slow motion.

[Second Bullet (Bet)] — Temporarily distorts the target's time flow, dramatically slowing movement.

"Not bad," Kurogai remarked. "This could come in handy against speedsters… like Quicksilver. That is, if I can land the shot."

He dismissed the thought. There was no use speculating. Instead, he focused on the next ability.

The pointer in his eye advanced to the third tick.

Another pistol appeared in his hand. He fired again.

Bang!

The shot struck the sluggish giant lizard. Its muscles suddenly convulsed—and then swelled. Its size doubled, claws lengthened, and its growl became even more ferocious.

[Third Bullet (Gimmel)] — Temporarily enhances the physical traits of the target, increasing power and aggression.

The lizard, now a true beast, snarled and charged again—stronger, faster, and twice as dangerous.

But Kurogai didn't flinch.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

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