The crude bomb planted at the cave's entrance exploded with a thunderous bang, that was the only signal Yinsen needed.
The Ten Rings were here.
Tony Stark's suit wasn't ready yet.
The system was still booting up.
At that moment, Yinsen understood perfectly:
If he didn't step out now, they were both as good as dead.
If he could just buy Tony a bit more time, enough for the suit's system to finish loading, there would still be hope.
A slim chance of survival.
So, without hesitation, he rushed to the mangled corpse of a Ten Rings soldier, snatched up the rifle from the ground, and dashed outside.
He had only one job: buy Stark time.
And when Yinsen stepped out into the blinding desert sunlight, rifle in hand, he already knew,
He wasn't coming back.
After all, he was just a doctor.
Not frail, but certainly no soldier.
He barely knew how to aim a gun, let alone fight trained killers.
Compared to the Ten Rings mercenaries, battle-hardened, ruthless, experienced killers,
His family had long passed away.
If he died now, perhaps he'd get to see them again.
And if his death meant Tony Stark could live?
Better one survive than both perish.
He sprinted down the rocky path from the lab, firing his rifle wildly as he ran.
His mission wasn't to kill.
It was to draw attention.
『Yinsen』: "Where is everyone?!"
He frowned as he ran.
Why hadn't he seen anyone yet?
They hadn't reached this section of the cave yet?
Maybe, just maybe, he could survive this.
He'd already come to terms with dying.
But if he could help Tony and walk away alive?
But just as that flicker of hope crossed his mind,
He turned a corner into a wide cavern…
Over a dozen Ten Rings militants.
Each one already aiming at him.
He had prepared himself for death, yes,
But to actually face it?
To see so many guns pointed at your chest?
The Ten Rings soldiers grinned menacingly.
Their leader raised a hand.
『Ten Rings Leader』: "Fire."
『Soldiers』: "Yes, sir!"
They raised their rifles.
The cavern lit up with muzzle flashes.
A roaring hail of bullets shot toward Yinsen,
like fiery serpents tearing through the air.
『Yinsen』: (swallowing hard) "So this is it…"
If this was the end, he only hoped Stark's armor was ready.
That would make it worth it.
And waited for the pain.
Were there no bullets?
Was he hallucinating?
The gunfire was real.
The shouts in foreign tongues were real.
So why wasn't he dead?
He hadn't even been grazed.
A voice echoed through the cavern.
『???』: "Tch… I already thought you people were ugly and annoying in my last life."
『???』: "Now? You're even worse."
Someone was speaking English?
A man stood directly in front of him.
Where had he come from?
Yinsen hadn't heard a single footstep.
The man wore a flowing black cape, standing tall like a statue.
From behind, Yinsen could see his jet-black hair, broad shoulders, and that cape fluttering softly in the breeze.
Before he could process anything else,
They were stopping mid-air.
They didn't touch the man.
They didn't even reach him.
As if they had slammed into an invisible wall,
then scattered like raindrops hitting glass.
『Yinsen』: "…What… the hell?"
He stared, eyes wide.
It got even more surreal.
『???』: "Typical mortals. That's the best you've got?"
『???』: "Fine. I'll end it quickly."
Before Yinsen could even blink,
A beam of burning red light exploded from the man's eyes.
He swept it once, just once, across the cavern.
And in that single motion,
Every single Ten Rings soldier was vaporized.
As if they had never existed.
『Yinsen』: "Oh my God…"
They were really gone.
That black-haired man who had just saved him…
That beam, was it a weapon?
Even the military didn't have anything like that.
If that beam had been aimed at him, he would've been gone too.
『???』: "You alright, Yinsen?"
The man had turned to face him now.
Sharp black eyes, black hair.
A fitted suit with a glowing crimson "S" emblem on the chest.
A long cape flowed behind him.
『Yinsen』: "You're… Superman?"
In this world, Superman only existed in comics.
This man didn't look exactly like any Superman Yinsen had seen, but he was close.
『Carl』: "Yeah. You alright, Dr. Yinsen?"
『Yinsen』: "I, I'm fine…"
He choked on his words. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by ⓝovelFire.net
He wasn't some obsessed comic book fan, but he had seen the movies.
Superman had just saved his life.
How could he not be excited?
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