Chương 120: Chapter 120: An Excellent Harvest 

Luke lazily observed the few individuals who had chosen to remain behind after the summit concluded. 

One was a sharply dressed, highly arrogant-looking Caucasian man who had originally arrived with the American delegation, but had deliberately stayed in his seat when the rest of his team frantically practically ran out of the room. 

The other group consisted of an elderly Black man wearing thick, traditional, highly embroidered robes, yet carrying himself with an aura of absolute, undeniable relaxed authority. Standing directly behind him, maintaining a position of absolute vigilance, was a formidable-looking Black woman wearing a distinctive golden neck ring and holding an advanced spear. 

While Luke didn't immediately recognize the elderly man's face, he instantly recognized the woman's highly unique uniform. 

Isn't that Okoye? The incredibly loyal, completely badass General of the Dora Milaje from the 'Black Panther' movie? 

Which means the old man standing next to her is almost certainly King T'Chaka of Wakanda, the current Black Panther and T'Challa's father. 

Luke stood up from his desk and gestured for the two distinct parties to follow him. He led them down a sleek, dark-energy-constructed corridor to a massively oversized, highly luxurious private office suite. 

Luke practically threw himself into an incredibly comfortable, oversized leather recliner behind a massive mahogany desk, casually propping his feet up. He looked at the three standing guests. 

"I assume you both have separate, highly classified matters you wish to discuss with me privately?" Luke asked with a lazy smile. 

The suited man glanced dismissively at the elderly Black man. "I have highly sensitive, globally critical matters to discuss with Lord Luke. I respectfully request that you wait outside." 

Although his words were technically polite, his tone was incredibly arrogant and clearly carried the weight of a direct command. 

"You—!" Okoye's eyes flared with absolute fury. She immediately stepped forward, her grip tightening on her Vibranium spear, ready to violently educate this arrogant Westerner on exactly how one addresses the King of Wakanda. How dare a citizen of an incredibly primitive, backwards nation speak to the Supreme Monarch of Wakanda like that?! 

However, King T'Chaka calmly raised a hand, stopping her. He offered Okoye a brief, meaningful look, and without saying a word, turned and walked out of the office. 

Okoye glared daggers at the suited man but obediently followed her King, leaving Luke and the American alone in the room. 

It seems Wakanda is still absolutely determined to maintain their 'poor third-world farming nation' disguise and actively avoid international friction, Luke mused internally. 

Bringing his attention back to the room, Luke watched the suited man carefully pull a small, highly advanced, encrypted communication device from his breast pocket and place it on the desk. 

The device whirred to life, projecting a crisp, high-definition holographic image directly onto the desk. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Alexander Pierce, the esteemed Secretary of the World Security Council," Luke smiled broadly, keeping his feet propped up on the desk. 

Because of the camera angle, Pierce could only see Luke's crossed legs and the bottom of his shoes. However, hearing Luke's seemingly relaxed, friendly tone, Pierce breathed a slight sigh of relief. 

"Greetings, Lord Luke. I must confess, I am absolutely astounded by your power. To construct such a massive, technologically advanced facility in a matter of seconds is truly a miracle," Pierce said smoothly. He had been watching the live satellite feed of the base's construction and was genuinely terrified by the display of reality-warping power. 

Luke rolled his eyes, though Pierce couldn't see it. "It's nothing special. If I'm going to be managing planetary affairs, I can't exactly host global summits in my tiny New York apartment. I needed a slightly larger venue." 

Pierce chuckled warmly. "If you ever require additional facilities, Lord Luke, Hydra would be more than happy to procure or construct an even larger, more heavily fortified base for your exclusive use." 

"I appreciate the offer, but this facility was actually custom-designed by one of my subordinates, and it perfectly suits my aesthetic preferences. I won't be needing a new one. But enough small talk. I have an incredibly busy schedule today. Why exactly are you contacting me?" 

Pierce smiled, his tone shifting to business. "I was wondering if you recalled the specific... 'task' you assigned to Dr. Zola recently?" 

"Oh, right. That," Luke replied. Honestly, after randomly handing Zola that list of 'traitors' during the Hydra summit, Luke had completely forgotten about it. Now, his interest was slightly piqued. 

"So, what are the results? Did you successfully eliminate the targets?" Luke asked, sounding mildly amused. 

"We have been highly productive. Over the past few days, we have successfully orchestrated the total eradication of nine highly classified suspect outposts, completely eliminating one of the primary faction leaders," Pierce reported proudly. "However, unfortunately, we have yet to locate the actual mole. That is precisely why I am contacting you. We require your assistance." 

"My assistance? Didn't I explicitly tell you last time? I have absolutely no idea what the mole looks like or what their specific assignment is," Luke replied casually. However, Pierce's next sentence caught his full attention. 

"The situation has become complicated. In order to rapidly execute the purges, we were forced to utilize S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite S.T.R.I.K.E. teams thirteen times in forty-eight hours. This highly irregular activity has officially drawn the intense, paranoid scrutiny of Director Nick Fury. To prevent him from interfering with our ongoing internal purge, I am seriously considering initiating a protocol to permanently eliminate him." 

"Wow, that's incredibly ruthless. Are you really sure you want to kill him? Nick Fury has basically been the absolute cornerstone of your entire operation for decades. If it wasn't for his aggressive, unilateral expansion of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s authority, Hydra would never have been able to deeply infiltrate the highest levels of the British and French governments." 

Luke spoke completely casually, not caring at all that he was deliberately leaking massive, highly classified geopolitical secrets. 

Pierce stared at the holographic projection of Luke's shoes in absolute, horrified silence. 

He knows EVERYTHING. 

This entity's intelligence network is utterly terrifying. He knows exactly how deeply Hydra has infiltrated the global intelligence apparatus. He likely has spies embedded within my absolute highest inner circle! 

And yet, despite possessing absolute planetary authority, he still hasn't just ordered his army to annihilate us? Does his organization also suffer from internal political fracturing? 

Pierce's mind raced, completely misinterpreting Luke's casual apathy as a sign of complex, internal factional politics within Luke's own organization. 

After a long, tense silence, Pierce spoke, his tone incredibly respectful. "Therefore, I formally request your assistance in permanently eliminating Nick Fury. Once he is removed, we can finally operate freely and thoroughly cleanse our ranks of all remaining traitors." 

Luke rolled his eyes in profound exasperation. "Pierce. If I wanted to eliminate Nick Fury myself, why in the world would I have hired you to do the dirty work in the first place?" 

Pierce hurriedly backpedaled. "Of course, Lord Luke. I apologize. We are simply trying to ensure the absolute destruction of your enemies! In fact... Hydra currently possesses a highly advanced, global pacification protocol. Once fully operational, we can simultaneously, effortlessly eliminate massive numbers of targets worldwide. If you simply provide us with a comprehensive list of individuals or factions you wish eradicated, we can completely, cleanly wipe them out for you." 

"Fascinating," Luke said slowly, a dark smile spreading across his face. 

It sounds like Project Insight—the three massive, heavily armed Helicarriers—are finally nearing completion. 

Perfect timing. This new island base is currently lacking significant aerial defense platforms. Once Hydra finishes building them, I'll just casually confiscate all three Helicarriers and the entire compliment of Quinjets, use the AllSpark to bring them to life, and hand command over to Megatron. A fully automated, highly intelligent, self-repairing aerial armada! That will be incredibly useful for maintaining planetary order while I'm off vacationing in space. 

Realizing the fruit was finally ripe and ready to be harvested, Luke decided to play along and offer Pierce a tiny shred of false hope. 

"Alright, I'll 'invest' in this grand plan of yours," Luke said lazily. "When you officially launch this global operation, I promise I will not physically intervene to stop you. However... if your highly vaunted protocol completely fails to eliminate the targets despite my non-interference... it will prove that your organization is entirely useless to me. And if that happens, you absolutely cannot blame me for completely, violently liquidating our partnership." 

Luke spoke casually, but his internal plan was solidified. He would use Project Insight to force Hydra to completely expose themselves to the world, resulting in the absolute, permanent dissolution of S.H.I.E.L.D. Simultaneously, he would casually confiscate the three Helicarriers to bolster his own forces. 

Then, utilizing the comprehensive list of every single Hydra leader he had secretly compiled during their grand summit, he would unleash the Shadowkhan to simultaneously, permanently assassinate every single Hydra head worldwide. He highly doubted a snake could grow a new head if the entire body was reduced to ash. 

Before Pierce could eagerly agree to the terms, Luke casually dropped his heel onto the desk, violently crushing the expensive holographic projector into sparking shards. 

The suited man, who had been standing nearby sweating profusely, jumped in terror. 

Luke smiled warmly. Before the man could even scream, a dozen shadow hands violently erupted from the floor beneath him, clamped over his mouth, and dragged him screaming into the abyss of the Dark Dimension. 

Idiot. Did you actually think you could manipulate me into doing your heavy lifting? 

Remembering he still had other guests waiting, Luke took his feet off the desk and mentally commanded a ninja to open the door. 

A Shadow Ninja silently pulled the heavy double doors open, gesturing for the two Wakandans to enter. 

"My King," Okoye whispered, her eyes frantically scanning the room. She immediately noticed the American agent was completely gone, without a single trace. She gripped her spear tighter, her entire body tense, ready to defend her King to the death. 

King T'Chaka, however, simply shook his head dismissively. He walked calmly into the room, projecting an aura of absolute royalty. Okoye had no choice but to follow closely behind. 

"Greetings. I don't believe we were formally introduced. King of Wakanda, and the former Black Panther," Luke said, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed, carefully examining the seemingly frail old man. 

T'Chaka, who had been deliberately projecting the image of a frail, politically insignificant leader of a poor third-world nation, instantly froze upon hearing Luke's words. His spine snapped perfectly straight, and the weary, old-man facade instantly vanished, replaced by the sharp, intense aura of a seasoned warrior-king. 

"My name is T'Chaka. And it appears you possess a highly intimate, profoundly concerning level of knowledge regarding my nation," T'Chaka said, his voice deep and authoritative as he sat in the chair opposite Luke. He frowned deeply. 

Luke completely ignored T'Chaka's hostile tone, casually continuing his monologue. 

"Of course. Wakanda. The hidden utopia protected by the Panther Goddess Bast. The nation incredibly fortunate enough to have a massive, cosmic meteorite composed entirely of pure Vibranium crash-land within its borders millennia ago. By successfully harnessing and researching the meteorite, you have achieved a level of technological advancement that makes the rest of the planet look like cavemen banging rocks together. And yet, in order to absolutely avoid global conflict and aggressively protect your monopoly on Vibranium, you have meticulously constructed a flawless, global facade, disguising Wakanda as a desperately poor, struggling agricultural nation composed of simple farmers and shepherds." 

Luke continued speaking, completely unfazed by T'Chaka's rapidly darkening, highly dangerous expression. 

"Oh, please don't look so panicked. I haven't actually shared this highly classified intelligence with anyone else on the planet. The rest of the world remains blissfully ignorant of your true capabilities. Your grand masquerade is still perfectly intact. I simply possess... highly unique, unconventional methods of gathering information." 

Hearing this, T'Chaka finally let out a long, slow breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. 

For a terrifying moment, he had genuinely believed Wakanda's secret had been globally exposed. He had been mentally preparing to immediately return home and initiate total mobilization, preparing to defend Wakanda against the inevitable, desperate, highly aggressive military invasions from every single superpower on Earth desperate to steal their Vibranium. 

However, even if the secret hadn't been broadcast globally, the fact that Luke—the Lord of the Earth, a being of unimaginable power—knew the truth was incredibly dangerous. If this negotiation failed, Wakanda might face a war far more terrifying than anything the Americans could muster. 

"What exactly does Your Lordship desire from us?" T'Chaka asked, his tone shifting from authoritative to highly cautious and probing. 

"Relax. I harbor absolutely no malicious intent toward Wakanda. I simply wish to establish a formal, mutually beneficial trade agreement to legally purchase raw Vibranium ore from you," Luke smiled warmly. 

Raw Vibranium ore wasn't something you could just pick up off the ground and use. It required highly complex, heavily guarded, proprietary refinement and stabilization processes to safely extract and utilize the pure metal. 

Luke was completely clueless regarding advanced metallurgy. Therefore, simply violently stealing unrefined ore from Wakanda was highly inefficient. Establishing a stable, long-term trade agreement with the nation that possessed thousands of years of Vibranium processing experience was the most logical approach to securing a massive, continuous supply of the refined metal. 

Furthermore, the Conversion Module had a fixed, maximum processing speed anyway. Even if he violently conquered Wakanda and stole their entire mountain of Vibranium tomorrow, he couldn't instantly synthesize an entire army of Samurai Ninjas. Therefore, there was absolutely no strategic benefit to annihilating Wakanda for a quick smash-and-grab. 

T'Chaka remained silent, deeply contemplating the request. 

However, Okoye, deeply protective of her nation's most sacred resource, grew highly agitated. She was naturally impulsive and fiercely loyal, and before T'Chaka could stop her, she stepped forward. 

"The Vibranium belongs solely to Wakanda! We will never allow it to fall into the hands of outsiders!" 

T'Chaka immediately raised a hand, silencing her. He knew Okoye's fierce patriotism, but her outburst was highly dangerous in this specific situation. 

"I completely understand Your Lordship's request. However, I must respectfully decline. Vibranium is the absolute lifeblood and most sacred resource of Wakanda. We simply cannot allow it to circulate freely in the outside world, regardless of the price," T'Chaka stated firmly, choosing to risk Luke's wrath to protect their secret. 

Luke shook his head, looking directly at T'Chaka. 

"I acknowledge that Wakanda was literally built upon Vibranium, and it is the sole reason you are currently the most advanced nation on Earth. However, I personally believe relying entirely on a single, finite resource is a highly flawed, incredibly dangerous long-term strategy. Even the incredibly wealthy, oil-dependent nations in the Middle East are currently desperately investing trillions to diversify their economies and transition away from petroleum. Has Wakanda truly never considered expanding its technological and economic focus beyond simply hoarding Vibranium?" 

"Furthermore, you should clearly recognize that I am fundamentally a highly lazy individual who utterly despises unnecessary complications. In my view, formally trading with you might yield a slightly lower initial volume of Vibranium than outright conquest, but the supply line would be infinitely more stable and require absolutely zero administrative effort on my part. That is precisely why I proposed a peaceful trade agreement. I have absolutely no desire to violently extort or subjugate Wakanda." 

"After all, I am officially the Lord of this planet. I have absolutely no intention of violently oppressing the most technologically advanced nation on Earth simply to hoard some shiny metal. Doing so would instantly shatter the fragile diplomatic trust I just spent all morning establishing with the United Earth Federation. It would prove I am nothing more than a violent, greedy tyrant, completely undermining my own authority. And I absolutely refuse to let that happen." 

Seeing T'Chaka's resolute expression wavering slightly in the face of logic, Luke paused. He decided to deploy his ultimate, irresistible bargaining chip. 

"To prove my absolute sincerity, I am willing to offer a gesture of goodwill. I will personally locate, capture, and hand over Ulysses Klaue to Wakandan justice. In exchange, I only ask for the friendship of Wakanda, and a modest, ongoing Vibranium trade agreement." 

Ulysses Klaue! 

The name struck the Wakandans like a physical blow. 

That absolute bastard! In 1992, Klaue had somehow successfully infiltrated Wakanda and stolen over 250 kilograms of highly refined Vibranium! Even worse, he had secretly corrupted and manipulated T'Chaka's own brother, Prince N'Jobu, into aiding his escape! 

During his violent escape across the border, Klaue had detonated a massive, high-yield explosive device, callously murdering numerous innocent Wakandan border guards and civilians. 

Among the casualties were the parents of W'Kabi, the current Head of Security for the Border Tribe, and the husband of Okoye, the General of the Dora Milaje. 

The moment Klaue's name was spoken, the defiant, fiercely patriotic Okoye instantly fell completely silent, her eyes burning with ancient, unresolved hatred and grief. 

T'Chaka glanced at Okoye, sensing her profound emotional turmoil. He remained silent for a long moment, deeply weighing the options. The choice was between parting with a relatively small, controlled fraction of their massive Vibranium stockpile... or finally securing the head of the monster responsible for one of the darkest, most painful tragedies in modern Wakandan history. 

For T'Chaka, the choice was clear. 

"If Your Lordship can truly deliver the head of Ulysses Klaue... then you shall indeed secure the absolute friendship of Wakanda," T'Chaka stated solemnly. He crossed his arms over his chest in the traditional Wakandan salute. 

With the agreement struck, T'Chaka and a highly emotional Okoye respectfully exited the office. 

Perfect. 

Luke smiled in satisfaction. Trading the head of a pathetic, low-level black-market arms dealer for a permanent, limitless supply of highly refined Vibranium was an absolutely incredible bargain! 

As for actually locating Klaue? That would be laughably easy. 

Klaue was a highly active, highly connected international arms dealer. He wasn't hiding in a cave; he was actively conducting massive illegal transactions with various global intelligence agencies and criminal syndicates. If Luke simply casually dropped a hint to S.H.I.E.L.D. or any of the national governments he had just terrified, they would completely tear the global underworld apart to find Klaue and hand him over just to earn a few precious Impression Points! 

A minor arms dealer cannot possibly escape my grasp! 

Luke clenched his fist, practically feeling the massive stockpile of Vibranium already within his grasp. 

Suddenly, a small, highly energetic figure popped into the room, holding a glowing holographic tablet. 

"Boss! I finished drafting the comprehensive interior design and landscaping proposals you requested! You can review them now!" Galacta announced proudly. 

Luke's eyes lit up as he looked at the incredibly detailed, beautifully rendered holographic models displayed on her tablet. 

Galacta's final rendering of the base was vastly superior to the initial, sterile architectural framework. 

The massive, previously empty courtyards between the six outer skyscrapers had been transformed into breathtaking, lush, bio-diverse botanical gardens, complete with flowing waterfalls, highly advanced ambient lighting, and elegant, futuristic relaxation pavilions. The stark, black interiors of the buildings had been meticulously decorated with highly advanced, luxurious furnishings and sophisticated, integrated holographic displays. 

Luke's grand vision was to utilize this facility as the ultimate, centralized diplomatic and economic hub for the entire Nine Realms. 

He intended to officially dedicate each of the six outer skyscrapers to a specific cosmic faction: the Dwarves of Nidavellir, the Light Elves of Alfheim, the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, the Aesir of Asgard, the Vanir of Vanaheim, and finally, the humans of Midgard. The massive central tower would serve as the neutral, highly regulated primary exchange for inter-species trade and high-level diplomatic negotiations. 

Because the uniform, pitch-black Dark Energy aesthetic was incredibly monotonous and slightly depressing, Luke had explicitly instructed Galacta to research the cultural aesthetics and environmental preferences of the various cosmic races and completely overhaul the interior design of each respective skyscraper to make them feel comfortable and culturally appropriate for the incoming alien delegations. 

"Incredible work! Are you hungry yet?" Luke asked with a warm smile, noting that it was almost lunchtime anyway. 

"Not particularly! The Cosmic Tapeworm hasn't fully regenerated its energy capacity yet, so the hunger isn't completely overwhelming right now," Galacta replied cheerfully, gently patting her stomach. 

Since she had spent the last few centuries constantly starving, she had absolutely no concept of a regular 'three meals a day' schedule. She just ate whenever she found food. 

Luke shook his head in amusement. "You don't have to wait until you're literally starving to death to eat, you know. Come on, let's go get some lunch. We have a massive amount of shopping and interior decorating to do this afternoon." 

Luke stretched lazily. 

The United Earth Federation was officially established, and the global political situation was completely stable. Once Galacta finished decorating the base, Earth's integration into the wider cosmic community would rapidly accelerate. The Hydra situation was perfectly set up for a massive, final harvest, allowing him to effortlessly acquire the Helicarriers and simultaneously dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D. 

And most importantly, his 'Army Completion Project' was practically finished. He just needed to send out a global bounty for Ulysses Klaue, trade him for Vibranium, and finally unlock the Samurai Ninjas. 

Furthermore, the Conversion Module had just finished processing the Devouring Essence! He could finally test out the capabilities of his brand-new, ultimate late-game unit, the Shadow-Eater Ninja! 

An incredibly productive morning, all things considered. 

Luke smiled in profound satisfaction, drew a Sling Ring portal, and led his incredibly happy, highly useful cosmic hamster back to his apartment, where the Shadowkhan had already prepared a massive, highly decadent feast. 

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