Chapter 117: Can I Destroy the Earth?

On the outskirts of San Juan, about three kilometers from the "Dark Codex Laboratory," Old Wang and Skye suddenly appeared.

“Wang, why don’t we just go straight to the laboratory?” Skye asked, puzzled.

According to Old Wang, the farther the teleportation distance, the greater the deviation. From the ancient underground dungeon to the Dark Codex Laboratory was no more than a hundred kilometers—there shouldn’t have been much error.

So, did Old Wang never intend to go directly to the laboratory in the first place?

“Look around you,” Old Wang said, releasing his hand from Skye’s slender waist.

Look around?

Skye glanced around cautiously.

Something was wrong.

All the trees swayed at different frequencies; whether dry leaves or green ones, they rustled incessantly. Wild rabbits and pheasants alike were clearly restless. A nearby rabbit ran less than twenty meters before collapsing, its legs kicking, eyes rolling back, frothing at the mouth.

Further away, the tranquil stream rippled, giving way to small waves. Unknown fish darted and leaped, many floating belly-up on the surface.

This reminded Skye of a poem she had just learned two days ago:

“Boundless falling leaves rustle down; the endless Yangtze River rolls on.”

What was happening to them?

Suddenly, a wailing cry pierced the air.

Skye looked up and saw a bird plummeting from midair.

What on earth was going on?

“They’re vibrating. Everything around you is vibrating because you are vibrating.”

Old Wang glanced at Skye’s hair and her slightly trembling chest, surprise flickering in his eyes. “Your ability is to manipulate shockwaves. You’re still unfamiliar with it and can’t control it yet. Plus, your current emotional state is quite agitated, so you’re unconsciously producing shockwaves at various frequencies.”

Skye parted her lips slightly, recalling physics lessons from high school. “Different frequencies of shockwaves caused different materials to resonate, resulting in all this?”

“Exactly.”

Old Wang narrowed his eyes. “You need training—training to master this ability. The more precise your control, the stronger your power.”

Skye understood.

Every wave has a frequency, and the ranges vary enormously.

If she could accurately manipulate shockwaves of any frequency, she could, from hundreds or thousands of meters away, cause a person's heart to explode in an instant, bring down a bridge, or reduce a skyscraper to rubble in moments.

She could even accelerate a person’s heartbeat to an unbearable speed or stop it altogether.

A butterfly in the Amazon rainforest flapping its wings just a few times can trigger a tornado in Texas two weeks later. This is the famous "butterfly effect.”

If she could precisely control every vibration, causing peaks and troughs to overlap perfectly, what terrifying power might she unleash?

Could she melt the eternal glaciers of Antarctica?

Could she summon unprecedented tides to sweep across North America?

Could she sink Oceania in an earthquake, or resurrect Atlantis in a cataclysm?

Could she trigger volcanic eruptions at Yellowstone and Mount Fuji, cause the Pacific and Eurasian plates to collide, annihilate all animals and shatter all plants, turning the Earth...

Into an explosion of popcorn?

“This is your future—a glorious future,” Old Wang whispered. “I promised you powers on par with Ghost Rider’s. This is the first step.”

Ghost Rider’s potential was unimaginable; at his peak, he belonged to the top tier of superheroes, even boasting an astonishing victory over Doctor Strange in the comics.

Shockwave Woman might be somewhat inferior.

As a kung fu master who cultivated true energy, her physical constitution far surpassed that portrayed in the television drama.

Generating shockwaves would inevitably harm her body to some degree—that was the greatest limitation on her power. The TV version of Skye couldn’t even destroy a building.

But now, things were different.

Her robust physique allowed her to obliterate most of the underground dungeon at the moment her powers awakened.

With enough training, she might destroy S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Trident headquarters within seconds.

As her physical condition improved, her potential would grow ever greater.

If she became as strong as the Hulk, perhaps the shockwaves she generated could truly...

Destroy the Earth?

If she could withstand the sun’s surface heat, maybe she could even destroy the sun itself, prematurely ending its life and turning it into a red giant that consumes the Earth?

“I think... I’m very dangerous?” Skye suddenly felt a surge of panic.

She could feel the power within her, but it was influenced by her thoughts and emotions, fluctuating accordingly and difficult to control when agitated.

If that happened...

Could a careless moment cause a catastrophe comparable to the Tunguska explosion?

“Don’t worry. Your current physique can’t yet support excessively powerful shockwaves. Besides, before you fully master this ability, I’ll have Fitz create assistive equipment for you, so you can generate shockwaves more precisely. It will also suppress shockwaves when you’re unconscious of them.”

Old Wang placed his left hand on Skye’s shoulder. “Most importantly, you have me.”

A surge of true energy radiated from his body, vibrating at certain frequencies, striving to align the peaks with Skye’s troughs.

In martial arts novels, there are multiple techniques involving sound waves; the Lion’s Roar can kill dozens or hundreds in an instant. This is also an effect of true energy, an area where Old Wang was an expert.

Shockwaves were not a power exclusive to women.

Men could wield them too.

Back and forth, you strike, I counter; you advance, I retreat; you fall back, I push forward. This is not only battlefield strategy but also the art between men and women.

Old Wang was well versed in this art.

As long as he was by Skye’s side, all shockwaves would dissipate invisibly before they could overlap and amplify.

This was called “taming.”

Thus, the animals no longer panicked, the leaves ceased to sway, the fish stopped leaping, and the birds no longer fell.

The whole world returned to calm.

“I’ve already instructed Fitz to design a pair of bracers and a high-tech suit for you,” Old Wang said softly. “Until then, perhaps we should enjoy some beautiful moments together.”

“But aren’t you afraid S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra will notice our disappearance and suspect something here?” Skye was happy but didn’t want to jeopardize their mission.

“Lou Egg isn’t a fool, and neither are Pierce or Whitehall,” Old Wang replied calmly. “They will know, and should know. They must know.”

Skye was partly reassured but still confused.

She was now more concerned with another matter.

“Wang, do you know where Whitehall is? I want to avenge my parents.”

Old Wang ruffled Skye’s hair. “Don’t rush. He’ll come to you willingly.”

Skye frowned.

S.H.I.E.L.D. would surely be monitoring this place. Would Whitehall not be worried about danger?

“That’s because you don’t understand how important the Obelisk is to him,” Old Wang smiled. “He believes the Obelisk holds the secret to death itself. He believes it grants unimaginable power and... eternal life.”

No one can resist the temptation of immortality.

Having experienced “rejuvenation,” Whitehall was even less able to resist.