What's the saying?
Those who play with fire will get burned!
The same applies.
Although Sentinel Flame had mutant abilities to control fire after injecting the Eighth Potion, that didn't mean he was immune to fire.
He was just a fake mutant, and most importantly, even a legitimate mutant is still flesh and blood.
So—
Boom!
Just as Sentinel Flame fell into the blazing flames of the oil depot below, before he could react and use his mutant abilities to disperse the surrounding fire, he was instantly engulfed by the raging flames.
In an instant.
The flames of the oil depot, which illuminated half of the base, soared even higher after devouring Sentinel Flame.
"Flame!"
The remaining Sentinels of the Sentinel Strike Force, who watched Hawk toss their teammate into the flames, instinctively roared in fury, then saw Hawk, who was just above the oil depot, vanish again.
As the leader of this operation, the Sentinel codenamed 'Evolution', with a side glance, saw Hawk appear in front of his girlfriend 'Control'. His expression changed dramatically. Almost at the instant Hawk's seemingly ordinary punch came down, he blocked it in front of 'Control', shielding her from what seemed like an ordinary punch.
Then he was sent flying.
"Boom!"
"Evolution!"
The female sentinel 'Control' shouted in shock as she watched her boyfriend 'Evolution' fly backward like a ragdoll from Hawk's punch.
The next second.
Beside her, 'Vanish' reacted instantly, grabbing 'Evolution's right hand, then entering a state of nonexistence, dragging 'Evolution' and quickly running towards the distance.
Hawk felt a blur in front of his eyes and a flicker in his mind, then saw the two female sentinels sprinting towards the outside of the base.
He instantly realized why the arrival of these Sentinels didn't catch his attention.
Lowered presence, huh.
He was familiar with this. Ever since acquiring the Reality Gemstone, he had used it more than once to lower his presence.
But…
In the end, lowering presence and invisibility aren't the same thing.
They are two different matters.
Lowering presence works only when you haven't been observed, allowing people to overlook you.
But I already saw you, and you're still trying to lower your presence?
How do you describe this behavior?
Deceiving yourself?
Hawk's thoughts spun, and the moment he stepped forward with his right foot, he was already in front of the two women.
The somewhat decent-looking 'Vanish' appeared terrified as she looked at Hawk, who suddenly appeared in front of her.
Just as she tried to open her mouth to say something, Hawk silently opened his right hand and pressed it against her head.
"Poof!"
"Sizzle!"
'Control', standing beside them, felt the liquid splashing onto her face, instinctively closed her eyes, then quickly opened them to see her headless companion, oozing warm liquid, falling to the side.
'Control' widened her eyes in disbelief, staring at the right hand reaching towards her head.
"Stop!"
Accompanied by an angry roar, 'Evolution', who had just been blasted away by Hawk, appeared like a lunatic rabbit beside his girlfriend 'Control', and then punched Hawk on the chest.
"Boom!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Hawk turned into a scarlet flash, flying backward, piercing through a three-story burning building, and then smashed against a burning tank, finally halting his backward momentum as the tank hull caved in.
But…
As Hawk pulled himself out of the collapsed tank hull, standing expressionless, hovering back in the air, his originally cold gaze now contained a hint of curiosity as he looked at the male sentinel 'Evolution' shielding the female sentinel.
Hawk was sure that before he blasted this male sentinel away, his aura was nothing but weak.
But now?
For some unknown reason, Hawk suddenly felt an aura of 'restraint' from this male sentinel.
"Interesting."
Hawk chuckled softly, his gaze falling on the male sentinel: "What is your mutant ability?"
'Evolution', while shielding his girlfriend 'Control' behind him, glanced at the remaining time of the Eighth Potion on his wrist, then locked eyes with Hawk: "The ability to kill you, an anti-human element."
With that said.
'Evolution' sprang into action. With a bang, the ground beneath him crumbled, and he transformed into a blue light rushing straight towards Hawk.
Listening to 'Evolution's answer, Hawk sneered, then laughed even more as he watched 'Evolution' launch his attack.
The next second.
He also transformed into a scarlet light, colliding instantly with the blue light.
Amidst the intertwining red and blue lights, their fists collided.
Boom!
The violent shockwave instantly spread out in a ring, lifting corpses, burning armored vehicles, burning tanks, and scattered building debris from the ground.
"Good."
"Evolution can counter this damn mutant."
"Phew!"
At a height of fifty meters from the ground, inside a safe room constructed of fifteen meters thick reinforced concrete, which can only be opened from the inside, immune even to ground-penetrating missiles or nuclear bombs—those generals who survived by luck from Quantico but immediately arranged to counterattack after Hawk left were now gathered here.
The atmosphere here was initially heavy after Hawk instantly reversed and killed the sentinels and soldiers sent to the X Academy.
Especially when Hawk tirelessly ran back to Quantico and flattened the Quantico Military Base almost right in front of them, the atmosphere plummeted below freezing.
But now?
Looking at the big screen, where 'Evolution' was evenly matched or even vaguely gaining the upper hand against Hawk amidst the ruins of Quantico, everyone felt their spirits lift as if riding a roller coaster.
"That's certain."
"'Evolution,' after injecting the Eighth Potion, acquires mutant abilities similar to gaining strength to match stronger opponents."
"Yes, as long as 'Evolution' encounters an attack, his mutant ability will instantly generate an attack mode stronger than the opponent's based on their attack mode."
"Is there a limit?"
"During tests, we found none."
"Furthermore, as a squad leader of the Sentinel Strategic Task Force, 'Evolution's' Eighth Potion has a special configuration."
"That's right, other mutant sentinels hold the Eighth Potion for five minutes before their mutant abilities disappear, but 'Evolution' can maintain it for longer."
"How long?"
"Fifteen minutes."
"That's enough."
General Thaddeus Ross's eyes sparkled as he looked at the big screen, seeing 'Evolution' thoroughly suppressing Hawk, he stood up and spoke solemnly: "Tell 'Evolution' that if necessary, capture this damn mutant alive..."
Before finishing his words.
Staring at the combat footage on the big screen, General Ross suddenly fell silent, and his pupils contracted again instantly.
No other reason.
Because just when he felt the storm had passed, believed in his own capability again, and prepared to order 'Evolution' to capture Hawk, who allegedly came from another cosmos, alive, the next second he saw Hawk suddenly stop moving and then punch 'Evolution' away once more.
And just as he thought 'Evolution' would rise again after being punched away by Hawk like last time, Hawk didn't give 'Evolution' the chance. In a flash, he reappeared behind 'Evolution,' who was flying backward, and punched again.
The next second.
Hawk appeared once more in front of 'Evolution.'
One punch!
Two punches!
Three punches!
In an instant, 'Evolution,' who lost balance and initiative, despite having power continuously rising, was flung back and forth like a shuttlecock across the sky of Quantico.
If 'Evolution' was the shuttlecock, then Hawk at this moment transformed into a badminton racket.
Under Hawk's relentless punching, without giving 'Evolution' any chance to breathe, 'Evolution's' complexion gradually turned from ruddy to pale and then began to darken.
The continuously ascending power within him couldn't be released and accumulated inside.
Endlessly.
It was as if 'Evolution' were a kettle, and the power was like liquid continuously pouring into it.
But no matter how large the kettle might be.
It has a limit.
So—
As Hawk's uninterrupted, heavier punch after punch continued, 'Evolution' quickly reached the threshold of what he could endure.
The boiling water, fully accumulated but unable to self-release, leads to what result?
The answer is an explosion.
Boom!
When 'Evolution's' complexion turned ashen, and with Hawk delivering another punch, 'Evolution,' who was punched away yet again, exploded instantly.
Boom!
The unleashed power accompanied by a mist of blood swept across the surroundings.
Meanwhile, on the ground, watching this unfold, 'Control's' eyes were about to burst!
"No!"
"Whoosh!"
Amidst the falling blood mist, Hawk appeared expressionlessly before the enraged 'Control,' grabbing 'Control' by the neck and lifting him from the ground.
"Do you care for him so much?"
"No worries."
"I'll send you to join him."
Puff!
As Hawk spoke, he squeezed 'Control's' neck with his right hand, crushing it, and then focused his gaze on the camera hidden behind the sentinel letters on 'Control's' chest, seemingly seeing through the camera to those generals hiding behind it.
"Thaddeus Ross, I gave you the chance to live, but unfortunately, you didn't cherish it, so don't worry, I'll come find you soon!"
"..."