American comics: Starting with Luke the Maker

"Is it possible for anyone who puts on this helmet to connect to the data dimension?" Nick took a deep breath, calmed his emotions, and asked Tony, trying to get to the bottom of it.

He had to ask clearly. Just imagining it, he could already feel the changes and shocks that would come with the widespread adoption of this ability. Whether it was for future planning or to gain a head start, he needed to ask clearly and then assess the future based on the situation.

"What are you thinking?" Tony was a little impatient with Nick's wild ideas. "What do you think the data dimension is? A public recreational square that anyone can enter? If you asked me to create a virtual game world for you, I could give you some advice and technical support, but the data dimension, I'm sorry, I don't have that authority. Regarding the higher-level stuff, maybe you should ask Luke."

"Luke can do it?" Nick didn't mind Tony's impatience; that was just his personality.

"I don't know. But the information about the data dimension that I've explored using my current permissions can only support me to this extent for now. I can improve the technology a bit more, add some modules, and then you can give it to ordinary people to try. But I don't think it will be useful. It's not that my technology is useless, but ordinary people simply don't have that, um, you can understand it as an access module." Tony shrugged. "If you really want to make someone a mechanist, I don't think you need to go through so much trouble. You just need to infect them with the mechanical virus, and they will naturally get access permission to the data dimension. To put it more simply, mutants infected with the mechanical virus are given a network access license by the data dimension."

"Where am I going to get the mechanical virus now?" Nick widened his one eye. As a result, he received a big eye-roll from Stark.

"I don't believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't have a technical backup of the mechanical virus, just like I don't believe you, the head of the agents, has a conscience. Only you guys still care about that outdated technology. Mutant army? Centipede Project? What's so important about those unstable technological products?" Tony bluntly exposed Nick's pretense. In the few days after he awakened his ability, he had browsed through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database using his data intrusion ability through some small backdoors he had created before.

"What other tests do you want to do?" Nick's expression didn't change at all at Tony's impoliteness. He was just wondering where Tony's confident tone and assurance came from.

The Centipede Project was an advanced research project that S.H.I.E.L.D. launched after receiving all the technical data from A.I.M., based on A.I.M.'s mechanical and Extremis viruses. To put it bluntly, it was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s version of the virus technology, developed after absorbing A.I.M.'s technology, according to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s needs. It could be said to be a continuation of A.I.M.'s research. This project was a high-level secret within S.H.I.E.L.D.! It was a research project used to counter the Hyperion beast series equipment!

Stark even knew about the Centipede Project, which clearly couldn't be a guess.

Did someone tell him something?

Or did Stark use his technology to invade S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligent system?

The former meant that someone within S.H.I.E.L.D. had leaked information. In the latter case, Nick couldn't believe that he could invade S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligent system silently. It wasn't that he didn't believe Tony had the ability to invade S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system, but that he didn't believe he could do it quietly, without alarming any of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s network defenses.

If Tony knew what Nick was thinking now, he would probably just grin and mock, "Times have changed, technology needs to be updated."

At least what Tony Stark was going to do next was to put his Jarvis into the data dimension. It was because he had mastered the ability of data intrusion that he knew how terrifying this ability was! With the existing technology on this planet, the servers of any giant were simply unable to limit this ability!

If another person with data intrusion ability appeared, and he wanted to take a look at the database of any giant and tease their intelligent system, the giants would be helpless.

Even Tony could only say that he could use his ability to confront the other party after detecting the intrusion, but he couldn't separate his Jarvis from the constraints of the hardware, so that it could defend against and resist this ability.

Data security and privacy were already on the verge of collapse after this ability appeared.

Currently, the only giant that Stark hadn't successfully visited was Luke's Hyperion. Because after Luke built his Dark City, he had broken away from the constraints of the hardware and simply threw Hyperion's intelligent system and database all into the data dimension. The data stored in the real hardware database were some technologies that didn't involve Hyperion's real secrets and were authorized to be released.

Stark's intrusion could be said to be successful because he did successfully enter Hyperion's server and browse some of the data information inside. This was something he hadn't been able to do successfully before. But it could also be said to be a failure because it was clear that Luke had already moved the real intelligent system and database. He had essentially invaded an empty shell.

So Tony also planned to move his data to a safe home. The data dimension was very good. Whether it was energy supply or network connection transmission, the convenience and power brought by the data dimension were incomparable to the current hardware technology. The two were simply not on the same platform.

"No other tests." Tony shook his head, indicating that he had completed all the tests.

"Can this potion replace the mechanical virus?" Nick suddenly asked.

"Of course. That's why I told you to throw away your outdated and unstable technology." A mocking smile appeared on Tony's face, glaring and malicious.

"What's the cost? How much would it cost for mass production?" Nick didn't want to argue with Tony about technical issues; that was the other party's area of expertise.

"The cost is about $100,000 per dose. Mainly because it requires some special dimensional materials." Tony readily gave the answer.

"The cost isn't low." Nick said, but then he didn't care. Anyway, it wasn't his S.H.I.E.L.D. that was paying the bill. It was the current government that needed to worry about paying and solving the problem. He and his S.H.I.E.L.D. only needed to contribute a little to explain it. What he needed to worry about now was the ownership and management of those hundreds of thousands of mutants.

"The cost can still be reduced after the production line is built. If the material costs on your side can be reduced." Tony looked at Nick.

"You should talk to Luke about this issue, not me." Nick passed the buck to Luke, who wasn't present. Reduce the price? He was kidding. He and his S.H.I.E.L.D. were already heavily in debt, okay? A price reduction was impossible. Nick would rather Tony Stark talk to Luke than reduce the price himself.

Did he understand the pressure of bearing huge debts, with a bunch of powerful partners backing the creditor? He heard from Luke that Mephisto, the lord from the hell dimension, had already begun to plan ahead for future debt problems. In addition to the teams scurrying around the universe to expand business, a carefully selected and powerful demon debt collection team was also being prepared.

In short, the lord, who was bored with his long life, seemed to have found the lighthouse of his future life, the goal of his struggle, and was immersed in building his own banking organization with great enthusiasm. In order to add some useful manpower, he even rarely approached the Ancient One, not secretly, but by setting an example, honestly paying to pull a few souls from Midgard who had financial experience and worked in important positions in top banks to help, with a salary! He might not require them to join the hell dimension, but if there was a need, both the Ancient One and Luke wouldn't mind, and he could fully meet the requirements for joining the dimension and extending their lifespan. He was a little short of manpower in this area.

Nick was a little worried about this. What if the other party felt that his debt was an eyesore in the future and started a rectification campaign from within, what could he do?

PS: I was so engrossed in reading that I forgot the time. I'll make up for it with at least two updates tomorrow!