Chapter 9: Power Supply Problem, and the Punisher Who Took the Blame
The reason Jiang Feng didn't continue grinding for experience and instead left halfway—
Was mainly because his body couldn't keep up.
His scientific and engineering ability was undeniably powerful.
The Level 3 Mechanic profession was terrifying in its capabilities, allowing him to manually craft bizarre, high-quality devices by force.
And his learning ability had been massively enhanced as well.
In just a short time—
Jiang Feng had gone from a complete STEM novice to a master capable of building an Iron Man suit.
However, his physical condition hadn't improved much beyond that of an average person.
Even though he had just acquired the Warrior profession, along with the innate talent of superhuman strength, it hadn't resulted in a qualitative leap.
After all, Jiang Feng's body hadn't undergone any actual enhancement.
At his core, he was still just an ordinary person. And the strength boost granted by his talent was a percentage-based increase.
This kind of boost—
Only became obvious when the base stats were already strong.
Clearly, Jiang Feng didn't meet that requirement.
After a grueling battle that lasted several hours through the night, he was already exhausted and couldn't continue.
There was another issue—
The energy in his Iron Man armor was almost depleted.
He was intelligent, yes.
But he hadn't studied mechanical engineering for long—just two and a half months.
Even with the boost from the Mechanic profession, the micro fuel cells he built still couldn't compare to Tony Stark's Arc Reactor.
Just powering the recent battle—
Had almost completely drained his fuel cell.
Both Jiang Feng himself and his armor were in desperate need of rest.
"As expected, I really do need to get my hands on Arc Reactor technology."
"Such black-tech, combined with my talent to enhance crafting quality, would definitely allow me to create a power source with astonishing results."
Jiang Feng couldn't help but think.
Just maintaining combat with half an Iron Man suit was already pushing the limits of his current battery.
If he wanted to solve the power supply problem and truly forge a complete Iron Man suit for sustained combat, acquiring Arc Reactor tech was a must.
A short while later—
He returned to the apartment he had just rented.
Though Jiang Feng was living alone, he had spent quite a bit of money to rent a luxurious three-bedroom apartment in Queens.
First, Hammer Industries paid him well—more than enough for a high-end lifestyle.
Second, once he left this world, all the US dollars he earned would become worthless paper.
So he figured he might as well enjoy it all before the end.
Taking off his jacket and removing his glasses—
He forced himself to take a hot shower,
Then collapsed straight into bed, falling into a deep sleep.
Today had been exhausting. He needed proper rest.
---
Meanwhile—
Back in Hell's Kitchen, at the scenes where Jiang Feng had previously paid a visit—
The corpses of countless criminals had gone cold.
The ground was soaked in blood, slowly coagulating.
Clearly—
The killer had no intention of covering up the crime scenes.
In the shadowy depths of an alley, with no sign of life—
A nimble figure suddenly appeared.
He was a strange-looking man, dressed in a tight-fitting crimson suit that hugged every inch of his muscular frame, clearly custom-made.
Two small, sharp horns extended slightly from his head.
A pair of custom batons were strapped to his waist, gleaming with cold metallic sheen.
This man was none other than Daredevil—
A rising star recently gaining fame across New York.
Matt Murdock.
On the surface, he was a blind lawyer with a strong sense of justice, offering free legal services to those too poor to afford them.
In court—
He battled injustice with sharp logic and persuasive speech.
But when night fell and darkness covered the city—
He became a vigilante hero of the streets.
Moving like an invisible gust of wind, he slipped through the intricate maze of alleys and backstreets.
Armed with exceptional combat skills, he faced the lurking evils in the city and protected its peace through more direct means.
Whether by day or night—
Daredevil was like a sword of justice, hanging high over the heads of evil.
Now appearing at the scene, he walked calmly but firmly to where several corpses lay sprawled on the ground.
His features looked especially grim.
Through the mask, his expression was unreadable—no emotion, no sign of what he was thinking.
Daredevil slowly knelt down, gently touching one of the gruesome gunshot wounds.
Though he was blind, trapped in eternal darkness and unable to witness the colors of this world—
Fate had played its trick.
A childhood accident had taken his sight but sharpened all his other senses beyond human limits.
That was what gave rise to Daredevil.
His sense of touch was so sharp, it worked like a high-precision scanner. With just his fingertips, he could feel the texture of the wounds.
His sense of smell and hearing were even more astonishing—
The faint traces of blood in the air…
The subtle echoes of distant gunfire…
To him—
They were like a clear signal, instantly detected.
Similar to a werewolf's skill in certain games—
No line of sight was needed. He could track his prey by scent alone.
Even without his eyes—
Matt could rely on the data from his other senses to paint a vivid 3D-like image in his mind.
"Gunshots. Incredibly precise. Each fatal in one hit, followed by additional rounds to desecrate the bodies—brutal behavior."
"The killer left right after. Efficient. Obviously trained and prepared."
"There's only one truth—the killer is… that guy they call the Punisher!"
Matt quickly analyzed the situation in his mind and reached a logical conclusion.
He swiftly examined all the bodies—
And not just the ones here.
Just moments ago—
Matt had used his sharp sense of smell to track the scent of blood, and had found more bodies elsewhere in Hell's Kitchen.
The number of dead was staggering.
The killer, most likely the same person.
Daredevil slowly stood up, frowning slightly. In his mind, rumors about the Punisher surfaced.
Not long after Matt had begun his career—
A mysterious man also dedicated to fighting crime had appeared in the streets of New York—
Almost like a copycat of Daredevil.
But their methods were entirely different.
The self-proclaimed Punisher was ruthless and merciless, with no code against killing.
Wherever he went—
Not a single soul survived.
Like a cold-blooded grim reaper, he left only fear in his wake.
More machine than man—driven by hatred.
Hardly a superhero at all—
Instead, he used brutal violence as his way of enforcing justice.
Daredevil completely disagreed with the Punisher's philosophy.
As a graduate from a prestigious university, Matt's beliefs were far more measured and principled, not simply rooted in violence.
To him—
Justice should be upheld and defended.
But the Punisher's barbaric, uncontrolled killings—
Would, over time, consume a person in a vortex of revenge and bloodshed.
Matt knew he had to stop him.
He couldn't let the Punisher walk further down this dark road—
Or the city would descend into chaos.
"Punisher… I will stop you."
Matt clenched his fists silently, a firm conviction burning in his heart.
He was now certain the killer was the Punisher, and made a vow—
To confront him in a clash of ideals.
---
Clack! Clack!
The sharp, rhythmic sounds of loading magazines echoed through the air.
Inside a secret armory, the Punisher was currently busy preparing for battle, loading ammo and getting ready.
Completely unaware of what had happened in Hell's Kitchen.
And just like that—
He got blamed… for no reason at all.