Chapter Twenty-Three: The Powers of the Super Soldier

Kyle’s arrival instantly became the center of attention at the training base. The youngest Second Lieutenant and an American hero—these titles were more than enough to keep every new recruit buzzing, upgrading his reputation into a favorite topic for idle conversation. And now, the man of legend had appeared in the flesh, far more alluring than any idol or showgirl.

Seizing the opportunity, Steve slipped away to the backstage area, giving way to a group of dancers in short skirts who came on stage to keep the crowd entertained. Yet the soldiers in the square remained in high spirits, their eyes scanning eagerly in search of Kyle, who had already vanished from the scene.

At that moment, behind the stage, Steve called out, “Kyle!”

“Kyle!” The two young men, both handsome in their own right, ignored the curious stares of the backstage crew and embraced each other heartily—a gesture of camaraderie unique to them. Kyle managed a gentle smile, while Steve’s face was alight with uncontainable joy, as delighted as a child.

“Easy, you oaf. My left shoulder’s still not fully healed from that gunshot,” Kyle joked, giving Steve’s solid chest a light punch. He added with a sigh, “I never thought you’d get this much bigger. You’re even taller than me now.”

Kyle stood at a modest 180 centimeters, but Steve now towered at 188, a full head taller.

“That’s all thanks to the super soldier serum. I’m much stronger than I look now.” Steve made no attempt to hide it, though a shadow of sorrow crossed his earnest face. “It’s a shame, though. The professor was shot by a Hydra spy, and the only sample of the serum was stolen and destroyed. Otherwise—”

“It’s fine,” Kyle shrugged, unconcerned. “Even without the super soldier serum, it doesn’t matter to me.”

After all, he still had the card-drawing ability up his sleeve.

Kyle thought this to himself, his mind running quietly.

“By the way, Kyle, what happened to your right hand?” Steve’s curious gaze fell on Kyle’s right hand. Though the officer’s uniform was long-sleeved, Kyle’s hand and palm were tightly wrapped in white bandages.

Lifting his tightly wrapped vibranium bracer, Kyle casually offered, “Oh, this? Just a scrape from a recent battle.”

“The surprise attack!” Steve’s eyes lit up, excitement barely contained. “I heard all about your exploits. You have to tell me everything—what was it like?”

For Steve, a patriot and war fanatic brimming with righteous fervor who had yet to see real combat, the wait had been excruciating.

That suited Kyle just fine, so he readily agreed, “No problem. Let’s find a place for lunch.”

With that, Kyle’s gaze shifted to Carter, who stood behind Steve.

She was as coldly elegant as ever, a mature woman like a rose with thorns, exuding an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.

Kyle teased, “Agent Carter is here too. Perfect—let’s have lunch together. I’ve long owed you a favor, after all.”

Carter had intended to decline coolly, but for reasons even she couldn’t fathom, she hesitated and finally agreed, “Well… all right, let’s go.”

Wait, did she really accept? Kyle was momentarily stunned. He’d thought that someone as aloof as Carter would surely refuse. But since things had turned out this way, he decided simply to go with the flow.

Ten minutes later, in the base cafeteria—

At a table in the center, Kyle sat on one side while Steve and Carter sat shoulder to shoulder on the other. The atmosphere was decidedly awkward for the three of them.

“Uh… Kyle, are we really eating here?” Steve eyed the hash on his plate uncertainly. It wasn’t that he minded—it was Carter he was worried about.

Inviting Carter to lunch in the soldiers’ mess—only Kyle would dare do such a thing.

“You know, this training base is right at the front lines on Italian soil. If we wanted a real restaurant, we’d have to take a helicopter and we’d only make it in time for dinner,” Kyle said with a smile. “What, isn’t this what we used to eat all the time?”

“I don’t mind, but—” Steve shot a furtive glance at the silent Carter beside him.

“Oh, right. Chef, bring an extra large drumstick for our lovely Carter!” Kyle called out to the mess hall cook.

Steve was speechless.

Carter, too, was silent for a long moment before finally picking up her spoon and starting on her lunch.

Steve had only taken a few bites before he couldn’t resist: “Kyle, tell me all about that counterattack. I heard that because of faulty intel, you faced a massive German base with just a hundred men.”

“That’s right. At the time, I’d just been promoted to sergeant, and along with another sergeant, we led a hundred men on a surprise mission…” Kyle began recounting the events aloud, but his mind was quietly focused on Steve across from him.

In a fleeting moment, visible only to Kyle, over a hundred cards of varying colors emerged from the back of Steve’s head, floating and spinning rapidly at his side.

[Mastery of Driving], [Fluent English], [Hand-to-Hand Combat Mastery], [Pistol Mastery], [Sniper Mastery], [True Shield Strike Mastery]…

White and green cards filled Kyle’s vision in dense clusters.

Compared to two weeks earlier, when Steve had possessed only four basic white ability cards, he had been completely transformed!

Of course, the sheer number of cards wasn’t the important part. Kyle could acquire as many white and green ability cards as he wanted.

His gaze quickly fixed on the deep blue card hovering above Steve’s head—a card of unparalleled brilliance, its radiance easily outshining the hundred others.

[Super Soldier]:
Grants the perfect human physique. Rare blue ability card.
A qualitative transformation beginning at the level of human genetics. Physical abilities are elevated to the theoretical pinnacle of human potential, greatly slowing the aging process, and enhancing the immune system, minor regeneration, and resistance to injury. Bestows a perfectly proportioned physique and physical prowess beyond ordinary human limits—speed, reflexes, and intelligence of the highest order.

Current status: Available for extraction.

Would you like to extract?

So this is a rare blue physique-type ability card. A surge of uncontrollable excitement welled in Kyle’s heart.

Compared to a skill-type card like [Potential], this one was on a whole different level.

Without hesitation, Kyle chose to extract it. But in the next instant, an unprecedented warning sounded in his mind.

Warning! Extracting this card will take thirty minutes!
Warning! Each rare blue ability card can only be extracted once!
Warning! Upon extraction, your physical constitution will be completely transformed and cannot be changed!

Kyle’s expression changed. The three warnings carved themselves into his memory like marks cut with a knife.

“Kyle, are you all right?” Steve asked with concern, seeing Kyle suddenly pause.

Carter, too, stared at him in surprise.

“It’s nothing, just remembered a particularly tough moment during the battle,” Kyle replied, picking up the thread of his story as if nothing had happened.

He didn’t dwell on it further. In his mind, he made his decision swiftly.

Proceed with the extraction!