The existence of the shock-explosion collar completely eliminated any possibility of Russell continuing to resist Hydra.
Of course, Russell could attempt a brute-force resistance and gamble his life on the Dionysus Factor inside his body.
However, if a metal dummy could be blown into shrapnel, then blowing up Russell—who was still human at his core—wouldn’t pose any issue either.
“Starting tomorrow, specialized researchers will monitor your physical metrics.
At the same time, you will undergo a series of training programs.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, and don’t entertain any ideas you shouldn’t have!”
“Obey orders, and you will live!”
Jack’s voice echoed through the speaker once again.
Russell didn’t answer him.
Right now, he was debating whether to risk his life just to get rid of the collar on his neck.
After careful consideration, Russell ultimately gave up on the court-death idea.
Although the Dionysus Factor possessed incredible restorative and regenerative capabilities, no one knew if the version granted by the system functioned exactly as it did in the comics.
Russell had no intention of using his life to test that theory.
Even though he had lost his freedom for now, things were undoubtedly much better compared to when he had just transmigrated.
He had temporarily escaped the fate of being a lab rat, and he possessed both the Abomination Strength and the Dionysus Factor, giving him a decent baseline of self-preservation.
As the sole survivor of the Abomination Project, Russell wasn’t too worried about his immediate predicament.
Furthermore, from Jack’s words just now, Russell gleaned a very clear piece of intelligence: Hydra had no intention of dissecting him anytime soon.
*Take it step by step.
As long as I’m alive, an opportunity will come sooner or later!*
Having figured this out, Russell laid straight down on the floor, closing his eyes to rest while gradually adjusting to his enhanced body.
After an unknown amount of time, a hidden door in the wall opened slowly.
Two Hydra soldiers carrying food and clothing walked inside.
The two soldiers glanced at Russell lying on the floor, silently set the food and clothes down, and promptly left the room.
Only after they departed did Russell stand up and walk over to the supplies.
Shedding the tattered hospital gown he was wearing, Russell picked up the Hydra uniform from the floor and slipped into it with a few swift movements.
Although this airtight room had no windows and no visible surveillance gear on the surface, Russell was certain that his every move was being watched closely.
However, Russell was in no mood to bother with that right now.
All his attention was focused on the food before him.
The so-called food in front of Russell was somewhat unexpected.
It wasn’t a spread of flavorful Chinese dishes, nor was it American fast food like burgers, hot dogs, or fries.
Instead, it consisted of several tubes of multicolored nutrient paste.
*They really are raising me like a lab rat.*
When under someone else’s roof, one had to bow their head.
Although these nutrient pastes didn’t look like much, the taste was barely tolerable, feeling somewhat similar to ice cream in texture.
For the rest of the time, no one came to disturb Russell again.
It wasn’t until early the next morning that the hidden door in the metal wall opened once more.
Escorted by a squad of fully armed Hydra soldiers, Russell was brought to a brand-new laboratory.
The person conducting the procedure was still the bald doctor from yesterday.
The only difference was that this time, the bald doctor wasn’t wearing a mask, allowing Russell to clearly see his appearance.
The doctor looked to be in his early fifties.
Because he had no hair, he gave off a strangely youthful impression.
“I am Wilson, your…
primary physician!”
Russell paid no attention to Wilson.
Instead, he laid down straight on the operating table and said with a calm expression, “Let’s begin.”
Since he didn’t plan to resist for the time being, he might as well cooperate obediently.
Over the next few hours, Wilson performed a comprehensive physical checkup on Russell, recording all his physiological data.
Although Russell was exceptionally cooperative, Wilson still encountered a minor problem when drawing blood for testing.
After receiving the enhancement from the Abomination Strength, Russell’s skin had become tough to a terrifying degree.
Standard assault rifle bullets couldn’t pierce his skin, let alone thin needles.
After trying numerous methods, Wilson had to resort to laser cutting before he could finally extract a blood sample from Russell’s enhanced body.
By the time the bald doctor finished the entire battery of tests, three to four hours had passed.
Leaving Wilson’s laboratory, Russell consumed a few tubes of nutrient paste to replenish his energy before being taken to a training ground the size of a football field.
Inside this training facility were various firearms and weapons.
It even contained main battle tanks, Black Hawk helicopters, cars, and other drivable vehicles.
“Even though you survived the experiment, you are at best a semi-finished product!
What we truly want is an invincible super warrior!”
Greeting Russell was the base’s security chief, Jack.
After confirming through his voice that the middle-aged soldier before him was indeed Jack, Russell felt a sudden urge to punch his lights out.
However, the collar around his neck ultimately brought him back to his senses.
On the display screen beside Jack, footage of the battle between Abomination and the Hulk during the Battle of New York was playing.
“If you were a true Abomination, you wouldn’t need any training at all.
Your very existence would be the ultimate weapon!”
“But you aren’t.
You’re just a semi-finished product, an unqualified piece of trash!”
“So over the next month, I am going to forge you—this half-baked trash—into a real soldier!”
Jack barked at Russell in an extremely foul tone, but Russell didn’t take it to heart at all.
When a dog barks at you, there’s no need to yell back.
All you have to do is beat that dog to death later on.
In Russell’s mind, Jack was just a mad dog—a mad dog he would eventually kill with his own hands.
Harsh as Jack’s attitude was, the training regimen he devised was undeniably professional.
Shooting, hand-to-hand combat, assassination, stealth, driving, foreign languages, and even a series of hacking courses.
From these training subjects, Russell could roughly deduce Jack’s objective, as well as what Hydra actually intended to do with him.
What Hydra wanted was a giant warrior like Abomination or the Hulk, not an enhanced human like Russell who couldn’t transform.
Hence, in Hydra’s evaluation, Russell was merely a failed, semi-finished product.
However, rather than waste resources, Hydra decided to groom him into a super soldier—a super soldier like the Winter Soldier.