Chapter 179: A Man Beside Me

Due to the chaos caused by the Hulk, checkpoints were now set up everywhere, forming defensive lines between key locations. The goal was clear: to catch sight of the Hulk and mobilize reinforcements as quickly as possible.

Han Yu arrived early at the coordinates provided by Ultron. It was an ordinary street with pedestrians bustling back and forth—nothing unusual in sight.

Occasionally, a few military vehicles passed by, and soldiers disembarked to survey the area. Finding no abnormalities, they got back into the vehicles and moved on.

Han Yu walked to the coordinates he had been given, which led to a small alley. He stepped inside, finding it eerily quiet. The silence was only interrupted by an occasional chilling gust of wind that made him shiver.

"Ultron, I don't see the Hulk. What's going on?" Han Yu asked through his Green Lantern ring.

"That's impossible. The signal was just there…" Ultron checked his systems, only to find that the tracked signal had vanished. The Hulk's location was now completely untraceable. "Boss, he's gone. The system can't locate him anymore."

Han Yu frowned deeply. What was happening?

Who was running?

Banner? That didn't make sense. He was a mild-mannered man who spoke softly, the type who seemed like he'd be out of breath after running a kilometer. Running away just wasn't his style.

Could it be the Hulk?

That didn't make sense either. The Hulk's intelligence was equivalent to an angry ten-year-old at best—possibly even younger. He was a big, green brute who only knew how to roar in anger and smash things randomly. How could he know to change locations frequently to avoid satellite tracking?

"Ultron, is there any news from the Avengers?" Han Yu continued his questioning. "The Hulk is too large to disappear in a central city without leaving a trace."

Ultron's voice carried a trace of regret. "No news. I've hacked their gamma radiation detection systems, and there's been no unusual gamma activity detected recently. I have no idea how the Hulk managed to avoid this."

Ultron's casual mention of hacking into someone else's satellite made Han Yu chuckle helplessly. Advanced technology really did give you the freedom to do whatever you wanted.

Even though Ultron now had a human body, his consciousness was still connected to his previous metallic form, allowing him to interface seamlessly with the digital world.

Han Yu felt increasingly uneasy.

Gamma radiation was the root cause of the Hulk's existence.

Dr. Banner had been exposed to an immense dose of gamma radiation, causing his genetic mutation. That mutation turned him into a green giant whenever he got angry—a monster with unimaginable strength.

Gamma radiation's power was no less destructive than an atomic or nuclear bomb. Even a trace of the radiation from such explosions could cause various deadly ailments in humans, let alone the massive dose that Banner had endured. The fact that he survived was nothing short of a miracle.

Han Yu cursed under his breath, frustrated. Damn it, the timeline changes are getting worse and worse.

With a powerful push from his feet, Han Yu launched himself into the air, landing atop a nearby ten-story building.

Standing on the rooftop's edge, he raised his hand. The Green Lantern energy in his palm materialized into a high-powered telescope, allowing him to scan the surroundings.

As night fell, the city's various lights began to glow, illuminating the streets in a colorful array.

Suddenly, Han Yu's gaze stopped about 200 meters away, fixating on a small bar. It wasn't a large establishment—just the kind of mid-sized place where a few friends could gather for a casual drink.

Occasionally, a few individuals emerged from the bar. By their looks, it was clear they weren't decent folks. Through his telescope, Han Yu could easily spot the outline of handguns tucked at their waists, barely concealed—almost as if they wanted to show them off.

Han Yu initially scanned past the bar without much thought, but just as he moved his gaze away by half a meter, he abruptly brought the telescope back to it.

He noticed a thin man hurrying into the bar from a side alley. The man wore a baseball cap pulled so low that it obscured most of his face.

Han Yu, who had some knowledge of the Avengers, immediately recognized the figure—it was Banner!

"Gotcha! Finally found you!"

Han Yu stepped forward and leapt off the ten-meter-high building without hesitation, landing steadily on the ground before quickly making his way toward the bar.

Pushing the door open, he was immediately greeted by the thick smell of smoke. The moment he stepped inside, the eyes of numerous burly men locked onto him.

Han Yu paid them no mind and walked straight into the bar, ignoring the provocative glances being thrown his way.

In a place filled with rugged and rough men—likely mercenaries by the look of them—Han Yu's youthful and sharp features stood out like a fresh flower in a pile of rocks.

"Hey, kid, are you lost? This isn't the kind of place you should be wandering into," a deep voice called out, directed at Han Yu.

Han Yu ignored the comment and continued scanning the bar, searching for Banner.

The man who had spoken, surprised at being ignored, slammed his hand on the table. Several of his companions stood up alongside him, all of them moving toward Han Yu.

Whistles filled the bar as the crowd watched with glee, clearly anticipating some entertainment. The men in the bar weren't just rough—they had a taste for chaos.

Leading the group was the man who had spoken earlier. In this bar, he was notorious for his "habit" of preying on others, though his victims were exclusively male.

Han Yu frowned impatiently. All he wanted was to find someone—why did there always have to be someone looking for trouble?

The group approached Han Yu, and the man at the front stared at him like a hungry wolf eyeing a defenseless sheep.

"Looks like I've got some real luck today," the man sneered. "Come along quietly, little brother, and I promise you'll suffer less."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Han Yu moved. In a flash, he surged forward, his leg swinging out in a powerful kick that landed squarely on the man's chest.

No one in the bar expected the slender young man—barely 140 pounds by the look of him—to unleash such force. The 200-pound brute was sent flying across the room, crashing through several tables and chairs along the way.

The man's companions were stunned. Before they could react, reaching for their guns, Han Yu's hands produced two gleaming daggers seemingly out of nowhere. With precise throws, the knives pierced the wrists of two of the men, causing them to cry out in pain.

The previously raucous bar fell silent. All eyes were now on Han Yu, darting between him and the incapacitated men.

His decisiveness and skill left everyone dumbfounded. Not only had his strength shocked them, but his precision and ruthlessness were on another level entirely.

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