Chapter 189: Taking a Beating

The ground around the two combatants cracked under the immense pressure, with fissures as thick as an arm radiating outward like a spiderweb. The bystanders watching from a distance couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines.

Was this level of destruction caused by just one punch?

Ultron's strike was incredibly powerful. It lacked any flashy theatrics or exaggerated effects, appearing as nothing more than a lightning-fast straight punch. However, it was in no way inferior to Hulk's gamma-boosted blow.

As the shockwave from the collision surged forward, Han Yu stood motionless, his hands casually in his pockets, watching Ultron with a relaxed smile.

"This body is crafted from the Heavenly Demon Puppet technique. If something like this could defeat Ultron, he'd truly be worthless," Han Yu remarked.

As soon as Han Yu finished speaking, Ultron responded with a confident smirk. Remaining focused, he unclenched his punching fist and swiftly grabbed Hulk's wrist. His left hand darted upward, securing a hold under Hulk's armpit.

With a deft move, Ultron performed a perfect back throw, sending Hulk's massive, thousand-pound frame crashing into the ground. The immense force reignited cracks that had just begun to settle, deepening the fractures across the earth.

Ultron didn't rely on anything but his own body—one of his greatest weapons.

While Hulk's gamma energy made him immensely powerful, his combat style was still that of a simple brute: wild, uncoordinated swings.

Ultron, on the other hand, was a different story. His mind held a repository of martial arts techniques from around the world. In terms of close combat, he was an undisputed grandmaster. On Earth—or even in the universe—there was no one who could outmatch him in hand-to-hand combat.

Was Hulk strong? Absolutely. His strength was off the charts.

But with Thor absent from Earth, relying solely on the Avengers to subdue Hulk would come at a significant cost—a cost they might not be able to bear.

Though Hulk lacked the ability to control his strength, every punch he threw carried devastating force. Against an ordinary human, a single strike would reduce them to a bloody pulp without exaggeration.

Yet against Ultron, whose strength rivaled Hulk's and whose combat technique far exceeded his, Hulk's chances of victory were slim to none.

Neither Charles nor Stark had an opportunity to intervene. Ultron single-handedly kept Hulk completely suppressed. No matter what Hulk attempted, Ultron countered with a relentless barrage of punches, each blow powerful enough to split the ground into numerous fissures.

To an uninformed observer, it might have seemed like they were there to demolish and reconstruct the street.

In less than five minutes, Ultron emerged from a massive crater, dragging a battered and barely conscious Hulk.

The punch that had put Hulk down had left a colossal pit in the ground.

Ultron's attacks were brutal, aimed at incapacitating Hulk as quickly as possible. He knew Han Yu possessed senzu beans that could heal Hulk, so his strategy was simple: push Hulk to the brink of death without actually killing him.

The result was excruciating for Hulk, to say the least.

"Is it all taken care of?"

Looking at the barely conscious Hulk, Han Yu showed no surprise at the outcome. If Ultron hadn't been able to handle this, Han Yu might have had to reconsider Ultron's place in his plans.

Having followed him for so long, it would be truly embarrassing if Ultron, a god-level existence, couldn't handle someone as brutish as the Hulk.

"All taken care of. Let's head back and focus on producing the antidote serum so we can resolve this mess as soon as possible," Ultron said.

"That's it? It's already over? I didn't even get to do anything!" Quicksilver complained with a frustrated expression. He had only just arrived and barely stood around before they were ready to leave. "Man, having so many powerful teammates isn't always a blessing. The fight ends before I can even lift a finger. So boring. Hulk couldn't hold out just a bit longer?"

Quicksilver cast a disgruntled glance at the unconscious Hulk. If Hulk were awake to hear that remark, he might very well have exploded in anger.

Hulk, in his defense, would have simply replied, Why don't you give it a try?

Han Yu pulled out his phone and dialed Captain America. "We've subdued the Hulk. Send a team to secure the area and handle the aftermath."

Captain America's surprised voice came through the line. "I sent people over as soon as I got word of the situation—they should be arriving soon. You've already taken care of it?"

The Captain wasn't doubting their ability, but the speed with which Han Yu's team had resolved the situation far outpaced even the Avengers' response time.

"It's handled. Get your team here quickly to clean up," Han Yu replied, hanging up without waiting for a response.

As he put his phone away, Han Yu noticed the surrounding crowd murmuring amongst themselves. With his sharp hearing, he caught fragments of their conversations.

"So terrifying… Forget Avengers—they're more like the Grudge-Bringers League."

"I used to think those online rankings of the Avengers were exaggerated, but now I see why Hulk is ranked number one. It's well-deserved."

"I'm voting for him when I get home. Guys like him need to be tightly controlled—he's way too dangerous."

Hearing their chatter, Han Yu turned to look at Stark, who had already emerged from his anti-Hulk armor. That massive suit, brought out with such fanfare, hadn't even been put to use before the battle was over.

Within three minutes, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents arrived on the scene. Their leader caught Han Yu's attention—someone he hadn't expected. Although they hadn't met often in this world, the face was unmistakably familiar.

"Hello, I'm Phil Coulson, senior agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the lead for this operation," Coulson introduced himself.

Coulson had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. during the same era as Nick Fury and was one of Fury's closest confidants.

Han Yu was surprised because, in his memory, Coulson had died during Loki's invasion of New York. Seeing him alive meant the incident where Loki's scepter impaled Coulson hadn't occurred in this timeline.

"Alright, it's all yours to handle," Han Yu said, patting Coulson on the shoulder before signaling to Ultron. With that, they left with Hulk in tow.

As Han Yu departed, Coulson watched him leave with a strange sense of familiarity. It felt like seeing an old friend, though he couldn't recall ever meeting him before.

Returning to the small shop, they found everything had been restored. Stark and Charles were already back to their research.

Han Yu had used five upgrade points to ensure a full recovery of the shop and everything within it, including the experiment Stark and Charles had been conducting.

This time, to ensure nothing went wrong, Han Yu stayed in the storeroom to keep an eye on Hulk. He took out his Multiverse Phone and began scrolling through the news, which was already covering the chaos caused by Hulk.

Every interviewed bystander had something negative to say about Hulk. It was clear that Hulk's chances of returning as an Avenger were slim.

If Hulk remained a part of the Avengers, the entire team risked becoming a target of public criticism.

Want to read the chapters in Advance? Join my Patreon

https://patreon.com/Glimmer09