— — — — — —

"You really went for it, huh? Bet that spanking felt good, didn't it?"

Saitama strolled over with his usual laid-back smirk, giving Renzo a playful jab in the side with his elbow.

Renzo kept a straight face. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Let's go. We're heading back."

"Oh-ho?" Saitama raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Smack someone's butt and now you're pretending it didn't happen?"

"Hey, you coming or not?" Renzo rolled his eyes and jerked his shoulder, motioning for Saitama to hurry up.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Saitama rushed over and threw an arm around him. "But didn't you say you wanted to hang around this base for a while? You're giving it up already?"

"Already handled it. I had one of my clones take care of everything—people, equipment, data. I just didn't want anything to get caught in the blast earlier, so I played it safe."

With that offhand explanation, Renzo vanished with Saitama, reappearing back at the manor.

"I'm gonna go game for a bit!"

The moment they landed, Saitama beelined straight for the gaming room.

As for challenging Renzo to a match?

Yeah, not happening—he figured the guy would be too busy right now. After all, Renzo had just snagged an entire research base's worth of tech. Knowing him, he'd probably be deep in analysis mode for days.

Not to mention... Genos still hadn't been repaired, right?

"Damn, he's full-on turned into a gaming otaku," Renzo muttered with a helpless shake of his head.

He took the elevator down to the second basement floor, heading into one of the labs where he found Dr. Kuseno and Genos in the middle of a diagnostics check.

As for Dr. Genus and the earlier recruit, Dr. Fukegao—they'd already been assigned to the 16th underground floor, continuing their genetic research.

Renzo had also asked Dr. Genus to upload everything he knew—cloning tech, gene enhancement, anti-aging procedures, and so on—into Red Queen's database, so he could access it later whenever needed.

"Oh! Sensei, you're back!" Genos lit up as Renzo entered. "Red Queen mentioned you had a clash with Tornado of Terror? What happened? Who won?"

There had been no live feed from the fight, so all Genos knew came secondhand from Red Queen's report.

"Yeah, we fought," Renzo said with a smirk. "That girl's got a toxic tongue and a worse temper. Starts swinging the moment she gets annoyed. You think I'd just take that lying down?"

"And the result? What do you think? Of course your Sensei won."

"Once you're all fixed up, go check the combat logs for yourself."

He gave Genos a once-over, noting the damage. "Speaking of which, your body's pretty beat up right now. Why don't we just go ahead and start your first upgrade?"

Renzo clapped his hands, and a glowing interface appeared in front of him. As various data streams lit up, he casually instructed, "Red Queen, you've scanned and recorded Genos' status and combat data, right? Based on what we've got so far, design an optimal upgrade blueprint."

"Yes, Master," Red Queen replied instantly, diving into calculations.

Data and projections filled Renzo's display. With a wave, he expanded the holographic screen and projected it onto the lab's side wall so both Genos and Dr. Kuseno could follow along.

"Isn't this a bit rushed?" Dr. Kuseno asked, slightly concerned. "Shouldn't we fix Genos up first so he can move properly?"

But even as he spoke, his eyes were drawn to the rapidly shifting data on the screen—and his jaw practically dropped.

Red Queen's computing power was insane.

Even the best supercomputers he'd worked with couldn't hold a candle to this level of simulation and projection.

Actually, could this even be considered a normal supercomputer? Kuseno was starting to suspect Renzo had access to something way more advanced than any mainstream tech.

"There's no need to wait," Renzo replied calmly. "Red Queen runs calculations incredibly fast, and I've got plenty of high-level tech on hand. We can design and implement a full upgrade in just a few hours."

He paused, then smiled and extended his hand toward Kuseno.

"By the way, with all the chaos earlier, I didn't get a chance to properly welcome you."

"I'm Renzo. And I'm glad to have you here in my lab."

Dr. Kuseno blinked in surprise, then politely shook his hand. "I'm Kuseno. Thank you. It's an honor to be invited."

"Honestly," Renzo said, "I've heard a lot about your work. I'd love for you to join my lab. Collaborate with us, share ideas, grow together."

He didn't bother sugarcoating it—straightforward and to the point.

Dr. Kuseno hesitated for a second, clearly caught off guard. He was already preparing to politely decline.

Genos, meanwhile, looked worried, afraid this might lead to some conflict between his mentor and his Sensei.

But Renzo saw it coming and didn't give Kuseno a chance to say no. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a new data screen in the air—ready to lay out everything that might change the doctor's mind.

"I wouldn't rush to decline if I were you," Renzo said casually. "At least take a look at the offer first. I think you'll find it… hard to resist."

"Oh?" Kuseno raised an eyebrow, now genuinely curious. "Let's see what kind of backing you've got."

He looked at the screen, and in an instant, his expression shifted.

A vial that extends life by 300 years?

A gene-enhancing serum that boosts neural responses and physical stats?

A meditation technique that gives psychic abilities and massively enhances mental strength?

Unlimited funding and research materials?

That was just the beginning. There were several other perks listed too, but Kuseno didn't even need to scroll down. Just those few items alone had already blown his mind.

He chuckled helplessly and shook his head. "No wonder you sounded so confident. I get it now."

"Each of these things… they're beyond rare treasures," he said, his voice filled with awe. "With these, I could extend my lifespan, get more time for research… become sharper, younger, maybe even develop superpowers…"

"Who wouldn't be tempted by something like this?"

Renzo smiled. "So? Will you join me? Let's take mechanical augmentation and all its derivatives to the next level—together."

Kuseno paused for a breath, then gave a firm nod. "I'm in. With terms like this, I'd be a fool to say no. I do have one condition though—I'd like to keep being involved in Genos' upgrades."

"Doctor…" Genos looked deeply moved.

"Of course," Renzo replied without hesitation. "Even if you didn't ask, I would've invited you anyway. Genos is my disciple now, and I take that seriously. I'll make sure he keeps evolving and getting stronger."

Tech-wise, upgrading cyborgs was well worth the investment.

"Sensei…" Genos now looked at Renzo the same way a starving man looks at a feast.

First, he had Dr. Kuseno—the one who gave him a second chance at life—and now, a new teacher just as devoted and capable.

He felt blessed beyond belief.

"You just focus on your training," Renzo said with a grin. "Make sure your mind keeps up with your upgraded body. The more monsters you take down and innocent people you save, the more it validates what we're doing here."

"Absolutely," Dr. Kuseno agreed, nodding with a smile.

"I won't let you down, Sensei! Doctor!" Genos declared loudly and earnestly.

At that moment, Red Queen's voice chimed in. "Master! The first-phase upgrade plan for Genos is complete!"

"A portion of the components can be manufactured right away in the current lab," she added. "However, a few high-end precision parts will require your personal attention."

"There's also a list of rare materials we'll need from you," she said, projecting a full breakdown of parts and resources onto a nearby screen.

"Got it," Renzo replied. "I'll take care of the materials. Start producing the parts that don't require me to step in."

"Yes, Master!"

...

—Half a day flew by.

Genos' first-phase upgrade was officially complete.

On the outside, he didn't look all that different. But all three of them—Genos, Renzo, and Dr. Kuseno—knew that was just surface-level.

"Alright," Renzo said, giving Genos a firm pat on the shoulder. "Time to head out into the wilderness and give that new body of yours a proper test."

"Yes, Sensei! Sorry to trouble you again!"

Genos bowed, then turned to Dr. Kuseno with a respectful nod. "Doctor, we'll be heading out for the field test."

"Go ahead," Kuseno smiled warmly. "I'll monitor everything from here through the screen."

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