Chapter Four: Natasha's Floral Key

Black Widow Natasha’s eyes widened in shock, and her mouth fell open like a startled toad. To liken Natasha to a toad was the greatest affront to her beauty, but Yang Xin didn’t care in the slightest. Gazing at her luscious, seductive lips, he couldn't help but mischievously think of the Hulk’s “human cannonball.” The image was so vivid that Yang Xin dared not let his mind wander further.

“This is unscientific!” Natasha exclaimed in disbelief, looking down at her S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical suit. True to her training as an agent, her mind had instinctively gone to her combat attire, but seeing Yang Xin’s amused smile, she knew she’d already been found out.

Resigned, Natasha tossed her damp hair back and extended her right hand. “Agent Natasha Romanoff, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury sends his regards. He’ll be here as soon as he’s finished with Stark’s situation.”

Yang Xin gently shook her hand with a polite smile. “It’s an honor to meet you, beautiful warrior. Your radiance dims even the sun itself. But, if I may, I prefer to call you Comrade Romanoff.”

At his words, Natasha’s muscles tensed, her entire form poised like a hunting leopard, her eyes shining coldly. “So, you’re from that red country?”

“Haha, Xin, don’t tease Natasha,” Coulson interjected. Then, turning to Natasha: “Agent Romanoff, you don’t need to be so tense. Xin is a good man—he’s on our side. Though, he does have quite the mischievous streak, which can be both amusing and exasperating.”

“A good man? Just because he gave us a magical item that conjures clothing?” Natasha scoffed. “Clothing conjured by magic won’t help much in direct combat—at best, it’s useful for infiltration missions.”

Of course, the value of the Flower Key was far greater than Natasha let on; in terms of disguise, it was practically a divine artifact. She wanted it badly, but the more she desired it, the more she feigned indifference.

“Comrade Romanoff, do you truly believe the Flower Key has no use in direct combat? Perhaps we should perform a little experiment.” Maintaining an air of innocence, Yang Xin borrowed a laptop from Coulson, connected to the internet, and pulled up the movie “Gantz.”

“Could it produce a suit like this?” he asked, pointing to the skin-tight combat gear from “Gantz.”

Natasha’s eyes lit up instantly. She began operating the Flower Key, and in a flash, the Gantz suit appeared on her body.

“This suit is incredible!” Natasha exclaimed, leaping three meters into the air. If not for the high villa ceilings, she would have smashed into the roof.

“How does it feel?” Yang Xin asked.

“It’s powerful. I’d estimate my combat ability has increased by at least two hundred percent. For precise numbers, we’d need S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters’ advanced instruments,” Natasha replied, punching the air. The sound of a sonic boom faintly echoed.

Coulson’s eyes widened. He hurried to transmit this intelligence to Nick Fury, urging the Director to come at once.

Suddenly, Natasha removed the Flower Key and the suit vanished instantly. Yet, the sudden loss of power didn’t discourage her. She closed her eyes, quietly savoring the lingering sensation. Eventually, she spoke in a low voice, “It’s so strong—truly strong. Even after removing the Flower Key, I can still faintly feel the suit’s residual energy enhancing my body. It’s subtle, but if it continues, I believe I’ll become stronger even without the Flower Key.”

“I’ve noticed the same,” Coulson agreed. “After reverting from the Kise transformation, I still feel that power subtly nourishing my body, making me stronger without me even noticing.”

“Wow, Coulson, your grasp of classical idioms isn’t bad,” Yang Xin quipped. But suddenly, a thought struck him. He realized that though he spoke Mandarin and Coulson responded in English, they understood each other perfectly. No doubt, this was another function of the Treasure Distribution System.

“In truth, Comrade Romanoff, you can become even stronger.” After teasing Coulson, Yang Xin turned back to Natasha, then pulled up a classic anime—“Saint Seiya.”

“These Bronze, Silver, and Gold Cloths of Sanctuary, the God Robes of Asgard, the Scales of the Mariners, the Surplices of the Specters, and the Divine Cloths—can the Flower Key manifest them all?” His eyes glimmered with anticipation.

Natasha studied the anime’s armors thoughtfully; the suits from “Gantz” paled in comparison to the power of the Cloths.

“Transform!” This time, Natasha’s voice was reverent, almost like a pilgrimage. Bathed in sunlight, she shimmered with dazzling light.

At last, the Andromeda Bronze Cloth adorned her body.

“I can only manifest Bronze-level Cloths, Scales, and Surplices. Silver and Gold Cloths are impossible, and as for the Divine Cloths and God’s armors, I can’t produce them at all,” she said, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.

Yet Natasha quickly regained her composure. “Still, it’s not bad at all. With the Bronze Cloth, I can punch faster than the speed of sound.” She demonstrated with a punch, creating a sonic boom.

The Flower Key’s enhancement was unmistakable. If Natasha could previously defeat ten Coulsons, now not even a hundred could match her—and even Captain America would be outclassed.

“Can you sense the power called ‘Cosmos’? Can you feel the power from the stars?” Yang Xin suddenly asked.

Natasha paused, then sat cross-legged, focusing inward. If she could truly sense the power of Cosmos, the energy of the stars, she could become much stronger even without the Flower Key. If she let her imagination run wild, becoming a Silver or even Gold Saint was not out of the question… And perhaps, to become a god was within reach.

After a long while, Natasha opened her eyes, removed the Flower Key, and closed her eyes again to continue her meditation. She remained in that state until nightfall. When the starlight touched her through the window, Yang Xin and Coulson saw a brief glimmer of starlight flash across Natasha.

Yang Xin felt certain his guess was correct, and Natasha’s words confirmed it. “I can indeed sense a faint trace of Cosmos, just a thread, and I can feel power from the stars as well. It’s only a sliver, enough for a single attack.” Her excitement was palpable.

Though only a trace, this sliver of power represented boundless possibilities.

In Yang Xin’s mind, the Treasure Distribution System’s words echoed: “My treasures belong only to the virtuous.”

The so-called treasures of the system were not mere artifacts, but seeds for one’s own growth.

“I’ve discovered something else,” Natasha said suddenly, a hint of regret on her face. “The Flower Key can only be used once a day.”

“How many times did you use it today? Three?”

“Today was special. I felt the will of the Flower Key itself. I believe today was just a demonstration. Apart from ordinary clothes and the Cloth, it can’t produce any more superpowered clothing. For example, the Gantz suit can no longer be manifested.” Her tone was tinged with disappointment.

“As expected. ‘My treasures belong only to the virtuous’—perhaps those words have a deeper meaning.” Yang Xin felt a strange sense of clarity, then patted Natasha’s shoulder gently. “It’s not a bad thing. Though there are some limitations, after all, you’ve been given the seed of power, a starlit path. Follow it, and you’ll go far.”

As Yang Xin’s hand touched Natasha’s shoulder, the system’s voice sounded at just the right moment: “Flower Key mission complete. Reward distribution. Randomly drawing a skill from Natasha Romanoff…”

“What the—how is it this ability?!”