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Chapter 329: It's Been a While, Optimus Prime...
On the surface, a section of flat ground suddenly subsided, and a blue vehicle parked in the distance started up on its own, slowly driving into the underground laboratory.
Everything began with this truck.
After the dust settled, Tony gazed blankly at the predominantly blue vehicle, reached out his hand, and gave it a gentle pat.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the touch, as cold as ever, still gave him a sense of warmth.
A warmth that flowed from the cold.
When times were tough, this truck had sheltered him. When he was weak, it had carried him, allowing him to escape one crisis after another and kill enemy after enemy.
This truck had gone from being an ordinary light truck, step-by-step upgraded and modified by Tony, to finally become what it was today: a large semi-truck.
Its design was striking. The front of the truck was tall and imposing, and viewed from the front, lightning rod-like spikes extended from the doors on both sides, pointing straight toward the sky.
"Once, I had the ambition to give you life, but limited by my abilities, I hesitated time and again..."
Tony pulled open the door and leaped inside, a motion as smooth as ever. He had perfected this action through countless repetitions; it was engraved into his very bones.
As he rested his hands on the steering wheel, feeling its familiar texture, Tony couldn't help but be lost in nostalgia.
This truck had once carried the heavy burden of his family's livelihood, but in the end, only the two of them were left.
"Soon, Optimus Prime, very soon I'll be able to give you true life. I'm a demigod now and have fathomed the secrets of the soul. I will give you genuine life, not lifeless like before," Tony muttered to himself.
As Tony's power grew, ordinary Transformers could no longer keep up with the changing times. Those Transformers, terrifyingly powerful to ordinary humans, were utterly vulnerable against enemies like Dormammu and Mephisto.
Most importantly, even if he created a self-aware Optimus Prime, what would he do if it were destroyed by a powerful enemy?
Use the Time Stone?
This precious period of peace was meant for creating Cybertronian organic lifeforms, for peacefully shaping the core framework of the future planet Cybertron.
Now, it was time.
Tony patted the steering wheel once more. His wandering thoughts slowly returned, and his gaze gradually focused, filled with caution and deep anticipation.
"CNA is the gene chain of the Transformers. It records the genetic code of all Cybertronian life, destined to have an incredibly strong affinity with metal."
Tony's expression was incredibly solemn. He got out of the truck, walked to its front, and faced the silent Optimus Prime, slowly closing his eyes.
Within his mind, a flame burned with a gentle warmth. This spark of life was the beginning of all life. The source of the soul, too, must be approached through the Allspark.
In the original story, the Allspark could not only grant new life to individual Transformers but was also the core energy source for the entire planet Cybertron. A single Allspark could, in an instant, turn a ruined and deathly still Cybertron vibrant with life.
The fount of life, the treasury of knowledge.
"I rose to power because of the Allspark, and my name spread throughout the universe. This is what I owe you, and it's right that I return it to you..." Tony said in a low voice, believing the cold Optimus Prime could hear him.
In an instant, countless pieces of knowledge and memories began to circulate around the Allspark. Everything Tony had ever come into contact with was pulled from his Central Processor, then analyzed and researched with the help of the Allspark's power.
The mysteries of gene and soul from various creatures, accumulated over many years, were all compiled by Tony at once.
The records from Kamar-Taj were thoroughly digested by Tony, who precisely analyzed the composition of every single conceptual particle of the soul.
Tony recalled the past, the sensation of when he used to animate each mech. This itself was a form of active control over otherwise inanimate objects.
The Allspark became incredibly active, as bright and dazzling as the sun. It was like the first torch of civilization lit in the ancient, primordial darkness, held high by someone as a symbol of hope.
And Tony was the one who raised that torch and would pass it on to many others.
Each activation was equivalent to a form of fission for the Allspark; it was just that this fission was extremely subtle, almost negligible.
The source flame, which recorded all change, was gently caressed by Tony, and then, extracted.
The Allspark, which possessed the power of Creation, a treasure of life, was carefully extracted by Tony. Every spark was molded together by him. In the endless darkness, countless tiny sparks gathered together.
Ultimately, it became a conflagration of sparks.
The fire dancing across the expanse symbolized civilization and represented the outcry of life. It trembled, cheered, and leaped for joy at a peculiar frequency, converging and merging. From individual tiny specks, it transformed into a strangely shaped, chain-like substance.
A massive amount of Creation Genes came into being from nothing, from concept to reality, transforming from a heap of indescribable, broad concepts into something tangible. They formed the most primitive, most comprehensive, and most perfect, beautiful chain of life.
It was a wondrous feeling, watching it grow drop by drop into a brilliant river of stars.
Suddenly, Tony laughed.
If nothing went wrong, this source CNA would eventually form. It was the ultimate physical manifestation of the Allspark, the tangible appearance of all miracles. All organic lifeforms, according to their individual differences, would select suitable genes from this Protoform CNA.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest.
But Tony didn't intend to let that happen. He was the creator, not a mere facilitator.
"If I do nothing, then what's the point?"
Tony laughed out loud, unrestrained. His gaze was fervent, its heat raising the temperature of the air. His heart pounded powerfully.
Like the Hand of God, he gently nudged the meticulously logical system, altering its existing trajectory and shaping entirely new laws.
The light of the Allspark erupted suddenly!!
Cheers!
There were cheers everywhere!
Countless great beings were crying out!
"This is my Allspark, and in the future, it will be my Cybertron!!!" Tony laughed heartily. Following his own will, in the guise of a god, he carefully manipulated everything. He looked down upon it all, like a true god.
His gentle and expectant gaze lingered for a long time, refusing to fade. That watchfulness, born from his very soul, was ultimately and permanently engraved in an unobservable way.
Just as the Time Stone records the Reality Stone, so too was Tony, in his own way and as a god, personally shaping a new life from its very source to its physical form.
The Protoform CNA, and by extension the Allspark and its power of activation, underwent an earth-shattering transformation. Countless gene memories and all sorts of strange gene abilities that had never existed in the Allspark were blended and fused into it by Tony.
The piercing light gradually faded. Everything seemed to revert to its original state, as if time were flowing backward.
The silent and vast underground laboratory returned to its tranquility. It was just as before: one Tony, one truck, gazing at each other in silence.
But no one other than Tony knew that at this moment, a new world, a new door, had opened. The light beyond that door was clearly visible!
The Protoform CNA silently merged into Optimus Prime's chassis, integrating into Optimus Prime's spark.
A faint tremor suddenly appeared. The large blue truck seemed to move for a moment, but quickly fell silent again.
Tony could clearly feel its body gradually heating up, growing warm with the kind of warmth that comes from life.
"It's been a while, Optimus Prime..."
Tony felt a sting in his nose as he murmured in a low voice.
(end of chapter)
On the surface, a section of flat ground suddenly subsided, and a blue vehicle parked in the distance started up on its own, slowly driving into the underground laboratory.
Everything began with this truck.
After the dust settled, Tony gazed blankly at the predominantly blue vehicle, reached out his hand, and gave it a gentle pat.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the touch, as cold as ever, still gave him a sense of warmth.
A warmth that flowed from the cold.
When times were tough, this truck had sheltered him. When he was weak, it had carried him, allowing him to escape one crisis after another and kill enemy after enemy.
This truck had gone from being an ordinary light truck, step-by-step upgraded and modified by Tony, to finally become what it was today: a large semi-truck.
Its design was striking. The front of the truck was tall and imposing, and viewed from the front, lightning rod-like spikes extended from the doors on both sides, pointing straight toward the sky.
"Once, I had the ambition to give you life, but limited by my abilities, I hesitated time and again..."
Tony pulled open the door and leaped inside, a motion as smooth as ever. He had perfected this action through countless repetitions; it was engraved into his very bones.
As he rested his hands on the steering wheel, feeling its familiar texture, Tony couldn't help but be lost in nostalgia.
This truck had once carried the heavy burden of his family's livelihood, but in the end, only the two of them were left.
"Soon, Optimus Prime, very soon I'll be able to give you true life. I'm a demigod now and have fathomed the secrets of the soul. I will give you genuine life, not lifeless like before," Tony muttered to himself.
As Tony's power grew, ordinary Transformers could no longer keep up with the changing times. Those Transformers, terrifyingly powerful to ordinary humans, were utterly vulnerable against enemies like Dormammu and Mephisto.
Most importantly, even if he created a self-aware Optimus Prime, what would he do if it were destroyed by a powerful enemy?
Use the Time Stone?
This precious period of peace was meant for creating Cybertronian organic lifeforms, for peacefully shaping the core framework of the future planet Cybertron.
Now, it was time.
Tony patted the steering wheel once more. His wandering thoughts slowly returned, and his gaze gradually focused, filled with caution and deep anticipation.
"CNA is the gene chain of the Transformers. It records the genetic code of all Cybertronian life, destined to have an incredibly strong affinity with metal."
Tony's expression was incredibly solemn. He got out of the truck, walked to its front, and faced the silent Optimus Prime, slowly closing his eyes.
Within his mind, a flame burned with a gentle warmth. This spark of life was the beginning of all life. The source of the soul, too, must be approached through the Allspark.
In the original story, the Allspark could not only grant new life to individual Transformers but was also the core energy source for the entire planet Cybertron. A single Allspark could, in an instant, turn a ruined and deathly still Cybertron vibrant with life.
The fount of life, the treasury of knowledge.
"I rose to power because of the Allspark, and my name spread throughout the universe. This is what I owe you, and it's right that I return it to you..." Tony said in a low voice, believing the cold Optimus Prime could hear him.
In an instant, countless pieces of knowledge and memories began to circulate around the Allspark. Everything Tony had ever come into contact with was pulled from his Central Processor, then analyzed and researched with the help of the Allspark's power.
The mysteries of gene and soul from various creatures, accumulated over many years, were all compiled by Tony at once.
The records from Kamar-Taj were thoroughly digested by Tony, who precisely analyzed the composition of every single conceptual particle of the soul.
Tony recalled the past, the sensation of when he used to animate each mech. This itself was a form of active control over otherwise inanimate objects.
The Allspark became incredibly active, as bright and dazzling as the sun. It was like the first torch of civilization lit in the ancient, primordial darkness, held high by someone as a symbol of hope.
And Tony was the one who raised that torch and would pass it on to many others.
Each activation was equivalent to a form of fission for the Allspark; it was just that this fission was extremely subtle, almost negligible.
The source flame, which recorded all change, was gently caressed by Tony, and then, extracted.
The Allspark, which possessed the power of Creation, a treasure of life, was carefully extracted by Tony. Every spark was molded together by him. In the endless darkness, countless tiny sparks gathered together.
Ultimately, it became a conflagration of sparks.
The fire dancing across the expanse symbolized civilization and represented the outcry of life. It trembled, cheered, and leaped for joy at a peculiar frequency, converging and merging. From individual tiny specks, it transformed into a strangely shaped, chain-like substance.
A massive amount of Creation Genes came into being from nothing, from concept to reality, transforming from a heap of indescribable, broad concepts into something tangible. They formed the most primitive, most comprehensive, and most perfect, beautiful chain of life.
It was a wondrous feeling, watching it grow drop by drop into a brilliant river of stars.
Suddenly, Tony laughed.
If nothing went wrong, this source CNA would eventually form. It was the ultimate physical manifestation of the Allspark, the tangible appearance of all miracles. All organic lifeforms, according to their individual differences, would select suitable genes from this Protoform CNA.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest.
But Tony didn't intend to let that happen. He was the creator, not a mere facilitator.
"If I do nothing, then what's the point?"
Tony laughed out loud, unrestrained. His gaze was fervent, its heat raising the temperature of the air. His heart pounded powerfully.
Like the Hand of God, he gently nudged the meticulously logical system, altering its existing trajectory and shaping entirely new laws.
The light of the Allspark erupted suddenly!!
Cheers!
There were cheers everywhere!
Countless great beings were crying out!
"This is my Allspark, and in the future, it will be my Cybertron!!!" Tony laughed heartily. Following his own will, in the guise of a god, he carefully manipulated everything. He looked down upon it all, like a true god.
His gentle and expectant gaze lingered for a long time, refusing to fade. That watchfulness, born from his very soul, was ultimately and permanently engraved in an unobservable way.
Just as the Time Stone records the Reality Stone, so too was Tony, in his own way and as a god, personally shaping a new life from its very source to its physical form.
The Protoform CNA, and by extension the Allspark and its power of activation, underwent an earth-shattering transformation. Countless gene memories and all sorts of strange gene abilities that had never existed in the Allspark were blended and fused into it by Tony.
The piercing light gradually faded. Everything seemed to revert to its original state, as if time were flowing backward.
The silent and vast underground laboratory returned to its tranquility. It was just as before: one Tony, one truck, gazing at each other in silence.
But no one other than Tony knew that at this moment, a new world, a new door, had opened. The light beyond that door was clearly visible!
The Protoform CNA silently merged into Optimus Prime's chassis, integrating into Optimus Prime's spark.
A faint tremor suddenly appeared. The large blue truck seemed to move for a moment, but quickly fell silent again.
Tony could clearly feel its body gradually heating up, growing warm with the kind of warmth that comes from life.
"It's been a while, Optimus Prime..."
Tony felt a sting in his nose as he murmured in a low voice.
(end of chapter)
