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Chapter 540: Artificial God · Thor
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"You are the only remaining king of Asgard. Whether to take this risk is your choice."
Tony watched Thor quietly, an unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.
To be honest, Tony was truly unwilling to enter a blood war with Amatsu-Mikaboshi for no reason. His friendship with Thor wasn't that deep, not enough to be worth risking his life.
Most importantly, the reward wasn't that great.
The friendship of Asgard? Odin was dead, leaving only Thor and the others fleeing with over a hundred thousand civilians. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, it would take thousands of years for Asgard to recover.
The worst-case scenario was just Tony taking Cybertron into exile across the Multiverse. In any case, the people he cared about most were all on Cybertron.
With countless universes, where could he not make a home?
"Let me do it. My strength is no less than Thor's. I will be the one to accept the Celestial's living tissue," Heimdall said, stepping forward.
"No, let me. I have the pure blood of the Frost Giants running through my veins. After all, that's your goal, isn't it?" Loki said, looking at the calm Tony. "I just hope that what you said is true, that there's a real chance of success."
"You aren't valuable enough for me to stake my dignity and reputation on deceiving you," Tony said lightly. "It might sound harsh, but I have no need to lie to you. The risk is proportional to the reward."
Thor clapped Tony heavily on the shoulder and slowly nodded. "Then I will be the one to undergo the augmentation. As long as I can obtain greater power, I am willing to pay any price."
"Let's begin then. Amatsu-Mikaboshi could come for you at any moment. I will complete your augmentation as quickly as possible."
Tony said seriously, then waved his hand, opening the top floor of a metal tower.
Hearing the tearful, moving farewells between Thor and the others, Tony's expression remained placid, yet a sliver of anticipation grew in his heart.
Creating an artificial Celestial was a crucial step in mass-producing bio-weapons. It was incredibly important, whether for confronting the Celestials in the future or for advancing research into the system of divine power.
Thor wanted power? Excellent. Tony was willing to give it to him. As for whether he would succeed, that was another matter entirely.
The level of a Celestial starts at Level Seven. As long as the augmentation is successful, Thor will cross that threshold and become a Level Seven God-King, powerful enough to fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi.
It would also save Tony from the awkward situation of being forced to fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi later.
Heimdall's face was grim, and Loki's expression was unsettled. Filled with immense doubt, unease, and hope, they watched Thor follow Tony into the top floor of the building.
Loki's face darkened. He created an illusionary clone, and his true body tried to sneak in after them, but a powerful wave of magic suddenly appeared and blocked him.
It contained a power that made Loki's heart pound in his chest—a power no less than Odin's.
"Just how many powerhouses has Tony recruited..." A deep sense of dread appeared in Loki's eyes.
...
The top-floor laboratory was lined with numerous experiment tables for the artificial Celestial project, making the space feel somewhat empty.
"Lie down. I will fuse the Celestial's living tissue with your own. Whether or not you survive will depend on your own fate."
Tony beckoned with his hand, and a mass of flesh sealed in a container appeared. It twisted continuously, like a giant clump of writhing earthworms, enough to make one's skin crawl.
"How did you get this thing?" Thor asked, taking a deep breath.
"Nowhere. I destroyed it and then analyzed the Celestial's life code."
"Were you successful?"
"I failed. I only managed to analyze a part of it, but it's enough to perform a preliminary replicative transformation. I just can't create one artificially from scratch," Tony replied.
He never really expected to be able to fully replicate the method for creating a Celestial; that was completely unrealistic.
The Celestials were the creations of Eternity, one of the five great cosmic entities, involving secrets at the Level Eight tier. There was no way the current Tony could fully analyze them. If he could, it would be an insult to Eternity's very being.
Moreover, considering the terrifying aura that had been drawn out when Tony had previously thrown inferior Doomsday cells into the Celestial's ashes, Tony had a faint suspicion.
His attempt to pry into the core secrets of the Celestials must have enraged Eternity.
He could research and experiment, but only on superficial things. If he tried to tamper with the very core of the life code, Eternity would not let him off.
"This is the only way... Thor, I have to warn you. If you can't withstand it, death is the best outcome. Turning into a mindless, deformed monster would be the worst. If that happens, I will find a way to kill you," Tony said gravely.
For some reason, his palm began to itch, and he couldn't resist the urge to grab the three Mother Boxes...
They really were good things. If anything was bothering him, with a *swish* and a flash of white light, the problem would be solved...
Apokolips is so huge, anyway. If I secretly planted something there, Darkseid probably wouldn't notice... Yes, that must be it.
"If I truly become a monster, you must kill me at the first opportunity. Also, give my people a chance to live. Give Loki a chance to live."
Thor said calmly, his deep voice revealing his resolve to risk everything.
"Don't worry. I'm not so greedy as to covet your small population."
Tony gently raised his arm, and the nauseating mass of unconsciously writhing flesh fell into his hand.
As soon as the mass of flesh touched his warmth and energy, it instinctively tried to burrow in and devour him. But Tony was faster. He crushed it into countless atom-sized particles and controlled them as they merged into Thor's body.
A stifled scream escaped, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his face.
This was a cruel process of displacement. The flesh had been cultivated by reverse-engineering the dead living tissue of a Celestial. It still contained the powerful life essence of a Celestial—at least, one of a higher tier than Thor.
The moment it made contact, the flesh began to frantically erode Thor's body. Every single atom was filled with immense aggression, instinctively craving more living matter.
From the outside, Thor's body suddenly erupted with a blinding light, and even his form began to change.
"Suppress them, Thor! You desire to control power, not be controlled by it."
Tony barked, struggling to interfere with the movement of each atom, which seemed to have a will of its own. He constantly intervened, making more subtle adjustments to help them integrate with Thor's body.
Large areas of Thor's body became necrotic, and clumps of dead cells fell away in droves. But strangely, his entire body was constantly expanding and contracting, as if he were breathing.
Time passed. The suppressed screams grew more and more shrill until they seemed to reach a limit. Then, Thor's voice immediately quieted, and his aura became faint.
But a powerful aura, far surpassing anything before, was rising frantically. A thrum of life emerged; a brand-new being was brewing.
But whether or not that being was still Thor became a pressing question.
"Let's hope you succeed."
The three Mother Boxes appeared in Tony's hands. He caressed them as he embedded the final atom, then pulled back his hands and quietly awaited the final result.
This mass of flesh was something Tony had cultivated by combining the most advanced power and technology at his disposal. It was filled with primal fury and aggression.
One could barely consider this thing a debilitated version of Celestial flesh. It lacked the vitality of a Celestial and some of the divine willpower it had in life, but that still couldn't conceal the special nature of this flesh.
Its life essence was weakened, painstakingly restored from long-dead genes. Strictly speaking, it was still an incomplete version.
The immense life fluctuation rose rapidly until it finally reached its peak. A majestic pressure emerged, and the light grew even brighter.
"Let's see if this will actually work," Tony mused, waiting quietly.
(end of chapter)
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"You are the only remaining king of Asgard. Whether to take this risk is your choice."
Tony watched Thor quietly, an unreadable emotion flickering in his eyes.
To be honest, Tony was truly unwilling to enter a blood war with Amatsu-Mikaboshi for no reason. His friendship with Thor wasn't that deep, not enough to be worth risking his life.
Most importantly, the reward wasn't that great.
The friendship of Asgard? Odin was dead, leaving only Thor and the others fleeing with over a hundred thousand civilians. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, it would take thousands of years for Asgard to recover.
The worst-case scenario was just Tony taking Cybertron into exile across the Multiverse. In any case, the people he cared about most were all on Cybertron.
With countless universes, where could he not make a home?
"Let me do it. My strength is no less than Thor's. I will be the one to accept the Celestial's living tissue," Heimdall said, stepping forward.
"No, let me. I have the pure blood of the Frost Giants running through my veins. After all, that's your goal, isn't it?" Loki said, looking at the calm Tony. "I just hope that what you said is true, that there's a real chance of success."
"You aren't valuable enough for me to stake my dignity and reputation on deceiving you," Tony said lightly. "It might sound harsh, but I have no need to lie to you. The risk is proportional to the reward."
Thor clapped Tony heavily on the shoulder and slowly nodded. "Then I will be the one to undergo the augmentation. As long as I can obtain greater power, I am willing to pay any price."
"Let's begin then. Amatsu-Mikaboshi could come for you at any moment. I will complete your augmentation as quickly as possible."
Tony said seriously, then waved his hand, opening the top floor of a metal tower.
Hearing the tearful, moving farewells between Thor and the others, Tony's expression remained placid, yet a sliver of anticipation grew in his heart.
Creating an artificial Celestial was a crucial step in mass-producing bio-weapons. It was incredibly important, whether for confronting the Celestials in the future or for advancing research into the system of divine power.
Thor wanted power? Excellent. Tony was willing to give it to him. As for whether he would succeed, that was another matter entirely.
The level of a Celestial starts at Level Seven. As long as the augmentation is successful, Thor will cross that threshold and become a Level Seven God-King, powerful enough to fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi.
It would also save Tony from the awkward situation of being forced to fight Amatsu-Mikaboshi later.
Heimdall's face was grim, and Loki's expression was unsettled. Filled with immense doubt, unease, and hope, they watched Thor follow Tony into the top floor of the building.
Loki's face darkened. He created an illusionary clone, and his true body tried to sneak in after them, but a powerful wave of magic suddenly appeared and blocked him.
It contained a power that made Loki's heart pound in his chest—a power no less than Odin's.
"Just how many powerhouses has Tony recruited..." A deep sense of dread appeared in Loki's eyes.
...
The top-floor laboratory was lined with numerous experiment tables for the artificial Celestial project, making the space feel somewhat empty.
"Lie down. I will fuse the Celestial's living tissue with your own. Whether or not you survive will depend on your own fate."
Tony beckoned with his hand, and a mass of flesh sealed in a container appeared. It twisted continuously, like a giant clump of writhing earthworms, enough to make one's skin crawl.
"How did you get this thing?" Thor asked, taking a deep breath.
"Nowhere. I destroyed it and then analyzed the Celestial's life code."
"Were you successful?"
"I failed. I only managed to analyze a part of it, but it's enough to perform a preliminary replicative transformation. I just can't create one artificially from scratch," Tony replied.
He never really expected to be able to fully replicate the method for creating a Celestial; that was completely unrealistic.
The Celestials were the creations of Eternity, one of the five great cosmic entities, involving secrets at the Level Eight tier. There was no way the current Tony could fully analyze them. If he could, it would be an insult to Eternity's very being.
Moreover, considering the terrifying aura that had been drawn out when Tony had previously thrown inferior Doomsday cells into the Celestial's ashes, Tony had a faint suspicion.
His attempt to pry into the core secrets of the Celestials must have enraged Eternity.
He could research and experiment, but only on superficial things. If he tried to tamper with the very core of the life code, Eternity would not let him off.
"This is the only way... Thor, I have to warn you. If you can't withstand it, death is the best outcome. Turning into a mindless, deformed monster would be the worst. If that happens, I will find a way to kill you," Tony said gravely.
For some reason, his palm began to itch, and he couldn't resist the urge to grab the three Mother Boxes...
They really were good things. If anything was bothering him, with a *swish* and a flash of white light, the problem would be solved...
Apokolips is so huge, anyway. If I secretly planted something there, Darkseid probably wouldn't notice... Yes, that must be it.
"If I truly become a monster, you must kill me at the first opportunity. Also, give my people a chance to live. Give Loki a chance to live."
Thor said calmly, his deep voice revealing his resolve to risk everything.
"Don't worry. I'm not so greedy as to covet your small population."
Tony gently raised his arm, and the nauseating mass of unconsciously writhing flesh fell into his hand.
As soon as the mass of flesh touched his warmth and energy, it instinctively tried to burrow in and devour him. But Tony was faster. He crushed it into countless atom-sized particles and controlled them as they merged into Thor's body.
A stifled scream escaped, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his face.
This was a cruel process of displacement. The flesh had been cultivated by reverse-engineering the dead living tissue of a Celestial. It still contained the powerful life essence of a Celestial—at least, one of a higher tier than Thor.
The moment it made contact, the flesh began to frantically erode Thor's body. Every single atom was filled with immense aggression, instinctively craving more living matter.
From the outside, Thor's body suddenly erupted with a blinding light, and even his form began to change.
"Suppress them, Thor! You desire to control power, not be controlled by it."
Tony barked, struggling to interfere with the movement of each atom, which seemed to have a will of its own. He constantly intervened, making more subtle adjustments to help them integrate with Thor's body.
Large areas of Thor's body became necrotic, and clumps of dead cells fell away in droves. But strangely, his entire body was constantly expanding and contracting, as if he were breathing.
Time passed. The suppressed screams grew more and more shrill until they seemed to reach a limit. Then, Thor's voice immediately quieted, and his aura became faint.
But a powerful aura, far surpassing anything before, was rising frantically. A thrum of life emerged; a brand-new being was brewing.
But whether or not that being was still Thor became a pressing question.
"Let's hope you succeed."
The three Mother Boxes appeared in Tony's hands. He caressed them as he embedded the final atom, then pulled back his hands and quietly awaited the final result.
This mass of flesh was something Tony had cultivated by combining the most advanced power and technology at his disposal. It was filled with primal fury and aggression.
One could barely consider this thing a debilitated version of Celestial flesh. It lacked the vitality of a Celestial and some of the divine willpower it had in life, but that still couldn't conceal the special nature of this flesh.
Its life essence was weakened, painstakingly restored from long-dead genes. Strictly speaking, it was still an incomplete version.
The immense life fluctuation rose rapidly until it finally reached its peak. A majestic pressure emerged, and the light grew even brighter.
"Let's see if this will actually work," Tony mused, waiting quietly.
(end of chapter)
