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Chapter 587: The Return
Thor returned to Cybertron in a sorry state.
"So, you lost to Amatsu-Mikaboshi in the end?" Tony raised an eyebrow, though he wasn't surprised. He was toying with a glittering golden ring in his hand.
Thor silently looked at his battered body. His three-hundred-meter frame had shrunk to the size of a normal person. During the bloody battle with Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the new gene template within him had become a chaotic mess.
Forcibly merging with the Celestial gene had indeed granted him immense divine power, but it had also turned Thor into a different kind of being.
No matter how you looked at it, his appearance no longer resembled that of the Asgardian gods. His genes were no match for the Celestial's, and it was only a matter of time before he was changed.
"Your skin and flesh are becoming homogenized, and your power is condensing into clumps, evenly distributed throughout your body."
Tony glanced at the evenly distributed, yellow-glowing circles on Thor's body and said flatly.
"I'm satisfied. My appearance doesn't matter to me at all," Thor said in a muffled voice.
"What do you plan to do next?" Tony slipped the ring onto his finger, then took it off again.
"Although Amatsu-Mikaboshi won, he was also injured. His next target is probably the Heavenly Court. I've decided to find the Heavenly Court and join forces with them," said Thor.
"Even if you join forces, you might not be a match for Amatsu-Mikaboshi." After a pause, Tony suddenly smiled. "But don't worry. That unlucky fellow was cut down."
"What?!" Thor's head snapped up, his face full of pleasant surprise.
"Steppenwolf did it," Tony said.
Through the Mobius Chair, Tony had received the news that Steppenwolf had cut down Amatsu-Mikaboshi. He couldn't help but offer a moment of silent mourning for him in his heart.
As for whether Amatsu-Mikaboshi was truly dead? Perhaps not, since he was an independent avatar of Oblivion. Then again, perhaps he was, since Steppenwolf was the one who cut him down.
But there was no need to worry about that guy for the time being. The Lord of Chaos was struck down before he could fully mature. If he wanted to start over, he would have to go and plague other universes.
Tony also breathed a small sigh of relief.
Thor couldn't hide his pleasant surprise.
Tony slowly rose and said, "You can rest and recuperate here for a while. Then, take your people and leave. Go find a home of your own."
"Of course. Thank you for taking care of me during this time," Thor said gratefully.
Tony shrugged nonchalantly. To him, he didn't owe Thor anything, and Thor didn't owe him anything either. It had been a mutually beneficial transaction from the start.
Tony had acquired the gene template of the Asgardian gods, and Thor, acting as a test subject, had provided him with valuable experimental data.
The artificial Celestial was nearly complete. Everything was ready.
Tony rubbed the Yellow Lantern ring, watching Thor's departing figure as he fell into deep thought.
The creation of the Yellow Lantern ring was a natural progression. As long as he had the Yellow Power Battery, he could mass-produce the rings. The Yellow Lantern Corps, subordinate to Cybertron, had already been established. Tony had also kept his promise and given Hal Jordan a Yellow Lantern ring.
The crisis of Amatsu-Mikaboshi was resolved.
The entire universe's attention was drawn to the vast war between the Skrulls and the Kree. The Inhumans on the Moon were also said to be stirring, ready to join the battlefield at any moment.
On Earth, Red Skull had gathered a large number of followers, wreaking havoc among the superheroes. It was quite a scene.
"It's about time..."
Tony mused, taking a deep breath.
It was about time to take that step—to cross the threshold from demigod to god.
Dazzling sunlight shone down, warm and bright, dispelling all the shadows around Tony.
Tony narrowed his eyes, looking up at the vibrant sun, and said nothing for a long time.
At some point, Wanda, dressed in a red dress, had silently appeared by his side and gently embraced him.
The many people coming and going selectively ignored this scene, busying themselves with their own affairs. They deliberately avoided disturbing the pair, even softening their footsteps for fear of making a sound.
"Are you leaving again?" Wanda asked in a low voice.
"I have to. Don't worry, I'll succeed. After preparing for so long, it would be inexcusable to fail... Besides, I'm not without allies. Many gods would be more than happy to lend me a hand."
Tony's voice was as calm as ever, as if what he was about to do was a trivial matter.
"I..."
"You will stay here and protect Cybertron. That battlefield is no place for you." Tony interrupted Wanda, turning around to look at her seriously.
"Frequent, overloaded use of Chaos Magic will only get you noticed by the ancient god Korsen sooner. Your sanity will gradually be stripped away by the power, and you'll become a terrifying monster."
"Korsen is, by his very nature, a mad and chaotic being."
Tony squeezed Wanda's small hand tightly.
Neither of them spoke again, embracing in silence.
After a long while, Tony departed without a word. As he took a step, the Mobius Chair materialized before him. He lifted his left hand slightly, and with a flash of white light, three Mother Boxes appeared, floating obediently in the air.
He lifted his right hand slightly, and with a flash of golden sparks, a huge scythe appeared in his hand. It was cold to the touch, imbued with a deathly silence. The souls trapped within desperately concealed their auras, terrified of being discovered by Tony.
Tony sneered, and numerous unknown items appeared in his right hand, which he then put away.
A wide black robe moved without any wind and gently draped itself over Tony, completely enveloping his tall frame. The hood at the back was already up, concealing his face.
"During my absence, everyone is to protect our planet. Kill any and all powerful enemies who dare to invade," Tony said calmly as he sat down on the Mobius Chair.
His voice echoed in the ears of every high-ranking official.
Then, with a flash of white light, the chair carried Tony away, traversing across universes.
Destination: the Nirvana Universe, the super-testing ground he had personally prepared. There, a grand feast awaited all who harbored ill intentions.
At that moment, countless people looked up, silently gazing in the same direction, before lowering their heads again to calmly continue with their tasks.
They had faith in Tony, immense faith, because he was a man who created miracles.
All they could do was follow Tony's orders and protect the land beneath their feet.
"Everything will change. It's only a matter of time."
The old mage slowly walked to Wanda's side, his aged voice emanating a soothing power.
"I know, I know... but no matter what I do, it seems I can't help him..." Wanda's eyes were red, her voice dejected.
"No, you can," the old mage said faintly.
(end of chapter)
Thor returned to Cybertron in a sorry state.
"So, you lost to Amatsu-Mikaboshi in the end?" Tony raised an eyebrow, though he wasn't surprised. He was toying with a glittering golden ring in his hand.
Thor silently looked at his battered body. His three-hundred-meter frame had shrunk to the size of a normal person. During the bloody battle with Amatsu-Mikaboshi, the new gene template within him had become a chaotic mess.
Forcibly merging with the Celestial gene had indeed granted him immense divine power, but it had also turned Thor into a different kind of being.
No matter how you looked at it, his appearance no longer resembled that of the Asgardian gods. His genes were no match for the Celestial's, and it was only a matter of time before he was changed.
"Your skin and flesh are becoming homogenized, and your power is condensing into clumps, evenly distributed throughout your body."
Tony glanced at the evenly distributed, yellow-glowing circles on Thor's body and said flatly.
"I'm satisfied. My appearance doesn't matter to me at all," Thor said in a muffled voice.
"What do you plan to do next?" Tony slipped the ring onto his finger, then took it off again.
"Although Amatsu-Mikaboshi won, he was also injured. His next target is probably the Heavenly Court. I've decided to find the Heavenly Court and join forces with them," said Thor.
"Even if you join forces, you might not be a match for Amatsu-Mikaboshi." After a pause, Tony suddenly smiled. "But don't worry. That unlucky fellow was cut down."
"What?!" Thor's head snapped up, his face full of pleasant surprise.
"Steppenwolf did it," Tony said.
Through the Mobius Chair, Tony had received the news that Steppenwolf had cut down Amatsu-Mikaboshi. He couldn't help but offer a moment of silent mourning for him in his heart.
As for whether Amatsu-Mikaboshi was truly dead? Perhaps not, since he was an independent avatar of Oblivion. Then again, perhaps he was, since Steppenwolf was the one who cut him down.
But there was no need to worry about that guy for the time being. The Lord of Chaos was struck down before he could fully mature. If he wanted to start over, he would have to go and plague other universes.
Tony also breathed a small sigh of relief.
Thor couldn't hide his pleasant surprise.
Tony slowly rose and said, "You can rest and recuperate here for a while. Then, take your people and leave. Go find a home of your own."
"Of course. Thank you for taking care of me during this time," Thor said gratefully.
Tony shrugged nonchalantly. To him, he didn't owe Thor anything, and Thor didn't owe him anything either. It had been a mutually beneficial transaction from the start.
Tony had acquired the gene template of the Asgardian gods, and Thor, acting as a test subject, had provided him with valuable experimental data.
The artificial Celestial was nearly complete. Everything was ready.
Tony rubbed the Yellow Lantern ring, watching Thor's departing figure as he fell into deep thought.
The creation of the Yellow Lantern ring was a natural progression. As long as he had the Yellow Power Battery, he could mass-produce the rings. The Yellow Lantern Corps, subordinate to Cybertron, had already been established. Tony had also kept his promise and given Hal Jordan a Yellow Lantern ring.
The crisis of Amatsu-Mikaboshi was resolved.
The entire universe's attention was drawn to the vast war between the Skrulls and the Kree. The Inhumans on the Moon were also said to be stirring, ready to join the battlefield at any moment.
On Earth, Red Skull had gathered a large number of followers, wreaking havoc among the superheroes. It was quite a scene.
"It's about time..."
Tony mused, taking a deep breath.
It was about time to take that step—to cross the threshold from demigod to god.
Dazzling sunlight shone down, warm and bright, dispelling all the shadows around Tony.
Tony narrowed his eyes, looking up at the vibrant sun, and said nothing for a long time.
At some point, Wanda, dressed in a red dress, had silently appeared by his side and gently embraced him.
The many people coming and going selectively ignored this scene, busying themselves with their own affairs. They deliberately avoided disturbing the pair, even softening their footsteps for fear of making a sound.
"Are you leaving again?" Wanda asked in a low voice.
"I have to. Don't worry, I'll succeed. After preparing for so long, it would be inexcusable to fail... Besides, I'm not without allies. Many gods would be more than happy to lend me a hand."
Tony's voice was as calm as ever, as if what he was about to do was a trivial matter.
"I..."
"You will stay here and protect Cybertron. That battlefield is no place for you." Tony interrupted Wanda, turning around to look at her seriously.
"Frequent, overloaded use of Chaos Magic will only get you noticed by the ancient god Korsen sooner. Your sanity will gradually be stripped away by the power, and you'll become a terrifying monster."
"Korsen is, by his very nature, a mad and chaotic being."
Tony squeezed Wanda's small hand tightly.
Neither of them spoke again, embracing in silence.
After a long while, Tony departed without a word. As he took a step, the Mobius Chair materialized before him. He lifted his left hand slightly, and with a flash of white light, three Mother Boxes appeared, floating obediently in the air.
He lifted his right hand slightly, and with a flash of golden sparks, a huge scythe appeared in his hand. It was cold to the touch, imbued with a deathly silence. The souls trapped within desperately concealed their auras, terrified of being discovered by Tony.
Tony sneered, and numerous unknown items appeared in his right hand, which he then put away.
A wide black robe moved without any wind and gently draped itself over Tony, completely enveloping his tall frame. The hood at the back was already up, concealing his face.
"During my absence, everyone is to protect our planet. Kill any and all powerful enemies who dare to invade," Tony said calmly as he sat down on the Mobius Chair.
His voice echoed in the ears of every high-ranking official.
Then, with a flash of white light, the chair carried Tony away, traversing across universes.
Destination: the Nirvana Universe, the super-testing ground he had personally prepared. There, a grand feast awaited all who harbored ill intentions.
At that moment, countless people looked up, silently gazing in the same direction, before lowering their heads again to calmly continue with their tasks.
They had faith in Tony, immense faith, because he was a man who created miracles.
All they could do was follow Tony's orders and protect the land beneath their feet.
"Everything will change. It's only a matter of time."
The old mage slowly walked to Wanda's side, his aged voice emanating a soothing power.
"I know, I know... but no matter what I do, it seems I can't help him..." Wanda's eyes were red, her voice dejected.
"No, you can," the old mage said faintly.
(end of chapter)
