Chapter 3304 - Ch: 92-98

Chapter 92: Special Elite Battle

[Special Elite Battle]

[Mission: Crazy Old Woman]

[Objective: Eliminate the monster formed by the fusion of Madam Gao and various vessels]

[Rewards: EXP +5000, Random Precious Item *1, Special Item *1]

"!!!"

Loya felt a surge of joy, a glint flashing in his eyes.

It was another Special Elite Battle, and a random precious item to boot.

It had been a long time since the last Special Elite Battle, and Gulu, hatched from the rewards of that battle, possessed extremely high potential.

This extermination mission had actually triggered a Special Elite Battle again, and once more, it was because of The Hand.

How could The Hand not be considered a lucky star?

Then this monster must die today.

Loya's attention was momentarily drawn by the system prompt, causing him to ignore the sound the monster had just made.

This infuriated it to no end, and it let out a roar: "Loya! You broke into my territory and yet you dare to ignore me!

"

"Yo!" Hearing the voice, Loya picked at his ear and taunted, "Why is it you again, you piece of trash? Haunting me day after day. Didn't the Holy Light purify you enough just now?"

Obviously, the controller of the monster before him was none other than the Beast, who had spoken harsh words to him not long ago, and the strange head on the monster's body was naturally Madame Gao, one of The Five Fingers.

One could only say it was truly unfortunate to be a subordinate of these Dimensional Demon God; their bodies were toyed with until they were unrecognizable.

Being insulted, the Beast didn't get angry but instead grinned hideously, "Am I trash? Hahahaha! You're the first human who has ever dared to say that to me.

I must admit, you are indeed impressive. You even managed to sway Elektra back after she fell into darkness, and you could even twist my perception, making me forgive your actions."

"It's just a pity," it sneered, the old woman's face filled with malice. "I've already come to my senses. Having fused with the servant who has served me for centuries, I will kill you!"

Before its voice could fade, the Beast's massive body erupted with an incredible speed that completely contradicted its size!

It appeared above Loya's head as if teleporting, its sharp claws striking down, intending to tear him to shreds!

Loya's expression changed abruptly, but not because of the Beast above him, but because of Steve and the others outside.

His "Minds Eye" had perceived a danger targeting them.

It came from the shadows!

Almost instantly, Loya made a decision.

With a thought, he threw out Gulu and Mjolnir from his system space.

Simultaneously, he issued an order to Gulu through their mental link: "Gulu, assist Steve and the others in battle. Remember, just knock them out with electricity, don't kill them."

While performing these actions, he had already activated "Absolute Value." Multiple energies instantly gathered on his black fist as he punched toward the Beast above him!

Boom!

Fist met claw, resulting in a series of explosions.

A colorful turbulence of energy erupted!

Flames rose, electric light crackled, and an invisible force of vibration spread from his fist, seeking to shatter the Beast's assembled body.

The Beast seemed wary, using the force of the collision to retreat below the altar, staring at Loya with a complex gaze.

It discovered that this meticulously crafted body was actually at a disadvantage in terms of pure physical strength.

One must know that this body was pieced together from the strongest parts of different humans.

From selection to cultivation, genetic enhancement, then to injecting dragon bone power and engraving magic, each person contributed only one part, concentrating the essence to the absolute limit.

All this was just to ensure it had the deepest connection with the physical dimension while also being able to channel the most dimensional power.

It was unknown how much time and how many humans were consumed to complete it.

In the end, its strength still couldn't overcome this damned human!

This human is proficient in purification magic and has such terrifying physical strength. Is he a freaking battle mage?

Where did he pick up such bad habits!

The Beast was driven mad with rage but was helpless, so it could only try to use the trump card it had left here.

Its claws slammed heavily onto the altar, causing the room to tremble slightly as a visible black ripple spread out.

The twisted runes on the ground began to wriggle frantically, forming an evil magic circle. Countless plumes of black smoke rose, instantly sealing off the entire room and completely isolating it from the outside world.

The entire process happened in an instant.

Loya remained expressionless, feeling no sense of crisis, not just because of the danger perception from "Minds Eye."

But also because the feeling the Beast gave him just now was... very average.

How could an assembled, hormone-pumped body ever defeat the attribute points and abilities I've worked so hard to grind for!

He also understood why the Beast had suddenly attacked so desperately, even sacrificing its lover Madame Gao; it was likely because of the "bro card."

Doing too many outrageous things would provoke a strong backlash, and that was probably the case with the Beast.

One could only say everything was just right. Without the hatred accumulated by the "bro card," the Beast wouldn't have erupted at all, and there would be no elite monster.

"Die!"

At this moment, the Beast was shrouded in black mist as it charged at Loya again. This time, its power seemed to have increased significantly.

Loya smiled disdainfully, and the "amplification staff" suddenly appeared in his hand.

"Dead dog! Take my Illumination Spell!"

Boom!

Dazzling Holy Light suddenly erupted, as if the sun were falling.

The moment the black smoke in the room touched the Holy Light, it sizzled and quickly annihilated.

While the Holy Light suppressed dark forces, it also amplified himself.

With one waxing and the other waning, the Beast became even weaker than before.

Loya seized the opportunity, and his majestic telekinesis surged out, pinning that monster-like body firmly in mid-air.

But he didn't destroy the body immediately. Instead, he quickly took out an "honesty bean paste bun" and used telekinesis to force open the old woman's mouth, stuffing the bun inside.

"What did you feed me?"

The Beast roared, trembling with rage.

It couldn't win in physical strength, its dark power was countered by the Holy Light, and now it was even being force-fed.

It was a sheer humiliation!

A sheer humiliation!!!

Loya wouldn't bother explaining. Instead, he quickly asked, "Tell me the locations of The Hand's other strongholds."

"They're at—"

The Beast turned pale with fright, and a look of extreme terror appeared on the old woman's face.

This was another conceptual-level method. Where did this human get so many Rule-based items?

Almost instantly, it made the most decisive reaction.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Madame Gao's head exploded, black blood splattering everywhere.

"Holy crap!"

Loya cursed. He hadn't expected this guy to react so quickly, only getting one word out before decisively cosplaying as

Louis XVI.

"Hahahaha!"

The Beast's head had exploded, but that didn't stop it from speaking through another means.

"You want to plot against me? I am a great Dimensional Demon God!"

Pshhh~

Loya sneered, pulled out a spray bottle, and quickly sprayed the Beast's body, soon dyeing it completely black.

[Free Color Spray Paint: You can freely choose a color to spray on any substance, and it will not fade.]

Looking at the black color, the Beast seemed to recall some unpleasant memory, and a strong sense of unease welled up in its heart.

"What are you doing?" Its voice cracked slightly.

Crack!

The response was the crisp crack of a whip.

This whip crack seemed to touch its very soul.

The body trembled violently, as if struck by electricity.

"Don't—don't do this!"

Seemingly knowing what was about to happen, the Beast's voice unconsciously carried a hint of pleading.

Crack!

Loya ignored it completely, the "farmers whip" in his hand crackling with electricity as it fell heavily.

In an instant, he lashed out five times, landing precisely on the Beast.

While whipping, he laughed loudly, "You like to cosplay as Louis XVI, huh? Then I'll cosplay as a plantation owner! Come on! Spin!"

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Aaaaaargh!!!"

Under Loya's precise strikes, the Beast's massive body was whipped into a lightning-fast top, spinning at high speed in the air.

The "farmers whip's" conceptual-level deterrence against black made it impossible for the Beast to mount any effective resistance. It could only scream repeatedly from the soul-piercing strikes.

While lashing out, Loya used Hellfire with his other hand, not forgetting to sow discord: "Mephisto was right, you're just trash. You can't even use magic here. You're the trashiest of trash. Watch me burn you to death with Hellfire!"

Hellfire gushed out, its incredible heat searing the Beast's body, sending out the smell of scorched flesh.

The Beast had never suffered such an insult. Feeling that familiar dimensional power, it even began to hate Mephisto.

It roared hoarsely, its voice distorted: "Human! Insulting a demon god, you will regret this!"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

"You're just a big-mouthed bug!"

"I am a Dimensional Demon God!"

Crack!

"Trash!"

"I will make you pay a heavy price!"

Crack!

"Useless thing!"

"You!"

Crack crack crack crack crack!

"Say it! Are you trash? If you don't say it, I'll keep whipping you! Speak!"

No matter what the Beast said, the only response it got was increasingly rapid whip strikes and Loya's merciless taunts and insults.

Finally, after at least a hundred lashes.

"Aaaaaargh!"

The Beast let out a world-shaking roar. Rolling black smoke billowed from the Bone Altar, black blood flowed out, and powerful energy surged relentlessly. The entire room shook violently as if it were about to unleash its final, strongest blow.

However, just as Loya pulled out a card, preparing to launch a finishing blow...

The Beast's Pinduoduo-style body suddenly went limp and burst apart along the stitched seams, shattering into countless pieces.

The black smoke in the altar suddenly dissipated, and it shattered across the ground. The black smoke shrouding the room also drifted away, returning the area to its original state, leaving only a mess behind.

[Mission "Crazy Old Woman" Completed]

Loya was stunned, his raised whip frozen in mid-air.

Was it... driven to death by anger?

Chapter 93: Destruction

Loya ended the battle on his side in an extremely peculiar way.

The Beast was so enraged that it simply abandoned this body; to be precise, the clone controlling the body self-destructed directly.

To be honest, Loya couldn't understand why the Beast had such a short fuse.

So what if it had been constantly defeated by a mortal, then had its body blackened by a mortal, and finally whipped hundreds of times by a mortal using a whip with counter-attributes, while being mocked along the way?

It just lost its cool and self-destructed over that?

And this is supposed to be a Dimensional Demon God?

More like a Dimensional Toddler.

It gets whipped by the Ancient One, so why not by him? It's all the same.

It's even practicing gender discrimination; I'm going to protest!!!

"Or is it that lies aren't the sharpest blades, but the truth is? Did I hit on some truth? Or was there something wrong with its descent itself?"

Loya couldn't help but let his thoughts wander, simply because the Beast's behavior was too strange—voluntarily self-destructing its clone.

Thinking about it, it probably wasn't easy for them to create a usable clone in the physical dimension; there were likely some restrictions, otherwise it wouldn't have just controlled a physical body.

While the battle inside the room had concluded, the battle outside was also showing a completely one-sided situation.

A sphere of lightning floated in the air, wildly swinging a hammer.

With every swing, several thick bolts of lightning struck down, causing the arriving ninjas' eyes to roll back as their bodies convulsed, falling to the ground emitting white smoke.

Seeing this, Loya nodded approvingly. Although Gulu was only level four, just a bit short of level five, its physical stats had already surpassed the limits of a normal human.

Combined with the power of Thor from Mjolnir, it was clearly not something these mere low-level ninjas could handle.

A single random bolt of lightning was enough to leave them unable to take care of themselves.

Gulu also strictly followed Loya's orders, only knocking them unconscious with electricity rather than killing them.

Except for those Shadow Ninjas—those guys were no longer considered human, so if they were electrocuted to death, so be it.

Looking behind Gulu, Steve and the other two were leaning against the corner of the wall, watching the lightning ball wielding the hammer with dazed expressions as it displayed its divine might.

Things had developed too quickly; they hadn't quite processed it all yet.

They only remembered Loya saying: 'Brothers, get ready for battle.'

Before they could even enter the room together, it was shrouded in a black mist that couldn't be crossed.

At the same time, a black ball and a hammer were tossed out from inside.

After that, there was nothing left for them to do.

Whether it was the strange ninjas emerging from the shadows or the ninjas coming from outside the underground palace to provide backup, all of them were completely vulnerable before this ball.

Once the lightning passed, they all hit the ground.

Steve and the others had complicated feelings; they only felt one thing: redundant.

It seemed like there was no difference whether they were there or not.

Aside from experiencing the joy of becoming bigger and smaller, the rest of it felt like a sightseeing tour.

"Steve... do you think we could beat this... ball?" Matt spoke up gloomily.

He suddenly felt that even with a powerful physique, there seemed to be nothing they could do in a situation like this.

Steve's eyes flickered, his mouth opened and closed, and finally, he squeezed out a sentence: "Maybe since we're so strong, we could last a bit longer?"

Soon, through the efforts of the Thor-possessed Gulu, all the reinforcing members of The Hand were subdued. The corridor was piled with people, each with hair standing on end and eyes rolled back.

"Gulu gulu~"

Gulu flew to Loya's side, looking like it was claiming credit.

Loya didn't dampen its spirits; he gave a thumbs up and laughed: "Good Gulu, job well done!"

"Gulu, gulu o(^▽^)."

Gulu was overjoyed.

Loya looked at the trio standing there like lackeys and smiled slightly: "Are you guys hurt? That guy actually launched a sneak attack, how despicable!"

Steve spread his hands with a bitter smile: "Not a scratch. To be precise, we didn't do anything; we've just been watching the show."

It was the first time he had this feeling of being protected, and the fact that it came from a ball made it feel absolutely surreal.

"By the way, are you okay?" Steve asked, then poked his head into the room. Seeing the pile of disgusting corpses, he felt a chill in his heart.

Loya shook his head with a strange expression: "Um... that guy's strength was average. I think I used too much force, and it ended up getting itself worked up to death..."

Steve: "..."

Matt: "..."

Elektra: "..."

They knew that monster was the 'God' worshipped by The Hand.

Though they didn't quite understand the concept of this 'God,' it was still an exceptionally powerful supernatural entity.

What on earth did he do to actually anger that thing to death? How was that even possible?

Loya saw the confusion in their eyes and said innocently: "I just blackened him, then whipped him while cursing at him. Who knew its heart was so fragile?"

""

Steve seemed to understand. Treating a 'God' like a black slave from the old days, while that 'God' was unable to resist, falling from the peak to the bottom—under such extreme contrast, one could imagine the feeling.

This method was truly hellish, even more cruel than defeating it directly.

But for some reason, Steve suddenly felt an impulse; if he could whip that bastard Fury like that, it would feel very cathartic.

Among those present, only Elektra knew exactly what kind of thing Loya had done.

She had been hunted and imprisoned by The Hand, suffered all kinds of torture, and even after being resurrected, she was controlled, unable to resist like an ant.

Yet the entire Hand, and even the 'God' they worshipped, were utterly powerless before Loya.

Elektra now felt that Loya was a god!

[Elektra's Favorability +30, Current Favorability: 70]

Hearing this inexplicable favorability prompt, Loya was startled.

Wait, sister, don't increase your favorability! This is making me scared; I'm Matt's bro!

To prevent any indescribable plot developments, Loyatalked some nonsense: "You guys go wait for me outside. Leave this place to me. At least a thousand innocent people died here; I must purify the evil here, otherwise evil spirits might be born!"

Hearing this, Steve's brow furrowed tightly. His mouth opened, but in the end, he just sighed.

Even though he had prepared himself, he didn't expect that so many people had actually died.

This damn Hand had done something this big, and no one cared?

Are those people at the top even human?

Steve took a deep breath, his heart feeling a bit heavier. He patted Loya's shoulder: "It's a good thing this world still has righteous people like you, otherwise it would be too messed up."

[Steve's Favorability +1, Current Favorability: 86]

Loya:

You're making me feel a bit embarrassed.

After Gulu acted as a bodyguard to lead everyone away, Loya looked at the ninjas all over the floor with glowing eyes. His experiment was about to begin~

With a thought, Loya activated 'Mind Meditation,' pushing his focus to the limit, then aimed his telekinesis at a ninja in front of him.

Soon, fine beads of blood began to appear on the ninja's skin. Under the extreme pain, he suddenly jolted awake, his eyeballs nearly bursting out of their sockets.

Before he could even scream, he died in agony.

"As expected, it's not that simple."

After obtaining the 'Telekinesis' ability, Loya had an idea.

Using telekinesis to stimulate the physical body, deep down to the cellular level, to strengthen the body and enhance physical stats.

If mastered, he could even directly strengthen others' bodies, making it more stable than any serum.

But this was clearly not that easy; it required extremely strong control and rich practical experience. If anything went wrong, it could easily kill someone.

With the Horse Talisman in hand, Loya could actually use his own body for experiments—at worst, he'd just keep repairing it.

But instead of hurting himself, it was better to hurt others; he never endured unnecessary suffering.

Loya didn't consider himself a good person, but he probably wasn't a huge villain either. He couldn't bring himself to experiment on innocent people; it would weigh on his conscience.

However, these Japanese ninjas from The Hand were different.

Perhaps it was something in his blood, but he felt no psychological burden experimenting on these people; in fact, it felt quite good.

Since these damn scumbags liked using others for experiments, they should be prepared to be used for experiments themselves.

With that thought, Loya's concentration intensified. Telekinetic power surged wildly as he performed extremely fine telekinetic operations.

"Ah!"

"You are... a devil!"

"Monster! A monster!!!"

"Please... let me go..."

"It hurts! It hurts too much!"

"You will die a horrible death!"

For a while, the underground palace was filled with wails. Every ninja woke up only to die quickly in indescribable agony.

Facing the ninjas' curses and vitriol, Loya remained indifferent. The gap between them was too large; these curses were meaningless.

Besides, he didn't even view these scumbags as human.

As more and more ninjas died, Loya's control over telekinesis became increasingly proficient.

Some ninjas became much stronger during the pain, their physical stats significantly enhanced, before they died abruptly in agony.

Well... colloquially known as a strong corpse.

Until only one ninja who looked like a leader was left in the underground palace.

He looked at Loya with venomous eyes and cursed in English with a heavy Japanese accent: "Baka! You damn demon, you will go to hell!"

"Oh?" Loya raised an eyebrow, a ball of Hellfire appearing in his hand. "Do you mean this hell? Sorry, even Mephistois a defeated foe of mine. You can go to hell and discuss with him how to defeat me."

With that, he waved his hand, and the Hellfire landed on the ninja, burning fiercely.

The burning of Hellfire was mixed with numerous negative illusions.

"Aaaaaah!"

Under the burning of Hellfire, one had to endure not only physical pain but also mental torture.

The ninja's whole body convulsed, rolling on the ground continuously, his fingers scratching the floor frantically as if trying to grab onto something.

However, after just a moment, he completely breathed his last in extreme agony.

"A pity, still not proficient enough."

Loya sighed. This job really wasn't that simple; the operations were too minute, and a small mistake would cause a chain reaction.

But with the contribution of so many japanese people, he had already completed the breakthrough from zero to one and could start practicing without casualties.

Their deaths were meaningful!

Otherwise, why would America love corpses so much, have such advanced medicine, and have viruses emerging one after another?

It was all experimented out using human bodies.

Looking at the floor full of corpses, Loya's telekinesis surged, stuffing them all into the room, and he casually tossed a 'holy grenade' over.

As the chant of 'hallelujah' rang out, a violent explosion echoed everywhere. The scorching light instantly swallowed the filth, and the underground palace collapsed along with it.

Loya, who was happily flying out, suddenly paused as an unexpected system prompt sounded in his ear.

[The Sun has recognized your actions and will; you have received the Blessing of the Sun]

[Grace of the Sun has been upgraded, adding a special blessing]

[Blessing Effect: Destruction]

[Destruction: Power of the Sun is born within your body, dealing extra damage to all beings that fear the sun. The intensity of Power of the Sun reaches its peak at noon. Additionally, you may choose one weapon to receive the Blessing of the Sun; the weapon will undergo a qualitative change]

[Evaluation: Destroying you, what does that have to do with you?]

Chapter 94: A Bountiful Harvest (Today's three chapters are combined into two)

Returning to the surface.

The violent explosion triggered a chain reaction; the underground palace collapsed completely, dragging the ground above down with it.

The already dilapidated warehouse district could no longer hold up and was completely reduced to ruins.

Looking at the deep pit that had appeared in the former warehouse district, Loya yawned and looked back at the shocked crowd. "Why is everyone staring at me? It's late; time to go home and sleep."

Only then did everyone withdraw their stunned gazes.

Loya had stayed in the underground palace for so long that they thought the purification ritual would be complex, but they hadn't expected it to be a physical purification.

Steve shook his head and looked at the deep night sky. "I didn't even exert myself, so I'm full of energy. I plan to check out other parts of Hell's Kitchen and head back at dawn."

Loya nodded. "Then be careful. If anything happens, go to this bar and find Frank; he'll help you. Just tell him you're my friend."

After saying that, he wrote a note and handed it to Steve.

"Alright." Steve took the note, tucked it away, and turned to step into the night.

Meanwhile, Matt and Elektra also left after bidding Loyafarewell.

With a passionate couple reuniting, it was certain that an unprecedented battle would take place tonight.

Loya also stepped on the wind and quickly returned to his Villa. Tonight's harvest was bountiful, and he still needed to take a detailed inventory.

First was the suddenly acquired 'Favor of the Sun: Destruction'.

With a thought, Loya clenched his hand, and a ball of blazing light appeared in his palm.

Clearly light, yet it flickered like fire, emitting astonishing heat.

This was the effect of the 'Destruction Favor'—Solar Power.

It was a powerful energy born from within the body, or one could call it magic; it felt warm and very comfortable.

Moreover, this power didn't only exist during the day; it was present all day long, though it would be buffed by the 'Grace of the Sun' ability during daylight hours.

It was as if Loya had gained an additional energy source, and this energy was influenced by 'Photosynthesis', allowing it to be recovered and stored, creating a direct synergy.

"Have I become a sun god?"

Loya shook his head and chuckled; at first glance, it really seemed that way. He wondered what Marvel's sun god would think if he saw him.

To be honest, he hadn't fully figured out how he had met the conditions to obtain the favor.

It was true that comprehending different wills granted different favors, but he hadn't felt anything particularly different.

He had merely killed that group of japanese people; did that represent the Will of Destruction?

He had killed plenty of people before.

Reviewing his previous actions carefully, Loya seemed to understand something.

It was a profound, almost mystical feeling.

How to put it? At the time, no matter how the japanese people cursed or begged for mercy, he felt absolutely nothing.

It was like stepping on ants by the roadside; you don't care about their feelings, nor do you explain yourself to them. It was a high-and-mighty indifference. I destroy you; what does that have to do with you?

If that were the case, then Loya had some inkling of how to comprehend other wills.

There were still so many favor effects he hadn't comprehended; the potential for development was vast, and the effects were impressive enough.

As for the other effect of the Sun's Favor, it was Weapon Favor.

He already had a plan in mind, which involved the weapon Asgard was forging for him and the mission rewards he just received.

[Mission 'Exterminate The Hand Stronghold' completed]

[Rewards: EXP +1000, Fury Favorability +5, Item: ear pick]

[ear pick: While picking your ears, you cannot attack, and others cannot attack you (verbal attacks not included)]

[Special Elite Mission 'Crazy Old Hag' completed]

[Rewards: EXP +5000, Rare Item: eye of aurora, Special Item: weapon fusion stone]

[eye of aurora: Simply think of the place you want to go, then speak it aloud to arrive at your destination]

[Evaluation: Can you return to her heart?]

[weapon fusion stone: Can fuse two weapons together, perfectly retaining the effects of both]

[You have leveled up. Gained Free Attribute Points ×3, Gacha Pulls ×1]

"These rewards are pretty good."

A satisfied smile appeared on Loya's face.

First was this 'ear pick'. Being unable to attack or be attacked while picking one's ears seemed abstract, but it was actually very practical.

When encountering a powerful enemy, using it to save one's life was a viable strategy.

Or when some entity goes berserk, picking one's ears while engaging in 'Talk-no-Jutsu' would also be excellent.

Next was the 'weapon fusion stone'.

Loya planned to apply the Sun's Favor effect to the weapon Asgard was making, and then fuse that weapon with one of his own weapon items. That would be the perfect combination.

Finally, there was the highlight reward of this haul.

The 'eye of aurora'—a teleportation item that required no consumption and worked instantly upon speaking.

Its power was naturally beyond doubt; he could go wherever he wanted.

Loya immediately prepared to test it. With a thought, a golden necklace appeared in his hand.

"Return to the abandoned warehouse district."

As the words fell, a golden light flashed in the next instant, and Loya was back at the abandoned warehouse district from earlier.

"Go home."

After saying that, he was back in the Villa.

Loya looked at the shimmering necklace in his hand, his eyes flickering.

He actually had a bold idea, but he didn't dare to try it.

Yes, he didn't dare to try.

If that idea was feasible, it might cause a huge mess, potentially even endangering himself.

Rather than potentially falling into danger, it was better not to try it, unless it became a last resort in the future.

Putting those thoughts aside, he prepared to do the gacha pull.

Still bathing and changing clothes to show respect, Loyasat cross-legged with a pious expression, chanting in his heart: "Three Pure Ones, Jade Emperor, Tathagata Buddha, Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Jesus, God—bless me with something good."

[Congratulations! You have obtained the item: An unknown seed]

[An unknown seed: Water it daily. After one month, it will randomly grow into a type of plant (This plant is absolutely loyal)]

"Oh?"

Loya's eyes lit up; it was actually an unknown seed.

Then his 'Flower Pot' and 'Bone Meal' would finally come in handy.

He immediately took out the Flower Pot and then the seed.

Calling this a seed was a stretch; it looked more like a stone.

It was entirely black with a rough, uneven surface. Had the system not called it a seed, he would have definitely thought it was just an ordinary rock.

He buried the seed in the soil of the Flower Pot, watered it, and then sprinkled a large handful of Bone Meal.

Don't worry about not having enough Bone Meal; the system-rewarded Bone Meal amounted to a full cubic meter, which was more than enough.

"I hope it grows into a World Tree. If not a World Tree, that's fine too; just any plant with infinite evolution will do."

Even though it was still the early hours of the morning, Loya was already daydreaming.

Meanwhile, inside a minimalist observatory.

Beside a primitive tea table, a bald woman in white robes was quietly brewing tea.

Wisps of steam rose as the aroma of tea filled the air. She reached out to pick up the teacup, took a light sip, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face.

Just as she was about to take another sip, she suddenly stopped, her brow furrowing slightly.

Immediately following that, a knock sounded at the entrance of the observatory, along with a deep voice: "The Ancient One, a demon god's lackeys are attacking the array."

With a light wave of the Ancient One's sleeve, the wooden door opened automatically, revealing a slightly chubby middle-aged man standing outside.

She took a sip of tea and said unhurriedly, "Wong, there's no need to worry. It's already over."

Wong nodded without saying more and turned to leave.

Facing the starry sky, the Ancient One slowly closed her eyes, and after a short while, opened them again, whispering in confusion: "Why would that fellow Beast suddenly send subordinates to attack the array?"

After a moment's pondering, she seemed to realize something. "It couldn't be that child, could it?"

Thinking about it, she felt the possibility was high.

The Ancient One stood up and channeled her magic. The Eye of Agamotto on her chest glowed with green light, and a light screen appeared before her, displaying various scenes.

But the images were extremely blurry; one could only faintly see a tall, strong man standing there.

The man held a whip, swinging it so fast that he turned a massive humanoid monster into a lightning top, all while shouting insulting words.

Watching this scene, several black lines appeared on the Ancient One's face, which then turned into a helpless smile. "So that's how it is. I whipped Beast the same way over a hundred years ago. It seems he touched a sore spot for that fellow, making him fly into a rage."

She shook her head, a magic circle appearing by her mouth as she said calmly yet provocatively, "Beast, if you have the guts, bring your dimension here yourself to attack the array. What kind of skill is it to send a few lackeys? You really are a useless thing!"

As the words fell, the magic array enveloping the reality dimension vibrated slightly. Though her voice was tiny, it was amplified countless times and spread infinitely toward the other dimension.

"Beast, you useless thing!"

"Beast, you useless thing~"

Whether Beast could hear it was unknown, but the other Dimensional Demon God certainly could. And having other demon gods hear it was even more effective than just Beast hearing it alone.

The Ancient One recalled how she had whipped Beast over a hundred years ago; however, after that incident, Beast had vanished without a trace.

Even now, she couldn't find a single clue about that fellow; he could be called the most cowardly of the Dimensional Demon God.

Even after being bullied by a human like that, he refused to reveal his dimension's location, and even the power he bestowed had all source information erased.

The Ancient One shook her head and stopped thinking about it. As long as she chose to ignore him selectively to lower Beast's guard, combined with that mysterious child's assistance, she would eventually find a flaw.

Then she would be able to find out who the mastermind behind the scenes really was.

Her eyes flickered. The way Beast projected power into reality was very strange, as he could briefly bypass the array. This was definitely not something Beast could—

—achieve on his own. There must be other terrifying fellows involved.

The Ancient One manipulated the increasingly blurry images before her and nodded in approval. "It seems I'll have to find a time to chat with you."

6

The next morning.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Loya, who was sound asleep, was startled awake by a series of urgent vibrations.

He picked up his phone with some annoyance; the display showed: Peter.

"Huh? Why would Peter be calling me?"

Loya answered the phone with confusion. The next second, Peter's sobbing voice rang out.

"Loya-ge, please help me! I'll do anything you want!"

Loya: "?"

Chapter 95: Superheroes Fear the Execution ThresholdToo

Peter's plea for help left Loya completely bewildered, and his sleepiness vanished instantly.

He keenly sensed that the other party's emotions were on the verge of a breakdown, so he spoke up to shift his attention: "Alright, I want you to prove Goldbach's Conjecture right now, immediately."

"Ah? What?" Peter on the other end was clearly stunned; even that feeling of breakdown was abruptly cut off by this bizarre request.

"Alright, I'm just teasing you." Seeing that it had worked, Loya sat up and asked, "What happened?"

The sound of footsteps came from Peter's side, as if he had walked a bit further away, and then his voice choked up: "Uncle Ben was in a car accident, his leg is fractured, and he's in the hospital now. Later, while Aunt Mei was taking care of him at the hospital, a mentally unstable patient broke in. Aunt Mei's arm was injured while she was trying to calm him down. Now both of them are receiving treatment in the hospital."

"But—" At this point, he was almost crying, "But the family is out of money, and I don't have any either. I still have to pay tuition, and next month's rent. If I can't pay, the bank will take the house, and then my credit will be ruined—then everything will be over."

"Wooo—" Having reached this point, Peter couldn't help but wail loudly, but fearing he would be discovered, he could only cover his mouth and suppress his sobs.

After listening to Peter's account, Loya understood what he was going through.

In America, the financial and survival situation of many families is actually very fragile. They have almost no savings and are burdened with various taxes and loans.

For example, a certain President in his previous life only finished paying off his student loans when he was middle-aged.

If such a family encounters a sudden crisis, like unemployment or illness—even just a small cold—it can cause them to fall past a critical point and into a desperate situation.

From credit bankruptcy to losing a home to wandering the streets, it happens so fast people can't even react.

And once caught in this predicament, there is almost no possibility of a comeback. Many things here are tied to credit and housing; without credit, it's practically impossible to move an inch, and without a house, you can't find a job.

It's a set of interlocking mechanisms; once triggered, they progress layer by layer, dragging a person into a desperate situation from which it's hard to recover.

Loya remembered this was jokingly called the "Execution Threshold." Once the health bar hits it, you're executed without mercy.

Most of the homeless people on the streets ended up that way. As for their end, they were almost all recycled.

Just like in Hell's Kitchen before, there were specialized recycling organizations that would take them away for medical experiments or processing into works of art.

It was hard to imagine that Peter was also facing such a crisis.

One had to remember that besides his identity as Peter, he was also Spider-Man, punishing evil and promoting good every night, contributing to society. In the end, society wanted to execute him; it was truly tragic.

One can only say that even superheroes have to eat. Not everyone is a "Money-Hero" like Tony, who buys the building before starting a fight.

This also proved that Peter was truly a good person. He had the ability to crush an ordinary person like a chicken, yet he never thought about turning to crime when facing a crisis.

No wonder he's everyone's friendly neighbor and is loved by so many.

If Loya had encountered this, well... America would probably have one more supervillain. The fact that Peter didn't turn dark was impressive enough.

In fact, before he regained his memories of his previous life, he had also been struggling on the edge of this "Execution Threshold."

Later, once he remembered and got the system, he naturally broke free.

As the saying goes: I have a gun, my neighbor has grain; my neighbor is my granary.

If he lacked money, he robbed gangs. He was the gangster among gangsters. At that time, Hell's Kitchen gang members had to cover their backsides when walking.

However, if this kind of thing happened to anyone else, it could be explained as an accident.

But happening to Peter, that was hard to say.

One should know that almost every Spider-Man in the multiverse has a certain title.

That is: Family Killer.

Getting involved with him never ends well; he's caused the deaths of uncles in numerous universes.

A total jinx.

"Could it be that the so-called fate is starting to exert its force? Is Peter destined to walk alone?"

Loya speculated inwardly. He didn't believe it was such a coincidence that Ben and Mei both had accidents at the same time, pushing Peter to the brink of collapse.

His intuition told him there was a high probability of other factors involved.

But regardless, Loya was definitely going to help with this.

Not just because he quite liked Peter as a kid and couldn't bear to see this good boy persecuted by this garbage system.

But also to build favorability, and for that "Scourge of the Animal Totem" side quest—that plot hadn't even shown a hint of starting yet.

It was certain that the side quest was related to animal totem power bearers like Peter. It would be good to go take a look; who knows if there might be some gains.

So Loya gave a relaxed smile, his voice gentle, acting like a big brother: "Alright, stop crying. What's a grown man doing crying? Your Brother Luo is heading to the scene immediately."

Click!

The phone hung up!

"Ah? Thanks, thank you, Brother Luo."

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Peter finally reacted, subconsciously thanking him with red eyes.

He was truly out of options and could only thicken his skin to ask Loya for help. Loya was the only person he could think of who might actually step in.

However, just as Peter breathed a sigh of relief, his expression changed as he suddenly realized he hadn't told Loya the hospital address!

He opened his phone and found the number, about to call back, but his finger paused in mid-air.

"If I call back so soon, will Brother Luo think I'm rushing him?"

Peter's finger slid repeatedly over the buttons, his brow furrowed. He was very afraid—afraid that this possible chance might vanish in an instant.

After all, even if the other party was from a mysterious department, their salary probably wouldn't be that high.

The embarrassment of the poor was fully revealed at this moment.

Just as he was hesitating, a large hand quietly rested on his shoulder, and Loya's voice came from behind him.

"What are you doing? Dazing out while holding your phone."

"Ah!" Peter jerked all over, nearly jumping out of his skin.

Looking back, Loya was looking at him with a grin, wearing a set of black cartoon cat pajamas.

"Bro—Brother Luo." Peter's voice trembled slightly. He glanced at Loya's feet, confirmed there was a shadow, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

If there hadn't been a shadow, he would have thought he'd seen a ghost.

They were clearly just on the phone, and he hadn't given the address, yet he arrived in less than two minutes. His Spider-Sense hadn't even reacted. It was simply inconceivable, weirdly terrifying; even people from a mysterious department shouldn't be like this.

Seeing Peter's tear-streaked face, Loya found it both pitiable and amusing. He patted his shoulder and comforted him: "Alright, it's fine now. I'm here to help you."

"Brother Luo~ wooo~" Suddenly receiving care, Peter's tears flowed even harder from the emotion, and he wanted to give Loya a hug.

Seeing this, Loya quickly raised his hand to hold him back: "What are you doing? Grown men don't do that. Don't get my couple's pajamas dirty. Tell me, besides this matter, is there anything else?"

Peter wiped his tears and shook his head, puzzled: "No, just this."

"Then have you encountered anything strange lately?" Loya asked again.

Peter still shook his head, not thinking much of it, assuming it was just Loya's occupational habit from the mysterious department acting up.

"I see." Loya was a bit disappointed. Was it really just a coincidence?

Seeing Peter's mood was still a bit low, he raised an eyebrow and smiled: "By the way, how is progress with Gwen?"

At the mention of this, Peter's face turned red, and his spirits lifted slightly as he stammered: "I—she and I are dating."

Then, remembering something, his brow furrowed, and he looked a bit dejected: "A few days ago, Gwen's leg was injured by equipment during an experiment. She's still at home recovering."

Peter's emotions stabilized a bit as he slowly opened up, "Her father was accidentally shot while catching a criminal. Luckily, it wasn't life-threatening."

After saying that, he gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Things are happening to me, and things are happening to her. We really are a couple in distress."

Peter was immersed in a sorrowful atmosphere and didn't notice at all that the way Loya was looking at him had changed.

"I knew there was a problem!"

Loya was startled inwardly. Even Gwen's family was involved; this was definitely no coincidence.

In such a short time, people related to Peter were having accidents one after another. Even his leg hairs could tell something was wrong; someone was pulling strings in the shadows.

But Loya didn't say anything. After all, he didn't know where the mastermind was yet. It was better not to alert the enemy; he would observe in secret and wait for an opportunity.

So he smiled: "Alright, life is full of setbacks. Don't be discouraged. If you're short on money, I'll just lend it to you."

For someone like Peter, you couldn't say you were "giving" it; you had to say "lending," otherwise it would easily hurt his pride.

Peter nodded and wiped away a tear: "Thank you so much, Brother Luo. I will definitely pay you back."

He sighed, feeling very helpless: "I originally had a stipend for my internship at Oscorp, but for some reason, that lab was disbanded. Dr. Connors didn't say why either. It's just rotten luck."

Hearing this, Loya's eyes lit up. It seemed he could get someone to help him monitor the possible anomalies around Peter for free.

[Peter has issued a quest to you]

[Quest: Execution Threshold Crisis]

[Objective: Help Peter through his difficulties]

[Reward: EXP +500, Peter Favorability +5, Random Item *1]

They arrived at the ward. It was a bit chilly, and the overhead lights were blindingly bright.

Ben was lying on the hospital bed, his left leg in a cast, his face somewhat pale.

Next to Ben was May Parker, her brow slightly furrowed in worry. Her left arm was also in a cast.

Seeing Peter go out with his phone and then come back in, Ben knew what had happened. He was about to speak words of comfort when he noticed a tall man in cat pajamas following in behind Peter.

He opened his mouth, his eyes filled with a bit of panic: "Peter, this is—"

Ben's first thought was that Peter had gone to a loan shark. After all, with the visitor's physique, it was hard not to misunderstand.

Loya spoke up a step ahead of Peter, slightly lowering his voice to prevent Ben from recognizing him: "Hello, I am Noah from Stark Industries. Peter has been hired by our company as an intern, and I've come specifically to resolve your problems."

"Ah?" Ben was completely bewildered. Why hadn't he heard about this?

Besides, putting aside the difficulty of getting into Stark Industries, wasn't Peter studying biology? That didn't seem to fit with Stark Industries.

He was a bit dazed: "This—I don't think I heard him mention this."

Loya gave a professional smile, his acting skills fully engaged: "He probably wanted to give you a surprise. After all, our company's benefits are very good, and the vetting is very strict."

After speaking, he patted the bewildered Peter: "My boss values him very much, so he's providing an advance on his salary to help you through this difficult time. That's also why I came even while still in my pajamas."

Loya's words were seamless, at least to Peter's family who were currently trapped in an "Execution Threshold" crisis. They really lacked this sum of money; if they couldn't overcome this hurdle, they would be homeless.

After Loya paid Ben and Mei's medical bills on the spot and left a portion for living expenses, all suspicion vanished into thin air.

Ben and Mei exclaimed that Peter had grown up and that Stark Industries was truly a great company.

Loya's move gave Peter a huge amount of face, completely satisfying a young man's small vanity.

Until they walked out of the ward, Peter was still in a daze. He had no idea why Loya would say that, and he couldn't have explained it in that situation anyway.

Stark was his idol, and he had thought about going to Stark Industries, but was he worthy? And his major didn't match either.

This was quite a tall tale!

After a round of performance, Loya even admired his own acting.

[Quest: "Execution Threshold Crisis" Completed]

[Reward: EXP +500, Peter Favorability +5, Item: "The Collector"]

[The Collector: A revolver with a very high-quality feel. While holding The Collector, you can see others' health bars. When health decreases to a certain point, using The Collector can execute them and drop cash based on the deceased's value. (Evaluation: People = Money)]

>

Chapter 96: I Think You're Too Extreme

Returning to the place where they had spoken before, Peter's head was still spinning.

He scratched his head and asked cautiously, "Brother Luo, can I ask why we told Uncle Ben and Aunt May that I entered Stark Industries? Isn't it bad to deceive them like this?"

At this moment, Loya was checking the system rewards he had just received.

The "Collector" gave money for every kill; this item was truly hellish in America.

But considering the atmosphere in America, it was actually perfect. It seemed he would have to become a bounty hunter in the future.

Hearing Peter's confusion, he smiled slightly. "Didn't you lose your internship opportunity? I'm just arranging one for you. Having a job, even if it's just as an intern, makes one feel a bit more secure."

"Ah?" Peter was stunned, an expression of disbelief appearing on his face. "Are you... very close with Mr. Stark?"

After saying that, his expression changed again as he thought back to his previous words. He hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "Brother Luo, when I said I didn't have an internship anymore, I didn't mean I wanted you to help me find one! I really didn't!"

Looking at Peter's embarrassed state, Loya shook his head helplessly. Why was this kid so sensitive? He naturally had his own considerations for making this arrangement.

He reached out and pressed down on Peter's shoulder. "Don't overthink it. I have my reasons."

With that, Loya pulled out his phone and dialed Tony's private number.

After a few seconds, the call connected.

Tony's somewhat excited voice came through. To be this excited so early in the morning, it was obvious he hadn't slept at all and had pulled an all-nighter.

"Yo! Loya, it's been a while since we last spoke. What made you think of me now?"

Hearing that voice, which he had only ever heard on TV, Peter was instantly startled, staring at Loya with wide eyes.

They really knew each other! Was Brother Loya really just a member of some simple mysterious department? He actually had the private number of the world's richest man!

Loya got straight to the point. "I have a good kid here and I want him to be an intern at your place."

"I have a good kid here—gibberish—"

On the other end of the line, Tony repeated the sentence sarcastically, his tone resentful. "You don't contact your friends when nothing's wrong, but you remember me as soon as you need something, huh? Truly a busy man~"

Loya laughed awkwardly. "I was on a mission before, I went to handle a task."

He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "I'm telling you, we've made contact with aliens, and I'm the one receiving them. I'm practically Earth's diplomatic ambassador right now."

Hearing this from the side, Peter's head was instantly filled with question marks. What was he talking about? Some kind of encrypted language?

However, hearing this on the other end, Tony's voice rose several octaves: "Aliens? What do they look like?"

"Eight legs? Or three heads? Do they reproduce the same way humans do?"

As expected of the playboy Tony, his focus was always in the gutter.

"It's not that exaggerated." Loya shook his head speechlessly. "I'll take you to see them when there's a chance."

Peter was now completely plunged into confusion. They were speaking so seriously; could there really be aliens?

"Alright then." Tony's tone sounded a bit tired. "Bring the kid over now. Incidentally, I have something I want to chat with you about as well."

"Okay."

Loya didn't ask much and hung up the phone. He happened to need to get an arc reactor anyway.

By now, the look in Peter's eyes as he watched Loya had turned into one of deep admiration.

Powerful skills, extraordinary strength, and he could even talk and laugh with the world's richest man, Tony Stark.

Most importantly, he had saved Uncle Ben once, and now he was saving his own crumbling family. He was simply an angel!

[Peter's Favorability +5, Current Favorability: 85]

Hearing the favorability prompt, Loya was overjoyed. "My painstaking performance wasn't in vain. Farming favorability isn't that hard after all."

He happily patted Peter's shoulder. "Let's go, to my house first."

With a flash of light, the two of them instantly vanished.

Inside the Villa.

Loya changed into some casual clothes and looked at Peter, who was sitting on the sofa in a daze. "Let's go, Peter."

Peter suddenly snapped out of it. "O-okay, Brother Loya."

—

Arriving at the villa in the blink of an eye just now had shocked him beyond belief. What exactly did that mysterious department do? They could even teleport?

Has technology already reached this level?

Clearly, Peter had attributed Loya's teleportation ability to the mysterious organization behind him.

This time, Loya didn't use the 'eye of aurora' to teleport to Stark Industries, mainly because he didn't feel like explaining it to a curious baby like Tony.

Before long, the two of them arrived at Stark Industries.

Pepper walked over with a smile. She first greeted Loya, then looked at the somewhat awkward Peter. "This must be the new intern, right? Come with me, I'll handle the paperwork for you."

"O-okay." Peter stammered. After all, it would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous about entering the large company of his dreams.

At the same time, he felt even more grateful to Loya. Not only had he helped him out of a predicament, but he had also introduced him to his dream internship. This must be an envoy sent by God to save him.

After Peter left, Loya found Tony on the top floor of Stark Industries.

At this moment, he had a pair of dark circles under his eyes. He held a glass of red wine in one hand and propped up his chin with the other, staring blankly at the rising sun outside the window.

Loya's eyes narrowed slightly. Through "Minds Eye," he clearly perceived the strong emotion coming from Tony.

That emotion was called anxiety!

He smiled and said, "Yo, Tony, cosplaying as The Thinker? You should wear fewer clothes then, otherwise, it's not very authentic."

Tony snapped out of his daze, took a sip of wine, and didn't respond to the joke. Instead, he got straight to the point. "There's another reason you put that kid here for an internship, isn't there?"

Loya liked dealing with smart people. He nodded. "That's right, there is a reason. But you're not losing out; that kid is very smart and very strong. He can help you."

Tony raised an eyebrow and snorted disdainfully. Could he be stronger than his armor?

He took a breath. "Does anything need to be done?"

Loya said, "Nothing really needs to be done. Just help me keep an eye on whether any abnormal situations occur with him. If there's an anomaly, notify me."

"Anomaly?" Tony showed a curious look. "Is there something special about that kid?"

Loya shrugged and spread his hands. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure, but in a sense, he's the type to attract aliens."

That was why he had placed Peter with Tony.

He couldn't watch Peter all the time, and having Tony there made it much more convenient. It was about rational use of previously accumulated connections.

Hearing this, Tony's spirit was instantly lifted. He said excitedly, "Then I'll have to strengthen the company's defense systems. Those are aliens we're talking about."

Loya nodded and said in a certain tone, "Alright, tell me about your situation. Why are you so anxious?"

Tony's eyes widened. "How do you know I'm anxious? Are you a psychiatrist too?"

"That's not important. What's important is your problem." Loya crossed his legs, his tone flat.

He wasn't a psychiatrist; he was a cheater.

"Sigh—"

Tony let out a long sigh and put down his wine glass, sinking his whole body into the sofa with a dejected look. "I can only tell you this: it's about the armor."

"After I announced I was Iron Man, the military and the government couldn't sit still anymore. They've been demanding the armor technology from me."

"At first, I didn't bother with them. Later, they held a hearing to pressure me, and the result was—"

He sneered and closed his eyes as if reminiscing. "I gave those damn guys a proper tongue-lashing. They wouldn't even let the reporters release the video of that hearing."

"I thought that even if it didn't end, it would be quiet for a while."

"Until that one-eyed bald boss of yours gave me some of my father's belongings. I created a more efficient and safer arc reactor and even more powerful armor, and those guys started up again."

Tony rubbed his hair messily, very irritated.

"They sent Rhodes to persuade me. You know, Rhodes has been my good friend for a long time. He was the one who picked me up when I escaped from the Ten Rings."

"If I refuse Rhodes, he'll be punished by his superiors, but I really don't want to and can't give the technology to the military."

He sighed, a look of disdain on his face. "They keep saying it's for the country, for protecting civilians. I don't believe it. I've seen the files S.H.I.E.L.D. provided."

"Obadiah's mutation was their doing, and that technology to drive armor with human bodies was also their creation. They say they've cleared out that faction, but I don't quite believe them."

"But if I don't give it, then there's Rhodes... Sigh... I'm very conflicted now and don't know what to do. I've been stalling for a long time, and time is running out."

After listening, Loya understood.

Tony was that kind of person; if someone became a friend he acknowledged, he would definitely cherish them.

Rhodes was his best friend. He couldn't bear to let him be punished, but he also didn't want the military to possess the Iron Man armor technology. Thus, this anxious boy became increasingly anxious.

Loya first asked, "S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't contacted you?"

Tony nodded. "They did. They wanted me to hand the technology over to them, and they would handle the military's issues."

"But—"

He made a strange expression. "Being around S.H.I.E.L.D.always feels weird. It makes me very uncomfortable. And that One-eyed bald freak Fury, I don't feel like he's a good person either."

Loya stifled a laugh, complaining in his heart, "Are you and Steve twins? How do you both have this feeling? Is it a HYDRA sense?"

His expression was peculiar. "I do have a way, but it's a bit extreme."

"What way?" Tony pressed.

Loya puffed out his chest and said solemnly, "Besides being a SHIELD Agent, I'm also a part-time assassin."

"Just tell me who is pressuring you. You give me a bounty mission, and I'll just take them out."

"If there are successors, I'll take them out too. If there are more, I'll keep taking them out."

"In short, whoever comes dies. From soldiers to generals, from generals to the President, kill them all, kill, kill, kill, kill!!!"

Getting excited, Loya's eyes turned red, killing intent permeated the air, and invisible power began to surge.

Tony shuddered, his whole body going numb from the killing intent.

He felt that what Loya was saying wasn't fake. His tone was a bit terrified: "No, no, no, I still want to live a good life. Also, your method is more than just 'a bit' extreme! It's way too extreme! Think of a more normal way for me."

[Tony has issued a quest to you]

[Quest: Many Troubles]

[Objective: Use a method Tony can accept to solve Tony's current troubles]

[Reward: EXP +1500, Random Item *1]

Hearing the system prompt, Loya rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, he said, "Can't you install some kind of hidden control device? If they use it for evil, you can remotely lock it down."

Tony shook his head. "It's not that simple. I have ways to shut them down while they're operating. But trying to leave a trace-less method is hard. They aren't fools either."

"Then can you give them a stripped-down version? They can't steal your technology anyway."

"No." Tony shook his head. "They'd see through a stripped-down version. The data and performance are right there; I can't fool them."

"Performance?"

Loya frowned, and then a flash of inspiration hit him. "What if I could make your stripped-down armor reach the performance of the original without adding anything? Then what would happen if you gave that stripped-down version to the military?"

Tony rubbed his chin, showing an incredible expression. "How is that possible? What about the law of conservation of energy?"

He paused. "But if that were really possible, they would definitely think it's a problem with their own technology. After all, the data would be normal, the steps would be identical, and the blueprints wouldn't have changed."

"Then that's it!"

Loya clapped his hands and, with a thud, slammed the "pay-to-win enchanting table" onto the floor.

"Loya brand enchanting table, ten million per use. You can trust it!"

Chapter 97: Tony Enjoys the Future

"What exactly is an enchanting table?"

Tony sat up straight abruptly; his immense wealth caused him to subconsciously ignore the phrase 'ten million per use.'

He leaned in curiously, staring intently at the pay-to-win enchanting table, unable to resist touching it all over.

"Such a large, polished diamond? How big must it have been originally? Are you S.H.I.E.L.D. agent all this rich?

Could it be that one-eyed bald guy is embezzling?"

He complained while carefully examining and touching the object called the enchanting table. If nothing else, the texture was truly excellent.

"Is this magnetic levitation technology?"

Tony muttered, his palm feeling around the book floating at the top of the enchanting table.

Then he tried to touch the orb of light above the book, which gave him quite a shock.

His palm didn't block the light; instead, it passed right through the orb, as if the orb and his hand existed in two different dimensions. It was quite miraculous.

Tony circled the enchanting table, leaning down and lowering his head, trying to find some kind of power source or hidden mechanism driving it.

He found nothing. Aside from the familiar materials, he couldn't understand the structure or operating principles of this 'enchanting table' through science or known knowledge.

Tony turned to look at Loya, his eyes wide as if several question marks had popped up over his head. His tone was full of confusion: "Is this thing a technological creation? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. even worthy of owning something like this?"

Loya shook his head with a smile. "First, this is my private property. Second, I've called it an enchanting table; do you really think it's a technological creation?"

"Enchanting table?"

Tony froze for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He pointed at the table in disbelief. "Could it be... a magical creation?"

Loya nodded with a smile. "Exactly. It's a magical creation, and I also know magic."

"magic actually exists in this world?"

Tony leaned back tactically, hardly able to believe it. He had always been a firm materialist.

To suddenly be told that magic exists and that his friend is a mage was a bit hard to accept all at once.

But the object before him, the enchanting table, was tangible proof.

However, after the brief shock, a surge of wild joy filled his heart.

If someone else knew magic, it wouldn't matter much, but Loya was his good friend.

There shouldn't be a problem asking a good friend to let him study magic, right?

This meant his future armors had far more possibilities. A magic armor—that was a brand-new door opening. Just thinking about it was exciting.

Thinking of this, Tony's face flushed. He couldn't hide the smile at the corners of his mouth as he said excitedly, "Then what magic do you know? Quick, give me a demonstration."

Loya saw that Tony had pulled an all-nighter and was now so excited; he was genuinely afraid the guy might have a sudden heart attack from the agitation.

A flash of inspiration hit him, and he held out his hand with a mischievous grin. "Then keep your eyes wide open and watch closely. There won't be a second chance."

Tony stared intently at Loya's palm, anticipating what kind of magic it would be. Wind? Fire? Or maybe freezing something with a breath?

He was extremely expectant.

However, in the next second!

"Take my Holy Light!"

Boom!

A blinding golden Holy Light erupted from his palm, instantly enveloping Tony in its dazzling radiance.

It was as if a Sun had risen out of thin air inside the room!

"Ah! My eyes!!!"

Tony recoiled, falling straight back onto the sofa, clutching his eyes and howling repeatedly.

A moment later, Tony opened his eyes, which were streaming with tears. One might have thought he'd suffered some great grievance.

He rubbed his eyes vigorously, looking resentful. "This is your magic? You just fed me a point-blank flashbang, didn't you?"

Loya smiled and waved his hand. "Why don't you carefully feel the changes in your body right now?"

"Hmm?"

With Loya's reminder, Tony suddenly realized that the fatigue from staying up all night had completely vanished. He felt high-spirited, his body was warm, and he was full of strength.

He reached out and picked up a mirror from the table to take a look.

He saw his reflection: his face was ruddy, his eyes were bright, and he showed none of the haggardness of an all-nighter. He was glowing and bursting with charm!

Tony was shaken and looked at Loya in disbelief. "This is healing magic? You're a priest?

But you were able to fight armor in melee before. Shouldn't you be a ranged damage dealer? Does this make sense?"

He used his stereotypes to perform a logical analysis.

Loya crossed his arms, his strong muscle lines clearly visible, and said disdainfully, "What do you know? My Holy Light combines attribute buffs, mental fortitude, injury healing, and various other benefits into one.

In battle, you just need to hold high the Holy Light and charge in with a melee weapon. True mages are all melee fighters, okay? Tearing apart armor with bare hands is basic operation. The idea that mages must be ranged is just a stereotype."

Tony: "—"

He didn't understand magic, but he also felt that mages shouldn't play like that, right?

If mages played like that, then what use were other roles like tanks and warriors?

Were they just cheerleaders?

Tony stopped dwelling on those details and asked enthusiastically, "Do you think there's a bright future for combining magic and armor?"

Loya nodded. "Of course! If you want to research technology in this area, after I resolve that alien matter I told you about..."

"I can take you to their world for an exchange of learning. They use magic technology."

That place was, naturally, Asgard.

Asgard appeared to be an ancient mythological civilization, but in reality, it used a combination of magic and technology. They had things like warships; it was just that their culture valued martial prowess.

He believed Tony and the researchers of Asgard would have a lot in common.

With this guy's cheat-like talent for invention, he might even create a Uru Metal version of the Iron Man armor that could fire magic cannons.

Tony's eyes lit up at the words.

It turned out he wasn't the only one who had thought of combining magic and technology; someone had already walked this path.

That was even better. At least he could avoid many detours. He was already getting impatient, with ideas popping up one after another in his head.

"Alright, let's talk about those things later. First, let's solve the problem with those bastards in the Military," Loya said.

Tony nodded. For now, he really should get rid of those greedy fools in the Military. Dealing with those people was truly exhausting and a waste of precious time.

"Then how do I use this enchanting table? Did you mention ten million per use just now? What does that mean?"

Tony only then remembered what Loya had said earlier, but he didn't understand what connection there could be between money and magic.

Loya cleared his throat and said solemnly, "It's simple. For every ten million U.S. dollars the enchanting table absorbs, it gains one enchantment attempt. The enchantment effects will definitely satisfy you; it can turn the mundane into the miraculous."

In reality, it only cost one million per use.

But not only did he have to bring out the 'pay-to-win enchanting table,' he also had to stuff the money into it. He had even given Tony a Holy Light treatment just now; it wasn't too much to charge a little labor fee, right?

It was all physical labor; earning money wasn't easy.

Tony fell silent, sinking into deep thought.

It wasn't because the price was too high, but because despite searching all the knowledge in his head, he couldn't find any necessary connection between money and magic.

Absorbing U.S. dollars to perform a so-called enchantment—what was the inevitable correlation there?

What necessary energy could money provide?

Without considering the meaning bestowed by human society, it was just a string of numbers or a pile of scrap paper.

A moment later, Tony rubbed his brow and gave up thinking.

He realized he had fallen into a trap.

His long career in scientific research had made him accustomed to looking at problems with a scientific mindset and subconsciously exploring the essence of things.

But clearly, magic itself wasn't that scientific, let alone the fact that he understood nothing about magic. Trying to ponder its essence was just asking for trouble.

Having understood this, Tony's eyes sparkled. He immediately pulled a black card from his pocket, slapped it on the table with a snap, raised an eyebrow, and said arrogantly,

"Swipe it!!!"

No matter what, he would try it first. It was just a little bit of pocket change anyway. Being able to study magic effects just by spending money was the ultimate bargain.

Loya sighed helplessly. "It only takes cash payments; there's no card-swiping function."

He would have liked to swipe a card, but unfortunately, the mechanism required actual U.S. dollars. There was no other way.

Tony clicked his tongue, curled his lip, and complained, "This magic is way too inconvenient. It can't even swipe a card. Using cash is a huge hassle, okay? I don't know how long it'll take to stuff it all in."

Despite his words, he still stood up obediently and said, "Follow me. The company vault should still have some cash. Swiping it a few times won't be a problem."

Soon, the two arrived in front of the vault door.

As the specialized alloy door slowly opened, a thick scent of money wafted toward them; one whiff was enough to tell there was a lot of cash.

Looking around the entire vault, except for narrow aisles, every other space was piled high with stacks of green U.S. bills.

Loya roughly estimated there was at least a hundred million.

Actually, a hundred million was nothing to Tony, but as a cash reserve, it was quite terrifying.

Last time Loya enchanted, he had visited several banks just to scrape together fifty million in cash, yet Tony had at least a hundred million right here. It was exaggerated.

Moreover, there was visible dust on the floor. It was conceivable that if he hadn't come, Tony might have forgotten this place existed.

Damn it! How can he be so rich!

Keeping a hundred million in cash felt like an ordinary household keeping a few hundred for emergencies.

Tony covered his nose in disgust and then made his 'humblebrag' statement.

"There's only this much left. You know, I've always used electronic transactions for spending. Cash is not only a hassle, it's dangerous and takes up too much space."

Tony pointed to the entire vault. "Just put all the money here into that enchanting table of yours. I'll go get some robots to help you."

Loya stopped Tony as he was about to leave and smiled. "No need for all that trouble. Watch me."

With that, Loya placed the pay-to-win enchanting table on the floor and then activated his telekinesis.

Starting from the very edge of the vault, an invisible force wrapped around the cash, causing it to float up slowly and then surge frantically toward the orb of light above the enchanting table.

U.S. dollars flew through the air, the rustling sound echoing incessantly. It was as if a green river of money had appeared in the air.

"What the f—!?"

Tony watched, dumbfounded. He then swallowed hard, becoming even more expectant of the combination of magic and armor. This would definitely elevate the armor to a whole new height!

With the boost from telekinesis, the cash soon bottomed out, all of it disappearing into the pay-to-win enchanting table.

[Remaining Enchantment Attempts: 250]

Loya: "?"

Who is this number trying to insult!

Forget it, it didn't matter. He had really made a killing this time. Excluding Tony's twenty-five attempts, he had made a net profit of two hundred and twenty-five attempts!

Pure profit from the price difference.

And he was certain that once Tony personally experienced the enchantment effects, he would definitely become a long-term major client.

This kind of 'pay-to-win to get stronger' thing, along with the special enchantment effects, was something a pay-to-win player like him simply couldn't refuse.

And with Tony's support, he could use the enchantment attempts to do even more things.

For example, helping others enchant to improve equipment effects in suitable situations. While making money, he could also make friends, increase favorability, obtain rewards, and achieve a virtuous cycle.

He could also rapidly increase his own strength.

It was a direct multi-win scenario. He was winning big!

Chapter 98: 97. I Love Watching the Show the Most

Armor Display Room.

Rows of armor stood silently.

Tony was beaming, talking and gesturing animatedly as he introduced various types of armor to Loya in an endless stream of words.

Loya didn't spoil the mood either, watching with great interest and giving a thumbs-up in praise from time to time, focusing on providing maximum emotional value.

He discovered that there was far more armor here than he had imagined, with a wide variety of styles; some were even equipped with various melee weapons, making for a dazzling display.

This armor was sufficient to handle any situation.

Clearly, due to some butterfly effect, the iteration speed of Tony's armor technology was faster, and the variety was greater.

Among them, the one that caught Loya's eye the most was a giant suit of armor five meters tall.

This suit was extremely similar to the one Tony had used to deal with Whiplash before—gold and red color scheme, full of oppressive presence—except it had a few more things added to it.

On the armor's thick arms, a retractable chainsaw was embedded, its teeth gleaming with a cold, heart-palpitating light.

This gave Loya a strong sense of déjà vu; why did it look so much like Power Armor from Warhammer?

After introducing almost all the armor, Tony led Loya to a suit whose appearance and color scheme were not much different from the mark 3.

But compared to the mark 3, this suit appeared more refined, lacking the mechanical and heavy feel of armor, as if it were a specially crafted work of art.

Tony pointed at this armor and said, "This is the 'nerfed' version I specially developed earlier. In terms of performance and system integrity, it can only reach a third of the mark 3's level or even lower. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a civilian model."

Hearing this, Loya raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It seems you've thought about giving them a nerfed version for a while."

Tony nodded and sighed, rubbing his brow helplessly. "I did have that thought—letting them replicate a piece of junk so it's hard for them to cause major harm, and making it easier for me to stop any potential bad deeds they might do."

But Justin Hammer of Hammer Industries once studied the Mark 1 armor, and he's a dog kept by the Military. Knowing the approximate performance, I can't hide it from him."

At this point, he unconsciously tugged at his hair, looking quite troubled. "In fact, because of Obadiah's cooperation with the Military, the strength of the Military's armor isn't low."

Their various systems are too weak—for example, weapon regulation, shock absorption, life support, and so on are almost all garbage. Even that carefully developed suit Ivanhad before was pure junk, incapable of long-term combat."

Tony frowned deeply and sighed repeatedly. "I closed the weapons division because I didn't want my weapons hurting innocent people."

If I give them the complete technology, I have a premonition it will cause immense harm. Then closing the weapons division would be meaningless; I'd even become an enabler."

Sensing Tony's increasing anxiety, Loya comforted him, "Don't worry. With my enchanting table here, even if we give them a piece of junk among junk this time, they'll only suspect their own technology is lacking and won't find any other flaws."

Tony nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Then let's just enchant this nerfed version. If it works, I'll have the Military people come pick it up today; they're really annoying."

"By the way," he paused and asked again, "your enchantment won't have any special effects or anything, right? That would be too conspicuous."

Loya shook his head and assured him, "Don't worry, there won't be any special effects at all."

He had tested this long ago; the enchantment not only lacked special effects but also had no impact on the material itself. It was very unscientific, but very'System.'

Every point of an enchanted attribute might not provide a huge boost, but it was a reinforcement on a level similar to rules—anyway, it was just magical.

Furthermore, he was quite curious to see what effects would appear when enchanting this kind of technological armor.

Loya placed the pay-to-win enchanting table to the side, then used telekinesis to control the nerfed armor, bringing it into contact with the light orb representing enchantment.

In the next instant, the armor was covered in a faint white light, then instantly disappeared as if swallowed whole.

"What the—!?"

This scene dumbfounded Tony again. He leaned close to the enchanting table, waved his hand around the light orb, and then cautiously felt the air to confirm the armor wasn't invisible but truly gone.

Then he looked at Loya in disbelief. "Is this space-type magic?"

He could guess magic was powerful, but he didn't expect a single prop could involve the application of space. Was magic a cheat code?

Loya shrugged. "Pretty much. You can understand it that way."

After saying that, he silently issued a command.

"Enchant once first."

[Energy Efficiency +1]

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Next, he enchanted it two more times.

[Sturdiness +1]

[Durability +1]

"It seems the enchantment effects are related to defense."

Loya thought to himself.

Then he directly enchanted it seven more times to make it a round number.

[Energy Efficiency +5]

[Feather Falling +1]

[Fire Protection +1]

Truthfully, Fire Protection and Feather Falling seemed somewhat useless. With the armor's high mobility, under normal circumstances, it shouldn't face such dangers.

Loya took the armor out of the enchanting table. "I've enchanted it with Sturdiness, Durability, and Energy Efficiency."

"Try it out and see how the various performance aspects compare to before."

The easiest part of the armor's nerfed performance to detect should be the energy utilization rate.

After all, the armor itself relied on powerful energy to drive it; the higher the utilization rate, the stronger it was and the longer it could be used.

As for the systems and such, the Military's own systems were garbage, and even the nerfed system Tony provided casually was better than theirs, so they naturally wouldn't find any faults.

Tony's eyes lit up, and he couldn't wait to put it on. Then he commanded from inside the armor, "Jarvis, detect energy utilization efficiency and compare it with the mark 3."

This was the most important part of the armor's nerf; he had implemented a technological lockout, greatly reducing energy utilization efficiency.

But it was also the easiest to detect; it didn't even require complex technology—just have someone pilot the armor and compare its usage.

A series of data flashed across the armor's faceplate, and Jarvis's voice soon rang out: "Comparison complete. Despite being nerfed, the armor's energy utilization efficiency has exceeded the mark 3 by 10%."

"What?"

"What the—!?"

"That's impossible!"

Tony didn't know how many times he had cursed today, but without cursing, he truly couldn't express his shock and disbelief.

He looked at the data comparison report again, his pupils trembling violently, even more unable to understand.

The system hadn't changed at all, the technological lockout still existed, and nothing extra had been added inside the armor; everything was as it was.

In short, this nerfed armor had no changes in hardware or software.

But despite having no changes, its energy utilization efficiency exceeded his own un-nerfed mark 3.

It was like two identical water pipes. One was controlled by a regulator, allowing at most half the water to flow out.

The other had no restrictions whatsoever.

Then, with all variables being the same, the water was turned on at the same time.

The one with the regulator installed ended up letting out more water, faster, than the one without.

It was as if an invisible force allowed it to bypass that regulator and even break through the limit.

But breaking such a limit should logically cause an overload, yet it didn't.

This was no longer just magical; it was downright eerie.

Physics no longer existed; it was being completely ground into the dirt.

Tony then thought of the Sturdiness and Durability enchantments Loya mentioned, so he issued another command, his voice a bit dry: "Jarvis, perform hardness and durability tests."

"Yes, sir."

In the next moment, a nearby robotic arm picked up a special instrument and began continuous hardness and durability tests on the armor's surface.

A short while later, Jarvis's voice rang out again.

"Sir, according to my tests, sturdiness and durability have increased by approximately 4 to 6%."

"Check if the material has changed," Tony said impatiently.

Soon, Jarvis's voice rang out again: "Sir, there are no changes."

"What the—!?"

Tony cried out, feeling his worldview being reshaped. He couldn't help but ask again, "It got harder without anything extra added to the material?"

Jarvis's voice sounded a bit like it was crashing. "Yes, sir. It's harder. It's just... harder."

"What the hell is this?"

Tony was completely bewildered. In his understanding, no matter how magical your magic was, it had to follow the Law of Conservation of Energy.

But looking at this now, where did it look like it was following the Law of Conservation of Energy? It practically ignored the laws of the Universe.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand. The substance itself hadn't changed, but the effects it displayed had. Even magic had to be reasonable, right?

Also, even if it were a magical blessing, if it didn't change the substance, it should at least remain on the surface.

Like some kind of energy field defense.

But in this case, the substance hadn't changed at all, yet the effect had changed.

It was as if an egg's physical state hadn't changed at all, yet it smashed a rock. This was simply a paradox; it was completely unscientific!

The more Tony thought, the messier his mind became. He simply jumped out of the armor and lunged at Loya, shouting, "Why? What's the principle? Why is it like this? This is impossible! This makes no sense!"

He seemed like a madman, his eyes full of obsessive thirst for knowledge.

Loya was startled and quickly pinned him down.

At this moment, through the emotional perception of 'Minds Eye,' Tony's emotional fluctuations were very unstable, giving off a sense of being obsessed.

"Speak properly, what are you in such a rush for?" Loyashook his head helplessly.

As he spoke, holy light suddenly erupted from his hand, as bright as a blazing sun.

"Ah! My eyes!!!"

Tony screamed, his face covered in tears again, and finally calmed down.

He then told Loya the data he had just detected and asked the doubt in his heart.

"What exactly is the principle behind this magic? I want to know so badly."

Tony was practically itching with curiosity now; he really was too curious and wanted to know this so much. If he could know the principle and replicate it, it would completely change the world.

Loya: "——"

Is there a need to be so shocked? What a fuss over nothing.

Besides, this is a prop mechanic; even if you ask me the principle, I don't understand it either!

Left with no choice, he could only talk nonsense. "This matter is very complex; one must be very proficient in magic to understand it. In short, those who know, know; for those who don't, explaining is useless. It's like a kind of technological lockout. And my magic isn't proficient enough to explain it yet."

Tony sighed deeply, as if he had lost something. "Do you know? If the principle behind this could be figured out, it would change the entire world!"

He was truly too curious. If he couldn't figure out the principle in this lifetime, he would simply die with his eyes open.

Loya patted his shoulder, solemnly painting a 'big picture' for him: "Just wait until I'm proficient. I'll tell you everything then, I promise to make your dream come true."

Tony frowned; why did he sense the flavor of a board member painting a 'big picture' for an employee?

But seeing Loya's sincere gaze, he ultimately didn't dwell on it. "Then I'll wait for that day."

"That's right." Loya smiled with satisfaction. "Now this nerfed armor can be used to fulfill the assignment, right? I believe it will give the Military a surprise."

Tony also showed a pleasant smile. "This can definitely be given to them. It will surely torment that good dog of the Military, Hammer, to death. They won't find the reason for a lifetime."

[Task 'Many Troubles' Completed]

[Reward: Experience +1500, Item 'Hacker Phone']

[hacker phone: Can hack into any network system. The time spent varies depending on the difficulty of the network system being hacked]

Loya smiled slightly. "Then hurry up and have them come get the armor. I love watching the show the most."

Tony also showed a brilliant smile.

"I love watching the show the most too, especially the show of a bastard."

The two looked at each other and smiled, everything understood without words.

[Tony Favorability +5, Current Favorability: 85]