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Soon, three fully armed Ten Rings members arrived at the door.They kicked it open—only to find that Tony Stark and Yinsen were nowhere in sight. Panic immediately set in.
"Bastards! Get out here!"
"Do you really think hiding in a corner will keep you safe?"
"And where did that cat come from?! How did it get in here?!"
Tony and Yinsen remained completely silent, pressed tightly into the shadows. Their silence only made the three guards more uneasy. The fighting outside was still raging, but they knew nothing about what was happening beyond the cave.
At that moment, Puer, who had been clinging to the ceiling, suddenly dropped down—transforming midair into a massive iron hammer.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Puer, now a gigantic hammer, smashed into all three men in an instant, slamming them violently into the wall. They were killed on the spot, far too fast to even react.
Tony Stark's eyes widened in shock.
Just what else can that thing transform into?
Outside the Cave
Smith Doyle was extremely satisfied with the destruction he had caused—especially with the compressed energy blasts he had tested. These attacks were perfect for dealing with enemies like this; a single shot could kill several people at once.
If Tony hadn't been inside the cave, Smith could have simply fired a Kamehameha and turned the entire area into a massive crater.
Every Ten Rings member outside the cave had been wiped out. Not a single one survived. It had to be said—the prince's combat tactics were exceptionally effective when it came to clearing out fodder enemies.
As the sun slowly rose, warm golden light spread across the land, bathing everything in a strangely beautiful glow.
Hidden within the mountains, Zala had witnessed Smith Doyle's terrifying destructive power. His thoughts immediately turned to the organization's true leader—Xu Wenwu.
Xu Wenwu was the head of the Ten Rings in the Middle East, and Zala knew some things about what his leader was capable of.
Only my lord could possibly deal with a monster like this.
Reaching that conclusion, Zala touched the Ten Rings tattoo on his wrist and escaped through a hidden passage.
Smith Doyle finished off the external enemies and stepped into the cave. Thanks to the lighting inside, it wasn't completely dark. As for the remaining Ten Rings members within—they, too, met the same fate.
After clearing the cave, Smith arrived at the place where Tony Stark had been imprisoned. The iron door stood open, three corpses sprawled across the floor.
Seeing Smith, Puer immediately flew over and hovered in front of him.
"Young Master Smith, under my protection, Tony Stark has not suffered any harm."
Smith gently patted Puer on the head.
"Thank you for your hard work, Puer."
Hearing their conversation, Tony Stark and Yinsen cautiously emerged from their hiding place. Tony stepped forward, looking at the unfamiliar man before him.
"Thank you for saving me."
Smith was slightly surprised. If he remembered correctly, Tony Stark wasn't exactly fond of shaking hands.
Smiling, Smith still reached out and shook Tony's hand.
"As long as you're alive, this mission was worth it."
Tony glanced behind Smith, only to find no one else there. His surprise deepened.
"You eliminated all the enemies outside… by yourself?"
Smith smiled and nodded.
Tony was stunned.
The gunfire and explosions earlier had been deafening—yet this man had dealt with all those armed militants alone. That was something even Captain America would struggle to achieve. And yet, Smith didn't have so much as a scratch on him.
Unable to hold back his shock, Tony asked:
"Who hired you to rescue me?"
Smith glanced briefly at the silent Yinsen beside him, then replied,
"Your secretary, Miss Pepper Potts, contacted me."
"Of course," he added with a grin, "the compensation was generous. The trip was well worth it."
Tony was surprised. He didn't realize Pepper had connections like that. As for the payment, he couldn't care less—even a hundred billion dollars would be worth it.
He expressed his gratitude once again.
"I did ask for help, so you deserve the reward—but I'm still truly grateful."
"The military couldn't find me for months. Your capabilities are absolutely top-tier."
Tony gave Smith a thumbs-up.
Smith chuckled. As expected, Tony had accepted the explanation easily. His gaze swept over the scattered parts throughout the cave—the Mark I armor prototype hadn't been completed yet.
"I've eliminated everyone here. You're safe now," Smith said."Is there anything you need to take with you? I'll get you out of here shortly."
Hearing that all the enemies were gone, Tony visibly relaxed and smiled. His thoughts returned to the armor he had designed.
"Are you sure no more enemies will show up?"
Smith nodded.
"To find you, I destroyed three similar bases nearby. I don't think anyone will come anytime soon."
Tony's eyes lit up.
If it was safe, then he could finally assemble the armor.
"I made something very interesting," Tony said. "Originally, it was meant for escaping. Since the enemies are gone, I'll put it together properly. Let's all take a look."
Hearing that Tony was about to assemble the Mark I, Smith became interested as well.
"Alright. Let me see what our genius scientist has created."
With Smith's approval, Tony pulled Yinsen over and began assembling the armor.
Smith watched with fascination. Seeing Tony create the Mark I under such crude conditions, he couldn't help but admire him.
Tony Stark truly is a man cursed by knowledge.
Still… I wonder—who's smarter, Bulma or Tony?
Once all the components were assembled, Tony stepped into the armor.
"Yinsen, help me tighten the screws."
Following Tony's instructions, Yinsen fastened the chest plate and tightened the bolts.
As the final screws were nearly secured, Tony gave another order:
"Yinsen, power it up."
Yinsen set down the tools and turned around.
"Tell me how."
"Function key F11," Tony said."Let me know when you see the progress bar."
Yinsen followed the instructions and soon saw the response on the screen.
"It's there."
"Time to begin guidance," Tony said.
"Press Ctrl + I, then hit Enter."
Smith Doyle and Puer stood quietly to the side, watching the process.
Soon, the progress bar filled completely.
Tony Stark's Mark I armor was officially activated.