c41 - Understanding the New World
"Of course, besides eating, there's also the path of adaptation and evolution."
"However, if you want to improve your strength through adaptation and evolution," you need to go to places that make you feel extremely uncomfortable and harmful to your body, stay there for a while, and your body will automatically evolve resistance."
"The harsher the environment, the faster the adaptation and evolution."
Harvey taught Tony Stark some of his experiences gained over the years, drawing from what he had already demonstrated withstanding crushing pressure and extreme conditions far beyond what even enhanced humans like Captain America could endure.
He wasn't afraid that Tony Stark would surpass him, so he wasn't stingy with this experience.
"Harsh environments? Like incredibly dry deserts?"
Tony Stark seemed thoughtful upon hearing this, recalling how even his earlier Mark II armor had nearly failed in high-altitude icing conditions before he solved it with improved thermal regulation.
"No, the desert surface will only bring you some discomfort, only make you unafraid of the heat."
"But if you want to achieve a deeper level of evolution in the desert,"
"you need to actively step into the desert's underground and be buried alive by the sand for a period of time."
"The immense pressure the sand puts on your body while you're buried alive will grant you deeper abilities."
"The same applies to the ocean; if you can stay there for a while, you will definitely evolve the ability to breathe in the ocean."
"However, if you want to be unafraid of water pressure and step into the deep sea, you will need some time to adapt and evolve."
Harvey shook his head and explained, much like how Atlanteans naturally adapted to deep-sea pressure, except this evolution would be forced and accelerated.
"It sounds like adapting and evolving requires risking your life."
Tony Stark had originally planned to use both methods simultaneously, but after hearing Harvey Ambellaca's words, his idea was immediately abandoned.
"Essentially, it is indeed risking one's life."
"Because adaptive evolution occurs in extreme environments, when there is no other choice, one must quickly adapt to the environment and enhance one's own survival ability."
"Of course, if you want to directly travel through the universe with your physical body, to various harsh environments, to explore the truth, and incidentally fight various powerful enemies."
"Only by making all the preparations you can foresee and strengthening yourself can you guarantee your survival."
Harvey nodded in deep agreement and slowly said, his tone calm as if describing something ordinary, despite the scale rivaling cosmic entities like the Celestials.
"Physical travel through the void…"
Upon hearing this, Tony Stark recalled the void creatures he had just seen, each as large as a galaxy, far surpassing even the scale of beings like Galactus that he had only theorized about before.
Tony Stark could not comprehend just how powerful they were.
However, he knew one thing: if one truly evolved to that level, let alone traveling through the universe, the universe would be practically his backyard.
The various radiation hazards of the universe, such as gamma rays, cosmic radiation, and solar flares that even his Iron Man armor had to compensate for, would be utterly insignificant to those terrifying void creatures.
Moreover, those unimaginably evolved monsters were all just one aspect of the powers that Harvey Ambella had mastered.
Let alone evolving to the same level as Harvey Ambella, just evolving to the ultimate level of one of the powers Harvey Ambella possessed would likely take an immeasurable amount of time.
Fortunately, his lifespan wasn't limited to a mere century; as long as he lived long enough, he would one day be able to glimpse the truth of the Void and obtain one of its powers.
Furthermore, as the first to join the Void, Tony Stark felt it necessary for him to evolve further before others joined, letting those who followed know what it meant to be a pioneer—just as he once led the world into a new technological era with the creation of the Iron Man armor.
"That sounds incredibly appealing,"
Tony Stark smiled.
Before, Tony Stark only dared to dream of using the technology he invented to travel to space, much like how he had already begun improving his suits for high-altitude and orbital capability. With further
research, his Iron Man suit could potentially allow him to roam near Earth, not just a dream, but an achievable ideal.
However, directly traveling into space with his physical body was something he hadn't even dared to consider before.
Even disregarding the insurmountable condition of humans needing to breathe, the universe remained a challenge one that even advanced Stark Industries technology could only partially overcome, let alone a human body without protection.
The intense ultraviolet radiation alone, without the protection of Earth's ozone layer, would have been enough to kill an ordinary human instantly, not to mention the cosmic radiation, solar winds, and various high-energy rays that even early versions of Tony Stark's Iron Man armor had to compensate for during high-altitude and near-orbital flights.
"Don't be too happy yet. Even if you join the Void, it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want now."
"There are some powerful figures on Earth. If you provoke them, they could bring death to your current weakness,"
Harvey warned, seeing Tony Stark's smile fade slightly as reality set back in.
"Powerful figures? The Captain Marvel you mentioned?"
Tony Stark immediately thought of Captain Marvel and asked.
"Captain Marvel is currently helping life on various planets throughout the universe, so you don't need to worry about her for now."
"The most important thing to watch out for right now is the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme. She has protected Earth for centuries."
Since Tony Stark had officially joined the Void and was now on his side, Harvey provided more information, referencing the hidden protectors of Earth that even S.H.I.E.L.D. only partially understood,
to prevent Tony Stark from making foolish mistakes and attracting the attention of Ancient One.
"Protecting humanity for centuries? The Ancient One isn't human either?"
Tony Stark asked, somewhat incredulously.
After all, even with all his knowledge and access to classified files through S.H.I.E.L.D., he had never encountered confirmed records of a human living for several centuries.
Now, Harvey Ambella was telling him about someone who had done exactly that, which he found difficult to reconcile with scientific logic.
"She is human, but she possesses mystical power and has extended her lifespan through various means, including drawing energy from other dimensions."
"She generally doesn't easily interfere with matters of the material world, because she governs the mystical side of Earth and defends against threats from other dimensions, such as entities like Dormammu."
Harvey said calmly, describing the balance between the physical and mystical worlds that existed beyond ordinary perception.
"I've always thought magic was just a fictional concept, something from myths or stage tricks."
"But now that I've met you and joined the Void, it doesn't seem so incomprehensible that someone in the universe possesses real magic."
Tony Stark pondered for a moment and muttered to himself, recalling how even his own worldview had been shattered multiple times—from cave-built armor to arc reactor miniaturization, and now to something far beyond science.
"Don't even mention the universe, just on Earth there are many powers that ordinary people can't understand."
"Right now, you've only just transcended the limits of humanity. To ordinary people, your power will soon exceed common sense."
"However, compared to those powerful beings who possess various superhuman abilities and magic, you are at best an ant with a strong sense of self-awareness."
Harvey's words were a veiled criticism of Tony Stark, grounded in the reality of Marvel's layered power hierarchy.
"Although I know I'm weak right now, at least describe me as a human, right?"
Upon hearing this, the fire that had been burning in Tony Stark's heart seemed to have been doused with cold water. Instead of questioning Harvey Ambella's words, he focused on correcting the phrasing.
He had lived as a human for nearly forty years. Although joining the Void had drastically changed his nature and the world he now perceived, even with a different level of existence, his mindset was still rooted in humanity.
"I was just talking about the difference in power, but it's good that you have this awareness."
"It will help you better resist the temptations of hunger and evolution in the future."
Harvey glanced at Tony Stark with a hint of appreciation and acknowledged his response.
"How strong is that Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme?"
"Tell me more, so that when Pepper joins too..."
"I can at least explain things properly instead of sounding like I'm making things up..."
Tony Stark had memorized everything Harvey Ambellaca said and asked curiously, his scientific curiosity now mixed with genuine caution.
Now that he had joined the Void and stood on the same side as Harvey Ambellaca, he was finally stepping into the hidden world that existed beyond technology and politics a world that neither Stark Industries nor S.H.I.E.L.D. could fully control.
And regarding that transcendental world, his current knowledge was still far too limited.
...
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