Chapter 228: Reborn Nebula
Ivan took a glass of red wine and approached Nebula, who seemed lonely.
"Miss Nebula, why not taste this delicious Earth food? Opportunities like this don't come often."
Nebula's face turned cold as she retorted, "Are you mocking me? How can I taste anything with this mechanical body?"
"Anything is possible. How do you know unless you try? Miracles can happen anytime, anywhere. Trust me, give it a shot."
Ivan's sincere smile surprised Nebula. There was no mockery, just genuine encouragement. This unexpected sincerity made her consider his words. Could these foods create a miracle?
Deciding she had nothing to lose, Nebula approached the food table. Ivan's smile widened as he discreetly activated a pendant around his neck, sending a red beam into Nebula's body.
Nebula looked at the spread of food, hesitated momentarily, then picked up a small buttered roll and popped it into her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes widened in shock. An indescribable, delicious flavor exploded in her taste buds, filling her with joy she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Overwhelmed with happiness, Nebula seemed almost tearful, as if she still had lacrimal glands. She began eating voraciously, savoring each bite to compensate for all she had missed.
Her sudden enthusiasm attracted the attention of others. Puzzled, they watched as the almost robotic Nebula devoured food. They questioned her, but she ignored them, wholly absorbed in her meal.
Ivan observed with satisfaction. The Reality Gem's ability to transform the virtual into the real was powerful, enabling even a robot to experience taste. This successful experiment boded well for his plans, particularly in creating a body for the Red Queen. However, to achieve perfection, Ivan knew he also needed the Soul Gem to make actual life.
Having verified his hypothesis, Ivan continued. He instructed the restaurant staff to ensure Star-Lord and the others were well taken care of, then finished his wine and left the restaurant.
Ivan went to a secret laboratory deep within the Cosmic Walker. The Cosmic Orb had been delivered there, along with several other valuable items like the Extremis potion, SuperSoldier serum, and phoenix blood. However, Ivan's focus was on the cosmic sphere.
Holding the sphere, Ivan twisted it open, revealing the purple Power Gem. Mesmerized by its beauty, he stared for a moment before collecting himself. He discarded the empty sphere and lightly touched the gem with a fingertip, feeling a surge of immense power flow into him. The energy was so pure and overwhelming that he quickly pulled back, channeling his energy to absorb and integrate the gem's power into his body. It took nearly twenty minutes to absorb even a tiny fragment the energy.
"It's incredible!" Ivan exclaimed. He felt his body significantly strengthened much faster than any previous method. The Power Gem was indeed extraordinary.
Resisting the urge to continue, Ivan knew he had work to do.
Holding the half-cosmic spirit ball, Ivan approached a specially made instrument vaguely shaped like a pyramid. At its center was a fist-sized blue sphere with tiny pipes resembling long fluff. These pipes continuously merged, reducing their number until only dozens of finger-thick energy transmission pipelines remained.
Ivan pressed a red button on the instrument, causing the sphere in the middle to separate. He quickly placed the Power Gem inside, and the sphere automatically closed. Strands of purple energy emerged, dyeing the energy transmission pipes purple. A graph showing the energy intensity appeared on the computer screen next to it. Ivan's hands rushed, adjusting the energy transmission speed with precise inputs, pushing the instrument to its optimal state. This meticulous work took over ten hours, leaving Ivan exhausted.
"Damn, I promised to help Star-Lord and the others with their enhancements and got completely absorbed in my work. They must be worried now!"
Ivan quickly tidied up, changed clothes, and left the lab. As he reached the door, he saw Star-Lord and his team waiting outside, along with Stakar, who seemed to be mediating their impatience.
"I'm truly sorry. I forgot. I really need to keep track of time while working on experiments. Let's head in now; I'll help you with the enhancements."
Ivan led them back into the lab. Star-Lord and his team felt awkward but followed him inside, while Stakar remained outside to stand guard.
A substantial cylindrical glass chamber, three meters in diameter, descended from above. Ivan turned to the group.
"Who wants to go first?"
The group hesitated. Being the first meant being the guinea pig, and no one wanted to volunteer.
Nebula stepped forward. Gamora tried to stop her, but Nebula pushed her hand away.
"I'll go first. I trust Dr. Ivan's abilities and appreciate the chance to enjoy food again yesterday."
"You're welcome. It was just a small trick," Ivan said, pointing to the glass chamber.
"Step inside. You won't need to do anything. I'll inject the Extremis potion into your brain. This potion contains the blood of the phoenix, which can be reborn from ashes. You'll experience intense pain, like burning in a fire, but you must endure it."
Nebula's face remained stoic.
"Don't worry. I've endured more pain than you can imagine. Physical pain is nothing compared to mental anguish."
Nebula strode into the glass chamber and stood still. Ivan injected a blood-red liquid into the device and then entered commands on the computer. Tentacle-like pipes descended and attached to Nebula, with one pipe directly inserted into her brain to inject the potion.
Nebula, who hadn't felt pain in years due to her mechanical body, suddenly felt intense heat and a burning sensation in her head. The pain was excruciating, and she screamed as the mechanical parts of her body were ejected one by one. Flesh began to grow from her head, causing her screams to intensify, but deep down, Nebula felt exhilaration. She was becoming alive again.
Star-Lord and the others watched in shock as Nebula appeared to ignite and burn. The flames engulfed the glass chamber, and mechanical parts rattled against the glass. The high-quality glass withstood the impacts and through the fire. At this time, it was no longer a terrifying appearance composed of mechanical parts. They glimpsed Nebula's true face emerging.
Ivan pressed another button, causing the glass to turn opaque and concealing Nebula's form.
"A lady's body is not to be exposed so easily. Let's be gentlemen and wait in the next room until she's dressed."
Star-Lord and the others, snapping out of shock, followed Ivan to the next room. Ivan also requested a female mutant to bring a set of clothes for Nebula to the lab.
---
After a short wait, the female mutant emerged from the lab and nodded to Ivan. When Ivan returned to the lab with Star-Lord and the others, she found a transformed Nebula, now fully human and dressed, with a mix of relief and disbelief on her face.
"How do you feel?" Ivan asked.
Nebula flexed her fingers and took a deep breath, savoring the sensation. "I feel... alive. Thank you."
"You're welcome," Ivan replied, smiling. "Who's next?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Mad_verse
Mad_verse Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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