Chapter 116: MD-Chapter 116 The Delicate Battle Soul
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Tony's face was frozen with shock.
You're just a kid!
You're just a kid!
You're just a kid!!!
The thought of being poisoned was pushed aside as these words, like a curse, wrapped around his mind, almost impossible to shake off.
"He was younger than I am when he knew you!"
Tony was so angry he almost lost his composure.
"Are you saying he wasn't qualified to be your father?"
Arthur's expression was confused.
"That's not what I meant!" Tony felt like he was going crazy.
"So you're saying you're actually older than your father?" Arthur nodded. "Well, you do look a little older than your father."
Tony choked on his own frustration, unsure if he was going to explode or not.
After staring at Arthur for a while, he finally grasped the concept of 'poisoning' and his eyes flickered. "Palladium?"
"Yes."
Arthur patted Tony's shoulder. "But don't worry, nephew. You won't have any trouble with me around."
"Get out!!!"
Tony pointed at the door with an extremely angry expression on his face.
"Let me be serious for a moment," Arthur said. "Palladium poisoning is almost impossible for you to solve. Because it's in... well, here!"
Arthur pointed to the arc reactor in Tony's chest. "And if you lose it, I don't have to tell you the consequences, do I?"
Tony took several deep breaths to calm himself.
His expression became serious as he asked, "How much more are you going to ask for?"
"Stop talking about money, it's so mundane," Arthur said. "When we talked about money before, it was out of necessity. Otherwise, why didn't I ask for money when I agreed to rescue you in Afghanistan?"
"How could you not ask?" Tony said with a blank expression. "That night Pepper told me you bought a lot of Stark Industries stock while I was gone. When you sold those shares, you probably made tens of millions!"
"Money isn't the point!"
Arthur waved his hand. "The point is... well, no, no, forget the money. My relationship with your father is not something that money can buy."
"..."
Tony took a deep breath to calm himself down. People often said he was difficult to get along with.
How did someone like that come along, with a personality even more irritating than his?
"Anyway, don't worry. The palladium poisoning may be impossible for you to solve, but it's not without options. At least I know of two solutions!"
Arthur held up a finger. "First, there's an organization you should know about, formerly called SSR, now known as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or simply SHIELD! In fact, you're already in contact with them. SHIELD has a valuable resource left by your father that can completely solve your problem. The other solution depends on me. Once my research product is ready, a single injection will fix the hole in your chest - cure all ills! As for the existence of Iron Man, it's not just because of the hole in your chest, is it?"
Tony was stunned, his face a mixture of confusion and WTF.
Arthur sighed, patted Tony on the shoulder, and said, "So you're still a child who doesn't understand the truth of this world.
Then he took the contract and said with a smile, "Well, I'm going now. This thing won't kill you right away. Think about the SHIELD options for yourself. But don't rush into a decision - take your time. No matter what you choose, it's okay, after all, you're still the child I care about".
Another double use of "child"!
Tony was so angry that he almost turned into the Hulk - if he could have transformed, he probably would have done so by now.
When he finally regained his composure, he saw that Arthur had already reached the window, waved at him, and then pressed something against his chest.
Dressed in black clothes, a black hat and a black mask, Arthur said, "Oh, by the way, if you have time, get me a mask. I'm not giving you these two little toys. Since the contract doesn't specify how to handle them, I'll take care of them for you to save you the trouble.
With that, Arthur vanished from sight in a flash.
Before Tony could even get a good look, Arthur had answered Mother Earth's call and disappeared outside!
"You come back RIGHT NOW!!!!"
Tony yelled, rushing to the window to check, but Arthur was nowhere to be seen.
In frustration, Tony yelled, "Who's the kid? I'm older than you! At least ten years older!!!"
...
...
After Arthur returned home, he went straight to the lab.
There were two pairs of eyes waiting anxiously.
Originally, Arthur had planned to act very grim and torturous, delivering a double blow to their spirits.
But in the end, he couldn't hold back and announced the results directly.
Banner, thrilled with the news, nearly transformed with excitement, leaving Arthur and Dr. Connors in a cold sweat.
Once everyone had calmed down, Banner went off to prepare dinner, saying they needed to celebrate that night.
Dr. Connors agreed that a celebration was in order, so he planned to work on the equations thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Arthur returned to his room.
"The two big guys didn't end up with the kid after all."
Arthur chuckled. "In that case, I'll go ahead and disassemble them."
[Do you wish to Disassemble Mark 1 (Purple)?]
"Disassemble!"
After issuing the Disassemble command, Arthur picked up a book on Martial Arts from the table and began reading.
The sound of the gears grinding was like the book's accompaniment, and he enjoyed the feeling immensely.
The disassembly process took a little longer, and after a full five minutes, the large Mark 1 was gone. The Disassembler prompt appeared.
[Disassembly successful!].
[Beginner Steel Bones x21].
[White Light Blink's Iron Man Battle Soul].
[Colorless Crystal x6].
[Disassembler Experience +3].
[Disassembling equipment finished, do you want to extract now?].
Arthur blinked, choosing not to extract immediately, but to Disassemble Iron Monger Armor.
[Do you wish to Disassemble Iron Monger (Purple), Arc Reactor (Purple)?]
"Eh?"
Arthur was momentarily stunned. Arc Reactor?
He had almost forgotten about it.
It was embedded in the Iron Monger's chest.
And it was Purple Quality too?
Well, it had been used by Tony.
Even though it was a good item, Arthur wasn't particularly concerned and chose to Disassemble it.
This time the wait was a little longer. Feeling bored, Arthur looked at the status of the Disassembler during the disassembly process.
The entire Disassembler was vibrating, and the adjacent mana extractor was glowing continuously.
Ten minutes later...
[Disassembly successful!].
[Beginner Steel Bones x35].
[Bald Head and Iron Man Battle Soul x2].
[Colorless Crystal x50].
[Disassembler Experience +6].
[Disassembly equipment successful, do you want to extract at once?].
(The End)
Chapter 117: MD-Chapter 117 Steel Bones!
Arthur extracted 56 books of Beginner's Steel Body, 3 Battle Souls, and 56 Small Colorless Crystals. After extracting them all, he stared blankly at the Steel Body.
"What the hell is this? A DNF skill? Why would it come out of this armor?" Arthur scratched his head, "Is it because all this stuff is metal? But weapons are metal too! Okay, fine, that's just nitpicking."
Without hesitation, Arthur clapped his hands in a rhythmic pattern, three claps per beat, for a total of 18 beats plus two more claps. The 56 books of "Steel Body" were then completely absorbed into Arthur's body.
Arthur realized that this was indeed a skill that used the colorless energy in his body. When activated, his body would be instantly strengthened, increasing his strength and defense!
"Steel body!" Arthur activated the skill, although there was no need to shout out the name of the skill - he only did so because it was time to return to his Chūnibyō Academy.
In an instant, he felt the colorless energy that filled every cell in his body undergo an unusual transformation. The energy concentration and activity in his bones and muscles began to surge. Every tendon in his body gathered highly active colorless energy, and even more, a layer of steel armor formed on his skin!
Arthur flexed his hands and feet, feeling an endless surge of strength, while the steel armor didn't cause him any discomfort.
"Am I really invincible now?" Arthur looked at his hand, thrilled, but then scratched his head, feeling a bit conflicted.
"Should I try stabbing myself with a knife to see if it works?" The steel body seemed impressive, but what if a knife actually went through and killed him? That would be a disaster.
Arthur had often suspected that his life was like a novel written by a second-rate author in which he, the protagonist, might accidentally stab himself to death. Would that be considered a new kind of horrible ending?
After a long internal debate, Arthur finally took out a military knife from his disassembler space. He hesitated for a moment, then gently jabbed the blade into his finger.
*Ding!*.
As soon as the tip of the knife touched his fingertip, there was a crisp, metallic sound.
Arthur felt a surge of confidence and his pace quickened as he began to draw the blade across his palm.
The edge of the blade began to wear away at a rate visible to the naked eye. At the same time, Arthur noticed that the rate of consumption of the colorless energy within him increased slightly.
Suddenly inspired, Arthur slashed his palm hard with the knife!
*Ding!!!!!!*
A loud, clear ring filled the air, followed by a return to silence. The steel armor was undamaged, but the blade was ruined.
"Looks like a small knife can't cut through." Arthur nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out a gun. He thought for a moment and put it down. "This is too much, too much..."
In the end, he chickened out; stabbing himself with a knife was already his limit. Arthur figured that no one, unless they were a level three idiot, would actually shoot themselves.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Arthur picked up the three "Battle Souls". One glowed with white light, an Iron Man Battle Soul, while the other two were bald-headed and glowing with Iron Man Battle Souls.
Honestly, Arthur really wanted to curse; he really wanted to curse someone out loud.
"What kind of ridiculous name is that? Bald Guy and Iron Man Battle Soul? Why not just call it Light Bulb and Iron Man Battle Soul?"
Arthur muttered as he looked at it, hesitating slightly. "Is this going to turn me into one of those weird bald guys who says 'I'm bald, but I've also become stronger'?" With a flick of his hand, white light engulfed him!
The next second, the Battle Soul merged with Arthur's body. It felt like an electric current flowing through his entire being- there was no pain like the Hulk's Battle Soul, but instead a refreshing sensation washed over his brain!
"Ah, this feels amazing!" Arthur felt as if he had just eaten an ice cream on a hot summer day. His mind was as clear as if it had been wiped with a cloth and then rinsed with cold water. He slapped the other Battle Soul in the same way and felt the same sensation, although the effect wasn't as strong as the first one.
"My physical strength has increased... but the change isn't very noticeable." He tapped his head lightly. "Is this Battle Soul a fusion of Tony and Stane? Does it mainly increase... intelligence?"
Shaking his head, he picked up the glowing Iron Man Battle Soul. After another slap, Arthur closed his eyes to silently experience the effects. His brain, body, mind... even his willpower felt strengthened!
When Arthur opened his eyes, the effects of the Battle Soul had fully manifested. The increase in strength and endurance was still mediocre, but his mind was exceptionally clear. Still, Arthur was confused. "What exactly is this Battle Soul mainly enhancing?"
After pondering for a while without finding an answer, he decided to absorb the 56 small crystals just as Banner called him to dinner. Before leaving the room, Arthur still felt a bit confused.
The Battle Souls he had absorbed were mysterious, and while his physical strength had indeed increased, it was very limited. They weren't as impressive as Schmidt's Battle Soul, and certainly not as powerful as the Hulk's.
However, the Steel Body skill gave Arthur the feeling that he hadn't lost in this exchange.
The next morning, Arthur had guests at his house. When he came down from the roof, Banner was having a lively conversation with Tony.
"As an older man, I admire your dedication to staying fit. Maybe in another 40 years I'll be doing the same," Tony said with a smile as he watched Arthur come down the stairs.
"Looks like you've finally come to terms with reality and realized you're still just a kid," Tony teased as Arthur picked up a glass of milk from the table and drank it in one gulp, exhaling with satisfaction. "I don't remember inviting you. Did you come here on your own to give me money?"
"Not just money!" Tony stood and smiled friendly at Banner. "If you get a chance, I'd like you to visit Stark Industries. The top ten floors are entirely dedicated to research and development - I'm sure you'll love it there."
Then Tony turned back to Arthur. "The first batch of raw materials you requested has been prepared. As for the equipment, it may not be top-of-the-line because, well, you're still too poor. But the basic requirements are met and everything is ready to start your experiments whenever you are."
"And the Arc Reactor I asked for - is that ready too?" Arthur asked with a grin. This was the latest addition to their contract from the day before; the genetic experiments required an enormous amount of energy.
When Steve Rogers had transformed into Captain America, it had caused a citywide blackout. Arthur wasn't about to play that kind of joke with New York's power grid, so the Arc Reactor was the first thing that came to mind. Of course, it was only borrowed.
But Tony's next words left Arthur a bit stunned.
"Is one Arc Reactor really enough?"
...
You can read ahead up to 45 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395
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