Chapter 43: Chapter 43
Tony tore the mechanical warrior leaping at Pepper in two, saving her from harm.
Not wanting to be a third wheel, Abel addressed Tony directly. "Tony, I think there's nothing more for me to do now. I'm heading back. What are your plans?"
Tony looked at him grimly and replied, "I'll clean up the mess you made first. There are plenty of useful things buried beneath the rubble. It might take me some time to rebuild the house."
Shrugging, Abel said, "You know, this is all part of dealing with Obadiah. Your house was already heavily damaged in the previous battle. Even without me, it would have been demolished and needed rebuilding. So, I'd say I did you a small favor."
"Then I guess I really should thank you," Tony replied sarcastically.
"No need to thank me, Tony," Abel said, raising his hand and opening a portal back to Kamar Taj. As he departed, he noticed Tony and Pepper discussing their next steps regarding the house.
Upon returning to Kamar Taj, Abel saw Mordo training in the practice square. He nodded in greeting and made his way to the lab.
As soon as he entered, Abel saw Kaecilius smiling, indicating that his experiments had yielded positive results.
"Kaecilius, have you made any progress?" Abel asked.
"Yes, we have results—the replacement has been successfully deployed!" Kaecilius replied.
"Success? What was our first sample?"
"The third one—a potion created using six different ingredients. It can substitute for materials that are unavailable. Now we just need to experiment several times to determine the optimal dosage to brew the corresponding potion."
"The next experiment won't require us. I'll find someone suitable to help. Using a supercomputer for calculations will be easier and faster than our manual tests."
"A supercomputer? That sounds good!"
Kaecilius, originally a psychiatrist from the outside world, was intrigued. He wasn't like the sorcerers who had grown up in Kamar Taj, limited to knowledge about magic.
"Make sure to leave one copy of the formula and data for the Ancient One, and I'll take the other copy. I'll let you know once I confirm the proportions and dosages for the configuration."
"Okay, I'll represent Kamar Taj's sorcerers in thanking you for your generosity, Abel."
With a smile, Abel responded, "This isn't generosity. As part of an equivalent exchange, it's simply my responsibility."
As they spoke, Abel and Kaecilius organized the materials and samples on the table, gathering their findings before leaving Kamar Taj. Before he departed, Abel also took a palm-sized bag woven from special magic plant threads.
This type of bag could effectively conceal the fluctuations of magical items inside it and boasted excellent durability. Even if it were burned, it wouldn't be easily damaged. Abel intended to use the Extension Charm on it for storage of various items and equipment, making it a useful magical storage tool.
Since Kamar Taj had an abundance of such bags, Abel obtained one free of charge.
After leaving Kamar Taj, he returned to the New York Sanctuary, greeted Daniel, and then went home.
While on the subway, Abel's phone suddenly rang.
Seeing a video from Sean on Facebook, Abel put on his headphones and clicked to play it. Immediately, he witnessed a green giant clashing with the army, decimating them.
After watching the video, Abel recalled that this was the year Bruce Banner returned to New York to confront the Hulk within him. According to the original plot, there was a location filled with Bruce Banner's clones, along with blood samples, which Abel had coveted for a long time.
Those blood samples could be regarded as sources for significant research, with immense value. Under normal circumstances, obtaining Bruce Banner's blood would be foolish, but this was an opportunity that could only arise in New York.
The Hulk's blood might prove useful for various potions or even in creating magical artifacts. Abel realized he had to find a way to acquire it.
Thanks to Sean for sending him the video; otherwise, he might have forgotten about Bruce Banner altogether.
Leaning against the subway car, Abel sent Sean a message to thank him for remembering to share these interesting videos, which had proven helpful. He also suggested inviting Sean over for dinner sometime.
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In Morocco, at Hammer Industries' secret research base, Justin Hammer, accompanied by four bodyguards, arrived to inspect the facility. He glanced at the two individuals disassembling the second-generation Iron Monger armor. Anger twisted his features as he confronted Obadiah, who had just climbed out of the damaged armor.
"Obadiah, Vanko, Zeke! Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Anton Vanko, casually chewing on a toothpick, smiled without saying a word. Zeke glanced between his father and Obadiah, awaiting the latter's response.
Obadiah, supported by Zeke, approached Justin with a grin. "Oh, Justin, my friend, we certainly know what we're doing. Trust me, everything we do serves our larger plan."
"Your plan? Is it to provoke and attack Tony and expose our existence?" Justin snapped.
"Of course not! This time, I primarily wanted to gauge how far Tony's technology has progressed and gather intel on the superhuman assisting him. If we can't kill Tony outright, the information I gather will give us confidence to defeat or even kill him next time. With that, Hammer Industries can easily absorb Stark Industries, right?"
"If what you say is true, I won't pursue the matter of your unsanctioned outing this time. But remember, I rescued you and brought you here for a reason—not so you could act recklessly. What I need must be done well; everything else is secondary!"
With that, Justin Hammer fell silent, turned, and left with his bodyguards. Unbeknownst to him, the faces of Anton Vanko, Zeke, and Obadiah wore mocking expressions as they exchanged knowing glances.
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