Chapter 215 Heroism_1

As twilight approached, the dense haze gently fell on the horizon, giving the already magnificent sunset a layer of mysterious hues. When the light filtered through the fog into the hospital room, Stark stood against the light, a blurry halo blooming behind him.

Shiller stood on the other side of the bed, with Doctor Connors coming over with a syringe. The two of them discussed the data in hushed tones. Shiller then turned to look at Obadiah lying on the hospital bed, then at Stark sitting across him.

His head lowered, his brown eyes shrouded in the shadow of his eyelashes, like the sun trapped in a cage.

Stark rested his elbow on his knee and covered his mouth with his hand, his body language indicating his reluctance to speak. Yet his voice slipped through the gaps in his fingers, gritty as a knife-edge.

"...I've seen a lot of things, the past, the future, I've seen many versions of me, each on different paths in life."

His tone slightly elevated for the first few words: "You might not believe it, but I have perceived the underlying truths, and understood all the secrets."

The breath he exhaled dropped onto his hand. As Stark lowered his eyes, he could clearly see the changes in this breath.

"Maybe it was only a fleeting moment, but to me, that moment was infinite. I saw everything I wanted to see."

He moved his hand slightly, raising a few fingers before setting them back down: "I saw Howard."

A cloud shadow passed over the horizon dimming the light abruptly, the tremor in Stark's voice possessed a strange charm.

In the hazy fog where the sunset and smog intertwined, Stark stepped into a bustling fairground, where the faded figure from his memories—the man—stood next to a hovering car, presenting his marvelous invention.

As Stark left with the crowd and exited the fair through the back door, he stepped into a dimly lit laboratory where the man was holding a shield, engaged in a lively conversation with Steve.

When the lights in the lab shut off, a violent shaking, a sharp screeching of brakes, and an intense explosion...

With debris frozen in time, sparks solidified, everything rewinding, and in the lab, Stark picked up a picture frame. It contained a photograph of Howard and Obadiah. Back then, they were both young.

When the lights in the lab came on, a young Obadiah walked in, Howard greeted him with a warm hug, and they spent the entire night discussing astounding inventions.

The genius concepts they talked about made Stark feel intoxicated, not because the ideas themselves were strong, but because he'd never had a friendship like theirs; he'd never had a soulmate to converse with long into the night.

After the intense brake and explosion sounds, Obadiah started to grow thin, his head sprouting more and more white hair. Stark saw him shaking all over after a phone call, as if he was gloating and remorseful, looking a little mad.

As Stark stood in the lab, Howard walked past him, waving at Obadiah, Steve was adjusting the handle of his shield, and after a while, Pepper walked in talking on the phone, while Shiller was at the lab table, screwing in a lightbulb.

Peter entered with a steaming breakfast in his hand, the lab floor shook violently, and a huge lizard monster jumped in, which instantly transformed into the civil Doctor Connors. Doctor Connors extended his hand, and a syringe was handed to Stark.

Stark looked up, both Doctor Connors and Shiller were watching him. Doctor Connors' hand reached over Obadiah's bed and placed the syringe in front of Stark.

"If everything goes as planned, he will wake up after the last treatment," Shiller continued, "Moreover, his lifespan could be extended, and both his mind and body will become younger."

Shiller observed Stark's expression and said, "You must be deep in doubt now because when you heard the news, you realized you weren't happy."

"You are thinking about why that is, you suddenly find that you're not as magnanimous as you appear to be. You may also be wondering, whether there was any real connection between Obadiah and you, or perhaps, all of this is because of someone else you'd rather not mention..."

"Don't use mind reading on me," Stark said as he looked up at Shiller. For the first time, Shiller didn't negate him, understanding that the Stark before him was no longer simply the Iron Man from this cosmos.

The instant he ascended to be the one and only, many things weren't the same.

Perhaps the energy consumed by the magic reactor didn't let this moment last too long, but fundamentally speaking, the Stark before him had already grasped all truths.

Silently, Stark watched Obadiah. Both Doctor Connors and Shiller didn't say a word.

Following the enlightenment from mastering all the universal truths, this genius cursed with knowledge would not be troubled by trivial emotions, nor knocked down by surges of raw sentiment. Instead, he would make every decision impacting his life with clear-headedness, prepared to take responsibility for them, without needing reminders from anyone.

When the clouds drifted across the sky, the light shone back in. Stark stood up, bent over, and pulled up the blanket on Obadiah. He then told Connors, "Proceed to the final stage of treatment."

Shiller said nothing. He pressed a button and the doctor and nurse came in. Stark went against the crowd and left the hospital room, with Shiller following suit. They both stood by the door.

Stark asked him, "You're also a 'Unique One,' aren't you? You knew everything in advance, how they happened, and how they will develop. This is something every 'Unique One' can do…"

Shiller glanced at Stark and said, "In that moment, you could have chosen to become the 'Unique One,' and then the energy from the Magic Reactor would not shackle you any longer."

"The 'Unique One' is just that, the 'Unique One.' They will no longer need any energy to maintain their status. But why didn't you do it?"

Stark suddenly smirked and said to Shiller, "You were hoping I would do that, weren't you? You gave me a battery that would let me break through these barriers and rise to a higher level…"

"Perhaps you think no one can resist such a temptation. The instant promotion to the highest level, seeing through all truths, feeling everything under control... All one needed to do was to give an affirmative answer, and they could become an eternal god."

"You influenced Strange, the Supreme Magician, Asgard and Odin, the Cosmic Sorcerer, just so that I could make the expected choice at that moment and become the 'Unique One' above the cosmos."

"So you must be very disappointed now. I wasted this opportunity and became a mortal again…"

"My psychology study is not bad, right?"

Stark turned to look at Shiller. Behind the two were doors filled with the sunset light. It was like a picture frame, turning them into silhouettes. The orange-red background was more vibrant than any color mixed by an artist on a palette, almost spilling from the canvas onto the walls and floor.

"You did surprise me a bit." Shiller lowered his head, but his tone was very calm. He said, "But long before you, someone had taught me a lesson."

"Arrogance is a lethal poison. Whether god or man, when he thinks he has the ability to change all the situations, affect all people's destinies, and manipulate all people like chess pieces, death is not far."

"This arrogance will devour all humanity, making one lose the most precious wisdom and emotion, and become an embodiment of order. Whether you believe it or not, I have never intended to do so."

"I am just an ordinary person, always have been."

"Actually, I also don't know what I was thinking." Stark looked up. Some rays of light passed through his wisps of hair, making his eyes sparkle. Those shadowy chains seemed to have completely left him.

"Maybe you won't believe it, but when I learned that I could become the 'Unique One' in countless universes and unite all other versions of me into one, letting all Starks become my incarnates and projections…"

Stark looked down. He stood on the towering summit with freezing winds blowing around him and countless stars behind him. In this indescribable and unspeakable space, he saw that he seemed to have all the universes under his feet.

Several shadows rushed towards him. They were about to unite into a unique existence in the cosmos, no longer burdened by numerous destinies, memories, and histories.

But the next second, Stark opened his arms and jumped down without hesitation. Those shadows chased after him but were blocked outside by the barrier of the Individual Universe."

"...I rejected the promotion."

"Is it hard?" Stark asked and answered himself, "No, not at all, there's nothing to hesitate about."

"No matter how many difficulties feelings and wisdom bring me, they are not the reason for me to abandon them. Even if humanity is ugly, it is still a part of me, not rubbish to be discarded."

"A flawless and lonely God is never nobler than a vulgar, lively human."

"You're indeed a hero." Shiller's voice rang out, "Because there's only one type of heroism in this world; it is to still love life after recognizing its truth."

As his last word fell, the dark clouds suddenly cleared. At this time, the splendid orange-red background in the frame dimmed, like cooling steel. The two men's figures slowly sank into the darkness.

"Beep—Beep—"

The sharp machine call rang from the hospital room. After a burst of noise, someone cried, "He's awake! He's awake!"