Chapter 077 I Suspect You Are Showing Off Your Luck.

The address Stark gave on TV was the ocean-view villa where he and Pepper currently lived.

Stark had always cared deeply for Pepper, so the first thing on his mind was her safety. But now, he'd just broadcast his home address to a global audience. From this action alone, it was clear that he was furious.

"Master Luo Bai, Mr. Stark might be in trouble," Polaris said suddenly. "He's visited several times while you were away, and he seemed really anxious."

"I know," Luo Bai replied calmly.

He wasn't worried because he had already foreseen the situation. Before leaving, he had specifically reminded Stark to watch out for this exact problem. At the time, however, Stark seemed determined to handle everything on his own, so Luo Bai didn't press the issue.

Now that Stark was in trouble, it wasn't surprising. With that thought, Luo Bai decided to go check on him.

"Wanda, I have to head out now. Study this magic book on your own for the time being. If you come across anything you don't understand, I'll teach you when I return," Luo Bai instructed.

Just as he finished speaking, Wanda asked, "Are you going to see Stark?"

"Yes," Luo Bai nodded.

Wanda didn't say anything further, but the smile on her face disappeared. It was obvious she still harbored resentment towards Stark. She didn't even want to hear about him.

When she noticed the news about Stark still playing on the TV, she silently picked up the book and went back to her room.

After she left, Polaris quietly explained, "During this time, Wanda told me about what happened between her and Stark. I've tried to talk to her, but she still can't completely forgive him."

Polaris sounded a bit guilty, feeling as if she'd failed to help Wanda let go of her grudge. But the resentment Wanda had built up against Stark had been festering for years. A few words from Polaris weren't going to change that.

Luo Bai reassured her, "This isn't your fault, Lorna. Give Wanda some time. She'll come around. Alright, I'm off now."

With that, he opened a portal, stepping directly into Stark's ocean-view villa.

At that moment, Stark was working in his underground lab, his expression focused and serious. A close look would reveal he was suppressing a great deal of anger.

Just as Stark was absorbed in his research, something caught his attention—a familiar yellow circle appeared in front of him.

A portal.

The moment Stark saw the figure emerging from it, his eyes lit up. The tension and anger on his face vanished, replaced by excitement and relief.

"Luo Bai, you're finally back!" Stark exclaimed, moving forward to greet him.

Compared to Stark's enthusiasm, Luo Bai remained composed.

"I heard from Polaris that you've been looking for me. Looks like you're in trouble," Luo Bai observed.

At the mention of his problem, Stark's expression became more serious. "You're right. I'm in trouble—or rather, Happy's in trouble. Actually, it's my fault, but..."

Stark struggled to explain, his thoughts too jumbled to make sense.

Seeing that Stark couldn't articulate his thoughts, Luo Bai cut him off. "Tony, you're panicking."

Stark fell silent, then sighed. After a moment, he spoke in a defeated and frustrated tone: "You're right. I am panicking. Something happened to Happy, and he's in the hospital now. The doctors don't know if he'll make it."

Happy Hogan—Stark's driver and bodyguard—had saved Stark's life before, and their relationship was more like friendship than employee and employer.

Now that Happy was hurt, Stark was understandably distraught. But what hurt Stark even more was that, as Iron Man, he hadn't been able to protect the people closest to him.

Guilt weighed heavily on him, and it showed in his posture as he continued, "You know what, Luo Bai? I'm Iron Man—a genius. People call me a superhero. I have fans who idolize me. But I couldn't even protect my friends."

"The Mandarin keeps launching terrorist attacks, but I can't even find him. I feel... useless," Stark confessed, his voice tinged with doubt.

Luo Bai stepped forward and placed a hand on Stark's shoulder. "Don't think like that, Tony. Everyone faces challenges. You can't doubt yourself every time something goes wrong. You need to strengthen your resolve."

Stark shook his head, sighing again. "I want to, but I can't. If I had powers like yours, maybe I wouldn't be in this mess."

Luo Bai shrugged. "You'd just face different problems."

"Different problems?" Stark asked, confused. "You have problems you can't solve?"

"Of course," Luo Bai nodded. "During my travels through the multiverse over the past few months, I was targeted by a powerful force. It chose me as its host and fused with me."

"Wait, are you bragging about how lucky you are?" Stark asked, incredulous.

Luo Bai smiled slightly. "Not at all. The more powerful the force, the more independent its will. The entity that fused with me constantly tries to influence my mind."

"What does it want you to do?" Stark asked curiously.

"It suggested that I eat you," Luo Bai replied casually. "Then swallow the Earth, and after that, the universe."

"....."

Stark stood there in shock, not quite processing what he'd just heard.

When the reality finally hit him, he exclaimed, "I'm sorry—what?!"

Luo Bai explained, "One side effect of this power is that it makes the host constantly feel hungry. Although I seem normal, I'm actually starving all the time. I've been using my willpower to resist the urge to consume everything around me."

Stark's eyes widened. He was no longer worried about the Mandarin. Now, he was terrified of Luo Bai's hunger.

"You're telling me the Earth is safe because of your willpower?!" Stark asked nervously. "I'm not that tasty, and I doubt the Earth is either."

Luo Bai thought for a moment, then responded seriously, "I'm not entirely sure. After all, I'm only human, and humans sometimes lose control."

"...Please, tell me you're a god now!" Stark sighed, exasperated.

Imagine your friend disappearing for months, only to return and tell you he wants to eat you and possibly the Earth.

Forget the Mandarin—Luo Bai's situation was far more terrifying!

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