Chapter 262: In the Face of Law, All Are Equal

"You really should go back and check on things," Harvey said after listening to Tony. "It seems Blue Star is about to get a little chaotic."

Tony, who had just been feeling completely relaxed, suddenly straightened up, his voice growing louder. "I'm just planning to see Pepper, and now you're telling me things are going to get chaotic again?"

Harvey responded calmly, "There's going to be a powerful artifact surfacing soon, something similar to the Tesseract. Whenever these things show up, it attracts a lot of unwanted attention."

Tony groaned in frustration. "Please don't tell me it's another one of Odin's messes."

Harvey nodded. "Yes, technically, it's one of Odin's treasures. It's just been hidden on Blue Star for a long time."

Tony threw his hands up in exasperation. "Why is Odin so careless with these world-ending treasures? Can't he just take them home and lock them away for good?"

Harvey chuckled. "The Nine Realms are Odin's territory, so from his perspective, there's no need to 'take them home.' But don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds. Just a little unrest, nothing that can't be handled with the right approach."

Tony clenched his fists. "The last time, during the New York battle, even with minimal casualties, too many innocent people still died. For most of the civilians on Blue Star, any alien invasion feels like sudden, unavoidable doom."

It was because of Blue Star's vulnerability that Tony wanted to usher it into the interstellar era. A stronger planet might not be immune to invasions, but at least it could fight back.

"Gods fighting their battles while mortals suffer... it's a common story on countless planets," Harvey said, his voice calm but firm. "Even without powerful enemies, Blue Star has always faced disasters, both natural and man-made. You may be strong, but you can't protect everyone. That's an impossible task. Don't let that weight crush you, or you'll end up falling into the abyss of desire."

Tony, hearing the warning in Harvey's voice, suddenly realized how dangerously close he had been to overburdening himself with responsibility. He exhaled slowly as if waking from a nightmare.

He knew that joining the Void Sect gave him the time and space to grow stronger gradually, to eventually achieve his goals. But moments earlier, he had nearly succumbed to the desire to become as powerful as possible, as fast as possible, to protect everything he held dear. That was a dangerous path, one that could lead to ruin if followed blindly.

"Tony, you're incredibly talented and your contributions to the Void Sect are significant," Harvey continued, his tone steady. "After so many evolutions, your strength ranks among the top within the Sect. But if you ever let that hunger for power turn you into a monster, I won't hesitate to kill you, no matter how much I admire your abilities. The laws of the Void Sect apply to everyone equally."

Tony felt a chill run down his spine at the warning. He knew Harvey was serious.

"I understand," Tony said, nodding solemnly. He was grateful for the intervention—Harvey had saved him from walking down a dangerous path.

"But you? You seem so strong already," Tony said, curiosity evident in his voice. "Do you still have regrets, too?"

Sitting nearby, Sonya also looked at Harvey with interest.

Harvey thought for a moment, his gaze distant. "Right now, I haven't faced any regrets. But in the future? Who knows."

For Harvey, there were no lingering regrets because everything he had set out to accomplish had already been achieved. But the future stretched endlessly ahead, and he knew that unforeseen challenges could arise. Self-awareness was key—he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he'd never encounter regret down the line.

Tony, processing Harvey's words, stood up and smiled. "I get it. Well, I'm off to throw a celebration. I owe Kael and the others a good feast."

As Tony left, Sonya remained, watching him go before turning to Harvey.

"Master Kassadin, are you planning to visit Blue Star soon as well?" she asked softly.

"Yes," Harvey replied without hesitation. "I'll stay for a while. But don't worry, you can always reach me if needed."

"I'll keep everything in order here while you're gone," Sonya said, reassured. She had expected that Harvey wouldn't remain on Xandar forever, and she was already prepared to take charge during his absence.

"Sonya, I trust you completely," Harvey said, confidence evident in his voice.

Sonya beamed at the praise. "Hearing that from you means a lot, Master Kassadin. I'll go prepare now."

With that, Sonya left to begin researching and hiring the right people to assist with Tony's starship project. She knew that even though Tony hadn't provided the full list of specifications yet, being proactive would only help speed up the process.

Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 335 at patreon.com/MythicForge11