Chapter 70

Looking at the wand in his hand, Abel grasped the handle, which perfectly conformed to the size of his palm. The sensation was incredible; he could feel invisible lines of energy coursing from the wand into his hand, merging with him as if it were an extension of his own body.

The new magic wand provided Abel with a significant boost in power, allowing him to manipulate magic with far greater precision.

One of the most noticeable changes was in his Transfiguration ability. He could now transform more complex and resilient objects, far beyond what he could manage before. In his previous life, even the most basic metals were difficult to alter, but now, with this wand, he felt capable of reshaping much more.

The rules governing magic in this world differed from those of his previous existence. Many of Abel's spells had evolved to be more powerful, while a few, like Transfiguration, had weakened. In essence, the easier an object was to deform, the more malleable it became. Conversely, harder materials resisted change.

Moreover, the Transfiguration technique couldn't penetrate deep into objects to alter their internal components. If it could, Abel would have transformed the Iron Overlord's shell or inner metal parts directly during his encounter with Obadiah, avoiding direct confrontation altogether.

Object Transfiguration focused solely on altering the exterior shape, not the essence. For example, transforming a stone into gold couldn't be accomplished through simple Transfiguration.

As for transforming living beings, that was a different matter entirely. Abel had yet to master such magic; his current magical strength was insufficient.

The disparity in magical rules between worlds often felt paradoxical.

With a slight wave of his wand, Abel pointed at a nearby chair, which instantly morphed into a shape resembling plasticine, expanding into a sports car.

Tony, awestruck by the transformation, exclaimed, "Abel, is that a real sports car?"

Shaking his head, Abel clarified, "Of course not. It only looks like one. The interior is hollow, and its material is the same as the chair. I changed only its appearance and volume. If the material were stronger, altering it wouldn't be so easy."

"What about my armor?" Tony asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I can't change the battle armor, at least not for now," Abel replied.

"Ah..." Tony breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a relief; otherwise, I wouldn't know if I should continue building the armor."

"If I could change your armor, I wouldn't have gone through all the trouble with Obadiah," Abel said with a grin.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now. I think we can kick off the Omega project! I've been looking forward to my Mark Ω anti-magic armor for a long time!"

"Doesn't your new energy core need immediate attention?" Abel asked.

"Not really. I've got everything set. All I need is J.A.R.V.I.S. to calculate the data. Once that's done, I can start building it," Tony replied.

"Great! Then let's get started. I'm curious to see what Mark's armor will look like with the fusion of magic and technology!"

***

Meanwhile, Pepper, accompanied by Happy, took the elevator to the top floor of the Stark Building.

Since Tony discovered that Natasha was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, he and Natasha had tacitly dismissed their previous arrangement. Naturally, Pepper's role as his personal secretary had vanished as well.

"Pepper, don't worry about Tony. I saw him and Mr. Abel working on something together earlier," Happy reassured her.

"Hapi, while I know Tony's fine, I can't shake the worry. Three hours from now, Hanmer Industries will showcase its products at the fair, and I'll need to remind Tony to come with me," Pepper replied.

Just as she finished speaking, the elevator doors opened, revealing Tony and Abel, who had been absent for nearly half a month. Both looked disheveled and exhausted, sprawled out on the sofa and a recliner, fast asleep.

A prominent calculation completion notification flashed on the projection screen between them.

Pepper cautiously approached Tony, gently shaking his shoulder. "Tony, wake up; it's time to get started."

Startled awake, Tony squinted at Pepper, still half-asleep. "Pepper, what are you doing here?"

With a sigh, Pepper said, "Tony, today is the day for Hanmer Industries' steel soldiers to participate in the exhibition. You told me you'd want a reminder."

Realization dawned on Tony as he fully awakened. "Yes, you're right! I'll get up now."

"Good, just remember to hurry. I'll prepare everything else," she said as she turned to leave.

"Yeah, make sure to bring Happy along," Tony called after her.

Once Pepper and Happy were gone, Tony stretched and noticed the calculation completion prompt on the screen. Instantly alert, he rushed to the light curtain, running his fingers over the display until he found the results. "Abel, wake up! The calculations are done, and everything checks out. We can start manufacturing test models!"

Hearing Tony's excitement, Abel opened his eyes. Although he had been awake when Pepper arrived, he had chosen to remain still due to exhaustion.

He joined Tony at the screen, looking at the data with newfound enthusiasm. "So, we should be seeing the finished product soon, right?"

"Yes, we—" Tony began, but was interrupted by his phone ringing.

Frowning, he answered the call, and an unexpected voice echoed through the receiver.

"Oh, Tony, it seems you didn't change your phone number. This saves me a lot of trouble."

Tony's expression shifted as he recognized the voice.

Obadiah!