Chapter 167: Kaecillius and Dormammu's move

"You're aware that this is not difficult for me, Jarvis."

"Yes, and what's even more gratifying is that your health has improved."

"Oh, please~~" Tony was quite exasperated at this topic.

As the world's top billionaire, he naturally had a dedicated medical team. Even though his personal life was chaotic, his health was far better than that of the average office worker.

After all, with wealth comes longevity and health as by-products. Unless he was struck by a terminal illness.

Tony had been a second-generation rich kid since childhood, with a medical team provided by his father, Howard.

Now, ever since Wanda's influence led him to abstain, without a personal life, he channeled his energy into researching the MK armor and physical exercise.

Intense exercise can be draining, but scientifically sound exercise brings health benefits.

Nowadays, Tony is more energetic than ever. Of course, he still hasn't quit drinking; otherwise, he'd be healthier. But for Tony, if he were to give up even this hobby, it would be a fate worse than death.

Thanks to this, he quickly developed and successfully tested the MK armor.

Based on the initial MK armor, Tony's subsequent derivative weapon concepts began to take shape, with weapons designed for various mutants with diverse abilities under development.

However, the battle at Marbury Seaside Villa had a significant impact on Tony, leaving him both satisfied and dissatisfied with the initial MK model.

Compared to his former self, wearing the MK armor gave Tony basic self-defense capabilities, but only basic.

If a real fight broke out, he doubted the MK armor would keep him alive for more than a minute.

Proud Tony Stark wasn't one to be satisfied with a mere extra minute of life. He wanted to develop more powerful armor, the ultimate single combat equipment to counter formidable life forms.

He had a long road ahead.

Removing the armor, Tony approached his workbench, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and, holding the thick-bottomed glass, contemplated the holographic projection in front of him, thinking about the development of the second-generation armor and various weapons, identifying flaws and planning improvements.

Suddenly, the holographic projection automatically switched to a red warning display, indicating danger.

The screen showed a coordinate point.

"What is this? The Arctic Circle?"

Looking at the coordinates, Tony immediately recognized the location and froze. But upon noticing the abnormal energy index on the projection, his expression turned serious.

"Sir, an unusual energy surge appeared just now in the western part of Greenland in the Arctic Circle. Due to weather conditions, military satellites couldn't capture the image."

"Ah, interesting. Jarvis, do you think we should join the fun?"

Tony was hesitant. In the past, he might have gone without hesitation out of curiosity. But now, having experienced so much, he knew the world was full of supernatural occurrences. Even with the MK armor, he was just a regular person.

Facing that level of threat was asking for death.

He no longer had the resolve to risk his life for innocent people.

"My suggestion is not to go, sir. Although the MK armor has passed tests, I cannot assess its risk in such an abnormal situation and remain cautious about the MK armor."

Jarvis, being highly intelligent, immediately provided the best and most conservative advice. After all, one of Jarvis' core functions was to ensure Tony Stark's safety.

However, Tony's rebellious nature led him to make up his mind despite Jarvis' words.

He glanced at the disassembled armor parts on the platform behind him, his eyes filled with determination: "Jarvis, you know, we might face even more unimaginable opponents and enemies in the future."

"The best test for the MK armor is actual combat. We need to collect more data to improve it."

"Only then can we have more ideas for future modifications."

With that, he turned to the other side of the workbench, took out a metal box, and retrieved a new arc reactor. He replaced the depleted arc reactor in the MK armor's chest piece.

Standing on the platform, he was equipped with the MK armor by the robotic arms.

Soon, with a roar, the red and gold armor soared into the sky, disappearing into the distance.

Meanwhile, at a Long Island estate in New York.

With a flash of red light, Wanda's figure appeared at the entrance of the manor residence. She walked in with her long legs, only to see a beautiful and delicate girl walking out towards her.

A touch of unease flashed across Wanda's face, but she still greeted warmly.

"Hey, Bella."

"Wanda? Weren't you going to the park?"

"Um, something came up. I need to find Shaw. Where is he?"

"He's on the rooftop."

"Thank you."

As Wanda and Bella brushed past each other, Wanda looked back at Bella's disappearing figure, pursing her rosy lips.

That woman is Shaw's girlfriend. Knowing this gave Wanda a complicated feeling. Perhaps it was jealousy, or maybe just discomfort.

She liked Shaw, she was sure of her feelings. But she was still young, only sixteen, not yet an adult. Despite her growing body, Shaw often overlooked her.

This made the young witch quite resentful.

However, Wanda's personality did not lead her to resent Bella. On the contrary, her relationship with Bella was quite good, although sometimes there was a bit of discomfort.

Shaking off these thoughts, Wanda reached the top-floor balcony of the manor residence.

The balcony was large and luxurious, with a swimming pool, a gym, a private cinema, and so on. At that moment, Bi Xiao was sitting on a chair at the edge of the balcony, drinking coffee, gazing at the distant sea, seemingly lost in thought. However, upon closer observation, one could see an unfathomable expression flickering in his eyes from time to time.

Wanda knew that ever since Bi Xiao returned from Asgard, he had often been in this state for long periods.

He was digesting some knowledge he had learned in Asgard, the so-called divine scripts, the runes or runic texts.

"Shaw."

Wanda walked over and called softly.

Bi Xiao snapped out of his strange state. He had been immersed in his mental world, processing and understanding the vast runic texts. Thus, he often appeared distracted, sometimes for hours on end.

It was similar to students concentrating intently in class, but the subject matter and efficiency were different.

Once Bi Xiao snapped out of his learning state and saw Wanda, he raised an eyebrow as if sensing something. A flash of golden light crossed his eyes, and information instantly flashed through his mind, making him understand the situation immediately.

Seeing Bi Xiao like this, Wanda understood right away.

The words she had meant to say were swallowed back.

"Huh, I didn't expect you'd come up with such an idea." BI Xiao chuckled after realizing what had happened.

Kaecilius, Dormammu's loyal hound, had never been a significant figure in Bi Xiao's eyes. When Kaecilius came looking for trouble, he was nearly killed by Bi Xiao. With Dormammu's help, Kaecilius escaped to some unknown place, making Bi Xiao unable to find him for a while.

Over time, Bi Xiao gradually forgot about him.

After all, at his level, Kaecilius was just an insignificant character, not worth his attention.

Yet this small, overlooked character was now unwilling to give up, trying to stir up trouble.

The target was to control the newly emerged Hulk.

Moreover, as revenge, he even planned to open the gates of Hell in the Arctic Circle. These gates of Hell were vastly different from mere cracks; they were the real gates of Hell. With a massive opening, millions of demons could descend in an instant.

These demons would not be bound by the ancient gods' contracts with Earth. Once they descended, their powers would hardly be suppressed.

Those demons coveting Earth would not miss such an opportunity. Even hell lords might personally intervene. As for Heaven's retribution? After taking their benefits, who would care about Heaven?

In the scramble for interests, what contract? It was just nonsense.

A contract only counts if it's adhered to; otherwise, it's just a scrap of paper.

However, Kaecilius alone could not open such gates of Hell; he lacked the ability. The main reason he could bypass the ancient gods' contracts and tear open such a large hole was because he had found an ancient artifact.

This artifact was similar to the Cosmic Cube, a kind of space-time portal. With Dormammu's help, Kaecilius could control and use this artifact to open the gates of Hell.

As for the motive, it was likely related to Bi Xiao's previous battle with Dormammu, where Dormammu was not only humiliated but also severely injured. This time, it was all about revenge.

~~~

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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)