c30 - A Rare Opportunity
"Harvey Ambella, can you answer a question for me?"
Tony Stark looked at Harvey, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.
"Tell me about it, I'll think about it."
Harvey's eyes flickered, and he didn't immediately agree.
"It's about how my body improved several times over after your treatment last time."
"Not only did I look a few years younger, but my physical abilities also improved significantly."
"Can that kind of superpower make me look younger while still improving my physical abilities?"
Tony Stark asked, his eyes slightly evasive.
Since that treatment, Tony Stark could clearly feel a huge change in his body.
His five senses were much sharper, and his strength and stamina had improved significantly, comparable to the enhanced conditioning he once considered achieving through advanced bio-engineering projects rejected during his early Stark Industries R&D phases.
Although his burst speed was not at the limit of human physical strength, it was far beyond that of ordinary people.
Normally, if he worked continuously for several days without a proper rest, his thirty-eight-year-old body. Byalready strained from prolonged Arc Reactor exposure and palladium toxicity would have long since given out.
But after the treatment, he only needed to sleep three to four hours a day to eliminate any fatigue and maintain a high level of energy.
Moreover, his mind was sharper than before, approaching the peak cognitive efficiency he displayed when designing the first generation of Iron Man armor after escaping captivity.
This was why he had been able to continuously upgrade and iterate his Iron Man armor in just two months, pushing beyond the limitations of the Mark II and Mark V prototypes.
Most importantly, two months had passed, and
Tony Stark hadn't experienced any side effects.
This made him realize that Harvey Ambella's abilities were definitely not just about healing and rejuvenation.
He could directly strengthen a person's body, and this strengthening wasn't just temporary, unlike the unstable enhancements seen in projects like the Super-Soldier Serum derivatives.
Last time, Harvey Ambella treated him and incidentally strengthened his body, allowing him to easily jump over two meters high.
If Harvey Ambella wasn't just treating him and incidentally strengthening him, but genuinely wanted to further enhance his body,
he wouldn't need to specifically develop gene serums or rely on experimental procedures similar to those once pursued by organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. or HYDRA.
"Tony Stark, didn't I just tell you? To gain something, you often have to pay a price."
"So your idea of having it all is impossible."
Harvey, already aware that Tony Stark had developed a desire for power, spoke slowly.
Tony Stark wanted a more powerful body, yet he also wanted to maintain his current appearance so that no one would notice the changes in his body—this was clearly impossible.
Even Harvey himself couldn't do it. Since awakening his system and gaining abilities from the Void,
three years had passed, and his appearance hadn't changed much since adulthood.
Harvey believed that not only three years, but even ten, fifty, or a hundred years wouldn't change his appearance.
This was because the power of the Void had fundamentally altered his biological structure, separating his life form from that of ordinary humans in a way somewhat analogous to cosmic-level transformations seen in certain enhanced beings.
His extraordinary body would eventually be exposed, even if he intentionally hid it.
However, even if it were exposed, his power would have evolved to the point where he feared nothing, so he wouldn't care too much.
"Is there really no way?"
Tony Stark asked, somewhat disappointed.
"Tony Stark, I think I told you before," Harvey said calmly,
"My power isn't a superpower in the conventional sense defined by mutants or engineered enhancements; it's simply a power beyond your current comprehension, though you can interpret it that way."
"If it's not a superpower, then what kind of power is it?"
Tony Stark asked, somewhat puzzled.
"While your current strength hasn't surpassed human limits, it has already pushed you beyond the baseline of normal human capability."
"That alone would be considered extraordinary for someone without armor or external technology."
"If you want to further enhance yourself, not only will your physical abilities begin to defy conventional biological limits,"
"your lifespan will also increase dramatically, potentially reaching several hundred years, or even longer depending on how far you go."
"I can help you, and even grant you power far beyond what your current technology can achieve."
"After all, for me, it's not a difficult task."
"But are you sure you're mentally prepared?"
Harvey glanced at Tony Stark and slowly said.
"I can also possess powerful and incredible strength without relying on the Iron Man armor… just like you?"
Tony Stark's eyes widened in shock upon hearing Harvey Ambella's words, and he spoke with disbelief.
"You can wield incredibly powerful strength, but you won't reach my level any time soon."
"I won't explain the full reason now; if you truly desire it, you'll understand once you begin to grasp that power."
Harvey didn't deliberately conceal this question but simply shook his head.
He didn't know what abilities Tony Stark would gain after embracing and joining the Void.
His current power, evolved 283 times, was already terrifying, far exceeding the level of enhancement seen in any known Earth-based super-soldier programs or experimental augmentations.
But this was merely his starting point, so it was impossible for Tony Stark to catch up.
"..."
Tony Stark fell into deep thought upon hearing this.
Possessing superhuman strength is seen as impressive, like top athletes or even enhanced individuals pushing beyond normal human limits again and again.
It evokes admiration rather than fear.
But once power transcends the realm of human common sense—reaching a level comparable to those beings that S.H.I.E.L.D. classifies as abnormal or uncontrollable, it is no longer inspiring, but instead becomes something that provokes instinctive fear.
He wanted Harvey to enhance his body, yet he didn't want his physique and appearance to appear too young, revealing his abnormality in the eyes of the public and those close to him.
That's why he had asked Harvey Ambella earlier, only to receive the impossible response.
To possess both a long lifespan and power far beyond human comprehension would be the dream of countless people, just as humanity has always pursued immortality and strength through science, from early genetic experiments to attempts at recreating the Super-Soldier Serum.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many fantastical and imaginative movies and animations inspired by those desires.
Now that this opportunity to gain such overwhelming power has presented itself to him, Tony Stark hesitates.
If he were to obtain it, Pepper, whom he deeply trusts and relies on in both Stark Industries and his personal life, might begin to see him as something fundamentally different.
And a lifespan of hundreds of years or even longer sounds wonderful.
But what if, as time passes, he remains young while those around him grow old and die, just like the inevitable passage of time he had already witnessed in his own family, including the legacy left behind by his father, Howard Stark?
The thought alone filled Tony Stark with a rare sense of heaviness and unease.
But if he refused this time, he might miss an opportunity to completely change his life and surpass the limits that even his Iron Man armor could not overcome.
"Harvey Ambellaca, thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"But could you give me some more time to think it over?"
Tony Stark said apologetically, looking at Harvey Ambellaca.
"If you're truly prepared, just bring it up again, and I'll consider it then."
Harvey didn't press Tony Stark, neither giving a clear answer nor a firm refusal.
Harvey understood Tony Stark's hesitation, just as he understood that even someone as bold as Tony would carefully weigh a decision that could fundamentally change his existence.
However, Harvey knew that once Tony Stark truly desired more power, not just through technology like the Iron Man armor, but through himself, he would eventually make his choice and step toward the Void.
"Whether I accept or not, thank you for this opportunity."
Tony Stark's eyes flickered slightly as he nodded gratefully.
.....