c37 - Tony's Request
Tony Stark saw that Harvey Ambellaca hadn't spoken and had continued eating.
"But just how strong are you, Harvey Ambellaca? Can something like a nuclear weapon really do anything to you?"
Tony Stark finally couldn't resist asking, his curiosity piqued.
"With current human technology, it can't do anything to me,"
Harvey replied casually.
He hadn't been idle these past few months, maintaining an average of six evolutions per month, having already evolved 283 times.
His Void Skin had evolved 64 times.
Even at tens of thousands of meters deep in the ocean, facing the crushing pressure that would instantly destroy submarines, it was no longer a harsh environment for him.
He could move freely in such extreme depths, just like ordinary humans walking on land.
However, if he were to directly take the full force of a nuclear explosion, he might still be injured.
After all, even in Marvel's world, weapons of that level were comparable to the upper limits of conventional human destructive capability, something even powerful beings like Hulk or early-stage Thor would not completely ignore without consequence.
Therefore, as long as he avoided the core blast and the peak thermal radiation, even if exposed to residual radiation, his body would rapidly adapt.
In an extremely short time, he would evolve radiation resistance, allowing him to move freely even in a nuclear fallout zone.
The terrifying aspect of the Void lies in this: even if one is injured or trapped in an extreme environment, as long as they don't die, they can evolve the necessary traits to survive.
"That kind of adaptive evolution…"
Tony Stark subconsciously compared it to known scientific limits, recalling how even gamma radiation created something as uncontrollable as Bruce Banner.
Yet Harvey's power was far more stable and far more terrifying.
"If I become something like you, can I reach your current level?"
Tony Stark asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"It's impossible at the beginning, but with enough time..."
"You can also possess a lifespan that far exceeds humans, along with power beyond conventional understanding."
Harvey, noticing Tony Stark's growing interest, nodded slightly and gave him a direct answer.
Void-based evolution wasn't like building armor or upgrading technology, it was fundamentally rewriting existence itself.
The difference between individuals would only lie in how quickly they adapted and how far they could evolve.
Having witnessed Harvey Ambellaca's power firsthand, Tony Stark's eyes couldn't help but gleam with excitement upon hearing this.
"Beyond conventional understanding? What about gods?"
Tony Stark quickly recovered, asking with genuine curiosity.
After everything he had seen from S.H.I.E.L.D. to cosmic threats mentioned by Nick Fury, Tony was already mentally prepared for the existence of beings far beyond humanity.
"Gods?"
Harvey repeated calmly.
"You can think of gods as powerful extraterrestrial beings or higher-dimensional lifeforms."
"Beings like the Asgardians, ruled by Odin."
"They possess extremely long lifespans and overwhelming power compared to humans."
"Because their abilities surpass human comprehension, and human lifespans are so short…"
"Humans naturally mythologize them."
"Calling them gods, and calling their actions miracles."
"Human lifespans are only a short hundred years… that sounds really cruel,"
Tony Stark thought for a moment, a wry smile appearing on his face after hearing Harvey's indifferent explanation.
Compared to those beings, humans were fragile, fleeting, and limited.
"Throughout history, humanity has produced countless geniuses,"
Harvey continued slowly, his gaze steady.
"They created inventions and ideas that changed the world in their youth."
"But as they aged, their bodies weakened."
"Their minds slowed."
"And they ran out of time before they could go further."
"In the end, they became nothing more than brief flashes in history."
"If those same people had longer lifespan"
"If each generation of geniuses could continue building upon their own work"
"Then human civilization today would be far beyond its current level."
Tony Stark instinctively thought of his father, Howard Stark.
A man ahead of his time, yet still bound by it.
Harvey's words struck directly at Tony's core.
Lifespan.
Time.
Limitations.
These were problems even Tony Stark genius, billionaire, creator of Iron Man could not solve with technology alone.
That was why the Arc Reactor existed.
That was why he kept pushing forward.
That was why he feared stopping.
Harvey's voice remained calm.
"Lifespan is humanity's greatest limitation."
"That's why people desire immortality."
"They want more time."
"More time to create."
"More time to understand."
"More time to see the future."
"They want to witness things they can't even imagine yet."
Harvey himself already possessed that extended existence.
So he no longer feared time.
Even if it meant becoming something no longer entirely human.
He understood human nature perfectly.
People reject what is different.
Yet deep down, they all want to become different.
Those who claim that immortality is a curse…
Only say so because they lack the strength to control what comes with it.
Without power, a long life becomes suffering.
But with power, it becomes freedom.
Tony Stark was deeply shaken by Harvey Ambellaca's words.
Harvey Ambellaca possessed power far beyond Tony Stark's comprehension, and thus his perspective and view of the world were completely different from his own.
When facing threats from Nick Fury, Tony Stark had once felt anger but was forced to restrain himself,
because Nick Fury represented not only S.H.I.E.L.D., but also the authority and influence of the U.S. military and global intelligence network.
Yet Harvey Ambellaca, when confronted with the same kind of pressure, responded instantly and without hesitation.
If it hadn't been for Harvey Ambellaca's restraint, everyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. present including elite agents like Natasha Romanoff—would have died on the spot.
The overwhelming power Harvey Ambellaca displayed made Tony Stark clearly realize that no matter how much he upgraded his Iron Man suits,
even reaching levels comparable to advanced combat models, he would still struggle to match that kind of raw, evolving strength.
Because Harvey Ambellaca had already revealed a crucial piece of information.
If Tony became a being like him, his power would continue to grow over time.
That meant Harvey Ambellaca himself who had already undergone hundreds of evolutions possessed an even more terrifying level of strength.
Because Harvey Ambellaca had clearly stated that even if Tony followed the same path,
he would never be able to catch up to him.
Although Harvey Ambellaca had said it casually, Tony Stark hadn't forgotten a single word.
Now, an opportunity that countless people in the world would fight desperately for a longer lifespan and greater power was placed right in front of him.
Yet he had been hesitating because of how others might perceive him.
From his current perspective, that hesitation seemed incredibly foolish.
"Harvey Ambellaca, I know I don't have the strength or qualifications to make demands of you."
"So I can only treat this as a request."
Thinking this through, Tony Stark's eyes hardened with determination as he looked at Harvey Ambellaca and spoke.
"You don't need to belittle yourself; your intelligence is one of your greatest strengths."
"And we're not in a superior-subordinate relationship, so there's no need to be overly cautious."
"Tell me your request, and I'll decide whether to accept it."
Harvey looked at Tony Stark, whose expression had become resolute, and replied calmly.
"I'm only now truly realizing that possessing power and choosing not to use it are completely different things."
"I want to ask you to allow me to become a being similar to you—to gain a longer lifespan and greater power."
Tony Stark said seriously after hearing Harvey's words.
"Are you not planning to discuss this with Miss Pepper?"
"Didn't you say earlier that you haven't told her anything about this yet?"
Harvey Ambellaca, who already knew Tony had reached a mental decision, still did not agree immediately and instead questioned him.
"She will understand."
"And that's exactly why I know what I'm asking is somewhat greedy… even shameless."
"But even so, there's something else I want to ask of you."
"If Pepper has thought it through, then even if the power you grant her isn't complete, it doesn't matter."
"I only ask that you grant her a longer lifespan."
Tony Stark said firmly.
He knew that for many people—especially women the desire for youth and time was even stronger than for power itself.
He also understood Pepper Potts well enough to believe that once she learned the truth,
she would eventually accept it.
If he himself became younger and revealed the secret behind it,
convincing her would not be difficult.
The real uncertainty…
was whether Harvey Ambellaca would agree to such a request.
....