Chapter Seventeen: The Gateway to a New World

The next day, a sudden news report appeared. At four in the morning, Stark Industries was attacked by terrorists; the offices of the company’s executives were completely destroyed, but fortunately, there were no casualties. The identity of the terrorists remained unknown.

This news immediately became fodder for New York’s unsuspecting masses, who gleefully discussed it over breakfast. Some believed it was retribution for the foolish decision previously announced by the chairman, Tony Stark. Others speculated that someone was trying to topple Stark Industries and took the opportunity to launch an attack. There were also those who mocked the company’s security systems, saying they were nothing but show—how could the attackers escape without leaving a single trace?

It could be said that from early morning, countless New Yorkers found material for their breakfast banter. Previously, many would have felt distressed over an attack on Stark Industries, as they held shares in the company. A loss of reputation or a drop in value would have stung them for days. But now, having sold their stocks, the worse things got for Stark Industries, the happier they became.

Harvey was already awake by eight, enjoying his first meal of the day. His routine was to eat in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, at dusk, and again for a late-night snack. When he saw the news, he knew Tony Stark had begun to act. Yet, with all the options available to Stark for achieving his goals with minimal risk, Harvey thought his chosen method was somewhat ill-advised. Upon reflection, however, Harvey understood that Stark had only just crafted his Iron Man armor and was still adapting to his newfound power, learning how to use it wisely.

Though the Iron Man suit was still in its infancy, its destructive power was astonishing—comparable to a personified state-of-the-art fighter jet. And as it continued to be refined, Iron Man’s strength would become something human technology could not hope to rival. Yet, this tremendous power had not corrupted Tony Stark, had not turned him down the path of villainy—a fact owed to the events in Afghanistan.

After finishing his breakfast, Harvey pondered for a moment, then donned his Reaper cloak, shrouding himself so thoroughly his features were indiscernible. He decided to pay a visit to Afghanistan. Though Stark had acquired evidence against Obadiah Stane, Harvey suspected Stark would first go to rescue the people of Gulmira in Afghanistan, since the trouble there stemmed from Stark Industries’ creations—a mess Stark, as the one in charge, had to clean up. If Harvey wished to win Stark over, he needed to prepare more thoroughly.

And so, Harvey activated the Void Assault, slipping bodily into the void and leaving his home behind. His current speed reached four Mach; as for how fast he could go as the shadow of Kha’Zix the Void Predator, even Harvey himself did not know. He did not need such speed now, merely to travel swiftly to Afghanistan—a place he had visited countless times in recent years.

Afghanistan was in the throes of a war where the strong preyed on the weak; terrorists roamed freely, armed with guns and cannons. Every year, many mercenaries perished there, but it remained, undeniably, a mercenary’s paradise. Some mercenaries, after acquiring large caches of weapons, simply transformed themselves into terrorists on the spot. Compared to New York’s so-called Hell’s Kitchen, which was kept in check by the military, Afghanistan was chaos itself.

Flying at full speed high above, Harvey arrived in Afghanistan in roughly two hours. He came to this familiar land, where the air was thick with the smoke of war and everywhere was a living hell. His gaze remained unchanged by the sights before him.

In his previous life, Harvey had admired superheroes; beings with extraordinary powers who strove to save the masses. But though he admired them, he had no desire to become one himself. At first, those he rescued would see him as their savior and be deeply grateful. Yet, as rescues accumulated and a strong individual became a superhero in others’ eyes, innumerable people began to assume it was his duty to protect them, standing on the moral high ground and declaring it was what he ought to do. They seemed to forget that superheroes had no obligation to save all.

The notion that “with great power comes great responsibility” was nothing but rhetoric and moral shackles imposed by the weak upon the strong. Was it not evident that throughout the universe, most powerful beings acted according to their own whims? Why were they not bound by morality? Because those who tried to shackle them were destroyed.

Harvey, as a strong one himself, refused to be bound by the weak’s morality; he wished only to live freely and according to his own will. He could rescue or help the weak, but not out of obligation—only because he desired it, even if only on a whim. It was his own wish, not at anyone’s behest, nor out of moral compulsion.

When Harvey arrived in Gulmira, he saw a figure clad in a striking suit of gold and crimson fighting terrorists. Yet, Iron Man’s movements showed obvious hesitation and pauses. It was clear Tony Stark lacked combat experience—the use of his various weapons was not yet smooth. Still, despite his inexperience, the technological gulf ensured Iron Man dispatched the Ten Rings terrorists without danger, saving the people of Gulmira.

As Stark finished the fight, a chilling aura seemed to drop the temperature by several degrees. “Sir, a life form detected one hundred meters above, southeast direction,” came a report.

Stark looked up, spotting a figure shrouded in a pitch-black cloak floating in the sky. “Jarvis, can you identify him?” Stark asked urgently, recognizing the figure hovered unaided and radiated an immense sense of threat.

“Scanning... Scan failed... Identity unknown,” Jarvis replied, having found no information on the figure in his database.

Harvey spoke then, his voice icy and cold, echoing across the sky. It was like a gust of winter wind, making those who heard it shiver involuntarily. The people of Gulmira, even the children who had been crying, fell silent in fear.

“Is that a compliment? Well, thank you. I am rather confident in my intellect,” Stark replied, rising to meet the stranger at altitude. Whether friend or foe, since the other had spoken, Stark naturally responded.

“You may take it as a compliment,” Harvey said. “But your technology, while impressive by human standards, remains insignificant in the eyes of the universe. You are still too weak.”

“I hope that when we meet again, you’ll have invented something that surprises me even more,” Harvey continued, appraising Iron Man as he spoke. With that, Harvey’s figure vanished into thin air.

Stark watched the figure disappear instantly, his eyes narrowing. “Jarvis!”

“Sir, there is no trace of the unknown entity’s life signs—it’s as if he has completely vanished,” Jarvis reported apologetically, having scanned with radar but found nothing.

Hearing this, Stark’s heart sank. Though the stranger’s voice was chilling, Stark could sense a note of approval within it. Yet, being praised for his intellect brought him no joy. He had never heard of such a being on Earth.

There existed, in this world, an intelligent entity capable of flying unaided, without any visible support. Stark felt as if he had unwittingly opened the door to an unknown world. Whether this was good or bad, he could not yet say. But he remembered the stranger’s assessment of his technology as feeble compared to the universe, implying the figure knew the cosmos well—or was perhaps an alien.

It made sense; even his prized artificial intelligence, Jarvis, had failed to detect the stranger’s presence. Only when the stranger appeared did Jarvis suddenly inform him. Stark had no idea whether the visitor had just arrived or had been watching his rescue of Gulmira.

Having inadvertently stepped into a new world, Stark felt not excitement but a creeping anxiety. Who was this being? Was it even of Earth? If not, what was its purpose here? Stark realized, upon reflection, just how little he truly knew.

With a heavy heart, Stark turned to depart. He had other matters to resolve—namely, dealing with the problem of Obadiah Stane. Once that was settled, he would investigate the existence of the mysterious figure.

Harvey watched as Stark floated, lost in thought, before leaving Gulmira himself. He knew his appearance had left an impression on Stark. All that remained was for Stark, driven by curiosity and the relentless pursuit of truth, to seek further understanding, eventually learning of the Void—this unknown realm.

Harvey had achieved his goal for this visit and so began his journey home. To win Stark over, the most critical step was making an impression. Once achieved, given Stark’s ever-questioning and truth-seeking nature, their paths would surely cross again.