Chapter 38: The Greatness of the Void

Harvey was well aware that after Tony Stark experienced youthfulness and newfound physical prowess, it wouldn’t be long before Tony would ask to become someone like himself.

"Once you become like me, given how different your identity is from mine, you will inevitably be discovered by others and regarded as an anomaly," he said quietly. "That was your concern before, wasn’t it? Are you truly certain now? Have you made up your mind?"

Now that the moment had arrived, Harvey contemplated for a moment before speaking.

"To have a much longer lifespan, to unleash my talents, to discover things I’ve never known before," Tony replied, gazing at his own palm. "I believe countless people dream of such an opportunity. I was simply too dull before to realize how mundane my own ambitions were. But now, I understand."

"If you’re sure, I can grant your wish," Harvey said with a smile. "But before that, let me properly introduce myself. I come from the Void, and the power I wield originates from the Void."

Tony Stark was unsurprised that Harvey Amberlaca was not human—his knowledge clearly surpassed the scope of any superhuman on Blue Star. His way of thinking was the same; moral constraints could never bind Harvey Amberlaca. But when Tony heard mention of the Void, his eyes narrowed sharply.

"That Reaper—is he from the Void as well?" he asked.

It was the knowledge of the Reaper’s existence that had opened the gates of this new world to Tony Stark.

"The Reaper is merely an identity I adopted for convenience," Harvey admitted after a brief pause. He decided to be honest; if Tony believed the Reaper to be a kindred spirit, he would certainly spend a fortune trying to find him and converse as equals. With Tony’s intellect, he would soon notice the truth himself, so it was better to reveal it now.

"I meant no offense earlier..." Tony’s mind raced as he recalled his previous arrogance toward Harvey Amberlaca, cold sweat beading on his brow.

"There's no need to fear now that you know who I am," Harvey reassured him. "I’m not one for formalities, but I do have a principle: I treat others as they treat me. So long as you never intend to become my enemy, I will not harm you."

Seeing Tony’s frightened, sweat-drenched appearance, Harvey offered comfort.

Tony considered Harvey’s words and realized that despite his earlier offenses, Harvey Amberlaca had not held a grudge. This eased his mind.

"You might as well have told me the Reaper was your kin, only to reveal in the end that you were the Reaper yourself!" Tony complained, thinking of how he had shown off his Iron Suit. "Did I make a clown of myself?"

"That hadn’t occurred to me," Harvey replied sincerely. "But I never thought of you as a clown. On the contrary, I think you’re a genius for creating the Iron Suit with your own intellect. Although it has some flaws now, if you can create an element to replace palladium, it could, in a sense, bestow extraordinary power and bring about a transformative change for humanity—a truly epoch-making invention."

Harvey paused his meal, reflecting earnestly before continuing.

"But let’s put that aside for now. I know you come from the Void, so how can I become someone like you?" Tony, stunned by the praise, pretended not to care and steered the conversation back.

"Tony Stark, if you wish to become like me, you must place your faith in the Void and join it," Harvey replied, noticing Tony’s irrepressible smile and pride but choosing not to mention it.

"Faith in the Void? Join the Void?" Tony was bewildered. "What exactly is the Void—a place, an organization, or an embodiment of some will?"

At that question, a voice echoed in Harvey’s mind: "A new life form seeks contact with the Void. Please confirm to allow them to experience the Void and alter their essence."

"You can think of the Void as a place, a will, a race, or a dimension," Harvey explained without pausing at the system’s prompt.

"So, if I join the Void, I’ll cease to be human?" Tony mused.

"You could put it that way," Harvey answered. "After all, humans do not possess long lifespans. It’s hard to explain, so I’ll let you see for yourself. Once you’ve witnessed it, you can decide whether to place your faith in the Void."

"Let me see it? What do I need to do?" Tony was intrigued but unsure what to expect.

"You’ll know soon enough," Harvey said with a smile, then confirmed the system’s request.

In the instant Harvey agreed, Tony Stark’s eyes glazed over, as if his consciousness had left his body.

Tony felt as though he were drifting through the vast cosmos. Suddenly, a colossal energy black hole appeared amidst the swirling stars, its dazzling, kaleidoscopic colors beyond anything he had ever seen—even the movies paled in comparison.

Then, he felt the universe tremble. The phenomenon was strange, but he was certain the environment around him was warping and quivering, as though some terrifying being was about to emerge from the energy vortex.

Tony’s body seized with fear. He was paralyzed, every cell in his body frozen in terror. He watched helplessly as the fabric of the universe twisted.

A creature of unimaginable size, its skin violet and its form resembling a mantis, crawled forth from the black hole. What he saw was only a portion of its body, yet it was so immense that Tony could not grasp its true scale. In the presence of this monster, even the stars themselves seemed insignificant. Compared to it, Tony felt like a grain of cosmic dust.

The creature then transformed into a human silhouette. Though it was impossibly far away, Tony could somehow see it with perfect clarity.

When he recognized the figure’s back, he was shaken to his core—it was unmistakably Harvey Amberlaca. Yet this Harvey was different from the one he knew. This Harvey walked the galaxy with his hands folded behind him, exuding a sense of loneliness and invincibility that spanned the universe.

Tony’s vision filled with other colossal, unimaginable beings. He saw a figure in a white cloak and golden mask, as vast as a river of stars, stepping into the Void and vanishing without a trace. He saw a monstrous creature bristling with barbs, so enormous it swallowed a star whole. He saw a gigantic purple celestial body that, upon closer inspection, was in fact a vast, violet eye, gazing watchfully from the darkness of space. He saw a beast carving countless terrifying tunnels in the Void, its echoing howl shaking the universe. He saw an enormous humanoid in purple armor, gazing down upon the endless river of time.

Every entity in the Void surpassed the boundaries of Tony Stark’s imagination, leaving him speechless in awe. In the end, all these beings merged into a single figure.

In that moment, Tony Stark felt his own insignificance, the grandeur of the Void, and the profound question of the Void’s will.