Chapter 71: The Fortunate Blue Star

"So the law and order in the universe seems pretty good, then?" Tony, pondering the implications of the universal translator, spoke up after hearing Harvey's words.

"On planets ruled by the major empires of the universe, law and order is indeed better," Harvey replied. "But outside those imperial territories, the universe is far more chaotic than you might imagine. After all, there are countless planets out there—some more advanced than Earth, and others far less developed. When someone's power surpasses all the offensive and defensive capabilities of an entire world, even if that world is destroyed, its people are helpless to stop it. And because the universe is so vast, sometimes when a planet or a race is annihilated, no one even knows who the destroyer was. Not every world is as fortunate as Earth, with Odin and the Sorcerer Supreme both watching over it."

Harvey could understand why Tony was thinking this way, so he patiently explained.

"It seems the universe isn't as wonderful as I imagined," Tony said, his expression complicated at the thought that entire worlds could be destroyed without anyone knowing who was responsible. Any intelligent being wants to create something, to leave proof they once existed even after they're gone. But in the universe, the destruction of a whole planet might go unnoticed—just thinking about it was saddening.

"Whether the universe is beautiful or not depends on whether you have enough strength to ensure your own survival, and that of your planet," Harvey continued. "If you don’t, then it’s hardly a beautiful place."

Tony nodded slightly at Harvey's words. Compared to most worlds, Earth was undoubtedly lucky. It had powerful guardians, so invaders from beyond rarely dared to cause trouble, and if they did, they couldn't risk causing too much damage—otherwise, the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One, and Odin would never let it slide. Most of Earth's threats came from within, from its own people vying for power. Even without an alien invasion, a world war would see mushroom clouds blossom across the planet. For ancient Earth, it would mean little more than another extinction event—a return to primitive times, followed by nature's slow revival. But for humanity, widespread nuclear war could mean total annihilation.

Tony’s eyes flickered. He didn’t deny that Earth was fortunate, but he knew this luck was only temporary. Harvey had said that in 2017, Earth would face a powerful foe, one that would require their cooperation with aliens. So Tony was determined to prepare as much as possible before that crisis arrived.

"This thing..." Tony picked up the universal communicator, intending to ask how to use it, when the device—with its transparent screen—suddenly powered on by itself, making him pause.

"Rather than ask me, why not have Jarvis analyze them? He might give you a clearer understanding," Harvey said with a smile, seeing Tony's curiosity.

"I’ll take them to Jarvis for analysis, then." Tony's eyes brightened at the suggestion, and he took off the wristbands he'd been holding. With that, Tony grabbed the large box and headed straight to the underground lab. In just a few seconds, he returned to the living room on the second floor.

"Care for a drink?" Tony didn't ask any more about the items Harvey had brought; instead, he pulled out his cherished liquor and casually offered Harvey a glass. By now, Tony had undergone forty-eight evolutions—alcohol no longer affected him, but he still drank out of habit, and it wasn’t something he could easily give up.

"Of course." Harvey smiled and nodded.

"How long do you plan to stay on Earth this time?" Tony asked as he brought two glasses to the sofa and sat down. He knew that unless something especially interesting was happening on Earth, Harvey rarely stayed long.

"I'll stay three or four days," Harvey replied. "The food in the universe is good, but Earth's cuisine has its own unique charm. Has anything interesting happened here lately?" He took a sip from his glass as he spoke, the two of them chatting like old friends.

"I don’t know if it counts as interesting, but some things have happened," Tony said, swirling his glass thoughtfully. "My Iron Man suits have been rapidly upgraded—they’re stronger than ever. S.H.I.E.L.D. came to see me again, hoping I’d join the Avengers. What do you think? Should I join?"

Perhaps it was because S.H.I.E.L.D. had been humbled by Harvey last time, or maybe Tony's armor had become too formidable, but when they contacted him again, their attitude was much friendlier—no more arrogance, just a polite invitation.

"Tony, even though you’ve joined the Void, that doesn’t mean I control your actions," Harvey replied calmly. "So decisions like this are yours to make."

"I thought you didn’t like S.H.I.E.L.D. much," Tony said, surprised at Harvey's nonchalance. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to assemble the Avengers quickly to deal with future threats, their earlier arrogance had left a bad taste. Tony himself didn’t have much affection for them.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. can jump around all they want, but it doesn’t affect anything I want to do," Harvey said indifferently. "So long as they stay out of my way, I couldn’t care less."

"It must be nice to be so independent," Tony sighed. "But for the sake of Earth's future, I might need to help them out. Do you have any advice for me?"

For Harvey, Earth was just another stop on his journey, but for Tony, it was home. He needed to do his part when the time came.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. isn’t made up solely of S.H.I.E.L.D. people," Harvey said after some thought, deciding to offer a warning. After all, Tony was no longer the same as before: he’d joined the Void, and now he had the universal translator and alien materials. His technological prowess would only increase, and if he became too entangled with S.H.I.E.L.D., Hydra might gain access to more of his work. He needed a reminder.

"I’ll provide them with money and support, but I won’t share any of my technology," Tony replied, considering Harvey’s words and suddenly realizing their implication. Harvey wasn’t just hinting—he was telling him directly that there was a traitor in S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony didn’t know who it was, but it proved that S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn’t entirely under Nick Fury’s control.

"As long as you’re aware, do as you see fit," Harvey said, nodding.