Healing Tony

"Setting aside its function, does it really look that different from a light bulb?"

Seeing Tony Stark looking like he was about to stomp his feet in frustration, Harvey said with a laugh.

"What a fine 'setting aside its function'..."

Tony Stark was so annoyed by Harvey's fact-ignoring attitude that he almost laughed. He had originally wanted to properly explain the Arc Reactor's capabilities to Harvey.

But he quickly realized that Harvey Anberaka was only saying that on purpose to keep him from being so negative.

"Your words may not have been pleasant, but thank you anyway."

Having realized that, Tony Stark thanked him as well.

"And you were right. This Arc Reactor has put some strain on my body."

"I tried replacing the element, but I haven't found a suitable substitute yet."

Tony Stark then pulled open his shirt, exposing the Arc Reactor in his chest to the air. His face was filled with helplessness as he spoke.

Although the palladium had not yet caused any problems in his body and would not affect him for the time being,

he knew that if he kept using the current Arc Reactor, Palladium Poisoning would kill him before long.

"Besides finding a substitute element, there's another way to restore your body to normal and extend your lifespan."

Harvey's heart stirred at that, and he spoke.

"If you're going to tell me to remove the shrapnel from my heart and stop using the Iron Man armor, then don't bother."

"Now that I know there are threats from beyond Earth, being without the Iron Man armor would be no different from sitting around waiting to die."

Tony Stark waved his hand and said directly.

If Rhodey had agreed to become an Iron Man armor pilot before this, and if Tony had never experienced the power and sensation that came with piloting the armor,

then even without anyone telling him, he would have found a trustworthy doctor to operate on him and remove the shrapnel.

But he had already experienced the Iron Man armor, and he also knew that Earth's future held countless dangers.

How could he willingly remain an ordinary person, even if that ordinary person was extremely wealthy?

Tony Stark knew, however, that when a true crisis arrived, money was not omnipotent.

"I obviously wouldn't say something so low-level as urging you to undergo surgery and never use the Iron Man armor again."

"But since you don't want to hear it, forget I said anything."

Harvey immediately decided not to continue.

"Not surgery... then what method?"

Tony Stark looked at Harvey Anberaka, his face full of confusion.

"Let's talk about your proud creation, the Iron Man armor."

"The reason you invited me here was probably to show off your technological achievement, wasn't it?"

Ignoring Tony Stark's question, Harvey walked over to a suit of armor with great interest.

"..."

Seeing that Harvey Anberaka no longer wanted to discuss that matter, Tony Stark felt some regret.

Harvey Anberaka was an incredibly mysterious man who seemed to know countless things. Since he had said there was a way, it certainly would not be ordinary.

Yet Tony had arrogantly missed his chance to learn about it.

"Let's not talk about the armor yet. How about we continue our previous topic?"

After struggling inwardly for a moment, Tony Stark tried to steer the conversation back to the palladium that was poisoning him. His tone carried a hint of negotiation and pleading.

"Fine. I'll help you this once. Hold out your hand."

Harvey turned around and glanced at Tony Stark. After pretending to ponder for a moment, he spoke.

"Does this have something to do with fixing my physical problem?"

Tony Stark held out his hand as he asked.

"By my estimate, you'll be unconscious for a minute or two. You'll be fine soon enough."

Harvey held Tony Stark's hand in his left hand and gave him a warning.

Before Tony Stark could react to the news that he would be unconscious for a minute or two, his vision went black and he instantly lost consciousness.

Harvey then sent some life energy through his left hand to maintain Tony Stark's vital signs.

At the same time, Harvey lightly swiped his index finger, directly cutting open the skin on Tony Stark's chest.

Tony Stark's heart was exposed. An ordinary person would feel uncomfortable upon suddenly seeing a living heart and other internal organs.

But Harvey's expression did not change at the bloody sight. Instead, he focused his mind.

The blood vessels inside Tony Stark's body wrapped around everything else, all of it incomparably clear in Harvey's eyes.

The Void Power gathered in Harvey's right hand glowed purple, transforming into countless threads as thin as silk. They entered Tony Stark's body and extracted the remaining shrapnel.

Then, under the infusion of life energy Harvey provided, the minor injuries inside Tony Stark's body and the cut on his chest healed at a visible rate.

Harvey laid Tony Stark flat on the floor and placed the extracted shrapnel directly on a nearby table.

Tearing open his chest, removing the shrapnel, and healing him—all of it had happened in less than ten seconds.

With the infusion of life energy, Tony Stark regained consciousness in under two minutes.

Tony Stark felt as though his vision had merely gone dark for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the ceiling.

Tony Stark immediately climbed to his feet. Strangely, he barely had to exert any effort before standing up with ease.

His eyesight also seemed better. More than that, the faint stabbing pain that had been coming from his chest and the headaches that had been bothering him were now gone, leaving his mind incredibly clear and relaxed.

It made Tony Stark feel as if his body had been completely healed.

Tony Stark was no longer young. He was already thirty-eight, though he had no serious health problems.

But as one grew older, the body's senses and functions naturally declined. Things like feeling sore in certain places were minor ailments.

Yet the subtle aches and pains he often felt had now completely vanished.

"What principle is this?"

Tony Stark looked at Harvey Anberaka and asked in incomprehension.

"You don't need to worry about the principle."

"I removed the shrapnel from your body, and I've also completely eliminated your Palladium Poisoning."

"That should give you more time to search for a substitute element."

Harvey had no intention of explaining. He simply told Tony what he had done.

He possessed the ability to absorb the life energy of living creatures and heal himself.

Naturally, he could also separate that life energy and use it to heal others.

Winning Tony Stark over to believe in the Void would take several steps.

But the first and most important step was to let Tony Stark experience the feeling of having his body healed, returning to youth, and becoming stronger.

No one could resist the feeling of having their lifespan extended, their body restored to youth, and becoming even stronger.

As long as Tony Stark experienced that feeling, then even if he obtained his father's notes and created a new element from them,

and was no longer troubled by Palladium Poisoning in the future, Tony Stark would never forget how he felt now.

Therefore, once the time was right, Tony Stark would take the initiative to ask him even without Harvey deliberately persuading him, seeking a chance to strengthen his body.

At that point, if he formally explained things to Tony Stark, it would be easy to awaken Tony's desire. He would naturally come to believe in the Void and join it.

Hearing that the palladium had completely disappeared, Tony Stark hurried to the nearby table, opened a case, and took out a palladium tester.

After testing himself, he discovered that the trace amount of palladium originally inside his body had truly disappeared completely.

Tony Stark's eyes filled with disbelief.

Then Tony Stark caught the scent of blood.

Following the smell, Tony Stark found several tiny pieces of shrapnel on a table ten meters away, stained with blood that looked somewhat blackened.

Tony Stark closed his eyes and felt carefully, discovering that there was truly no longer any strange sensation coming from his chest.

"Mirror."

Tony Stark walked over to a screen and called out.

Jarvis immediately turned the display into a mirror, reflecting Tony Stark's current appearance.

Tony Stark pulled open his shirt and looked at his chest.

There were still traces of blood on his chest, but he could not see any wound at all.

"Jarvis, how long was I unconscious?"

After seeing this, Tony Stark asked.

"Sir, you were unconscious for a total of seventy-two seconds."

Jarvis had been watching the whole time and answered immediately.

"Harvey Anberaka, is this your superpower?"

Tony Stark looked at Harvey Anberaka ten meters away and asked in disbelief.

"That was merely a small trick. But according to your understanding, you can think of it as a superpower."

Harvey nodded faintly and spoke.

"If a battle breaks out in the future and someone on our side gets injured, wouldn't we be invincible if you helped heal them?"

Upon hearing this, Tony Stark was filled with excitement. He strode quickly over to Harvey and spoke with immense anticipation.

"Tony Stark, I know you're excited right now."

"But don't forget what I just told you."

Harvey knew Tony Stark would be excited, but he had not expected him to become this excited, so he reminded him.

Hearing that reminder, Tony Stark's excited mind instantly calmed considerably.

"Harvey Anberaka, I don't even know how to repay you."

Tony Stark gripped Harvey's hand, his expression incomparably serious.

He had originally only wanted to seek information from Harvey Anberaka and show off his accomplishments.

But tonight's experience had taught him far too much, and Harvey Anberaka had even healed his body.

"I only bought Stark Industries Shares recently."

"I'm counting on you to drive Stark Industries Shares up."

"If you, the chairman, die and send the stock plummeting, I'll suffer a huge loss."

"So I merely helped you out while I was at it. It's nothing worth calling a favor."

Harvey spoke with a joking tone.

Of course, he would not directly ask Tony Stark how he planned to repay him. Compared with directly demanding something, personal debts and favors were often much harder to repay.

"But..."

Hearing this, Tony Stark wanted to say something.

"Alright, no more talk about this. Just remember not to reveal my name."

"And I only came because you said there would be food here."

"It's been so long. Where's my dinner?"

Harvey interrupted Tony Stark and directly changed the subject.

"Jarvis?"

Seeing that Harvey did not want to continue discussing the matter, Tony Stark went along with it and asked.

"Dinner has been prepared and placed on the second floor."

"However, you and sir were speaking so enthusiastically that I did not interrupt."

Jarvis immediately responded.

"Then let's go up and eat."

Tony Stark looked at Harvey and spoke.

Harvey nodded and followed Tony Stark upstairs.