After Tony Stark saw the video's destruction progress bar reach full, he braced both hands on the table, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his heart.
At some point, his back had become drenched in cold sweat.
But Tony Stark knew why.
When people saw something mysterious yet beautiful, something that held limitless possibilities, they felt curiosity and excitement.
So Harvey Anberaka curing him and restoring his body naturally thrilled him.
And when he thought of the enemies who might appear in the future, he believed this was an utterly invincible superpower.
Because as long as Harvey Anberaka was around, they would not need to fear injury too much. As long as they did not die, it was enough.
But when people truly encountered something mysterious that they could neither comprehend nor understand, yet could recognize the danger it brought—
Their first reaction would no longer be excitement and curiosity, but an irresistible fear rising from their biological instincts.
After witnessing Harvey Anberaka heal him with his own eyes, what Tony Stark felt was fear.
If news of Harvey Anberaka's healing ability got out—
Who knew how many people would want to find Harvey Anberaka, seeking treatment for diseases modern technology could not cure and ways to prolong their lives.
But in that footage, Harvey Anberaka had displayed more than just healing abilities.
There was also that purple energy of unknown purpose, which he controlled as easily as his own limbs, and Harvey's fingers were as sharp as blades.
Clearly, Harvey Anberaka also possessed the ability to protect himself.
Otherwise, he would never have risked exposure to heal Tony and let him learn these things.
"Did you destroy the footage?"
At that moment, Harvey's voice sounded behind Tony Stark.
"After seeing that footage, I had no choice but to destroy it."
Tony Stark turned around at those words and looked at Harvey, who was walking into the underground lab. He gave a bitter smile.
"I know you might be afraid of me, but don't worry. If I were your enemy, I wouldn't have helped you."
Harvey spoke calmly.
"Then why did you approach me?"
Tony Stark asked after hearing that.
"Tony Stark, did you not think before saying that?"
"Have you forgotten that you contacted me nonstop for an entire month?"
Harvey said helplessly.
He had intended to leave an impression on Tony Stark, making it easier to lure him into the Void later.
But he had not expected Tony Stark to become obsessed, contacting him again and again without stopping.
So, to keep Tony Stark from bothering him, Harvey had answered the call to see what exactly Tony Stark was up to.
"..."
Tony Stark wanted to argue after being scolded, but after thinking it over, he realized that he really had been the one contacting Harvey. For a moment, he had nothing to say.
"I act according to my mood. You don't need to dwell on it too much."
"Let's talk about your technology."
Seeing that Tony Stark wanted to argue but could not find anything to say, Harvey spared him and brought up the armor.
"The latest models I'm developing are Mark IV and Mark V."
"One focuses on combat, while the other focuses on being lightweight and portable."
"They are both crystallizations of my genius. At full speed in high-altitude flight, they can reach up to mach 2."
"The materials are the same ones used in aerospace satellites—hard, cold-resistant, and unafraid of gunfire. They also have moves like palm repulsors."
Tony Stark immediately became interested. He walked over to the two suits of armor and introduced them proudly.
"In just over a month, you improved the armor to this level of performance. It sounds impressive."
"Your armor should become even more formidable in the future."
"However, that also means that no matter how much you improve it, the armor's greatest weakness lies with you, doesn't it?"
"Don't say I didn't warn you. If you have a weakness in battle that you cannot resolve and that others can easily discover, you could easily lose your life."
Harvey lightly tapped the armor with his right hand, producing a metallic clang.
"I've thought about that weakness too, but there's no way for me to change it right now."
"No matter how brilliant my mind is, I'm still human. I will grow old, get hurt, and die."
Tony Stark did not deny the flaw after hearing Harvey Anberaka's words.
Piloting Iron Man armor was not all that different from piloting a fighter jet in combat, aside from his technology being more advanced.
Once the armor or fighter jet he was piloting suffered damage, he would be exposed to the dangers of battle.
At any moment, he could lose his life, which was why his initial idea had been to find Colonel Rhodes and work together with him.
He had an exceptionally brilliant mind, while Rhodey possessed extensive combat experience. Together, they could better bring out the power of the Iron Man armor.
But Rhodey had dismissed him without even trying to understand, so Tony had become the pilot himself.
Harvey had deliberately said those things to remind Tony Stark how fragile his body was.
"Only right now? So you have a solution?"
Harvey glanced at Tony Stark after hearing that.
"I want to strengthen my body and improve the armor's greatest weakness by researching genetics."
"But developing a gene serum without any side effects and suitable for the human body would inevitably involve experiments that violated human ethics."
"That's why I've never entered the field of genetics."
Tony Stark voiced some of his thoughts.
"Tony Stark, what do you think a human must be like to be considered human?"
Harvey's gaze flickered as he heard Tony's words.
Perhaps some people possessed powers different from ordinary humans, yet wanted to suppress themselves and blend into humanity, hoping not to be seen as an outsider but as a human.
But frankly, even among humans without superpowers, there were differences between people, such as wealth and power.
Countless people relied on the little authority in their hands to seize every advantage and amass all the wealth they could.
Human nature was selfish and greedy. Once people had an opportunity, they naturally wanted more and wanted to control more.
And when they had such an opportunity, if they did not seize and use it properly, instead deceiving themselves by deliberately suppressing themselves to cater to the weak, hoping to be treated as ordinary people—
In Harvey's eyes, that kind of thinking was nothing more than foolish mediocrity.
Although he had possessed the power of the Void for nearly three years and had never truly thought about it, Nick Fury's reminder—
Had prompted him to reflect, and once he realized his power came from the Void, he accepted who he was now.
"What people desire? Are you talking about men or women?"
Tony Stark asked, wanting to understand what Harvey meant.
"The question I asked has nothing to do with men or women. I'm asking about what humans desire in essence."
Harvey turned around, stared into Tony Stark's eyes, and smiled.
"Human nature cannot be reduced to just one thing, because different people have vastly different desires and needs."
Tony Stark pondered for a moment before answering.
"Some humans are arrogant, some are insecure, some are kind, and some are selfish. But those are merely different personalities, not essence."
"The essence of humanity is the desire to survive. To survive, humans desire power, and through that power, they obtain more of what they want."
"Vast knowledge, great martial strength, high status and authority, and countless different talents—anything that sets one above others is power."
"Since ancient times, history around the world has mostly respected men, but there have also been women who reached the highest positions."
"That means women also desire power. It is simply harder for women to obtain power, which is why such cases have been rarer throughout history."
"But as long as people possess an identity even slightly better or more privileged than others, they consciously or unconsciously distinguish themselves."
"They disdain associating with those far beneath them, and may even consider contact with them shameful."
"History is filled with such examples. Even you and I are no exception."
"Do you still think humanity's essence needs to be divided specifically between men and women?"
As he spoke, Harvey looked at the Iron Man armor and spoke slowly.
"..."
Tony Stark wanted to refute him, but after thinking carefully, he did not know where to begin.
Indeed, people had different personalities, but at their core, they sought survival. Once they could survive, they would desire more.
For example, superior living conditions, a status above others, and all sorts of other things.
"Are you telling me to violate human ethics?"
Considering that Harvey Anberaka was discussing these things with him, Tony Stark thought for a moment and realized something. He was visibly moved.
"I never said that. I merely reminded you of humanity's essence."
"As for what you truly think, I don't know."
"Although humanity's essence is survival and acquiring more power—"
"When you want to gain more power, ask yourself whether you are truly prepared."
"If you are not mentally prepared, choosing to be conservative and doing nothing is not necessarily a bad thing."
Harvey's words were like a bewitching whisper, subtly shaking some of Tony Stark's firmly held beliefs.
Perhaps it would not have any immediate effect now, but when Tony Stark desired greater power and sought to overcome his greatest weakness—
That uncertainty would influence some of the decisions and actions Tony Stark made.
"I already had dinner with you earlier, so I won't be having a late-night meal here."
"I helped you clear your Palladium Poisoning. Though it was just a casual favor, that does not mean I will help you clear it again when you suffer Palladium Poisoning in the future."
"So don't take chances. Make good use of the extra time you have gained and try to find a new element to replace palladium, solving the root problem of Palladium Poisoning."
Harvey looked at Tony Stark, who had fallen into deep thought. After saying a few words, he turned and left.
Tony Stark was left alone in the underground lab, his eyes constantly flickering as his mind continued to race.
Second update.
Before you continue