Chapter Summaries

Tony persuaded Banner and Thor to keep training, then invited them and Loki to spend half a month at Xandar’s Celebrity Hotel. After Banner confirmed its luxurious services and all-you-can-eat food, Thor enthusiastically agreed to go.

• Tony urged Banner to practice Supple Strength and told Thor to keep improving his combat skills.
• Tony invited Banner to visit the Celebrity Hotel, and Loki and Thor asked to join him.
• Tony clarified that the hotel’s villa managers, including Sonia, Sarah, and Lalatina, provided professional household and personal services rather than sexual services.
• Tony agreed to reserve rooms for Loki and Thor for half a month, and Banner confirmed the hotel was as luxurious as Tony described.
• Thor stopped worrying about the price when Banner explained that hotel guests could eat as much as they wanted, and he declared that he was definitely going.

Tony discussed his plans to remain on Void Island until his first Cosmic Battleship was completed, then return to Earth and prepare it for the interstellar age. He and Harvey acknowledged the distance between them and agreed that Tony would prove Harvey’s faith in his potential, before Tony asked Sonia to organize the resources needed for his work.

• Tony decided to stay on Void Island until he and Banner completed their first Cosmic Battleship, before turning his attention to Earth.
• Harvey thanked Tony for his years of work, and Tony said hearing Harvey’s approval meant a great deal to him.
• Harvey removed his Kassadin armor to reconnect with Tony, but Tony asked for time to grow stronger before they could regain their former ease.
• Tony promised to reach the pinnacle of the universe and prove Harvey’s judgment right, and Harvey invited him to share his joys and sorrows whenever he wished.
• Tony gave Sonia his plans for hiring talent, building factories, and buying equipment and materials, explaining that he needed to save his money for Earth.
• Sonia reassured Tony that Void Island’s abundant funds could cover the preparations and that he did not need to apologize.

After Tony left Summit Villa, Harvey reflected on how witnessing his overwhelming power had changed Tony’s ease around him. Sonia comforted Harvey and affirmed her commitment to stay by his side, while Harvey chose to let time decide what their relationship would become.

• Sonia agreed to obtain the items Tony had requested, and Tony left Summit Villa to return home.
• Sonia told Harvey that Tony seemed unable to treat him as an equal after seeing him suppress the Grandmaster and make him a slave.
• Harvey admitted that he regretted the distance forming between him and Tony, and Sonia promised she would remain by his side.
• Harvey told Sonia that he would not stop her from leaving if she ever chose to, and Sonia said she would prove she would stay.
• Harvey briefly lay down to collect himself, then joined Sonia in the hall as she prepared afternoon tea.
• Harvey reflected that he would not pursue marriage with Sonia yet, choosing to let time test their bond and his own restraint.

Sonia planned a fifteen-hundred-billion-Universe-Coin investment to develop Void 001 into a Cosmic Battleship manufacturing base, expecting sales to make the Void Cult wealthy for the long term. Harvey approved the plan but said the Cult should expand its territory slowly to avoid drawing the attention of powerful enemies.

• Sonia replaced plans to develop six islands with a plan to buy and develop the planet Void 001, budgeting fifteen hundred billion Universe Coins for factories and living facilities.
• Sonia told Harvey that Cosmic Battleship sales could bring in around two hundred billion annually and help the Void Cult recoup its investment within twenty years.
• Sonia explained that new civilizations would keep creating demand for advanced Cosmic Battleships and independent intelligent AI, making buyers plentiful for thousands of years.
• Harvey reflected that the Void Cult’s resources could sustain it for ages and that he could move its members to another parallel universe if necessary.
• Harvey told Sonia that Knowhere was a special case and that he would delay expanding the Cult’s territory to avoid provoking ancient gods into summoning the Ancient Gods.

Harvey reassured Sonia that he would protect the Void Cult while keeping the multiverse’s greatest threats secret. On their way from Void Island, Tony and Banner discussed how to extend humanity’s lifespan and improve its physical fitness so Earth could enter the interstellar age, leaving them to pursue research into gene serums.

• Harvey told Sonia that some multiversal beings could trouble him, but he promised to resolve dangers facing the Void Cult.
• Sonia finished dinner, cleaned up, and contacted Lalatina while Harvey began playing games.
• Tony left Void Island with Banner, Loki, and Thor, planning to save a grand feast for when his first Cosmic Battleship was complete.
• Tony explained that Pepper was the only partner he wanted for the long term, even though he sometimes enjoyed himself while she was away.
• Tony and Banner discussed researching genetics because Zhao Hailun’s Regeneration Cradle treated individuals but could not raise the lifespan and fitness of Earth’s billions.

Tony planned to advance Earth’s genetic research and interstellar development, but needed substantial funding to move quickly. Thor and Loki agreed to ask Odin about an Asgardian loan, while Tony revealed that Sonia had already invested 150 billion and bought a planet to support Cosmic Battleship production and Earth’s development.

• Tony explained that he and Banner would use Xandarian genetic serums as a starting point, while carefully adapting them to humans to avoid deadly side effects.
• Thor suggested recruiting genetic scientists from Xandar, and Tony said he would first speak with Zhao Hailun after returning to Earth.
• Tony asked Thor and Loki to help him borrow money from Asgard, promising to repay the loan with interest and arguing that Earth’s development would benefit Asgardian trade.
• Thor and Loki said they would ask Odin about the loan, though Loki warned Tony not to assume it would be approved.
• Loki questioned why Tony did not borrow from Sonia, prompting Tony to reveal that Sonia had already funded 150 billion for development and bought a planet to expand Cosmic Battleship production and help Earth progress.

Tony borrowed a promise of up to eighty billion Universe Coin from Loki to help fund Blue Star’s development, then took Thor, Loki, and Banner to Xandar’s Celebrity Hotel for a lavish stay. After twenty days of indulgence, Jarvis reminded Tony to leave, and the four headed back toward Void Island.

• Tony asked Thor and Loki for two hundred billion Universe Coin, and Loki offered to lend him up to eighty billion after taking over Asgard’s treasury.
• Tony promised to pay for Thor and Loki’s expenses at the Celebrity Hotel and brought them and Banner to the luxurious venue on Xandar.
• Tony, Thor, Loki, and Banner spent twenty days at the hotel, enjoying its services and company.
• Jarvis’s reminder prompted Tony to wake the others, and they left the hotel, satisfied but wary of returning too often.
• Tony’s Cosmic Battleship picked up the four men and flew toward Void Island.

After Thor, Loki, and Banner spent twenty days indulging at the Celebrity Hotel, Tony forced them back into training until they regained their discipline. Lacey offered to help if they relapsed, then startled Loki by openly teasing him with her charm.

• After the four ate, Tony used Jarvis’s armor arms to shock Thor, Loki, and Banner awake and ordered them to train in the gravity room.
• Tony dragged the three to train daily for three days, and on the fourth morning Thor and Loki got up on their own.
• Tony warned Thor and Loki to value their carefree time on Void Island and train before other responsibilities took over.
• Lacey appeared and told Loki she could help him regain his discipline, as she had previously done for Kyle, Renoli, and Precognitor.
• Lacey reminded Tony that he had kept the others at the Celebrity Hotel too long, and Tony admitted he had forced them back into training after twenty days.
• Lacey teased Loki by offering to compensate him for disappointing him, leaving him stiff with embarrassment before she laughed and stepped away.

Tony discussed his planned return to Blue Star to accelerate its development, while Kyle and the others asked about the Void Cult’s first Cosmic Battleship and Void 001 Planet. The group learned that the primitive, habitable planet was bought from the Xandar Empire for seven hundred billion, with development bringing the total cost to one trillion five hundred billion.

• Lacey joined Tony, Thor, Banner, Kyle, Renoli, and the Precognitor for breakfast after Thor and Banner discussed how she had helped them recover their spirits.
• Tony told Renoli that he planned to return to Blue Star after the first Cosmic Battleship passed inspection and a three-day feast, intending to help Blue Star develop before energy shortages and conflict worsened.
• Lacey said she hoped to visit Blue Star before it entered the interstellar age, and Tony welcomed her as a guest.
• Kyle asked when the first Cosmic Battleship would be finished and where Void 001 Planet was, but Tony said he did not know because Sonia and Lalatina were managing the project.
• Kyle said Sonia had bought Void 001 Planet for seven hundred billion from the Xandar Empire, and explained that developing the primitive, habitable planet would raise the total cost to one trillion five hundred billion.

Lacey explained the Xandar Empire’s Nova Energy and why the World Heart kept the power needed to wield it secret. The group then discussed the danger of powerful people being targeted and wondered whether they should secretly visit the planet Miss Sonia had bought.

• Lacey told Thor, Tony, and Banner that the Xandar Empire controlled many planets and that its Nova Energy might empower a compatible person to become a cosmic powerhouse, though none had yet appeared.
• Lacey explained that the World Heart had not revealed which superpower could wield Nova Energy, and Tony argued that secrecy would protect potential wielders from being killed before they grew strong.
• Loki agreed that Star-Lord’s unknown potential also needed protection, while recognizing that few people knew about it and that those who did were not hostile toward him.
• Kyle asked Lacey whether she knew the Xandar Empire’s habitable planets and their routes, prompting the others to realize that Kyle, Renoli, and the Precognitor knew little about Xandarian history and geography.
• Lacey said she could look up the routes to the planet Miss Sonia had bought, but worried that Miss Sonia might be angry if they secretly visited it.

Tony planned to develop new Void magic and a stronger Void Mode while he had time away from major research, as Banner prepared to improve his combat skills and Loki vowed to catch up. Meanwhile, Sonia watched the island members speculate about Void 001 and planned to recruit people to oversee farming and livestock there.

• Lacey suggested Sonia had deliberately kept Void 001's location secret, and Kyle agreed to stop investigating until Sonia revealed it.
• Tony said he would use his free time to develop new Void magic and a new Void Mode for his armor, since Banner's potential could soon surpass him.
• Kyle praised Banner's potential, Banner responded humbly, and Loki declared that he would catch up to the others.
• After their meal, Tony went to the gravity chamber while Thor, Loki, and Banner resumed basic Supple Strength training.
• Sonia watched the members discuss Void 001 and planned to find people suited to farming and livestock work so the planet could support a settled population.

Harvey considered which Void Island members could take charge of farming and livestock, while Tony experimented with ways to develop his Void Mode. The chapter left Tony determined to improve on his own rather than ask Lex for help.

• Harvey observed the island's fishermen and gardeners as potential candidates for Sonia's farming and breeding plans.
• Harvey decided the three patient fishermen could serve as backups for work on Void 001 or other planets.
• Tony tested Void Power on Iron Man armor parts and concluded he needed to refine its properties to prevent erosion and strengthen his Void Mode.
• Tony demonstrated his fire attribute to Thor and explained how Lex's Void Flames had stronger properties than his own flames.
• Tony kicked Thor's hand through his flames to show how easily they could be extinguished, then rejected Thor's suggestion that he ask Lex for advice.

Tony sought Sarah’s help learning how to combine traits in Void Power to create stronger Void Flames before he returned to Earth. Sarah agreed to teach him and began by asking how he understood Void Power.

• Thor told Tony that Sarah knew Void Flames, Void Freezing Art, and Void Transformation Art, and Loki explained why Tony might prefer her as a mentor.
• Tony found Sarah on her way to the Records Temple and watched her use Supple Strength to keep her food cart steady at speed.
• Tony told Sarah he had developed Void flames but could not make additional traits coexist with them, and that he would return to Earth in two or three months.
• Sarah agreed to teach Tony and asked how he viewed Void Power.

Sarah helped Tony recognize that he had been limiting Void Power by judging it through conventional standards. After taking her advice to heart, Tony unleashed his power and discovered a state stronger than his armored Void Mode.

• Sarah explained to Tony that Void Power could grant varied abilities and that he was holding back by fearing the unknown.
• Tony experimented with transforming Void Power into fire until Sarah froze his arm and warned him to test it somewhere safer.
• Inspired by Sarah, Tony returned to his laboratory and began testing new ways to circulate Void Power through his body.
• Tony unleashed purple flames and a purple-black storm, rose into the air, and felt stronger than when he used his armor and Void Mode.

Tony awakened the full power of his Void Mode, surprising the other Void Cult members, who had assumed he had awakened long ago. They advised him not to push others toward his path and left him to study his abilities while other members continued to develop their own evolutionary paths.

• Renoli, Kyle, the Precognitor, and Lacey arrived at the Laboratory Zone and realized Tony had only just awakened.
• Tony stopped circulating Void Power and complained that no one had told him about awakening sooner.
• Kyle and Lacey urged Tony not to teach Banner, Thor, Loki, Pepper, Steve, and others about awakening before they had evolved further, so they could choose their own paths.
• Renoli explained that people could awaken through physical strength, techniques, speed, and other abilities, not only through Void Power.
• Lacey warned that teaching others to follow Tony's path could erase their diversity and cost Tony his advantage.
• Renoli encouraged Tony to study Void Mode, and Tony agreed not to push others toward his path.

Tony awakened his own use of Void Power and developed several new Void Modes while members of the Void Cult advanced their abilities. When Sonia announced a visit to the newly developed Void 001 Planet, Lalatina revealed it was larger than Xandar.

• Tony declined to push the others toward his path, then began testing his awakened Void Power as Harvey explained his progress to Sonia.
• Over the next two months, Banner mastered Supple Strength, Thor and Loki mastered force transmission, and Tony developed Void Spiral Burst - Modified and Void Frost Erosion - Modified while researching a wind-based mode.
• Sonia announced that the Void Cult's first large Cosmic Battleship was complete and invited members to gather in twelve hours to visit Void 001 Planet.
• Tony felt pleased that the battleship was finished but worried the visit would end his excuse to avoid his responsibilities on Blue Star.
• Kyle pressed Sarah and Lalatina for details about Void 001 Planet, and Lalatina said it was bigger than Xandar.

The Void Cult discussed the newly acquired Void 001 Planet and whether its headquarters would eventually relocate there, while Tony argued that the cult was not yet ready to leave Xandar. After Sonia departed for the planet, Harvey stayed behind on Void Island and spoke with a chef about seeking the Void blessing.

• Sarah explained that she knew Void 001 Planet’s data from videos and Sonia-senpai’s information, while Tony said seeing the cult’s first purchased planet would be more impressive than hearing about it in advance.
• Lacey asked whether the Void Cult headquarters might move to Void 001 Planet, and Lalatina said that any relocation depended on Kassadin’s will.
• Tony said relocation was unlikely until the cult’s population and technological civilization had grown substantially, possibly decades or a century later.
• As the members prepared to visit Void 001 Planet, Lex returned from Mogri and Dam and the others requested leave to tour the planet.
• Sonia boarded her Cosmic Battleship at seven in the evening, leaving Lalatina and Harvey on Void Island while she traveled to Void 001 Planet.
• Harvey returned to his original appearance and went to the cafeteria, where a chef questioned whether he still intended to pursue the Void blessing.

Harvey visited a restaurant on Void Island and learned from the chef Antoine that failed blessing-seekers sometimes took out their resentment on people after leaving the island. Their conversation about conviction left Harvey wondering whether Antoine had hinted at the essence of the trials.

• Harvey explained that people who lacked conviction and merely tried their luck were unlikely to receive a Void blessing, drawing on his observations of seekers and Claudia's trial.
• Antoine warned Harvey that disappointed superpowered seekers might attack or kill people who offended them after they left Void Island, prompting Harvey to plan to ask Sonia to address the danger.
• Harvey told Antoine he would keep seeking a blessing as long as he still believed there was a chance, while Antoine admitted he had given up after trying for over a month.
• Antoine explained that he had come to understand why firm conviction mattered and said that intelligent beings often chose to give up when faced with difficulties.
• Harvey wondered whether Antoine was hinting at the trials' true purpose, learned the chef's name, and said he hoped to see him again.

Harvey encouraged Antoine to pursue his dream of joining the Void Cult, then encountered Star-Lord and unknowingly triggered a desperate awakening of his powers. Star-Lord survived the encounter and discovered his enhanced abilities, though he ended the night crashing into the ground without his battle suit.

• Harvey told Antoine that he could still pursue the Void Cult’s blessing, and Antoine decided to try again.
• Harvey encountered Star-Lord on a quiet road, and Star-Lord’s cells sensed him as a terrifying threat and drove him to flee.
• Star-Lord’s silver light and Godly Power surged as he escaped, boosting his speed while Harvey watched and investigated.
• Lalatina caught and pinned Star-Lord, warned him not to use his abilities recklessly, and let him go after he explained that he had been running for his life.
• Star-Lord realized his senses and strength had awakened, jumped high into the air, then fell and crashed because he had taken off his battle suit.

Star-Lord awakened some of his dormant demigod power but could not control it, and he wrongly believed Harvey had deliberately helped him. The next morning, Harvey joined Sonia and the Void Cult members as they arrived at the vast, primitive Void 001 Planet, which they hoped would become their home.

• Star-Lord tried and failed to summon his silver energy, then returned to where he had seen Harvey and concluded that the God of the Void Kassadin had helped awaken his bloodline.
• Star-Lord thanked Kassadin and went back to his hotel, while Harvey decided to keep observing how Star-Lord's new strength affected his behavior.
• Harvey left Xandar at dawn and used Void Descent to reach Void 001 Planet, where Sonia and the Void Cult's ships were arriving.
• The Void Cult members excitedly explored the planet and hoped it would become their home, while Sonia promised to find a suitable world when the time came.
• Lex vowed to spread the Void's influence and grow stronger, and Sarah reminded him to wait for Kassadin's orders.