Several hours earlier, Schiller and the others were still in the Sanctum Sanctorum, studying Stark's ascension.
"I think that no matter how thorough our preparations are, we can't rule out the possibility of an accident. We'd better consider the worst-case scenario first," Strange said.
"The worst-case scenario? At most, the ascension fails, right?" Natasha asked, raising a finger.
Strange shook his head and emphasized, "The worst-case scenario is that the ascension succeeds, and succeeds permanently. Tony becomes a Demon God, which means humanity will lose him forever.
"I don't understand. Can only one of humanity and the Demon God form exist?" Connors asked, pushing up his glasses.
Strange sighed, then nodded. "Humans are social creatures. Because they have all kinds of needs, they depend on others, form emotional bonds with others, and thus build society."
"But Demon Gods can draw endlessly upon the energy of the universe's origin. In a sense, they are perfect beings. No longer constrained by physical limits, they no longer need society."
"At the same time, changes in their life structure make them rely more on energy than matter, which changes the way they think. Very few Demon Gods retain the vitality they had at birth. Every Demon God and their dimension will eventually sink into eternal lethargy."
"For example, you may have heard me mention the Protoss at the edge of the Eternal Realm. They have a normal society. They can communicate and help one another. You might think that is a perfect form of life, but in truth, the Protoss are dwindling in number. They are becoming increasingly indifferent to their companions, and their settlements are spreading farther and farther apart."
"In the end, they will become like the Lord of the Crimson Dimension, caring about nothing at all. Only the pursuit of power