The Pact

Bang! Tony Stark, wearing the gold-and-red Mark III Battle Suit, was sent flying by a punch from Obadiah's Iron Monger, smashing straight through the wall across from him.

Tony climbed up from the ground and angrily asked the approaching Iron Monger, "Obadiah, why?"

"Why? Because Stark Industries belongs to me, not you. You have no idea how much I've given for Stark Industries."

As Obadiah shouted, he raised the Machine Gun on his right arm and aimed it at Tony. The next second, amid furious gunfire, countless bullets shot toward Iron Man in a dense barrage.

Iron Man hurriedly dodged. Obadiah swept the Machine Gun across the area, but flames burst from Iron Man's feet as he rushed before Iron Monger. Then he raised his right hand and fired an Arc Pulse Cannon at Iron Monger.

Iron Monger twisted aside to evade the attack, then grabbed Iron Man and violently slammed him into the ground, shattering the pavement with a bang.

That was not all. Iron Monger raised his left foot and stomped down hard at Iron Man. Iron Man rolled aside to avoid the massive foot, then fired a Pulse Cannon from his chest that struck Iron Monger. Iron Monger flew backward and crushed a car beneath him.

Iron Monger was furious. He climbed up, grabbed a moving car, and hurled it at Iron Man. Iron Man hurriedly caught the car with both hands to keep the people inside from getting hurt.

The people in the car were terrified and floored the accelerator. Poor Iron Man had barely set the car down before he was swept beneath it, left in a miserable state.

Iron Monger pressed his advantage and charged over with a thunderous rumble. Iron Man, enraged, climbed to his feet and charged fiercely to meet him.

While Iron Monger battled Iron Man, more than a dozen Black and White Armors fought fiercely against the military. Countless bullets rained toward the Black and White Armors, including large-caliber vehicle-mounted Machine Guns and helicopter Gatlings.

The Black and White Armors flew into the sky to evade the bullets, then retaliated without restraint. A Stark Industries tracking missile, trailing smoke, sped toward an Attack Helicopter.

Though the Attack Helicopter tried its best to evade, the missile still struck its tail rotor. The helicopter spun violently as it fell, finally crashing into a building and exploding with a boom. Thick black smoke and flames surged into the sky, while countless windows shattered with loud crashes.

Many people inside the building died on the spot, while others were trapped on the burning floors.

The pilots of the Black and White Armors laughed loudly and fired missiles at the Armored Vehicles below. Boom, boom, boom! The Armored Vehicles exploded one after another. Soldiers and agents suffered heavy losses and hurriedly fled the sea of fire.

"These damn bastards."

Coulson cursed, picked up a rocket launcher, and fired at a Black and White Armor. Boom! The shell struck one Black and White Armor and exploded. It immediately fell from the sky, its chest armor completely warped, lying motionless on the ground.

"So they're not invincible after all."

Coulson sighed in relief. The Black and White Armors were far inferior to the Mark III and Iron Monger in terms of materials. Put simply, a Black and White Armor cost only twenty to thirty million dollars, while a Mark Suit cost over a hundred million, perhaps even several hundred million dollars.

"Kill them."

Seeing their companion shot down, the remaining Black and White Armors were furious. They raised the Gatling Machine Guns on their left arms and sprayed the ground wildly. The agents and Soldiers could not withstand the attack and fled into the surrounding buildings.

The Black and White Armors pursued them directly into the buildings. This time, the civilians inside suffered. People were constantly caught in the fighting and let out shrill screams, while some buildings even erupted into raging flames.

Though those Soldiers and agents had not intended it, there was no doubt that the civilians had been harmed because of them.

"Although things aren't going as expected, this seems like a good thing for me?"

Andrew raised an eyebrow and prepared to officially get to work. At the same time, he had the guards downstairs close the building's entrance. Rebirth Tower was not too close to Stark Tower, so it should not be affected.

On the highway, an Iron Monger overturned a bus packed with passengers. The people inside screamed in panic. Tony wanted to go save them, but Iron Monger sent him flying with a punch.

Tony wanted to lure Iron Monger into the sky, but Iron Monger did not fall for it. He raised his arm and wildly fired at the bus. Tony had no choice but to come down and fight him head-on—or rather, take a beating.

Many people inside the bus were injured. They screamed in agony and continually cried for help, but no one came to save them.

Just as everyone fell into despair, their vision blurred, and they all appeared on a Floating Island. Blue skies and white clouds surrounded them, utterly different from reality.

Everyone was stunned. They looked around and discovered that besides themselves, there were many others on the island—most of them looked terrible. Some were covered in blood, while others were charred black.

Only those filled with fear and despair were pulled into this Illusion Realm. There were around seven hundred people in total—people from office buildings, the injured on the roads, Severely Injured Soldiers and agents, and so on.

At that moment, a dazzling light suddenly Lit Up in the sky. Everyone instinctively looked up, only to see a radiant humanoid flame. Then they all Screamed as pain stabbed into their eyes and tears streamed down their faces.

One must not gaze upon God—an effect someone had deliberately created.

"You are here because you are about to die."

Andrew clapped his hands, and everyone's eyes returned to normal. Then, in a majestic and holy voice, he said, "If you want to live, sign a pact with me and give me your souls after death."

Everyone froze. Some wanted to speak, only to discover that they could not open their mouths. At that moment, a contract appeared before each of them. "This is the contract's content. You have two minutes to decide whether to sign it.

"Whether you sign or not, once you leave this place, you will lose this memory."

Everyone became even more astonished. Looking at the contract before them, most hesitated. However, some chose to sign immediately after reading its contents.

The reason was simple. They were about to die. Now that they had found a lifeline, of course they would clutch it tightly. Besides, their souls would only be taken after death.

Some people were influenced and chose to sign as well, but quite a few refused. Some did not trust the suddenly appearing Andrew, some believed they could still be saved, and others were devout believers.

"My soul belongs only to God. If I die, it will be God calling me."

A middle-aged man recited the words silently. Andrew waved a hand and sent him away, then said, "Those who wish to leave may do so at any time. Remember, you only get one chance."

Some chose to leave, while those remaining wore conflicted, hesitant expressions. As time passed, more and more people signed the contract. When time was up, more than three hundred people had pressed their handprints onto it.

"Not bad harvest. Next time, I could try finding some salespeople. The results should be even better. As for me, I only need to strike a pose in the sky."

Andrew nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, a force entered his body from Rebirth Hell. It was Hell's reward.

"As long as someone signs a Soul Pact and their ownership is clearly established, my strength can increase. This must be the duty Ancient One mentioned."

Andrew fell into thought. What was Hell's duty? It was to give souls a place to belong.

With a wave of Andrew's hand, everyone was sent out of the Illusion Realm. Then he ordered Howard, Trask, and Wind Demon, "Start saving people."