Contract

With a 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 opposite him.

Tony climbed to his feet and angrily asked the approaching Iron Monger, "Obadiah, why?"

"Why? Because Stark Industries is mine, not yours. You have no idea how much I've sacrificed for Stark Industries."

As Obadiah shouted, he raised the machine gun on his right arm and aimed it at Tony. The next second, amid a barrage of gunfire, countless bullets rained densely toward Iron Man.

Iron Man hurriedly dodged. Obadiah swept the machine gun across the area, and flames burst from Iron Man's feet as he charged toward 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 slammed him hard into the ground. The pavement shattered 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, striking Iron Monger and sending him flying backward to crush a car flat.

Iron Monger was furious. He got 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 stomped on the accelerator. Poor Iron Man had barely set the car down before he was dragged beneath it, left in a miserable state.

Iron Monger pressed his advantage and charged over with a thunderous rumble. Iron Man was furious as well. He climbed up and rushed fiercely to meet him.

While Iron Monger battled Iron Man, more than a dozen Black and White Armors fought the military. Countless bullets poured toward them, including heavy-caliber vehicle-mounted machine guns and helicopter Gatlings.

The Black and White Armors flew into the sky to evade the bullets, then counterattacked without mercy. A Stark Industries tracking missile streaked toward an armed helicopter at Super-Speed, leaving a smoking trail behind it.

Although the armed helicopter tried desperately to evade, the missile still struck its tail rotor. The helicopter spun violently as it fell, eventually crashing into a building and exploding with a roar. Thick black smoke and flames shot into the sky, while countless windows shattered with a clatter.

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

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

"These damned bastards."

Coulson cursed, picked up a rocket launcher, and fired at a Black and White Armor. Boom! The rocket struck one of the armors and exploded. It immediately fell from the sky, its chest armor completely deformed as it lay motionless on the ground.

"They aren't invincible after all."

Coulson sighed in relief. The Black and White Armors were made from materials far inferior to those of the Mark III and Iron Monger. Simply put, a Black and White Armor cost only twenty to thirty million dollars, while a Mark Suit cost over a hundred million, or even several hundred million dollars.

"Kill them."

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

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

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

"Although things are different from what I expected, this seems like a good thing for me?"

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

On the highway, a bus full of passengers was overturned by Iron Monger. The people inside screamed in panic. Tony tried to go save them, only to be sent flying by a punch from Iron Monger.

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

Many people on the bus were injured. They screamed in agony and kept calling 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, completely different from reality.

Everyone was stunned. They looked around and discovered that, besides themselves, there were many others on the island. These people were generally in terrible condition. Some were covered in blood, while others were charred black.

Only those filled with fear and despair had been pulled into this Illusion Realm. There were around seven hundred people in total—people from office buildings, injured people from the highway, severely wounded soldiers and agents, and so on.

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

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

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

Wang Nanxuan 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 Contract 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 grew even more astonished. Looking at the Contracts before them, most hesitated, though some chose to sign immediately after reading the terms.

The reason was simple. They were about to die. Now that they had found a lifeline, they naturally clung to it tightly. Besides, their souls would not be taken until after death.

Some people were influenced and chose to sign as well. However, quite a few refused. Some did not trust Wang Nanxuan, who had appeared out of nowhere. Some believed they could still be saved, while others were devout believers.

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

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

Some chose to leave, while those who remained looked conflicted and hesitant. As time passed, more and more people signed the Contract. By the time it ended, over three hundred people had pressed their handprints onto it.

"Not a bad haul. Next time, I can try finding some salespeople. The results should be even better. As for me, it's enough to pose in the sky."

Wang Nanxuan nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, a force flowed from Rebirth Hell into his body. It was Hell's reward.

"As long as a Soul Pact is signed and ownership is clearly established, strength can be increased. This must be the duty The Ancient One spoke of."

Wang Nanxuan fell into thought. Hell's duty was to give souls a destination.

Wang Nanxuan waved his hand, sending everyone out of the Illusion Realm. Then he ordered Howard, Trask, and Wind Demon, "Start rescuing people."