Tony clutched the hood in his hand. With just a little force, Hong Fei's face would be fully exposed.
At that moment, not only Tony, but Matt and even Luke, who had recovered slightly while lying on the ground, fixed their eyes on him.
Yet beneath their expectant gazes, Tony's movements suddenly came to a halt.
It was as if The Ancient One had activated the Time Stone.
Tony stood frozen while gripping the hood. Matt tilted his head, frowning, while Luke stared at Tony without blinking.
Within Hong Fei's two Card Slots, "Hidden Identity" and "Telepathy" had been activated.
The sudden burst of psychic force successfully shattered Tony's will and temporarily took control of his body.
Tony's willpower was indeed commendable in some respects, but at this stage, he also had obvious weaknesses—such as arrogance, pride, and narcissism.
By violently amplifying those emotions with Telepathy, Hong Fei instantly plunged Tony's mind into them, causing his mental defenses to collapse.
Hong Fei breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, the strange urge within his body rapidly faded. The energy that had surged after his first breakthrough continued to churn, and its total amount had doubled from before.
In front of the two Card Slots, a third Card Slot rapidly took shape.
Glancing at Tony, Hong Fei saw through Telepathy that he was immersed in the pride of his countless past research successes and the overwhelming praise he had received from all kinds of people. He firmly believed that he could accomplish anything, and that every compliment was sincere.
At the thought, Tony withdrew his arm and then opened his faceplate again.
Jarvis was calling out anxiously, and clear warning alarms sounded from within the suit.
"Sir, your neural activity has been detected at an abnormally elevated level. Do you require assistance?"