Stark's Bill and the Sorcerer's Price

After leaving the Sanctum, Li Wei did not return to his temporary lodging. Instead, he used the money he had left to rent a penthouse apartment in a relatively quiet yet stylish part of Manhattan. Beyond its enormous floor-to-ceiling windows stretched the bustling cityscape, while the spacious interior gave him enough room for some less earth-shattering magical experiments.

The first thing he did was use the spatial knowledge and alchemical foundations he had learned at the Sanctum, combined with the system's assistance, to begin modifying this temporary residence. He spent a considerable amount of magical power inscribing concealment runes and basic protective wards into the apartment's walls, floors, and ceiling. They could effectively block outside surveillance—whether technological or magical.

Next, in the study area, he carefully constructed a small, stable entrance to the Mirror Dimension, using it as his private training ground and emergency shelter. Once he had finished everything, he felt a wave of fatigue, yet his heart was full. This was what a proper sorcerer's base should look like. Just as he poured himself a cup of tea and prepared to plan his next move, the screen of the apartment's expensive smart access system flickered abruptly, then was replaced by a familiar cartoon avatar with a beard.

"Good afternoon, mysterious Mr. Sorcerer." A processed electronic voice emerged from the speakers, carrying Stark's distinctive teasing tone. "Looks like you found a nice place to admire my Stark Tower. Aren't you going to invite me in? Or should I call you... Mr. 'Creditor'?"

Li Wei's hand holding the teacup paused, then the corner of his mouth lifted. He'd come, even sooner than expected. Stark had indeed found him through global surveillance or records of energy anomalies. Setting down his teacup, he spoke calmly toward the empty doorway. "Mr. Stark, arriving uninvited is hardly gentlemanly behavior. But I am always willing to extend a little patience to a potential debtor."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft click came from the apartment door. The electronic lock had been remotely bypassed, and the door slowly slid open. No one stood outside, but Li Wei could sense at least three miniature reconnaissance devices hovering like ghosts near the entrance and beyond the windows. "Wow, impressive security awareness." Stark's voice continued from the access system,

"Those energy fluctuations... they're a little like the methods used by that cult leader who attacked Barton—the one called Loki—but they feel... more 'righteous,' maybe? Forget it. I still prefer talking face-to-face." A few minutes later, the iconic gold-and-red armor—Mark VII—landed steadily on the apartment's spacious balcony.

The faceplate lifted, revealing Tony Stark's face, wearing its usual roguish smile. "Hope I didn't scare your neighbors." He strode into the living room, the armor emitting faint mechanical sounds as it moved. His gaze curiously swept over the apartment's furnishings, lingering for an extra moment at several spots where Li Wei had placed hidden runes.

"Don't worry. At the moment, they're all immersed in the belief that 'the weather is lovely today.'" Li Wei spoke blandly, having used a small-scale psychological suggestion spell. He gestured toward the living room sofa. Stark raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued by Li Wei's casual display of power.

He walked over to the sofa. The armor opened from the back as if it were alive, and he casually stepped out in everyday clothes before sitting down. The armor automatically stood at the side in standby mode. "All right, let's get straight to it." Stark snapped his fingers, and a beam of light shot from the armor's palm, projecting the footage of the Battle of New York that Li Wei had "carefully edited" in the center of the living room—especially the shots of crimson bands binding the aircraft and him calling out from afar.

"JARVIS analyzed every frame. The energy signature is highly distinctive. It doesn't belong to any known technology or... well, Asgardian magic. And the timing was too precise to be a coincidence." Stark leaned forward and fixed his eyes on Li Wei. "So tell me, Mr. Sorcerer, what exactly were you trying to do back then? And what exactly do you mean by this 'favor'?"

Li Wei calmly took a sip of tea. "What I wanted to do, I already said at the time—make it easier for you to handle that major problem. The result proved that you succeeded, and Earth was saved. As for the favor..." He set down his teacup and met Stark's scrutinizing gaze without flinching. "It's simple. Without my intervention, you might have consumed at least 8% more energy. Your left-arm thruster would have faced an overheating risk, and during the final sprint, the armor's overall structural integrity would have dropped by 5%. Those minor losses would normally be insignificant, but at a life-or-death moment, they could have been the final straw that broke the camel's back. I eliminated those risks for you. Mr. Stark, what do you think it is worth to avoid a potential mission failure—or something worse—caused by insufficient energy or armor malfunction?"

Stark fell silent. JARVIS had indeed discovered during the post-battle data review that the energy consumption curve and the armor's condition had been slightly better than simulation forecasts. He had always assumed it was simply an exceptional performance in the moment. Only after Li Wei pointed it out did he realize it had not been a coincidence. "Assuming I accept your explanation,"

Stark did not directly admit it, but his tone softened somewhat. "What do you want? Money? I know people like you... recluses sometimes need funding too." He gave the apartment a meaningful glance. Li Wei smiled and shook his head. "Money is certainly useful, but it isn't my first choice. What interests me more is 'knowledge' and 'resources.'"

"Knowledge? You want to learn how to build armor?" Stark was somewhat surprised. "Not entirely." Li Wei explained, "I'm interested in your energy technology, especially the miniaturization concepts behind the Arc Reactor, as well as certain applications of advanced materials science. I don't need core secrets. Some basic, extensible theories and technical materials will do. In addition, I would like authorization to make limited use of certain high-end laboratories and equipment at Stark Industries for my own... 'research.'"

What he requested was technical information and laboratory access rather than specific armor or weapons. It seemed less threatening, more like the needs of a scholar. Stark rubbed his chin as he considered it. The other man had saved him—that was a fact. Though the request was somewhat unusual, it was not unacceptable. Repaying a potential favor with technical materials that were not core secrets to him and access to unused laboratory facilities, while also observing and learning about this mysterious sorcerer who had suddenly appeared, did not seem like a bad deal.

"Technical materials... I can give you some non-core ones. As for a laboratory..." Stark's eyes shifted. "I have a private lab in Malibu. The equipment's pretty good. You can borrow it, but there'll be time limits, and JARVIS has to monitor you the entire time—for safety, you understand."

"That is perfectly reasonable." Li Wei nodded. JARVIS monitoring him was within his expectations; he had his own methods of blocking or misleading it when necessary. "Then we have a deal?" Stark held out his hand. "We have a deal." Li Wei shook it. Just then, Stark seemed to ask casually, "By the way, those 'recluses' you mentioned... do you know someone named Ancient One? Or a place called Kamar-Taj?"

Li Wei's heart stirred, but his expression did not change. "Why do you ask?" "Nothing," Stark shrugged. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database has some vague records. That one-eyed guy Fury seems pretty interested in this sort of existence. Looks like you really do know something." He wore an I knew it smile. Li Wei neither confirmed nor denied it, merely smiling. "Mr. Stark, some knowledge comes with a price simply for knowing it. Do you still want to keep buying on credit?"

Stark froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Ha! Interesting! So this 'creditor' of mine is the one who owes a debt first? All right, Mr. Sorcerer, it looks like we'll have plenty of chances to deal with each other in the future." He rose and stepped back into the armor. "JARVIS will send you the materials and laboratory access. I look forward to seeing the results of your 'research.'" The gold-and-red armor shot into the sky and vanished into the New York skyline. Li Wei stood on the balcony, looking toward the Stark Tower logo in the distance, knowing that his first move in the Marvel world had been firmly placed.

He had not only solved his initial problems with funding and resources, but had also established contact with one of the world's central figures. Next, he would digest his gains and make final preparations to travel to the world of Chronicle and seize that crucial telekinesis.