"Mr. Tony Stark?"
Yu Xian's voice rang out.
The crystalline dragon wings behind him slowly folded in before finally vanishing.
Hyorinmaru in his hand also reverted to the appearance of an ordinary longsword.
Tony still stood there in a daze. Beneath the visor of the Mark 1 armor, his eyes were vacant.
Everything that had just happened was completely beyond his cognition.
Was this magic?
"Who are you?"
Tony's voice was somewhat hoarse as he tried to calm the shock in his heart.
Yu Xian sheathed Hyorinmaru, walked up to Tony, and removed his sunglasses, revealing a young and handsome face.
"I'm a Level 7 Agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, also known as S.H.I.E.L.D."
"You can call me Yu Xian."
Tony frowned deeply. "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division? Why have I never heard of this department?"
"Of course you haven't," Yu Xian said with a shrug. "Because we're a secret organization that specializes in handling... supernatural incidents."
He pointed at the ice sculptures around them. "Like this one."
Tony looked around. The Ten Rings members frozen into ice sculptures still wore the terrified expressions they had had at the moment of death. They were lifelike, like exquisite works of art.
"How did you do this? Are you a magician?"
Other than magic, he could not think of anything that described this scene more aptly.
Tony's voice trembled slightly.
He could not imagine how a person could possess such overwhelming power.
Yu Xian nodded without denying it.
Being called a magician wasn't bad. Once word of my identity as a magician got out, any enemies I met would think I was a squishy spellcaster and try to fight me up close. I could probably catch a lot of people off guard.
Tony's mind was now filled with questions. "Why did you save me?"
"Someone asked me to." Yu Xian revealed a mysterious smile. "Someone didn't want to see anything happen to you."
"Who?"
"Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D." Yu Xian gave the bald man's name. "He believes you're important to this country."
Tony sneered. "Important? Important enough to ignore whether I lived or died and let me get kidnapped? And after all these days, where were you? If you had come earlier, Yinsen wouldn't have died!!!"
"This was just an accident," Yu Xian explained. "We didn't expect the Ten Rings to be bold enough to lay their hands on you."
Of course, I didn't count as part of that "we."
He walked over to Tony and patted the shoulder of the Mark I Armor. "Still, you don't need to worry too much. The strength of S.H.I.E.L.D. is far beyond what you can imagine."
To make his claim more convincing, Yu Xian used his ability again.
He extended his right hand and activated Ice-Make Magic.
A lifelike ice lotus bloomed, radiating a faint chill.
"This is only a small demonstration." Yu Xian withdrew his power. "S.H.I.E.L.D. possesses many powers beyond your imagination, and I am one of them."
Tony watched the ice lotus dissipate from Yu Xian's hand, his expression becoming extraordinarily complicated.
He had to admit that the black-haired young man before him, as well as the S.H.I.E.L.D. behind him, had indeed shattered his cognition and shown him a different kind of world.
A wondrous, magical world.
He had to admit, he was drawn in.
"Mr. Stark!" Yu Xian interrupted Tony's thoughts. "This isn't a place where we can stay long. We need to evacuate quickly."
Yu Xian pointed toward the sky. "Everything that happened here will spread soon. If people with ulterior motives find out, more trouble will follow. We need to get you out safely before they can react."
Hearing this, Tony took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
He knew Yu Xian was right. This was not a place to linger.
"Fine. Let's go."
Yu Xian nodded and turned toward where Catalina was standing.
"Oh, right, Mr. Stark. Can you give me this armor of yours?"
Yu Xian suddenly stopped and turned back to ask Tony.
Tony froze. "What?"
"I mean this armor!" Yu Xian pointed at the Mark 1 armor on him. "It's already broken anyway. Why not give it to me so I can take it back and study it?"
The Mark 1 armor was good stuff!
Now that the Ten Rings had been wiped out because of me, and Tony hadn't flown off and smashed the armor into pieces...
Obadiah Stane would have nowhere to get this thing later. It might not be that important, but without it as an opening move, how could he continue his most important reactor resale plan?
That wouldn't do. This part of the plot had to return to its original track. I was going to make a small magical modification.
Instead of relying on the plot gathered through the Ten Rings, wouldn't it be better if I delivered it personally?
This was the perfect opportunity for extortion!
I'm going to make Obadiah Stane pay dearly! Hehe, you don't want the armor? Do you know what a reactor is? Want one? If you don't pay to buy the armor, I'm not doing it!
Tony looked at Yu Xian's utterly serious expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
This guy really was a freak.
No one but himself could use this thing. What did Yu Xian want this pile of scrap metal for?
"Take it." Tony said indifferently. "It's useless to me anyway."
"Thanks." Yu Xian grinned. "You're a generous man."
[Detected that the host feels pleased from getting Iron Man's goods for free. Pleasure Points +1000]
Click, click~
Click, click~
Just then, a helicopter appeared in the distant sky.
"Hah..." Tony let out a long breath. He could finally leave.
Yu Xian looked at Iron Man before him and said, "Mr. Stark, it's time for you to go home."
"What about Yinsen?" Tony's voice came through the faceplate, carrying a trace of hoarseness.
"Him?" Yu Xian hesitated, then pointed at Yinsen, who had been removed from the ice seal nearby. "We'll send him home."
Tony fell silent.
He looked at the frozen Yinsen, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"Let's go." Breaking the silence, Yu Xian took the lead toward Catalina.
Watching Yu Xian's back, Catalina could not help speaking up. "Captain, you acted first and reported afterward again!"
Yu Xian stopped, turned around, and looked innocent. "What are you talking about? Why don't I understand?"
Catalina felt a burst of frustration as she watched Yu Xian play dumb.
"You bastard, do you even consider me one of your own?"
"You don't tell me anything, nothing at all!!!"
Sensing that the girl was upset, Yu Xian stopped teasing her and replied, "Once Tony leaves, I'll tell you! Don't rush. I said I'd tell you everything, so I won't hide anything."
Catalina glared at Yu Xian angrily, but there was nothing she could do about him.
When the distant helicopter finally arrived, Colonel Rhodey got out and immediately gave Tony a hug, teasing, "Happy Horse?"
Yu Xian watched the helicopter fly away into the distance.
He walked to Catalina's side and lightly patted her shoulder. "All right, don't be angry anymore! The choice is in your hands now. I need your help with something, but if you help me, you'll be bound to me for the rest of your life."
"I need you to absorb it and save Dr. Yinsen."
Yu Xian took an item from his pocket. It was the only purple item he had on him: the "Arrow."
[Legendary Purple: (JoJo series) Arrow. Using it grants partial Stand abilities: Crazy Diamond.]
Before you continue