Tony was completely dumbfounded, his brows furrowed, his face full of incomprehension.
Demon Lord?
These two words have a villainous vibe to them; they're definitely a title reserved for dark villains.
He looked Rimuru up and down, his arrogant demeanor clearly indicating something was amiss.
"No way, kid? Demon Lord?"
Tony's lips twitched, his tone filled with deep suspicion.
"Don't tell me you spent the last two weeks in Asgard and didn't learn anything good, but instead fell into darkness and went to hell?"
Upon hearing this, Rimuru was speechless.
He rolled his eyes at Tony, completely stunned.
"I'm truly impressed, Tony."
"If you don't understand, can't you just listen quietly? You have to subconsciously insult me."
"If you don't criticize or complain about me, do you just stop talking?"
So, I'm just your personal punctuation mark, huh? You have to use me as a pretext when you speak?
Rimuru sighed helplessly, too lazy to argue with him, and simply explained it clearly and plainly.
"The so-called Demon Lord Level, to put it simply, is the ultimate advancement in the level of life."
"I have completely transcended the realm of mortals and entered the true divine level, understand?"
You can simply think of it as Banner transforming into the Hulk.
"But his was merely a physical mutation; mine is a complete sublimation of my life form and fundamental power, countless times more advanced than his."
"And I'm not some self-made demon Demon Lord; I was officially appointed by Odin himself."
"With the personal approval of the God-King of the Asgard, I am now officially a member of the Norse gods, a true and legitimate deity."
Tony nodded, seemingly understanding, but only vaguely able to piece together a concept in his mind.
But his foul mouth is ingrained in his bones; he simply can't get rid of it.
He stared at Rimuru's exquisite and elegant attire and couldn't help but tease him.
"No wonder you're dressed so elegantly now, like a medieval nobleman or duke."
"Then I have a crucial question."
Tony's expression instantly turned serious, and he asked the question in a very earnest tone.
Are you even considered a human being now?
"Or to put it bluntly, are you even human anymore?"
Hearing this soul-searching question, which was inherently offensive...
Rimuru took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to tear Tony's mouth apart on the spot.
He was truly impressed by this guy's sharp tongue; his words were always cutting and hurtful, and he was also incredibly serious about it.
Can't you say something nicer?
Rimuru retorted irritably.
"Of course I'm an Earthling! A native Earthling, a nominal resident, okay?"
"The divine position in Asgard is just an honorary title, like giving me a top-tier VIP certificate. It doesn't stop me from being a person from Earth."
"Also, I'm no longer human."
"It used to have a slime body, but now it has evolved into Demonic Slime Spiritual Lifeform, essentially transcending the realm of ordinary humans."
After hearing this explanation, Tony nodded solemnly, as if to say, "I understand."
Rimuru saw right through his expression.
This guy didn't really understand at all; he just pretended to understand, without really grasping the point.
That's perfectly normal.
The Tony Stark of today is a pure materialist scientist and a thorough scientist.
His worldview consists only of physics, chemistry, technology, and data; he has absolutely no concept of gods, life leaps, or mystical forces.
I talked to him about divine positions in the Asgard, the advancement of Demon Lord, and the sublimation of life levels.
To put it bluntly, it's basically like casting pearls before swine.
Trying to explain metaphysics and mysticism to hardcore scientists is a complete waste of breath; it's pointless.
Rimuru his hand, giving up on the idea of explaining further.
Oh well, if I don't understand, I don't understand. It won't interfere with my life anyway.
Just then, soft footsteps came from the end of the corridor, accompanied by a surprised female voice.
Upon receiving JARVIS's notification, Pepper arrived at the top floor of the Stark Tower, which was undergoing renovations, almost without delay.
For the past two weeks, she has never felt at ease.
Who wouldn't worry?
First, an alien war suddenly broke out in New York, turning the entire city into a battlefield with constant gunfire and crises.
After finally enduring the great battle and resolving the crisis, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, only to learn that the soft and small Rimuru had gone directly to the legendary realm of the gods with Thor.
For ordinary people, and even the vast majority of Avengers, the realm of gods is a completely unknown and extremely dangerous alien land.
Unfamiliar star systems, unknown gods, incomprehensible rules—any one of these is enough to make one's heart tremble with fear.
For a full two weeks, there was no news, no word, no update on her safety. Pepper was on edge every day, unable to concentrate on her work.
As soon as I stepped onto the spacious rooftop, I could clearly hear Rimuru's familiar and clear voice.
In an instant, her nerves, which had been taut for more than half a month, finally relaxed completely, as if a huge burden had been lifted from them.
All the anxiety, trepidation, and unease that had been weighing on my heart vanished the moment I heard that voice.
Pepper looked up and saw that familiar little white figure. She couldn't help but call out softly.
" Rimuru!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly jogged forward, her movements both gentle and urgent.
He bent down slightly, reached out, and gently scooped the tiny Rimuru into his arms.
Then, Pepper carefully released her grip, her gaze sweeping over him meticulously, scrutinizing him from head to toe over and over again.
They scrutinized every single detail—hair, clothes, skin—just to confirm whether he had been injured in the various crises and whether there were any hidden injuries.
They were afraid he might suffer losses or injuries in the divine realm or in the great battle, but they habitually kept quiet about it.
Rimuru stood quietly in place, extremely obedient, without flinching in the slightest.
It allowed Pepper to look it over and examine it meticulously, being unusually docile.
He silently marveled at how vivid the imagery was.
It's the perfect image of a mother hen protecting her chicks—a gentle yet clumsy act of protectiveness, brimming with genuine affection.
It was confirmed that Rimuru was completely unharmed, without a single scratch, his breathing was steady, and he was in excellent condition, showing absolutely no signs of injury.
Pepper's heart, which had been hanging in suspense for so long, finally settled down completely, but a surge of resentment also welled up inside her.
Her tone carried a hint of reproach, but without a trace of malice; her concern was evident from beginning to end.
"You child, why are you always causing me so much trouble?"
"The alien war was so dangerous, it's one thing that you were at the forefront, but you didn't even send a single message to let us know you were safe the whole time."
"As soon as the battle was over, without a word, they followed others to that dangerous place, the distant realm of gods."
"Do you know that for a full two weeks, I've been worried about you every single day, and I haven't been able to sleep soundly at all?"
Rimuru listened quietly the whole time, without arguing or defending himself.
He knew it perfectly well.
From Pepper's perspective, this series of events was indeed extremely dangerous.
The sudden interstellar invasion overturned the common people's understanding.
Then came the adventure of crossing planets to reach the Asgard, an adventure that ordinary people wouldn't even dare to dream of.
To everyone else, this was a perilous and unknown Extremis.
Pepper's worries, anxieties, and minor complaints were never just affectation, but rather the purest and most genuine concern.
Anyone who cares about themselves would feel the same way after experiencing this period of waiting without any news.
Rimuru lowered his eyes slightly, his tone gentle and full of apology.
"I'm so sorry, Pepper. I didn't think it through and acted impulsively. I forgot to let you know I was safe before I left, making you worry for so long."
Tony, who had been leaning against the wall watching the whole thing, silently put away his earlier sarcastic remarks as he witnessed the tender and heartwarming scene before him.
He shook his head helplessly, silently complaining to himself.
Well, so he's the only one taking the blame from beginning to end. When this little guy starts acting cute, who would bear to say a single word of reproach?