"Why are you here?" Shiller hurriedly navigated the spaceship's corridors, striding briskly, paying no mind to Ultimate Iron Man trailing behind him.
It wasn't until he reached the door of the restroom that he turned around, and addressing the Ultimate Iron Man sheathed in silver-white war armor, asked, "What on earth are you doing?"
The face guard of Ultimate Iron Man retracted, revealing a smug smile aid at Shiller. Crossing his arms, he lightly tapped the forearm guard, and said, "I'm here, of course, to visit the fad Central Universe to see where these so-called advanced civilization emissaries hail from."
"You don't trust ?"
"Not at all." Ultimate Iron Man feigned misunderstanding, taking a step sideways to block the restroom door, leaning slightly forward to et Shiller's gaze, and said, "It seems you've known for quite so ti, yet I know nothing about you. That's not fair, is it?"
"The basis of cooperation is fairness," Ultimate Iron Man straightened up and spread his hands saying, "I don't want to know nothing about my partner, what about that? Are you going to kick out?"
Shiller advanced a step, but Ultimate Iron Man showed no intention of standing aside. Shiller's expression turned increasingly grim, whereas Ultimate Iron Man's smile only broadened.
"It seems I arrived right on ti. This mont is significant for you, right?" Ultimate Iron Man glanced back at the bright lights shining from the banquet hall at the end of the corridor, with a look of smug satisfaction, he said: "If you start a fight with here, you're done for. Keep your cool, my dear doctor."
Greed was at the High Tower knocking on the door, "Hey, anyone there? Get the elevator going, I need to go down to find soone!"
A sounding "ding" echoed from behind him, apparently, the elevator had arrived. Greed stepped in, and the elevator doors slowly closed.
The elevator subrged into the abyss, a figure with semi-long hair stepping inside. The elevator rose to the highest floor and in the real world, Shiller was only slightly taken aback, so briefly that Ultimate Iron Man had not noticed.
Within a second, Shiller's brows furrowed, his facial muscles tensing. His overall expression grew somber as the hint of laughter in his eyes vanished, his deanor becoming solemn and serious.
He adjusted his glasses and told Ultimate Iron Man: "Regardless of what you're here for, I must warn you, you're neglecting your duties and disregarding the safety of countless cosmic beings."
"So, that's it." Ultimate Iron Man's smile did not fade, in fact, it seed his grinning mouth threatened to reach his ears. He looked at Shiller and said, "We're ending the cooperation. I'm not going ahead with the Universal Propulsion Engine project. But that's because you haven't been able to give trust in a partner."
"I didn't et you personally not because I don't trust you, or don't want you to know ." Shiller turned his head to one side, backing off a few steps in an evasive manner, leaning against the corridor wall and folding his arms saying, "I'm not good at interacting with people like this. Plus, there's nothing for you to know about ."
"Are you a superhero?"
"No, I'm just a doctor."
"So, I'm very curious, what makes you want to save the cosmos?" Ultimate Iron Man asked, "Do you think you're quite virtuous?"
"That's an absurd question." Shiller turned his head back around, but chose not to confront Stark, lowering his gaze instead. "I know the universe is about to be destroyed, and I am a part of this universe too. I don't want to be destroyed!"
"So, you just want to save yourself, and the other beings in the universe are simply collateral. Yet, just a second ago you were accusing of disregarding the safety of all cosmic beings."
"After all, who's the doctor here?"
"Of course, it's you." Ultimate Iron Man took another two steps forward, leveling his gaze with Shiller's, and said: "I can see that you're not a pure hero. So maybe saving the universe isn't very honorable or satisfying to you. Do you think it's more of a bother?"
Shiller pursed his lips and did not reply.
"Does it make you feel guilty to drive ?"
"Of course not."
"Perhaps you are not as compassionate as you imagine." Ultimate Iron Man bared his smile once again, "Desiring to survive, thus saving the world, yet considering it troubleso to appear in public. Instead, you hide in the shadows, forcing others to brave dangers for you."
"The final question, why and not the righteous Iron Man?"
Just as Shiller was about to speak, Ultimate Iron Man interrupted him, "Let guess, you and the Iron Man of this universe are friends, and he's a great hero. You don't want to compel your friend into danger because that would make you feel guilty. And you've lost to your own guilt-ridden fantasies."
"So you found , replaced the old with myself, simply because you've found out in so way that I'm no longer a superhero. I've done a lot of outrageous things and have beco a traditional Big Devil."
"Driving a criminal to contribute towards saving the universe is ideal to you. No need to deceive friends, no need to hurt heroes, but you still get good results."
Ultimate Iron Man again leaned in, until Shiller was forced to raise his head, tightly pressed against the wall behind him.
"Even though I was once a hero, saved countless people, until I beca the victim of an accident."
"You're not a victim, you know you're not!" Shiller turned his head, speaking with so anger.
"But you didn't deny that I was once a hero."
Shiller took a deep breath, remaining silent.
"You saw the good things I did, didn't you?" Ultimate Iron Man ignored Shiller's reaction, stepping back and spreading his arms, saying, "It was a great idea, I used a virus to turn an entire city into their ideal perfect selves."
"That wasn't perfection, it was a scam!" Shiller retorted angrily, "The virus had a ti effect, you made people believe they could beco perfect, but at the end you set a high price for such perfection, you harvested them."
Ultimate Iron Man knew that Shiller was referring to what he had done in the original universe. He developed a new end-stage virus, infecting an entire city. However, this virus did not cause disease or death, but instead made people into their perfect selves, possessing handso looks, enormous strength, and extraordinary mory.
Yet, as Shiller said, this virus had a ti effect. Once the ti limit passed, people would return to their original form. Then, Ultimate Iron Man began publicly selling this virus. Unable to cope with the psychological discrepancy, ordinary people spent their life savings to purchase the virus that could make them perfect, plunging the city into chaos as its people wailed in despair.
"They've always been harvested." Ultimate Iron Man's expression grew cold as he said: "For the perfect selves they fantasize about in their stupid minds, for their cowardice and laziness."
Upon capturing Shiller's gaze once again, a glint of light flickered in Ultimate Iron Man's eyes as he continued, "Taking shortcuts is human nature."
"Everyone knows that they can beco more perfect through their own efforts, that their physique can be improved through exercise, and can acquire more knowledge through learning. So why don't they do that? Why choose my virus?"
"Because it requires no effort at all." Ultimate Iron Man narrowed his eyes, "Without spending sweat and ti, they can achieve the outco they have always dread of. It's not that I tempted them, but their own internal desire for sothing for nothing."
"Was there not even one person with strong willpower who refused my virus?" Ultimate Iron Man spread his arms again, "If not, then their weak volition makes them destined to be harvested by anyone. If their money isn't with , it will be with another con artist."
Just as Shiller was about to refute him, Ultimate Iron Man cut him off: "Do you really think you are innocent? If I didn't have the research experience with the end-stage virus, I wouldn't have been able to develop the zombie virus used to steal computational power, and couldn't have saved the universe you wanted to save."
Ultimate Iron Man took a deep breath, tilted his head and said, "Honestly, what interest can soone like have in saving the universe? If I had to choose, I would only choose to survive."
"However, when you sought out, I knew you had a unique talent that other fools in this world do not possess." Ultimate Iron Man looked directly into Shiller's eyes: "Tell what it is, Shiller..."
He took another half step forward. Shiller had nowhere left to stand, pressed tightly against the wall behind him, trying hard to turn his head, remaining silent and shaking his head.
A hint of coldness flashed in Ultimate Iron Man's eyes, but he masked it well. He saw Shiller's lips move, but in the end, he didn't say anything. So, he licked his lips, slightly disappointed.
Ultimate Iron Man took several steps back, seeing Shiller visibly relax and appear slightly puzzled, he smiled; "Don't misunderstand, I'm not going to use my own kind as cannon fodder like you have, I'm rely curious."
There was no change in Shiller's expression, Ultimate Iron Man knew he didn't buy his explanation, but felt enough had been done for the day, and he asked; "I hear you're treating a mber of the royal family from an interstellar civilization nearby?"
Shiller looked at him sowhat warily, to which Ultimate Iron Man replied shaking his head, "As I said before, you have to give a chance to understand you. Why would I want to work for you for free?"
"But the universe...."
"When you found , you knew I wasn't a hero. Do you still fantasize about my conversion? If that's the case, you might as well find the Iron Man of this universe."
A conflicted expression crossed Shiller's face, and Ultimate Iron Man, confident of victory, further elaborated, "I've said it before, you have the talent that those fools lack, I believe you're a friend worth making."
Unexpectedly, Shiller looked shocked, apparently quite surprised by Ultimate Iron Man's appraisal.
Ultimate Iron Man smiled inwardly, thinking that a target that lacks love and praise, is not firm in their position, blurs their self-boundaries, harbors secrets he wouldn't casually reveal to anyone else, and bears a huge burden—a perfect prey.
Simultaneously, Shiller also smiled internally, regarding Ultimate Iron Man as soone charismatic, highly focused, and sufficiently ruthless—a perfect hunter.
And now, he was busy catching a rat.
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