The Direction of Balance

Steve and Peggy hurried over at the sound, only to find the forest in utter ruin, riddled with terrifying craters.

Steve’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the armored figure and Banner’s injured state.

Looking at the gold-and-red armor, Steve knew it was Tony despite its differences from the one he had seen before. The flames blazing from the armor and the purple Arc Reactor gave it away.

"You two started fighting without even calling me over to watch?"

After taking a deep breath, Steve spoke.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, and you were swimming, so there was no time to tell you."

"Besides, the winner’s already been decided."

Tony turned at the sound of Steve’s voice. Upon recognizing him, he exited Void Mode. The armor began to fall away from his body, and his imposing aura returned to its usual harmless state.

"Are you all right?"

Tony then looked at Banner and asked.

"You’re the one who did this to me, and you’re asking if I’m all right?"

Banner was speechless at Tony’s completely different personality outside of battle.

"Couldn’t be helped. You’re strong. If I didn’t go all out against you, I probably wouldn’t have been able to take you down."

"And I knew you’d evolved regenerative abilities, so I hit a little harder."

"You were the one who said we could spar. You should be fine, right?"

Tony spread his hands, indicating that he had not wanted this either, before asking with some concern.

"As long as I stay in Hulk form, an injury like this should heal on its own in around five minutes. It just hurts a little."

Banner knew he could not blame Tony. Looking at his limp right arm, he spoke.

"A broken bone fixed in a few minutes? Your body and recovery are seriously absurd."

Tony sighed in amazement at Banner’s words.

Normally, broken bones anywhere on the body would count as serious injuries for anyone, requiring a period of recuperation.

But Banner could recover within minutes. That meant that even if he sustained worse injuries, as long as he did not die, he would probably be back on his feet in a day or two.

And Banner had only received the Void blessing not long ago. Once he continued evolving, he might recover from an injury the very next second.

"How did you two end up fighting?"

Steve looked at Tony, who had just returned and already fought Banner again.

"Banner’s strength improved a lot, and he thought he could beat me now."

"So I gave him a little sparring session."

Tony answered casually.

"I was confident about beating you while you were wearing Iron Man armor. Who would’ve thought you’d pull out a set of Vibranium armor?"

Banner felt exhausted just thinking about it.

He had specifically chosen a high-health build to counter enemies like Tony.

Tony ultimately relied on exceptional combat skills and speed, supplemented by technology. As long as Tony could not seriously injure him, Banner always had a chance of winning.

But Tony changed into Vibranium armor, and his ability to clash head-on was terrifying as well. One strike had crippled Banner’s arm.

In the future, he might need to adjust his evolutionary direction depending on the situation when facing opponents like Tony.

"The direction you chose isn’t wrong. You just haven’t evolved enough times yet."

"That leaves you lacking too many things, and while you have some methods, you don’t have enough of them."

"I won’t stand still and let you surpass me, but if the day comes when you truly do surpass me, I’ll still congratulate you."

Tony floated into the air, patted Banner on the shoulder, and spoke earnestly.

"Even Banner couldn’t beat you. Tony, just how strong have you become?"

Steve was shocked by their conversation and looked at Tony.

He could be said to have witnessed Banner’s growth firsthand. Banner’s fighting skills had all been taught by him.

Steve knew Banner had become terrifyingly strong. He himself was completely unable to spar with Banner.

Yet Banner had once again lost to Tony, making Steve curious about just how far Tony’s strength had advanced.

"I’ve evolved two hundred and ninety-seven times now. I’m about to break through the major threshold of three hundred evolutions."

"As for strength, I can travel through space with my physical body. Even in the Void Cult, I’m among the top few. I’m not that easy to beat."

Tony smiled.

"How many people are at the top of the Void Cult’s strength hierarchy?"

Steve asked curiously.

"There are seven in total. Aside from me, you’ve met four of them before—Renoli and the others."

"The remaining two are spokesperson Sonia and Lex the Yama."

Tony thought for a moment before answering.

"Spokesperson Sonia and Lex the Yama?"

"What kind of people are they? What abilities do they possess?"

Steve’s eyes flickered as he asked.

"I don’t know what abilities they have. I only know they’re strong, not weaker than me."

"Before long, Banner should be able to enter the ranks of the Void Cult’s top experts as well."

Tony wanted to explain more, but he did not know them particularly well.

"Tony, stop trying to comfort me."

"I thought I was already very strong, but after fighting you, I realized I still have a long way to go."

Banner gave a wry laugh.

"I’m not lying. When Renoli and the others praised you, it was because they saw your immense potential."

"Honestly, although you haven’t evolved many times, your strength has already entered the top tier."

"Ordinary strong fighters are no match for you. They might not even be able to break through your defenses."

"You only lost to me this time. Don’t become so timid and think you’re still weak."

Tony looked at Banner seriously.

"Thanks."

Banner felt much more relieved. The disappointment from being defeated so easily had faded considerably.

"Then when will I be able to enter the top tier you mentioned?"

Steve asked with concern.

"For a conventional genetically enhanced human like you, without relying on outside forces…"

"If you want to enter the top tier, you’ll need at least several dozen more evolutions than me."

"Then you’ll need superb and extensive combat experience, along with fighting skills, to pull it off."

Tony glanced at Steve. He noticed that Steve’s body was stronger than before, and even his breathing had become incredibly slow.

Lacey had joined later than Tony, yet her number of evolutions was already more than forty ahead of his.

At present, she had evolved more times than anyone in the Void Cult except Lex.

Moreover, Lacey often received guidance from Renoli, Kyle, and the Precognitor. They sparred with one another frequently, and her evolutionary path was exceptionally clear.

It could be said that Lacey had put in tremendous effort to attain such strength and status, allowing her to rise later and become one of the Void Cult’s strongest members.

Steve and Lacey had started at roughly the same point. If Steve wanted to catch up, he clearly needed to reach Lacey’s level.

"That beautiful woman is also one of the top-tier fighters?"

Hearing Tony’s words, Steve recalled the stunning beauty who had shone during the New York War.

"Don’t underestimate someone just because she’s a woman."

"Lacey is one of the few Tier 3 Bounty Hunters in the universe."

"Of course, you haven’t gone into space yet, so you don’t know what it takes to become a Tier 3 Bounty Hunter."

"But I can tell you that she isn’t merely among the Void Cult’s best. Even in the universe, she’s considered a powerhouse."

"And among the strong, gender isn’t the main factor determining strength."

"If you look down on someone in the future because she’s a woman and suffer a huge loss, don’t blame me for not warning you."

Tony knew Steve had some chauvinistic tendencies, so he spoke bluntly.

Because of Pepper, Tony had learned early on that women could also be capable and efficient.

He had some chauvinistic tendencies himself, but he held far fewer prejudices against women.

Furthermore, according to Tony’s understanding, Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme, and Captain Marvel were also women.

Even in the universe, the two of them were renowned figures at the peak. Tony deeply understood that strength was not determined by gender.

"All right, I’ll remember that."

Steve nodded at Tony’s words.

Tony glanced at Steve and knew that although Steve said so, he had probably not taken it to heart.

After all, Steve came from an older era, when male chauvinism had been much stronger than it was in modern times.

Unless Steve personally witnessed a woman with overwhelming strength, he would not be completely convinced.

"I’ll call someone over to repair this place. Come on, let’s go have a drink."

Tony did not continue discussing the subject.

While they had been talking, Banner’s broken bone had already recovered.

"You spent more than a year in space. What exactly were you doing there?"

Banner returned to his normal form and followed them, asking curiously.

"Mostly researching spatial wormhole jump technology, one of the core technologies needed to build a Cosmic Battleship."

Tony did not hide it and answered directly.

"How is that research going?"

Banner knew that spatial wormhole jumps had to be extraordinary technology.

"Of course I succeeded."

"I’ve already conquered gravity devices, spatial wormhole jump technology, and energy."

"Now I only need to develop a powerful and advanced propulsion system. Then I’ll be able to build my own personal Cosmic Battleship."

"When the time comes, I may need your help. We can work together and see how to develop a Super Optical Brain."

Tony spoke confidently. Before long, he would be able to lead humanity into the stars.

"I haven’t done much work in the field of intelligent AI, so I don’t know whether I can help."

"But if you want me to, I’ll definitely help with the research."

Banner’s eyes widened upon hearing about the technologies Tony had cracked.

"Don’t worry. With that brain of yours, you’ll definitely be useful somehow."

"And I’m not asking you to help right now. You can study it when the time comes. We have plenty of time, after all."

Tony was not worried in the slightest.

The group then returned to the villa. Peggy knew that her presence might make it harder for them to talk freely, so she took the initiative to step away.

"Given your personality, you didn’t go out and have some fun?"

Steve accepted the glass of wine Tony handed him and asked.

"Of course I did. There are plenty of beauties in the universe. Next time, I’ll take you guys along to experience what exotic charm and creative pleasures really mean."

After checking that Peggy Carter was not nearby, Tony lowered his voice.

Everyone present was a man, so Tony knew they surely had such thoughts as well.

As the saying went, men turned bad when they had money. That was practically unavoidable.

Even after getting married, most men would still want to go out and have fun if given the chance, rather than having no entertainment beyond earning money and supporting the family.

"Exotic charm?"

"Can the appearance of beings from other planets even fit our standards of beauty?"

"I still remember how ugly the Chitauri were."

Banner was tempted, but the Chitauri’s appearance made him hesitate.

"It probably wouldn’t be convenient with Peggy around."

Steve was interested as well, though he looked conflicted.

When Steve was young, countless beautiful women had admired him. He had also enjoyed having countless beauties in his arms.

Naturally, he had never been a particularly devoted or well-behaved man.

"Not all of them fit Earth’s standards of beauty, but don’t forget that the universe has far more than just the Chitauri."

"Once you come into space with me, you’ll understand."

"As for Miss Peggy, there’ll always be an opportunity, won’t there?"

Tony smiled when he saw that both men were interested.

"When are you planning to leave next?"

"I can completely control Hulk’s power now. I can go out and see the world."

Banner asked immediately.

"I didn’t come back this time just to see Pepper."

"According to Harvey, Earth will become unsettled again very soon."

"So the time of my departure is undecided."

Tony spoke.

"Earth is going to become unsettled again?"

Steve knew that this clearly did not mean internal affairs on Earth. Only threats from beyond the planet could be called unrest, and his expression grew serious.

There was no need to worry too much about enemies appearing within Earth itself.

Since they were all from Earth, it was easier to understand their background and deal with them. But threats from outer space were filled with too many unknowns.

"What is it because of this time?"

Banner’s gaze sharpened as he asked.

His strength had improved greatly, and he could now completely control Hulk’s power. He was not particularly afraid even knowing that enemies were coming. He simply wanted to know what kind of enemies they would be.

"Harvey didn’t explain it to me in detail, so I don’t know much about it yet."

"I could only come back to keep an eye on Earth and see if I could reduce some of the disasters when the time came."

"You should all be ready to stand by as well. If I get any intelligence and need you to act, I’ll notify you immediately."

Tony shook his head and spoke.

Although he knew it was caused by one of God King Odin’s treasures, that treasure had yet to appear, and no one knew just how powerful the enemies it would attract would be.

He only hoped this enemy would not be as troublesome as the Chitauri army.

Otherwise, if another war on the scale of the New York War broke out, there would be nothing he could do to reduce the losses.

"Alright."

Steve agreed upon hearing this.

"If I can’t leave Earth, can I walk around other parts of New York?"

After hearing Tony’s words, Banner asked.

Ever since gaining Hulk Power, he had not been near a woman or been intimate with one for several years.

For an adult man, that had been very difficult to endure.

Now that he could control Hulk, he no longer had to worry about getting too excited while being intimate with a woman and transforming into Hulk.

Naturally, he wanted to go out and relax first, reliving some of his former pleasures.

"Of course. I’ll transfer a hundred million to you later. Go out and enjoy yourself."

Tony did not stop him and replied.

"That’s too much."

Although Banner was delighted by Tony’s generosity, he still waved his hand.

"We’re friends."

"You’ve lived on my Private Island for so long."

"And you won’t be able to earn a lot of money so quickly."

"Another hundred million is nothing to me. Just take it."

Seeing that Banner did not dare accept such generosity, Tony spoke again.

Compared with that bit of money, Tony was even less willing to see Banner return to New York after leaving the island.

If Banner found himself unable to get anywhere because of money, and ended up wanting to use his strength to obtain certain things, the trouble he caused would be far harder to deal with than any financial matter.

Everyone was equal before the rules, and he had promised Miss Sonia that he would keep a close watch over matters on Earth.

If he failed to do so and let Banner or Steve cause some trouble, things would become serious.

"Alright, Tony. Thank you."

Banner wanted to refuse, but Tony’s words left him at a loss for how to turn him down. In the end, he accepted Tony’s goodwill.

"Steve, have you and Miss Peggy had your honeymoon yet?"

After settling Banner’s matter, Tony looked at Steve and asked.

"We already had our honeymoon on the island. Peggy said life on this small island was quite good."

"There was none of the noise and bustle of the outside world, and no so many complicated matters to handle."

When Tony looked at him and asked this, Steve replied.

"That may be what she says, but women still want romance."

"And Miss Peggy has regained her youth. She must want to do some of the things she regretted not being able to do in the past."

"I’ll give you a hundred million too. Take Miss Peggy around and travel a little."

"Don’t be such a blockhead. Since Miss Peggy is what you live for, treat her well."

After hearing this, Tony also knew that Miss Peggy was indeed a good woman.

Although he had only recently returned to Earth, he also knew that Steve was now essentially working himself to the bone for S.H.I.E.L.D.

S.H.I.E.L.D. definitely paid Steve a salary, but it was clearly not enough.

That was why Miss Peggy had not mentioned wanting to go anywhere, instead honestly staying on the island.

Tony liked having fun outside, and precisely because of that, he understood the thoughts women naturally had.

At the mention of the regrets he had been unable to fulfill in his youth, Steve’s eyes flickered.

After joining the Void Cult, Steve occasionally helped S.H.I.E.L.D. and spent time with Peggy.

However, because he did not want to find himself in a situation where he had the will but lacked the strength, he spent more of his time eating, training, and considering how to become stronger.

But hearing Tony put it that way, he truly should make up for the regrets of things he had been unable to do in the past.

"Thank you."

After thinking it over, Steve thanked him and accepted Tony’s goodwill.

"Right. By the way, Steve, Banner chose to evolve in the direction of recovery."

"What direction did you choose?"

After the two agreed, Tony had Jarvis transfer the money into their accounts and asked.

"I’ve already evolved ninety-six times. My direction of evolution is fairly balanced."

"Of course, I know what you want to say: being competent at everything is inferior to mastering one thing. But for now, I think this is the best direction."

"Because although my starting point appears to be somewhat higher than yours, as a genetically modified human—"

"—if your technology is included, my starting point is far lower than yours."

"So there are many areas I need to strengthen."

"I plan to first raise my overall baseline, then consider specializing in one direction."

Steve explained his evolution path and plans.

Although he still could not completely ignore all modern weapons like Banner could—

—even without a vibranium shield, he could now ignore conventional weapons such as rifles.

As for anti-tank sniper rifles, those counted as specialized weapons. He definitely could not withstand them head-on.

However, his senses had been greatly enhanced. With his vibranium shield, he no longer needed to worry about a sniper suddenly aiming at him and firing at his vulnerable lower body, which he could not fully defend.

"Your fighting skills are excellent. Improving yourself in a balanced way is indeed not a bad direction."

"As long as you have a clear plan."

Tony spoke after hearing Steve’s words.

Void blessing allowed people to embark on the path of evolution. As long as they evolved enough times, their strength would certainly increase.

But they could not evolve haphazardly, improving one thing here and another there, because even after evolving many times, their strength might still fail to improve noticeably.

Therefore, they had to be clear about their initial goals and future direction, knowing exactly what they lacked.

Tony was not personally teaching the two of them. Earlier, he had merely explained some basic information and the different directions of evolution.

Now that they understood those matters, they had figured out for themselves what they lacked most and what kind of power they wanted to gain through evolution.

Afterward, the three began chatting casually.

Banner hoped the experienced Tony could teach him a thing or two about how to have fun now that he had money.

Naturally, Tony held nothing back and directly told Banner how to enjoy himself.

Steve, meanwhile, asked the two of them about what places modern women liked to visit more.

As someone from an earlier era, although Steve had been awake for some time now, he was clearly still not familiar enough with such things.

Ten thousand words today. The second update, six thousand words, is here. Please subscribe and vote.