Tony’s Vision and Ideals

Tony had never thought this way before, because his horizons had been limited to Earth.

But after joining the Void, gaining a long lifespan, and studying alien technology,

his perspective had naturally expanded to the universe.

Indeed, if he remained only on Earth, limited by the environment, available materials, and various research facilities,

it would be difficult for him to rapidly advance Earth’s technology, transform the overall environment, and swiftly bring Earth into the interstellar age, officially connecting it with the universe.

But Tony had never been one to follow convention. Since Earth’s environment and available materials were temporarily insufficient to support his continued research into new inventions,

he could simply leave Earth first and seek development in the universe.

Tony was confident that as long as he could access alien technology, he would be able to find ways to invent new things, make money, rapidly accumulate wealth, and grow.

With the Iron Man armor, a universal translator, and a Universal Communicator, Tony was not worried that he would be unable to take action in the universe.

As long as the language barrier was resolved, Tony only needed to fully unleash his talents.

However, Tony knew very clearly that if this plan was to be carried out, he would need Harvey’s help.

Because at present, aside from asking Harvey, he had no other way to enter the universe directly.

If he could not venture into space, there would be no point in talking about development.

"Pepper agreed to you doing this?"

Harvey was somewhat surprised by Tony’s words, but he also understood what Tony wanted to ask.

"Talking with you is as pleasant as ever."

"I haven’t explained it to Pepper yet, but we both believe in the Void and possess long lifespans."

"And I won’t be gone for long. It will only be a brief separation."

"It won’t be difficult to persuade Pepper."

Tony realized that Harvey had understood before he had even made his request, and he spoke with a smile.

"If you’re not on Earth, aren’t you worried about what might happen here?"

Harvey spoke again after hearing Tony’s answer.

"What is there to worry about? God King Odin and the Ancient One, Sorcerer Supreme, aren’t dead yet."

"If the sky falls, there are still taller people to hold it up. That’s exactly why now is the right time for me to go out into the universe."

Tony had long considered the question Harvey raised.

"Fine. But if you want to go into the universe, you need to settle Earth’s affairs first."

"When you want to come back, I hope you’ll rely on your own strength."

"I won’t be your personal chauffeur."

Harvey said.

If the Void Cult was to develop rapidly, members alone would not be enough. It also needed money.

Although being a bounty hunter was quite profitable—and for Harvey, it could even be considered a business requiring no capital—making money through arms dealing and inventions was undoubtedly faster.

So when Harvey discovered how quickly Tony could research and invent things, he had originally planned to persuade Tony to accompany him into the universe.

Now, before he had even tried to persuade him, Tony had already developed the idea of going into the universe with him.

Still, it was not strange for Tony to think this way. Tony was not merely a genius inventor; sometimes, he became a mad inventor with an almost pathological pursuit of technology.

"It’s fine for me to trouble you on the way there, since I have no other way to enter the universe except by asking you."

"But if I still have to trouble you when I come back after reaching the universe…"

"Never mind whether you would agree or not, I wouldn’t be able to show my face."

Tony patted his cheek with his right hand and said with a smile.

"Fine. The Void Cult has only just been established, and it’s short of money."

"If you want to make money and research all kinds of things, I can provide you with the various funds you need during the early stages."

"As for the money your inventions make, I won’t take advantage of you. How about a forty-sixty split? Four for me, six for you?"

Seeing that Tony had already considered all the circumstances, Harvey was not surprised and began discussing terms.

"No need for a forty-sixty split. A fifty-fifty split will do."

"After all, if you don’t take me into the universe, I won’t be able to access more of the alien technology I want to study anytime soon."

"And when I need to buy expensive things in the early stages, I’ll also need to use the funds you provide."

Tony did not haggle over Harvey’s terms. Instead, he answered very straightforwardly.

He knew there was no need to hide anything from Harvey.

All along, he had been the one asking Harvey for help, while Harvey had never sought any benefits from him.

Now that Harvey said the Void Cult was short of money in its early days, Tony naturally wanted to take the opportunity to help Harvey as well.

Otherwise, if he kept receiving benefits from Harvey while being unable to repay him or do anything in return,

he might feel too embarrassed to ask Harvey for help again in the future.

Tony was confident that as long as he reached the universe, he would make a fortune before long.

At that point, he might not have enough money to buy a Cosmic Battleship outright, but he could definitely buy a space fighter. Even if he came up a little short, he could simply borrow some money from Harvey first.

As long as he had a space fighter, he would be able to travel between the universe and Earth on his own.

Then he was confident that, in less than eight years from now until 2017, he could rapidly advance Earth’s civilization.

After joining the Void and gaining a lifespan of at least a thousand years, then learning about the civilizations scattered throughout the universe,

Tony’s vision had long ceased to be confined to the differences between America and other nations. Instead, it encompassed all of human civilization.

He wanted to use his inventions to bring epoch-making changes to Earth’s technology.

He wanted to bring Earth into the interstellar age as quickly as possible and into the ranks of the universe’s advanced civilizations.

But if he wanted to achieve that ideal, he first had to ensure that Earth survived the unknown and powerful crisis Harvey had told him would arrive in 2017.

Therefore, he had to seize every moment and do everything currently within his power.

"Fine. I was planning to rest on Earth for a while anyway."

"I brought back some gravity devices for you. You can use this time to study them, and talk things over with Pepper while you’re at it."

"Once you have her agreement, I’ll take you into the universe."

"I don’t want you two to develop any rift in your marriage over this."

Harvey said.

"Alright."

Tony was intrigued when he heard that Harvey had brought back gravity devices, but after hearing the rest, he nodded seriously.

Pepper had joined the Void with him largely because he had persuaded her, and she had not doubted him much.

At present, aside from Harvey, only Tony and Pepper had joined the Void on all of Earth. They depended on each other, so Tony had never considered treating Pepper poorly.

Moreover, Pepper had become increasingly beautiful after joining the Void. Her smooth skin and incredibly flexible body had opened up new worlds for him again and again.

Therefore, before heading into the universe, he would definitely discuss it with Pepper.

Still, Tony was not worried. At most, within a year, he would surely be able to travel back and forth on his own.

As the saying went, absence made the heart grow fonder. Perhaps their relationship would be even better by then.

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