The ensuing year passed with relative tranquility. Certainly, there were challenges, but they were addressed with either monetary means or magical solutions. Following the construction of the first thermonuclear reactor in Latveria, which demonstrated its advantages and potential, orders began to pour in like rain. Tony and his students continued their studies in magic, while the SHIELD, alongside Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, who had their crimes in the United States expunged, continued to uphold righteousness and justice. In essence, the world entered a brief period of tranquility, even the non-humans were quiet.
Magneto, as Tony was aware, was establishing his own non-human nation on an island risen from the depths of the ocean, quite candidly requesting assistance from their rescue service. After all, their service was engaged not only in rescues but also in related endeavors. For instance, the United Arab Emirates and Japan had already received twenty thousand square kilometers of land through their efforts.. It was not beyond Jean's capabilities, with Jarvis's assistance, to elevate several billion tons of rock and relocate it to a new location.
In general, planetary security had significantly improved, and at one point, Stark even grew bored. Everyone had their own pursuits, their own relationships, and there were no significant issues, except for how to deal with particularly arrogant bureaucrats or business rivals. Even chronically impoverished Africa had become a better place after investing fifty billion dollars in its development, along with landscaping efforts facilitated by his team and rituals aimed at enhancing fertility. Furthermore, Tony had become so powerful that only his closest friends could challenge him, and thus he even began to desire the emergence of a formidable adversary or rival. Stark had forgotten that wishes have a tendency to come true.
Thus, in the year 2012, widely regarded as the year of the apocalypse, an event occurred that would forever alter the course of history.
Tony once again found himself wandering around his Stark Tower, which was no longer just a tower but a complex of three buildings that had been joined at their pinnacles to form a ring. Within this ring, a small garden with fountains and observation decks for flyers had been laid out. The number of flyers had recently increased significantly, and there were even designated flight routes at various altitudes.
Holographic letters circled the ring, spelling out the name "Stark Industries" in a mesmerizing display. This holographic screen was capable of broadcasting a variety of messages, including news updates and images that created the illusion of expansive landscapes, deep oceanic depths, natural beauty, or scenes from books and films. A specialized acoustic system enhanced the immersive experience, providing a sense of complete presence.
Tony moved from office to office, cordially shaking hands with everyone and inquiring about their work. However, it was unlikely that anyone would be completely forthcoming with him. Stark was an enigmatic figure to the average employee, a deity who descended from on high. Thus, Tony also perceived the surface thoughts and observed the astral bodies of his workers. In this way, he repeatedly identified spies, betrayers, or simply those who had become corrupt after being hired. After all, wealth, particularly large amounts of it, often corrupts people. No matter how meticulous one is in their hiring practices, one cannot guarantee that an honorable and industrious person will maintain their integrity over the course of several years. Moreover, Stark relished watching non-human beings integrate into his organization. A courier carrying documents literally floated down the hallway.. Further down the aisle, a veritable succubus, clad in a tailored business suit and sporting spectacles, fluttered her wings at him before greeting Stark with effusive gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to their company. In an era where non-human beings have ceased to be a source of surprise, guards are now comprised entirely of such individuals. While not all companies are identical, Stark Industries has exerted a profound influence, serving as a benchmark for others to emulate.
Entering Pepper's office, Tony approached his wife, bestowing a kiss upon her cheek and caressing her already substantial abdomen. "How is our little one? Any signs of impatience?" Tony inquired. "And when do you plan to take maternity leave? Will you continue working until the day of delivery?"
"I intend to work as long as my body allows," Mrs. Stark replied. "Someday, I may become fat, don a bathrobe, and nag at you from home, but that day is not yet here."
"I doubt it will happen at all," he replied with a grin. "How is the other Pepper? I have not seen her in a long while."
"She weathered the crisis, sold Stark Industries, and retired. I have decided to focus on my daughter, and I cannot blame her for that. Stark Industries can't exist without Tony Stark. If Morgan has the ambition, with so much wealth, she can rebuild it from the ground up.
"Am I wrong, or are you keeping something from me?"
"Well… She has moved into our world. Everything there reminds her of her losses, and Morgan will continue visiting us."
"Good."
Tony understood the other Pepper's decision. The chance to start anew is truly worth it.
«The moment I learned of Wanda and Jean's pregnancy, my mind became preoccupied with their safety,» he said, «I dusted off old charms and crafted new artifacts to safeguard them from harm.» He rolled his eyes in exasperation.
«Remember when you did the same thing?» Pepper asked with a mischievous grin. «Oh, you were so overprotective!»
Tony let out a soft sigh. «Our little one!» He placed his hand on Pepper's belly and channeled his energy into her and their child.
The process of carrying their child proved to be an arduous task. Not only was the expectant mother consuming four times the usual amount of food, but even the ordinary life force was proving to be inadequate for her. Stark, therefore, was constantly wearing an amulet imbued with a combination of the energies of the Infinity Stones and his own essence, diluted with the power of the antimatter reactor's energy. Their child, akin to the offspring of Jarvis, Wanda, and Jean, was expected to not only match but surpass the capabilities of their parents.
The process of conception itself was not without its challenges, and if not for the use of specialized charms designed to enhance fertility, coupled with the energy provided by the Phoenix, success would have been unlikely. Despite these efforts, it took nearly a year for conception to occur.
— Very well, then. I shall be organizing a stag party for Victor. There seems to be some sort of outbreak of weddings going on.
First, the Starks and Benners, then Rowdy and Sif, now Victor and Helena, Peter and Felicia, Thor and May — all have planned their weddings. Tony Stark was pleased to witness this, for it was what he had been fighting for — to ensure that people, particularly those he loved, were safe and happy.
As soon as Stark went to his office — which was spared dust only thanks to the diligent efforts of the cleaning staff — in order to depart for Von Doom's residence, the space trembled. A humanoid, approximately 5 feet in height, with grey skin, violet eyes devoid of pupils, and an oversized head disproportionate to its slender body, materialized out of hyperspace in a literal sense. It was clad in a garment resembling a blue tunic or toga.
The humanoid appeared exhausted and battered, yet Stark refused to underestimate extraterrestrial beings. By then, he had donned his armor, which shimmered with the mana infused into its magical shields.
"Who in heaven's name are you?" Stark exclaimed, his voice resonating through the room as he unfolded the situation.
His concern would not have been so palpable if it were not happening in his own building, with many employees around, and if his wife were not sitting on the floor below.
"Mr. Stark," the intruder began, "I mean you no harm. On the contrary, I have come seeking your assistance!"
"Why should I trust you?" Stark demanded.
The humanoid responded in a deep bass that one would not expect from one so diminutive, "My name is Uatu, and I am an Observer. It is our duty, and our oath, to observe the course of events in this sector of the multiverse, comprising several thousand universes. In normal circumstances, we have no authority to interfere in the affairs of those we observe."
— That is correct. In one of the Ultron universes… You may not have created it yourself, but you have seen the course of events in another reality, acquiring all the Infinity Stones. He eradicated all organic life within his universe and proceeded to venture into others. His power became so immense that he could sense my presence. At present, several universes have already been erased, and I am assembling heroes from various dimensions to form a team to combat Ultron.
You are the most powerful Tony Stark I have observed across the multiverse. Moreover, this world also contains the strongest Wanda Maximoff and Jean Grey.
— What of Jarvis?
— He does not exist in other realities. Either he merged with Ultron to become Vision, or Ultron destroyed him. Your version of Jarvis is unique.
Tony knew that the Watcher spoke the truth, for he had witnessed the latter's aura. But was this the whole truth, and was it worth engaging in a perilous battle?
"I fear that in this scenario, Ultron will still breach your universe, and the conflict will unfold on your own battlefield. Whether your entire galaxy, rather than just Earth, survives this ordeal is a significant question."
"Very well, I shall speak with Jarvis immediately, and then we shall depart." Was there any point in delaying? One must either decline or accept. And having hastened himself, Tony could contemplate this matter sufficiently. Even if this was a trap, it was better to dive headfirst into it than to drag the trap back home, compelling a potential adversary to devise something new. For instance, to seize his wife.
Five minutes later, Jarvis appeared with Wanda and Jean in tow. "Jarvis, what the hell did you bring them here for?" Tony chided his friend, implying the girls' pregnancy.
"Should you perish there, there will be no salvation for us. This is not simply your battle," Jean remarked, crossing her arms over her ample bosom.
"What about what Watu said? Was he speaking the truth?" Stark inquired of Jarvis, as he could have accessed the infosphere for verification.
The AI responded, "The worlds are on the verge of extinction. And I perceive someone who bears a resemblance to me."
Stark replied, "That's fine. If you're coming with us, be prepared. We're deploying all the domains and shields we have."
Stark was well aware that it was futile to change his mind and that he truly needed the assistance of his friends. Furthermore, Jean and Jarvis each demonstrated their own unique abilities. Jean could either render or revive anyone within a radius of a hundred meters, while Jarvis had access to the «source code» of any creature or object within the same vicinity. In other words, he could not only access all information about a being or object, going back to the Big Bang, but also modify them on the fly. In some respects, his powers were comparable to those of Wanda, albeit with different underlying principles. Jarvis could also alter the laws of physics and transform one thing into another, but he could not create something out of nothing. There always had to be a physical object or energy to work with.
The guardian activated the portal, and as the four entities passed through, it was difficult to classify them as human. He already grunted with the strain, for the «weight» of these beings was not solely determined by their physical mass and dimensions, but also by the potency of their souls and their reality. Had it not been for the dire circumstances and the overwhelming might of the adversary, he would not have approached them and unleashed his cannon.
At the same time, Tony Stark was surveying the scene in which he found himself. It was a desolate landscape, with ruins, and it took him only a few moments to realize with a shock that he was in Las Vegas, reduced to rubble and covered in sand. He was aware that the city of entertainment and casinos had spent tens of millions on sand traps and street clean-up. This was what happened when they failed to do so.
In addition to his own party, there was a tall, sturdy woman with the appearance of a younger Peggy Carter, wearing a shield and a suit similar to Captain America's, although based on the British flag rather than the American one. There was also an overly cheerful and confident Thor, juggling a hammer. And then there was Stephen Strange, with his pale face and dark rings under his eyes, exuding an aura of darkness. Lastly, there was the green-skinned woman with red hair, clad in futuristic yet archaic armor — the Guardian.
Allow me to introduce you: Thor of the realm 145556, sole offspring of Odin; Gamorra of the dimension 329921, adopted daughter and slayer of Thanos who succeeded in creating a device capable of destroying the Infinity Stones with the assistance of Tony Stark from her reality. The most powerful Strange I am aware of from the universe 266893 absorbed the essence of thousands of extradimensional beings, acquiring the ability to manipulate the temporal reference point of their cosmos. Regrettably, this act resulted in the demise of his universe.
Furthermore, there is Peggy Carter who, in her reality 578882, took the Super-Soldier Serum in place of Steve Rogers, subsequently introducing Stark and his team into the equation. Naturally, it is impossible to fully comprehend the capabilities of these allies based solely on description. Nonetheless, Tony instantly categorised Peggy as the weakest of the group. Not due to her gender, but rather due to his awareness of the level of power imbued by the Erskine Serum. Experience undoubtedly holds significant value, yet it cannot replace sheer might.
"Allow me to speak," Tony began, "I am aware that each of you here has confidence in your abilities, but given the strength of our adversary, it would not be amiss to have some armor. Not to mention the protection against the energy of reality itself. He will simply blast you with a glance… well, perhaps with the exception of Steven, who has experience in defending himself against such things.
"I do not need armor!" Thor said smugly, flinging his hammer in a careless manner and catching it behind his back, "I face the enemy head-on like a man!"
"Do you think I am incapable of defending myself because I am a woman?" Peggy asked, "My shield is strong enough to protect me against anything!"
Tony thought there was nothing worse than an idiot ally, so he approached, took Peggy's shield, which she could not stop him from doing, as if he were taking candy from a child's hand, and bent it in front of her.
"Hmm, is your armor stronger than this?"
"Of course," Stark replied, after which she consented to don the armor, and Jarvis conjured a couple of dozen microcircuit-like magical circles, encircling the woman with protection.
After observing this, Stephen smirked and also consented to both the protection and the armor. "I'm wearing the armor of the dwarves of Nidavellir," Gamorra stated proudly when Tony glanced at her.
"As you wish. It's my job to offer, and yours to decline. Watu, we're ready, where's your Ultron?"
The observer replied, "He's already on his way," and at that very moment, space itself, reality itself, groaned beneath the weight of the arrival of a being that had attained a near-divine level of existence.
A red-skinned humanoid clad in silver armor, adorned with five stones upon his chest and one upon his forehead, emerged from a blue portal that resembled a fissure in space. "I sense your presence, observer. And I behold your demise," he declared. "These feeble organic beings cannot protect you."
Ultron did not act. He neither waved his hand nor even glanced at them, yet in that instant, Gamora and Thor disintegrated into black ash. However, their personal shields faltered instantaneously. These shields were designed to protect against any form of harm, even from a divine source, but they had a limited lifespan.
And this occurred despite the fact that Tony Stark and his allies initiated their actions simultaneously.
"Mr. Stark," Jarvis communicated telepathically to Tony, "I am attempting to breach Ultron's defenses, but I require more time. I need to weaken him for just a few moments!"
"It shall be done," replied Stark. "Jin, Wanda, join forces and exert your power together! Our objective is to retrieve the stones from within his armor."
At that moment, Stephen Strange launched a series of potent dark spells at Ultron in the form of dark and crimson flames, while Peggy unleashed a barrage of repulsor blasts. Together, their efforts delayed the adversary for a mere fraction of a second. Yet, for Tony, this brief respite was sufficient, as he magnified this instant a thousandfold through his enhanced speed. At an astonishing rate, he cast dozens of spells, hurling them at the disoriented AI. However, none of the Avada Kedavra, the Killing Curse, the Hellfire, or any other spell could even dent Ultron's defenses. Surrounded by the power of all the Infinity Stones, he remained completely impervious.
Of course, so long as he maintained his defensive posture, he could not launch an offensive, but their resources would be depleted, and after that, Ultron would swat them aside like flies. Even the combined might of the wielders of the three Infinity Stones proved insufficient to overcome him, and Tony now realized that Wato had underestimated the threat.
"I will temporarily absorb the shield with the energy of the crystals, so do not hesitate to strike!" warned Stark in a tone of urgency.
Before anyone could protest or, conversely, express agreement, Tony removed his gloves and made contact with Ultron, beginning to absorb a veritable ocean of energy. It was as if his very soul had been plunged into the heart of a star. Even after all his modifications and accustomedness to the power of the stones, he could not immediately assimilate such a vast amount of energy, so dense and real. Had it been anyone else, they would have been reduced to ashes.
Moreover, there were benefits. Tony felt all-powerful. His capabilities had increased exponentially. Connected to the infosphere, he could see not only the future of his world but also that of other realms. Ultron seemed like a monkey with a grenade launcher to him, incapable of fully utilizing the stones' potential. His domain, encompassing the entire planet, had been particularly fortified.. It was enough for Tony to will it, and an abyssal void formed in the place of Ultron, devouring and annihilating the foe along with the gems to nothingness. Thereafter, Tony lost consciousness, for he was no longer on a moral or volitional plane, but by some miracle, at all.
Upon regaining consciousness within the capsule, itself housed within a time acceleration chamber, Tony's first query was directed towards Jarvis: "How long have I been unconscious?"
"It has been a full week, Mr. Stark," replied the AI, sounding remarkably cheerful and, surprisingly, free from sarcasm. "And within the chamber?"
"We have taken fifty years to reconstruct you and sustain your... metamorphosis."
"Metamorphosis?"
Tony gazed within himself, and was astonished. He now possessed the rudimentary form of the ninth layer of his soul, a deity devoid of egregor and belief. Tony was unaware that even Ultron had indirectly and tangentially employed the stones, transmitting energy through the armour as a conduit. Stark, on the other hand, utilized them directly, channeling them through his body and spirit.
Tony's choices were stark: either death, or transformation into something else. However, amidst these possibilities, Tony discerned a single prospect for the future: the extinction of humanity. It could occur due to internal conflicts, accidents, natural disasters, confrontations with higher entities, extraterrestrial invasions or interdimensional incursions — the outcome remained unchanged. In the present moment, humanity appeared doomed.
Even if this catastrophe were to occur a thousand years from now, Tony knew he, his descendants, and their progeny would likely outlive it. This implied that if humanity, in its current state, was destined to perish due to the rapid advancement of technology, biological evolution, and social systems, it required transformation..Nonetheless, even his present prowess falls short of the task at hand. Thus, having imparted all the data he had acquired and the sole course of action that could potentially save them all to Jarvis, he traversed through the expanse to the planet of Morag in pursuit of one of the Infinity Stones.
***
A young man with dark hair, clad in a brown leather jacket with blasters at his belt and an antique cassette player, danced within the confines of an ancient temple. His movements were accompanied by the occasional kick of a rat. Seizing one of these rodents, he began to sing in a remarkably unconvincing voice.
This individual was none other than Peter Quill, a notorious space pirate and smuggler, who styled himself as the Star Lord. Having arrived on this planet, he had been commissioned by an anonymous client to retrieve a particular orb and receive substantial remuneration for its acquisition. At this moment, Stark emerged, observing this peculiar scene with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Shaking his head in disapproval, Stark temporarily froze Quill in place, with a rat clenched in his teeth. Stark then proceeded to move forward.
On a pedestal within the protective shield, there rested a metallic sphere adorned with intricate symbols. Stark reached out and, shattering the sphere, extracted a purple gemstone. This gemstone was not merely a decorative item; it served as an amplifier, a catalyst, and a source of energy for others. However, its true power lay in its ability to destroy entire planets. Once the gemstone had been acquired, Stark vanished from sight.. And Qwill, perishing after a few moments, having entered the room and failing to discern the orb, would hear the voices of the Kree warriors behind him:
— The thief! Hand over the sphere or perish!
— But I do not possess it, I assure you!
— Do you expect us to believe you? A notorious pirate, a deceiver and a scoundrel?
— Yes, where else could I have hidden it? Up my posterior?
Half an hour later, Qwill, in his suffering, deeply regretted his inability to maintain silence, for in their disbelief and ignorance of human anatomy, they thoroughly searched every orifice.
***
Vormir, a desolate world shrouded in perpetual darkness. Another seeker of the Soul Stone, I presume?
A figure clad in a hooded black cloak stood before Tony at the base of a towering cliff. Its face resembled a red skull with skin peeled away, devoid of a nose. "I am its guardian," it said. "An eternal captive who paid the ultimate price for desiring something I had no right to possess."
Tony recognized the figure immediately as the infamous Red Skull, a villain well-known from historical accounts and numerous comic books about Captain America. He was not surprised, having witnessed many realities in which he himself was the guardian of the Soul Stone. This was how Tony discovered their location.
"This is a potent curse," the Red Skull continued. "A binding spell tied to your role as guardian, I assume. Moreover, the sacrifices are in the form of your dearest and most cherished ones. And killing you while bound to the stone is futile. Clever, indeed.
You cannot break this spell, Son of Howard."
The words of the Red Skull carried a certain significance, and Tony understood their meaning.
Tony Stark, having surpassed the might of the Soul Stone, could not see the history or power of those who had transcended its influence. The invisible threads that bound them trembled and snapped, scattering as a yellowish stone emerged from subspace, the Red Skull dissipating in the wind. Stark then proceeded to Kamar-Taj.
***
"I knew you would come for me, Tony," the Ancient One responded to him, sitting with her back turned to him and in a meditative state. "In truth, I cannot say why. And to be honest, it frightens me.
"I need a stone, with or without you," Tony said.
The Ancient One asked: "Have you fallen? Did you desire more power?"
Tony sighed and said, "Why did she abandon me? I don't know what to make of this. In case you haven't noticed, I have not chased stones in the past, and now I require them for my business. I have looked into the future, deeper than anyone, including you. Humanity is foolish, weak, and vicious, and it must change. We must change."
After Stark revealed his plan, which would temporarily deprive him of much strength, the Ancient One considered and replied, "I believe you, Tony. I will assist you."
***
Six months later, on the planet Venus.
The immense complexity of the project required six real months of work, but in an accelerated temporal bubble, it felt like a decade. The finest sorcerers in the world, among whom Stark modestly counted himself, had devised an extraordinary ritual on an unprecedented scale. Its power was so immense that the mere radiation emitted by the process would be sufficient to transform Venus, spinning it up to match the length of a day on Earth and activating its magnetic field.
In any case, such vast amounts of energy had to be directed somewhere. On Venus, three dozen massive antimatter reactors had been constructed, each burning hundreds of tons of matter every minute. At its northern pole, a circular patch of adamantium measuring two hundred kilometers in radius and a kilometer in thickness had been created, intricately patterned like a microcircuit.
At the heart of this intricate design stood Jean Grey, now known by her true name — Yao. Tony Stark, Wanda Maximoff, and Jarvis were also present.. Together, they formed a pentagram, within which a hexagonal figure was inscribed. At the corners of this figure were placed infinite stones. For the purpose of this endeavour, the children of Wanda and Jean were placed in a state of stasis, as Wanda did not wish to entrust them to another's care during their absence.
— Are we all prepared? Tony inquired.
"We have been prepared for quite some time, Mr Stark," Jarvis replied.
Stark chuckled nervously, attempting to conceal his own apprehension. "Are you... hopeful?"
Yao responded on behalf of YI, "No one can predict the outcome of this ritual. We have drawn upon knowledge from even Vishanti's tome and Cagliostro's archives, and the Fidelius charm has concealed the future from my vision. The creation we are about to undertake is of a magnitude beyond anything I have ever encountered."
"That is why I have stated that it is futile to rely solely on future possibilities," Stark remarked. "We can sift through trillions of possibilities and deem that we have selected the best one... But it will only be the best among the obvious, the well-worn, trodden paths of others. And you and I tread a path that is entirely unique, uncharted. On the count of three: one, two, three!"
At that moment, the space around them scintillated with a blinding display of thousands of magical circles that merged with the ritual, causing the lines to glow. Dozens of reactors sputtered to life, and the soldered storage units unleashed the stored energy of the mana and infinity stones. The very stones themselves ignited, emitting energy whose intensity was such that a mere mortal would become a potent sorcerer in that instant... and would perish instantly due to such a concentrated power.
Tony, despite his complete concentration, could not help but think of other things. Of Pepper, and what awaited him at home with their son, Michael. Of Peter, unaware of his plans. Of Bruce, Betty, Victor, Rowdy, Otto, and many others he had met — good, honest people. Would they curse or thank him after today? Only time would tell.
At that moment, the platform began to heat up. Through the giant holes in the platform designed for this purpose, water began to pour through portals directly from the Pacific Ocean, transforming into steam. Jarvis, however, did everything in his power to minimize and redirect these parasitic losses to the greatest extent possible!
Finally, a colossal sphere of lines and glyphs of every hue of the spectrum appeared around the location. It began to expand at an ever-accelerating rate, until it vanished into the darkness of outer space, but Tony was aware that it would envelop the entire solar system up to the Kuiper belt.
For five years, this orb would conceal the entire system from any entities such as the new Ultron, Thanos, Dormammu, and Galactus, among others. Within this time frame, a century would pass within the system itself. However, this was merely the beginning, akin to planting seeds. These seeds were being dispersed by invisible drones, injecting and spreading titanization serum into all freshwater sources, but this was not the end either. The most critical and intricate aspect of this operation was to establish a self-sustaining "karma" system.
This system would provide everyone with access to a menu-like interface, allowing them to acquire any X-gene they desired.. Anyone can acquire knowledge about science, sorcery, the arts, martial disciplines, and all the other domains that the five senses can perceive and comprehend. To this end, Stark has traversed the galaxy in search of knowledge, gathering insights from alien species. Jarvis, building upon these foundations, has delved even deeper into the infosphere, transforming the acquired data into a divine essence.
Moreover, individuals will be able to alter their physical appearance, augment their strength and intellect, and procure virtually any commodity or product through the creation of matter from mana using a sophisticated system. The need for linguistic barriers will also vanish, as all individuals will be capable of telepathic and empathetic communication, enabling them to understand one another effortlessly.
It is often said that wars and chaos would ensue. However, there is a reason for all of this. The system is named «Karma» for a reason. Every action will be judged by an unbiased system, a celestial AI. The foundation of moral norms was built upon a set of the finest qualities of humanity, primarily inspired by the character of Steve Rogers.
For every good deed, a person will be rewarded with points, while for every wicked act, they will be penalized. Moreover, these penalties are severe, and for repeat offenses, they escalate exponentially. These penalties are not merely virtual; they actually weaken an individual from a mere Homo sapiens to a point where they develop weaknesses, afflictions, and deformities leading up to death.
On the contrary, if one leads a simple life as an ordinary person, it will be much easier for them to exist. At first, good deeds will even provide a shot of artificial endorphins, while bad deeds will literally turn a person inside out. Is this an intimidating dictatorship, akin to training humanity like Pavlov's dogs? Indeed, it is precisely that. Stark was tired of placing mental bookmarks, yet he understood that under the current system of cannibalism, it would be impossible to do otherwise. A scattered and self-destructive humanity is incapable of withstanding the advanced species and threats of space and the multiverse.
If, in order to maintain honesty, adequacy, and goodness, people require a carrot and a stick, Stark will provide it. Jarvis will serve as the chief administrator and programmer of Karma, while major changes require their collection for voting, serving as guardians, arbiters, and creators.. Furthermore, the unanimous agreement of all five parties will be necessary.
Tony clenched his jaw so tightly that it was as if he were gnawing on an adamantine crowbar. Alas, the ritual proved to be no simple task for him and his companions. Their bodies and minds were wracked with pain, their bodies dripping with blood that flowed from their ears and eyes. They clung to the belief that if any of them faltered, they would all perish, and Venus itself would be shattered into pieces.
Finally, the ritual commenced, igniting the very core of the planet with its intensity. The parasitic energy was channeled into secondary rituals, transforming the atmosphere of Venus, lowering its temperature, and inducing a magnetic field that spun the core itself. The nascent volcanic activity was also subdued. The Infinity Stones merged into a single entity, becoming the heart of the system. The five of them were then transported into time capsules, accelerating their passage through time.. Today, each of them has experienced a significant loss of strength, and their recovery will take a considerable amount of time. During this period, a state visible only to them manifested before the eyes of each individual across the globe. These states included instructions, regulations, and convenient instruments for self-modification, online engagement, the formation of mental connections, the acquisition of goods, and much more. However, who believed in it immediately? Doubts always existed, leading to a surge in visits to psychologists and psychiatrists on that day. Hundreds of incidents occurred without any injuries, as the system safeguarded individuals as long as they prioritized their own and others' lives. Conversely, many perished due to fines. The world underwent a transformation beyond anything previously imagined, embarking on a path uncharted by anyone before.