"Alright then, is there anything I can do to help you?"
Lalatina noticed a hint of anger in Tony's voice as she asked. At the same time, she curiously glanced at the person Tony was dragging across the floor.
Though it was her first day on Void Island and she hadn't officially started her job, Lalatina had spent the last month looking after Tony Stark at the Elite Hotel. She had a good understanding of his character—prideful and self-assured, yet generous and easy to get along with. He wasn't a bad person.
Sara had also told her many good things about Tony, so seeing him even slightly angry for the first time was surprising.
"You're just here today to get a feel for things. Your actual work starts tomorrow," Tony said with a wave of his hand.
"Jarvis, take Miss Lalatina to Sara's place."
"Of course, sir."
"Miss Lalatina, please follow the markers, and I will guide you to the helipad."
"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Stark."
With a nod, Lalatina left, following Jarvis's instructions.
Meanwhile, Loki, being dragged by Tony, didn't mind much—after all, it wasn't like he hadn't been beaten or scolded before. But the curious look Lalatina gave him earlier had made him extremely uncomfortable.
"Enough, Tony Stark!" Loki grumbled, still feeling humiliated.
"I did help out during the Battle of New York, you know!"
"You still have the guts to talk back?" Tony snapped, kicking Loki in the leg. "If it weren't for your brother begging me, I wouldn't have bothered with you at all."
Loki winced from the pain but bit his tongue, refusing to cry out as he heard footsteps approaching. It would be too embarrassing to scream in front of ordinary people.
Tony released his grip on Loki and then made his way into the main hall. As he walked, his suit of armor automatically detached from his body, and he reached for a bottle of liquor from the cabinet, using the Void energy to retrieve it.
Pop! The cork came off, and Tony poured himself a glass.
"Take a seat. Let me explain the rules of the Void Cult," Tony said, taking a sip of his drink as he settled onto the couch, crossing one leg over the other.
"Tony, you look younger than I remember. Aren't you in your forties?" Thor asked, looking puzzled as he studied Tony's youthful appearance.
"I was born human, and I still think of myself as one," Tony replied.
"But regardless of how I see myself, after joining the Void Cult and receiving the Void's blessing, I can't deny that my essence has transcended humanity."
"Now, like you Asgardians, I have a lifespan of at least a thousand years, possibly more. And that's just one of the many benefits of the Void's blessing."
Since they weren't on Earth, and given that Thor and Loki were gods, Tony saw no need to hide the truth about his condition.
"Is the Void's blessing really that powerful?" Thor's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You're shocked now? Just wait," Tony said with a smirk.
"Let me tell you something: every single one of the hundreds of members on this island has received the Void's blessing."
"Each of them has powers you could easily compare to superhumans—only they can continue to grow stronger."
"They treat visitors to the Void Cult with respect as long as those visitors show reverence. But when it comes to Void God Kassadin, their attitude changes entirely."
"They are fiercely devoted to the Void because the Void's blessing has given them the power to change their lives."
"Loki, you should count yourself lucky. If Miss Sonya hadn't interrupted you earlier, if you had finished saying what you were about to say… you'd be in serious trouble right now, whether you lived or not."
Tony took another sip from his glass, his gaze fixed on Loki. Though alcohol no longer affected him much, he still enjoyed its taste.
It was this fact that made Tony insist that Thor should thank Sonya, not him.
"What do you mean by 'superhumans who can grow stronger'?" Thor asked, still trying to make sense of everything.
"As Kassadin himself said when he established the Void Cult," Tony began.
"'Join the glorious evolution.'"
"The Void's blessing grants the ability to evolve. The direction of that evolution can vary greatly, but no matter how it unfolds, one's power increases with each evolution."
"My physical body might seem impressive to you, but I've only gone through about 300 evolutions."
Tony's explanation left Thor speechless.
"An endless ability to evolve? How could a blessing like that even exist?" Thor muttered, his worldview shaken.
"I can't say for sure if the evolution is truly infinite. I've only gone through a little over 200 evolutions myself," Tony admitted.
"But Kassadin once told me, 'Time will bring you everything you desire.'"
Tony couldn't say definitively whether evolution was infinite. However, just a few hundred evolutions had already granted him extraordinary strength. If, on top of that, one could master other powers or rely on external technology, the potential was immense.
In Tony's case, he chose to leverage his technological creations to continually push his limits and enhance his capabilities.
"That's quite a confident statement," Thor remarked, sensing the overwhelming faith Kassadin had in the power he granted.
His father, Odin, could bestow divine power to improve someone's physical condition, but that had its limits. Kassadin's gift, however, seemed to surpass Odin's authority.
Who was this terrifying figure, and where had he come from?
"Before joining the Void Cult, I was already highly intelligent. My Iron Man suits were far ahead of Earth's modern technology," Tony continued.
"But no matter how advanced my suits were, I couldn't change the fact that my body was weak."
"I'm 42 years old now, and at this age, the human body inevitably begins to decline."
"Like everyone else, I couldn't escape the effects of aging. That's why I always chased the philosophy of 'life is short, enjoy it while you can.'"
"My dream was to create technology that would make history—ideally, to reach outer space. That was my original dream."
"Why do I call it a 'dream'? Because deep down, I knew that if I didn't reach space when I was young, it would be impossible once I got older."
"Humans are smart, but we're incredibly fragile. Given Earth's current level of technology, getting into space requires tremendous physical endurance."
Tony spoke with a touch of nostalgia, reflecting on his past aspirations.