Over the next few months, Harvey's daily life became consumed with mastering Void magic. He knew that wielding such immense power without fully controlling it meant it wasn't truly his yet. So, during these first few months, his spellcasting remained slow and deliberate. Harvey didn't rush, instead taking a methodical approach to honing his abilities for more than two months.
During this period, he accumulated a vast amount of evolution points, all of which he poured into upgrading his Void skin—Kha'Zix's ability from the Void. Harvey evolved this ability a staggering eighty-one times, bringing his total evolution count with Kha'Zix to 300. However, after the 300th evolution, the cost of advancing further jumped by 50%, now requiring 1.5 million evolution points per upgrade.
This sharp increase made Harvey a bit uneasy, but he didn't have the luxury of choosing additional hero templates. With no alternatives, he focused solely on evolving his Void skin, determined to push it to the 100th level. Currently, his Void skin has reached the 81st evolution, which has significantly strengthened his body, allowing him to fly at six times the speed of sound.
In fact, in close-range combat, his physical movements were now faster than using Void magic to teleport. Though he didn't have a suitable target to test his new strength, he knew his defensive capabilities were formidable, as evidenced by his ability to withstand the fierce wind resistance that came with supersonic flight. By utilizing his "Void Assault," he could push his speed to Mach 8.
Compared to his abilities nine months ago, Harvey had doubled his speed and gained a much broader mastery of his powers. He was now strong enough to venture into space and begin spreading the Void's influence.
But before heading off into the stars, Harvey finished his breakfast, focused his mind, and scanned over New York. In the next moment, he vanished.
During these three months, Tony Stark had undergone 37 evolutions. Each evolution generated 2,000 units of Void energy, bringing the total contribution to a respectable 74,000 units. Pepper Potts, on the other hand, had a much slower progression, evolving only 17 times and contributing a mere 1,700 Void energy units. Pepper's contributions were far smaller than Tony's, whose destiny seemed tied to greatness, but Harvey wasn't overly concerned.
His strategy was to accumulate Void energy from those with lesser fates. Though each contribution was minor, in large numbers, they could become substantial. Currently, Harvey had a modest 175,000 units of Void energy, still far from the billion units needed to unlock the ultimate form of the Void Reaver, the Tyrant Voidling. However, once he ventured into space, that goal wouldn't be too far out of reach.
In the meantime, Tony and Pepper were enjoying breakfast. Pepper planned to head to Stark Industries for work after the meal, while Tony continued his research. Their peaceful morning was interrupted when a dark purple void opened in the air before them.
Tony's eyes narrowed as he immediately recognized the void. Pepper, on the other hand, was startled. After learning some things about the supernatural world from Tony, she became more aware of gods, cosmic figures, and other extraordinary beings. Now, seeing this dark portal appear before her, she couldn't help but feel a moment of dread, wondering if they'd been discovered by some higher power.
But to their surprise, a tall, dark-haired, and handsome young man stepped out of the portal.
"Harvey Amberlock," Pepper greeted, visibly relieved.
Tony, who had encountered Harvey before, wasn't too fazed by the appearance of the void portal. "Harvey, I think this is the first time you've dropped by unannounced," he said. "I'm guessing there's something important you want to tell me?"
Harvey nodded. "Yes. I've decided to leave Earth and venture into space."
The portal behind Harvey dissipated as he spoke, confirming Tony's suspicions. "Man, I wish I could go with you and see what the universe has to offer, but I'm still not ready," Tony said, flexing his hand as he spoke.
Over the past three months, Tony had evolved many times. His appearance had reverted to how he looked at 24—handsome, energetic, and brimming with confidence. His strength had surpassed normal human limits, but Tony hadn't forgotten why he joined the Void in the first place. In addition to his daily evolution, his research was progressing rapidly. He had developed a new element and created an arc reactor only he knew how to build.
His Iron Man suits were also improving, and his latest versions were far more powerful than Tony himself. While Tony couldn't yet fly or unleash energy blasts without the suit, the armor enabled him to achieve Mach 3 speeds and far more. He was also careful not to reveal his true abilities to the public, always wearing the Iron Man suit in public appearances.
Meanwhile, Pepper's evolution had been less dramatic. While she had undergone 17 evolutions and become much stronger than an ordinary person, her most significant changes were cosmetic. Her appearance had reverted to how she looked at 20—smooth, glowing skin and an air of youthful confidence that made her even more radiant.
Though rumors were circulating that Pepper had undergone some form of plastic surgery or rejuvenation treatments, the gossip didn't bother her. It was much easier to brush off these rumors than to face the possibility of being seen as an otherworldly anomaly.