The next day, Tony hosted a grand celebratory banquet, bringing a lot of excitement to the entire Void Island.
Many people soon learned the main reason behind Tony Stark's celebration: he had successfully developed a brand-new gravity device.
It was clear that Tony Stark was about to start making serious money.
While others were still trying to figure out what jobs would earn them more to improve their lives, Tony Stark had already ventured into the weapons trade.
Even the civilian-grade gravity devices available on the market were mostly used for self-defense—things like setting traps or preventing dangerous incidents.
Many bounty hunters made rudimentary gravity devices, but someone who could create cutting-edge models suitable for interstellar spacecraft and battleships was an invaluable talent across the universe's many planets.
Large corporations would go to great lengths to keep such talent, sparing no expense and treating them well to prevent them from jumping ship. Often, people in those positions spend their entire careers with a single company.
But Tony Stark? He went ahead and independently developed a device that could now be bought on the open market.
This kind of remarkable talent earned him deep respect from many members of the Void Church.
Of course, the admiration was partly due to Tony's promise that he would periodically treat them to feasts.
Tony knew exactly what they were thinking, but he didn't mind.
Money had never been a concern for him in all his years of life. As long as it could be solved with money, it wasn't a problem.
Five days passed.
Around noon, sixteen different models of interstellar aircraft performed a dazzling spiral maneuver before landing smoothly in an open area on the island.
These visitors wanted to inspect the samples, so naturally, they brought their spacecraft to run some tests.
If the performance of these samples truly surpassed expectations and the cost was lower, no one would hesitate to place orders right on the spot.
The arrival of so many aircraft attracted the attention of many Void Church members on the island.
As they looked at the insignia on these ships, they recognized representatives from several major corporations.
Oddly enough, however, not a single ship bore the markings of the Nova Corps.
Kael, Reno, and the Seer had just returned from completing a bounty mission a few days prior.
The three of them were currently enjoying a feast in the island's restaurant.
Two gorgeous women with curvaceous figures sat on either side of Kael, lovingly feeding him.
Both women were tall, about 5'7", which was quite striking for females, yet they seemed petite and dainty next to Kael.
But at that moment, the sounds of thrusters filled the air, and Kael, Reno, and the Seer all stood up immediately.
"Those must be here for Tony's gravity devices."
"Tony's reputation can't have spread that far already. How did these big companies even know to come?"
"Tony mentioned before that Sonia was handling the negotiations."
"Sonia? No wonder. With her connections, it makes sense."
"Should we go check it out?"
"Let's go."
The three exchanged a few words and noticed that many other members of the Void Church were also heading toward the ships to see what was happening.
Without warning, Reno vanished in a flash.
"Ladies, wait for me to get back," Kael said with a grin as he grabbed the Seer, tossing him over his shoulder. Just before leaving, he blew a kiss to the woman who had been feeding him.
With a powerful push of his legs, Kael rocketed forward like a missile.
"Damn you! I'm still on your back, you could've at least given me a warning!" the Seer cursed as he nearly got thrown off by the sudden movement.
"Hahaha! Almost forgot about you!" Kael laughed, showing no signs of apology.
"What's happening?"
A shadow streaked across the ground at high speed, quickly closing in behind Kael as a voice called out.
"Kael's trying to impress the ladies and nearly flung me off in the process. I'm still giving him hell for it," the Seer grumbled, glancing back at the figure chasing them.
It was Lacey, dressed in tight black combat gear that highlighted her impressive physique.
"Lacey, girl, you've gotten even faster," Kael commented, turning his head to acknowledge her as she caught up.
"If you trained as hard as she does, you could be just as fast," the Seer retorted, giving Kael a knock on the head.
"I tried, but I just can't keep up."
"We've got plenty of time; there's no rush," Kael said, shrugging. "Lacey, you should ease up a bit. You're already incredibly strong."
Lacey was, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with. After learning from Tony Stark that she could absorb various materials, she took the bold step of absorbing minerals. She even ventured into the ocean to test herself in harsh environments, evolving 147 times in just six months.
Though her evolution had slowed, her strength had increased dramatically.
Hearing about Lacey's rapid progress, Kael and the others had tried to emulate her by consuming large quantities of materials. While they did manage to evolve a few times, the aftermath—an entire week of being unable to eat or even drink without feeling nauseous—almost drove them mad.
"I know. That's why I was just relaxing in the restaurant earlier," Lacey replied with a small smile.
Absorbing various minerals accelerated her evolution, but the process was grueling.
Though not overwhelmingly powerful, Lacey was now strong enough to take on second-level bounty missions and earn money with ease.
She had completely left behind her past life, where she relied on her body to make ends meet. It was all thanks to the blessings Kassadin had bestowed upon her.
Now that she had more freedom, Lacey had begun to slow down, enjoying fine food and a more comfortable life.
And it wasn't just Lacey who had changed. Kael and the others had also grown immensely. Their strength had skyrocketed compared to the past.
The three of them working together on third-level bounty missions had made quite a name for themselves in the bounty-hunting world.
"Good to hear. We've got many years ahead of us," Kael said, his tone light. "With longevity comes the need to enjoy life. What's the point of living forever if you don't have any fun?"
The members of the Void Church were now all highly capable. As they leaped from tree to tree in the surrounding forest, it made for an impressive sight.
Hundreds of people moved swiftly, hiding in the woods near the open space, eager to observe what was happening.
They saw Sonia and Tony Stark meeting with the visitors and perked up, straining their ears to eavesdrop on the conversation.