To the right lay a bottomless chasm, where nameless beasts seemed to prowl, claws outstretched in predatory hunger.
To the left stood a living Eden, scattered lights forming constellations of warmth and hope, a defiant glow against the shadows.
Suspended between these realms, Lemu felt an unshakable pull—an unspoken call to action. If he had the power to make even the smallest difference for humanity, perhaps he should.
He might have stopped considering himself human months ago, but he still lived among them. His only connections were to this world and its people.
Protecting the environment he shared with them wasn't just rational—it felt instinctive, like a slime safeguarding its own territory.
Back home, he'd been taught—when poor, focus on self-preservation; when wealthy, consider the greater good.
Those words lingered in his mind.
Looking back, his arrival in this world had been chaotic. Survival had come first, and he'd even contemplated robbing Stark of his arc reactor—killing him if necessary.
At the time, Lemu had nothing. Gambling everything for a single heist and living the rest of his life in luxury seemed like a reasonable plan.
But circumstances changed.
Earth wasn't exactly a peaceful place, and the wider universe was even worse.
Killing Stark might've bought temporary safety, but sooner or later, another threat would've emerged—and Lemu wouldn't have lasted long.
Stark's corpse would probably have dried up and crumbled by now, but Lemu would've followed soon after.
Times had changed. Situations shaped thoughts, and new experiences redefined priorities.
Arriving in the U.S. had shifted everything.
With the Great Sage's help, Lemu had secured overwhelming wealth in an instant.
That moment stripped away all desire to climb the ladder or struggle for survival. Instead, he'd thrown himself into hobbies—building mecha prototypes like Ghost One.
If not for the fact that this world was Marvel—where apocalyptic events seemed to pop up every other year—he might've abandoned all responsibility and simply wandered the globe.
Then there was Stark.
Suspicious of Lemu's origins, he'd insisted Lemu stay at his estate, though his hospitality was underlined by wariness.
Lemu didn't blame him. In Stark's position, he'd have done the same—perhaps even acted more ruthlessly.
To be honest, Stark wasn't a bad guy at all. Not only had he kept Lemu's identity a secret, but he'd also gone out of his way to arrange identification and legal documents for him.
On top of that, Stark had never treated him poorly—good food, comfortable accommodations, and everything else taken care of without complaint.
What made it even better was that the two of them shared a common interest—tinkering with mechas and advanced tech.
Still, living in someone else's house wasn't a long-term plan. Eventually, Lemu would need to build his own villa and move out.
Then there was Pepper, the sharp and capable assistant Stark called "Little Pepper."
She'd been dropping hints about wanting to adopt him. Lemu could feel her sincerity—she was thoughtful and attentive in daily life, and he'd taken note of her kindness.
But adoption? That was a hard pass.
A man born under heaven and earth shouldn't be bound by such labels.
Honestly, it was more about practicality. With wealth and superpowers in hand, he no longer needed to rely on anyone.
If he were still broke and powerless, though… he might have said yes without hesitation.
After all, when it comes to survival, dignity is a luxury. As the saying goes, "A true man knows when to yield and when to stand tall."
And Lemu understood that balance perfectly.
His mentor at Caltech, Professor Emick, was another good person he'd come across.
The professor had recommended excellent research papers and closely followed Lemu's academic progress.
He was more than just a teacher—almost a friend—and had offered plenty of valuable insights.
If only he'd stop nagging about class attendance.
Geniuses aren't exactly known for sticking to schedules.
Lemu was confident he'd ace the exams anyway. Well… unless perfect scores didn't guarantee passing.
Was there something about participation grades?
Whatever. A college experience without at least one failed course wouldn't be complete.
Then there was Obadiah…
On the surface, the guy seemed approachable—almost friendly.
They'd only met once, but his presence left a strong impression.
Still, an enemy was an enemy.
Wait. Since when did Lemu start categorizing himself as part of Stark's camp?
Regardless, Obadiah was a ruthless schemer—a man who left no line uncrossed to achieve his goals.
When the time came, Lemu figured prison—or the grave—would suit him better than freedom.
But there was something else that had been bothering him lately.
Stark had shown him a photo—one that featured a girl who looked almost identical to him.
Lemu couldn't shake the feeling that she was connected to him somehow.
A clone? A blood relative? A split personality? Or maybe a counterpart from a parallel universe?
…Perhaps, someday in the future, he might meet her again.
"Hey! How about a race to see who can fly higher? Come on!"
Tony Stark's voice suddenly came through the comms, interrupting Lemu's thoughts.
There was a childlike excitement and smugness in his tone—sometimes, this guy's personality really was quite straightforward.
Lemu's Ghost-1 abruptly tilted upward, shooting into the sky and leaving behind two blazing trails of fire.
"Three, two, one—go!"
By the time Lemu counted down to one, Stark finally reacted. His Mark II began climbing fast, trying to catch up.
"Hey! Did you see that, J.A.R.V.I.S.?" Stark's indignant shout echoed through the comms. "That guy jumped at the start! Let's catch up and leave him in the dust!"
"As you wish, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied calmly.
The two suits quickly broke the sound barrier, creating twin sonic booms before stabilizing just above Mach 2.
Lemu's Ghost-1, however, was designed with a plasma booster mounted on its back—something the Mark II lacked entirely.
The moment Lemu engaged the booster, the gap between them began to widen.
He wasn't sure how long they had been flying, but when Lemu glanced back, Stark was nowhere in sight.