Chapter 47

Abel poured the sticky amber potion from the cauldron into the glass and placed it in front of Tony.

"The brewing of potions requires magic to guide them, and sometimes even wands. That's why ordinary people can't replicate potions; without magical energy, making a true potion is impossible, even if all the materials are laid out before you."

"Fortunately, we have enough materials. After two failures, we finally brewed a successful batch. You can drink the potion now."

When the potion was ready, Tony seemed filled with anticipation. However, upon seeing it placed in front of him, he hesitated, blinking at Abel.

"Uh, has this thing been tested?"

Abel shot Tony a flat stare and reached out to reclaim the potion.

As soon as he moved, Tony quickly stopped him, flashing a dry smile. "Just kidding! I'll drink it now."

He raised the glass to his mouth, taking a moment to sniff the potion, which resembled apple juice, but he still hesitated to drink.

"Abel, are you sure this thing is harmless? I mean, no serious side effects or anything?"

"Stop worrying. If there were a problem, I wouldn't let you drink it. Just drink it already."

With a shrug, Tony bravely drank the potion. However, as soon as he swallowed, he felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. In that moment, Abel stepped forward and covered Tony's mouth, helping him drink it down.

Once he finished, Tony's face twisted in disgust. He hurried to the bar, grabbing a bottle of expensive red wine and gulping it down as if rinsing his mouth.

"Abel, the taste of this potion is absolutely horrendous! It looks pretty, it smells nice, but it tastes like a rotten corpse mixed with smelly socks, shit, and skunk! Are you sure this is a potion and not some kind of scam?"

"The smell of potions is usually unpleasant, but what you're describing is quite rare. You could say your luck is exceptional. The potion you received is an improvement over the original; the effects are largely the same, but the flavor has changed due to different materials."

"This potion won't completely solve my palladium poisoning problem, but it can slow down its spread and minimize my discomfort. I just don't know how long its effects will last. If I have to drink it every day, I'd rather just die."

"I won't make you drink it daily. According to my calculations, its effects should last about six months. However, as you take it more often, your body will become resistant. It might delay the effects for about five years at most. After that, if you haven't found a new element to replace the palladium, you'll still be in trouble."

"But I've tried all the elements, and I can't find a substitute for palladium."

Abel smiled at Tony. "Since you can't find a new element to replace palladium, why don't you try creating one yourself? Or, more accurately, discovering a new element. For you, that shouldn't be impossible, right? You are Tony Stark."

Tony looked up at Abel, exhaling deeply. A smile spread across his face. "Abel, I didn't know you held me in such high regard."

Abel's expression turned exasperated. 

Seeing Abel's reaction, Tony laughed and stood up. "Abel, my friend, don't be shy! Honestly, there's no shame in worshipping me. Many people do; you're just one of them. Oh, by the way, do you want my signature?"

"Tony, you really should reflect on why you're so narcissistic. Well, I'll help you with that; otherwise, you might never feel at ease."

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Abel swiftly drew his wand and cast a spell, shooting a beam of white light at Tony, leaving him frozen in place. Though he could still see and hear, he couldn't move his body.

Amused by Tony's predicament, Abel found a pen in the room and wrote "Tony Shiva" on Tony's forehead, adding that he would return to normal in ten minutes. Smiling at his friend, he turned around and opened a portal, leaving the room.

About ten minutes later, Tony's body suddenly regained movement. He rushed into the bathroom and looked at the words written on his forehead in the mirror. Shaking his head and chuckling, he used a towel and water to wash the ink away before standing up.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, he opened his shirt to inspect the gray line that had shrunk to the arc reactor near his chest. He realized that the potion Abel had provided was indeed working; for at least five years, he didn't have to worry about dying unexpectedly.

Just five years. It would still be a challenge to find a new element. He pondered for a moment before deciding to stick to his original plan: entrusting Stark Industries to Pepper and passing his Iron Man armor to his best friend, Rhodey.

In those five years, he would devote most of his energy to researching and discovering new elements. He simply wouldn't have the time to manage Stark Industries or the Iron Man armor, so there was no reason to change his plans.

Additionally, Tony had another idea. Since there was magic in this world, was it possible to use related magic as a new energy source for his arc reactor?

If that were the case, he wouldn't have to waste time searching for new elements.

Before pursuing this, Tony felt he needed to build a solid relationship with Abel, so he could enlist Abel's help regarding magical energy. Five years might not seem long, but for what Tony wanted to accomplish, it certainly wasn't much time.