Chapter 107. The Emergence of a New Villain

"You should deal with the problem in your chest first, and then think about learning magic, Tony," Noah said, pointing at the glowing metal device on Tony's chest. "Why haven't you removed those shards yet?"

Tony ran his hand over the cool arc reactor on his chest. The cold metal constantly reminded him that shards of a missile were lodged near his heart, ready to kill him at any moment. These shards remained in his chest after the attack in Afghanistan, where he was testing new weapons. A missile bearing the Stark Industries logo exploded near him, and its fragments pierced his chest.

When he was captured by terrorists, Dr. Ho Yinsen, his fellow captive, managed to remove most of the shrapnel, but some pieces were too deep. Under those conditions, they couldn't be completely removed, so the remaining fragments were still in his body. Tony used the arc reactor to keep these shards from migrating closer to his heart.

"How did you know I have shrapnel in my chest?" Tony asked, slightly surprised, as he hadn't told anyone about it except for his closest confidantes, like Pepper.

"Magic allows me to see everything around me," Noah replied, demonstrating glowing blue streams of magic that captivated Tony's gaze.

After his words, Tony instinctively covered his groin, protecting his intimate area. Seeing his action, Noah frowned.

"I'm not interested in men's bodies, so please refrain from such gestures," Noah said with evident disgust. He couldn't see through walls, but magic allowed him to sense everything around him, and if he wanted to, he could even perceive the shape of objects.

Tony shrugged, then relaxed again, assuming his usual posture, and said,

"I'm fine now. Thanks to this reactor, the shrapnel doesn't threaten my life."

He tapped his finger on the metal surface of the arc reactor, producing a light metallic sound.

"Are you afraid the surgery will fail, and you'll die?"

"What? Of course not! I'm Iron Man, am I supposed to be scared of something like that?"

Of course, Tony couldn't admit his fears, especially to Noah, who was only a sixteen-year-old boy.

"Alright. I just wanted to say that if you do decide to have surgery, I recommend a surgeon named Stephen Strange. With his skills, removing all the shrapnel without harming your heart wouldn't be a problem."

Stephen Strange was the future Doctor Strange, who, before becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, was a brilliant, albeit arrogant, surgeon. In medical circles, he was even called "God's gift to surgery," which spoke volumes about his exceptional abilities.

In the future, he would be the victim of a car accident that would severely damage his hands. For a surgeon, this was equivalent to a death sentence, so it was important to remember: no matter how expensive your car is, if you drive recklessly, it can still lead to tragedy.

But at this point, he hadn't had the accident yet and remained the same arrogant and brilliant doctor, so Tony still had time to undergo the surgery.

"Who is that? The name sounds familiar."

Although Strange was renowned in medical circles, Tony was far removed from that field, so he only vaguely remembered the name.

"Can't you use your magic to heal me?" Tony inquired.

"In principle, I can. I would use my magic to extract your heart along with the shrapnel, and then make you grow a new heart," Noah replied, creating a magical scalpel in the air and jokingly pointing it at Tony's chest.

"No-no, thank you, I'd rather find a doctor myself," the thought of such an operation sent shivers down Tony's spine.

However, Noah's words weren't entirely a joke. If he truly undertook his treatment, he could do what he described. Using the power of the Resolve rune, he could make a new heart grow.

"Well, alright. If you decide to have surgery, call me. If it goes wrong, I can save you," he said, opening a blue portal.

"I'll be going, see you later," he waved and stepped into the portal.

Tony was left alone in the living room, thoughtfully rubbing the arc reactor on his chest.

...

Meanwhile, at a military facility in New Mexico, General Ross was in his office, furious.

"You found nothing?! That's your answer after all these days?! What are you even doing there?!" he yelled into the phone.

Several days had passed since Bruce Banner escaped, and General Ross had sent numerous squads to search for him. But all efforts were in vain; there was no trace of their target. This enraged the general, and his actions became so aggressive that the higher-ups began to express their displeasure.

"Increase the number of personnel! We have to find him!" Ross slammed the phone down, ending the conversation.

The room was dimly lit, as the lights were off, but even in this dimness, the red veins in the general's eyes were visible. It was the result of chronic sleep deprivation caused by stress and anger. Clearly, his recent state of mind was far from calm.

"It seems our General Ross is in a foul mood."

At that moment, the office door quietly opened, and a figure appeared in the doorway. Due to the shadows, Ross couldn't make out the newcomer's face, but he was certain it wasn't one of his subordinates.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Ross asked, cautiously reaching for the gun under his desk.

"General Ross, don't make any sudden moves. I come with no ill intentions, only to offer you a collaboration," the stranger said, as if aware of his intentions. Then he took a few steps forward, emerging from the shadows so the general could see him.

"Seeing me like this, haven't you guessed?" the creature with an oversized head spread its arms, addressing General Ross.

"Hulk... Who are you?"

"I am now called The Leader, but you once knew me as Samuel Sterns."

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