Chapter 206
Just as Ivan Vanko's corpse fell deep within the Oddball's body.
When flesh and soul were about to be broken down into the most basic particles to become a building block of a fortress.
A chilling wind blew over Eren's body from nowhere. Following that, a layer of gray-black mist suddenly appeared out of thin air, enveloping the Oddball.
The moment the gray-black mist rose, an indescribable, terrifying aura swept over.
The intangible pressure made Eren's breathing hitch, and his expression grew more solemn than ever before.
"This aura..."
As the black mist, carried by the ominous wind, appeared before him, that familiar, dreadful aura instantly brought Eren back to the encounter he had outside Tony Stark's mansion after killing Obadiah.
The same aura, the same... terror.
But back then, his back was turned to Obadiah. Although he sensed the horror behind him, he did not see what happened to Obadiah with his own eyes.
This time, however, he was witnessing this terror firsthand.
It was a shudder that rose from the depths of his soul—an unspeakable terror.
Vaguely.
Eren seemed to "see" deep within the gray-black mist before him, a terrifying gaze silently and invisibly landing upon him.
Under that gaze.
Eren's exposed skin began sprouting dense, dark-red fur, and beneath the fur, strands of grayish-white flesh were constantly wriggling. Even worse, a crack silently appeared at the center of Eren's forehead, and an indescribably evil aura quickly spread from within that crack...
In just one breath, Eren's body underwent a horrific mutation under that indescribable gaze.
And this mutation continued to spread across Eren's body at an even more terrifying speed.
If anyone were to see this eerie scene, they would undoubtedly feel their blood run cold and their hair stand on end. Those with weaker minds might even lose their sanity under this bizarre corruption.
Just being watched by that strange gaze was enough to cause signs of losing control within Eren's body, despite him having advanced to the rank of "Magician."
This alone proved how terrifying the gray-black mist before him was.
And if Eren's body began mutating just from being looked at by the gaze within the gray-black mist, then what kind of experience was the Oddball, currently enveloped by the mist, going through?
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The gray-black mist was so terrifying that Eren feared that if he looked too deeply into it, he might catch a glimpse of some indescribable existence. Therefore, he dared not cast even the slightest glance into the depths of the mist.
For this reason.
At this moment, Eren had no idea that despite the risk of losing control, the Oddball he was worried about was feeling rather... comfortable.
Unexpectedly.
Despite being wrapped in the black mist, the Oddball was not harmed at all.
On the contrary, it seemed to be thriving, like a fish in water, looking exceptionally cheerful.
Specks of gray-black mist continuously merged into the Oddball's body under some unknown power, causing its garbage-can-like body to undergo some kind of unknown transformation.
At the same time as the Oddball's body changed.
Ivan Vanko's body, which had been swallowed by the Oddball, was instantly burned to ashes by some unknown force.
The moment his body was burned, Ivan Vanko's soul, filled with obsession and unwillingness, seemed to be nourished by some unknown force, twisting and growing strands of gray-black...
Before this distorted soul could fully transform, a sinister wind swept it up from within the Oddball's stomach, dragging it into the depths of the gray-black mist.
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The gray-black mist came quickly and left just as fast.
After dragging away Ivan Vanko's twisted soul, it disappeared strangely and without a trace right before Eren's eyes.
Eren, who had been watching the entire time, did not even realize how the gray-black mist vanished.
If not for his nearly out-of-control body and the now considerably slimmer Oddball that had absorbed the gray-black mist, it would seem as if the gray-black mist had never appeared at all.
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A cold wind blew by.
After the gray-black mist had dispersed.
Eren, who was only two or three steps away from losing control, took several deep, heavy breaths. Through the mental will of the Meditation Realm, he forcibly consolidated his mind, which was turning toward madness and chaos, and then stumbled backward, collapsing onto the bloodstained, tattered sofa that bore traces of Tony Stark's blood.
Sitting on the sofa, Eren quickly closed his eyes.
He began visualizing the "Brain of the Universe."
Through the meditation technique of the Brain of the Universe, Eren continuously modified and purified his chaotic and twisted spirituality, suppressing the signs of losing control over his own body.
As the meditation technique continued to operate and Eren's consciousness corrected itself.
About ten minutes later, the gray-white flesh buds and dense dark-red fur that had grown on his body gradually receded, slowly merging back into Eren's flesh.
However, the evil crack at the center of Eren's forehead, which seemed to be nurturing something, remained steadfast and unmoving.
The crack at the center of his forehead continuously released an evil aura, resisting Eren's efforts to correct himself.
Just as Eren's willpower clashed against the crack that was nurturing some unknown evil.
The trace of "Purifying Light" that Eren had not completely exhausted before and which had instead merged into his body, suddenly surged out from his heart and swiftly flowed toward the crack at the center of his forehead.
The moment the Purifying Light touched the crack on Eren's forehead, a powerful cleansing aura erupted.
Purify...
Purify, purify...
Holy radiance shone.
Under the illumination of that sacred Purifying Light, the crack on Eren's forehead was severely damaged and could not sustain itself. After less than a second of resistance, it melted away like ice under the sun.
With the evil aura dissipated, the crack at the center of Eren's forehead also slowly healed under Eren's control.
Once the eerie crack on his forehead was fully healed, Eren slowly opened his eyes, his face filled with exhaustion.
"Hah!"
Letting out a deep breath, Eren slowly sat up from the sofa.
He stretched out his hands and looked at his palms, the flesh beneath the skin seeming to squirm slightly.
A bitter smile appeared on Eren's face.
This... really was trouble that came out of nowhere.
In the dead of night.
Not only was he bombarded by someone knocking at his door like a madman, but just after dealing with one enemy, he had to encounter this damned, unreasonable gray-black mist.
If that gray-black mist hadn't dispersed quickly...
Eren might have completely lost control under that vague, terrifying gaze within the mist.
Even now, though he had barely managed to "correct" the twisted thoughts and spirituality within his body, it would likely take at least ten days or half a month for him to fully return to normal.
And if it weren't for that trace of Purifying Light erupting to help him purify the evil eye that was growing at the center of his forehead, forget ten days or half a month—
Relying solely on himself, it might take Eren months to suppress the loss of control within his body, and there was even the possibility of being further affected by that corruption.
Suffering such an ordeal out of nowhere.
At this moment, Eren's mood was extremely foul.
If it weren't for the thousand Fate Points he gained from killing Ivan Vanko, his expression would have been even darker.
Wait!
Oddball...
Suppressing the twisted and chaotic spirituality and will within him, Eren's rationality finally returned, and he instantly remembered the Oddball that had been shrouded by the gray-black mist.
Before Eren could even glance at the place where the Oddball had been covered, a wet, slimy tongue carefully stretched towards Eren's exhausted face.
"Hm?"
"Wait, don't lick my face..."
He called out instinctively, and just as he caught a glimpse of the Oddball poking out beside him from the corner of his eye, the tension in his heart slowly eased.
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"It's fine, that's good."
After communicating with the Oddball, Eren's expression became strange.
From their interaction, he learned that...
The gray-black mist that nearly drove him insane just by standing outside of it didn't harm the Oddball at all. Instead, it seemed to benefit from it quite a bit.
Looking at the Oddball's noticeably slimmer body, along with the two whip-like appendages waving through the air from its sides...
Eren silently shook his head.
Comparisons truly are odious.
According to the Oddball, the gray-black mist not only enhanced its various abilities but also helped it absorb the energy whips from Vanko's whiplash and merge them into its own body.
Yes.
Those two whip-like limbs growing from either side of the Oddball's body.
Although they looked nothing like the energy whips Ivan Vanko wielded, if the Oddball wanted to, it could unleash the same kind of power and destruction as those energy whips.
Moreover, the length of these two whips could continuously extend according to the Oddball's strength.
Currently, if the Oddball exerted itself fully, those two arms could even reach around the entire outside of the house.
In other words, not only did the Oddball gain two new arms, but the energy whips greatly enriched its offensive capabilities, significantly boosting its overall strength.
Even the house under Eren's feet seemed to have received some unknown benefit from that gray-black mist.
Thinking it over.
Eren concluded that the gray-black mist's favorable treatment of the Oddball likely had something to do with the original imprint it was born with.
That original imprint originated from a mark of an Evil God.
Speaking of which, the Oddball's birth was inseparable from that Evil God's mark.
And Evil Gods were always strange and terrifying beings.
Who knew if the gray-black mist that had appeared and disappeared just now was related to the Evil God connected to the Oddball's origin mark?
Maybe that gray-black mist "took care of" the Oddball because it recognized something.
Of course.
This was just Eren's guess.
As for the real truth, only the gray-black mist itself would know.
This time.
It was obvious that the gray-black mist was targeting the dead Ivan Vanko.
Although Eren had blown Vanko's head off, according to the Oddball, Vanko's flesh and soul were still taken away by the gray-black mist.
Speaking of which, when Eren killed Obadiah before, the gray-black mist had also taken his soul, turning him into a stronger Iron Monger than in the original story.
Could it be the same this time?
Was Ivan Vanko going to be transformed into some unknown existence by whatever being lurked within that gray-black mist?
Thinking of this, Eren's expression changed.
If that was the case, then Tony Stark's danger was far from over.
But speaking of which...
Why was it always Tony Stark?
Obadiah was Stark's destined adversary, and now Ivan Vanko was too. Was there something special about all of Stark's enemies?
Or was there something strange about Tony himself that made the gray-black mist give special treatment to his enemies?
Although he couldn't figure it out, for Pepper's sake, Eren decided he would warn Tony Stark later.
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After resting on the sofa for a few more minutes and finally catching his breath, Eren headed towards the basement.
Since the Vanko who came after Tony had already been killed, there was no need for Pepper and the others to stay in the basement any longer.
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At the same time that Eren was dealing with the Ivan who attacked Tony...
In a dilapidated apartment building with decor styled after the 1930s and 40s.
Steve stared with a grim expression at the ten bugs and three miniature cameras spread out on the table before him.
(End of Chapter)
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