Chapter 84

Ethan broke down the treatment plan step by step for Tony, carefully explaining the risks and possible difficulties, as well as his proposed solutions for each issue. After spending hours meticulously going over the details, Tony let Ethan go, opting to organize his thoughts and sort through all the information on his own.

Ethan glanced at the time and realized it was already around seven in the evening.

He had arrived in the morning, returned to the New York Temple to retrieve his materials around noon, and since then had been dragged into Tony's lab for hours of discussions about the treatment. In all that time, he hadn't eaten anything, and the only water he'd had was from the glass he had conjured earlier.

"Should we grab something to eat? Otherwise, we'll probably starve to death before your poisoning kills you," Ethan remarked lightly, trying to add some levity to the situation.

Tony, snapping out of his focused state, looked at the clock and nodded. "You're right. None of this will get solved tonight. Let's eat. And while we're at it, you can explain how you managed that little teleportation trick. Wormholes?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. Tony was clearly still fixated on the teleportation spell. It seemed the spell had left a deeper impression on him than anything else so far.

As a wealthy man, Tony didn't need to concern himself with meal preparation. Without a word, Jarvis had already arranged for a gourmet dinner. A private chef arrived at the villa with fresh ingredients and began cooking on-site. Ethan was left with the simple task of eating.

Midway through the meal, Ethan casually asked, "Shouldn't you inform your friends?"

Tony paused mid-bite, confused. "What?"

Ethan gestured slightly with his fork. "Your friends. Your girlfriend. Have you told anyone about your condition?"

Tony set his utensils down, a faint frown forming on his face. "No, I haven't. There's no point. What can they do? What they don't know won't make them worry unnecessarily."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. He knew Tony wasn't the type to open up easily, but this level of isolation was extreme, even for him. "Look, it's not like this is hopeless anymore. You should let them know. Besides, even if the treatment is successful, you'll need time to recover. You can't exactly keep it a secret. Who's going to handle your company while you're recuperating?"

Tony froze for a moment, clearly not having thought about these practicalities. Before now, he had resigned himself to his grim fate and was almost reveling in the chaos, treating his responsibilities with reckless abandon. But Ethan's words reminded him of what was at stake, and the hope of survival reignited something within him.

"You're right. I'll have to make arrangements."

After finishing their meal, Tony showed Ethan to a guest room. As they walked, Tony muttered, "You should be honored. You're the first man to ever stay in my house. Not even Rhodey gets that privilege."

Ethan smirked. "I'm not sure how I feel about this honor. Maybe I should go find a hotel instead."

"No way! You can't just walk around out there. Who knows what'll happen?"

Tony for all his flamboyant confidence, was keenly aware of how many eyes were on him at all times. Ethan's sudden and extended contact with him hadn't gone unnoticed, and Tony knew that someone, somewhere, might be plotting something. Until the treatment was over, Tony wasn't about to let Ethan wander around unprotected.

Though Tony phrased it lightly, Ethan understood his deeper concern. The inventor didn't want Ethan to feel like he was under house arrest, but keeping him in the villa was the safest option for now. Once Tony recovered, he fully intended to ensure that no one could harm the person who saved his life.

As they settled in, Tony brought up the treatment plan again. "You don't need to worry about setting up that magnetic generator you mentioned earlier. I'll take care of it. Just focus on designing the life-support system you talked about. That's all I need from you."

Tony's confidence in handling the technical aspects himself was reassuring, and Ethan nodded in agreement. "Fine. Start isolating a part of your lab for the setup tomorrow. Once you're ready, I'll begin arranging everything on my end."

"Easy enough!" Tony replied.

"Also," Ethan added, "I need you to procure some high-purity gems."

Tony blinked, momentarily thrown off. "Gems?"

"Yes. Synthetic ones will work, but they need to have excellent purity. Gems are ideal for storing magical energy and will make the process more efficient."

Tony, still processing the request, scratched his head. "Any specific color or type?"

"No, as long as the purity is high. Size doesn't matter much, either."

Tony nodded to indicate his understanding, then asked Ethan if there was anything else he needed. After receiving a negative reply, Tony sighed. "It seems not everyone can be a mage."

Being a mage was indeed an expensive profession. To become one, countless money and resources were needed in the early stages. Even for advanced mages, experimenting with rare materials would always lead to significant waste.

Even a novice mage like Ethan was already consuming a considerable amount of resources on experiments.

After a full night's rest and a simple breakfast the next morning, Tony dragged Ethan to the underground lab, pointing to a section that had been fully isolated. "Is this arrangement okay?"

Ethan glanced at Tony, whose bloodshot eyes revealed he hadn't slept all night. After inspecting the space inside and out, he nodded.

"No problem. I'll start setting everything up."

Tony confirmed, then informed Ethan that the gems he needed would arrive by tomorrow morning at the latest, though a portion might be delivered before noon today. Ethan could choose usable ones first, and if the quantity wasn't enough, Tony would arrange for more to be purchased.

"If that's settled, I'm off to discuss some company work with Pepper. I won't be at home today. If you need anything, just ask Jarvis."

Jarvis was an extremely reliable AI assistant. If Ethan couldn't locate something or needed help navigating Stark's sprawling home, Jarvis could assist. Ethan could even ask Jarvis to order food, scan his measurements for clothing, or handle other trivial matters. Naturally, Tony would cover all costs.

However, Ethan wasn't the type to waste time on trivialities. Once Tony left, Ethan entered the isolated space and began constructing the magic circle he had designed earlier.

This magic circle was the largest and most complex one Ethan had ever attempted. Its primary function was to draw energy from a locked spatial node and convert it into positive attribute energy akin to holy light. This life-infused energy could heal physical injuries. Thus far, Ethan hadn't identified any side effects from the converted energy.

To avoid mishaps, Ethan had specifically consulted the Ancient One to evaluate its safety. The Ancient One confirmed that the energy was indeed effective for healing and carried no apparent side effects. The only shortcoming was its slow recovery rate. For significant wounds, it would take time and consume a considerable amount of energy.

This positive attribute energy, converted from death energy, was not the genuine holy light. If it had been real holy light, the amount of energy Ethan planned to use would have been sufficient to regenerate Tony's chest wound almost instantaneously. In that case, the reactor wouldn't even need to be removed, as the shrapnel would have been expelled naturally during the regenerative process.

Thankfully, alongside the magic circle, Ethan still had an arsenal of recovery potions. By combining multiple methods, even though Tony wouldn't be healed in an instant, Ethan could confidently ensure that within a week, Tony Stark would be fully recovered, as if the injury had never existed.

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