Tony had already started to imagine it—the taste of a fresh, juicy burger from his favorite restaurant. The crisp lettuce, the melted cheese, the perfectly seasoned beef patty—all of it felt like a distant dream he might never experience again.
But now… now, it seemed that Lady Luck still favored him.
The thought alone brought a small smirk to his face, but before he could fully enjoy his little fantasy, the sound of hurried, heavy footsteps echoed through the cave.
The moment of peace shattered.
Reality came crashing down once again, pulling him back to the present situation.
Tony Stark, who had been momentarily distracted by his own hopes of freedom, instantly became alert. He knew what was coming. The terrorists who held them captive weren't going to let them just sit around and have a friendly chat.
But even in the face of this, there was no doubt in Tony's mind—none at all—that the man standing before him, could deal with those thugs effortlessly.
After all, he had just fallen from the sky, at a speed unimaginable to him.
And more importantly, there should not be any weapon on Earth that could possibly harm him.
You know, nothing with mass can travel at or exceed the speed of light, so whatever this guy did to achieve his light speed, completely out of reach for earth now.
Even most advance weapons, will likely no use to him, let alone these poor bastards.
Even if his strength wasn't as overwhelming, he should still be more than capable of handling a few armed militants.
If this guy isn't invincible, then no one is, capable traveling to that speed, with your body like hacking in real life.
But that wasn't the case for Tony.
He was just a normal dude.
A stray bullet, an explosion's aftermath, even a bad fall—any of it could end his life right here, right now. And no matter how much he wanted to trust in this new wildcard, his survival instincts were screaming at him.
He needed to get out of here.
Quickly stepping forward, he extended his hand toward Eric. His expression was serious, his tone carrying an urgency that only a man in his position could understand.
"Hey, my name is Tony Stark. And that guy over there is Ethan—he's, my friend."
Tony took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool despite the rising tension. "If you can get us out of here, I can promise you anything in my power. Money, resources, connections—you name it."
Eric raised an eyebrow at the introduction but didn't seem particularly interested in the offer.
"Eric William," he replied simply, crossing his arms. "Anyway, I'm heading to New York, so just wait here. I just got back; I need a moment to adjust to this place."
[Image]
As he spoke, his perception quietly expanded, stretching far beyond the confines of the cave.
And in that instant—
He saw everything.
The entire Earth was laid bare before him.
From the celestial being slumbering deep within the planet's core to the hidden sanctuaries of Kamar-Taj nestled within the Himalayas—nothing escaped his awareness.
The world was vast, intricate, and filled with powerful beings. Interesting.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Tony quickly scrambled to find cover.
Ethan, being the more practical of the two, quickly hid behind the furnace. It wasn't the best hiding spot, but at least it provided some protection.
Tony, on the other hand, had a bit more trouble.
He looked around, scanning for a decent place to hide. But to his frustration, there was nothing. Every possible hiding spot left him exposed to the cave entrance, where their captors were bound to storm in, and all the sturdy thing was blown away, when this guy enter the cave.
With no other choice, he found himself crawling behind a small crack in cave—a flimsy structure that was barely standing on solid ground.
And now…
Now he was stuck.
Upside down.
In the worst position imaginable.
He was wedged into a ridiculously small space that could barely fit a child, let alone a full-grown man like him. And to make matters worse, his ass was hanging out.
If a bullet came flying in right now, there was a very good chance it would hit him right in the backside.
Great. Just great.
Seeing Tony's utterly pathetic hiding spot, Eric nearly burst into laughter.
This guy… is supposed to be a genius?
But he didn't dwell on it for too long. To him, this situation was like a low level dungeon. There was no need to worry—those terrorists wouldn't even get the chance to enter the room before the whole thing got cleared.
From behind his poorly chosen cover, Tony's voice rang out, dripping with his usual arrogance.
"Don't worry, kid. Consider this a guarantee from Tony Stark himself—you can pick anyone in Hollywood for your first time. Man or woman, doesn't matter."
He barely managed to squeeze the words out as he struggled to pull himself further into the gap.
Hearing this, Eric's face twitched.
A hashtag practically formed in his mind.
This annoying bastard…
It seemed that no matter the situation, Tony Stark's mouth remained unchanged.
He ignored him.
He had more important things to think about.
After spending a whole year in another world—a world of endless battles, where life and death were decided in the blink of an eye—the only thing he wanted now was to go home.
To see his mother again.
To return to his normal life.
Beside him, Ethan remained silent, watching him. he heard Eric speaking, his tone changed—colder, more detached.
And Ethan felt it.
The moment Eric uttered his next words, an uneasy feeling crept into his heart.
It was subtle at first, like a whisper at the back of his mind. But it grew.
And before he even realized it, his body instinctively wanted to close his eyes—his mind urging him to not witness what was about to unfold.
Yet, he fought against that instinct.
He had lost everything—his family, his home. He had already seen the worst that humanity had to offer.
He wanted to see whatever was coming next, his curiosity at his peck
Then—
Eric spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed through the cave, carrying a weight far greater than volume alone could provide.
"Berru."
The name alone sent a strange shiver through Ethan's spine.
"Go kill those guys. And make it quick."
His tone was calm—too calm.
Before his reincarnation, Eric had been an ordinary man. Even after reincarnation, he had been born into a peaceful country and raised in a loving family.
Killing?
Fighting?
Those were things he had never needed to do.
But in that other world…
That hellish world where death lurked around every corner…
He had learned.
He had fought in wars. He had faced death countless times.
And he had changed.
For him, killing these men was no different from slaying monsters.
Even if they had been innocent, it wouldn't have mattered.
Because that world had taught him a truth—
Kindness is a luxury only the powerful can afford, and he is not powerful enough, not at least in the marvel universe.
"Will they join us?" Berru's voice carried a strange anticipation.
"No. they will be just an eyesore, so Just go crazy."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Though there was a hint of disappointment in Berru's tone, it was quickly replaced with excitement.
Eric smirked slightly.
"Don't worry. There are plenty of strong beings in this world. You'll have your fun later."
Berru's heart swelled with gratitude.
To him, his king was infinitely kind—always considering his desires.
To Ethan, however…
There was no kindness here.
Only something cold. Unfeeling. he felt creepy just looking at it.
Before he could process his thoughts further—
The metal doors were kicked open.
More than ten armed men stormed in, shouting in Arabic, rifles raised.
And then—
A shadow flashed.
Before they could even react—
Slice.
Their bodies were severed into three parts.
Before blood could splatter—before their corpses even hit the ground—
A gust of wind blew the remains toward the entrance, the sound of splashing liquid echoing in the cave.
The last soldier, who had entered late, froze.
He saw it.
The towering, ant-headed monster standing beside a human.
His heart raced to its limit.
He knew—
He was already dead.