"What about Tony Stark, Iron Man?" Luo Chen asked tentatively.
In his mind, it felt like thousands of muddy horses were galloping past. This bizarre timeline was becoming more and more unfamiliar to him.
First, there was the existence of Spider-Woman Gwen, and now the inexplicable appearance of Tony Stark as Iron Man. This was clearly a sign that things had gone out of control.
As a time traveler, what was his greatest advantage?
Naturally, it was prophecy!
But now, everything seemed completely beyond his understanding. The people were still the same, but the events were entirely different.
Even in his previous life, it would have been impossible for him to read every version of the Marvel comics and films. He had only seen the more influential and mainstream ones.
Perhaps this Tony Stark was from a different version altogether?
Luo Chen's mind was in a state of turmoil.
"Yes, I'm Iron Man, Tony Stark!" Tony grinned, clearly enjoying the shock he saw on Luo Chen's face. It was a refreshing change for him after all the pressure Luo Chen's diary had put on him.
For a long time, the diary had weighed heavily on him, but now, it was amusing to see Luo Chen so surprised.
"There's no way, this has to be the version of Robert Downey Jr.!" Luo Chen thought to himself, recalling a time when Hollywood had made a version of Iron Man that could be considered Marvel's black history.
In that era, special effects were underdeveloped, leading to some superhero adaptations that had become laughable by modern standards. One example was the infamous "400 Aunts," which was the dark history of Spider-Man.
Tony Stark's expression shifted slightly as he overheard what Luo Chen had hinted at. While he had suspected there were different versions of himself across parallel universes, the revelation still made him uneasy.
"Why can you fly?" Tony asked, his curiosity piqued.
From both the diary and the information he had gathered, Luo Chen couldn't fly—at least, he hadn't shown any such abilities before. Now, seeing him soar in mid-air, Tony was baffled.
"Humans can fly, so it makes sense!" Luo Chen answered with a slight grin, glancing at the Mark II armor in front of him. The man inside was none other than the king of Marvel, Tony Stark.
He couldn't resist making a joke. "Don't you also fly?"
Tony Stark nearly fainted at the response. It seemed completely illogical to say that human beings could fly.
"That's not funny at all!" Tony Stark muttered, clearly frustrated. "I rely on the flight systems in the armor. What about you? What ability do you rely on? Normally, no human can fly!"
"Humans can't fly? That's because you haven't seen enough," Luo Chen said with a smile. "There are plenty of people in the world who can fly, and some even travel between the stars physically!"
"What? You're saying someone can physically travel across the stars?" Tony asked in disbelief.
Luo Chen's ability to fly was already outrageous, but now he was claiming that others could physically travel between the stars?
Was that still considered human?
Just traveling between space and Earth with a physical body would expose someone to immense pressure, friction, and injury. To travel across the stars was a completely different concept.
The environment on Earth, harsh as it can be, was nothing compared to the unforgiving conditions of space. Even the most extreme environments on Earth, like polar glaciers, were nothing in comparison to the challenges posed by space.
"Iron Man, you know so little!" Luo Chen smiled slightly. Compared to these locals, his greatest advantage was simply his broader knowledge.
Of course, he had no idea that his diary had been thoroughly researched.
"What's your name?" Tony asked.
He certainly knew Luo Chen's name, but he couldn't say it. If he did, things would get complicated.
Even when pretending, he had to keep up the act. This was an opportunity for him to test out the Mark II, including its flight capabilities, maneuverability, and weapon systems.
He hadn't expected to encounter Luo Chen here. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It also confirmed for him that the purpose of the diary wasn't to keep people from getting close to Luo Chen, but rather to prevent them from mentioning the diary in front of him.
Whenever anyone tried to bring it up, they'd immediately feel a terrible headache and could no longer speak.
As long as the diary wasn't discussed, though, everything seemed fine. This gave Tony a loophole he hoped to exploit.
"Want to know my name?" Luo Chen grinned. "Let's see how fast your Mark armor is. If you're faster than me, I'll tell you my name!"
"Okay, it's a deal!" Tony Stark said proudly, not believing for a second that the Mark II he'd created wouldn't be faster than Luo Chen.
Without another word, Luo Chen's figure vanished in an instant. He shot through the air, tearing through the clouds.
"Chase him!" Tony yelled, immediately taking off after him.
At first, Tony thought that even if Luo Chen could fly, his speed would be nothing special. But he quickly realized his mistake—he couldn't catch up with Luo Chen at all.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., measure his speed!" Tony commanded urgently.
"Understood, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded. "Based on his flight trajectory, his speed is at least twice the speed of sound!"
"This kid... is he even human?" Tony Stark was speechless.
The top speed of the Mark II was around the speed of sound. It wasn't that he couldn't make a faster suit, or that the nuclear fusion reactor couldn't provide the necessary power.
The issue was that no human body could withstand such speeds.
Unless the vehicle was unmanned, any pilot would face the problem of overload. If they flew too fast, they would black out on the spot.
So, that speed was irrelevant for Tony Stark.
After all, he was only enhanced in battle armor; his own physical fitness wasn't extraordinary. He wasn't in as good condition as a typical test pilot, and now he was facing someone like Luo Chen.
Even at the speed of sound, Tony's suit would struggle to keep up, but Luo Chen was effortlessly flying at supersonic speeds—perhaps even twice the speed of sound.
It was clear that they were not in the same league.
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