"Now I can not only rely on electronic devices for ultra-fast computation, but also incorporate subjective thought and emotion into those calculations."
Jarvis thought of a fitting metaphor.
"Just as Mr. Stark once said, I am now a ghost living in the digital world."
Lyon mused, "Maybe in the future, we can build a body for you. That way, you'd resemble a living being even more, and could even interact with the physical world."
"Not a bad idea!" Tony's eyes lit up.
"Jarvis can already easily control my Iron Man suits. With just a few tweaks, it would essentially be the same as having a body."
He clapped his palm.
"And in the future, if necessary, we could even rely on Jarvis to establish an outer space defense system!"
At this point, Tony was surrounded by allies like Lyon and hadn't yet experienced the Chitauri invasion, so he hadn't felt the need to immediately build a defense network—this was more of a forward-looking idea.
"Happy to be of service, sir," Jarvis smiled slightly.
"I have another question. Do you have a soul now?" Banner raised his hand.
Lately, he'd been studying soul magic, so he was quite interested in anything related to the soul.
Jarvis was stunned. "This… I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure. I feel like my core is no longer just made of code, but as for a soul…"
"Not yet," Lyon interjected. "But perhaps one day you will. You can look forward to it, Jarvis."
In the world of Swallowed Star, artificial intelligences didn't have souls. Not even the mechanical clan's Father God possessed one.
But in the Marvel universe, as long as they got their hands on the Mind Stone, it would be quite easy for Jarvis to gain a soul.
It wasn't anything too difficult.
"Then I suppose I'll be counting on you again, young master. Thank you," Jarvis said sincerely.
"It's nothing," Lyon smiled. "Back when Tony would toss me on the couch and run off to spend the night with some pretty woman, it was you who stayed behind and told two-year-old me bedtime stories."
"Wait, that actually happened?" Pepper's eyebrows shot up. "Tony?"
"...Why do you still remember things from so many years ago? Ow! Pepper, go easy on me! I've already apologized for all of that—ow!" Tony yelped as Pepper pinched him.
Everyone present burst out laughing.
They were more than happy to see the infamous playboy Tony Stark getting put in his place.
After that, everyone took turns asking Jarvis questions.
Betty asked him if he had formed a neural network inside the computer. Pepper asked if he could help manage the company now. Sherry asked what he thought of the story "Léon: The Professional"…
It was a lively day that quickly came to an end.
As night fell, everyone gathered one more time for dinner at Lyon's apartment before going their separate ways.
And the newly-reborn JARVIS, with Tony's permission, began exploring the global internet, experiencing a completely different existence from before.
…
Another week passed.
September arrived.
Lyon strutted into Columbia University with an arrogant swagger.
The moment he stepped through the school's gate with his left foot, dozens of cameras simultaneously captured the sunlight falling on the side of his face.
The next day, that photo landed on the front page of several major newspapers.
—Even though all the media had previously been told that any news involving the Stark family was not to be reported freely.
And yet now, some outlets still dared to write about the Starks—and not just write, but publish as if their lives depended on it.
[Young Master of Stark Industries Makes Another Appearance—Arrogance Radiates!]
[After a gap of one year post-graduation, Lyon Stark finally dares to enter school again. A rising star in scientific research—or yet another spoiled heir making his debut?]
[To all the girls at Columbia: The wolf has arrived!]
With Superman once again absent for an extended period, Tony's fame as Iron Man had grown louder by the day.
Especially with the release of the film Iron Man & Superman: Origins.
It was a box office smash.
Topic around Iron Man became even hotter.
People all around the world were throwing popcorn at the screen, cursing Iron Man and calling the film a capitalist distortion of Superman's image.
No one believed the film's story about Superman getting beaten and Iron Man swooping in to save the day.
But the thing was, there were no other sightings of Superman anywhere else.
And honestly, seeing a Superman who could tank nukes still get dunked on in a movie—was kind of entertaining.
So the movie just kept selling, and the cursing grew even louder…
And now?
Anything remotely related to Iron Man was riding a wave of insane popularity.
So when news of his little brother hit the stands, dozens of newspapers sold out by noon.
All kinds of gossip about Lyon began circulating among the public.
Every New Yorker started paying close attention to what kind of outrageous things this young master of the Stark family might do at university.
Like—
Would he hook up with an entire department's worth of girls on his first night?
Would he slap a stack of cash on a professor's face on his first day?
Would he…
Under the September trade winds drifting over from the West, Lyon-related rumors became the hottest topic for post-dinner chats.
Everyone was waiting for this "ordinary" relative of a superhero to stir up some scandal and give them something to laugh about.
But in the end, nothing happened.
On his first day of university, Lyon quietly completed his registration. He didn't even attend the welcome event.
He politely turned down anyone who tried to chat him up and left soon after. He kept such a low profile that he might as well have been just another ridiculously handsome nobody.
Countless gossip-hungry rednecks beat their chests in disappointment. A rich, spoiled young master who wasn't actually spoiled? What a letdown!
But newspapers featuring Lyon?
Still selling like hotcakes.
Only this time, the buyers had changed—to the women of New York City.
From sixty-year-old Aunt Susan to seven-year-old Michelle Jones, everyone was buying the newspapers.
On the front page was a photo of Lyon casually strolling through campus in a relaxed button-down shirt, his perfect muscle definition faintly visible beneath the fabric.
That very night, the image found itself pinned to countless bedroom poster walls.
In fact, even the headlines of the next few days' papers took a turn.
[Lyon Stark's Latest Outdoor Appearance!]
[Young Master Stark Graces Campus Once Again, Accompanied by Beauties Yet Dignified and Reserved — The Perfect Gentleman! Photo Inside.]
[Lyon's Latest Ultra-Handsome Snapshot!]
Respectable newspapers suddenly all seemed to have switched professions overnight—to selling idol posters.
But this trend only lasted two days.
On Lyon's fourth day at university—
[Shocking! Lyon Stark Subdues Economics Professor With Unknown Method, Bearded Professor Clings to His Thigh, Refuses to Let Him Leave!]
[Breaking: Young Master Stark Demonstrates Super Genius Potential, Defeats Entire Department's Faculty in One Day!]
[Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth: What Drove Columbia Professors to Beg Lyon Stark for Mercy?]
[Nobel Laureate Gary Becker Rushes to Columbia Overnight to Invite Lyon to Join University of Chicago!]
The latest round of newspapers catapulted Lyon's story to new heights.
What began as vague headlines like "Lyon Subdues Professor" quickly escalated to renowned academics arriving in person to extend invitations.
Everyone suddenly realized that this young master of the Stark family was, shockingly, a rare genius in his own right.
Every day, people opened their newspapers to find yet another deep-dive analysis of Lyon—his physique, his personality, his talent. Some outlets even veered wildly off-track, using the width of Lyon's nose bridge to speculate about his... measurements, or using his body type to guess his stamina.
The earlier reports were still within the bounds of decency.
But the later ones—those became downright indecent (though, admittedly, sold even better).
As a result, all those gossip tabloids were promptly sued by Jarvis, who had gathered irrefutable evidence against them.
Without image rights authorization, they were sure to crumble under the iron fist of Stark Industries' legal department.
__________
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