"My…God…" Tony rubbed his hair with both hands, making his already messy hair even worse.
"You mean, that red-skinned monster we met in the cave was summoned by you?" Tony's face was filled with disbelief.
Chen Tian rubbed his nose and chuckled twice.
"Chen Tian… why didn't you summon it earlier? We could have escaped that damned place much sooner." Ethan also looked at Chen Tian helplessly.
Chen Tian shrugged, "Actually, I didn't know I had this ability. Perhaps it was only activated when I was facing a life-or-death situation."
Tony and Ethan seemed to accept Chen Tian's explanation. Tony walked over to Chen Tian and grabbed him.
Tony's eyes gleamed with the light of a mad scientist: "Come on, Longguo Boy! Let's go to the lab and properly study your 'summoning magic'!"
He dragged Chen Tian through the living room, heading towards the spiral staircase leading to the Underground Room, amidst Pepper's shouts of "Don't blow up the lab again!"
"Welcome to my playground~" Tony snapped his fingers proudly, and the entire underground laboratory instantly lit up like White.
In this underground space, which was as large as two basketball courts, various high-tech devices gleamed with cold light. On the circular workbench in the center, dozens of holographic projections were running complex calculation formulas. In the corner, several robotic arms were automatically assembling an armor component, emitting pleasant metallic clanging sounds.
"Hahahahaha, how's my playground? Isn't it an eye-opener?" Tony led Ethan to a semicircular table, then pressed a few keys on the virtual keyboard on the table. "Now, let's see your 'magic'…"
He pressed 'Enter', and the lights in the entire laboratory suddenly turned dark red. A circular scanner descended from the ceiling, enveloping Chen Tian from head to toe in a blue laser.
"Jarvis, create a new file, codenamed… uh…" Tony stroked his chin, pondering for two seconds, "Let's call it 'Longguo Trick'."
"Scanning, Sir." Jarvis's voice came from all directions. "File created, camera function activated, Sir, ready."
"O…k! Longguo Boy! When I give the command, summon that big guy." Tony excitedly rubbed his hands, then tapped a few more times on the desktop, bringing up a 3D projection of the laboratory environment, with various data fluctuating around the projection.
"Now!" Tony compared the data, then shouted at Chen Tian, looking at him with Ethan, full of anticipation for Chen Tian to summon that 'demon'.
However, Chen Tian stood in place with an awkward expression, his ear tips red, and a somewhat conflicted look on his face.
Tony's eyebrows almost reached his hairline. He tilted his head, staring at Chen Tian as if looking at a broken robot: "Hello? Longguo Boy? Is your summoning button stuck?"
Chen Tian's ear tips glowed red. He nervously rubbed his fingers: "That… actually…"
"Sir," Jarvis suddenly interjected, "Detecting Mr. Chen's heart rate soaring to 132 beats per minute, and abnormal adrenaline levels."
Tony slapped his forehead: "Oh! I know!"
He quickly walked to Chen Tian's side and whispered, "Does it require some… special ritual?"
He winked and gestured, "Like dancing? Chanting a spell? Or…" He suddenly lowered his voice, "Does it need a sacrifice?"
Chen Tian's features crumpled when Tony mentioned dancing or chanting a spell.
Tony's eyes instantly lit up as if he had discovered a new element. He slapped his hands together: "Ha! I knew it!"
Like a groundhog that had discovered a gold mine, he excitedly circled Chen Tian, "Tell me, Longguo Boy, what do you need?"
Chen Tian opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Tony interrupted: "Wait! Let me guess—"
He exaggeratedly stroked his chin, "Do you need moonlight? A crystal ball? Or…"
He suddenly lowered his voice, mysteriously pulling out a black card from his pocket, "Or… this?"
Chen Tian looked at the black card shimmering in the cold light of the laboratory, his mouth twitching: "Tony, this isn't about money…"
"Oh~" Tony drew out the sound, then suddenly snapped his fingers, "Jarvis! Immediately pull up the entire Harry Potter series! Especially the scenes with wand waving!"
A dozen holographic screens immediately descended from the ceiling, simultaneously playing different versions of magic movies. Chen Tian watched the wizards waving their wands surrounding him, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.
"Sir," Jarvis reminded him at the right time, "According to my database, Chinese magic is more inclined towards talismans than wands."
"Perfect!" Tony suddenly turned and rushed to the workbench. A robotic arm immediately handed him a scroll of parchment and a quill, "Come on, write a talisman! Make it gold! The kind that glows!"
Chen Tian finally couldn't bear it anymore: "Tony! This isn't…"
"Wait! I know!" Tony suddenly had a look of sudden realization. He mysteriously leaned close to Chen Tian's ear, "Does it require… women's clothing?"
He blinked, "I know a few Broadway costume designers…"
"What?!" Chen Tian's voice went up eight octaves.
My fist hardened, my fist hardened, where's my knife? Women's clothing? I'd rather jump from here than wear women's clothing!
Tony, however, had already started operating the holographic projection on his own: "Jarvis, immediately search for 'Longguo Mage cosplay', the most magnificent kind!"
The projection immediately displayed various exaggerated Hanfu styles, even thoughtfully labeled with words like "100% real silk" and "hand embroidery".
Chen Tian looked at the flowing 3D models and felt his Sun temples throbbing. He suddenly wanted to cut something with the knife skills he had just acquired.
"Tony," Chen Tian took a deep breath, "Listen to me…"
"No, no, no!" Tony suddenly thought of something else and excitedly patted Chen Tian's shoulder, "I get it! It's the venue, right?"
He quickly operated on the virtual keyboard, "Jarvis! Immediately transform the laboratory into… uh… Longguo style!"
As the 3D projection changed in the laboratory, several imitation red pillars rose from the floor, lanterns with the character "Fu" (blessing) hung from the ceiling, and a miniature rockery with flowing Water even appeared in the corner.
"How about it?" Tony proudly spread his arms, "Do you feel it now?"
Chen Tian looked at this bizarre space, a blend of Chinese and Western styles, and suddenly missed the quietness of the cave. He helplessly pressed his hand to his forehead: "Tony, it really isn't…"
"Sir," Jarvis suddenly interjected, "Based on Mr. Chen's facial micro-expression analysis, he might just be… shy."
The laboratory instantly fell silent. Tony's expression froze. He slowly turned to Chen Tian: "Shy?" The word sounded like an alien language coming from his mouth.
Chen Tian's ear tips were already red with embarrassment. Tony suddenly burst into laughter, slapping his thigh: "Hahahaha! A summoner who can summon a Hellfire demon… is actually shy?!"
He put his arm around Chen Tian's neck and pulled out his phone with the other hand: "Pepper! Come and see! Our Xiao Chu Nan summoner… Ow!" Chen Tian elbowed him, making him shut up.
"Okay, okay," Tony rubbed his stomach, wiping away tears from laughing, "Alright, I'll turn my back, I promise not to peek." He exaggeratedly turned around and covered his eyes with his hand, "Jarvis will also turn off all cameras, right Jarvis?"
"Actually, Sir, my sensors are everywhere…"
"Jarvis!" Tony sternly interrupted, "Learn to read the room!"
"All recording devices have been turned off." Jarvis complied readily.
Chen Tian looked at Tony "honestly" turning his back to him, and then at Ethan, who was pretending to study data but kept covering his mouth and shaking his shoulders. Finally, he sighed: "Alright."
Chen Tian took a deep breath, his expression as solemn as if he were going to an execution ground. He slowly knelt on one knee, his right hand clenched into a fist against his left chest, and his left hand trembling as he raised it towards the ceiling.
"By…by Chaos and…" His voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz, and his left hand awkwardly fumbled in the air.
Tony's shoulders shook suspiciously, and Ethan was already burying his face in the data pad.
"Louder!" Tony suddenly turned around, a megaphone appearing in his hand at some point. "Have some presence!"
Chen Tian glared at him fiercely, closed his eyes, and went all out: "In the name of Chaos and Fear of the King—Crimson Moon, tear apart the World!"
With the final roar, he sharply swung down his raised left hand. The entire laboratory suddenly vibrated violently, and all instruments emitted piercing alarm sounds. The lights on the ceiling flickered on and off, and the air was filled with a smell of sulfur.
The temperature of the entire laboratory suddenly soared, and eerie dark red lava patterns seeped out of the steel walls. Several of Tony's most beloved limited edition sports cars suddenly spontaneously combusted, orange-red tongues of Fire licked the car bodies, emitting a heartbreaking crackling sound.
"My 1967 Shelby GT500!" Tony let out a heart-wrenching scream.
The flames moved like living creatures on the ground, finally converging in the center of the laboratory into a five-meter diameter vortex of raging Fire.
From the center of the vortex slowly rose a three-meter-tall terrifying figure—dark red scales covered his entire body, curved horns stood like a crown, and his Hellfire-burning pupils looked down at everyone.
"My Lord," Diablo's voice was like millions of souls wailing, "Lord of Purgatory, Nightmare of Angels, Scourge of Humanity, Fear of the King—Diablo answers your call."
Chen Tian peeked through his fingers, and after seeing Diablo's exaggerated entrance, he wished he could dig an Underground Room and crawl into it on the spot. He lowered his voice and gritted his teeth, saying, "Can you…can you put away those flames of yours?"
Diablo nodded, "Oh oh, no problem."
With that, he waved his hand, and the flames that had been raging in the laboratory vanished without a trace, as if they had never appeared.
Tony, however, was already as excited as a child with a new toy. He circled Diablo, occasionally tapping the demon's scales with a wrench: "Incredible!! This material! This energy fluctuation!"
He suddenly stopped, his eyes shining as he looked at Chen Tian, "Longguo Boy, let's discuss something—can I borrow your pet for a few days?"
"Pet?!" Diablo's flames instantly surged three meters high, and the temperature of the entire laboratory soared. "Mortal! How dare you—"
"Tony!" Chen Tian quickly interrupted, "He is not a pet!"
He turned to Diablo, making a calming gesture, "Calm down, this is…uh…my sponsor. You know, in the real World, I also need…emm, money."
Diablo eyed Tony suspiciously: "This noisy mortal?"
"Yes, yes, yes, a noisy mortal." Chen Tian wiped the sweat from his forehead, "But he is very rich and can provide…sacrifices!" He desperately winked at Tony.
Tony immediately understood, snapping his fingers: "Jarvis! Prepare the highest standard of…uh…demon food?"
"Sir, I suggest preparing live sacrifices," Jarvis replied earnestly. "According to 'The Key of Solomon,' higher demons prefer…"
"Stop!" Chen Tian quickly shouted, "No sacrifices needed!"
He turned to Diablo, bracing himself, "Um…could you cooperate with an experiment? Just…stand still?"
Diablo's flames gradually subsided: "Since it is My Lord's request…" He arrogantly raised his head, "Five minutes. Not one second more."
Tony was already impatiently directing the robotic arm to bring various instruments: "Jarvis! Initiate holographic scan! Record all energy data!"
He rubbed his hands, looking at Diablo's scales, "This material is too perfect…if it could be replicated onto the armor…"
Chen Tian looked at Tony's fervent expression and suddenly had an ominous premonition: "Tony…you're not thinking of…"
"Mark-2 - Devil!" Tony excitedly displayed the holographic projection. A 3D model of an armor, entirely dark red with demon horn designs, rotated. "Hellfire thrusters! Lava shield! It can even spray sulfur fumes to interfere with enemy radar!"
Diablo suddenly leaned closer, his eyes, flowing with fiery light, fixed on the projection: "Mortal, you do have some creativity."
He extended a claw and tapped the projection, "Add a tail spike here, and the scales here should be arranged in reverse…"
"Genius!" Tony excitedly high-fived the demon (and then shook his hand because it was burned), "You understand design!"
Chen Tian and Ethan exchanged glances. Ethan whispered, "Should I prepare some holy Water or something…"
Under Diablo's 'professional guidance,' the design blueprint for the Mark-2 armor, originally based on the movie plot, became unrecognizable at a visible speed.
The originally gold-red streamlined armor now completely transformed into a dark red, ferocious demon-style—
Head: The originally smooth mask was changed into a grotesque demon face, with curved horns extending from both sides, and two clusters of Hellfire burning in the eye areas, flickering as Tony spoke.
Chest plate: The area around the original circular arc reactor was surrounded by dark red runes, occasionally emitting sulfur-smelling sparks.
Shoulder pads: The originally simple shoulder armor now became sharp, scale-like armor, each piece resembling a demon's scale, with edges sharp enough to cut through the air.
Arms: The original palm repulsors were changed to "Hellfire flamethrowers." Diablo insisted on adding small bone spikes to the wrists, reasoning that "they can stab people in close combat."
Legs: The original thrusters were changed to "Abyssal Flame propulsion." The soles of the feet could even spray sulfur smoke, giving Tony a built-in demon arrival effect when he landed.
Back: Most ridiculously, Diablo insisted on adding a pair of retractable "Demon Wings" to the back of the armor. Although Tony protested, saying, "This thing doesn't conform to aerodynamics at all," Diablo merely snorted disdainfully: "Mortal, what do you know? Being cool is all that matters."
Chen Tian looked at the Mark-2 on the holographic projection, which was now completely unrecognizable from its original form, and his mouth twitched: "Tony, are you sure this thing can still be called an Iron Man suit?"
Tony stroked his chin, his eyes shining: "Of course! Mark-2 - Devil Edition! It's much cooler than my original design!"
Diablo proudly crossed his arms: "Mortal, now you finally have some demonic taste."
Ethan silently wiped his cold sweat: "I think…if the Military saw this, they might just launch a nuclear missile."
Tony, however, was already impatiently planning to begin the assembly process: "Jarvis! Start manufacturing immediately! I want to wear it before tonight!"
Diablo stood with his arms crossed, watching the excited Tony with a profound demeanor, and nodded with satisfaction: "Hmm, very good, very spirited. Although you are an ant-like mortal, but seeing that you are My Lord's companion…."
Diablo painfully pulled a piece of his own scale from his arm and threw it to Tony.
After Tony caught it, the heat of the scale made him toss it up and down.
"Take this scale, you can use it to forge your 'toy'." With that, he looked at Chen Tian, and seeing Chen Tian's speechless expression, he gave Chen Tian a 'friendly' twisted smile.
"My Lord, I'll be leaving now. I look forward to your next summons." Leaving these words, countless lava surged from under Diablo's feet, then, after engulfing Diablo, disappeared into the laboratory.
"Woohoo! My armor can be upgraded again!" Tony threw the scorching scale onto the workbench. "Come on! Let's witness the birth of a great work!"
Chen Tian looked at the completely derailed plot and sighed: "…Alright, at least it's better than cross-dressing."