Chapter 16: The Unseen Realm and the Iron Ally
The golden, shimmering portal of the Ancient One pulsed with an otherworldly light, a gateway to a reality unknown. John stepped through it, leaving behind the familiar hum of Tony Stark's workshop and the dire warnings of Earth's impending threats. The sensation was disorienting, a twisting, wrenching journey through the very fabric of space and time. He felt himself stretched thin across infinities, then compressed into a single, infinitesimal point, before finally snapping back into coherent form.
He landed softly on solid ground, the air around him still crackling with residual magic. He was not in a war-torn dimensional realm of demons, but in a place of serene, ancient beauty: Kamar-Taj. The temple was a stark contrast to the chaotic, metallic genius of Tony Stark's workshop. The air was clean, scented with incense and old paper, the silence profound, broken only by the gentle rustle of leaves in a nearby garden. Walls adorned with mystical tapestries and ancient script pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow.
The Ancient One stood before him, her hands calmly clasped, her golden robes a beacon of tranquility. "Welcome, John Vance," she said, her voice now a physical whisper in the still air. "This is Kamar-Taj, a sanctuary and a nexus point of magical energy. Your final stop before your true journey begins."
John looked around, absorbing the profound mystical energy that permeated the very stone of the temple. "The dimensional war," he stated, not a question, but a confirmation.
"Indeed," the Ancient One replied. "The realm you are about to enter operates on a different temporal axis. For every day that passes there, only hours will pass on Earth. You may spend what feels like months, even years, in that dimension, yet only a fraction of that time will have elapsed here. It is a necessary disparity, for the scale of your training will be immense." She paused, her eyes piercing John's very soul. "The 100,000 attribute points I spoke of are not merely a gift, but a catalyst. The dimensional realm is a crucible, and your unique blend of magic and technology makes you the only one capable of wielding its energies for growth."
She led him to a central altar, a flat slab of polished, obsidian-like stone that pulsed with a faint, internal light. With a simple, almost imperceptible gesture, she commanded the universe. A wave of pure, unadulterated magical energy, so immense it made the very air sing, washed over John. The System, his constant companion, instantly recognized the infusion.
[Divine Intervention Detected! Final Trial Gift Granted: 100,000 Attribute Points!]
[100x Multiplier applied!]
[Total Attribute Points Gained: 10,000,000!]
The numbers were staggering, a cosmic flood of power that threatened to overwhelm even his enhanced senses. Ten million attribute points. It was an amount that rewrote the very definition of strength. He didn't hesitate. With a single, decisive mental command, he ordered the System to distribute them equally across his core attributes.
The process was instantaneous, a flash of pure, internal light. Every fiber of his being, every neuron, every magical conduit, was instantly optimized, strengthened, and expanded. He felt his mind stretch to encompass new, unimaginable horizons, his physical form becoming a vessel of raw, unfathomable power. When the light subsided, John Vance stood taller, his presence now radiating an aura of absolute authority that even the Ancient One acknowledged with a subtle nod.
He called up his status panel, and the numbers that greeted him were beyond anything he had ever conceived.
[Status]
* Name: John Vance
* Level: 80 (Approximately, after auto-leveling from 10,000,000 attribute points)
* EXP: Maxed out for current level / (Next Level Exponentially Higher)
* HP: 5,000,000 / 5,000,000
* MP: 5,000,000 / 5,000,000
* STR: 1,605,583
* DEX: 1,605,583
* VIT: 1,605,583
* INT: 1,605,583
* WIS: 1,605,583
* LUK: 1,605,583
[Overall Power Level: Cosmic-Level (High Galactic)]
John felt the change to his very core. He was no longer just "High Planetary." He was a being of galactic scale, a true Magus whose power could effortlessly reshape solar systems. The Ancient One, her calm facade never wavering, opened a new portal. This one was not of shimmering golden sparks, but of jagged, crackling purple energy, a vortex of raw chaos. This was the gate to the dimensional realm of the demons.
"Go, John Vance," the Ancient One commanded, her voice ringing with the authority of countless millennia. "Forge yourself anew. And return when the Earth needs you most."
John nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the immense task before him. He stepped into the swirling purple vortex, his newly forged techno-magical armor humming with a silent power. The portal sealed behind him, leaving Kamar-Taj in a profound, mystical silence.
Meanwhile, on Earth: The Iron Ally
Back on Earth, in the hum of the Stark Industries workshop, Tony Stark felt a profound emptiness. John was gone, vanished into a portal opened by a bald woman who spoke of magic and dimensions. Tony didn't understand it, but he trusted John. And now, he was alone.
But not for long.
The news reports of the "green monster" at Culver University had escalated. The military's attempt to contain the Hulk had gone catastrophically wrong, and now a new, monstrous threat had emerged: Abomination. Tony didn't hesitate. He was a man of science, a man of action, and he was Iron Man.
He launched in the Mark II, a blur of polished titanium streaking across the skies towards Virginia. The scene upon his arrival was pure devastation. Tanks were tossed aside like toys, military vehicles were crumpled, and the ground was scarred with massive craters. Two titans clashed in the heart of the city: the jade green rage of the Hulk, and the grotesque, bone-spiked monstrosity of Abomination.
Tony didn't waste time with words. He flew in, his Kinetic Repulsor Cannons charged to full power. He fired a devastating blast at Abomination, catching the creature by surprise. The blast, strong enough to level a building, sent Abomination hurtling through a skyscraper, creating a new wave of dust and rubble.
"Alright, big green!" Tony's voice boomed over the comms, his voice amplified across the warzone. "Let's see if we can work together on this."
The Hulk, mid-smash, paused. He roared, but it was a roar of confusion, not aggression, at the sight of the flying metal man who had just saved him from a devastating blow.
Tony engaged Abomination directly. The battle was a marvel of technological might and tactical genius. Tony's Mark II, operating at a planetary power level, was too fast, too agile for the lumbering Abomination. He delivered a series of rapid-fire, focused repulsor blasts that exploited the creature's weak points, targeting joints and exposed nerve clusters with pinpoint accuracy. The Cosmic Field Reactor pulsed, providing limitless energy as Tony rained down kinetic force.
He wasn't trying to kill Abomination; he was systematically dismantling him. He dodged Abomination's massive, bone-plated fists, weaving through the creature's attacks with effortless grace. With a precise kinetic punch from the Mark II's reinforced gauntlet, Tony shattered one of Abomination's massive elbow spikes, eliciting a roar of pain.
The Hulk, seeing Iron Man as an unexpected, yet effective, ally against the bigger monster, joined the fray with renewed ferocity. The combined might of Iron Man and the Hulk was unstoppable. They worked in an uncoordinated, yet brutally effective, tandem. Tony would distract Abomination, drawing its attention with blinding speed and powerful blasts, while Hulk would land devastating, ground-shaking blows.
Finally, with a perfectly synchronized move, Tony used his Mark II's full kinetic output to hold Abomination in a massive, invisible force field, pinning the creature against a building. Hulk then delivered a final, earth-shattering clap that rendered Abomination unconscious, its monstrous form collapsing into a heap of defeated muscle and bone.
Tony landed beside the now-calm Hulk, who let out a weary growl. Bruce Banner, the man within the monster, slowly began to emerge, his body shrinking back to human form.
"That was... surprisingly effective teamwork," Tony said, his faceplate retracting to reveal a tired but triumphant smile. "Maybe we should do this again sometime, big guy."
Bruce Banner, exhausted but alive, looked at Tony, a flicker of intelligence and relief in his eyes. "Maybe," he murmured, a faint, weary smile gracing his lips.
The military, led by a dumbfounded General Ross, arrived on the scene, seeing the two titans, one of metal, one of fading green skin, standing over the defeated Abomination. Tony had not just won; he had decisively dominated the situation, creating an unlikely alliance with the very "monster" the military had feared. He was a hero, a defender, and now, perhaps, a friend to a man who truly needed one. The Earth was safe, for now, from its terrestrial threats, but for John, a far greater war had just begun.