Ignoring Polaris, Leon donned his sunglasses and walked onto the street.
The moment he emerged, people pointed and whispered.
"White hair and sunglasses—could he be the White Devil?"
A companion shook his head. "Probably an imitator. What are the odds a random passerby is actually him?"
Leon was confused. White Devil?
Then he noticed the massive screen on a nearby building. After watching briefly, understanding dawned.
He was famous?
On the screen, a man in his thirties spoke:
"I was hiding in a nearby store at the time—only ten meters from the White Devil. I witnessed his battle with another mutant firsthand.
I'm certain he's more powerful than Magneto. He's the strongest mutant in the world today!"
???
Several metaphorical veins popped on Leon's forehead. What was this damn reporter thinking?
Though he'd definitely become the strongest mutant eventually, he was still in preliminary stages. Not the most powerful now.
Limitless couldn't withstand mental attacks yet. Dark Phoenix alone far exceeded his current capabilities.
Being labeled the strongest mutant now—how was he supposed to develop quietly?
Looking at the name tag beneath the man, he read: Eddie Brock.
The name seemed familiar. After thinking carefully, he remembered. Isn't this Venom's host?
Fine. Adorable little thing—he'd "love him very much" when they met again in the future.
Leon ignored Eddie Brock and looked toward Manhattan's tallest building.
One of the Marvel universe's most iconic structures: Stark Tower.
To obtain an Arc Reactor, he needed to contact Tony Stark. Going directly to Stark Tower was obviously the fastest approach.
Conveniently, Tony had just returned and would soon clash with Obadiah Stane. Saving his life during that conflict should be worth an Arc Reactor, right?
Of course, if Tony refused to hand it over... well, he'd simply take it.
Leon pulled up his white hoodie and walked slowly toward Stark Tower.
Around him, light dimmed slightly. Various energies invisible to ordinary perception continuously flowed into his body under Level 2 Six Eyes' precise control and Level 3 Energy Absorption.
Though absorption was slower than direct contact, it was sustainable.
This dramatically improved combat endurance while increasing energy collection efficiency.
The system chimed continuously:
[Energy Points +1]
[Energy Points +1]
[Six Eyes Experience +1]
[Six Eyes Experience +1]
[Energy Absorption Experience +1]
[Energy Absorption Experience +1]
Stark Tower stood on Manhattan's Upper East Side—the neighborhood's tallest building. Its distinctive curved top was eye-catching, perfectly matching Tony Stark's flamboyant personality.
Arriving at the base as evening fell, Leon approached the entrance but was stopped by several security guards.
"Good evening, sir. Please present your identification."
Leon naturally had no ID. Though he knew they wouldn't let him pass, he answered honestly:
"I have urgent business with Tony Stark. Please notify him."
As expected, the security guards froze, then exchanged confused glances.
They wanted to laugh, but top-tier professionalism kept them from doing so. Suppressing amusement, they said:
"Sir, today isn't April Fool's Day. That's not funny."
Having anticipated this, Leon felt slight irritation. He ran fingers through his silky white hair and continued:
"Gentlemen, this isn't a joke."
Seeing Leon persist rather than leave, the guards' expressions grew serious—clearly treating him as a troublemaker.
Just as Leon prepared to demonstrate "special abilities" and "persuade" these guards, several vehicles arrived. A striking figure emerged first, followed by several cold-demeanored men in black.
They noticed the confrontation at the building entrance but paid no attention, walking directly inside with evident urgency.
Clearly, they had more important matters.
Leon immediately recognized the leading woman—long blonde hair, black dress. Pepper Potts.
"Looks like it's nearly time for my hero-saves-hero moment."
Leon rubbed his chin thoughtfully with two fingers.
Then he looked at the security guards slowly approaching, and removed his round sunglasses...
The guards stopped immediately. They stared at those delicate azure eyes, recent news flooding their minds.
The White Devil.
The moment before losing consciousness, they saw the man smile slightly and say softly:
"Apologies, everyone. Please 'rest' for a while."
Pepper led several agents rapidly into the building's interior.
After Agent Coulson destroyed the door lock with a small explosive, they continued toward Sector 16.
Inside, lighting was dim—filled with mechanical equipment, multiple chains hanging from the ceiling, and a massive crude metal armor positioned in a corner.
Examining the armor, Coulson said to Pepper:
"Seems you were right. He's building armor."
They went deeper. Pepper was drawn to screens displaying complex data, then stopped before dozens of chains. Just as she moved forward...
Suddenly!
Two massive eyes emitting pale light blazed from the darkness!
"AHHH!!!"
The shrill scream shattered the night's peace.
Pepper fled as the enormous armor—several meters tall—charged after her.
Seeing this, agents reflexively opened fire on Iron Monger, but were immediately crushed by devastating steel fists.
Within moments, only Coulson and Pepper survived from their capture team!
Pepper passed through a narrow doorway. The massive Iron Monger became wedged by the solid concrete walls, allowing her escape.
As she passed the circular Arc Reactor display and attempted to flee Stark Tower, something caught her peripheral vision!
Countless terrifying white electrical currents flowed from the Arc Reactor, accompanied by a crackling roar, enveloping a handsome white-haired man.
Wrapped in such devastating current, the white-haired man remained completely unharmed. Instead, he spread his arms, delicate blue eyes filled with joy:
"More! More!"
Witnessing this impossible scene, Pepper instinctively stopped—even temporarily forgetting to flee!