In a remote desert area, inside a hidden mine cave, several unkempt men wearing simple gear and carrying guns were standing before an old operating table.
The bed frame was rusted, and on it lay a corpse covered by a white sheet.
A young man with a buzz cut, wearing a lewd smile, cautiously lifted the white cloth, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.
Golden-brown wavy hair spread loosely across the operating table. Her long willow-leaf eyebrows, thick eyelashes, and high nose bridge framed a pair of full, seductive lips.
She had the quiet grace of an Eastern woman combined with the heroic sharpness of a Western one, like the first light of dawn—perfectly merging East and West in beauty.
The only flaws were her pale, bluish complexion, the colorless lips, and the gruesome, blood-stained bullet hole at her temple.
"Damn it, Wally! Can't you restrain your disgusting little hobby?"
"She's already dead!" said a middle-aged man with a disgusted look.
"But she's still so beautiful, like the aurora under a starry sky—deep and mysterious, isn't she?"
The young man with the buzz cut was entranced, his hand stroking the corpse's smooth cheek.
"Oh, for God's sake, did you read the Bible using your lower half?" the middle-aged man said disdainfully, glancing at the tent in the younger man's pants, visibly uncomfortable.
"She was just unlucky," another man said, playing with a broken camera. "A reporter sneaking around, saw something she shouldn't have."
"Hey, isn't she from the East? Won't killing her like this cause trouble?" the first middle-aged man said, frowning at the red passport on a metal tray beside the table.
"When have we ever been afraid of anyone?" the buzz-cut man said with false bravado. "Those rich countries act righteous in public while secretly making deals with us. Haven't you seen their hypocrisy?"
"That's different. Her country isn't one to mess with," the middle-aged man warned.
"You're too cautious, Mandula. Nobody knows she came here. We'll just make sure there's no trace left."
"Alive or dead, no one will find her," the bearded man joked.
"Idiot! The saying is, 'Alive, no sign of the person; dead, no sign of the corpse!'" the other corrected with a spit.
"Yeah yeah, that's what I meant!"
"She's not too cold yet, still has some warmth…"
Wally muttered to himself, rubbing the woman's face again and again, his eyes full of desire, expression growing filthier.
He didn't notice that as he rubbed, the woman's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Lost in lust, none of them realized it.
"Wally, you can have your fun, but wait until tonight!"
"As long as you don't freeze your little worm off, enjoy yourself!" one of the middle-aged men said mockingly, tightening his grip on his gun.
They all burst out laughing.
"Come on, can't you guys step outside for a bit? Give me a few minutes, I promise I won't make any noise!" Wally said impatiently, rubbing his hands like a pervert.
"I should drag you outside and let you feel the heat! It's fifty degrees out there—your precious chest hair would burn off! No one wants to go out now!" the man snapped.
"Those kids in the control room have it easy. We're stuck guarding a bunch of corpses," Wally sighed.
"Shut your damn mouth! Don't ever say that again. If the boss hears you, you'll lose your head!" Mandula snarled, grabbing Wally by the collar. "These corpses' organs are worth a fortune, got it, idiot?"
The Ten Rings had been running rampant for years, involved in every dirty trade—kidnapping, murder, smuggling, nothing was too low.
That included arms dealing and organ trafficking.
Normally, after death, organs quickly deteriorate into useless rot.
But the Ten Rings had mastered rapid freezing technology, keeping the body's surface soft and the inside firm.
Ultra-fast freezing preserved organ freshness, allowing successful transplants after thawing.
That was why they took their time after killing.
"When do we act? Has Tony Stark finished the Jericho missile yet?" another man sighed.
"Don't worry. Today's the deadline."
"If he doesn't finish on time, the only thing waiting for him is death—and not an easy one!"
"Maybe dying would be a mercy for him!"
They all laughed arrogantly.
In the hands of terrorists, death was mercy—especially with the infamous Ten Rings.
---
Before their laughter faded, a sudden explosion roared through the air.
The freezer wall blew apart, stones flying everywhere.
The terrorists immediately raised their guns, but their faces soon froze in shock.
Through the gaping hole stepped a towering metal figure, every inch of him covered in steel, walking forward with heavy steps.
"Hey, fellas, wrong door?" the iron man said mockingly, scanning the room.
---
Lu Tie was dazed, feeling like he was trapped in a dream.
White bubbles surrounded him, soft and weightless, as if he were floating in cotton.
He was in a white world stretching endlessly, neither hot nor cold. He could breathe—but didn't need to.
Then, from the distance, a beam of white light came flying toward him. The energy moved like it was alive, circling around him faster and faster.
The bubbles around him began to burst, dissolving into nothing.
As more bubbles exploded, Lu Tie slowly opened his eyes.
Where is this? Wasn't I riding my bike? How did I end up here?
He remembered being at work, seeing a photo his girlfriend's best friend had posted online—an expensive piece of jewelry.
Normally he didn't care about that stuff, but what caught his attention was the photo itself.
In front of the Seton Hotel, his girlfriend, her best friend, and a handsome stranger stood close together, laughing happily.
Attached was the receipt for the hotel's presidential suite.
Her best friend had always been materialistic, always talking about money.
He once advised his girlfriend to stay away from her to avoid being influenced, but she got angry instead.
He trusted his girlfriend—they'd been together three years, and she'd accepted him despite being an orphan with nothing.
But this? Going to a hotel with another man and posting it online? That was just humiliating him.
He had wanted to confront her, so he rushed out of work to find her—but his memory went blank.
A truck... he got hit by a truck.
Well, at least it was quick.
Lu Tie laughed bitterly and tried to move, but his body felt impossibly heavy, as if filled with lead. Panic set in.
[New body detected. Fusion in progress. Soul compatibility: 100%. Please remain calm.]
Cold text appeared before him in the white space.
He froze. Was this… transmigration?
Sure enough—betrayed by his girlfriend, hit by a truck, died, and now reincarnating. Classic routine.
[Fusion complete. Absorbing cosmic radiation energy. Altering genetic structure.]
[Acquired abilities: super strength, super speed, super durability, super hearing.]
[Super regeneration, flight, heat vision, x-ray vision, telescopic vision, enhanced cell activity, extended lifespan.]
[Lifespan limit: 200 years.]
[Reference template: Homelander. Similarity: 90%. Power level: Earth-level.]
[Genetic integration complete. Transferring host's memory. Awakening in progress.]
Lu Tie's jaw dropped. Homelander-level powers?
Was this world that dangerous? Was he in The Boys universe?
Before he could think further, a flood of memories crashed into his mind, sending waves of pain that knocked him unconscious.
---
Meanwhile, inside the freezer, Tony Stark was crouched behind a refrigerator in his MK1 armor.
Bullets rained down, clanging against his metal suit, each impact jarring his body painfully.
Three months ago, he had shown the military his Jericho missile and was heading home—until terrorists ambushed and kidnapped him.
In the cave, he had seen his weapons—meant to protect—being used to massacre civilians.
He wanted nothing more than to escape and destroy his company's weapons.
The terrorists demanded he build a Jericho missile, but he deceived them, secretly constructing his masterpiece: the Iron Man armor.
The MK1 was crude, heavy, and incomplete—more like a desperate escape tool than true armor.
Still, its thick steel plating provided excellent protection, though the shock nearly made him cough blood each time he was hit.
His escape plan had been solid—until they discovered his deception.
Yinsen had gone out to buy time for him… but got lost.
Tony cursed himself for the blunder.
Now, the armor's leg chain was broken, the weapon jammed, and he couldn't even move under its weight—trapped, waiting for a chance.
For now, the armor's defense and the terrain gave him cover, but not for long.
Damn it, he thought, racking his brain for a solution—then froze.
The operating table in the middle of the freezer was moving.
The white sheet suddenly flew into the air, and a figure rose slowly, floating above the ground.