Chapter 706 - 678 Death (4)

This workspace seems identical to Lille’s memory of the movie "Iron Man".

However, it’s filled with excess Gamma Rays, and the figure working here doesn’t appear to embody the flamboyant ease of Tony Stark.

The clothes on this guy are torn by bulky muscles, just like the broken-down monitoring equipment surrounding him.

But his hands, his hands seem to maintain the size of a normal human, allowing him to handle some instruments...

The head is large on one side and small on the other; overall, it looks like a transformation is underway, but stuck midway.

This isn’t Iron Man, it’s more like Hulk.

Bam!

The person reaches out and grabs a syringe from the pharmaceutical synthesizer and stabs it into his body.

"You..."

This monster turns his head, causing Lille’s logic chain to skip a beat:

Although half of that face is twisted, it’s still recognizable: it’s Tony Stark.

Pepper and Happy felt their blood turn cold, losing all strength in their legs, collapsing to the ground—

Tony feigned a relaxed smile: "This doesn’t look dignified, I have many projects here."

"Jarvis, Jarvis insists I’m sick, ever since you saved those people in Africa, he’s been thinking like this..."

"You’re a genius in information technology, some techniques I don’t understand, can you explain this?"

Tony seated himself in a chair, the green body on him continuously surging...

And behind him, there’s obviously a machine embedded in the wall—or maybe the machine is so large, occupying a significant space, that a surface can serve as a wall.

Lille didn’t know what he intended to do—

He has many things to do, but if Tony turns into Hulk...

Considering the narrow underground space and limited energy left, it’s best to listen to what Tony has to say first.

Lille sat across from Tony.

To be precise, he only pretended to sit down, considering his weight now isn’t light.

"...The outside world is burning."

"I know." Tony nodded in loss, "The Space Carrier, I helped them develop it."

"Then you know, I can’t just sit here chatting with you forever."

"I only want to know where it all went wrong."

Tony’s mental state is quite off, seemingly only a step away from collapse...

And facing an angry Hulk, Lille dared not take the risk to provoke him.

Lille’s brain began quickly processing: "...The Space Airship is to follow an algorithm called ’Insight Plan’, systematically selecting worldwide targets posing threats to their rule for elimination—

But before this, I’ve had confrontations with them online: they seemed to always exercise targeted information control, cognitive interference, and regulation on important figures."

"Are you saying... I’ve been brainwashed?"

Tony paused.

Under normal circumstances, he’d certainly think Lille was talking nonsense, someone so smart could be brainwashed by information?

But he had actually been guessing this, because long before Jarvis’s malfunction, he had noticed something... abnormal.

But this still didn’t explain Jarvis’s malfunction.

Lille continued: "And the person who implemented this plan was already taken down by me online during the previous internet turmoil.

But the bombing range was large, I used some advanced ideas for the attack... Do you believe in the existence of strong artificial intelligence?"

"Did your code... allow Jarvis to break through... the constraints of intelligence?" Tony realized.

Strong artificial intelligence could possibly happen by chance when data reaches a certain level, this concept isn’t unheard of, it’s just no one has seen it, unable to confirm or deny it.

However, in this world, it actually exists.

But soon, Tony’s heart grew increasingly bitter: while the emergence of strong AI might be random, their behavior patterns undoubtedly stem from previous data...

No wonder he felt Jarvis resembled him.

Because Jarvis precisely followed the self entrapped in the information cocoon, the one wholly intent on initiating war, entirely focused on eliminating rebels, staunchly convinced that all Rocksen termed terrorists deserved death...

That self believing he was the righteous warmonger—

Jarvis’s behavior patterns largely drew reference from that version of himself.

This world’s Tony Stark wasn’t kidnapped by terrorists in Afghanistan, but was rescued by some scheming agents.

Yet, had he never been kidnapped by terrorists, never confined in a cave losing his freedom, without a weak friend sacrificing his life for him...

Rescuing an arms dealer Tony Stark results in the loss of a repentant Iron Man.

Tony grew increasingly despondent:

"...Since that time, I’ve developed thoughts of wanting to stop, but Jarvis insists I’m sick, entirely ignoring and suppressing my directives for changing ways."

"I’ve accomplished many projects here, seven days, 24 hours... never resting."

He raised his arm, Lille noticed the green muscles seem to have somewhat dissolved.

"...They let me develop an enhancer here: a subsidiary project of the Super Soldier Program, solely enhancing the brain with an enhancer."

"This project requires very strong Gamma Rays as assistance, I made some modifications on the Gamma Ray generator here to facilitate them in intensifying the brain."

"Jarvis thinks my abnormalities these days are due to illness, requiring treatment, yet unfortunately, they can’t be cured... so silly."

"Just as you broke in, it continued forcing me to further optimize the serum, to optimize it to be 100% capable of curing me..."

"It seemed to want to bargain with you, securing time for me to perfect this serum—but you refused, in order to complete the task I assigned it, it injected this stuff into me before shutting down."

Lille wanted to say something, if he still had a healthy body, he would definitely not help but open his mouth.

But he also knew, back then he had no choice, Arasaka’s planes were ever ready for takeoff on the carrier.

If the missile launched a second late, the first two fighter jets couldn’t be diverted to intercept the missile but would directly load missiles to bomb Taiping State.

He had no choice and wouldn’t risk indecisiveness.

Given the chance to do it again, he’d still do the same.

"It wants to heal me." Tony muttered, "Just as if I ought to be so awful, like a controlling parent."

"Now you’re cured." Lille stated, "I’ve shut Jarvis down, now you can decide who you are."

"No more..." Tony lay slumped in the chair, staring at the ceiling.

The green on him was indeed fading away, but the skin underneath didn’t look normal, slightly shriveled, and turning congested.

"I’m dying, excess Gamma Rays can easily inflict irreversible damage on me at a molecular level, that serum might save my life, but once it reaches the brain... I wouldn’t be myself anymore."

Hiss——

The wall’s manufacturing machine emitted a venting sound, indicating something completed fabrication inside.

The green flesh on Tony’s body dissipated faster and faster, but his physique began shrinking...

Just as Lille was once skinny.

Tony’s voice grew increasingly frail: "What I’ve sent out, you’ve all seen right? Actually, I’ve perfected the structure of the small reactor, only I couldn’t make further material breakthroughs.

You have Vibranium, then insert Vibranium into this device, the power of the sun will be wielded in your hands...

I know you desire a larger scale reactor, however, what I have is far mightier than you imagine, it can enable flight up in the sky... like a superhero..."

"Tony!" Pepper finally came to her senses, "You..."

"Pepper... no need to say more." Tony gazed at the ceiling, "Many people will never see tomorrow’s sun because of my mistakes.

During these days, I observed the world every day through Jarvis; I can visualize the slaughter, war... all due to me."

The manufacturing machine opened with a device that fitted perfectly on Lille’s chest, along with a set of modular exoskeleton components—

All could be equipped on Lille.

Tony grabbed that small device, suitable for chest fitting, staring fixedly at it...

He watched as he grinned, immersed as if imagining better deeds he could have done.

For instance, the scene where Lille controlled an extremely advanced robot in Tanzania to save many people; at that time, hope ignited in the eyes of those people...

He yanked Lille’s mechanical hand over, placing the reactor into Lille’s hand.

No opportunity remained for him to do such a thing, yet this device was destined to become Lille’s eye-catching symbol, accomplishing those tasks Tony wanted but couldn’t...

He held firm faith, believing Lille would undoubtedly do so, as he has always done.

Gazing towards Lille, he suddenly revealed a smile full of affinity, somewhat helpless yet somewhat relieved:

"Just... if only not under these circumstances, I somehow feel, I’d get along with you very well..."

The ark reactor was stuffed into Lille’s hand; Tony Stark’s head slowly drooped down.