Kei walked out from the space portal. Mordo and Kaecilius stood on either side of him, while Wong followed closely behind.
Tony had initially been on guard, seeing the scene before him, this lineup looked like a mafia escorting their boss on an outing. The aura and presence they carried were far more intimidating than Happy Hogan!
But after vaguely catching what Wong had just said, he suddenly found these people much more agreeable.
Wasn't the whole point of being alive as a man to enjoy those pleasures? If even that last bit of fun were taken away, life would be unbearably dull.
What a pitiful group of sorcerers!
And this Sorcerer Supreme, who looked just as handsome as he did, no wonder he hadn't reacted at all when those beautiful women were subtly flirting and getting handsy with him earlier.
So he was abstinent? Such a waste of great resources!
Tony had just seen quite a few stunning women with mysterious auras and alluring figures…
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop! Now's not the time to be thinking about that!
He looked at Kei in front of him and, after some thought, decided against stepping forward for a handshake. Even though the other party didn't seem hostile at the moment, you never know.
"That's me. This is Mordo, Wong, and Kaecilius."
Kei raised an eyebrow, greeted Tony, briefly introduced the three behind him, and then turned toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window on the side of the mansion, leaving the conversation to Mordo.
Outside the enormous window, the vast, boundless sea shimmered under the morning sun, reflecting waves of golden light. Just looking at such a view was enough to lift one's spirits.
Some people really were just born in Rome!
"I know who you are. Your actions just now have seriously disrupted the secrecy rules of our community…" Mordo's face was stern, but the corners of his lips curled slightly in a barely noticeable smirk.
Even though he didn't approve of Tony's playboy lifestyle, he couldn't dislike someone who had the courage and determination to shut down his weapons manufacturing division, stop selling arms, and even take a stand against crime.
"Oh~! I already heard you guys talking, you're planning to rip me off. Let's get one thing straight: if the price is too high, I'll refuse."
Tony wore a roguish grin. Seeing Mordo chuckle at his words, he extended his right hand. "It's a pleasure to see another side of the world, my sorcerer friends."
"Oh, you're happy way too soon." Mordo reached out and shook Tony's hand.
Then, using the same tricks that the Ancient One and Kei had once used on him, he applied them to Tony.
"A beach party always takes time to prepare. Can you tell me about magic in the meantime? You know, this whole thing is really messing with my… scientific worldview." Tony shrugged, his face carrying a complicated expression.
"Scientific worldview? According to the Sorcerer Supreme, magic is also a form of science. Kaecilius, bring the footage." Mordo turned to look at Kaecilius, who still wore a cold expression.
"Magic is a force that protects the world. Abusing it could bring unimaginable destruction." Kaecilius took out a memory card from a digital camera.
Tony reached for it, but after tugging twice, he still couldn't wrest it from Kaecilius's grip. "Trust me! I'm a good guy! Iron Man is also fighting to protect world peace."
"You'd better be." Kaecilius finally loosened his fingers.
"I'll make sure you get the best girl later," Tony muttered under his breath as he inserted the memory card into a nearby smart control panel.
"No need." Kaecilius's already unkind expression darkened further.
"Oh~ I get it. You're also on the path of celibacy. That really takes some serious willpower, especially for a strong and healthy man like…" Tony rattled off his words smoothly, playfully teasing Kaecilius.
Meanwhile, with JARVIS' help, the video content from the memory card was quickly converted into a document that he could easily understand.
Scanning through it at a rapid pace, his voice gradually lowered as he encountered the fundamental structures of magic.
Science? Yes, science!
If "mana", assuming sorcerers even called it that, was considered an energy source like electricity, then the "fundamental magical runes" mentioned by the Sorcerer Supreme were like electronic components.
And the final result? A scientific form of magic.
"JARVIS, analyze the composition of this... mana. Looks like I'll have to delay the release of the Mark 7." Tony's fingers paused on the section explaining the nature of mana.
For once, his expression showed rare seriousness and focus. People often said that the ultimate end of science was theology. He used to scoff at that idea, but now…
Those idiots actually got it right for once!
"Computational power is currently at over 90% capacity. High-load processing tasks cannot be initiated." JARVIS' voice chimed in.
"Over 90%? Even hacking the Department of Defense doesn't take that much… Oh, wow, that's beautiful…" Tony had just been about to ask his AI what was using up so much power, but as he lifted his head, he saw an intricate web of overlapping magical patterns floating in front of Kei, almost like a miniature planetary system.
These magical structures were being projected as 3D holograms by JARVIS And at a glance, he immediately recognized several fundamental runes from what he had just studied.
Mordo, Wong, and Kaecilius stood to the side of this "magical planet," their eyes locked onto every detail, trying their best to memorize them.
"JARVIS, what is this?" Tony absentmindedly swirled his tongue inside his mouth. With only basic magical knowledge, he couldn't determine what this thing actually did. But from the way a small glowing dot moved fluidly within the spherical magical structure, it was clear that, at least in terms of fundamental computational principles, this thing functioned smoothly.
"According to you, this is an equation for converting lower-tier energy into higher-tier energy." As JARVIS spoke, Kei stood up from the couch, leaving Mordo and the others to continue studying the energy conversion equation.
This AI was proving far more useful than he had expected. All he had to do was provide the conceptual framework and basic energy structures, and JARVIS could process and refine the calculations, adjusting for minor deviations along the way until a perfect result was achieved.
This was way more efficient than manually demonstrating everything for Mordo and the others.
Turning his gaze to the side of the living room, he spotted Tony standing there in a daze. A smirk formed on Kei's lips as he asked JARVIS, "How's the party preparation going?"
"The setup crew will arrive at the mansion in three minutes. Shall I send electronic invitations to the contacts under 'models,' 'actors,' 'journalists,' and 'other industry beauties'?"
"You really go all out, don't you?" Kei turned to Tony.
This guy had been through countless flings and yet hadn't caught any… questionable diseases. That was some insane luck.
"Intelligence, looks, charisma, status, wealth... there will always be people who can't help but fall for me. It's the burden of every successful man, a bittersweet struggle."
"But none of them truly love you."
"You're just jealous, aren't you? We're both men, I totally get it." Tony spread his hands, flashing a smug, infuriating grin.
"Wanna bet?" Kei chuckled, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. In his past life, he had really liked the character of Iron Man.
A mortal who stood shoulder to shoulder with gods. Back when he watched Endgame, Tony's final words—"I am Iron Man"—left an unforgettable mark on him.
Right now, this version of Tony hadn't yet grown into the mature, steady man he would become years later. His proverbial character sheet still had playboy written all over it in bold letters.
But there was no denying, this man had a unique charm.
"My gut tells me I shouldn't take this bet," Tony mused. "But a successful man never backs down from a challenge." Straightening his collar with both hands, he radiated an aura of absolute confidence.