"You're here… It has a special charm, do all you mages like this kind of style?"
Tony looked at the temple's décor and arrangement with admiration.
Unlike the modern technological style, the stairs, furniture, and layout all exuded an ancient atmosphere, a scent of knowledge.
Even his heart calmed the moment he stepped inside.
"It's fine, I like it anyway." Alaric led him to the study on the second floor.
"Wow! Are these all magical books? Can I take a look?"
As soon as he entered, Tony couldn't resist approaching the large bookshelves in the study.
"You can."
With permission, Tony randomly pulled out a book and flipped through a few pages.
He discovered it was full of magical terms he didn't understand and strange, abstract symbols.
This occult stuff completely confused him, and he promptly put the book back on the shelf.
These things weren't for science-minded people like him.
"Sit down, would you like something to drink?" Alaric asked.
"A coffee."
"Alright." As soon as Alaric waved his hand, a cup appeared out of nowhere in front of Tony.
"I'm really jealous of you mages, this is just too convenient!"
Tony joked.
"I think so too, but your artificial intelligence isn't bad either."
Alaric said Tony's AI had also made life a lot easier.
"Not bad, but still not like yours." Tony replied modestly.
"By the way, what did that 'punishment' mean that you mentioned to Coulson earlier?"
"Fury snuck in here and fell into my magical trap and got to 'experience' life and death."
Alaric explained.
"Fury… Pff! Hahahaha! He finally got what he deserved!!"
Tony paused for a moment, then burst out laughing!
He laughed so hard that tears came out.
"It was high time Fury got a taste of it, good job, Alaric!"
Tony really liked Alaric's approach!
He thought: if only I had such a trap at home, I'd like to see if Fury would dare keep breaking in again and again!
"Alright, you came to see me; have you decided?"
"I… I've decided."
Tony withdrew his smile, and his face turned serious.
"Is it really only a fifty percent chance?"
"Yes." Alaric nodded.
Although the current Alaric, even without using reincarnation magic, could restore Tony back to normal simply by relying on the properties of his light divine power at its peak, that would be boring.
After all, for Tony, this was also an opportunity to face his own heart, and it wasn't really a great risk.
"I…"
Although he had mustered enough courage before coming, Tony hesitated again when it came time to decide.
These past days had truly been the darkest of his life.
Palladium poisoning had spread to his neck, and death wasn't far off.
Besides the threat to his life, there were external threats too.
The military and Congress constantly craved his suit; they even secretly conducted research and supported competitors, and Hammer Industries had struck a blow.
They even cobbled together some "low-end" reactor out of nowhere, claiming Stark had stolen their technology.
The most painful part was that his good buddy Rhodey, having taken the suit on Tony's birthday, fought with him and flew off.
Although, in truth, Tony tacitly allowed it.
Facing the military and Congress, Tony relented and handed over one of the suits.
On top of that, he discovered that a beautiful S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had been planted beside him, watching him.
Only when he was on the brink of death did she emerge with "news of a new element" and handed him a box with his father's recordings.
They really caught him live.
That threw Tony into despair.
He felt as though he were under complete control.
That's why, after thinking it over, he decided to come to Alaric and try that fifty percent!
After all, he had already given up on himself and ignored the identity of Iron Man, if you're so capable, then he would take the risk!
Worst case, he dies.
And then they get nothing!
But if he came back to life, and they tried to keep him on a leash again, that wouldn't work anymore!
I'm talking about you, Fury!
Natasha had been with Tony all along and had long known about the palladium poisoning, but they remained indifferent and didn't provide the information until the very end.
But the problem was that Fury didn't know what the new element was he simply believed Tony's genius would definitely find the answer.
That way, didn't Tony become indebted to S.H.I.E.L.D. and smoothly"enter the Avengers program?
It had to be said, Fury planned things well.
"I've decided to try!" After making up his mind, Tony said seriously.
"Finished writing your will?"
"… Can't you at least dial back your confidence a little! Say something encouraging!"
Tony's face darkened; he looked at Alaric in disbelief.
The courage he had barely gathered, Alaric almost shattered it with one comment!
"As for the will and all that, besides my estate, suits, and some research tech, I don't have much. Regarding that, I told Jarvis: if I don't come back, let everything go to Potts."
Tony spoke slowly.
"Alright, got it. Since you've decided, shall we start right away?"
Alaric nodded.
"What do I need to do? Do I need anesthesia? Do you have an operating room or something?"
Tony rubbed his palms, a bit nervous, and straightened up.
"Do nothing, just watch."
Alaric extended his right hand and drew the reactor from Tony's chest out of the air.
"You…" Tony was stunned.
As soon as the reactor was gone, the shrapnel near Tony's chest lost control and started moving with the blood toward his heart.
With a body already poisoned, he turned pale in an instant and lost his breath.
"Let me explain how my magic works: that so-called fifty percent is because the condition for activation requires you to enter a state of momentary death."
"If the magic works, you'll come back to life; if it fails, you may die immediately."
Alaric held the glowing reactor in his right hand and looked indifferently at Tony, whose life was slowly fading.
"You… seriously… Couldn't you have said that earlier!"
Tony's face turned pale, his lips blue; he couldn't help but curse Alaric!
Especially since he had understood those fifty percent to mean: Alaric would use the magic, maybe fail to remove the shrapnel, so the spell wouldn't work…
Wait a minute!
If you look at it this way, if Alaric doesn't succeed with the magic before he fully dies, isn't it the same outcome?
Damn it!
Is there still time to change my mind!?