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*****
The experience gained from defeating Iron Monger was far more than Fini had imagined. In his estimation, Iron Monger's strength was at most on par with Mordo; he just had more destructive power.
And that was only considering his specific advantages like flight, ample weaponry, and high defense. Otherwise, Mordo's practiced mastery of portals would have allowed him to hang Iron Monger out to dry.
After all, it was an improvement on the Mark I; no matter how strong it was, it had its limits. Yet, even so, this Iron Monger gave Fini nearly a tenth of an experience bar. If he used his "experience baby" Mordo as a unit of measurement, that was over thirty Mordos.
In other words, if seven or eight more Iron Mongers showed up, he would be able to draw another skill.
Fini couldn't quite wrap his head around this situation.
Was Iron Monger really that strong?
While Fini didn't think he was weak, he didn't necessarily think he was that strong. At the very least, according to his projections, the experience gain shouldn't have been this high.
"Is it because I killed him?"
Fini thought silently to himself.
It had been over a decade since he arrived in the Marvel Universe and obtained the system. After so much research, he increasingly felt that the system functioned like a leveling mechanic in a game.
Defeat monsters, gain experience, level up, draw skills to get stronger, defeat more monsters, level up again...
Could it be that his previous experience gains were low because he hadn't actually "eliminated" the monsters, and this time, because he had, the amount increased!?
Fini then thought of the Ancient One. She had said his influence on this world was too great and warned him not to be controlled by power. Could this be the reason!?
Fini had no answer to this question. At the very least, the Ancient One likely wouldn't tell him. Furthermore, if killing enemies truly granted more experience, would he choose to kill?
Though he had secretly taken out animals—ranging from small ants to chickens and fish—to test the experience mechanics when he was younger, sapient life was different.
Simply killing people for the sake of more experience did not align with the values he had formed over his previous and current lives combined.
Obadiah was merely an accident. At the time, he hadn't thought that much; he just didn't want Obadiah to escape. Besides, it wasn't certain yet whether Obadiah was truly dead. Perhaps he was a "Villain of Destiny" and might have survived through some freak accident.
Moreover, this was all just speculation. At least one point didn't make sense: the experience seemed to have been gained shortly after the avalanche buried Obadiah. That wasn't enough time for Obadiah to have actually died.
Regardless, Fini made a decision in his heart.
Let nature take its course!
He wouldn't spare an enemy out of pity, nor would he go out of his way to kill someone in pursuit of experience. At least not for now. He hadn't reached the point where he would use any means necessary just to become stronger.
If that day truly came, he could reconsider his approach.
Having cleared his head and added a massive sum of experience to his tally, Fini was in a wonderful mood. Furthermore, there was a high probability he had secured a series of "experience babies" from the Iron Man line.
He didn't believe that after saving Pepper and fighting side-by-side, Tony would refuse if he asked to help test the performance of future Mark series armors!?
With anticipation for his fifth skill, Fini slowly drifted into dreamland, completely unaware that Coulson was so stressed out trying to uncover his identity that he was practically going bald.
"Miss Potts, please forgive my intrusion, but I have a very important matter regarding Mr. Stark that I would like to discuss with you."
After much effort, Coulson finally located Pepper, who had just returned home from Rhodey's. This was the most direct way he could think of to understand the situation.
"I'm very sorry, but I don't quite understand what you mean."
Too much had happened today, leaving Pepper mentally exhausted. It had finally ended, and after finishing a call with Tony, she had just planned to get some rest when Coulson showed up at her door.
"Our investigation shows that both you and Mr. Stark appeared at the company today, but later on, no one noticed when you left."
Coulson asked with a polite expression, "Additionally, do you have any information regarding the three individuals in armor who appeared at your enterprise tonight?"
"It was very late when we left; perhaps the security guards didn't notice. As for those three people you mentioned, I'm not quite sure. I'll have someone compile a report for you tomorrow." Because she didn't lie often, Pepper's expression was a bit unnatural.
As a senior agent, Coulson could tell at a glance that Pepper wasn't telling the truth. However, this also indicated that Pepper did indeed know something.
"Miss Potts, you know we have no ill intentions."
Coulson wore the expression of a kind, elderly father, working hard to earn Pepper's trust. "I just want to understand the situation first so we can be prepared to face any unpleasantness."
"Tony was inside the armor, wasn't he?"
Suddenly, Coulson threw out a question.
Pepper's pupils contracted slightly, and her small hands involuntarily clenched. This didn't escape Coulson's observation. Now, he was basically certain that Tony had developed something new.
"I don't know. Tony is resting at home right now." Pepper tried her best to look natural, then used an apologetic tone to dismiss him. "It's very late, and I need to rest. Let's talk about anything else tomorrow."
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Goodnight!"
Coulson didn't push further. He didn't want to strain the relationship too much, and he had already obtained some vital information.
Stepping outside, Coulson immediately called Nick Fury. "Sir, it's been confirmed that one of them was indeed Tony, and he has returned safely. It looks like he was victorious."
"And the other two?"
"One of them, according to the gathered data, is very likely Obadiah Stane. He is currently missing, and no one can find him. As for the last one... I'm sorry, Sir, we still haven't collected any information regarding him yet."
"However, I believe Tony and his assistant Pepper Potts should know his identity."
"I don't care what you 'believe,' I only want results!"
Nick's voice was beyond reproach, making the already thin-haired Coulson feel even more stressed.
"Yes, Sir. Please give me a little more time."
Hanging up the phone, Coulson let out a long sigh. Since the lead with Pepper was a dead end, he could only go look for the remaining individual.
"Sir, there is someone outside looking for you!"
In the workshop, despite having just survived a massive battle, Tony, who felt the need to keep working, heard Jarvis's report.
"Who is it?"
Tony asked without looking up.
"The individual's identity information is classified; no results can be found via public searches."
Only then did Tony look up to see Coulson smiling at the surveillance camera. That semi-bald head reminded him of the man's identity.
"It's that... what-what Bureau was it again?"
Tony pointed his finger in the air, ultimately failing to name S.H.I.E.L.D. However, he knew the organization wasn't simple, because Fini had mentioned today that he didn't want to deal with that organization for the time being.
Tony noted the phrase "for the time being." This meant he just didn't want to deal with them right now, not that he would never deal with them.
(End of Chapter)