Tony's Mansion
A magic circle condensed from the Void appeared before Marcus.
The circle rotated with his hand movements, transforming into rings of different sizes that orbited his body.
This was the first time he had practiced spells seriously. Though he had obtained the spellwork from Ancient One long ago, he had never studied it with proper dedication.
Seeing the Ancient One again in New Mexico had rekindled his interest in magic.
Additionally, he had never practiced the five major schools, which meant his personal strength hadn't increased significantly.
In Warframe, Focus Schools are specialized skill trees that enhance your Operator and Warframe abilities.
Madurai: Emphasizes offensive capabilities, boosting damage output and casting speed. Ideal for players focusing on maximizing damage.
Zenurik: Centers on energy regeneration, providing sustained energy for abilities. A popular choice for maintaining ability uptime.
Naramon: Enhances melee combat and critical chance, benefiting players who prefer close-quarters combat.
Unairu: Focuses on defense and durability, offering armor enhancements and damage resistance. Suitable for tanky playstyles.
Vazarin: Specializes in healing and protection, granting abilities that support allies and improve survivability.
Without his warframe, his abilities—while impressive—couldn't match the power his warframe provided.
Now his warframe and weaponry had reached their limits, but his own innate abilities hadn't improved much.
This was one reason he began practicing spells. He needed to master energy manipulation before he could effectively utilize the different abilities of the Void School.
HUMM~
Two void rings inscribed with strange symbols rotated constantly around his arms, prompting Marcus to take a deep breath.
"Good. I can finally say I've mastered fine manipulation of void energy."
Though wielding void energy came naturally to him, precise control had always been a weakness.
If he hadn't practiced Weishan's spells, mastering the Void School might have taken considerably longer.
"Which school should I choose now?"
Unlike video games with rigid class restrictions, reality offered more flexibility—but human energy was still limited. No one could master everything simultaneously.
Marcus could only choose one school to practice initially. Additional schools would come later as his abilities deepened—a lengthy process.
After carefully considering several schools, Marcus finally made his decision.
"I'll choose Vazarin [V School, Water of the Five Elements]. Its recovery and defensive capabilities are excellent."
Though Madurai [M School, Fire of the Five Elements] offered superior offensive power, Marcus didn't lack combat strength. Vazarin, with its strong healing and protection effects, provided advantages Madurai couldn't match.
As a school focused on recovery and defense, Vazarin embodied its water element symbol—possessing both fluidity and strength.
It could project shields capable of withstanding thousands of attackers, create whirlpool-like effects to draw enemies together, and heal allies.
Beginning his practice according to Vazarin methods, void energy radiated from his body.
Marcus clearly felt the energy expand outward, covering a 100-meter radius.
The void energy rapidly returned to his body, but Marcus now perceived everything within that 100-meter sphere.
"So this is Vazarin's basic unifying and healing ability? It dramatically enhances my environmental awareness."
Marcus marveled at Vazarin's improvements. He had become a human radar, easily sensing everything within a hundred-meter radius.
"Hmm? Has Tony finished?"
Through his enhanced perception, Marcus sensed Tony powering down his equipment, preparing to examine his creation.
Since returning from the farm, Tony had secluded himself in his laboratory, studying a new material.
He had been smelting vibranium alloy with the Destroyer's remains, producing several materials with different composition ratios.
None had met his expectations—until now, when he'd finally created a promising new alloy.
Sensing this development, Marcus paused his practice. He remained curious about Tony's new material, created by fusing vibranium alloy with the Destroyer's metal.
Walking into the laboratory, he found Tony carefully removing a finger-wide metal strip from his equipment. This represented the optimal ratio he had calculated—the best combination to maximize the properties of both vibranium and the Destroyer's metal.
Placing the metal before a laser apparatus, Tony donned protective glasses and said:
"JARVIS, initiate the seventh test!"
A red laser immediately struck the metal strip.
This laser weapon was something Tony had developed while fighting Vanko, though its power had since been significantly enhanced.
Despite the laser's intensity, the metal showed no sign of damage.
Tony wasn't satisfied yet. Staring at the metal through his glasses, he continued:
"Increase laser power. I need to find its breaking point!"
Having experienced the Destroyer's energy beam firsthand, Tony now prioritized defensive capabilities above all else. This metal needed to exceed his expectations.
As the laser's power increased, the entire laboratory glowed crimson. The floor beneath the beam bore a deep hole, yet the metal strip remained completely undamaged.
After the laser attack ended, the metal had taken on a reddish glow.
This wasn't merely reflection—the metal possessed properties of both vibranium and the Destroyer's alloy. It could absorb energy, store it, and release it when needed.
Under Tony's command, the mechanical arm holding the metal strip raised it slowly, then slammed it against a metal dummy.
A red slash of energy erupted from the metal, slicing through both the dummy and the wall behind it. Afterward, the metal strip returned to its normal state.
"Ha! Success! This alloy should be the most advanced metal on Earth!"
Tony could barely contain his excitement. Using this metal for his Iron Man suit would dramatically improve its combat effectiveness.
Moreover, he would no longer worry about energy consumption—the suit could absorb energy during battle, ensuring sustained performance.
"The metal's properties are impressive. Your suit can definitely be upgraded immediately. However, I suggest implementing nanotechnology. That would allow you to deploy it anytime, anywhere."
Though Tony had a portable suit, it was merely an inferior version with limited combat capabilities.
While his other suits performed well, they all shared a critical flaw—Tony couldn't deploy them instantly in emergencies.
He couldn't wear the suit constantly, leaving him vulnerable whenever danger struck without warning.
Marcus's suggestion gave Tony pause. He understood the logic.
Yet this didn't mean a traditional suit was inherently inferior to a nanotech version. Each had advantages and disadvantages.
Though a conventional suit couldn't deploy as rapidly as a nanotech version, its defensive capabilities were far superior.
No matter how advanced a nanotech suit might be, it would still consist of countless tiny robots that couldn't match the solidity and integrity of a unified armor system.
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