Ellen settled his thoughts.
The last time he had encountered the gold-titanium alloy, it was in a plain-looking van carrying a shipment of high-quality metals, stopped at the border between Queens and Staten Island near a small factory. He had been nervous and only taken three pieces before leaving.
'Kai was testing me earlier. Is he connected to that metal?'
He tossed aside the metal rod in his hand, looking at the Golden Eye enhancement progress, which had only increased by 2%.
*'If Kai really has a source of gold-titanium alloy... The improvement speed from this ordinary steel is just too slow. At this rate, it will take another 15 days just to fully upgrade the Golden Eye!'*
He shook his head. 'Maybe because of the Hulk incident, there are more patrols on the streets now. Seems like a good time to focus on training and growing stronger. Being a kid is so inconvenient!'
After dinner, he began his practice.
In the quiet night, the six-year-old Peter Parker was watching cartoons on the sofa. Uncle George was watching a baseball game, and Aunt Jenny was cleaning up.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark, glancing at the news while drunk, casually opened a bottle of red wine. "Jarvis, you awake?"
"At your service at all times, sir."
"I want to create a new project file. Index name: Jericho missile!"
...
Over the next two weeks, Ellen and Peter quickly became familiar with each other. In the same elementary school, Leo became the only friend for the initially shy Peter.
Even without being Spider-Man, Peter Parker was a likable kid, exceptionally sharp with numbers. Even Aunt Jenny praised, "Little Peter seems even smarter than Leo was at his age."
Leo felt a little indignant but patted his head. 'It's true. Peter invented his web fluid himself. I might not actually be smarter than him.'
Beyond their growing friendship, Ellen's eyes had been growing brighter and brighter during this period, something Uncle George had even pointed out.
Standing in front of the mirror, he looked at his piercing black pupils. Like two warm black pearls, they constantly emitted a faint golden light.
Seeing the Golden Eye strengthening at 99%, Ellen widened his eyes, and the golden light between his pupils intensified.
Two golden beams shot out from his eyes, striking the mirror directly.
Part of the golden light reflected onto Ellen himself without any issue, but the light that hit the mirror surface quickly dimmed. A strange, rust-like stain appeared on the glass, spreading rapidly until it covered most of the mirror.
He closed his eyes, cutting off the golden light's source, and the spreading stain stopped. When Ellen opened his eyes again, they had returned to normal.
Now, most of the mirror in front of him had turned into a sheet of metal, seamlessly fused with the remaining glass.
Tapping it lightly with his finger confirmed it was common iron sheet. Leo thought for a moment.
He quietly took out his phone and ordered a new mirror online.
He removed the old mirror. 'Well then, tonight I'll finish strengthening the Golden Eye!'
...
After eating an entire box of Dove chocolates, he wiped his mouth, sat down calmly, and felt the energy surrounding his mind. Sensing the chocolate vanishing quickly from his stomach, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
He held two metal rods, closed his eyes, and felt the power within the metal.
Tiny points of golden light emerged again, merging into his body and, guided by his will, flooding toward his eyes.
The golden light penetrated deeply. All the power accumulated in his eyes surged out, dyeing his entire eyeballs a brilliant gold.
Ellen felt the energy in his mind pouring out. His eyes were like dry sponges, endlessly absorbing the accumulated energy.
The metal rods in his hands began to crack gradually, their color growing dimmer.
With a soft 'click,' the two rods shattered simultaneously, falling onto the carpet.
Two dazzling golden beams shot out, illuminating the entire room.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Control: 52
Strength: 7
Defense: 7
Speed: 8
Spirit: 19
Skills: D-Class Metal Control, D-Class Body Strengthening
Strengthening: Golden Eye (100%), Copper Skin (11%), Steel Muscle (0%), Iron Bone (0%)
Derived Ability: Metalizing Gaze (Unaffected by illusions, sees through falsehoods, enhances visual perception, metalizes objects)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The golden light suddenly vanished, and in an instant, Ellen's eyes returned to their usual appearance. But deep within his dark pupils, a tiny golden speck was now hidden.
This small disturbance in the middle of the night attracted no one's attention, just like someone turning a room light on and off quickly.
Only Ellen laughed softly. The two additional points in Spirit made him perceive the world differently. Having nearly twice the mental power of an ordinary person made him a little over-excited.
He focused inwardly. Metalizing Gaze.
The golden light in his eyes erupted, dyeing his pupils a golden yellow that contained a strange, penetrating light.
Looking around, with a single thought, the walls of the house seemed to vanish entirely. He could see everyone within a few hundred meters clearly, and the characteristics of living beings were automatically highlighted.
He could see his own skin through his clothes. Concentrating slightly, even the skin seemed to disappear, allowing him to clearly see the subcutaneous muscle tissue and blood flow, even his own bones and meridians.
He blinked, and his vision returned to normal. Ellen clutched his pounding heart. A little too intense!
He picked up a ceramic cup. With a thought, a golden light shot from his eyes, concentrating on the cup.
In less than two seconds, as the golden light receded, the cartoon-patterned ceramic cup in his hand had turned into a metal cup.
He made a gripping motion with his right hand, and the cup twisted easily. 'It really is metal. Controllable metal!'
"But," he sensed carefully, "this material is too common. It's a bit worse than the stuff I buy online."
It was useless to him, so he willed it back to its original state. Stretching out a finger and giving a slight, strange wave, the cup returned to being ceramic.
He went to the metalized mirror but found he could not restore it. It seemed that after more than three minutes, the metallization became permanent.
Having accurately measured his new skill, Ellen, whose previously exhausted spirit was now refreshed, felt energized.
Keep training!
He took out a few more metal rods. In the dark room, tiny golden lights began to appear once more.
...
Kai looked at the 1.3-meter Gundam model on the truck, touching it with trembling hands. He traced the smooth, tough metal lines, the rows of parts, the bumps and contours—it all looked so natural, just like a real giant robot.
"Ahhh!!!" Kai let out a satisfied cry, trembling all over as if he had taken a powerful drug.
"As expected... Big is the true path! I want a big model too! A really BIG one!"