Just as Tony was about to open his mouth to say something, someone suddenly came in through the door.
"Mr. Tony, it's time."
"The reporters are ready."
"They're waiting for you."
A staff member in formal clothes walked up and spoke to Tony.
Hearing that, Tony suddenly had another headache about the press conference. Then he slapped his forehead, as if he had just thought of something, and turned to look at Happy.
"Okay, good afternoon, everyone."
"I'm Tony—"
In the villa district of Queens, Blaine was brushing his teeth when Tony's voice came from the television.
At some point, the cosmetics commercial with the female celebrity had disappeared, replaced by Tony. Naturally, the lavish interior of Stark Tower filled the screen as well.
Listening to Tony talking to the reporters, Blaine did not care much, but the next scene surprised him a little.
It could even be said that it was completely unexpected.
Just a moment ago, Blaine had still been wondering how Tony was going to hold this press conference without that batch of equipment. Now he knew—and he was surprised.
At that moment, Tony was kneeling on one knee, and standing in front of him was a woman.
Yes, that was right—Pepper.
Unexpectedly, Tony had actually used the press conference to propose in public. As expected of a playboy. It really was romantic.
Seeing Happy applauding in the background, Blaine seemed to understand.
When Tony had turned to look at Happy earlier, he had been asking whether Happy still had the ring.
It was the same ring from the first time Tony had been kidnapped by HYDRA, after he built the first suit of armor and escaped—the wedding ring he had promised Pepper.
Unexpectedly, the proposal scene that should have happened years ago was being staged now, right in front of everyone.
What was even more unexpected was that Happy had been carrying the ring with him all this time.
As if he had been waiting for this day.
"Oh, shit."
"Showing off your relationship in public, Tony."
"Tony, you really have no shame..."
At the dining table, Blaine ate breakfast while watching the originally ordinary press conference turn into a celebration, as everyone cheered and watched the two people kissing onstage.
In the end, Blaine still could not stand it and quickly turned off the TV.
Breakfast alone was enough. This unexpected display of affection was really too much.
Blaine, who had been single for thousands of years, could only feel that he was sitting at home while emotional damage fell from the sky.
He had not stolen Tony's corn, and he had not robbed his watermelon, so why did he have to see this first thing in the morning?
After breakfast, Blaine seemed to fall back into doing nothing again.
Because it was the weekend, he could not go to school.
Although the horse ranch, golf course, and bowling alley were lively because of the weekend, Blaine had no interest in any of them.
To be honest, even when he had free time, Blaine did not want to waste it on those boring sports.
Wouldn't it be better to play mobile games?
Wouldn't it be nice to play a few rounds?
Wouldn't it be better to practice his skills and try to keep up with Gali's pace?
After all, every single time, it was always Gali carrying him.
With nothing else to do, Blaine simply went to the backyard and played the role of a "gardener," which in reality just meant watering the heart-shaped grass. Because there were still too few of these plants and they were in a stage of continuous growth, Blaine felt it was a bit premature to test their effects.
After reinforcing the energy shield, Blaine began familiarizing himself with the skills and abilities he had acquired—especially the cosmic skill of arbitrary transformation.
Last time, he had almost made a fool of himself in front of little Spider-Man. If not for his lack of proficiency with the transformation, things could have gone very differently.
However, since this cosmic transformation required a large amount of mental energy, Blaine rarely used it lightly. With nothing to do today, he decided to practice, so that he wouldn't lose control of his desired size again like before.
Not only that, he also experimented with its advanced application—an ability similar to the legendary Seventy-Two Transformations.
Blaine continuously altered his form: one moment turning into a small stone, the next into a trash can, and then into a tiny dragonfly flitting among the flowers. Amid these playful transformations, Blaine managed to pass an otherwise dull day.
That evening, after some careful thought, Blaine finally made a decision about what to do the next day.
Early the next morning, Blaine did not sleep in until noon. Today, he was serious.
After reading the morning news, washing up, and eating, Blaine took out the Hunter suit from his Hunter Space and put it on once more. In an instant, the hood settled into place, and his figure vanished from the villa.
At the junction of Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and other regions lies a mysterious mountain range, perpetually covered in snow and ice. It had formed tens of thousands of years ago—perhaps even earlier—and concealed within it was a unique and ancient force: magic.
That's right—the Himalayas.
Near this mysterious range stood an unassuming village. Its name was Kamar-Taj, a sacred place for mystics, a sanctuary of magic. Of course, it was only a paradise for those who understood the mystic arts. To ordinary people, Kamar-Taj was nothing more than a poor, remote village.
At that moment, Blaine's figure quietly descended upon this land.
However, before he could even begin to probe the seemingly primitive village with his mental power—before he could properly investigate Kamar-Taj or learn more about the Ancient One—he suddenly sensed something.
A presence.
A mysterious force brushed against his mind.
Having just landed and taken barely two steps, Blaine's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, and his figure vanished once more.
In the next instant, atop a distant peak in the Himalayas, heavy snow fell relentlessly. A thick blanket of white covered the entire summit, and the biting cold seemed capable of freezing blood itself.
Amid the howling winds stood a solitary figure clad in yellow, like a plum blossom rooted firmly in the frost, blooming with quiet resilience.
That figure was the Ancient One—the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth.
And the yellow that stood out so vividly against the snow was her signature robe, her flowing cloak.
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