Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Stephen’s Vision of the Future! Tony’s Worry and Resolve!
Gwen’s voice carried both embarrassment and amusement as she spoke.
Before, just recalling that memory alone was enough to make her curl her toes in secondhand shame.
But now, sharing it with everyone, she didn’t feel embarrassed at all.
Instead, there was a warm happiness in her chest.
Perhaps that was the joy of a memory that belonged only to them.
Silk and Wanda couldn’t help but laugh softly too, though their eyes held genuine envy.
Why?
Because Lorien had never exposed her— not then, not even now.
Instead, he’d spoken to her gently, kindly.
That—was pampering.
Back then, it might’ve felt mortifying.
But now? It was nothing but sweet happiness.
Gwen continued.
"Things moved quickly after that."
"With Lorien’s guidance, I began facing my abilities directly."
"I started going into the city every so often to fight crime. Later, I realized I actually enjoyed it, so I just kept doing it."
"And at the same time, I kept visiting Lorien. Back and forth like that, plus a few major events later... we just naturally became what we are now."
Silk grew excited.
"You were always the one taking the initiative? You’re so bold!"
Gwen thumped her chest with pride.
"I was super bold, okay?"
"Later, when I felt the timing was right..."
"I was the one who went to Lorien and revealed my identity!"
"To this day, he’s the only person I’ve ever revealed myself to."
Silk’s face lit with envy. "That’s so romantic!"
Her hands clenched tightly as she listened.
The immersion was overwhelming—she was more nervous than when she’d fought Rhino!
Wanda, listening quietly beside them, kept nodding here and there.
Some of Gwen’s story mirrored her own, while other parts were different.
But what struck her most were the major turning points.
She remembered the two-hundred-somethingth time she’d faced a swarm of rats, terrified.
It was Lorien who held her hands, who gave her courage.
Later came the Lizard.
Then the Deviants, and more.
Step by step, Lorien had guided her, helped her grow.
That was why she had become who she was today.
Without him?
She couldn’t imagine.
Probably still a scared little duckling.
Silk noticed the wistful look on Wanda’s face and instantly understood—Wanda had her own story.
"Wanda, you tell us too!" she urged.
"Exactly!" Gwen agreed immediately. "I’ve told mine, now it’s your turn, Wanda!"
Who wouldn’t want to know the story they were curious about?
Gwen certainly did!
Wanda saw the two of them staring expectantly at her and realized she couldn’t escape.
"Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. But let’s grab some drinks first. We’ll take our time with it."
"Okay!"
...
Meanwhile, on Earth, Asia, inside Kamar-Taj.
In a quiet library, two men were deep in discussion about magic.
One of them—who didn’t actually need glasses but wore sleek black-rimmed, high-tech ones—spoke first.
"Stephen, is it possible to attach magic to metal?"
Stephen was poring over a tome left behind by the Ancient One.
Hearing Tony’s question, he didn’t even look up.
"You haven’t even mastered teleportation magic."
"..."
Tony pressed his lips together.
But he asked again.
"I’ve seen magical artifacts made of metal. If I crafted metal the same way and assembled it into machines, would it work?"
"Master teleportation first."
"..."
Tony rolled his eyes in frustration.
He insisted, "I’m close. Give me one week—two at most."
"Okay." Stephen nodded, still reading. "I’ve got plenty of time. I’ll wait."
"...."
Tony stared at him, speechless.
He really felt like he’d met his match.
The last time he’d felt this way was when he met Lorien.
But he hadn’t expected Stephen to be just as sharp, just as immovable.
While Tony was still mulling over it, Stephen spoke again, eyes still on the book.
"For Lorien’s sake, do you know why I don’t answer your questions?"
Tony gestured for him to go on, unfazed by the rebuff.
"Because human greed has no ceiling. If I give you one answer, you’ll immediately have another question. Then another. And another. Endlessly."
At that, Stephen slipped in a bookmark, closed the book, and continued.
"But I’m not saying you’re greedy. It’s just that this process breeds greed, subtly, over time."
"That’s why you should never test a person’s limits—because depending on circumstances, neither lower bounds nor upper bounds exist."
"You should stay grounded and prove your talent directly to Lorien."
Tony’s expression had been casual at first.
But as Stephen spoke, his face grew increasingly solemn.
By the time Stephen finished, Tony was deadly serious.
He took a moment to think carefully.
Then he nodded firmly.
"It’s my mindset that’s been off. I should focus on laying down the fundamentals before I start thinking about these bigger questions."
At that, Stephen glanced at Tony in surprise.
He hadn’t expected someone as arrogant as Tony to reflect on himself so quickly.
Rare indeed.
No... this must be Lorien’s influence.
It seemed that everyone who spent enough time around him ended up changing for the better.
Noticing Stephen’s look, Tony chuckled.
"Surprised?"
"Yes," Stephen admitted frankly. "I thought you’d just storm off in anger."
Tony shook his head.
"I’m not the same as when I was younger. I have a wife now, kids, people I care about. They’re my reason to keep pushing forward."
Stephen nodded slowly, thoughtful.
"Looks like you’ve found your purpose."
"Of course," Tony said without hesitation.
The atmosphere was good, the two of them ready to continue talking about life, work, and the rest.
But then, all of a sudden—
Stephen’s brow furrowed sharply.
He crossed his legs, levitating into the air, hands weaving sigils.
A flash of green light flared.
Under Tony’s stunned gaze, Stephen spared him one last look.
"Stay where you are."
Then his eyes closed, his hands pushed outward, and the Eye of Agamotto began to spin furiously.
Stephen’s whole body started jerking, twitching in strange spasms, darting as if searching for something, then snapping back still—again and again.
To Tony, it looked like afterimages trailing off his body.
He was floored.
What the hell is he doing?
But one thing was clear: something serious was happening.
The Sorcerer Supreme wouldn’t act like this otherwise.
Still, Tony didn’t dare interrupt.
He waited, tense, for Stephen to come back.
Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
Soon Stephen’s head stopped its jerking.
"Huuuuhhh!"
He let out a long breath, lowering his crossed legs, dropping into a chair, gasping for air.
The Eye of Agamotto dimmed and retracted.
Tony frowned.
"Bad news?"
Stephen was still panting. He raised a finger, gathered his breath, then finally answered.
"Worse than you can imagine."
Tony’s brows drew tight.
If Stephen Strange said those words, it had to be catastrophic.
"Spell it out."
"Let me catch my breath first."
He had seen too many visions—his spirit was drained.
After a short rest, Stephen closed his eyes again and meditated.
This time, it didn’t take long.
When his eyes opened, his tone was steady, direct.
"My magic lets me glimpse fragments of the future. The clearer the focus, the bigger the event, the more detailed the vision."
"Future fragments?" Tony raised a brow. "So..."
"So I saw a war to end the world."
"A war to end the world?" Tony stiffened. "Where? On Earth?"
"No," Stephen shook his head.
Tony exhaled with relief. "Good."
But Stephen’s next words made him freeze.
"I take that back. Not world-ending... star-ending."
He drew in a breath.
"A war on the edge of the Solar System. If it’s lost, Earth will be gone—wiped out. Only a handful might survive, fleeing to other star systems."
Tony’s eyes widened.
Not on Earth because Earth’s too small... but in the whole Solar System?
They’re really playing at that scale?
Lose, and Earth is gone?
How the hell do you fight that?
"Wait—" Tony caught himself. "We lose? But we’re not even involved. Who’s fighting who?"
Finally, he had asked the real question.
Because in the known universe, Earth was the only civilization in the Solar System.
If Earth wasn’t in it... then who was fighting?
This had to be a joke.
So who?
Stephen didn’t hold back.
"I don’t know who the invaders are, but they looked like endless swarms of massive green insects. Each one the size of a car."
"And the defenders of the Solar System were..."
Tony leaned forward. "Who?"
"Transformers..." Stephen hesitated, then added,
"I can’t be certain they were Transformers. But they looked exactly like Lorien’s Transformer sports car. Practically identical."
"So—"
Before he could finish, Tony cut in, nodding.
"They’re Transformers — Lorien’s creations."
"...What?" Stephen blinked. "How do you know?"
"Because I’ve seen them," Tony said seriously. "Just recently. I stumbled across it myself."
"But I don’t know if I should even be telling you this. It concerns Lorien. That’s the only reason I’m saying anything at all."
"Every Transformer you saw belongs to Lorien."
That single statement left Stephen silent.
Clearly, both men felt the same thing:
When it came to Lorien Su, their secrets weren’t theirs to reveal.
They could only speak in hints, never the whole truth.
After a moment of silence, Stephen suddenly said—
"So, do you even understand what they represent?"
That wasn’t really a question.
It was Stephen’s way of probing, testing whether Tony was bluffing or not.
And Tony caught on immediately.
He smiled and glanced around.
"How many magic books do you keep here?"
"Ten thousand and eighty-six. I remember precisely."
"That’s not fewer than what you’ve got here."
At those words, Stephen nodded.
It seemed Tony truly knew what he was talking about.
Because in the visions Stephen had seen, that war had been far too terrifying to put into words.
So...
Tony and Stephen exchanged a glance and said at the same time:
"We need to find Lorien."
"Today?" Stephen asked.
"Tomorrow," Tony replied.
"Why?"
"How long until the war happens?"
"Probably before your baby is born."
"Then the day after tomorrow."
"Why?"
"Because Lorien takes weekends off. Unless Earth is literally about to be destroyed, we shouldn’t bother him on his days off. And honestly, we wouldn’t be much help anyway. He probably already knows."
"...Fine."
The decision made, they prepared to return and get themselves ready.
But before leaving, Tony suddenly asked,
"So who won in the end?"
Stephen shook his head. He turned as he answered.
"There was no answer. The war was bigger than you can imagine. Remember this—the enemies were endless. They looked like they filled the entire universe."
Endless.
Like they filled the entire universe.
Those words made Tony slowly close his eyes.
He let out a long breath.
Endless...
Even knowing the Transformers were vast and powerful, could they truly win against infinite enemies?
If victory were so easy, Stephen wouldn’t have worn that look.
Tony opened his eyes again.
He looked at the grimoire he’d borrowed, then slowly clenched his fist around it.
Of course, the book was untouched—his strength didn’t so much as crease a page.
But Tony knew.
He had to push himself harder.
At the very least, he—Earth’s top genius among superheroes—had to contribute something real.
...
Meanwhile.
At the Northern Tower,
Lorien Su was stretched out on a lounge chair in the Little Universe, trying to rest.
He had planned on taking an afternoon nap. But with no one beside him, the urge to sleep faded quickly.
Just then, the twin sisters entered from outside.
They came to Lorien’s side and reported,
"Just recently, the Transformers Senate approved several new plans. Master, please review them."
Aria projected the plans in front of him, like a computer screen filled only with visuals.
It contained Cybertron’s latest strategies and data, along with news updates and historical records.
Lorien skimmed through them.
Meanwhile, Bella explained from the other side.
"Not long ago, an event shook the entire universe. The Nova Empire—one of the three great empires—was destroyed. Less than five percent of its citizens managed to escape."
"Further reports say it was Thanos, having returned, leading an army of a new species called the Annihilation Swarm."
"In the end, the Nova Empire self-destructed. That’s where the report ends."
Lorien nodded as he scanned the panel.
Solar System defense systems.
Planetary-level weapons and super firepower.
From the chronicles, it was clear: the Transformers understood exactly what made these swarms so dangerous.
Formidable strength + infinite numbers + mindless recklessness = an endless tide of fearless brutes charging straight at you.
Because of that, the Transformers had acted quickly. They were likely already modifying other star systems.
Lorien nodded again.
"Not bad. Quick response, solid unity. Let’s see how it plays out. For now, the Transformers are basically running a tower defense game."
That was the extent of his reaction.
Because under absolute power, even if the swarm broke through the Transformers’ defenses,
it would only take him a single breath to wipe them out.
In short, for him—this was nothing more than watching a sci-fi movie.