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Chapter 510: Iron Lament

"This..." Charles widened his eyes as he looked at the ship that could hardly be called "small" by any measure. His expression underwent several changes, ultimately revealing an extremely complex look. He said, "No, I can't accept it."

"While I don't know how you managed to acquire it, I believe the process must have been highly dangerous. If it truly can navigate within the dream world as you said, then it's an extremely valuable mode of transportation. It's too precious; I can't accept it."

Charles's reaction didn't exceed Schiller's expectations. Charles's ability to elevate Radiance Alliance's moral standards above average clearly demonstrated his noble character.

"Don't misunderstand, Professor. I'm not giving this ship to you. I just happen to possess it, and I can't spend every day running around in the dream world. It would be a waste if it just sat there idle. So, you can borrow it to use as a school bus."

"And right now, I happen to need this ship. You probably wouldn't mind becoming a temporary captain for an extraordinary dream journey, would you?"

Hearing this, Charles relaxed. He smiled and said, "Of course, actually, I'm also curious about the dream world. It's so mysterious here, but I've been caught up in the chaos of the real world and haven't had the time to explore it."

"Believe me, Professor, with your abilities, even in the dream world, you'd be hard to match. If we add this ship to the equation, we'll be able to freely roam here."

The two shook hands with smiles, achieving perfect agreement. On the ship, Marc, Jack, and the hippopotamus watching this scene all sighed in unison.

Marc turned his head and looked at the hippopotamus. He then said, "I guess even if you were to go down and say that this ship isn't theirs, I'm afraid..."

"I have no intention of going down!" The hippopotamus made a prayer gesture from the Egyptian pantheon and said, "If they like it, they can take it. After all, this ship isn't mine."

"Not yours? Then why are you here?" Marc asked.

Then he saw the hippopotamus roll its eyes in a very human-like manner and said, "I owe a favor to the owner of this ship. So, after work, I have to help them guide souls here. Honestly, I've grown tired of this job a long time ago. I'm just a hippopotamus, and there's nothing but sand in this river..."

"Oh, goddess's grace, please forgive the unreasonable side of my other personality. He's still just a child. I apologize on his behalf. I hope you can guide us on our journey ahead." Schiller, who had led Charles onto the ship, said to the hippopotamus.

The hippopotamus gave a light hum and said, "I won't quibble with a child. Because I am the patron goddess of women and children, I understand that these mischievous little ones have good hearts. However, you should also teach him not to break things at will, or there will be times when you'll be troubled..."

This goddess hippopotamus, both in behavior and speech, seemed very much like a human mother. This made the group feel a sense of familiarity. Then, she revealed the reason behind her presence.

"In the years since I became a god, I've been adopting the abandoned orphans of ancient Egypt. When they grow up, they become my followers. But I don't want them to stay here. I teach them practical skills, and then I send them back to human society..."

"I've been doing this kind of work for thousands of years. The last child I adopted became a programmer in Los Angeles. He even calls me on the telephone every weekend. Honestly, your human concept of time is so strange. His frequent telephone calls have kept me constantly busy..."

Hearing this, Charles felt somewhat moved. He approached the goddess hippopotamus, shook her hand, and said, "You are a kind god and a great mother. In fact, in terms of educating children, I often find it quite challenging..."

Watching a person and a god start discussing parenting, Schiller, Marc, and Jack all walked into the cabin. The cabin still carried a strong ancient Egyptian style, with murals, carpets, and wall tiles all adorned with patterns used by the ancient Egyptian gods.

Schiller sat on the sofa in front of the fireplace, Jack leaned against a pillar, and Marc sat across from Schiller. Now he was very curious, so he asked, "So, where is this ship headed now?"

"If my guess is correct, after their conversation, that goddess will most likely take us to her former homeland."

"Former homeland? She's a hippopotamus, is she going back to the African savanna?" Marc chuckled.

Inside and outside the cabin, both Schiller and the goddess hippopotamus's voices rang out simultaneously: "If you've heard of Egyptian mythology, then you should have some understanding of the celestial realm. There, the water and grass are abundant, full of life, and home to countless ancient gods, but it's not as peaceful as it seems on the surface..."

The sail was raised once again, and the great ship sailed into the dense white mist. After the last shadow disappeared into the hazy white mist, the mist began to gather and condense into tiny raindrops, falling from the sky. In the real world, the night rain continued to fall.

At the moment when the blood burst forth, no one present realized the seriousness of the problem. It wasn't until Schiller's corpse fell to the ground that Iron Man's combat suit resonated with a slightly different voice from JARVIS:

"Target status locked, scanning... Scan complete... Target deceased... Lock released..."

"Lock on again, scan again," Stark said.

"Locking... Lock complete, scanning... Scan complete... Target deceased... Lock released..."

"Scan again!"

"Sir, the scan results have an error rate of less than 0.002%. If a lower limit error rate is required, higher output can be provided for the scanning device..."

"Increase the output to the maximum!"

The magic energy on the chest of the Iron Man combat suit lit up with a dazzling light, like a lighthouse in the rainy night. However, this light only lasted for a moment before slowly dimming. Everyone was staring at Stark, and he took a somewhat stiff step and walked towards Schiller's corpse.

It wasn't difficult to determine that it was indeed a corpse, as almost the entire chest cavity, including the heart, had vanished. There were charred traces near the wound. There was no pulse, no heartbeat, no breath. Blood was no longer flowing through the body, and body temperature was gradually being lost.

Iron Man half-squatted down, using a finger to touch Schiller's arm. The data from the sensors showed no surprises. The conclusion was the same as the high-powered scan earlier: it was a corpse, with no other possibilities...

Strange grumbled as he put away the deep red ribbon. He walked over this way, saying as he walked, "Schiller, what are you up to again? Stop fooling around. Can't you see we're in the middle of a fight?"

After he came over, he also half-knelt beside Schiller's corpse. Unlike Stark, he wasn't as careful. Strange patted Schiller's shoulder directly. However, the moment his hand made contact with Schiller's shoulder, Strange froze.

Afterward, he displayed a somewhat panicked expression. He placed his hand on Schiller's forehead, and a flash of magic light appeared on his hand. Just like the energy on Stark's chest, this light quickly dimmed. Strange remained frozen in place.

"His soul... his soul is gone!!!" Trembling, Strange withdrew his hand, then stood up. His eyes glowed, scanning the surroundings, but he saw nothing.

Stark also stood up right after him. His face mask "clicked" into place, and he stared at Strange with his eyes fixedly. "What did you just say?!"

"I said his soul is gone!" Strange urgently shouted, "I don't know what he's up to, but now lying here is just a corpse. His soul has disappeared, and I don't know where it went..."

"Hahaha!!!" A string of laughter echoed. Arthur, holding the staff in his hands, burst into laughter. His long hair was soaked by the rain, sticking tightly to his face. His eyes blinked with a purple light, resembling an evil spirit that crawled up from hell.

"You fools, ordinary people! When the body dies and the soul disappears, what else does it imply? Of course, it means he's dead!"

Arthur shouted, "I don't know what you're still confirming! He's dead! Do you understand? This damn killer has finally received justice!! Ammit is the true justice!"

Steve's arms began to tremble. He took a deep breath, then walked forward anxiously. He grasped Stark's arm and said, "Tony, calm down, Tony..."

Suddenly, in the tranquil rainy night, amid the pitter-patter sound of rain, there emerged a faint, almost imperceptible sound of gears grinding.

This sound was so subtle that it couldn't be caught if one didn't listen carefully, yet it was so loud that it resonated like an earthquake.

Suddenly, the sky brightened.

A dazzling light rose from the horizon, bathing the earth in its radiance. The arc of light shimmered brightly, and the night sky transitioned from light to deep blue, the hues of the aurora so mysterious and dreamlike. This scene informed everyone that dawn had arrived.

However, as the members of the Avengers welcomed the light of dawn, their illuminated faces were all marked with serious expressions, as if facing a formidable foe.

This was because what rose on the horizon was not the sun, but Iron Man.

At the same time, in Asgard, Thor led the newly reformed Royal Guards through the expanse of the Bifrost Bridge. However, when they were halfway across, they suddenly stopped.

He sharply turned his head, looking toward the edge of Asgard where the branches of the World Tree were faintly visible. At the same time, the boundaries of several other great realms were also visible.

In the familiar starry background, a star lit up. It grew brighter and brighter until the deafening mechanical sound reached the ears of everyone in Asgard. Thor ascended into the air, his gaze penetrating the endless expanse of stars.

Just a second later, he descended and turned around, walking back. The bewildered Royal Guards followed behind him. Then they heard Thor say:

"Open the dungeons! Quickly!"

The leader of the Royal Guards caught up to Thor, his confusion evident. "But just a moment ago, didn't you say that the dungeons wouldn't be opened within a thousand years? And that whoever ordered the opening of the dungeons would be..."

"... a liar," Thor interrupted. He continued walking back, his eyes fixed on the light brightening at the edge of Asgard. He said, "I didn't want to change my mind so suddenly, but... in any case, open the dungeons!"

As his words fell, the underground of the palace erupted in a radiant light, and a petite figure landed on the ground. Lady Loki, her expression serious, walked toward Thor. Before Thor could speak, she said, "I know, my prison sentence for escape was increased by 300 years, but what's happening now? Why did Stark suddenly..."

Thor shook his head. The two siblings looked toward the source of the light burst together. Thor, as the Bright King, spread his divine power, attempting to discern the cause of Stark's sudden outburst.

He didn't hear any words, only the endless sound of machinery.

As he listened carefully, he heard the unusual emotions amidst the grinding gears, the wailing of steam whistles, and the surging energy of symphonies.

It was an extraordinary sentiment—a lament of steel.

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