Marvel: Little Genius - Chapter: 423 (Patreon)

"Oh, the environment here is truly extreme. It was scorching down below just a moment ago, and now it's freezing up here. Anyway, I guess that raccoon doesn't have to climb the mountain like us."

"To be precise, Rocket isn't just a raccoon, Dad," Mark turned around and said to Tony.

"Who cares? I don't mind either way; they both like rummaging through trash cans," Tony shrugged, indifferent.

When they had just landed on the surface of Vormir, Tony was very cautious and careful.

But as they continued to climb this mountain, as they moved away from the surface where heat dissipated, the external temperature gradually began to drop, even leading to frost and snowflakes.

Along with the dropping temperature, Tony's fragile vigilance diminished. From his current attitude of complaining about Rocket's species, it was clear that he had thrown his previous caution out the window.

If it weren't for the frigid temperatures around, Mark believed Tony wouldn't even bother wearing his nanosuit.

"We're almost at the summit. I didn't expect this planet, known as the Land of the Dead, to have such a terrifying reputation, but our mission unexpectedly seems easy. We haven't encountered a single living creature on this journey."

Tony's tone was quite relaxed and optimistic. In his view, all they needed to do next was reach the mountaintop, obtain the Soul Stone, and then return to their original timeline.

Everything seemed easy and enjoyable.

"I've told you before, the dangers on Vormir are not apparent to the naked eye. The truly lethal means have yet to reveal themselves. But if you want to meet beings other than us, I believe you'll have the opportunity very soon."

As Mark spoke, a hint of anticipation appeared on his face.

Tony, upon hearing Mark's words, was completely puzzled and didn't understand what he meant.

However, the next moment, he was startled by a sudden figure that appeared out of nowhere, and only then did he grasp the meaning behind Mark's earlier words.

Unexpectedly, on this desolate and lifeless planet, there was indeed another living presence!

Tony didn't waste any time thinking and quickly donned his suit's face mask, activated the palm cannon in his hand, took two steps back to create some distance, and looked extremely vigilant at the sudden figure that had emerged.

On the other hand, Mark remained remarkably composed. He didn't take any defensive actions, nor did he show any signs of panic. He simply stood there calmly, observing everything that was happening before him.

For Mark, he had long understood the situation on Vormir and was well aware of the identity of the person before them. Although the stranger looked rather mysterious, he posed no threat to them.

Of course, even if he had the intention, with his abilities, he wouldn't have the capability. The individual strengths of both Tony and Mark were such that he had no chance of winning against them.

At this moment, Tony, who was cautiously on guard against the mysterious figure, could clearly see the face hidden beneath the hood.

"Red Skull!" Tony exclaimed. He knew the notorious villain well, the founder of HYDRA and one of the most infamous adversaries of Captain America and his father, Howard Stark.

But it was precisely because he knew about him that Tony was so shocked when the data analysis function of his suit revealed the stranger's identity.

Red Skull should have been eliminated in 1945, alongside Captain America and his Howling Commandos. Yet here he was, standing before them alive and well, more than seventy years later!

"But when you think about it, it's not entirely unthinkable. After all, Captain was originally believed to have sacrificed himself, but who would have thought he would be dug out from the ice of the Arctic Ocean more than seventy years later."

"Welcome, Tony Stark, son of Howard Stark; Mark Stark, son of Tony Stark!"

Red Skull made an astonishing entrance and showcased his mysterious superpower—he could know your father's name!

Perhaps it had been so long since he had seen anyone he could use his power on that he could clearly hear the excitement and eagerness in Red Skull's voice when he uttered these welcoming words.

This was also why Mark didn't have his guard up against him. Ever since Red Skull had been accidentally transported to Vormir during his battle with Captain America, he had become a recluse over the years.

Though he had gained eternal life and extraordinary "superpowers" thanks to the Soul Stone, the long years of solitude and the Stone's influence had made him completely lose his original dreams and ambitions.

"Red Skull, huh? That's a name both distant and nostalgic."

"But now I'm just a guide for everyone who comes here, a guide to the location of the Soul Stone."

After carefully observing Red Skull's condition and seeing Mark's composed demeanor, Tony temporarily lowered his combat posture but remained cautious.

He looked at Mark, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "You knew this situation would arise a long time ago, didn't you, you rascal?"

From Mark's remarks before Red Skull appeared, if Tony couldn't guess something by now, he would truly be far from a genius.

Mark heard Tony's question but didn't deny it, simply nodding in response.

"Hmph!" Tony snorted, clearly displeased with Mark's behavior of withholding information and spectating from the sidelines.

Then he turned to Red Skull and said, "Since you're the guide, why don't you just tell us the location of the Soul Stone, and we'll go get it ourselves."

"I'm very sorry, Tony Stark, son of Howard Stark."

Red Skull once again showed off his "superpower" in front of others.

"If you want to obtain the Soul Stone, I'm afraid it's not that simple. Please follow me—"

With that, Red Skull turned around and began leading the way ahead. Tony and Mark exchanged a glance and followed him.

Upon reaching the summit of the rocky peak with Red Skull, Tony noticed something unusual about this place.

At the mountaintop, the ground was marked with mysterious runes, and there stood a majestic stone column gate.

Red Skull paid no attention to Tony's astonished expression behind him and proceeded to fulfill his role as a guide.

"The Soul Stone you seek is right before your eyes, and it is accompanied by your deepest fears. For either one of you to obtain the Soul Stone, you must lose your dearest love in your heart. This is the eternal trade and the only way to obtain the Soul Stone—a soul exchange for soul."

After saying the last sentence, Red Skull fell silent. Even though he might have a strong desire to communicate with others, the binding influence of the Soul Stone forced him to stand aside and await the final decision of Tony and Mark.

"Damn, this has got to be some kind of nonsense! Who is he anyway—Red Skull? A notorious murderer, one of the most infamous villains in history. How can we trust what he's saying!"

Upon hearing Red Skull's explanation of the rule involving the exchange of souls, Tony immediately became irate and refused to believe Red Skull's claims of being a guide.

But Mark remained unfazed, looking at Tony with a smile and saying, "I actually think he's telling the truth."

"Why? Just because he mentioned our fathers' names?"

"With our identities, anyone on Earth could have access to this information. Even if you didn't know, a quick internet search would reveal it."

Tony refused to believe in the authenticity of the trade rule, or perhaps his inner convictions were already wavering, but the harsh reality made him instinctively choose to evade.

"Dad, after he disappeared in front of Captain in 1945, he remained on this planet far from the solar system for ninety years. In 1945, you weren't even born yet, let alone me.

He couldn't have known our identities in advance, and he certainly couldn't have surfed the internet here. And why do you think I swapped teams with Natasha and Hawkeye, choosing to come here to carry out the mission on Vormir with you?

Thanos took the Soul Stone from here but left his daughter Gamora. That's not a coincidence; it's the price he paid to achieve his ambitions.

Do you still remember what Thanos said on Titan, and how my words initially shook his convictions but he ultimately strengthened his resolve? He said, 'In order to achieve all this, I have already paid too much'

Don’t you understand what this means, dad?"

After Mark's counter-question, Tony could only shake his head in resignation.

It's not that he didn't understand the truth of the matter; he just didn't want to accept it.

Seeing Tony's expression, Mark added, "If we can't obtain this Soul Stone, we won't be able to reverse the initial timeline's catastrophe, and the billions of lives that Thanos wiped out, along with our loved ones, won't come back."

"I know. But you promised me before that my participation in this mission would guarantee the preservation of everything I have now.

I don't want Morgan to lose her father at such a young age, and I don't want Pepper to be heartbroken because of me."

In front of Mark, Tony didn't hide his thoughts, even though it might make him appear weak, but it was all for the sake of his family...

"I know, Dad, and I will never look down on you for it. In my eyes, you'll always be the amazing genius—Tony Stark.

In the past, you could become Iron Man and save people from all sorts of dangers. And now, when your family needs you to come back, you've taken on the responsibilities of a husband and a father, holding firm to your principles and boundaries.

No matter what decision you make, I'll support your choice. And Dad, don't forget, I made a promise too.

If there ever comes a situation that requires sacrifice, I'll be the first to step forward. Now is the time for me to step up, and I need your support just like I support you."

"It's impossible!" Tony flatly rejected Mark's decision without room for negotiation. "I can't just stand by and watch you sacrifice yourself for some damn Infinity Stone and other people's lives!

Damn it! You promised to preserve everything I have. You're my son; how can you exclude yourself from that?"

"Take it easy, Dad! If it were up to me, I wouldn't want to die in vain either. So when I took over from Natasha and Hawkeye to complete the mission on Vormir, I had already thought it through.

I questioned whether there might be a glimmer of hope within the rules set by the Soul Stone. I harbored doubts and used the computational advantage of Intelligent life form to deduce within the magical network.

In the end, I arrived at one result, the only viable solution. If any of the others among us were to undertake this mission, it would likely involve someone making a sacrifice, or perhaps two people silently agreeing to abandon the mission and return directly.

But if we do it, it's different. We can not only successfully obtain the Soul Stone but also do so without an irreversible cost. The premise is that today, I might have to die again."

"!?" Upon hearing Mark's explanation, Tony was left dumbfounded on the spot...