Chapter Fifty-Three: Lord Man (Please Recommend)

Just as Tony fell silent, Ivan Vanko suddenly turned his gaze toward the depths of the desert. In his perception, a source of energy was rapidly approaching from that direction. He had noticed this energy source while searching for Tony—always trailing at a certain distance, never making a move. Now, however, it was suddenly on the move, clearly signaling hostile intent.

“Tony, can that hunk of junk of yours fly?” Ivan Vanko asked, eyes fixed on the horizon.

“It’s not a hunk of junk,” Tony retorted. He didn’t answer directly, but the implication was clear enough: relying on his half-finished suit for stable flight was out of the question.

Ivan caught the meaning. He hesitated. In the past, he would have turned and left without a second thought. But things were different now. Under the guidance of Kim Bradley, Ivan Vanko had developed a new sense of responsibility. If this had nothing to do with him, he would have walked away. But the reality was clear: it was his use of alchemy that had drawn this unknown enemy here in the first place. If he hadn’t stubbornly come to this place, Tony might still have had a chance of escaping with his unfinished suit.

With that in mind, Ivan took a deep breath. “Take the bald guy and get out of here as fast as you can. I’ll hold them off. If you make it out alive, go to Russia and find someone for me. His name is Kim Bradley. With all your money, you should have no problem finding him.”

“What are you talking about?” Tony, with his almost useless sensors, hadn’t detected the approaching danger at all.

“Go!” Ivan roared. He slammed his palm to the sand, and a surge of sand propelled Tony and Yinsen a hundred meters away. In the distance, a blue glow was already streaking across the desert toward them at incredible speed.

Alchemy—Material Reconstruction!

Energy surged through Ivan as a massive sand fortress erupted from the ground, shielding Tony and Yinsen from view.

Tony hit the ground and stared at the sand fortress that had materialized as if by magic. His mechanical arm pounded the earth in frustration.

Why am I so powerless?

Tony ground his teeth. He could guess why Ivan had told them to leave first. An enemy was coming—one so formidable that even Ivan, who could reshape the landscape in an instant, wasn’t sure he could win. If they stayed, they’d only be a burden.

“Tony! What’s happening?” Yinsen, still disoriented from the fall, hadn’t yet processed the situation.

Without a word, Tony heaved Yinsen onto his shoulder, cranked the power system to maximum, and tore off into the distance.

Hold on! Just get far enough away from here! Once the signal transmitter connects to the satellite, reinforcements will come! In his heart, Tony prayed for Ivan Vanko.

Meanwhile, Ivan, having reshaped the terrain, faced his pursuer. The man had a brutish face, long hair, and a savage expression—clearly no friend. Ivan also noticed that the man wore ten rings, each one different, on his fingers. Drawing on the insight gained from studying alchemy, Ivan keenly sensed a connection between the energy swirling around the man and those rings.

“This road is closed!” Ivan’s voice rang out clearly, even amid the crackle of electricity. “You’ve been following me for so long—what do you want?!”

Standing before Ivan was none other than the mastermind behind Tony Stark’s abduction: the leader of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin.

The Mandarin eyed the electric wyrm coiling around Ivan with curiosity gleaming in his eyes. “Kid, you’re the first to try and snatch someone from under my nose. Tell me your name.” Suspended in midair, hands clasped behind his back, he exuded utter confidence.

“Ivan Kim Vanko. I make no secret of my name,” Ivan declared boldly.

“Hm. I was going to bury you alive in the desert, but it appears you have some skill. Bring Tony back to me, and I’ll give you a chance to work for me,” the Mandarin said, as if bestowing a favor.

“Put a pig’s nose on a scallion and pretend it’s an elephant—who do you think you are?” Ivan snapped back. What nonsense! Did this guy think he had him cornered? Work for him? An alchemist bows to no one!

The Mandarin wasn’t surprised by Ivan’s defiance. If the boy had submitted right away, that would have been suspicious. As for this lack of respect, he didn’t care. If Ivan wouldn’t submit, he’d beat him into submission.

Then Ivan saw the Mandarin raise his right hand. The ring on his little finger flashed.

Black Light Beam!

(A power that creates a zone capable of absorbing all light.)

In an instant, darkness enveloped Ivan—every trace of light vanished in a blink.

A warning delivered, the Mandarin floated off toward the direction Tony had fled, intent on recapturing the two fleeing ants before dealing with Ivan.

Crackle—boom!

A bolt of electric energy shot out from the darkness, aimed directly at the Mandarin hovering above Ivan. Ivan, eyes closed, allowed himself a slight smile in the darkness.

An alchemist doesn’t need light to sense his enemy!

Ivan had barely enjoyed his small triumph when the electric wyrm was scattered by an invisible force and thrown into the surrounding sand.

“You’ve made me angry,” the Mandarin said coldly, staring down at the darkness. The ring on his left thumb flashed.

That force, which had repelled the electric wyrm, came from the ring on his left thumb. It was called the White Light, capable of emitting energy across the electromagnetic spectrum and creating powerful gravitational fields.

“So you like using lightning?” the Mandarin said coolly, aiming his left middle finger at Ivan.

Lightning Storm!

A torrent of wild electricity surged toward Ivan. Sensing the sudden spike in the concentration of electrical elements around him, Ivan pressed his hands to the sand, drawing iron filings from deep below.

The iron rapidly reassembled around Ivan, forming a metal cage.

It was a makeshift version of the famous Faraday cage, able to shield its occupant from external electric fields.

The current was channeled through the outer shell into the ground, and whatever remained barely harmed Ivan—his resistance, as an alchemist of lightning, was considerable.

The Mandarin kept discharging electricity for a long time, but heard no screams from Ivan. Puzzled, he lifted the Black Light Beam.

Ivan appeared before him, unscathed.

“Read more books. You’re just a fool who spouts off thanks to your rings,” Ivan forced out through clenched teeth, taunting him. The metal shell around him was already starting to melt; if the Mandarin kept it up, the defense would soon fail.

After all, this Faraday cage was an improvised creation, riddled with flaws. The fact that it had lasted so long was a testament to Ivan’s skill.