Chapter Eight: Why Has He Come?

On the other side of town, Harvey finally allowed himself a faint smile only after leaving the New York Police Department and settling into his convertible sports car. He had invested a great deal to maintain this identity, and he had no intention of letting S.H.I.E.L.D. interfere with his life.

His current routine hadn’t changed much. He continued visiting various places to dine, enjoying himself while steadily accumulating evolution points. Occasionally, when a particularly intriguing mission appeared, he would take it on as the Reaper.

For now, Harvey was content to wait for the right opportunities. He understood the need to play his role convincingly, so after a casual meal, he did not return to his original manor but instead retreated to a villa in New York. He even stopped venturing outside, ordering large quantities of takeout to be delivered and embracing the life of a recluse.

With every high-calorie slice of pizza, every steak or pork chop he devoured, the system rewarded him with dozens, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of evolution points. Thus, a million points, while impressive on paper, was not as insurmountable as it seemed.

Moreover, when Voidborn endured harsh environments, they would rapidly evolve to adapt, gaining strength at a frenzied pace. But Harvey saw no reason to force himself when he could earn points in comfort.

There were still nine years before the Mad Titan would truly arrive. This was ample time—just from eating alone, he could evolve many times over. Not to mention, Harvey was already planning to visit Wakanda when the moment was right, to absorb vast amounts of vibranium.

Iron and steel, though their taste nauseated him, brought a significant number of evolution points—perhaps precisely because they were materials one would only absorb in the most extreme circumstances.

During his reclusive period, Harvey steadily sold off his shares in Stark Industries. He also kept an eye on the dark web, where a bounty on Tony Stark had been taken up within days, signaling that Iron Man would soon make his debut—and with it, New York would become even more chaotic.

This, Harvey knew, marked the true beginning of Marvel’s first phase. He had no intention of interfering with these pivotal events. If Tony Stark survived and turned over a new leaf, it would be evidence that this timeline belonged to the main universe. If Stark died, then this reality was merely a parallel thread.

If the former, and he was indeed in the main universe, Harvey could prioritize unlocking the hero template of either the Void Terror Cho’Gath or the Void Walker Kassadin at the next opportunity. Gaining the powers of either would make him even more formidable. If the latter, he would actively recruit other heroes to unlock his template faster and regain his precognitive abilities.

No matter the universe, Harvey was confident in his ability to survive, evolve, and remain undefeated. For now, he only needed to watch and see which way Iron Man’s story would unfold.

Harvey ate five enormous meals a day, each enough to feed a hundred men, and reaped evolution points with each bite. After eating, he would train, honing his control over his growing strength.

After a month of this reclusive lifestyle, Harvey had thoroughly dispelled Nick Fury’s suspicions.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Unbeknownst to him, over three months had slipped by. Living as a recluse, Harvey evolved once a week on average, having now undergone eighteen evolutions.

His offensive power was more than sufficient for the time being, so he focused on enhancing his defenses. All eighteen new evolutions were allocated to Void Skin, which had already evolved twenty-five times, bringing it now to forty-three evolutions.

His physical toughness and defensive capabilities had reached truly terrifying levels. Harvey had ventured into the Pacific for repeated tests. After so many evolutions, he could now, with his bare body and no protection, dive forty thousand meters beneath the sea.

Moreover, the crushing pressure of the deep ocean, an extreme environment, had prompted his body to adapt, granting him six automatic evolutions in underwater breathing. To date, he had evolved a total of two hundred and sixty-two times, with all six of these latest evolutions focused on respiration.

Environmental adaptation triggered automatic evolution in random directions, beyond his control. This was another reason Harvey preferred not to deliberately subject himself to hardship—some evolved abilities were of little use at present, and accumulating more evolutions only raised the cost of future upgrades.

One day, as Harvey munched on chips and watched the news, the broadcast suddenly changed.

“According to the latest update, Tony Stark, missing for over three months, has safely returned to New York.”

Harvey saw the news confirming Tony Stark’s safe return to America, and that Stark Industries was preparing a press conference.

Upon seeing this, a smile played at Harvey’s lips. Still, he refrained from shorting Stark Industries’ stock—he planned to buy in bulk later. Shorting now and then buying at a lower price might draw unwanted attention from Wall Street’s financial sharks.

Instead, Harvey decided to drive to Stark Industries, intending to witness the upcoming press conference in person. If Stark truly intended to renounce weapons manufacturing, it would be strong evidence that this was indeed the main universe.

Driving the latest Maserati through New York, Harvey paid no mind to the sporadic gunfire and shattering glass in the background. With skillful driving and keen hearing, he navigated the chaos swiftly.

He soon arrived at the venue where Stark Industries would hold its press conference. The moment he stepped out, he drew attention—after all, he was one of New York’s billionaires.

“Mr. Harvey Ambelaca, I’m from Genesis Technologies. Would you have a moment to talk?” A well-dressed, bespectacled white man approached him politely.

“I’m here to see Tony Stark,” Harvey replied with a smile. “If you’re seeking investment, focus on growing your business first. Once the time is right, I’ll consider it.”

With that, he walked into the venue.

“Are you here just to see Mr. Tony Stark?” a female reporter pressed as she and others approached. “Are you and Tony Stark friends? But as far as we know, you’ve never attended any of his exhibitions or parties.”

“You’re right, I’ve never met Tony Stark in an official setting,” Harvey replied courteously. “But as someone even wealthier than I am, it would be an honor to make his acquaintance.”

“Does this mean you’re considering investing in Stark Industries in the future?” another attractive journalist asked, seizing the moment.

Harvey Ambelaca, at twenty-one, had risen to billionaire status in just over two years—a miracle of New York. Many believed this was only the beginning for him; his future wealth was impossible to estimate. His interest in Stark Industries could well lead to a major investment down the line.

“Perhaps,” Harvey answered ambiguously. “That’s all for now—please allow me to watch the press conference in peace.”

He offered no definitive answer, politely declining further interviews. One must never give the press too clear a statement; even then, it was best to answer only after careful consideration. Otherwise, reporters could twist words and create endless trouble.

Though Harvey’s wealth could easily ruin these people’s careers or even erase them entirely, his current identity as a rising New York magnate meant such actions were out of the question—at least, not under this name.

He then entered the venue, which was already crowded with reporters and celebrities.

Agent Coulson was speaking with Pepper Potts, hoping to learn the details of Tony Stark’s escape. After all, to break through the Ten Rings’ heavily armed blockade with only a minor arm injury was no feat for an ordinary man.

“What’s he doing here?” Coulson muttered in surprise, spotting Harvey Ambelaca.

Pepper, noticing Coulson’s attention shift, followed his gaze to the tall, handsome, well-dressed Asian man.

“Harvey Ambelaca? Are you surprised he came, Mr. Coulson?” she asked, curious.

“If I may, Miss Potts—are Harvey Ambelaca and Mr. Stark friends?” Coulson inquired politely.

“No, though both Tony and I have heard of him, I’m certain Tony’s never met him,” Pepper replied without hesitation. She was intimately familiar with Tony’s schedule and contacts, and Harvey Ambelaca was not among them.

“Thank you, sorry to trouble you,” Coulson said, realizing further questioning would be fruitless. He moved away, leaving Pepper undisturbed.

Meanwhile, Harvey selected a spot with an excellent view, his eyes fixed on the central stage a dozen meters away.