"Nothing serious," Tony replied, sipping wine with a lazy gesture, as if letting the dismissive tone flow effortlessly. "The scientists in the military... are really useless. Although the idea of combining animal genes with human genes is quite brilliant, the execution is very, very rough. The results they created? All defective."
Lance chose not to respond to Tony's derogatory words, not commenting on the term "defective product" that Tony used. Instead, Lance asked in a more serious tone, "Can you handle it?"
"Of course I can," Tony replied firmly, as if he had no doubt at all.
Lance smiled, a smile that indicated satisfaction: "How long do you need to complete it?"
Tony thought for a moment, then confidently answered, "At the earliest, a week. At the latest, no more than half a month."
"Very good," said Lance with a smile, his expression showing that he indeed expected this.
...
...
...
Bringing Nancy back to her apartment in New York, Lance wasted no time. He immediately descended into the hidden basement—a quiet room behind a false bookshelf, with clean-looking stone walls. Lance opened the Infinite Altar.
With a serious expression, Lance pulled several items from his black bag: a pinch of angel blood still glowing faintly, a few angel feathers seemingly untouched by dust, and a black knife that pulsed slowly as if it were a living creature.
After a quick calculation—Lance squinted his eyes and whispered softly to himself—he stored a bit of blood and one angel feather. The rest, along with the black knife, was thrown into the Infinite Altar.
"Alright... let's see if you have something worthwhile," Lance muttered, arms crossed over his chest.
Silence.
No sound.
Even the air felt like it was holding its breath.
"God bless... oh, damn, that's wrong." Lance frowned, remembering something.
He had just beaten his son. Quite hard. Emotionally. It was inappropriate to expect divine favor now. Maybe the gods were muting Lance's number.
"Vishanti, Seol King, Kami-sama, Arceus, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and you time travelers, please, just this once, I need a jackpot," Lance sighed dramatically, staring at the ceiling adorned with carvings.
Still silent.
"Don't tell me this altar needs time to process... or is overloaded?"
Lance leaned closer, squinting.
"I went through a lot of trouble gathering all these materials, don't you trick me with—"
CRASH!
A low sound echoed like the heartbeat of the earth. The Infinite Altar began to vibrate, slowly but surely. Red and white light burst forth from within, forming a figure two meters tall. The figure stood proudly, its body clad in shimmering armor: bright red with sharp silver lines. In each hand, it held a glowing red sword. Its helmet resembled a war god's crown, with two small curved horns. Behind it, a silver-white cloak billowed, with a pair of red wings spread wide.
Lance gaped.
What is this?
A screen from the altar itself resonated:
[Name: Ares, God of War Cloth
Origin: Saint Seiya
Introduction: "This universe is vast, yet entirely within my grasp..."
— Saga, Gold Saint Gemini, originally a protector of justice, was slowly possessed by the evil whispers of the goddess Eris. The dark personality within him rose, drowning out his good side. After tragedy after tragedy, he ended his life for redemption. From the ashes of regret, the God of War Ares was born—clad in battle armor, wielding the Golden Dagger and God of War Cloth.]
Lance squinted.
"It looks... amazing," Lance said quietly. "But..."
Lance looked back at the Infinite Altar.
Silence again.
In other words... all those items were exchanged for a set of Ares' robes?
"Is this... a theory of value superposition?" Lance murmured, half suspicious, half in awe.
Ares is indeed the god of war, but not the most feared. He is often used as a punching bag by Athena. His status among the Greek gods... could be considered middle class, even lower middle class. But still, a god.
And this... Ares, God of War Cloth.
It might not be the original, but its aura and spiritual pressure are no joke. Its value must be high—impossible to be exchanged for just a black knife and a bit of blood and feathers.
Unless...
"Hmm..." Lance rubbed his chin. "Maybe this altar system sums up the value of all the items I've ever put in. But why not say so from the start, huh?!"
Lance clicked his tongue. "If that's the case, I can put in the remaining blood and angel feathers later. Who knows, I might get Hades', Poseidon's, or Apollo's robes. I don't need the originals; replicas are fine too."
Where Lance sighed deeply. "Ares is indeed cool, but... still a younger brother. Even Athena can make Ares whine."
Lance squinted. "Hm... I need to find another reason to squeeze money from Amenadiel. The next trade-in operation."
Then Lance let out a soft, bitter laugh, a mix of cunning and resentment. "According to the lore of Saint Seiya, the Twelve Olympian Gods are at least on the level of small multiverse deities. Now... how much stronger can this replica version of the God of War Cloth enhance my power?"
Lance reached out, trying to touch the armor slowly.
He placed his hand on the shoulder of the "statue." Instantly, a blinding flash of light erupted, slicing through the gloomy night like a bolt from an angry god.
Behind Lance, the God of War Cloth—wrapped in a white-silver flame that flickered gently like an eternal ember—appeared, answering its master's call. The armor opened its arms, as if to embrace Lance in an ancient protection filled with grandeur.
In the blink of an eye, the armor began to seep into Lance's body. Piece by piece—head, neck, shoulders, chest, wrists, waist, down to the legs—morphed, adjusting to the form of its owner, then covering every inch of skin with terrifying precision. No gaps. No weaknesses.
Lance stood still. But his aura—Lance's aura soared high, rising shapeless like a god awakening from a long slumber.
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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