Chapter 73.
"Retreat, T'Challa! That is no way to treat guests!"
Before Felix could even respond, the old king suddenly rebuked his son sharply.
"My apologies, Father. I was too impatient," T'Challa replied quickly. Then, turning respectfully to Felix and the others, he bowed slightly. "I'm truly sorry for my earlier behavior, esteemed guests. I acted recklessly."
Despite his hasty tone earlier, T'Challa's sincerity was clear. His abrupt question had stemmed from shock—after all, it's not easy to stay calm when you hear for the first time that Earth is facing destruction and you nearly died without knowing it. His urgency was understandable.
Seeing his son apologize so humbly, the old king nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Felix and the others and said warmly, "This is my son. He may have been a bit rash, but I hope you won't take offense."
"Not at all," Felix responded politely. "In fact, I think Prince T'Challa is both dignified and poised beyond his years. I believe he will lead Wakanda to a brilliant future."
Naturally, Felix offered this praise with ease. As a Chinese, he was used to offering kind words–—it was second nature, like the way people praise their relatives during Lunar New Year visits.
"Haha, you flatter us!" the old king laughed. "But truthfully, I have great hopes for my son. I believe he will become the wisest and the greatest king Wakanda has ever known."
Though he spoke with humility, the pride shining in his expression was unmistakable to everyone in the room.
"However, Master Felix—no, that's not right. Venerable Felix," the old king corrected himself mid-sentence, clearly trying to show respect. "Earlier you mentioned that the Dark Lord, Dormammu, invaded Earth. Is that true? Could you explain the details to us?"
Unlike the others, who reacted to Dormammu's name with confusion, the old king's expression turned solemn. He clearly recognized the name—he knew who Dormammu was.
As Felix suspected, the old king was privy to many secrets of the world. He was aware of the existence of the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj and the monks of K'un-Lun. He even knew of Mephisto, the true ruler of Hell, and the Ghost Riders who walked the boundary between the underworld and Earth.
He also had knowledge of cosmic forces—such as the Nine Realms, the dark dimension ruled by Dormammu, and even the planet-devourer who consumed worlds to sustain himself.
These were not rumors but intelligence gathered over generations by the Black Panthers. Wakanda, having existed for thousands of years, had accumulated a deep well of hidden knowledge, and the Panther Goddess still guided them from the shadows.
"Sigh… looks like I'll have to explain again," Felix muttered, a bit exasperated.
Each time he brought this up, people reacted with disbelief, forcing him to explain all over again. The memory-erasure effect from time reversal, while convenient, had its frustrating drawbacks.
"Yes, it's true," he began, but before he could elaborate, Tony interrupted enthusiastically.
"It happened just yesterday," Tony said, speaking rapidly like spilling beans from a jar.
"Dormammu brought the dark dimension to Earth. The Justice League fought him for three hours, and finally, it was Felix who shattered Dormammu's body with a single blow!"
"But Dormammu didn't die. The dark dimension kept devouring Earth. In the end, the Ancient One had to sacrifice herself to expel the dark dimension and save all of us!"
Tony wasn't just talking—he was laying groundwork.
First, he made sure the Justice League received credit for defending the Earth, even though the League hadn't officially formed at the time. Now that they had, it made sense to highlight their involvement.
Second, he emphasized how Felix had destroyed Dormammu's body with a single strike. It was a strategic move, meant to underline Felix's immense strength—something that would make upcoming negotiations with Wakanda much smoother.
Sometimes, Tony Stark really was dependable.
Sure enough, the room fell into thoughtful silence. Even the old king, seated on his throne, was lost in contemplation. The palace had been cleared earlier on his orders—only a few remained.
Among –them was the queen, T'Challa and Shuri's mother. As for security, there were no guards present—not because of oversight, but on purpose. The old king didn't want to give Felix and his group the wrong impression.
Besides, he was still the Black Panther. His physical abilities were formidable. T'Challa, too, had consumed the heart-shaped herb and inherited the powers of the Black Panther. If danger truly struck, a few guards wouldn't help much anyway. Better to appear open and trusting.
"Still… if Earth really was in crisis, Wakanda's technology should have detected something. Why didn't we notice Dormammu's invasion?" the old king asked after a moment of silence.
He had great confidence in Wakandan technology. If anything had entered Earth's atmosphere, it should've been detected instantly. But yesterday, there had been no alerts—nothing out of the ordinary.
This discrepancy raised doubts in the old king's mind. Though he didn't say so outright, he found it hard to believe Tony's claim that Felix destroyed Dormammu's body with a single attack.
He didn't know the full extent of Dormammu's power, but he knew that even the Ancient One could not confront him directly—and the Panther Goddess they worshipped in Wakanda also could not defeat Dormammu, in fact she feared him greatly.
So if things were as Tony claimed, then was Felix truly more powerful than both the Ancient One and the Panther Goddess?
"It's because of the time-reversal spell," Felix replied calmly, addressing the unspoken skepticism. He pointed to the Eye of Agamotto around his neck.
"Your memories of Dormammu's invasion were erased as part of the spell. That's why you don't remember anything."
"I see…" the old king murmured, his expression changing slightly as understanding dawned.
The old king was familiar with certain sacred artifacts passed down by the sorcerers, so when Felix mentioned the Eye of Agamotto, he chose –not to doubt it further. However, refraining from doubt didn't mean he believed everything—especially the claim that Felix had defeated Dormammu. That was difficult for anyone to accept.
Still, such thoughts were best kept private. Questioning it openly could damage the fragile trust between them.
"Well then," the old king said diplomatically, "since that matter has passed, may I ask what brings you to Wakanda?"
Though he already had a good idea of their purpose, he asked as if he were unaware, maintaining formality.
Felix, never one for beating around the bush, responded directly.
"To be honest with Your Majesty, we've come regarding Vibranium."
The moment Felix mentioned the sacred metal, everyone in the room—except the old king—visibly tensed.
Vibranium was a unique metal found only in Wakanda. The nation guarded it fiercely. Around the world, countless individuals had tried to obtain it, but Wakanda never allowed it to circulate beyond its borders. This strict control caused its black-market value to skyrocket—reportedly up to $10,000 per gram.
Even so, no amount of money could guarantee a sale. Vibranium had become a priceless resource, practically unobtainable.
"Vibranium, hmm? As expected," the old king said calmly, showing no surprise. "How much do you require? If it's not too large a quantity, I can grant your request."
His reply came with such ease and confidence that it stunned the entire room.
"Your Majesty!"
"Father!"
T'Challa and the queen mother both exclaimed in shock, unable to contain their reactions. But the old king raised his hand, silencing them.
"There's no need to object. I've made my decision."
Felix, on the other hand, was completely caught off guard. He hadn't expected the king to agree so quickly, and certainly not without asking for any conditions in return.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why are you agreeing so readily?" Felix asked, still processing the unexpected turn. "From what I understand, Wakanda holds Vibranium in the highest regard. Shouldn't you at least ask what I plan to do with it?"
The old king smiled, his voice sincere.
"It's true—Vibranium is incredibly important to Wakanda. In fact, our reserves are limited, even to us. But you and your allies saved the world which means you also saved Wakanda. A small amount of Vibranium is a fair price for that."
The warmth in his voice was undeniable, and if one didn't know better, they might truly be moved by his generosity—believing that he was giving away Wakanda's most precious resource out of pure gratitude.
But those who understood Wakanda's depth and cunning might wonder, was that all there was to it?
However, Felix was well aware of Wakanda's true resources. The story that Vibranium was a scarce commodity was nothing more than clever deception. In reality, Wakanda had guarded a meteorite of Vibranium weighing tens of thousands of tons, much of it still unmined even after all these years.
Their existing reserves could easily last tens of thousands more years.
"Then I thank Your Majesty," Felix said with a smile. "I'd like to build one, no, make that three Vibranium warframes."
He had originally planned to request just one, but halfway through his sentence, Felix changed his mind. Since he had the chance to "strike it rich" with the Wakandan royals, why not ask for more? After all, Vibranium wasn't truly scarce to them.
The old king caught the change in tone but didn't call it out. Instead, he smiled warmly and replied, "Very well. For the friendship between us, I accept your request."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Felix said joyfully. He was more than pleased that his mission had succeeded so easily. At last, he wouldn't have to worry about his clothes being scorched or torn to shreds during battles. No more embarrassing moments of being left half-dressed mid-fight!
"Your Majesty," Tony chimed in, seeing Felix succeed so smoothly, "since you've granted Felix's request, might I propose a deal of my own?"
"Oh?" the old king raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of deal do you have in mind, Mr. Stark?"
"Vibranium, of course," Tony replied bluntly. "I'll be upfront. I need some for research—and maybe to incorporate into my Iron Man suits. But I'll need more than just a few grams."
Tony stepped forward confidently. "So here's my proposal, I'd like to purchase some of your Vibranium at market price. Currently, it trades around $10,000 per gram. I'm offering you $100 million in exchange for 8 kilograms of Vibranium."
He added with a smirk, "Given the large quantity, I've adjusted the –price upward accordingly. What do you say?"
Tony Stark, true to his name as one of the richest men in the Marvel Universe, didn't even blink as he offered the massive sum. His bargaining skills could rival that of any Wall Street mogul.
But the old king only chuckled.
"Haha! Mr. Stark, you jest! How could we possibly charge you that much and sleep at night?" he laughed heartily. "Here's my counteroffer, you pay just $10 million, and I'll give you 10 kilograms of Vibranium."
He had undercut Tony's price tenfold and even thrown in two extra kilograms.
Tony's eyes widened. "Wait… won't that be a loss for you? I mean, that's generous—too generous. I feel like—"
"No need to argue," the king interrupted firmly. "That's my offer. Take it or leave it. If you refuse, there will be no deal."
Tony raised his hands in surrender.
"Alright, alright! I accept. I don't mind losing a few million here or there. But—just to clarify—you don't mind me using this for my personal suits, right?"
"There is one condition," the king said seriously. "The Vibranium you receive must be used solely by you or your allies. You cannot sell it, share it with any government, or pass it on to any other organization. Do you accept this?"
"Of course!" Tony replied without hesitation. "Trust me, I've got no interest in reselling the stuff. I don't need the money. I'm more interested in what I can build with it."
Satisfied, the old king smiled.
"Good. Then the deal is done. But first, let's honor our promise to Venerable Felix. Let us begin the process of creating his Vibranium warframes."
He turned and motioned for everyone to follow.
"Please come with me. I'll take you to our weapon manufacturing facility here in Wakanda."
Naturally, forging armor from Vibranium wasn't something that could be done in a backroom workshop. It required specialized personnel and cutting-edge equipment. Wakanda had such facilities—but they were hidden deep within their technological sanctuaries.
As the group stepped outside the palace, Tony looked around.
"How are we supposed to get there?" he asked. The facility was clearly not visible from the royal courtyard, suggesting it was far from the palace. "Don't tell me we're walking."
"Of course not!" T'Challa grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "You think we're just going to hike there? Or fly with jetpacks? That wouldn't be very stylish."
He spoke playfully, bonding with Tony over their mutual status as technological elites—and, let's face it, as fellow rich men.
Just as he finished speaking, a sleek, flat-shaped aircraft came soaring smoothly through the sky, silently gliding to a hover before them.
Tony's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "What… is that?"
As he stared at the high-tech craft in awe, he finally understood—Felix hadn't been exaggerating. Wakanda wasn't some primitive nation hiding behind closed doors. This was a futuristic society, more advanced than anything he'd ever seen.
......….
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