Tony, filled with fighting spirit, began sketching design blueprints while subtly observing Leon beside him. He soon noticed that Leon was earnestly studying the most basic mechanical structures. This made Tony smirk with a touch of confidence.
"Ah, the motivation of competition truly makes a difference," he thought to himself.
Within just half an hour, Tony managed to perfect the propulsion system that had stumped him for the past two days—an explosive surge of inspiration fueling his progress.
Meanwhile, Leon had already absorbed the foundational knowledge of exoskeletons and moved on to learning circuit construction. Tony noticed this shift and smiled smugly once more. He assumed Leon had given up on learning about armor due to the difficulty and was now switching to simpler concepts.
"Found it too hard, huh?" Tony teased as if popping open a bottle of champagne. "Don't push yourself. If everyone could learn so easily, what would be the point of geniuses?"
He waved dismissively as he continued modifying the mechanical shoes. "Relax. Once I finish building the most outstanding armor, maybe I'll let you try it on."
At that moment, Tony had completely forgotten that Leon could already fly. Immersed in the thrill of victory, he believed he was crushing his "stupid" brother in this three-day challenge.
As DUM-E assisted with the jet device, Tony even hummed "Jingle Bells" in celebration.
Leon ignored Tony's premature gloating. Sitting alone in a corner, he absorbed knowledge at lightning speed from the textbooks and comprehensive research papers Jarvis had prepared for him.
Had Tony looked over Leon's shoulder and glimpsed the display in front of him, he might have slapped himself for his arrogance.
The screen flashed rapidly with lines of text and charts, almost too fast to be seen clearly—yet Leon's eyes always locked on the very first line each time it appeared.
The truth? The display was slower than Leon's comprehension speed.
It took him just thirty seconds to fully understand a college-level textbook. In only half an hour, he became a theoretical expert in an entire subfield.
If there were a system to rate knowledge levels, upgrade icons would be constantly popping up over Leon's head:
Level 1... Level 2... Level 3... Level 4...
If Tony could have seen that, he might have realized that his brother was no ordinary genius—Leon had become a cheat player.
But reality doesn't allow for ifs.
Three hours later, Leon finally stood up, having completed his foundational studies.
Tony was on his thirteenth propulsion device trial, now able to float relatively steadily in the air. He worked hard to balance himself before glancing at Leon.
"Well, well. Look who's back. Did little Leon finally realize how hard this is and come to beg big brother Tony for mercy?"
Leon gave an unreadable smile and gestured as though pushing up imaginary glasses on his nose.
"No, I've already learned what I need. I'm ready to join your research now."
Tony blinked, momentarily stunned, before laughing: "That's good. You probably won't be much help, but hey, you can at least carry heavy equipment."
He descended slowly, staggering a bit as he landed before regaining his footing.
"Come on, then. The propulsion system is basically done. We can start assembling the remaining parts of the armor."
Now fully convinced of his imminent victory, Tony focused all his energy on the build. He assigned tasks confidently and precisely.
"Leon, fetch the titanium alloy and gold. DUM-E, hold the magnifying glass steady."
Thus, the two began collaborating on the armor's construction.
Tony gave the orders. Leon asked questions now and then. Tony, deep in concentration, didn't think much of it—he answered everything freely.
Despite thinking his brother was a bit of an idiot, Tony still hoped Leon could pick up some useful skills.
"Not like that—start from here, or it'll short-circuit."
"Heh, you're joking, right? A load that size with deformation equipment? Impossible."
"Perfect. The stabilizer can be installed right there."
"Leon, your strength is a real asset. Honestly, I think you're stronger than the hydraulic press."
"Should've dragged you in here days ago."
…
One full day and night passed in non-stop assembly.
With Leon's help, the build process was both precise and efficient. For example, if Tony needed a highly intricate part, he would usually wait for a factory delivery. But tonight, Leon could simply punch one out—with better-than-factory precision.
"Excellent!" Tony's dark circles had deepened into dark bags, yet his eyes remained bright with excitement.
The armor, which would normally take a month—or even several—to construct and fine-tune, was now 80% complete overnight.
Tony was practically vibrating with excitement. Just one final push, and he could don the new armor and soar.
"Leon, go build another current circuit. Once we connect to Jarvis and run a test assembly, we'll be done."
But Leon didn't move.
"No, Tony. I'm leaving."
"What?" Tony looked up, shocked. "Leaving? Why?"
Leon spread his hands. "Did you forget? I said I'd build armor better than the Mark series in three days."
"And now that I've mastered all your skills, there's no need for me to stay."
"Besides, you're capable of finishing the final steps on your own."
He waved casually. "See you in three days. I'm heading to your upstairs lab. If you need anything, come find me."
Tony blinked, mind blank. "You're seriously going to build your own armor? Are you kidding me? With your level of—wait a minute…"
A memory hit him.
Last night, as Leon helped him, the questions Leon asked gradually deepened. At first they were basic, but soon they became thought-provoking—even inspiring.
Likewise, Leon's hands-on skills evolved rapidly: clumsy at the beginning, precise and natural by the end.
In short—Leon had actually gone from novice to expert in one night.
Tony's expression changed dramatically as realization dawned.
Last night, focused on the work, he hadn't paid close attention. But now that he thought back, everything lined up.
Leon had really learned it all.
And not just surface knowledge—he had absorbed every detail, every nuance. He might even be better than Tony in some areas now.
"That learning speed… Is this a super brain?" Tony sat back, stunned.
This wasn't just intelligence. It was cheating. It was unreal.
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