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Chapter 184: Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayan Mountains are the highest and one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world, formed by the collision and compression of the Indian Ocean Plate from the south and the Eurasian Plate from the north. Their average elevation is between seven thousand and eight thousand meters.
In Sanskrit, they are called the "Abode of Snow," and in the Tibetan Language, the "Homeland of Snow."
After a period of rest, Tony took his Legion and headed straight for the Indian Ocean. He only brought three Transformers with him, and they weren't the ones from the battlefield in Wakanda. Those Transformers had been confiscated upon their return and were collectively sealed away somewhere; the Military would not allow such a dangerous and uncontrollable army to enter New York City.
This time, Tony was acting in secret, developing his forces on the down-low. Without attracting anyone's attention, he quietly snuck out.
Once he was on the ocean, no one could keep an eye on him.
Don't overestimate the satellites in the sky; otherwise, there wouldn't be downed planes or ships that go missing every year, never to be found.
Earth is simply too large. It's impossible to maintain complete and strict surveillance with just a handful of small tech satellites.
Tony secretly made his way to the coast, where he proceeded to Animate the boat Harry Osborn had secretly prepared for him, and sped all the way toward the Indian Ocean.
This time, because his destination was the sacred Kamar-Taj and he wasn't sure if the Sorcerer Supreme would meet with outsiders, Tony set out alone, without bringing anyone else.
"I was originally thinking of taking a tour through China, but I might end up provoking that bunch of animals from S.P.E.A.R."
Tony gazed at the faintly visible landmass and sighed with some regret. In the original comics, the people from S.P.E.A.R. were not to be trifled with. They were different from S.H.I.E.L.D.; they wielded great power. If S.P.E.A.R. were to lock onto him, it would be very troublesome. At the very least, Tony's goal of acting low-key would be impossible to achieve.
Once the news got out, anyone with a brain would be curious: what was that guy Tony doing sneaking into the Himalayan Mountains? Enjoying the snow? Bullshit. Everyone knew Tony was the type who never made a move unless there was something in it for him. There had to be something good in the Himalayan Mountains.
And then, countless satellites would be repositioned to monitor the Himalayan Mountains.
Another concern was that bunch of animals over in China from K'un-Lun.
Putting other things aside, there was a Dragon living on K'un-Lun.
Not a Bipedal Snake, and certainly not a pot-bellied Lizard, but a True Dragon. A super-powerful creature that existed only in myths and legends. Its origins were no longer traceable; by the time humans had historical records, that True Dragon was already roaming K'un-Lun.
S.P.E.A.R., plus the superhumans of K'un-Lun, plus a divine Dragon, plus the Level Six Combat Power Mandarin.
The danger index was just... what a goddamn mess.
Tony would have to be out of his mind to take a shortcut through China's territory.
Especially that Mandarin, the leader of the infamous terrorist organization, the Ten Rings. A descendant of Genghis Khan with Quasi-Cosmic Level Combat Power and the future number one nemesis of Iron Man. He was currently fighting S.P.E.A.R. day in and day out, yet he was still alive and kicking.
If Mandarin wanted to run, very few people could actually stop him.
"Landing on the Indian Subcontinent is still the safest bet... Speaking of which, there's been no word from that idiot Quicksilver. Taking over half a year to eat a single meal... was he being too arrogant and got himself accidentally offed by S.P.E.A.R.?"
Don't blame Tony for being a coward; the danger index of the East Asian Continent was too high. It was fine to be low-key, but Tony's identity destined him for the opposite.
He was like a walking human lightbulb, shining brightly wherever he went. The moment he showed his face, S.P.E.A.R. would be knocking on his door.
After a long and dusty journey, Tony discreetly landed in India with a convoy of vehicles. Then, he wound his way into Nepal, planning to search for clues to Kamar-Taj from within its borders.
If he couldn't find it in Nepal, then he would have to conduct a grid search of the entire Himalayan Mountains.
Tony had time, anyway. At worst, he'd live here for a few years. He refused to believe he couldn't find it.
Tony was extremely low-key, having disguised himself with a new face. After asking a few locals, he was driving his Optimus Prime, which sported an earthy, nondescript color scheme, followed by a slightly old, brownish-green off-road vehicle.
Inside Optimus Prime's cargo trailer was a modified Megatron. Tony had specially folded Megatron's wings temporarily to stuff him inside.
Nepal was a poor, small country. Anyone who could afford to drive such a massive truck was already considered a wealthy person.
This was especially true when Tony jumped out of the truck, revealing his plain, made-up face, which radiated a vigor and vitality that was completely out of place compared to the hardship-enduring locals.
He might as well have been wearing a sign that read, "I'm a fat sheep from out of town, come and fleece me."
A few dilapidated cars that looked like they should have been scrapped long ago came roaring up, surrounding Tony and his two vehicles.
From the passenger seat of the car blocking the front, a short, skinny man with dark, rough skin jumped out, holding a gleaming knife.
More men got out of the cars, staring at Tony with ill intent.
"Jibber jabber gobbledygook..."
The short man spoke in a local dialect, his eyes showing undisguised greed and a dangerous glint. After sizing Tony up for a moment, he finally confirmed that this was an unfamiliar face, an out-of-towner with a bit of money.
In a place like this, people like Tony were the most suitable creatures to be slaughtered. A helpless Outsider, alone and weak—how could he possibly dare to challenge local thugs like them?
They had done this sort of no-cost business countless times, succeeding ninety-nine percent of the time. It wasn't that they hadn't encountered fierce people over the years, the kind who would roll up their sleeves and fight without any intention of compromising.
When they ran into those types, they would usually grab a small advantage and run. Fighting a desperate character who didn't care about their own life wasn't worth the risk. Some people, when pushed to the brink, would rather die than let their provokers live, taking down as many as they could.
The leader was cautious. He signaled to his underlings, and a few slightly more muscular men rushed forward. They slammed Tony's truck door shut and surrounded him with cold smiles.
The unresponsive Tony was naturally classified as the "lonely and cowardly" type—the perfect fat sheep. Look, he's scared stiff.
"Jibber jabber gobbledygook..."
"I don't understand this gibberish. What a pain." Tony looked with some amusement at the group of short, skinny, dark-skinned characters surrounding him. He was actually being robbed by this bunch?
It was a novel experience. The last people who had ideas about him on the road... the grass on their graves was already two meters tall.
It had been a long time since anyone had treated him this way.
The leader was still yapping. Tony grew impatient. He lunged forward in a single bound, crossing several meters in an instant. He snatched the man's chicken-thin neck, gradually applying pressure, nearly choking him to death.
"Now, I'll ask, you'll answer. If you can't, you die. Have you heard of Kamar-Taj?"
(end of chapter)
The Himalayan Mountains are the highest and one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world, formed by the collision and compression of the Indian Ocean Plate from the south and the Eurasian Plate from the north. Their average elevation is between seven thousand and eight thousand meters.
In Sanskrit, they are called the "Abode of Snow," and in the Tibetan Language, the "Homeland of Snow."
After a period of rest, Tony took his Legion and headed straight for the Indian Ocean. He only brought three Transformers with him, and they weren't the ones from the battlefield in Wakanda. Those Transformers had been confiscated upon their return and were collectively sealed away somewhere; the Military would not allow such a dangerous and uncontrollable army to enter New York City.
This time, Tony was acting in secret, developing his forces on the down-low. Without attracting anyone's attention, he quietly snuck out.
Once he was on the ocean, no one could keep an eye on him.
Don't overestimate the satellites in the sky; otherwise, there wouldn't be downed planes or ships that go missing every year, never to be found.
Earth is simply too large. It's impossible to maintain complete and strict surveillance with just a handful of small tech satellites.
Tony secretly made his way to the coast, where he proceeded to Animate the boat Harry Osborn had secretly prepared for him, and sped all the way toward the Indian Ocean.
This time, because his destination was the sacred Kamar-Taj and he wasn't sure if the Sorcerer Supreme would meet with outsiders, Tony set out alone, without bringing anyone else.
"I was originally thinking of taking a tour through China, but I might end up provoking that bunch of animals from S.P.E.A.R."
Tony gazed at the faintly visible landmass and sighed with some regret. In the original comics, the people from S.P.E.A.R. were not to be trifled with. They were different from S.H.I.E.L.D.; they wielded great power. If S.P.E.A.R. were to lock onto him, it would be very troublesome. At the very least, Tony's goal of acting low-key would be impossible to achieve.
Once the news got out, anyone with a brain would be curious: what was that guy Tony doing sneaking into the Himalayan Mountains? Enjoying the snow? Bullshit. Everyone knew Tony was the type who never made a move unless there was something in it for him. There had to be something good in the Himalayan Mountains.
And then, countless satellites would be repositioned to monitor the Himalayan Mountains.
Another concern was that bunch of animals over in China from K'un-Lun.
Putting other things aside, there was a Dragon living on K'un-Lun.
Not a Bipedal Snake, and certainly not a pot-bellied Lizard, but a True Dragon. A super-powerful creature that existed only in myths and legends. Its origins were no longer traceable; by the time humans had historical records, that True Dragon was already roaming K'un-Lun.
S.P.E.A.R., plus the superhumans of K'un-Lun, plus a divine Dragon, plus the Level Six Combat Power Mandarin.
The danger index was just... what a goddamn mess.
Tony would have to be out of his mind to take a shortcut through China's territory.
Especially that Mandarin, the leader of the infamous terrorist organization, the Ten Rings. A descendant of Genghis Khan with Quasi-Cosmic Level Combat Power and the future number one nemesis of Iron Man. He was currently fighting S.P.E.A.R. day in and day out, yet he was still alive and kicking.
If Mandarin wanted to run, very few people could actually stop him.
"Landing on the Indian Subcontinent is still the safest bet... Speaking of which, there's been no word from that idiot Quicksilver. Taking over half a year to eat a single meal... was he being too arrogant and got himself accidentally offed by S.P.E.A.R.?"
Don't blame Tony for being a coward; the danger index of the East Asian Continent was too high. It was fine to be low-key, but Tony's identity destined him for the opposite.
He was like a walking human lightbulb, shining brightly wherever he went. The moment he showed his face, S.P.E.A.R. would be knocking on his door.
After a long and dusty journey, Tony discreetly landed in India with a convoy of vehicles. Then, he wound his way into Nepal, planning to search for clues to Kamar-Taj from within its borders.
If he couldn't find it in Nepal, then he would have to conduct a grid search of the entire Himalayan Mountains.
Tony had time, anyway. At worst, he'd live here for a few years. He refused to believe he couldn't find it.
Tony was extremely low-key, having disguised himself with a new face. After asking a few locals, he was driving his Optimus Prime, which sported an earthy, nondescript color scheme, followed by a slightly old, brownish-green off-road vehicle.
Inside Optimus Prime's cargo trailer was a modified Megatron. Tony had specially folded Megatron's wings temporarily to stuff him inside.
Nepal was a poor, small country. Anyone who could afford to drive such a massive truck was already considered a wealthy person.
This was especially true when Tony jumped out of the truck, revealing his plain, made-up face, which radiated a vigor and vitality that was completely out of place compared to the hardship-enduring locals.
He might as well have been wearing a sign that read, "I'm a fat sheep from out of town, come and fleece me."
A few dilapidated cars that looked like they should have been scrapped long ago came roaring up, surrounding Tony and his two vehicles.
From the passenger seat of the car blocking the front, a short, skinny man with dark, rough skin jumped out, holding a gleaming knife.
More men got out of the cars, staring at Tony with ill intent.
"Jibber jabber gobbledygook..."
The short man spoke in a local dialect, his eyes showing undisguised greed and a dangerous glint. After sizing Tony up for a moment, he finally confirmed that this was an unfamiliar face, an out-of-towner with a bit of money.
In a place like this, people like Tony were the most suitable creatures to be slaughtered. A helpless Outsider, alone and weak—how could he possibly dare to challenge local thugs like them?
They had done this sort of no-cost business countless times, succeeding ninety-nine percent of the time. It wasn't that they hadn't encountered fierce people over the years, the kind who would roll up their sleeves and fight without any intention of compromising.
When they ran into those types, they would usually grab a small advantage and run. Fighting a desperate character who didn't care about their own life wasn't worth the risk. Some people, when pushed to the brink, would rather die than let their provokers live, taking down as many as they could.
The leader was cautious. He signaled to his underlings, and a few slightly more muscular men rushed forward. They slammed Tony's truck door shut and surrounded him with cold smiles.
The unresponsive Tony was naturally classified as the "lonely and cowardly" type—the perfect fat sheep. Look, he's scared stiff.
"Jibber jabber gobbledygook..."
"I don't understand this gibberish. What a pain." Tony looked with some amusement at the group of short, skinny, dark-skinned characters surrounding him. He was actually being robbed by this bunch?
It was a novel experience. The last people who had ideas about him on the road... the grass on their graves was already two meters tall.
It had been a long time since anyone had treated him this way.
The leader was still yapping. Tony grew impatient. He lunged forward in a single bound, crossing several meters in an instant. He snatched the man's chicken-thin neck, gradually applying pressure, nearly choking him to death.
"Now, I'll ask, you'll answer. If you can't, you die. Have you heard of Kamar-Taj?"
(end of chapter)
