"Grrrr - Grrrr - Hiss - Grrrr - Hiss-"
In the bar, a drunkard was sprawled across a table, sleeping like a log, his snores thunderous.
"Hey, buddy? Hey?" A man walked over and tapped the drunkard face with a gun, but there was no response. The drunkard continued to sleep soundly.
The man shook his head helplessly, put down the gun, and rubbed his palms together, muttering something under his breath and splash him with water.
"Cough! Cough!"
The drunkard instantly woke up, scrambling to his feet and coughing onto the floor. Water streamed from his mouth and nose.
"Who are you?" Yinsen asked, feeling miserable. The sensation he had just experienced was unbearable - like drowning.
The man didn't answer; just raised an eyebrow at Yinsen.
Yinsen clutched his head, his hangover making it feel like his head was about to split open.
Combined with the near-suffocating sensation from earlier, he needed a moment to recover.
The man remained silent, sitting quietly beside him, flipping a coin in his hand.
After being on the brink of death for years, Yinsen had finally escaped and naturally indulged himself. He had drunk heavily the night before, and under the influence of alcohol and relief, he had slept the most comfortable sleep in three years.
But now, that sleep had been interrupted, and Yinsen felt utterly wretched, his head pounding as if it might explode.
After a while, Yinsen finally felt like he was recovering. He looked up at the man - a face he didn't recognize, yet it felt strangely familiar.
It was a strong, chiseled face, with features so defined it resembled the heroes of ancient Greek mythology. But those eyes... Raiden? Did you get a plastic surgery on your face? Those deep eyes carried a hint of mischief. This guy!
"Raiden? You're Raiden?" Yinsen said hesitantly but with certainty.
"Bingo! Correct answer! Here, this guy's your reward." Raiden laughed, handing Yinsen the gun he'd been holding.
"OhhMaaaiGod!" Yinsen jumped off the table, flailing his arms in disbelief. "Raiden, I never expected... you to look so young!"
Indeed, without his beard, Raiden looked to be in his early thirties. Before, Yinsen had always thought Raiden was in his forties. Beards really are magical things, like the difference between Messi with and without one - night and day!
But this was awkward. Yinsen had initially thought they were all in their forties, but now... Raiden looked to be in his thirties, radiating charm and at the peak of his life, while Tony... well, rich jerks are all the same... and as for himself, oh Yinsen felt like he needed to take better care of himself.
Raiden actually wanted to tell Yinsen that if he were to calculate his real age... he might be able to call Earth his little brother. But he decided against it, thinking it might not be the best time to reveal his age, especially if he wanted to settle down someday.
"Raiden, you're clearly..." Yinsen gestured vaguely, "but why in the cave... you were so...?" Yinsen waved his hands in front of his face, questioning.
Raiden replied seriously, "I was worried some of the guys in there might have... unconventional preferences, and I'd have to kneel and sing while holding a ball in my mouth every day!"
Raiden lied.
Yinsen smiled and said nothing. After all, in that place devoid of hope... what was the point of keeping oneself clean? Even Yinsen, who meticulously groomed himself every day, was merely trying to ensure he died with some dignity. The reason he had asked earlier was simply out of curiosity.
"Yesterday, Tony Stark, who had been missing for three months, reappeared. But the first thing he did upon returning to Stark Industries was to announce the closure of the weapons manufacturing division? A weapons company that doesn't produce weapons? Oh, maybe they can start selling flowers or something!"
A news anchor on the bar's TV was reporting the story.
"It seems Tony has been deeply affected," Yinsen said to Raiden beside him.
"Don't worry, he's Tony Stark," Raiden replied with a laugh.
"So, what's our next move, Raiden?" Yinsen stood up and looked out the window. The bar was nearly empty during the day, and the town was quiet too.
"I've got good news. Michelle said we can stay here as long as we want," Raiden joked.
Hearing this, Yinsen turned around, leaned on the table, and looked at Raiden seriously.
"Yesterday, with the way you were... how did she even take a liking to you?"
"Gold shines wherever it goes!" Raiden chuckled, standing up and patting Yinsen on the shoulder.
Raiden face wasn't just randomly sculpted, okay? Back then, to create a handsome face, Raiden had meticulously followed various guides and mods to craft his current appearance.
Not to mention, the charm bonus wasn't just for show. Even after enduring the grind of endless years, Raiden was still that radiant, charming guy—well, more like a charming uncle now.
After dinner, Raiden was called by Michelle to "work off" his bar tab through physical activity. It was oddly fascinating; besides the sun and favorable natural environments speeding up the energy flow within Raiden, even intimate activities seemed to help restore his magical energy.
Just two days out here had already replenished so much of his energy.
But trouble followed. As his power grew stronger, Raiden noticed a strange repulsion between himself and psychic magic. He could no longer use it.
.......
Late at night, the bar was almost empty, with only a few drunkards being carried out one by one by the bartender.
"Yinsen, what's on your mind?" Raiden walked out and saw Yinsen standing motionless like a stone statue. He approached, concerned.
"Raiden, we can't stay here forever," Yinsen said hesitantly.
Yinsen was tired of the chaos. He wanted to return to a more peaceful place. This town was just too disorderly.
"Of course, Yinsen. We won't stay here forever, but we need to wait. We can't leave just yet," Raiden replied.
The two had no passports, no identities. They couldn't even cross the border!
In truth, Raiden was waiting. He vaguely remembered that after Tony became Iron Man, he would return here. That's when Raiden and Yinsen would leave. But Raiden was worried - worried about Yinsen.
Yinsen was just an ordinary man, powerless and defenseless. As for himself, Raiden wasn't entirely sure he could fully protect Yinsen in the midst of chaos.
Perhaps... Raiden stared at Yinsen retreating figure, he should grant Yinsen the power to protect himself. In Raiden magical realm, there had once been countless scrolls, armors, and weapons imbued with immense magical power.
However, time had reduced most of them to mere scraps of metal. Yet, there were still a few divine artifacts left!
A handful of extraordinary items with formidable power remained intact. Some of them, even Raiden dared not touch in his current state. But among them were two rings... rings that could bestow extraordinary, unparalleled power upon an ordinary person.
Perhaps this power would suit Yinsen well. Though, Raiden wasn't certain if Yinsen would be willing to accept such power.