[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-220":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Mental Mentor in Marvel",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2322788,4544,"Chapter 220: Heroism","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-220",220,"\u003Cp>As dusk arrived, heavy smog settled gently along the horizon, veiling the brilliant sunset in mystery; when the light pierced through the haze into the ward, Stark stood against it, a hazy halo glowing behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler stood on the other side of the bed; Connors approached with a syringe, and the two whispered about the data before Shiler turned to look at Obadiah lying in bed, then at Stark across from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed his head, his brown eyes sunk in the shadow of his lashes, like a sun trapped in a cage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark propped his elbows on his knees and covered his mouth with his hands—his posture signaled he did not wish to speak, yet his voice still slipped through his fingers, sharp as a blade and hoarse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I saw many things—the past, the future—I saw many versions of myself, and their divergent life paths.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first few words rose slightly in pitch: “Perhaps you won’t believe me, but I understood all these truths, comprehended every secret.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The breath he exhaled through his nose landed on his palm; when Stark lowered his eyes, he could clearly see the change in that breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps it lasted only an instant, but to me, that instant was endless—I saw everything I wished to see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved one hand, lifting the first few fingers, then letting them fall back: “I saw Howard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clouds swept across the horizon, plunging the light into sudden darkness; the tremor in Stark’s voice carried an eerie magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the hazy blend of sunset and smog, Stark walked into a bustling exposition hall, where the man in his fading memory stood beside a hovering car, introducing his great invention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark followed the crowd out, passed through the back exit of the exposition, and entered a dimly lit laboratory, where the man held a shield, chatting merrily with Steve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the lab lights went out, violent shaking, a screeching brake, a furious explosion...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fragments froze, sparks solidified, time reversed—the laboratory, Stark picked up a photo frame: inside was a picture of Howard and Obadiah together, both still young.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the lab lights came back on, young Obadiah entered; Howard embraced him warmly, and the two talked all night about their great inventions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The genius ideas reached Stark’s ears and intoxicated him—not because they were powerful, but because he had never known such friendship, never had a soulmate to converse with through the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the screeching brake and explosion, Obadiah’s figure grew thin, more white hair appeared on his head; Stark saw him hang up a call, then tremble all over—triumphant, guilty, as if insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark stood in the laboratory; Howard walked past him, waving to Obadiah; Steve adjusted the shield’s handle; soon, Pepper entered, talking on the phone; Shiler sat at the lab bench, tightening a lightbulb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter walked in carrying steaming breakfast; the lab floor jolted violently—a giant lizard monster leapt in, instantly transforming into the refined Dr. Connors; Connors reached out, and a syringe was placed before Stark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark looked up; Connors and Shiler both watched him. Connors leaned over Obadiah’s bed and placed the syringe before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Without incident, after the final treatment cycle, he will awaken,” Shiler added. “Moreover, his lifespan may be extended; his mind and body will grow younger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler studied Stark’s expression and said: “You must now be deep in doubt, because when you heard this news, you realized you weren’t happy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re wondering why—suddenly you find you’re not as magnanimous as you appeared. Perhaps you’re also questioning whether you and Obadiah ever truly shared kinship—or whether this is all because of someone you’d rather not mention...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t use mind reading on me.” Stark looked up at Shiler. For the first time, Shiler did not argue back—he understood that the Stark before him was no longer merely the Iron Man of this universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he ascended to the singular moment, everything changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the energy drain of the Arc Reactor meant this moment didn’t last long, but fundamentally, the Stark before him now understood all truths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark stared silently at Obadiah; Connors and Shiler said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once this cursed genius of knowledge perceived all cosmic truths, he would no longer be bound by trivial emotions, nor crushed by surging waves of sentiment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he could make every judgment shaping his life with clarity, prepared to bear full responsibility—without needing anyone to remind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the clouds drifted past, light returned to the room. Stark stood, bent down, and pulled the blanket over Obadiah, then said to Connors: “Begin the final stage of treatment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler said nothing. He pressed a button; doctors and nurses entered. Stark walked out against the flow of people; Shiler followed, and they stood by the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark asked him: “You’re also the ‘One,’ aren’t you? You’ve always known all this—you knew how it happened, how it will unfold. That’s what every ‘One’ can do...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiler glanced at Stark and said: “In that moment, you could have chosen to become the One—then the Arc Reactor’s energy would no longer bind you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The One is the One—they no longer rely on any energy to maintain their status. But why didn’t you do it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark suddenly smiled at Shiler: “You wanted me to, didn’t you? You gave me a battery to break through these barriers, to rise to a higher level...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps you thought no one could resist such temptation—to ascend instantly to the highest, perceive all truths, feel total control, and with a single affirmative answer, become an eternal god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You influenced Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, Asgard and Odin, the Cosmic Entities—all so I would make the obvious choice at that moment, becoming the One above the universe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So now you must be disappointed—I wasted this chance, and returned to being mortal again...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My psychology isn’t bad, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark turned to Shiler; behind them, the door was filled with sunset light—a frame turning their silhouettes into shadows, the orange-red background more vivid than any painter’s palette, nearly spilling from the canvas, spreading across walls and floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve surprised me,” Shiler lowered his head, yet his tone remained calm. “But long before you, someone taught me a lesson.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pride is a fatal poison. Whether god or mortal, when one believes he can alter every circumstance, influence every fate, and manipulate all as pawns, he is already near death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This pride consumes all humanity, robbing one of the most precious wisdom and emotion, turning one into the externalization of rules and order. Whether you believe it or not, I never intended to do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am an ordinary person. I always have been.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, I don’t even know what I was thinking.” Stark looked up; light passed through his hair, making his eyes gleam—the chains of shadow seemed to have vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps you won’t believe me, but when I learned I could become the One among countless universes, merging with all other versions of myself, making every Stark my avatar and projection...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark looked down—as if he still stood atop a towering peak, icy winds howling, stars above, an indescribable, unspeakable space; he saw all universes beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several shadows rushed toward him, about to merge into one—the singular being of the universe, free from countless fates, memories, and histories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second, Stark opened his arms and leapt without hesitation—the shadows chased after him, but were barred by the walls of the single universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I refused this ascension.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it hard?” Stark asked himself: “No. Not at all. Nothing worth hesitating over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The difficulties these emotions and wisdom brought me were never reason enough to abandon them. Even if humanity is ugly, it remains part of me—not trash to be discarded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A perfect, lonely god will never be nobler than an ordinary, lively human.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You truly are a hero,” Shiler’s voice came: “Because there is only one kind of heroism—that is to love life after seeing its truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his final word faded, the clouds vanished; the brilliant orange-red backdrop within the frame darkened, like cooled steel, their silhouettes slowly sinking into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beep—beep—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The piercing alarm rang from the ward; after a commotion, someone shouted: “He’s awake! He’s awake!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>——————Extra Notes——————\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interlude 2260-005, Cut.\u003C\u002Fp>",1369,"2026-06-20T16:39:20.726Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4ba676199b59d560ec7cac2a4598df2f167684e89bea36f62767f34928159edb","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-221","my-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-chapter-219",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-mental-mentor-in-marvel-cover.jpg"]