"Who needs a cloak anyway? I don't care," Finney thought to himself while floating mid-air in his room, contorting into strange positions—lying on his side, sitting cross-legged, and more. Conveniently forgetting that not too long ago, he spent an entire day chatting with the cloak, hoping to gain its approval.
He had initially been worried that Iron Monger might flee, but now with Flight Technique and the Portal Spell, Finney was confident there was no way the Iron Monger could escape him.
The battle was no longer a concern; the only question now was when it would take place. At this moment, Tony Stark probably hadn't even started seriously building the Mark II armor yet.
As for the Iron Monger, those terrorists were likely still fumbling with the wreckage of the Mark I, trying to piece it back together.
With plenty of time to prepare, Finney wasn't in a rush. His focus now was to get fully accustomed to the Flight Technique before dealing with anything else.
Once you're strong enough, no matter what the enemy does, you'll always find a way to handle them.
After floating around his room a little longer, Finney finally decided to rest. Exhausted from his previous efforts, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, with classes only in the afternoon, a well-rested Finney was eager to practice more Flight Technique. However, before he could head out, Skye blocked his way.
"Where do you think you're going?" Skye asked, frowning as she stood by the door. Finney's recent secretive behavior had her worried, and after what happened last time, she didn't want to take any chances.
"Uh, nothing much, just some regular training," Finney said nonchalantly, though Skye's suspicious look made him roll his eyes. After a moment's thought, he flashed a mischievous grin and asked, "Wanna come along?"
Skye didn't catch the shift in his expression, instead shaking her head sadly. "Nah, I can't learn it anyway. Just... don't overdo it again, okay? I don't want you to end up hurt."
Seeing the defeated look on her face, Finney's grin softened. He gently patted her on the head and reassured her, "It's no big deal if you can't learn magic. Like I said, you'll have other abilities, just not the right time yet."
"Come on, join me today. I've got something cool to show you."
Before Skye could protest, Finney grabbed her hand and opened a portal.
"Portal!"
Thanks to his recent breakthrough, Finney could now use portals without relying on the Evil Ghost Armor, though he still needed a bit of assistance from Golden Amplification Technique to fully stabilize the spell.
Skye blinked in surprise as the surroundings suddenly shifted. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she sighed, "You know, I've got a lot of work to do."
"Relax, take a break!" Finney teased. Then, as if a thought just struck him, he asked, "By the way, are you afraid of heights?"
"Huh?" Skye didn't understand what he meant at first. The next second, however, as she watched Finney float into the air, illuminated by the soft glow of the morning sun, realization hit her.
"You can fly now!?" she exclaimed, wide-eyed in shock.
"Wanna take a ride?"
Hovering just in front of her, Finney grinned, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Few people could resist the allure of flying, and Skye was no exception. The idea of soaring through the sky without being cooped up inside an airplane thrilled her. Plus, she trusted Finney—if he was offering, she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her.
"Come on, I'll hold you," Finney said, landing softly in front of her. Before she could react, he scooped her up in a princess carry.
A flush of crimson spread across Skye's cheeks as she instinctively looked away, her amber eyes flickering nervously. Even though they were practically family, they weren't related by blood.
Finney, on the other hand, didn't think much of it. With a grin of excitement, he shot into the sky with Skye in his arms. He had teleported them to a familiar location—Mount Everest—but at a lower altitude where the temperature wasn't as harsh.
As they ascended into the sky, the vast snowy expanse stretched out beneath them, illuminated by the moonlight. The stunning view left Skye breathless, momentarily forgetting her embarrassment as she gazed down at the majestic landscape.
"It's beautiful…" she murmured in awe, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene. The sensation of floating through the air was incomparable to the experience of sitting inside a plane.
After gliding through the night sky for a while, Finney slowly descended back to the ground. Remembering the look of disappointment on Skye's face when she couldn't learn magic, he had an idea—perhaps it was worth trying something more daring.
"When did you learn to fly?" Skye asked curiously, still riding the high from her airborne experience.
"Just recently, actually," Finney replied, half-truthfully. He didn't go into detail about his snowy mountain breakthrough but explained it as a result of his hard work in mastering the Flight Technique.
"Oh." Skye nodded, understanding. Still, she couldn't help but warn him again, "Just… make sure you don't push yourself too hard, alright?"
Seeing Skye act all serious and concerned made Finney chuckle. With a smile, he nodded, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Skye, there's something I've been meaning to show you. It might let you experience what having extraordinary power feels like. Do you want to try?"
Skye's brows furrowed in confusion, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation crossing her face.
"Evil Ghost Armor!"
Finney summoned the long sword that was the core of the Evil Ghost Armor, holding it out to her. "This sword can adapt to its wielder, transforming into armor that greatly enhances your physical abilities. Want to give it a shot?"
After the Ancient One had tested it, Finney knew it could work for others.
"Me? Really?" Skye asked, excitement and nervousness evident in her voice. She had been quietly disappointed ever since she gave up on learning magic. The chance to experience extraordinary power, even if only briefly, made her eyes sparkle with hope.
"Should be no problem," Finney said, though he was a little cautious. The Evil Ghost Armor was, after all, bound to him, but in case of any trouble, he could cancel it immediately. The only downside would be if it didn't work, which might leave her feeling even more disappointed.
"Enhance Skye's physical strength by two times," he muttered under his breath, activating Golden Amplification Technique to boost her body before handing her the sword.
"Evil Ghost Armor!" Skye shouted excitedly.
Red energy flowed out from the sword, enveloping her body. The familiar phantom figure materialized behind her, and Finney observed the ancient entity dwelling within the armor carefully.
"Roar!"
A strange but faint growl echoed, filled with frustration, but the phantom slowly moved to embrace Skye.
Seeing this scene, Finney suddenly recalled the Ancient One's encounter with the armor. Back then, the roar was like that of a furious dragon, but with Skye, it was more like a kitten throwing a tiny tantrum.
Thankfully, the armor successfully equipped itself onto Skye. It was the first time Finney had allowed someone else to wear the Evil Ghost Armor, and it worked—proving that, despite being his skill, it wasn't something as restrictive as a powerful artifact. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to bond with so many different people.
As the phantom faded away, Skye reappeared in the armor, but there was one thing that shocked Finney: Skye's version of the Evil Ghost Armor was dramatically different from his.
"What… Why does it have wings!?"
Not only was the style drastically different, but Skye's Evil Ghost Armor came with a pair of wings!
Did the ancient spirit inside the armor have its own preferences? Was it… a perverted dragon!?
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
patreon.com/AnonTL
Support the Translation! 🌐✨
20 Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.