Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Chapter 108 Amazonian Artifacts

A week later, Chen Haotian stood in the private showroom on the top floor of Wayne Enterprises. This place was usually not open to the public and was used only to store Bruce Wayne's most precious private collection.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tony's voice came through the headset, clearly disapproving. "According to my scan, that so-called 'artifact' emits an energy signature I've never seen before. It reminds me of Thor's hammer, but it's much... more ancient."

Chen Haotian tapped his earpiece lightly to indicate that he had heard. His gaze was fixed on the crystal display case in the center of the exhibition hall, where a bronze short sword lay quietly, its blade covered with ancient, illegible characters.

"Relax, Tony," Chen Haotian replied in a low voice. "This is just the next step in our cooperation with Wayne Enterprises."

The exhibition hall doors slid open silently, and Bruce walked in, followed by a tall, blonde woman. She wore a simple black suit, her steps elegant yet with a warrior-like steadiness.

"Mr. Chen, this is Diana Prince, our company's security consultant," Bruce introduced. "She has in-depth knowledge of ancient weapons, so I asked her to assist with today's identification."

When Chen Haotian shook hands with Diana, he could feel the rough calluses on her palms—marks left from years of wielding a sword. He smiled slightly, realizing that Bruce was beginning to doubt his true intentions.

"Ms. Prince, it's a pleasure to meet you." Chen Haotian released his grip and turned to the display case. "This sword is said to come from a lost civilization?"

Diana approached the display case, a barely perceptible hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes: "Yes, it's said to be a relic of the Amazons. My... family has some connection to this civilization."

Bruce opened the display case and carefully took out a bronze dagger: "Wayne Enterprises bought it from an antique dealer twenty years ago. For years, we've been trying to decipher the inscriptions on the sword, but with little progress."

Chen Haotian took the short sword, and a gentle energy immediately spread along his arm. Unlike the cold, technological feel of the Kryptonian shard, the energy emanating from this sword was warm and full of life.

"Interesting." Chen Haotian gently rotated the sword, observing its reflection in the light. "It's not a weapon for killing."

Diana raised an eyebrow slightly: "What makes you say that?"

"Weight distribution, the curvature of the blade, and the direction of these inscriptions." Chen Haotian held the sword horizontally. "This is a ceremonial sword, used to grant or activate a certain... ability."

Bruce and Diana exchanged a glance. Chen Haotian pretended not to notice their silent exchange and continued studying the short sword.

"I can feel its energy responding to you," Diana suddenly said, her voice tinged with surprise. "Usually only those with Amazonian blood can resonate with these ancient artifacts."

Chen Haotian placed the short sword back in the display case: "Perhaps I'm particularly sensitive to ancient energy. Like a Kryptonite fragment, this sword seems to be searching for someone who can understand it."

Tony's voice came through the headset again: "Dude, I've detected an increasing energy fluctuation. Be careful, this thing might be more dangerous than it looks."

Chen Haotian gently touched the blade, and an even stronger surge of energy coursed through his body. This time, he clearly "saw" a scene: a group of female warriors performing a ceremony under the moonlight, passing the short sword from one hand to the other, the inscription on the blade lighting up with each person it passed.

"What does it record?" Chen Haotian murmured to himself, "An ancient ritual, the inheritance of power..."

Diana stepped forward, her eyes sharpening: "What did you see?"

Chen Haotian withdrew his hand, and the image disappeared: "It was just some flashbacks; perhaps my imagination was too vivid."

Bruce looked at him thoughtfully: "Our previous research suggests that this sword may have some kind of psychoactive effect. Different people will experience different hallucinations when they come into contact with it."

"It's not an illusion," Chen Haotian said definitively. "It's a memory. This sword carries the user's memories."

To prove his point, Chen Haotian took out a small scanner from his pocket—a device specially made by Tony that could detect and visualize energy flow. When the scanner was pointed at the short sword, complex energy patterns immediately appeared on the holographic projection, resembling the neural network of the human body.

"Look here." Chen Haotian pointed to one of the main energy channels. "This energy is not evenly distributed; it flows along the inscriptions, forming specific patterns. When someone wields the sword, the energy interacts with the sword wielder."

Diana moved closer to examine the holographic projection, her breathing slightly rapid: "Can you interpret these patterns?"

"Partially possible." Chen Haotian adjusted the scanner settings. "This area corresponds to memory storage, and this area seems to be connected to some kind of activation mechanism."

Bruce interrupts the conversation: "Activate what?"

Chen Haotian turned off the scanner and looked directly into Bruce's eyes: "Large-scale potential. According to my analysis, this sword is designed to awaken dormant potential within the human body. Different users will activate different abilities."

A brief silence fell over the exhibition hall. Diana's expression became inscrutable, while Bruce was clearly weighing something.

"This theory is very interesting," Bruce finally said. "But how do we verify it?"

Chen Haotian smiled slightly: "I can give a simple demonstration."

He picked up the dagger again, this time gently pressing his fingertips against a gem at the end of the hilt. The gem immediately emitted a soft golden light, and some of the inscriptions on the blade lit up.

"According to my interpretation, these lit symbols represent 'cognition' and 'perception'," Chen Haotian explained. "When a specific person holds a sword, the corresponding symbol will be activated."

Diana suddenly reached out and grasped the sword. Her touch caused more inscriptions to light up, making the golden light even more dazzling.

"You're right," Diana said softly, her eyes flashing with complex emotions. "This is indeed a sword of bestowal, not a blade of slaughter."

Bruce observed the interaction between the two, his gaze growing increasingly profound: "Mr. Chen, you seem to have some knowledge of ancient writing as well?"

"Language and symbols are a kind of code." Chen Haotian cleverly avoided a direct answer. "As long as you understand their internal logic, deciphering them is not difficult."

Tony warned into the headset, "Dude, the energy readings are skyrocketing. I suggest you stop now, unless you want to awaken something we can't control."

Chen Haotian gently lowered the short sword, and the golden light dimmed. He turned to Bruce: "According to our agreement, I can borrow this sword for research. I promise to return it within two weeks and share all research findings."

Bruce hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement: "Yes, but Ms. Prince must be involved in the whole process. Her knowledge of this sword is important to us all."

Diana nodded slightly: "I'd be happy to help."

As Chen Haotian left Wayne Tower with the specially made case containing the dagger, Tony immediately sent a message: "You've gone a bit too far, haven't you? That Diana, I can't find any background information on her. It's like she doesn't exist at all."

Chen Haotian got into the waiting car and placed the box beside him: "This is the most interesting part, Tony. In this world, there are many people who live behind masks."

"Including you, buddy," Tony joked. "But seriously, that sword makes me uneasy. The energy it emits doesn't conform to any known laws of physics."

Chen Haotian gently stroked the surface of the box: "This is why we're here, Tony. To explore the unknown and gain power. With Kryptonian technology and Amazonian artifacts, we can be invincible in both worlds."

As the car drove into the twilight streets of Gotham, Chen Haotian gazed at the city scenery rushing past the window, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. In the box beside him, the bronze dagger emitted an almost imperceptible hum, as if responding to his unspoken ambition.