IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

Six Months Later…

The world had changed since the Battle of New York, but the ripples of that event had yet to settle. People still talked about the Avengers—and more specifically, Arcanist. That was the name the media had given him, or perhaps it had been leaked by the government. A mysterious magician, a being beyond science, wielding forces no one truly understood.

Young boys and girls across the world looked up to him, dreaming of becoming like him, chasing the allure of power beyond the reach of ordinary humans. Some tried to imitate his so-called magic through tricks and illusions, while others attempted to decipher his methods through research and speculation.

But John himself?

He was lost.

Over the past six months, he had reached the peak of the first level of Star Wizard. His body had undergone immense refinement—his strength surpassing even enhanced humans, his mind sharper than ever. But no matter how much he pushed forward, he couldn't take the next step.

The road ahead was unclear.

And the Space Gem inside his spiritual sea? It remained the same—silent, unmoving, neither harming nor helping him. It was like an uninvited guest, lurking within him without revealing its purpose.

Even as he trained tirelessly, searching for a way forward, the frustration of stagnation gnawed at him.

---

Meanwhile, in the Outside World…

While John buried himself in cultivation, Tony Stark had been through hell and back.

A terrorist group had attacked him, leading to one of the most intense fights of his life. The Mandarin—Aldrich Killian—had resurfaced, launching a campaign of destruction that nearly claimed Tony's life. But this time, there was a difference.

John hadn't been there to interfere.

The events of Iron Man 3 had played out without deviation. Tony, being Tony, had fought back without asking for anyone's help. But what even Killian hadn't anticipated was that Tony was no longer just Iron Man—he was a 4th-stage Star Wizard.

The Extremis-enhanced soldiers had been formidable, but they weren't prepared for a Tony Stark whose body had been refined beyond normal human limits. His muscles were stronger, his bones tougher, and his internal organs capable of handling the strain of high-speed combat.

The battle had been long, brutal, and destructive—but in the end, Tony had won.

And he had done it alone.

After the dust settled, he didn't destroy all his extra suits like in the movie. Instead, he underwent surgery to remove the shrapnel from his chest. For the first time in years, Tony Stark was free from the arc reactor that had once kept him alive.

---

One evening, under the warm glow of the mansion's lights, Tony and John sat together, a quiet atmosphere settling between them.

They had barely spoken in the past months, each lost in their own struggles. But tonight was different.

"You've been stuck, haven't you?" Tony asked, swirling the whiskey in his glass, his gaze sharp despite his casual tone.

John, seated on the couch across from him, sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah. No matter how much I try, I can't break past this level. It's like I'm missing something."

Tony leaned back, exhaling. "You ever think that maybe you're looking at it the wrong way?"

John glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"Look, you and I both know that Star Wizard stuff isn't just some fantasy brought to life. I've read some of those cultivation novels too, and even in those stories, they had to rely on external forces to move forward. As for Star Wizards, I'm not sure what the rules are."

John frowned, listening carefully.

"So all I'm saying is—take a break. Do something to calm yourself down. Remember the singular rune you got from the Helicarrier? You haven't even explored its applications yet. Why not focus on that? I have a feeling it's going to be useful in the future."

John contemplated Tony's words. He had been pushing himself relentlessly, trying to brute-force his way through, but… what if that wasn't the right approach?

Tony smirked, setting his glass down. "Besides, we've got other things to focus on."

John raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Tony's expression turned serious. "Pepper and Happy."

John blinked. "What about them?"

Tony leaned forward, his fingers interlocking. "They need to be stronger. I don't want them to be helpless if something like Killian happens again."

John stared at him, then exhaled slowly. "You want to make them Star Wizards?"

Tony nodded. "If we can do it, so can they. I don't want them to be liabilities—I want them to be able to fight back if the world comes after us."

John considered this. It was true—Pepper and Happy had always been vulnerable in times of crisis. If they could cultivate, they wouldn't have to rely on Tony and the suit alone.

"...Alright," John finally said. "Let's do it."

Tony grinned. "Now that's what I like to hear."

---

The conversation gave John a temporary distraction, but it didn't solve his real problem.

He was still lost.

Still unable to advance.

As he sat alone in his room that night, he reached into his spiritual sea, gazing at the silent Space Gem inside him.

It had been there for so long… unmoving, unchanging.

Could it be the key to his advancement?

Or was it something else entirely?

John didn't know.

But one thing was certain—until he found the answer, he wouldn't be able to move forward.

And that thought terrified him.

---

The next three months passed with no progress.

No matter how much John meditated, trained, or studied his spiritual sea, he remained stuck. He ignored Tony's advice completely. The Space Gem still sat inside him, an unmoving, silent force. It did not harm him, nor did it offer any benefits. It was simply there, like a slumbering giant, waiting for something unknown.

At first, John had avoided interacting with it. He understood that Infinity Stones were objects of unimaginable power, far beyond mortal comprehension. Even the slightest misstep could bring catastrophe. He had hoped that, with time, the stone might reveal something to him.

But nothing happened.

Three months of stagnation was enough. John had decided—he would take the risk.

Sitting cross-legged in his room, he took a deep breath. His spiritual sea was vast, and floating at its center like a fallen star was the Space Gem beside the meditation rune—a tiny, deep-blue crystal that pulsed with unfathomable power.

His heart pounded. He had spent nearly a year avoiding direct contact with it, afraid of the consequences. But now, he had no choice. If he wanted to advance—if he wanted to become stronger—he had to take this step.

With a steady breath, he slowly sent a thread of mental power toward the gem.

The moment his mental power touched it, his vision went black.

And when he opened his eyes…

He found himself in some kind of forest.

(Author's Note:

In the next chapter, I will be showing a little bit of the world's background. Not too detailed, but enough to help you understand. I hope you like it!)