The success of the portal made Finney feel like he was flying with joy. Unfortunately, it only worked while he was equipped with the "Haunted by Evil Spirits" armor; in his normal state, the spell still produced only flickering sparks.
"So how talented did Doctor Strange have to be to master this stuff so quickly?" Finney lamented silently. He had focused on this one spell for an entire year without success, while Doctor Strange had seemingly just frozen a bit in the Himalayas before picking it up.
Learning the portal spell boosted Finney's confidence for the dangers ahead. Even if he couldn't win a fight, he could at least escape now. Just this one trick would be enough to deal with most threats.
With his attention back on the system, Finney noticed his experience gauge was nearly full. That meant the fourth skill extraction was coming soon. Extracting one skill per year was a pace he never imagined possible. After all, he used the second skill for seven years and the third for eight.
This rapid progress wasn't without its costs, however. He'd earned strange nicknames like "Kamar-Taj Battle Maniac," "Armored Mage," and "Mad Knight Who Can't Do Magic." Still, the crazy growth rate was largely thanks to Kamar-Taj. He was immensely grateful he came here—it was the safest and most efficient "grind spot" he could've hoped for.
Now, his only hope was to draw his fourth skill before Tony Stark made his official return. Ideally, it would be another powerful ability.
"Portal!"
Looking at the fiery teleportation circle in front of him, Finney felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He finally didn't need to travel through the temple or ask others to open doors for him.
"But it's annoying that I still have to wear the Sling Ring," he muttered. Back at Kamar-Taj, he considered a workaround. While everyone got a Sling Ring for training, it was actually a highly regulated magical item. Finney wondered if he could mimic its effects using his experience with the compass he created for the "Golden Evolution."
However, the Sling Ring wasn't as simple as the compass. Its influence on reality was significant, which meant copying it wouldn't be easy. Plus, it might malfunction unexpectedly during use. Thankfully, he had already received permission from the Ancient One to keep using it for practice, so there was no urgent rush.
Putting the Sling Ring issue aside for now, Finney focused on drawing the fourth skill as soon as possible. Practicing day by day could take another month or two, but he wanted to speed things up.
"Looks like I'll have to work even harder!" he muttered with determination.
Technically, the best way to gain experience was to spar with the Ancient One. Unfortunately, she was far too powerful. Finney usually lost within a few moves and didn't gain much experience. Fighting Mordo was more effective—he lasted longer and gained more.
Only when the Ancient One was deliberately holding back could he gain significant experience from her. But clearly, she had better things to do.
Aside from combat, another way to earn experience faster was by evolving his skills. Although "Haunted by Evil Spirits" was still technically in its original state, Finney had grown much stronger through a year of practice.
Since Kamar-Taj trained melee mages, physical strength was crucial. After all this time, he was close to unlocking a new ability—one that many dreamed of: stealth.
When equipped with "Haunted by Evil Spirits," he could feel he was only a step away from unlocking it. Just a bit more training.
So Finney decided to double his training intensity over the next week. If that didn't work, he'd track down more sparring sessions with Mordo or even Wong for that sweet experience.
Unfortunately, life had other plans. The next day, two pieces of news shook the country—and interrupted Finney's plan.
Tony Stark was back.
And he had just announced the permanent closure of Stark Industries' weapons research and development division.
On TV, Tony sat at a press conference, scarred and disheveled, announcing his decision to leave the arms business. The world was stunned. The once untouchable genius playboy had clearly changed.
Skye, watching beside Finney, asked, "What the hell happened to him?"
"He thought building weapons maintained world peace, but realized he was wrong. So now he's changing his approach," Finney explained.
Skye looked skeptical. After all, Stark Industries was built on munitions. Shutting down that department was like cutting off a limb.
"Come on, help me out," Finney said, snapping her out of it. "Buy as many Stark Industries shares as possible. Every last cent."
"Are you sure about that?" Skye asked, wide-eyed.
"Don't worry. He's a genius. You think he'd drop the weapons division without having something better in mind? Stark Industries' stock is going to soar. This is your chance to become a rich woman. I'm counting on you," he said with a smirk.
Unlike the last stock dip during Tony's kidnapping—which was orchestrated—this one came without warning. Tony's disheveled appearance and some media manipulation by rival companies led people to panic-sell, thinking Stark Industries was done for.
Finney sighed at the deceptive nature of corporate warfare. He'd always thought running a company sounded exhausting—power struggles, competition, internal politics. It made him appreciate the simplicity of being strong and staying low-profile.
Plus, Stark Industries wouldn't have survived without Obadiah holding down the front and Pepper Potts managing behind the scenes. Even later, when Tony wore the Iron Man suit and stood up to the military, people thought it was just because he had money.
But the truth was, it wasn't just about the money. His family connections were powerful. His father had helped found S.H.I.E.L.D. Tony himself was a genius, having invented countless weapons the military relied on. They couldn't just force him into submission.
No matter how you looked at it, Finney knew he wasn't Tony Stark. He didn't have the same genius, and Skye—his only trusted ally—definitely wasn't a management prodigy like Pepper.
Honestly, this sister of his was turning into a couch potato.
Watching Skye's face and waistline gradually fill out, Finney thought to himself, "I'm raising her into a total homebody!"