When Lyon and the others returned from the inner world to reality, it was just in time for the scheduled assembly.
But compared to before, their appearances had undergone dramatic changes.
Lyon had changed into a new battle suit. His eyes were sharp and spirited, like a Spartan warrior sharpening his blade before heading to war.
As for Wanda and Pietro's new look... it might be best described as unrecognizable.
Pietro's left cheek was swollen high, both eyes bruised and discolored, and his hair so messy it looked like even a bird wouldn't bother nesting in it.
His body was in even worse shape—beneath his torn clothing were bruises and scratches of all kinds.
Wanda fared a little better, but she too had bruises and scrapes in several places, and her once-elegant long hair had somehow been styled into a chaotic mess that looked like a failed punk-rock attempt.
Judging solely by their appearance, one might've mistaken them for refugees who had survived two months alone on a deserted island.
Lyon brought the two ragged "refugees" directly into the library.
Tony and the others were already waiting there, gathered around the still-suspended Kaecilius, discussing something.
Just as Lyon was about to step forward—
Who would've thought Pietro would suddenly let out a wail and burst into tears.
It was hard to imagine a grown, handsome young man sobbing so miserably.
But Pietro really was crying his heart out.
Just looking at him made one feel sympathetic, as if you wanted to step forward and ask, "Buddy, did some big guy ruin you all night or what?"
Because while Pietro was crying like his soul had shattered, he also looked strangely relieved.
He opened his arms to the sky—or rather, to the ceiling—and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, down his cheekbones, and into his collar.
Like a parrot locked in a cage for years, finally released and shouting, "Damn, I've suffered so much!"
Tony, standing across from Pietro, couldn't help the twitching at the corner of his mouth.
For some reason, he was reminded of a movie he'd watched with Lyon a while back—The Shawshank Redemption.
The protagonist escaping from prison probably looked just like Pietro now.
And if Pietro's crying wasn't enough—the previously calm-faced Wanda suddenly bit her lip, eyes turning to Lyon with an expression full of silent suffering, like a cornered cat pitifully beaten into submission.
The expressions of the four people in the library grew increasingly odd.
Tony glanced at Lyon and said, "What happened to them, Lyon? What... exactly did you do to them? We're not the kind of people who'd go violating human rights, are we?"
Tony was still siding with Lyon—for now. Even when throwing around the words "violating human rights," he used them like a casual aside, as if "moderately inhumane" might still be acceptable under certain circumstances.
Lyon shook his head and was just about to explain—
But then Pietro let out another drawn-out wail.
When someone's really upset, it's not scolding they fear—it's sympathy and understanding. Tony's "concerned but superficial" question was all it took to completely break Pietro down, like a dam bursting.
He flung himself forward like an angel descending from heaven—
And latched onto Tony's leg!
"What the—!"
Snot and tears smeared all over Tony's pant leg.
"I suffered so much! Lyon's a demon—a demon!" Pietro howled.
Tony's eyes widened as he looked over at Lyon.
Lyon spread his hands, giving a look of pure innocence.
Tony had no choice but to look down and ask Pietro, "What exactly did he do to you?"
"He helped us awaken our superpowers, and then he said my physical condition was too weak. That even with super speed, I was the type who'd still get shot to death!"
Pietro wiped away his tears. "Then he gave me and Wanda some kind of SS1-type enhancement serum!"
"Doesn't that sound pretty good though? I helped develop that serum—it can evolve the human body!" Tony was genuinely confused.
"I—I was happy at first too! Sniff!"
Pietro sobbed and sucked in his snot hard. "But then he started our special training!"
"What kind of training?" Tony asked, curious now.
Pietro looked utterly aggrieved. "He tied me to a huge dog, strapped a piece of meat to its head, and had it run in front while I plowed the field behind it with bare hands! However fast the dog ran, I had to dig just as fast!"
"And if I couldn't keep up, I didn't get any dinner!" he cried.
Tony, Banner, and the others were stunned. What kind of training method was this? Wasn't it kind of... anti-human?
They all turned to look at Lyon.
"It's to improve his control over his power. When he's in an emergency and needs to react quickly and dig fast, if he's already trained under such extreme conditions, his power control will naturally improve," Lyon said as he spread his hands, emphasizing:
"Tony, you know this—I'm also a martial arts master. This kind of training method is totally legit."
Everyone nodded thoughtfully at that. It… actually made a weird kind of sense?
"And then there's this!" Pietro continued tattling. "He tied me under a big tree, smeared honey all over me, then threw a beehive—like, ten meters tall—at me. Huge bees, like half a meter long, came swarming out and started stinging me!"
Bees that are dozens of centimeters long? Wouldn't that be lethal?
Everyone turned to look at Lyon again.
"That was to train his evasion abilities," Lyon explained calmly. "Now that he's awakened his super speed, being attacked by a swarm of bees helps him build real-time dodging experience."
"That… actually kind of makes sense."
Tony and the others thought for a moment and then nodded.
"Huh? That's reasonable too?" Pietro stopped crying, completely baffled. "There's more! He threw me on a volcano, tied boulders to me, then triggered an eruption and had me race the lava!"
"And! He threw me into the ocean with dozens of sharks over a hundred meters long and told me to escape from them!"
Good lord—this was insane!
Tony and the others turned to Lyon again, their eyes silently asking, What the hell?
Lyon remained composed. "That was to train his sustained combat ability in extreme environments, and his survival skills."
"Ohhh!" Everyone suddenly looked enlightened. "Makes sense. Very reasonable!"
Pietro was dumbfounded.
He stared at the group in shock. "No way… that's reasonable too?!"
Lyon shook his head, stepped forward, and lifted Pietro by the collar, pulling him off Tony's leg.
"You only remember the hardships from the training, but didn't you realize that the current you is dozens of times stronger than when you first awakened your powers?"
Lyon said, "Back when you first awakened, your ability would work one moment and fail the next. That's not the case anymore, is it?"
"During training, you learned how to control your power while moving at high speed; you now understand how much force, how much speed, will yield what kind of result, right?"
"After training in environments like volcanoes, oceans, high altitudes, deep abysses, and even outer space, your survival and adaptability have improved significantly, haven't they?"
"And look at your sister Wanda—her training wasn't much easier than yours. Why does she look so composed compared to your sorry state?"
Lyon patted Pietro's chest with the back of his hand. "You're a grown man. How can you be this fragile? Even your sister's tougher than you."
Pietro stood there dumbfounded, watching Lyon walk away with just the back of his head in view, and couldn't help but start doubting whether he really was just being too soft.
He turned instinctively to Wanda. "Is... is that true, Wanda? Did you go through that kind of training too?"
After all, Lyon had kept the siblings' training sessions separate.
So.. Neither of them knew what the other had gone through.
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