Chapter 20: Brother System, turn on the WeMod for me!
New Mexico, in the wilderness.
A circular impact crater was steaming. In the center of the crater, a short-handled hammer lay quietly. The hammerhead was square, with ancient patterns, and the silver-gray surface didn't have a single scratch.
The next second.
The air distorted.
Bang!
Lin Zhen slammed face-first into the edge of the impact crater.
His mouth was full of sand. He lay there for two seconds, slowly raised his head, and spat out a mouthful of dirt.
"Motherfucker, Teleportation System, do you have a grudge against my face? You always use me as a brake pad."
He scrambled up, and the first thing he saw was the hammer in the center of the crater.
The system interface popped up.
[Unknown Artifact]
[Quality: Orange?]
[Warning: This item is locked by high-level authorization]
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up.
"Orange gear, it's really orange gear!"
He rushed down the crater in a few strides and reached out to grab the hammer handle.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The hammer didn't move.
Lin Zhen was stunned for a moment, looking down at his hand.
"Did the model glitch?"
He changed his posture, grabbed the handle with both hands, sank his waist, and pushed off with his feet.
"Up!"
The hammer still didn't move. However, he had stomped two holes into the sandy ground.
The smile on Lin Zhen's face gradually faded.
"Come on, brother, you're just a weapon, why are you acting so high and mighty?"
He pulled a frying pan from his backpack and tapped the hammerhead.
Clang!
A system prompt popped up.
[Attack Invalid]
Lin Zhen narrowed his eyes.
"Not bad, as expected of orange gear, it's really awesome. It's way more durable than that armor of Tony Stark's."
He walked around the hammer twice, then squatted down and started digging the sand with his bare hands.
Ten minutes later, the soil under the hammer had been dug out, and the hammer dropped, smashing into another large crater with a boom.
Lin Zhen looked at it, silent for two seconds.
"Motherfucker, what does this mean?"
Car lights suddenly appeared in the distance.
Several pickup trucks drove over from the highway.
They were local residents, a few young people, plus a bearded man carrying a video camera.
The old man in the front got out of the car. Seeing a man in a chicken mask standing in the crater, and then seeing that hammer, he stopped.
"Who are you?"
Lin Zhen looked up, his tone very polite: "Hello, old man, I'm a player who got here first."
The old man nearly fainted from anger. He glanced at the hammer and asked, "What is that?"
Lin Zhen hid the frying pan behind his back.
"Nothing, just a piece of scrap metal that hasn't been consecrated."
The young people had already crowded around.
Someone smiled and stepped forward, reaching out to pull the hammer.
It didn't move.
A second person went up.
It didn't move.
A third person strained until his face turned red, and it still didn't move.
The crowd immediately became rowdy.
"This thing is too heavy!"
"Maybe it's welded to the ground!"
"Get a car to tow it!"
Lin Zhen stood on the side, his expression becoming increasingly wrong.
He suddenly realized a problem.
If this hammer was a public event, then S.H.I.E.L.D. would arrive to seal off the site immediately.
By then, let alone orange gear, he wouldn't even be able to pick up the dirt next to the hammer.
"Wait, aren't I from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" He quickly shouted, "Brothers, stop queuing up, I've reserved this item."
Several young people looked at him.
"Why?"
Lin Zhen took out his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge and flashed it in front of them.
"Federal Chicken Head Administration, specifically for handling disobedient hammers."
The crowd: "..."
The bearded cameraman aimed his lens at him.
"Does the federal government have such a department?"
Lin Zhen glanced at him.
"Yes, but ordinary people who find out get silenced."
The camera was immediately lowered.
At this moment, a pickup truck backed up to the edge of the crater.
Several strong men wrapped chains around the hammer handle and hooked the other end to the rear of the truck.
The driver shouted.
He floored the gas.
The pickup roared, tires spinning and smoking, the body shaking violently.
The hammer still didn't move.
Crack!
The rear bumper was ripped off, flying away and slamming into the sand.
The crowd went quiet.
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up.
"Good, good, good. With this durability, it's definitely not ordinary orange gear, it's at least Orange Legendary tier."
He immediately opened his backpack.
[Damaged Arc Reactor × 1]
[Iron Monger Shoulder Wreckage × 1]
[Nick Fury Coffee Cup × 1]
Lin Zhen looked at the last item and was stunned.
"How is the Director's cup in my bag again?"
"Oh, I swiped it."
He thought about it and placed the coffee cup next to the hammer.
"Let's try fighting poison with poison. Straight from Nick Fury's office, guaranteed to cure any disobedience."
No reaction.
Lin Zhen took out the damaged Arc Reactor and brought it close to the hammerhead.
The reactor's blue light flickered.
A tiny electric arc suddenly jumped from the surface of the hammer.
Snap!
The arc hit Lin Zhen's finger.
He shuddered, his hair exploding out from the seams of the chicken mask.
He stared at the hammer.
"Is it insufficient clearance?"
His expression turned serious.
The next second, Lin Zhen slapped his thigh.
"Motherfucker, isn't it just that my level isn't high enough!"
He turned and shouted at the crowd.
"Who has monsters on them? Quickly spawn two for me, I need EXP!"
The crowd: "..."
In the distance, more car lights appeared.
Black SUVs drove over the highway one after another. The doors opened, and Agents in black suits quickly got out.
The crowd was pushed back.
Searchlights hit the impact crater.
A man in a suit walked to the edge of the crater, wearing a professional smile, his voice not loud.
"Everyone, the federal government is taking over the site, please leave immediately."
Lin Zhen looked at that face and ran through his memory.
Gentle, suit, stable hairline, looks like a quest NPC.
The man's gaze fell on Lin Zhen, then on the frying panand reactor in his hands.
His smile paused.
"Agent Lin Zhen?"
Lin Zhen hid the reactor behind his back.
"You've mistaken me for someone else, I'm just a civilian passing by."
The man took out his ID.
"Phil Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhen immediately stepped forward enthusiastically to shake his hand.
"We're on the same side! You should've said so earlier, I just thought you guys were here to steal my mobs."
Coulson glanced at the hammer in the center of the crater.
"Director Fury specifically instructed in the communication that if we see someone wearing a chicken mask, carrying a frying pan, and whose behavioral logic is completely unpredictable on the scene, we should prioritize physical control."
"I believe he was referring to you, Agent Lin Zhen."
Lin Zhen's face turned black.
"The Director is slandering me, my behavior is very stable and constructive!"
Coulson maintained his smile.
"He also said that if his coffee cup appears in your hands, confiscate it immediately."
As he spoke, Coulson reached out his hand.
Lin Zhen looked down at the coffee cup stuck on the hammer, his mouth twitching.
He thought: This Nick Fury, he's even more petty than he is blind!
Lin Zhen reluctantly handed the cup over.
As soon as the coffee cup left his hand, a system prompt popped up.
[Lost Item: Nick Fury Coffee Cup × 1]
Looking at the system prompt, Lin Zhen gasped in pain, as if he had lost hundreds of millions.
Coulson put the cup away and turned to give orders.
"Establish a quarantine zone, set up a temporary research station, seal all video footage, and notify the experimental team."
The Agents immediately took action.
In just a few minutes, temporary light stands and fences were erected outside the impact crater.
Lin Zhen watched them set up tents, his eyes darting around, and he quietly moved toward the hammer.
Coulson didn't even turn his head.
"Don't touch it."
Lin Zhen stopped in his tracks.
"I'm just looking."
"You already tried to touch it with a reactor, chains, a frying pan, and a coffee cup just now."
"Is our S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance really that fast?"
"Three civilian cameras on the scene captured it, so we rushed over immediately."
Lin Zhen looked at the group of locals being taken away for registration, heartbroken: "Motherfucker, there are bad guys among the masses."
Coulson walked to his side.
"Can you tell what it is?"
Lin Zhen stared at the system interface. Conventional methods couldn't see through this hammer, so he could only use unconventional ones.
"Brother System, turn on the WeMod for me! Activate Force Perspective!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a prompt immediately appeared before his eyes.
[Mjolnir: Holding this artifact grants the divine power of Thor.]
[Unlock condition updated: Required Justice Value 1000, Current Justice Value: -100]
"Need Justice Value to unlock?"
"Motherfucker?"
"Dog System, come out and fight me one-on-one. I've punched terrorists and kicked Iron Monger, when did my Justice Value become -100?!"
Chapter 21: Are You Messing With Me?
Chapter 21: The Chicken-Masked Warrior and the Fallen Thor
Lin Zhen stared at the system interface, his whole worldfalling apart.
[Justice points required to unlock Mjolnir: 1000]
[Current justice points: -100]
He pointed at the air, his voice cracking.
"Motherfucker!"
"Explain this to me clearly. I beat up terrorists, kicked Iron Monger, and saved Tony Stark. How can my justice points still be negative?"
The system emotionlessly popped up a list of details:
[Theft of Nick Fury's personal items × 7, justice points -35]
[Robbing civilians' vehicles × 1, justice points -20]
[Assaulting innocent security personnel under the pretext of "physical fitness test" × 13, justice points -65]
[... (The following 10,000 words are omitted; let's just say it was a daily update of 10,000 words)]
Lin Zhen finished reading and broke down on the spot.
"Stealing from the Director is called resource redistribution!"
"Carjacking is called temporary requisition!"
"Attacking Happy and those twelve bodyguards is called an employee physical fitness test!"
The system coldly popped up a line of text.
[Judgment criteria are based on objective actions; subjective explanations are invalid]
Lin Zhen:...
At this moment, a female Agent was walking toward a temporary tent carrying a box of equipment, the weight making her steps heavy.
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up. The opportunity had arrived.
Being a good person starts with carrying boxes.
He lunged over and reached out to take the box.
"Beautiful, let me handle it. I'm an outstanding employee of S.H.I.E.L.D., currently single, and specialize in all kinds of manual labor."
The female Agent just let go.
Lin Zhen didn't control his strength well, and the box flew right out of his palm, smashing into the newly set up monitoring tent like a cannonball.
Boom!
The tent collapsed.
The screens, hard drives, antennas, and coffee machine inside were shattered all over the ground.
[Damage to S.H.I.E.L.D. property, justice points -5]
Lin Zhen was stunned. Was this box really that light?
Coulson looked down and wrote something in his notebook.
"Temporary monitoring center, damage deduction of five hundred dollars."
"If I said this was a work-related injury, would you believe me?" Lin Zhen clutched his chest.
"I will let the finance department decide if this is a work-related injury for you or a bill you need to pay."
"You S.H.I.E.L.D. people are really cold-blooded."
Before he finished speaking, a local old man's pickup truck in the distance sank into a sand pit, the wheels spinning wildly, yellow sand filling the sky.
Lin Zhen's hope was rekindled. He rushed over and pressed both hands against the rear of the truck.
"Old man, don't panic. You've met a noble person today."
Just as the old man wanted to say thank you, Lin Zhenpulled hard, and the old man flew out, landing face-first in the dirt.
[Justice points -3]
Lin Zhen looked at the interface, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"Motherfucker, why do I lose points faster when I try to be a good guy than when I'm a bad guy?"
Coulson walked over and handed him a phone.
"A call from Director Fury."
Lin Zhen took the phone and said unhappily, "Director, are you calling to commend me for my active work?"
Nick Fury's low voice came from the other end of the line: "I order you to remain at the scene to assist in guarding the unknown fallen object. No unauthorized action, no touching the unknown object, no use of explosives, and no driving any vehicles!"
"Is there overtime pay?"
"No."
Lin Zhen returned the phone.
"Goodbye."
Coulson looked at him.
"Where are you going?"
"To the nearby town for supplies."
"The Director ordered you to stay."
"He didn't pay me, so I'm not working."
Lin Zhen turned and left.
After walking two steps, he suddenly turned back and, catching Coulson off guard, reached out to touch the hammer handle again.
Snap!
An arc of electricity exploded.
Lin Zhen flew backward three meters, his hair standing on end through the gaps in his chicken mask.
Coulson looked down and recorded expressionlessly: "The fourth time Agent Lin Zhen has been electrocuted."
Lin Zhen lay in the sand and raised his middle finger.
"Record, record, record, all you know is how to record. I'll report you, this NPC, sooner or later!"
...
Puente Antiguo town.
Lin Zhen, wearing the chicken mask, pushed open the restaurant door.
As the doorbell rang, the people inside looked over in unison.
He scanned the room and found a seat by the door.
"Waiter, give me the cheapest set meal with the largest portion, and a cup of coffee. Not too much sugar!"
Just as Lin Zhen sat down, the system interface suddenly popped up a prompt.
[Unknown target]
[Energy reading is abnormal, exceeding human standard range by 387%]
[Unable to identify race and level]
Lin Zhen paused.
He followed the prompt and looked over.
A blond giant was sitting in the corner, holding a coffee cup, drinking coffee in a very serious posture.
After finishing it, his eyes lit up.
Bang!
He slammed the cup on the table, shattering it all over the floor.
"Another one, this drink is not bad."
The restaurant went quiet.
The waitress backed away half a step in fear.
The woman sitting next to him stood up quickly.
"Sorry, sorry, he doesn't really understand the customs here."
Lin Zhen looked at the broken cup, then looked down at himself.
This behavioral pattern, why does it feel so familiar?
The blond giant also saw him, his gaze lingering on the chicken mask.
"Your headgear is very interesting. Is this a battle mask of your tribe?"
Lin Zhen was stunned. Along the way, some called him Chicken Head, some called him a lunatic, some called the police—this was the first NPC to compliment his mask.
"Brother, you have an eye for style."
The giant nodded seriously.
"It is very imposing, and it can also make enemies feel confused."
Lin Zhen felt a sense of respect.
"You understand aesthetics."
The woman next to him rubbed her temples.
"You two had better not encourage each other."
Lin Zhen looked at her.
"Beautiful, what is your relationship with this hidden elite monster?"
The woman was taken aback and asked, "What elite monster?"
The giant stood up first and extended his hand.
"I am Thor, son of Odin, from Asgard."
Lin Zhen shook his hand.
The next second, his expression changed. This grip was so strong, it almost broke his hand.
"Easy, easy, this hand has had a super-friendly relationship with me since I was sixteen; it can't be ruined by you."
Thor let go, his face full of apology. "Sorry."
Lin Zhen shook his hand and looked at the system encyclopedia.
[Asgard: The realm of gods in Norse mythology]
He was silent for two seconds and asked.
"You are a god?"
Thor nodded.
"The God of Thunder."
Lin Zhen then looked at Thor with disdain. No matter how he looked at it, he looked like a drunken brute.
He turned to ask the woman next to him.
"Is this guy always like this?"
Jane Foster sighed.
"Always like this."
Lin Zhen turned back and patted Thor on the shoulder.
"Brother, I understand you. I was also exiled to this worldby the developers. We are in the same boat, but you can't just go around saying you're a god. It's easy to be treated as a mentally ill NPC."
Thor frowned.
"Who is the developer? A wizard from Jotunheim?"
Lin Zhen narrowed his eyes.
Good guy.
This NPC setting is quite deep.
He sat down and lowered his voice.
"Brother Thor, let me ask you something. There's an orange-quality hammer in the desert. Do you know it?"
Thor's expression changed instantly.
He stood up abruptly, and the table was almost flipped over by him.
"You have seen my hammer?"
"What? That's your hammer?"
Thor stepped closer.
"That is my Mjolnir, my weapon, my partner. I must get it back!"
Lin Zhen's brain turned rapidly.
Bound NPC.
Original Master of orange equipment.
Hidden quest entrance.
Connecting these three things, the taste is right.
He immediately stood up and patted Thor on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, the hammer is currently in our... in a metal base. The security isn't too tight, mainly because there are many people, many guns, and many surveillance cameras. I know the way."
Thor stared at him.
"Are you willing to help me?"
"Of course."
Lin Zhen extended a finger.
"But you have to tell me, besides grinding those bullshit justice points, how can I lift that hammer?"
Thor was silent for a moment.
"Mjolnir only responds to those who are worthy. This is not a skill; it is a qualification."
"What does it mean to be worthy?"
Thor lowered his head and looked at his own hands.
"I don't know either. Father believes I have lost this qualification, which is why he exiled me here."
Lin Zhen's expression froze bit by bit.
Even the original Master can't lift it?
He glanced at his justice points.
[-108]
Lin Zhen took a deep breath.
"Motherfucker, this hammer is so cold that it doesn't respect the player."
...
That night.
S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary base.
Lin Zhen showed his S.H.I.E.L.D. badge.
"Friendly, open the door!"
The Agent at the gate glanced at the badge, then at the communicator.
"Sir Coulson ordered ten minutes ago to temporarily freeze Agent Lin Zhen's access rights."
Lin Zhen's eyes widened.
"Motherfucker, friendly fire?"
Thor looked at him and asked, "What are we waiting for? Let's just sneak in!"
Lin Zhen wanted to say that sneaking requires strategy.
Thor had already rushed up and punched the wire fence.
Bang!
A human-shaped hole was smashed into the wire fence, and the alarm instantly resounded through the base. Red lights flashed, searchlights swept over and landed on Lin Zhen's face.
Lin Zhen's mouth twitched.
"Brother, your stealth style is quite wild."
Thor turned back.
"The door is open."
"Is that called a door? This could be a crime scene."
From all directions, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents rushed over, guns raised in unison.
Lin Zhen pulled out his frying pan and stood back-to-back with Thor.
He turned his head and looked at Thor.
"Brother, if you really are a god, you can use your skills now."
Thor clenched his fists, his expression a bit awkward.
"I have no divine power right now."
Lin Zhen's expression changed.
"Are you messing with me?"
The next second, a dozen Agents lunged over at the same time.
Chapter 22: Motherf***er, the World BOSS has spawned!
Lin Zhen reacted extremely quickly, instantly raising his hands above his head, his expression one of righteous indignation.
"Fellow colleagues, don't shoot, I'm an undercover Agent!" he shouted, pointing at the bewildered Thor beside him. "This blond pervert has serious violent tendencies; I am conducting close surveillance on him, attempting to dismantle his criminal plans from the inside!"
Thor stood frozen in place, turning his head to look at Lin Zhen, and asked, "Friend, what are you saying? The warriors of Asgard never fear battle. Aren't we supposed to fight our way in together?"
"Who the hell is your friend? You don't even have an AOE skill; this is just feeding kills," Lin Zhen cursed in a low voice.
An armed Agent opposite him stepped forward. "Agent Lin Zhen, Sir Coulson has ordered you to drop your weapon immediately, put your hands on your head, and crouch down."
Lin Zhen's eyes sharpened, and his right hand smoothly reached for his lower back.
"Sir, I'm not carrying any weapons," Lin Zhen said, his face full of smiles. With a sudden flick of his wrist, a black frying pan whistled through the air.
Clang.
The frying pan hit the leading Agent squarely on the forehead. The Agent didn't even groan; his eyes rolled back, and he fell straight into the muddy water.
The frying pan spun in mid-air and bounced back into Lin Zhen's hand.
[Knocked down S.H.I.E.L.D. field Agent, EXP + 50, Justice Points - 2]
Lin Zhen looked at the system panel, his face turning green. "Motherf***er, I get Justice Points deducted for hitting a blocking NPC? Is this crappy game forcing me onto the villain path?"
"Thor, go! Clear all these NPCs for me!" Lin Zhen roared, raising the frying pan to block his face.
Thor took a large stride forward.
Although he had lost the power of Thor, the muscle density of an Asgardian far exceeded that of an Earthling.
The attacks from those S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents landed on him, but he didn't even frown.
Even some bullets could not penetrate his defense.
He charged into the formation of Agents and swung his fists.
One punch struck an Agent in the abdomen, sending the Agent flying two meters off the ground. A turning side kick knocked another Agent into a puddle. His movements were wide and powerful, full of wild strength.
Lin Zhen followed behind Thor, his movements extremely sneaky; he specifically picked on the Agents who were dazed by Thor.
Clang, a frying pan smacked against the back of a head.
[Knocked down Agent, EXP + 50]
Lin Zhen cursed as he knocked them out. "Old geezer, your judgment for excessive defense is too strict; this is self-defense!"
The two advanced deep into the base. The sound of sirens echoed through the night sky.
On a high metal frame platform, a man wearing a black tactical vest pulled back a compound bow.
An arrow was notched on the string, the arrowhead flickering with red light. Clint Barton narrowed his eyes, aiming at Lin Zhen's knee.
Lin Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and the system frantically popped up danger warnings. He looked up sharply and raised the frying pan.
Ding.
The arrow struck the surface of the frying pan, sparks flying everywhere, the immense impact numbing Lin Zhen's arm.
"Motherf***er, there's a hacker sniper up there!" Lin Zhenshook his hand and pulled a piece of C4 from his System Inventory, sticking it directly onto the fuel tank of an empty jeep nearby. "Thor, cover me!"
He pressed the timer and dragged Thor into the plastic tunnel nearby.
Three seconds later, Boom!
The jeep exploded into a fireball, the shockwave overturning the surrounding tents, and Barton on the high platform was forced to crouch low to avoid the debris.
In the monitoring room, Coulson stared at the screen, veins throbbing on his forehead.
"Sir, they have broken through the second line of defense and are moving towards the crater!" the technician reported quickly. "Agent Lin Zhen destroyed three cameras and two vehicles along the way, and also stole five bags of potato chips from the staff lounge."
Coulson took a deep breath. "Notify Hawkeye, stop shooting, let them in."
"But Sir, that is the 0-8-4 unknown object."
"Director Fury said, if Lin Zhen insists on touching that thing, let him touch it!" Coulson's eyes were complex. "Perhaps he can help us figure out what exactly that is."
At the end of the plastic tunnel, Lin Zhen and Thor rushed into an open area.
The torrential rain poured down, searchlight beams converged in the center of the field, and a huge crater lay before them.
In the center of the crater, that silver-gray short-handled hammer stood quietly on a stone pedestal.
Thor stopped, looking at the hammer, his breathing becoming rapid, his eyes full of fanaticism and expectation.
He strode down the muddy slope, ignoring the S.H.I.E.L.D.Agents surrounding him with guns, and walked straight to the hammer.
Lin Zhen stood at the edge of the crater, tearing open a bag of original-flavor potato chips he had just swiped, and stuffed one into his mouth. "Brothers, don't shoot, the next part is plot CG time, everyone be quiet."
The Agents looked at each other, then looked at Coulson, who was relaying orders through the earpiece. Coulsonstood on the second-floor corridor, raising his hand to signal everyone to stand by.
Thor stood before the hammer, gripping the handle with both hands. He tilted his head back and laughed out loud. "Father, I understand, I finally understand!"
He exerted force suddenly. His arm muscles bulged high, veins protruding.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
The hammer did not move an inch.
Thor's laughter stopped abruptly.
He was stunned for a moment, then exerted force again, his feet digging two deep pits into the muddy ground, a beast-like low growl emitting from his throat.
It was still useless; there wasn't even the slightest movement.
Thor let go, took half a step back, and his eyes became hollow.
He looked at his own hands in disbelief, then looked at the weapon that once belonged to him.
"No!" Thor's knees went weak, and he knelt in the muddy water.
He tilted his head back, letting the torrential rain pound on his face, and let out a desperate and shrill roar. "No!!!"
At the edge of the crater, Lin Zhen chewed on the potato chips, the crunching sound exceptionally clear in the rainy night.
"Brother, stop howling." Lin Zhen walked down to the bottom of the crater and patted Thor on the shoulder. "I already told you, your account has been banned, equipment locked; even if you smash the keyboard, you won't be able to pick it up."
Thor lowered his head, covered his face, his shoulders shaking violently, completely immersed in the immense grief of being stripped of his godhood.
Lin Zhen shook his head and sighed. "Your mental fortitude is too poor, kid; you're deleting your account and quitting the game over such a small setback."
He turned his head and looked at Mjolnir on the stone pedestal.
The system interface popped up again.
[Mjolnir: Holding this artifact allows one to obtain the divine power of Thor]
[Required Justice Points: 1000, Current Justice Points: - 153]
Lin Zhen stared at the negative number, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"System-bro, do you think a few Justice Points can stop a hardcore player like me?"
He opened his inventory and locked his gaze on the [Kaito Kid mask].
This thing could even fool Tony's security system and even persuade Stane's secretary; there was no reason it couldn't fool a hammer.
Lin Zhen took out the mask and pulled it over his head.
"Facial feature extraction target, Thor Odinson."
His facial bones emitted a faint clicking sound, and his muscles quickly squirmed and reorganized.
In just two seconds, Lin Zhen's height increased by five centimeters, his shoulders broadened, and a head of blond hair hung down in the rain.
He turned around, and Thor, who was kneeling on the ground, looked up.
Two identical Thors, even with the exact same distribution of stubble, stared at each other in the pouring rain.
Thor was stunned, even forgetting his grief. "You... how did you become me?"
Lin Zhen, wearing Thor's face, grinned.
On the second-floor corridor, the walkie-talkie in Coulson's hand nearly fell to the ground.
He stared wide-eyed at the two blond strongmen at the bottom of the crater, his brain instantly crashing.
Lin Zhen turned around and gripped the handle of Mjolnirwith both hands.
"Watch closely, Mjolnir, I am your daddy!" Lin Zhen took a deep breath and exerted force upward suddenly.
The system interface flashed red.
[Biological characteristics detected as matching]
[Verifying godhood...]
Lin Zhen's heart filled with joy—it was working!
The next second.
[Warning: Soul mismatch, player Justice Points detected as extremely abnormal, judged as malicious theft of artifact]
[Access Denied]
The surface of the hammer suddenly erupted with extremely intense blue arcs of electricity.
The arcs surged up the handle and onto Lin Zhen's arm.
Snap.
Lin Zhen was sent flying backward by the electric shock, rolling three times in the muddy water before stopping.
The disguise effect of the Kaito Kid mask was instantly dispelled by the strong electric shock, and he turned back into the man wearing the chicken mask.
Lin Zhen lay on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of muddy water, his hair standing on end through the gaps in the mask, still emitting black smoke.
"Motherf***er, a crappy game item dares to play two-factor authentication with me!" Lin Zhen ripped off the mask, revealing his own face, his eyes completely changed.
He scrambled up from the muddy water and strode toward the stone pedestal.
"Lin Zhen, stop!" Coulson's voice spread across the scene through the loudspeaker. "You've already tried; that thing is not something you can control. Leave the bottom of the crater immediately."
Lin Zhen ignored him completely. He walked up to the hammer and opened his System Inventory directly. Since magic and disguise didn't work, he would use the player's most primitive method: physical dismantling.
He pulled out the [Damaged Arc Reactor] he had swiped from Iron Monger and slammed it heavily onto the stone pedestal next to the hammer.
Then, he took out the C4 explosives and used heavy-duty tape to wrap it tightly between the reactor and the hammerhead.
Seeing this, Coulson's expression changed drastically. "Everyone, load your weapons, stop him!"
Dozens of Agents around him pulled their gun bolts simultaneously.
Lin Zhen held the detonator in his hand, turned his head to look at Coulson on the second floor, his tone extremely arrogant. "Coulson, do you think you can stop me?"
He pointed at the reactor and C4 on the hammer. "This is called an energy sympathetic detonation. Today, I want to see if the permissions of this crappy hammer are harder, or if my physical cheat is harder!"
Thor scrambled up from the ground, looking at the detonator in Lin Zhen's hand in horror. "Madman, that's my Mjolnir!"
"If it's destroyed, just restart; players never compromise!" Lin Zhen's thumb hovered over the red button, and the system interface suddenly popped up a line of extremely glaring blood-red text.
[Warning: Physical energy sufficient to destroy the current area detected]
[Hidden judgment triggered: Enemy of Asgard]
[Unknown high-dimensional energy is descending]
Lin Zhen paused. He looked up.
The originally pitch-black rainy night sky suddenly cracked open, revealing a huge colorful beam of light.
The beam tore through the clouds, carrying terrifying pressure, and slammed straight down into the desert on the outskirts of the S.H.I.E.L.D. camp.
The earth trembled violently, and the strong wind uprooted the surrounding tents.
As the beam of light dissipated, a huge humanoid armor, three meters tall, made entirely of silver metal, with flames burning on its face, slowly stood up from the yellow sand.
The Destroyer.
Lin Zhen looked at the giant metal monster, then glanced at the detonator in his hand, his mouth grinning from ear to ear.
"Motherf***er, the World BOSS has spawned!"
Chapter 23: This kid actually practiced combos in secret!
The Destroyer's chest suddenly lit up, and a scorching orange-red destructive beam shot out.
The three SUVs at the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary camp instantly melted into molten iron, and Coulson shouted for a retreat over the communication channel.
Lin Zhen, however, stared at the line on his system interface [World BOSS · Destroyer, Defeat Reward: Unknown (Extremely Generous)], his eyes lighting up.
"Motherf*cker, this is a limited-time World BOSS; if it runs, it's gone!"
Thor retreated and shouted loudly for Lin Zhen to run.
Lin Zhen didn't listen at all; he grabbed his frying pan and rushed up, delivering a heavy blow to the Destroyer's calf.
Clang!
A system prompt popped up: [Hit evil entity, Justice Points +5, Current Justice Points: -148]
Lin Zhen paused for a second, his entire being instantly energized.
This thing can farm Justice Points?
The Destroyer turned around, recharged, and fired a beam directly at Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen held up the frying pan to block it; the huge Shockwave force pushed him back over a dozen meters, his shoe soles plowing two deep trenches in the mud, but he was completely unharmed.
Coulson watched from afar, dumbfounded, and muttered: "What kind of material is that pot made of?"
Lin Zhen realized that one hit only gave 5 points, which was too slow, so he immediately pulled out C4 and threw it under the Destroyer's feet.
The rumbling explosion made the Destroyer sway, and the system jumped continuously: [+5] [+5] [+5].
Lin Zhen cursed: "Giving me five bucks at a time, do you think I'm doing charity? I still need over a thousand Justice Points!"
The Destroyer began moving toward the town, its beam sweeping across the street, causing several buildings to catch fire and collapse instantly.
Several civilians who couldn't evacuate in time were trapped under the collapsed houses.
Lin Zhen chased after the Destroyer, and when passing by the ruins, he casually kicked away the wooden beam pressing down on a civilian.
System prompt: [Protected innocent civilian, Justice Points +30]
Lin Zhen's footsteps came to a sudden halt.
He looked back at those civilians, then looked at the Destroyer, and his brain instantly clicked.
The next second, he gave up attacking the BOSS and started running around the streets, specifically targeting areas with civilians.
"Ma'am, don't be afraid, I'm here to save you!"
"Kid, don't cry, Uncle is going to take you for a ride!"
Lin Zhen carried a middle-aged woman in his left hand and held two children in his right, kicked open a burning wooden door, and smoothly threw the people into the safe zone.
System prompts flashed wildly: [-148, -50, +356...]
Every time the numbers jumped, Lin Zhen excitedly cursed.
Thor stood in the ruins, watching the man wearing the chicken mask shuttling frantically through the sea of fire, his expression extremely complex.
He thought Lin Zhen was a lunatic, but he didn't expect the other party to be a hero who disregarded his own life.
The Destroyer released a large-area AOE, and flames swept across half the street.
Lin Zhen hugged the three children and vaulted over a low wall, landing steadily.
Justice Points jumped directly to +612.
System prompt: [Need 388 more Justice Points to unlock Mjolnir]
Lin Zhen gritted his teeth and said: "Motherf*cker, still over three hundred short; this damn hammer is harder to pay off than a mortgage!"
The situation deteriorated rapidly; the Destroyer's attacks became increasingly fierce, and S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents suffered heavy casualties.
Hawkeye Barton fired an explosive arrow from a distance, which exploded on the Destroyer's face, but only left a scorch mark.
Lin Zhen pointed at the high ground and cursed: "You archer guy, don't steal my kills!"
Thor stood in the ruins, looking at the destroyed town, looking at the injured Jane and Darcy, and looking at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents lying in pools of blood.
His gaze slowly turned from hollow to firm, and he turned to walk toward the Destroyer.
Jane shouted from behind for him to come back, but he didn't stop.
Thor walked in front of the Destroyer, opened his arms, and said calmly: "If you want to kill me, then kill me, but please spare these people!"
The Destroyer paused for two seconds, the light in its facial energy storage getting brighter and brighter, aiming directly at Thor's chest.
At this very moment, Lin Zhen's system interface flashed red frantically.
[Warning: Key NPC Thor Odinson is about to receive a fatal attack!]
[Quest "The Hammer from the Sky" is about to fail!]
[World BOSS rewards will be completely wiped!]
[Obtained Justice Points will be rolled back to initial state!]
Lin Zhen looked at those four lines of blood-red text, his pupils shrinking sharply.
Rolling back Justice Points?
He had painstakingly moved eight beams, carried five kids, and taken four beam hits, and now they were telling him it would be wiped?
The moment the Destroyer's beam shot out, Lin Zhenerupted with unprecedented speed, sliding in with a tackle and kicking Thor's butt hard.
"Get out of here!"
Thor screamed and flew out.
Lin Zhen blocked the beam head-on and raised the frying pan.
Boom!
The frying pan blocked most of the energy, but the terrifying shockwave still sent Lin Zhen flying, smashing through a brick wall.
Lin Zhen lay in the ruins, his bones feeling like they were about to fall apart, cursing: "Motherf*cker, you suicidal NPC, if you die, my rewards are all gone, can you afford to pay for that?!"
The system panel popped up before his eyes.
[Detected player sacrificing their own safety to protect others during a world Event]
[Judgment: Self-sacrifice behavior confirmed]
[Justice Points +400]
[Current Justice Points: 1012]
[Conditions to unlock Mjolnir have been met]
Lin Zhen looked at that 1012, and the pain in his body instantly vanished.
...
Meanwhile, in distant Asgard.
Odin opened his one eye and whispered: "My son, you finally understand."
Divine power surged toward Earth like a tide.
After Thor was kicked away and lay in the mud, he suddenly felt an extremely familiar power returning to his body; his divine power was recovering.
He looked up sharply, looking toward the direction of the crater in the distance.
Inside the crater, Mjolnir vibrated violently, the stone platform cracked, and blue lightning shot out frantically from the hammerhead.
Coulson stared at the monitor screen and muttered: "It's responding to something."
Thor stood up, tears in his eyes, reached out his right hand toward the sky, and shouted loudly: "Mjolnir, return to my side!"
The hammer rose into the air, cutting through the rain curtain with a piercing sonic boom.
Everyone held their breath, watching that divine artifact fly toward Thor.
The hammer was only two meters away from Thor's hand.
Just then, the hammer made a sharp turn in mid-air, grazed Thor's fingertips, and flew straight toward Lin Zhen, who had just climbed up from the ruins.
System prompt popped up:
[Detected two qualified holders]
[Priority judgment: Player Lin Zhen has issued 1347 pickup requests, NPC Thor has issued 1 pickup request]
[Judgment result: Highest frequency input prioritized]
Slap!
The hammer handle landed steadily in Lin Zhen's right hand.
Rumble!
A lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket descended from the sky, accurately striking Lin Zhen.
Lightning wrapped around Lin Zhen's entire body, and he felt an extremely violent power pouring into his limbs and bones.
The chicken mask remained motionless in the lightning, but his eyes lit up with blinding blue-white electric light from the slits of the mask.
frying pan in the left hand, Mjolnir in the right.
Lin Zhen slowly stood up straight, looked down at the hammer in his hand, then looked at the Destroyer in the distance, and grinned: "Motherf*cker, this feel, this special effect, this is the style an orange item should have!"
Thor:???
Lin Zhen exerted force with his legs, the ground instantly collapsed, and he turned into a bolt of lightning and rushed toward the Destroyer.
Just as the Destroyer raised its head, Lin Zhen's left hand had already swung over.
Clang!
The frying pan hit the face directly, the Destroyer's metal mask was directly dented and deformed, and its huge head recoiled violently.
Immediately after, Lin Zhen exerted force with his right hand, and Mjolnir swung a violent uppercut hammer from bottom to top.
Boom!
Violent lightning poured into the Destroyer's chest along the hammerhead, and this metal armor weighing several tons was forced into the air by two meters.
Lin Zhen didn't hesitate, throwing Mjolnir high into the air.
The hammer drew a dazzling arc in the rainy night, automatically circling back.
Lin Zhen bent his knees slightly, jumped up violently, caught the hammer handle accurately in mid-air, and with the help of the falling gravity and lightning enhancement, gripped the hammer with both hands and descended from the sky, smashing it fiercely onto the top of the Destroyer's head.
Crack!
A terrifying thunderbolt struck from the sky again, the Destroyer's armor completely split open from the top of its head, and its entire body was nailed into the ground by this huge force, never moving again.
Thor stood in the rain, his hair plastered wetly against his face.
He looked at the man wearing the chicken mask, holding a pot in his left hand and a hammer in his right, his whole body wrapped in the lightning that should have belonged to him, pressing Asgard's ultimate weapon into the ground and grinding it.
Thor's lips trembled twice, and he finally squeezed out: "What the f*ck?"
This kid pretended he couldn't lift the hammer before, and secretly practiced combos?!
The system settlement panel popped up.
[World BOSS · Destroyer, Defeated]
[Player damage share: 89%]
[Obtained EXP +8000]
[Obtained Quest Points +20]
[Obtained Special Material: Destroyer Core Fragment ×1]
[Obtained Cash: 0 USD]
Lin Zhen stared at the last line, his face fell on the spot, cursing: "Fought for nothing, right? The World BOSS didn't even drop a dime!"
As he said this, he turned his head to look at Thor in the distance.
Thor was also looking at him, or to be precise, staring fixedly at the hammer in his hand.
The two looked at each other across the ruins, and Lin Zhen decisively hid the hammer behind his back, righteously saying: "What are you looking at? This is equipment rewarded by my system."
Thor walked over with big strides, his tone serious: "That is my Mjolnir."
Lin Zhen took a step back and asked in return: "Do you have proof? Is your name carved on it?"
Thor pointed to the glowing ancient Nordic runes on the hammer handle and said seriously: "It is indeed carved."
Lin Zhen looked down, was silent for two seconds, and then raised his head.
"This isn't Chinese, so it doesn't count!"
Chapter 24: "Those horns on your head are quite unique; they should fetch a good price if they drop, right!"
Thor stood in the mud and ruins, staring fixedly at the Mjolnir in Lin Zhen's hand, his chest heaving violently.
"Friend, I admit you are very brave, and I thank you for saving this town, but that hammer is a weapon personally bestowed upon me by my father, Odin!"
Thor strode forward, extending a broad palm, his tone carrying unquestionable authority. "Now, return it to me."
Lin Zhen glanced at him, but instead of letting go, he tossed the hammer in his hand twice right in front of Thor, sending off a series of crackling blue arcs of electricity.
"Brother, you're being unreasonable now." Lin Zhen rolled his eyes beneath his mask. "When I was fighting the World BOSS, you were watching from the sidelines, and now that the monster is dead, you come running to split the loot? Do you think this is a charity server, or do you think I look like some living Bodhisattva?"
"It belongs to me in the first place!" Thor grew anxious, pointing at the glowing Old Norse inscriptions on the hammerhead. "Look at the divine runes on it; it says that whoever can lift this hammer, if he is worthy, shall possess the power of Thor. And I am Thor!"
"Oh, give it a rest."
Lin Zhen scoffed and pointed at himself.
"You tried it just now, didn't you? Could you pull it? You couldn't, but I could. That means the system... I mean, this hammer now thinks I am the one who is Thor. Besides, it's not inscribed in Chinese; who knows if you just found some random blacksmith to carve it to fool people?"
Thor was so shocked by this robber logic that he was speechless for a long time. As the dignified eldest prince of Asgard and the strongest warrior of the Nine Realms, when had he ever encountered such a rascal?
"This is a blasphemy against Asgard!" Thor roared and lunged to grab the hammer handle.
Lin Zhen reacted extremely quickly, a thought flashing through his mind.
Swish!
That Mjolnir, weighing who knows how many tons and something even the Hulk might not be able to easily shake, vanished into thin air just 0.1 seconds before Thor's fingers could touch it.
Thor grabbed at nothing, and because he had used too much force, he stumbled forward, nearly face-planting into the mud.
He steadied himself, eyes wide, looking at Lin Zhen's empty hands, and then looked around in disbelief.
"Where is the hammer? Where did you put my Mjolnir!" Thor's voice was strained.
"I put it in my System Inventory," Lin Zhen patted his pocket as if it were obvious. "You don't keep orange-tier gear in your hand, flaunting it for red-named players to come and loot it, do you? You NPCs have zero common sense."
"Inventory? What kind of inventory can hold it!" Thor was completely frantic. He stepped forward, seemingly wanting to search Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen immediately stepped back, pulled a frying panfrom behind his back, and pointed it at Thor in warning. "Old man, I'm warning you, don't get handsy. My sexual orientation is perfectly normal. If you dare touch me, I'll report you for sexual harassment and have you rotting in an Earth jail until you grow mold!"
Thor froze in place, his face full of grievance and confusion.
He could feel the aura of Mjolnir nearby, but he just couldn't find its specific location. It felt as if the artifact had been forcibly isolated by some higher-dimensional rule.
Just as the two were at a stalemate, Coulson arrived with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, running through the mud with unsteady steps.
Coulson looked at the chaotic ruins, then at the Destroyerarmor that had been smashed deep into the ground, with only half its charred head visible. Finally, he locked his gaze on Lin Zhen. His face, usually wearing a gentle smile, was twitching slightly at this moment.
"Agent Lin Zhen, can you explain what exactly happened here?" Coulson took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm.
"Isn't it obvious?" Lin Zhen put away the frying pan and pointed at the deep pit. "A big alien tin can came to Earthto carry out forced demolition. As an excellent temporary worker for S.H.I.E.L.D., I stepped forward, and to protect innocent civilians, I soloed this World BOSS in an extremely heroic manner."
Having said that, Lin Zhen suddenly changed the subject and reached out his right hand directly to Coulson.
"The total comes to five hundred thousand U.S. dollars for security fees, emotional distress fees, equipment wear and tear fees, plus the special Earth-saving allowance. I accept card swipes and wire transfers; no installments."
The corners of Coulson's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "Five hundred thousand? You just destroyed our temporary base's surveillance equipment, three SUVs, and half the town. Director Fury is still roaring in the communication channel, and you actually have the nerve to ask for money?"
"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"
Lin Zhen immediately widened his eyes, pointed at the remains of the Destroyer, and continued.
"The lasers that tin man fired, what does that have to do with me? I'm just a weak and helpless victim. If S.H.I.E.L.D.tries to welsh on the debt, I'll expose you on the internet and say you hire child labor and don't pay them!"
Coulson rubbed his throbbing temples and decided not to discuss financial issues with this lunatic for the time being.
He waved his hand, signaling the Agents behind him to cordon off the remains of the Destroyer.
"Dig out that metal armor. Be careful; there might still be residual energy. Contact the transport plane immediately and have it shipped back to the headquarters laboratory," Coulson ordered.
Just as the Agents were about to step forward, a figure suddenly darted over like lightning.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing, what are you doing!" Lin Zhen spread his arms, blocking the front of the Destroyer's remains like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "This is my monster; the dropped loot naturally belongs to me. How can S.H.I.E.L.D. go around stealing players' equipment!"
Coulson's expression darkened. "Lin Zhen, this is an extremely dangerous alien construct. It must be handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D. for centralized storage and research. You cannot withhold it privately."
"Don't try to use the agency to pressure me." Lin Zhenrolled his eyes, directly ignoring the guns in the Agents' hands, and squatted down to start frantically searching the remains of the Destroyer.
The system prompt tone rang continuously in his mind.
[Pickable item discovered: Uru metal fragments × 12]
[Pickable item discovered: Micro energy matrix (damaged) × 1]
[Pickable item discovered: Asgardian rune stone × 3]
Every time Lin Zhen touched it, a piece of the wreckage would disappear, all stuffed into his System Inventory.
Coulson watched, dumbfounded. "You... where did you hide those fragments?"
"Ancestral spatial magic, not for public disclosure." Lin Zhen didn't even look up, continuing to dig in the pit like an old scavenger, not even sparing a single screw that had fallen out of the Destroyer's eye socket.
"Motherf***er, this crappy game is so stingy. It doesn't even drop a complete piece of equipment, just materials!" Lin Zhen cursed while picking things up.
Just then, the satellite phone in Coulson's hand rang.
Coulson picked up the phone, listened for two seconds, his expression becoming extremely strange, and then handed the phone to Lin Zhen. "The Director wants to talk to you."
Lin Zhen patted the mud off his hands and took the phone. Before he could speak, Nick Fury's trademark roar came through the receiver.
"Lin Zhen! You motherf***ing bastard! What the hell did you do in New Mexico! Satellite detection showed that the energy readings there just broke Earth's critical threshold. Did you detonate a nuclear bomb!"
Lin Zhen held the phone a bit further away and picked at his ear. "Director, you need to fix this menopausal temper of yours; it leads to hair loss. Oh, that's right, you don't have any hair left."
"Cut the crap!" Nick Fury roared. "Coulson reported that you took a hammer that can discharge electricity and dismantled an alien robot. Where are those things!"
"Hammer? What hammer? I didn't see any hammer," Lin Zhen said. "I was just passing by, saw a big tin can bullying people, and helped out as a good deed. As for the remains, a gust of evil wind blew by just now and blew them all away."
The other end of the phone fell into a deathly silence.
A few seconds later, Nick Fury's gnashing voice came through. "Lin Zhen, you better pray that what you said is true, otherwise I will definitely shove your ass into a rocketand launch it into the sun!"
"Director, talking about money hurts relationships, but if you don't give me a bonus, that really hurts relationships." Lin Zhen chuckled. "I do have some good stuff, materials for upgrading the Iron Man suit. When I get back to New York, we'll talk in person. Remember to have the check ready."
Click.
Lin Zhen hung up the phone directly and stuffed the satellite phone into his System Inventory as well.
Coulson watched helplessly as his phone disappeared and took a deep breath. "That was my phone."
"Temporarily requisitioned. Go to the finance department for reimbursement later." Lin Zhen waved his hand and turned to leave this muddy hellhole.
"Wait!"
Thor strode after him, grabbing Lin Zhen's shoulder. His bright blue eyes were full of persistence. "You cannot leave. You must return the Mjolnir to me. It is my responsibility and my only proof for returning to Asgard!"
Lin Zhen stopped, turned his head to look at this blond, muscular man who was nearly 1.9 meters tall, and rubbed his chin.
Although this NPC's account had been banned, his physical strength was the real deal. He had tanked so many attacks from the Agents earlier without his defense being broken. If he were kept around as a meat shield, he would definitely be useful for clearing dungeons later.
"Want to get the hammer back?" Lin Zhen's eyes beneath the mask rolled, revealing a sly smile.
Thor nodded immediately, his eyes resolute.
"Sure, but in your current state, the system judges that you have insufficient permissions, and the hammer doesn't recognize you." Lin Zhen began to bluff with a straight face. "However, as the current legal holder of this hammer, I can give you a chance."
"What chance?" Thor asked eagerly.
Lin Zhen stuck out a finger and pointed at Thor.
"From today on, you're with me. Be my underling. Room and board included, no salary!"
"If one day your justice value... that is, your performance in this world, satisfies me, and I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll let you touch the hammer."
Thor was stunned. The dignified Thor actually had to be an underling for an Earthling wearing a ridiculous chicken-head mask?
If this got back to Asgard, would he have any face left!
"I am the son of Odin, the future King of the Nine Realms. You actually want me to be your servant?" Thor glared angrily.
"Then forget it." Lin Zhen shrugged and turned to leave. "You can stay in this desert and slowly reminisce about your dead youth. I still have to go back to New York for a big meal."
"Wait!" Thor gritted his teeth, watching Lin Zhen's back, his heart undergoing an extremely intense internal struggle.
Without Mjolnir, he could not recover his divine power, could not stop Loki's conspiracy, and even less could he prove himself to his father.
For the sake of Asgard, what was a temporary humiliation!
"Fine, I agree!" Thor shouted and quickly followed Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen turned his head, the sound of a triumphant laugh coming from beneath the mask. "This is your own wish, I didn't force you. From now on, call me Boss, or Mr. Lin, understand?"
Thor, with a dark face, squeezed one word out from between his teeth. "Understand."
Coulson stood in place, watching Lin Zhen swagger off with a muscular man suspected to be an alien god, feeling that his career was facing an unprecedented disaster.
Just as Lin Zhen was about to leave the bottom of the pit with his newly acquired "meat shield underling," a red light suddenly flashed violently in the upper right corner of his vision.
The system alarm sounded frantically in his mind.
[Warning: Abnormal fluctuation in high-dimensional space detected!]
[Main quest update: Loki's Gaze]
[Quest objective: Survive and stop the incoming Asgardian assassin]
Lin Zhen's footsteps paused, and he suddenly looked up.
In the night sky, which had already cleared up, a huge, translucent phantom suddenly appeared.
It was a man wearing a golden horned helmet, holding a scepter. He was looking down at the desert from a high vantage point, his gaze finally locking onto Lin Zhen, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold and playful smile.
"Mortal, you have taken things you shouldn't have."
The phantom's voice seemed to come from all directions, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
Thor, seeing that phantom, was shocked and shouted, "Loki! You traitor!"
Lin Zhen stared at the phantom of Loki in the air, not only not afraid but excitedly rubbing his hands. He held the frying pan in his left hand, and his right hand had already quietly grasped Mjolnir in his System Inventory.
"Motherf***er, just finished fighting the mobs, and the big BOSS delivered himself to my door?"
Lin Zhen grinned and gave the sky the middle finger.
"Hey, those horns on your head are quite unique; they should fetch a good price if they drop, right!"
Chapter 25: My Mjolnir...
Above the desert, that phantom wearing a golden ram-horned helmet hovered beneath the clouds, green light suppressing the entire ruin.
Thor stood in the muddy water, his expression changing abruptly.
"Loki!"
The phantom lowered its head, its gaze passing over the remains of the Destroyer and landing on Thor.
"Brother."
Loki's voice came from all directions, carrying a cold smile.
"You were banished by Father, abandoned by Asgard, and even your hammer has chosen a mortal."
Thor clenched his fists, his throat moved, but he didn't say anything.
Lin Zhen stood beside him, looking up at the ram-horned helmet on Loki's head for three seconds.
He suddenly nudged Thor's arm.
"Is that pair of horns on your brother real, or is it a cosplay prop? Can you take them off and sell them?"
Thor: "..."
Loki's phantom was also stunned; he turned his gaze toward Lin Zhen.
That gaze swept over the chicken mask, then over the frying pan, and finally stopped on Lin Zhen's empty right hand.
"Interesting mortal, there is something about you that I cannot see through."
Lin Zhen immediately stepped back, covering his crotch with both hands.
"Where are you looking, you pervert? Are gods nowadays this open?"
Hearing this, the corners of Loki's mouth twitched.
Thor covered his forehead and said in a low voice, "That's not what he meant."
"Then he better not be."
Lin Zhen huffed.
Loki raised his scepter, green light flowing at the tip of the staff.
"Hand over Mjolnir, mortal, and I can grant you power that transcends mortals."
A system prompt popped up.
[Loki has initiated a trade request with you]
[Trade content: Hand over Mjolnir, receive unknown blessing]
[System suggestion: Refuse]
[This NPC's reputation rating: SSS-Rank Liar]
Lin Zhen looked at the prompt, the corners of his mouth under the mask curling up.
"Brother, stop pretending. The system says you're a liar. Your reputation is lower than those selling fake cats and dogs on second-hand platforms."
Loki's expression turned gloomy.
"You are insulting a god."
He raised his hand and pressed down.
A bolt of green energy crossed the void and blasted directly at Lin Zhen.
Thor's expression changed.
"Dodge quickly!"
Lin Zhen reacted even faster. With a grab of his right hand, Mjolnir instantly popped out from his inventory and landed steadily in his palm.
Blue and white lightning exploded.
Boom!
The green magic collided with the face of the hammer, lightning spread along the ground, and the muddy water was vaporized into white mist.
A system prompt popped up.
Thor roared and charged toward Loki's phantom.
"Loki, how dare you attack my friend!"
He threw a punch, but his fist passed through the phantom.
He couldn't stop his momentum and fell headfirst into a mud pit.
Lin Zhen didn't even turn his head.
"Little brother, can you be more professional? This is a projection. What's the difference between hitting it and hitting thin air?"
Thor looked up from the mud, his mouth twitching.
"I know!"
"If you knew, why did you fall so perfectly? Does Asgardhave a diving team?"
Loki stared at the hammer in Lin Zhen's hand, the anger on his face gradually disappearing, replaced by deeper calculation.
"Mjolnir actually responded to you."
His voice lowered.
"Mortal, do you think that by holding a hammer, you can become a god?"
Lin Zhen shouldered the hammer.
"Can't I? My skill effects just now were quite similar."
Loki laughed: "Next time we meet, I will let you know what true fear is."
The phantom began to dissipate.
Seeing this, Lin Zhen was stunned.
"Hey, don't run! What kind of boss logs off after dropping a threat? Tell me if you're going to drop loot first!"
Loki's figure completely disappeared, and the sky returned to normal.
Coulson brought people over.
He took a look at Lin Zhen's right hand.
Mjolnir, which was there just a moment ago, was gone.
"Agent Lin Zhen, S.H.I.E.L.D. requires you to hand over all alien items."
Lin Zhen raised his hands.
"What alien items? I only have a cooking pot in my hand."
Coulson stared at him.
"You just used a hammer."
"Hammer? What hammer? Did you see a hammer?"
Lin Zhen displayed both his hands, turning them over and over.
"Coulson, you are a professional Agent, you should speak with evidence."
Coulson was silent for two seconds.
"I have thirteen cameras here that recorded it."
Lin Zhen was stunned.
"Motherf***er, how come you S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents are filming everywhere? You're violating a player's right to privacy."
The sound of propellers came from afar.
A black helicopter descended against the wind beside the ruins.
The cabin door opened.
Nick Fury walked down with a dark face.
He swept his gaze over the half-destroyed base, over the charred deep hole at the bottom of the pit, and finally looked at Lin Zhen and Thor.
For a full five seconds.
He only said one sentence.
"Give me one reason not to fire you."
Lin Zhen raised his hand and pointed at Thor.
"I brought you back a god, is that enough?"
Nick Fury's single eye turned to Thor.
"Who are you?"
Thor puffed out his chest; even covered in mud, his tone still carried the arrogance of a prince.
"I am Thor Odinson, the God of Thunder, Prince of Asgard."
Nick Fury looked at Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen leaned in and lowered his voice.
"Don't look at how he's down and out like a vagrant right now; once his account is unbanned, he's T0-tier. We've hit the jackpot, Director."
Nick Fury asked: "What about his divine power?"
Lin Zhen was silent for a second.
"It might be temporarily suspended due to unpaid bills."
Nick Fury's temples throbbed three times.
He dragged Lin Zhen to the side.
"I need the materials from the Destroyer's remains, and the cooperation of this so-called God of Thunder."
Lin Zhen nodded and said: "Sure, but I keep half of the Destroyer's materials. Thor is my little brother now, S.H.I.E.L.D. must provide him with room and board, and my salary must be tripled."
Nick Fury stared at him.
"In your dreams."
Lin Zhen turned and walked away.
"Then I'll go talk to the the military; they would definitely like an alien god and orange-tier gear."
Nick Fury grabbed him by the back of his collar.
"Doubled, final offer!"
"Deal! Plus task allowances, high-risk travel subsidies, and emotional distress compensation."
"No emotional distress compensation!" Nick Fury gritted his teeth.
"You S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents peeped at me with thirteen cameras from all angles, my young heart has suffered great trauma, you must pay!" Lin Zhen said righteously.
Thor stood to the side, listening for a long time, and finally couldn't help but speak up.
"When can I get back my Mjolnir?"
Lin Zhen walked over and patted his shoulder earnestly.
"Don't be impatient, little brother. If you behave well, I'll let you touch it for a bit later to get your fix."
Thor's face darkened.
...
Half an hour later.
The convoy prepared to leave the town.
Lin Zhen passed by Jane Foster's temporary laboratory.
A simple instrument was placed on the table, and the energy curve of the Bifrost was still scrolling on the screen.
A system prompt popped up.
[Pickable item: Asgard Energy Waveform Recorder]
Lin Zhen's hand had just reached out.
Slap.
Thor pressed down on his wrist.
"That is Jane's thing, you cannot take it."
Lin Zhen looked at Thor, then looked at the instrument.
"You're starting to act a bit like a little brother bossing around his leader now."
"This is a friend's property."
Lin Zhen stared at the instrument for two seconds, finally sighed, and pulled back his outstretched hand.
"Fine, considering you're my newly recruited little brother, I won't take your girl's stuff as loot this time."
"By the way, remember to go to S.H.I.E.L.D., after all, I've already sold you to our great Nick Fury."
Thor frowned and was about to retort, but Lin Zhen had already waved his hand, hands in his pockets, and walked into the rainy night without looking back.
A few seconds later, Jane ran in from outside the tent, panting, and looked at Thor with worried eyes: "Are you okay? The S.H.I.E.L.D. people said we have to evacuate."
Thor shook his head, just about to speak, when his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the tabletop.
There was an extra hammer there.
The silver-gray hammer head lay quietly, with lightning patterns flowing on its surface.
Thor froze, he slowly reached out his hand and gripped the hammer handle.
There were no electric arcs, no resistance.
Only a kind of warmth, like a blood connection, surged from his palm into his limbs and bones, and the hammer was lifted up by him with ease.
Fine blue and white lightning burst from the hammer body, instantly illuminating Thor's slightly red eyes.
That madman wearing a chicken mask, with the most rogue tone, fulfilled his promise of "I'll let you touch it for a bit later."
"My Mjolnir..."
Chapter 26 Let Go of That Girl!
After leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Lin Zhencasually threw Thor, who was still heartbroken over his hammer, to Coulson.
Under the pretext of "letting his little brother go to the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria to study Earth culture," he teleported directly back to New York City.
He specifically chose a chaotic neighborhood with dim streetlights and trash cans emitting a musty odor.
These places usually spawned some thug NPCs, which allowed him to farm some Justice Points.
Although his Justice Points had already exceeded one thousand, they could still easily be wiped out if he messed around too much.
Although he had returned the hammer to Thor, whenever he needed to use Mjolnir, as long as he maintained his Justice Points, he could still summon it at will.
Soon, he found his target in an alley.
A naked young Black man with a fake gold chain hanging around his neck.
Lin Zhen looked at this back figure, his eyes narrowing beneath his mask.
For this kind of standard Black thug, the spawn rate in the alleys of some chaotic New York neighborhoods was as high as ninety percent, and the equipment drop rate was terrifyingly high.
When Lin Zhen first started playing this crappy game, a large part of his initial pistol ammo supply came from farming these street mobs.
So much so that during the time he was active, public security in New York improved quite a bit; thinking about it now, he even missed those pure days of mob farming.
At this moment, this hip-hop Black man was forcibly pinning a White woman against a corner of the wall.
How could this woman's strength be a match for this gorilla? After struggling a few times, she was pushed to the ground, and even half of her dress was torn off.
The Black man's gaze unscrupulously examined the torn dress of the brown-haired woman; it looked like he had some crooked intentions.
"Um, excuse me."
A voice suddenly rang out in the alley, abruptly interrupting the Black man's action of unbuckling his belt.
The Black man turned his head sharply and saw a man wearing a center-parted chicken mask, standing less than two meters behind him with his hands in his pockets.
His good time interrupted, a fierce glint flashed in the hip-hop Black man's eyes. He reached back, pulled a switchblade from his pocket, and glared viciously at Lin Zhen.
"The f*ck, are you looking for death... *cough cough*, Bro, you look really cool..."
The Black man looked at the pistol pressed against his forehead, and even his nether regions wilted.
Lin Zhen held up the pistol, his voice behind the mask cold and devoid of any emotion.
"Let her go!"
"Okay, okay, Big Brother, don't have an accidental discharge!"
How could the hip-hop Black man dare to say a single word of refusal? He hurriedly stepped aside.
The woman was also stunned and stood up shakily.
The system notification sound rang out in Lin Zhen's mind right on time.
[Prevented one criminal activity, Justice Points +5]
Lin Zhen looked at the numbers jumping on the panel and raised his eyebrows slightly.
Motherf*cker, only +5? This is so stingy, are they trying to get rid of a beggar NPC!
"Big Brother, can I go now?" the Black man asked tentatively, holding up his hands.
"No."
Lin Zhen shook his head and said, "Now, tear the dress again, and take your... take your little brother out while you're at it."
Woman: "???"
Black man: "???"
The woman stared at Lin Zhen with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief.
But under the threat of that pistol, he still did as told; after all, he wasn't losing anything.
The woman screamed in fear and covered her vital parts tightly.
"Very good," Lin Zhen nodded with satisfaction, "Now, let her go!"
Black man: "..."
Motherf*cker, are you f*cking playing with me?!
If it weren't for the gun in Lin Zhen's hand, he would definitely make Lin Zhen taste the power of his own "pistol"!
He suppressed the urge to curse and let go, but this time, the Justice Points did not increase.
Motherf*cker, it seems the underlying logic of this crappy game is quite rigorous; the same NPC cannot trigger rewards for the same event repeatedly. There's no way to exploit bugs to farm Justice Points.
Just as Lin Zhen was preparing to knock this useless mob unconscious with a pistol butt, a sound of wind breaking suddenly came from above the alley.
Immediately after, a figure descended from the sky and landed lightly on the rusty fire escape on the side of the alley.
"Let go of that girl!"
A slightly youthful, somewhat playful voice rang out in mid-air.
Lin Zhen looked up and saw a guy wearing a red and blue colored tight-fitting suit.
If this outfit were on a woman, it would definitely be a uniform temptation.
But on a man—oh no, judging by the voice, it should be a boy.
The style is a bit...
He looked at the slightly bulging area three inches below the boy's dantian.
He fell into silence.
No, you foreigners, is it really that big down there?!
Chapter 27: If That Kid Hangs Out With Lin Zhen For Over A Month, New York's Public Order Is Completely Doomed
Swoosh!
A silver-white thread shot out from mid-air, precisely entangling the gun in Lin Zhen's hand.
Before Lin Zhen could react, the gun had already been yanked away, smashing into a trash can at the end of the alley.
Immediately after, a second spider silk shot over, sticking directly to his feet and pinning him firmly in place.
Lin Zhen looked down at the lump of white, thread-like substance on his feet, his expression changing.
"What did you shoot at my feet?"
The boy in the red and blue spandex leaped down from the fire escape, landed lightly, and struck a textbook-perfect combat pose.
"Let that girl go!"
"I already let her go!" Lin Zhen pointed to the woman standing nearby. "Are your eyes growing out of your butt?"
The boy didn't listen and continued, "Mr. Mask, I don't know what you did to this lady, but pointing a gun at a civilian is a serious crime in New York. You'd better..."
"Help, Spider-Man!"
A shrill cry interrupted everyone.
The hip-hop African American man knelt on the ground with a thud, snot and tears flying everywhere, hugging Spider-Man's leg and crying heartbreakingly.
"Spider-Man, this chicken-head monster stole my gun and wanted to kill me! I didn't do anything! I was just passing by! I'm a good person! I have an eighty-year-old mother at home!"
Lin Zhen watched this guy's performance, feeling completely numb.
"Motherf*cker, this NPC acts better than I do."
The beast who was ripping someone's skirt off three seconds ago was now crying like a victim who had just come out of an orphanage. If this acting were in Hollywood, the Oscar judges would have to kneel before him.
A system prompt popped up.
[Warning: Attacked by a Justice-aligned NPC. Counterattacking will deduct Justice Points.]
Lin Zhen looked at the prompt, then back at the spider silkon his feet, his face turning green.
Just like that, Spider-Man believed it.
Swoosh! The spider silk headed straight for Lin Zhen's face.
Lin Zhen instinctively raised his hand, blocking his face with his frying pan.
Bam!
The spider silk stuck to the pan, and Spider-Man yanked hard, nearly causing the frying pan to slip from his hand.
Lin Zhen gripped the handle tightly with all five fingers, stumbling forward as he was pulled.
"WTF, why are you pulling my pan!"
[Note: Physical conflict with a Justice-aligned NPC. Justice Points -3.]
Lin Zhen watched his Justice Points drop, and his mindset completely exploded.
Spider-Man didn't give him a chance to talk nonsense, firing continuously with both hands, the spider silkcovering the area like a net.
Lin Zhen didn't dare to fight back, so he could only run around the alley holding the frying pan.
He vaulted over a fire hydrant, the spider silk brushing past his crotch, nearly leaving him castrated on the spot.
A man who had farmed the Iron Monger, hammered the Destroyer, and surrounded an entire camp in Afghanistanby himself was now being chased around an alley by a kid in spandex.
"System-bro, are you sick? I'm getting hit and not allowed to fight back? What kind of bullsh*t mechanism is this!"
"Stop running!" Spider-Man launched himself off the wall.
"You stop running! Your whole family stop running!"
Just as the two were on their third lap of chasing, in the corner of the alley, the hip-hop African American man quietly got up, hunched over, and tried to sneak out.
Slap!
The woman who had been saved grabbed his collar and slapped him across the face with a backhand.
The sound was as crisp as a firecracker.
"You bastard, you still want to run!" The woman turned and shouted at Spider-Man, "You hit the wrong person! That chicken-head was saving me! The real bad guy is this one!"
"Hey, have some manners, will you? I'm not called chicken-head..." Lin Zhen retorted without looking back.
Spider-Man's movements froze, the spider silk stopping in mid-air.
Lin Zhen stopped immediately, ripped the spider silk off his feet, and pointed at Spider-Man, his voice sounding extremely aggrieved.
"Did you hear that? I'm a good person, a good person! You little brat started attacking without distinguishing right from wrong. Do you know how much Justice Points you've deducted from me!"
Spider-Man's lens mask visibly shrank, and he was so awkward he didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
"Um... I'm sorry, I thought..."
"You thought?" Lin Zhen got more worked up as he spoke, sitting down on the ground. "No way, I've suffered great mental trauma. You must compensate me. If you don't, I'm calling the police and saying there's a pervert in spandex shooting unknown liquids at me in an alley!"
Spider-Man's face turned bright red. "I'm really sorry, but I don't have any money on me..."
"No money? Then give me two bottles of that shooting liquid as compensation."
"This... this is secreted by my body, it's not an industrial product."
When Lin Zhen heard "secreted by my body," his gaze slowly shifted downwards, landing again on that slightly bulging area under Spider-Man's spandex, then looked at the remaining spider silk by his feet.
His expression became extremely strange.
"Bro, are you sure this stuff is shot out from your hands?"
Spider-Man hurriedly explained, "From the wrists! The wrists!"
Just as Lin Zhen was preparing to continue his extortion, the system suddenly popped up an identification message.
[Identification complete: Spider-Man (Peter Parker)]
[Rare-level potential NPC, current level is low but growth potential is extremely high.]
[Hidden side quest unlocked: The Growth of Spider-Boy.]
[Quest objective: Establish a cooperative relationship with Spider-Man.]
[Rewards: Experience +500, Random Item x1, Spider-Man Favorability System unlocked.]
Lin Zhen saw the five words "growth potential is extremely high," and his eyes changed instantly.
His gaze towards Peter shifted from disdain to as if he were looking at a shiny Pokémon.
He sprang up from the ground, threw his arm around Peter's shoulder, and his tone did a 180-degree turn.
"Bro, I don't blame you for what happened just now. Young people are impulsive, it's normal. I see your forehead is... is red, and your bone structure is unique; you're a great candidate for martial arts."
Peter felt completely uncomfortable being hugged like that and struggled desperately. "You... let me go!"
Lin Zhen took out his S.H.I.E.L.D. ID and waved it in front of him.
"See this? Federal. I'm an officially certified superhero. Do you want to hang out with me? Room and board included, we grind missions together, 50/50 split on loot."
"I already have a mentor, I don't need one." Peter stepped back warily.
"Is it Tony Stark?"
Peter was stunned. "How did you know?"
Lin Zhen patted his chest. "What a coincidence, he's my boss, and I'm his personal bodyguard. Strictly speaking, you should call me Uncle-Master. Don't learn from Tony; it takes him five minutes to put on his gear. In an online game, he would have been kicked for that efficiency. Learn from me; I'll teach you how to use a frying pan to smash through everything."
Before he finished speaking, a ball of fire suddenly exploded a few streets away.
The sounds of explosion and screaming came simultaneously, the fire lighting up half the neighborhood.
Spider-Man's neck tingled, and he launched himself into the air.
Lin Zhen's system simultaneously popped up a prompt.
[Street event triggered: Armed Hostage Situation!]
[Location: United Bank Branch, three streets away.]
[Enemies: 6 armed robbers, carrying modified weapons.]
[Rewards: Experience +600, Justice Points +50, Cash (depending on the seizure).]
Lin Zhen saw the Justice Points +50 and cash, and he was completely energized.
"Let's go, let's go, a fat mob has spawned!"
The two rushed to the outskirts of the bank, where six robbers had taken over a dozen hostages. The leader was carrying a heavy weapon emitting a purple light.
Spider-Man lowered his voice, "Save the hostages first, then subdue the robbers."
"Just blow a hole in the ceiling, go in, and smoke all the robbers."
"There are hostages inside! You can't use explosives!"
"The margin of error won't exceed... okay, maybe it might exceed it a little bit."
Eventually, they compromised: Spider-Man sneaked in through the ventilation ducts to save the hostages, while Lin Zhen attracted fire from the front entrance.
Lin Zhen walked into the bank lobby swaggering while tapping his frying pan.
"Brothers, you are surrounded!"
The robbers were collectively stunned for three seconds, then the leader was the first to recover, raising the purple-light weapon and opening fire.
The energy beam blasted towards Lin Zhen; he raised his pan to block it head-on, and the energy beam was deflected, piercing through the ceiling.
"Holy crap, this mob's gear is better than mine!"
Spider-Man used his spider silk in the ventilation ducts to pull the hostages to safety one by one.
Lin Zhen waved his frying pan in the lobby, drawing all the fire.
Spider-Man hung upside down from the ceiling, binding two of them with spider silk.
Lin Zhen took advantage of a robber being stunned and smacked him on the back of the head with the frying pan.
The remaining two threw down their guns and surrendered.
Lin Zhen immediately crouched down to search their pockets.
[System settlement: Experience +600, Justice Points +55, Cash $287.]
Lin Zhen looked at the numbers, and his face went dark.
"Only two hundred something bucks on bank robbers? Are you here to rob the bank or deposit money?!"
...
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
The screen in front of Nick Fury was playing the bank's internal surveillance footage.
In the footage, Lin Zhen was peeling shoes off the robbers' feet, shouting, "These are the latest AJ, I'll take them to sell secondhand to recoup some costs..."
This scene made Nick Fury's mouth twitch, and he glanced at Natasha next to him.
"Spider-Man, the new superhero appearing in Queens, what do you think?" Fury asked. "This kid is younger than Lin Zhen, more normal than Lin Zhen, and most importantly, more obedient than Lin Zhen."
Natasha raised an eyebrow and asked, "You want to recruit him?"
Fury turned off the screen.
"I want to snatch him up before Lin Zhen corrupts him."
The frozen image in the corner of the screen showed Lin Zhen forcibly hugging a bewildered Spider-Man, shoving a pair of unwashed AJ sneakers just peeled off a robber's feet into his arms, and making a V-sign at the camera.
Nick Fury slowly closed his only remaining eye and rubbed his temples in pain.
"If that kid hangs out with Lin Zhen for over a month, New York's public order is completely doomed."