It was a dark and windy night in a secluded manor.
The master bedroom door slowly opened, and a figure swaggered in.
He was wearing a thick, floral cotton jacket, death-barbie pink shorts, and a pair of shit-yellow Crocs.
This outfit wasn't just ugly; it was uniquely ugly.
The most striking feature was the large yellow dog head mask he wore, its mischievous expression conveying a strange sense of mockery.
The dog-headed man walked directly to the desk, opened the computer, pulled a USB drive from his pocket, and plugged it in; a progress bar immediately appeared on the screen.
While waiting, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Du Mu, it's Fury. What's your status right now?"
"I've infiltrated the target location and am acquiring the mission item."
"You haven't been discovered, have you?"
Just as Du Mu was about to answer, the master bedroom bathroom door suddenly clicked open, and a bearded man wrapped in a bathrobe stared at him in horror.
"Damn it! Who are you? How did you get in?!"
"Where are the bodyguards?! Bodyguards! Body—"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, swift and decisive.
The dog-headed man calmly put away his pistol and said into the phone, "Don't worry, no one will find out."
"..."
Fury was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the line, then his voice deepened: "After the mission, return to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters."
"Okay!"
Du Mu hung up the phone, and the loading bar on the computer screen also finished, so he deftly pulled out the USB drive.
The next moment, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Daily Mission "Steal Important Intelligence" Settlement Complete!]
[Rewards: Experience +500, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +10, C4 Explosive *1]
"Tsk, it's these same trash rewards again."
Du Mu pouted, his gaze sweeping over the corpse on the floor, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "But this game is really awesome. Look at the NPC's death feedback; it's just like the real thing. I wouldn't believe the game developers haven't killed anyone."
In fact, he was immersed in a holographic virtual game called "Marvel Universe."
By 2065, holographic virtual game technology was already widespread, allowing players to experience a virtual World that was nearly 100% real.
As a seasoned player with millions of fans, Du Mu had completed countless games and was quite well-known in the international gaming community.
Two months ago, a gaming company under Marvel approached him, inviting him to test their new game, touted as having "unprecedentedly high freedom," and promised a ten-million-dollar bonus for a single-playthrough completion.
Du Mu didn't know much about Marvel, and he was completely clueless about the storyline.
After all, in his era, Marvel stories had undergone countless updates and generations, and the original characters had long since vanished.
The hottest superhero at the moment was the seventh-generation Iron Man, a Black single mother with gender dysphoria, severe alcoholism, morbid obesity, multiple sex changes, three divorces, and five children.
She formed a family with the eighth-generation Captain America, who was gay, a vegan animal rights and environmental activist, a pioneer of the feminist movement, a devout Catholic, and one-eighth Native American, and they constantly shouted about family.
This kind of politically correct, buffed-up superhero combination was only enjoyed across the ocean; Du Mu simply couldn't get interested.
That being said, Du Mu still signed the agreement without a second thought and lay down in the top-tier virtual gaming pod provided by the company.
He had no choice.
They offered too much!
At the beginning of the game, the system offered several identity options: HYDRA Spy, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, Stark Industries Employee, Hell's Kitchen Resident, Midtown High School Student.
Du Mu casually selected an option and began the game.
After two months of playing, Du Mu had to admit that the game's freedom was indeed absurdly high.
There were no beginner tutorials or any guidance; all operations and plot developments relied on the player's own exploration.
The most outrageous thing was that after all these days, he hadn't even seen a hint of a main quest!
If the game system hadn't repeatedly assured him there was a main quest, Du Mu would have suspected he was playing an Agent simulation game.
"By the way, this game doesn't seem to have an 'exit game' button," Du Mu wondered.
The system's voice sounded at the opportune moment:
[We apologize, but a small issue occurred at the start of the game, causing a system bug. We are currently working hard to fix it.]
"Then I won't be in any danger, will I?"
Du Mu's heart skipped a beat.
[Please rest assured, the game virtual pod monitors the player's vital signs 24 hours a day. Any abnormalities will trigger an immediate forced awakening.]
[Additional note: The time flow ratio between the game and reality is 362:1. The top-tier virtual pod and high-efficiency nutrient solution you are using can ensure stable basic metabolic maintenance for over ten years. There is no need to worry about time or safety issues.]
[If the player insists on exiting the game, you may do so at any time, but you will permanently lose eligibility for the one-time completion bonus.]
[Does the player wish to exit the game?]
"No, I won't exit!"
Du Mu decisively refused.
Are you kidding? He would never exit the game before completing it and getting the ten-million-dollar bonus!
Just then, dense and hurried footsteps came from outside the door, clearly the gunshot had alarmed the manor's bodyguards.
Du Mu dismissed his slight doubts, quickly brought up the game map, and locked onto the "S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters" coordinates.
Click, teleport!
By the time the bodyguards arrived, there was only a cold corpse and a beeping C4 explosive in the master bedroom.
"Holy sh*t!"
Boom!!!
...
Triskelion, Director's Office.
At this moment, Fury sat behind a large desk, reviewing a thick stack of documents.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Funding Transfer Report?"
A voice suddenly spoke.
Fury snapped his head up and saw a large yellow dog head peeking at the documents.
Du Mu: (Buddha ᴥ Buddha)
"Motherf*cker!"
Fury shuddered and instinctively shouted.
But he quickly recognized the person and said with a dark expression, "Du Mu! How many times have I told you! Dress normally when you're at S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters, at least like a human!"
Du Mu immediately became displeased: "This outfit is clearly very cool, and it's quite strong too."
Fury's mouth twitched.
Did you leave your sense of aesthetics in the embryo when you were born?
He was about to lose his temper when Du Mu suddenly pointed at a spot in the document.
"Speaking of which, Director, this report seems a bit off. How come there are several large expenditures with no source? Could it be that... someone in S.H.I.E.L.D. is secretly embezzling public funds?"
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Fury suddenly coughed violently a few times, slammed the document shut, and stuffed it into a drawer, saying sternly, "This is top secret, and I am handling it personally. It's not something a Level 5 Agent like you should be asking about."
"Oh."
Fury's face was stern as he forcefully changed the subject: "I have an important mission for you now."
With that, he took a file from another drawer and pushed it in front of Du Mu.
On the cover of the file was a photo of a flashy mustached man, with his name and identity below it.
Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries.
"Three months ago, Tony Stark was attacked by unknown armed militants in the Middle East and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since."
"I need you to immediately depart for Afghanistan to ascertain Tony Stark's whereabouts. If he is still alive, bring him back safely."
As Fury's words fell, the system's voice sounded simultaneously.
[NPC Fury has issued you a new mission.]
[Mission: The Birth of Iron Man]
[Objective: Go to the Middle East to find Tony Stark and bring him back safely.]
[Player has triggered a main story mission! Upon completing the mission, the player will receive generous rewards!]
Main mission!?
Du Mu's eyes widened in excitement.
It's here!
His long-awaited main mission had finally arrived!
"Iron Man? Sounds like a superhero title. Is he an important character?" Du Mu speculated.
Although he knew little about Marvel, he knew it was a superhero comic company, and its core was naturally centered around superheroes.
However, Du Mu hadn't heard of any superheroes until now, let alone seen one.
The Fury in front of him, though, had a bit of that superhero vibe.
What was his hero title then?
One-Eyed Man?
Or Motherf*cker Man?
"Du Mu! Are you even listening?!"
Fury looked at the dazed Du Mu, feeling his blood pressure rising.
Du Mu snapped back: "Officer, what did you just say?"
"I said..."
"Never mind, it's not important. Skip the cutscene!"
Fury: 눈 灬 ●