The cramped cabin reeked with a stench so foul it made Alex Carter gag.
He quickly clamped a hand over his nose, his expression twisted with regret.
If he had known in advance, he would have at least brought a mask. Even a can of air freshener would have been better than nothing.
The smell was overwhelming, like a busted sewer pipe left to stew under the scorching sun. It wasn't just unpleasant it was the kind of stench that felt like a chemical attack, laced with toxins that clung to his lungs.
"What the hell is this place?" he muttered, his voice muffled by his palm.
The system's protective countdown showed only nine and a half minutes left. No matter how much his stomach churned, he had no choice but to bear with it.
Forcing himself to focus, Alex studied his surroundings. The cabin was pitifully small, barely ten square meters, with no windows to let in fresh air. If not for the single dim lightbulb flickering overhead, he might have mistaken it for a coffin.
Junk and personal belongings were stacked haphazardly in every corner. The floor was layered with straw and cotton batting, and the nauseating smell was rising directly from them.
"Don't tell me I got transported straight into a garbage pit," Alex thought grimly. He wanted nothing more than to run out of this suffocating place, but the system's protection hadn't ended yet. He was trapped, forced to endure.
Thankfully, along with his transfer, the system had slipped him a fragment of memory to help him adapt to the situation.
According to the system, his cover identity here was that of a Chinese merchant traveling to America in search of business opportunities.
Technically, he had purchased a third-class ticket, but the ship's crew had looked down on him and thrown him into the crew's quarters at the very bottom instead.
The cabin itself was no larger than a kitchen, yet it was meant to hold nine passengers. No ventilation, no sunlight just a dark box packed with bodies.
At least it was empty now. The others, according to the memory, were probably out working.
Alex let out a bitter chuckle. "So this is my starting point?"
Still, he didn't waste energy brooding over it. This was only a mission world, and with his current strength, there was no way he could overturn social hierarchies or fight against historical realities. What mattered was the task at hand.
"System, open my status panel."
From the moment he had crossed over into Marvel, things hadn't slowed down once. First, he'd run into a young Scarlet Witch and her brother, then awakened his system, only to be tossed into yet another world. He'd barely had time to catch his breath.
Now, finally, he could check his attributes.
A cold blue panel appeared before his eyes:
Name: Alex Carter
Race: Human Male
Strength: 4 (5)
Agility: 5 (5)
Constitution: 5 (5)
Spirit: 8 (5)
Skills: None
The format was neat and minimal no sarcastic remarks or flashy flavor text. A genuine, no-nonsense system.
His strength was slightly below average, though considering this body was only eighteen, there was still room to grow. At least his spirit stat was unusually high, likely the result of his soul merging with the original body. Two minds, two pools of willpower naturally stronger together.
But that empty skill list was disheartening.
"Seriously? I've been alive nearly forty years in my past life, and I didn't pick up even one skill worth keeping?" Alex muttered in exasperation.
Shaking his head, he focused again. "More importantly, when in the story am I? That's what matters."
The stench around him had dulled after a few minutes funny how the human nose could adapt. Since he couldn't escape it, he decided to ignore it and think instead.
He recalled the Titanic film. James Cameron had reimagined a historical tragedy into one of cinema's most famous romances. A wealthy young woman, Rose, set sail to America with her fiancé Cal, only to fall for a penniless dreamer, Jack. Their love blossomed, but fate split them apart when the Titanic sank.
The first time Alex watched it as a teenager, he had been swept up by the tragedy. But later, with more years behind him, he realized how skewed it all felt.
"What did poor Cal do to deserve that? Sitting quietly at home, and out of nowhere a green hat drops from the heavens. Then the movie paints him as some irredeemable villain. Talk about unfair."
He was still mulling over this when the system's voice interrupted his thoughts.
System Alert: Protective time ended. Main mission issued.
Alex stiffened. "Here we go…"
Would it be an escape mission? A rescue task?
The system's cold voice delivered the verdict:
Main Mission: Due to climate anomalies, iceberg SW626 has melted prematurely. The Titanic will no longer sink at its original location. To restore the timeline, the host must ensure the Titanic sinks in the designated region on the fourth night.
Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point, Beginner Demolition Expertise.
Failure Penalty: Forced entry into Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Engage Burning Godzilla one-on-one.
Alex almost choked on his own saliva.
"What kind of twisted joke is this?!"
His eyes darted back to the panel, but the words didn't change.
"You've got to be kidding me! Out of all possible missions, you want me to blow up the Titanic?"
He took a deep breath, then tried to reason with the system. "Listen, doesn't that make me the villain? Maybe we can adjust this a bit. How about an escape scenario? Or maybe… I don't know… seducing Rose? I'd take that over mass murder!"
The system's reply was as unfeeling as ever:
Timeline deviation detected. To prevent world collapse, Titanic must sink at its original location.
Alex pressed his hand to his face and groaned.
Of all the possible beginnings, he never expected to debut as a terrorist bomber.