It was a dark, windy night. Inside a secluded manor…
The master bedroom door slowly creaked open, and a figure swaggered in.
The person wore a thick floral cotton jacket, paired with bright "death Barbie pink" shorts, and a pair of ugly yellow Crocs.
It wasn't just ugly—it was uniquely ugly.
What stood out the most, however, was the oversized yellow dog-head mask on his head, its smug expression radiating an inexplicable sense of mockery.
The dog-headed man walked straight to the desk, turned on the computer, and pulled out a USB drive from his pocket, plugging it in. A progress bar immediately appeared on the screen.
While he waited, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Kai Havoc, this is Nick Fury. What's your current status?"
"I've infiltrated the target location. Currently retrieving the mission item."
"You haven't been discovered, right?"
Kai was about to answer when the bathroom door suddenly clicked open. A bearded man in a bathrobe stared at him in shock.
"Damn it! Who are you? How did you get in here?!"
"Where are the bodyguards?! Bodyguards! Bo—"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, clean and decisive.
The dog-headed man calmly put away his pistol and spoke into the phone, "Don't worry. No one will find out."
"..."
Nick Fury fell silent for a few seconds before speaking in a low voice, "Report back to headquarters after the mission."
"OK!"
Kai hung up. Just as he did, the progress bar on the screen finished. He swiftly pulled out the USB drive.
At that moment, a cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
[Daily mission "Steal Important Intelligence" completed!]
[Rewards: +500 EXP, +10 S.H.I.E.L.D. reputation, C4 explosive ×1]
"Tch, such trash rewards again."
Kai clicked his tongue, glancing at the corpse on the floor.
"Still, this game is insanely realistic. Look at this NPC death feedback—it feels completely real. I'd believe the devs have actually killed someone."
In truth, he was immersed in a full-dive virtual reality game called Marvel World.
By the year 2065, full-dive VR technology had long become mainstream, allowing players to experience near 100% realistic virtual worlds.
As a veteran gamer with over a million followers, Kai had cleared countless games and built a solid reputation in the international gaming scene.
Two months ago, a Marvel-affiliated game company approached him, inviting him to test this so-called "unprecedented high-freedom" game. They promised a ten-million-dollar reward for clearing it in one go.
Kai knew nothing about Marvel—nor its story.
After all, in his era, Marvel had gone through countless reboots, and the original characters had long faded into obscurity.
The most popular superhero now was the seventh-generation Iron Man—a Black single mother with gender identity disorder, severe alcoholism, obesity, multiple gender transitions, three divorces, and five children.
She was married to the eighth-generation Captain America—a homosexual, vegan animal-rights activist, environmentalist, feminist pioneer, devout Catholic, and one-eighth Native American.
Together, they constantly shouted about "family."
This kind of "politically correct buff-stacked" superhero combo might be popular overseas, but Kai couldn't care less.
That said, he still signed the contract without hesitation.
The money was just too good.
At the start 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 student.
Kai randomly picked one and began playing.
After two months, he had to admit—the game's freedom was ridiculously high.
No tutorial. No guidance. Everything had to be explored manually.
The most absurd part? After all this time, he hadn't even seen a trace of the main storyline.
If the system hadn't insisted there was a main quest, he would've thought he was playing a spy simulator.
"By the way… there doesn't seem to be a logout button in this game," Kai muttered.
The system responded:
[We apologize. A minor issue occurred at the start of the game, causing a system bug. It is currently being fixed.]
"…I won't be in danger, right?"
Kai felt a chill.
[Please rest assured. The game pod monitors your vital signs 24/7 and will forcefully wake you if any abnormalities are detected.]
[Additional note: The time ratio between the game and reality is 362:1. The premium pod and nutrient solution can sustain your body for over ten years.]
[If you choose to exit now, you will permanently lose eligibility for the one-time completion reward.]
[Do you wish to exit the game?]
"Nope!"
Kai refused instantly.
No way—he wasn't logging out before claiming that ten-million-dollar reward!
At that moment, hurried footsteps echoed outside. The gunshot had clearly alerted the manor's guards.
Kai pushed aside his worries, casually tossing the newly acquired C4 onto the desk before opening the game map and locking onto "S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters."
Click. Teleport!
By the time the guards rushed in, the bedroom contained only a cold corpse… and a beeping C4 explosive.
"Holy sh—!"
Boom!!!
…
The Triskelion. Director's office.
Nick Fury sat behind a large desk, reviewing a thick stack of documents.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. budget report?"
A voice suddenly spoke.
Nick Fury looked up sharply—only to see a giant yellow dog head leaning over the documents.
Kai: ( ͡°ᴥ ͡°)
"Motherf—!"
Nick Fury jumped in shock.
But quickly recognizing him, he said with a dark expression, "Kai! How many times have I told you—dress like a normal human at headquarters!"
Kai frowned. "What? This outfit looks cool. And the stats aren't bad."
Nick Fury's eye twitched.
Did you leave your sense of aesthetics in the womb?
Just as he was about to explode, Kai suddenly pointed at the document.
"By the way, Director… something's off here. Why are there several large, unaccounted expenditures? Could it be someone embezzling funds?"
"Cough—cough—cough!"
Nick Fury suddenly coughed violently, snatched the file, and shoved it into a drawer.
"This is top secret. I'm handling it personally. Not something a Level 5 agent like you should worry about."
"Oh."
Fury forced a serious expression and changed the subject.
"I have an important mission for you."
He pulled out another file and pushed it across the desk.
On the cover was a photo of a flashy man with a goatee.
Tony Stark. Chairman of Stark Industries.
"Three months ago, Tony Stark was attacked by unknown militants in the Middle East. His status is currently unknown."
"I need you to go to Afghanistan immediately. Find him. If he's alive—bring him back safely."
As Fury finished speaking, the system voice echoed:
[NPC Nick Fury has assigned you a new mission.]
[Mission: Birth of Iron Man]
[Objective: Travel to the Middle East, locate Tony Stark, and bring him back safely.]
[Main storyline mission triggered! Completion will grant generous rewards!]
A main quest?!
Kai's eyes widened in excitement.
Finally!
The long-awaited main quest had appeared!
"Iron Man… sounds like a superhero title. Must be an important character," Kai guessed.
Even though he knew little about Marvel, he knew it revolved around superheroes.
Though Nick Fury did give off that kind of vibe.
So what would his hero name be?
One-Eyed Man?
Or… Motherf— Hero?
"Kai! Are you even listening?!"
Fury's blood pressure was rising.
Kai snapped back. "Uh… what were you saying again, sir?"
"I said—"
"Never mind. Skip dialogue!"
Nick Fury: … 😑