c26: Ready
Curious, Ryan Wong raised his hand and tapped the glowing [Mall Bar] icon. A prompt immediately popped up in front of him, its UI design oddly reminiscent of Stark Tech.
[System Notice: Based on analysis, the host has now played '2' unique characters. New feature unlocked—Mall.]
[The Mall offers limited weekly inventory. Each item can be purchased once per week. Inventory resets automatically every Sunday at midnight, or can be refreshed manually.]
[Mall currently loading… please wait.]
So this system wants me to channel more characters?
Ryan leaned back, thoughtful like Bruce Wayne evaluating new gadgets in the Batcave.
After a few minutes, the mall interface fully loaded. Ryan tapped again, and a sleek translucent panel appeared in front of him visible only to him, like a JARVIS-hologram interface.
At the top, the word "Mall" was etched in glowing letters, and four intriguing items hovered below it. Each item had a refresh icon beneath it.
There was a red card, a wooden treasure chest, a blue card, and a hammer-shaped icon that reminded him of Mjolnir—Thor's legendary weapon.
But before he could investigate further, Ryan's attention was drawn to the lower right corner of the interface.
[Current Account Balance: ¥10,150,000]
Ten million, one hundred and fifty thousand?
The number hit him like Spider-Man's Spidey-Sense.
He paused, thought for a second then it clicked.
That was the exact amount of money he currently had: $10 million advanced payment from S.H.I.E.L.D. for accepting the ongoing mission, plus his original $100,000 task reward and all of his bank savings.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had wired the funds through some Stark-backed cryptocurrency exchange. That explained why the system seemed to know.
Raising his hand, Ryan tentatively pressed the refresh icon under one of the items. Another prompt appeared.
[Item not purchased yet. Refresh manually?]
[Reminder: Auto-refresh occurs every Sunday at 00:00. Manual refresh cost: ¥100,000 per item.]
Ryan immediately hit "No."
He had seen enough predatory microtransactions in the Daily Bugle's exposé on the Oscorp Metaverse to know where this was headed.
"This is a pay-to-win model!" he muttered. "What is this developed by Tencent's multiversal branch?"
He grumbled under his breath, but his hands betrayed him. Dutifully, Ryan clicked each of the four items in turn to learn more:
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[Red Wish Card]
Input a personal wish. The system evaluates feasibility and quotes a cost to fulfill it. Think of it like a reality-warping genie minus the singing and sass.
[Random Treasure Chest of Ten Thousand Realms]
Cost: ¥100,000. Open to receive a random item from any known universe—Marvel, DC, anime, or beyond.
[Blue Summoning Card]
Cost: ¥1,000,000. Can only be used while roleplaying a character. Summons a character closely associated with the one currently played. Think: summon Kakashi while being Obito, or summon Alfred while being Bruce.
[Weapon Forging/Repair]
Input the design and ability set of a weapon. The system forges a personalized item using funds. Alternatively, input an existing weapon to repair it—like reforging a broken Vibranium blade or recharging a Mother Box.
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Each item had undeniable appeal and a jaw-dropping price.
Ryan rubbed his forehead. "This system wants all the money Tony Stark doesn't have left…"
It was clear to him now: the fortune he had just received wasn't going to last.
After mulling over his options, Ryan selected the Red Wish Card and typed a wish into the system's prompt:
"Let me return to my original world, where everything is as it was before."
He exhaled.
Better to be a peaceful civilian than a player in the endless chaos of multiversal warfare.
Yes, life in the Marvel world was thrilling. He could roleplay characters from his favorite anime, face off against villains like Loki, or tag-team with Natasha Romanoff on covert ops but still, something inside him longed for normalcy.
Ryan was satisfied with his journey... but the idea of home, of peace, still called to him.
However, if he could return to the peaceful and familiar world of his previous life his hometown, his motherland Ryan Wong would not hesitate for even a second.
[Wish exceeds system capability. Please rephrase or input a feasible wish.]
"…Of course it does," Ryan sighed. Even though he had mentally prepared for the possibility, the rejection still stung a bit when it became reality.
Still, one of Ryan's greatest strengths shared perhaps with Steve Rogers was his ability to recalibrate emotionally on the fly.
If there's no way to return... then the only option is to survive in this world and thrive!
"I want to become strong. Strong enough to protect myself… and the people I care about."
Money? It's just external. Fleeting.
It can be earned again. But strength real, meaningful power can't be delayed. Not in a world filled with super-soldiers, Infinity Stones, and Kryptonians.
Although he did feel a twinge of heartbreak for his hard-earned cash, Ryan ever the pragmatist tapped the Wish Card again and typed out a new wish:
"Summon Tailed Beast: Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama."
He had briefly considered using genjutsu while playing as Uchiha Obito to simulate Kurama's chakra a technique that would've fooled most low-tier psychics or even someone like Hawkeye.
But now, with a direct summon possible thanks to the system's reality-bending capabilities, most of those tactical issues vanished.
[First-time Wish Card usage detected. A 10% discount is now active.]
[Summoning request: Tailed Beast – Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Kurama. Destination: Marvel Universe. Cost: ¥10,000,000 (after discount)]
"Ah… hell."
Ryan's expression twisted into one of deep internal conflict—he'd just liquidated everything he had. Ten million, gone in one click.
Worse, that was the discounted rate.
At full price, he would've needed a billion yen close to $100 million USD. Not even a Wayne Enterprises quarterly bonus could cover that easily.
But the wish could be granted. And that was all he needed to know.
Ryan clicked Confirm without hesitation. His account balance dropped instantly to ¥150,000.
He was still in Uchiha Obito's form when the system materialized a glowing card in his palm. The surface shimmered with energy.
The front displayed an iconic image Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Beast, roaring with rage, eyes glowing red, tails lashing through the void like weapons of mass destruction.
The back of the card read:
[Usage: Shatter the card.
Effect: Permanently summon Kurama into the Marvel Universe.
Uses: 1/1]
Ryan's eyes gleamed with resolve.
"With this… all the key players in the final act of my plan are assembled."
Hokage Minato Namikaze. Uchiha Obito. Kurama the Nine-Tails.
The audience?
The people of New York. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents watching from satellites.
The U.S. Government. The United Nations. Maybe even the Watcher himself.
Next stop: Marvel's center stage.
"Now… the prologue can finally begin."
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