Chapter Twenty-Seven: System Upgrade!

"Haoyun, stand down!"

From a distance came Tony Stark’s voice: “You’re just a student—you’re no match for the old fox.”

“Tony Stark.”

Nick Fury uttered Tony’s name, his expression transitioning from a hint of madness back to calm. Clearly, this was the composure befitting the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Perhaps his earlier actions had merely been a test?

Haoyun didn’t dwell on it. When it came down to it, he was just an ordinary person with the ability to foresee events. He knew better than to think too highly of himself—pride comes before a fall.

“Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.—I’ve admired you for some time,” Tony said as he strolled over, removing his sunglasses to reveal his characteristic air of nonchalance. “First thing you do is go after the kid? What, do you think there are no adults at home?”

“Stark, take a look at this first.” Nick Fury reached out, accepting a file from Phil Coulson before handing it to Tony.

Tony refrained from his classic quip about never taking things from other men. He simply opened the file for a glance... Sure enough, it was filled with information on the Cosmic Cube and World War II. Yes, just yesterday, the Ancient One had shown it to him—not just to him, but to several.

“So, what are you trying to tell me?”

“I need your help—um, that organization—oh, the Illuminati. Yes, I need the help of all the Illuminati members.”

“Sorry, I refuse. As everyone knows, we’re just a civilian organization,” Tony rebuffed him outright, returning the file to Coulson with a polite “thanks.” Nick stared at him in astonishment. According to every psychological profile, Tony should have accepted the invitation—especially after the events in the Middle East.

“Ha! A civilian organization?” Nick scoffed, dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve got two men in military-grade armored suits, one who commands lightning like a god, and a big guy who could destroy a city. Tony, this is your ‘civilian organization’? One that could wipe out America’s might?”

“Then let me tell you—the organization you’re talking about includes a genius scientist, a researcher with seven doctorates, an outstanding lawyer, a retired soldier working security, and a freshman student,” Tony shot back without hesitation. “Tell me, if we’re not doing research, what else should we do? Build weapons to destroy the world like you?”

“Don’t forget, no matter how capable we are, we’re still ordinary people! We’re not soldiers, and we’re sure as hell not your agents!”

The atmosphere instantly cooled. It was as if Nick’s disguise had been ripped away, leaving him exposed and awkward. Stark’s gaze pierced him. The youngest Illuminati member was barely twenty-two, all doctors or scholars—where were the world-saving heroes?

But if the Illuminati refused to act, what could mere mortals like Hawkeye, Black Widow, or Captain America do on their own?

“Tony, the current enemy is extraterrestrial. We’re facing interstellar war—I need your help...”

Nick finally swallowed his pride and softened his tone. But to Tony, it wasn’t enough.

“Oh, war, is it? I seem to recall that my annual taxes are enough to fund three or four legions,” Tony retorted, turning away. “Tell the people in Congress—those who collect endless taxes—that war is the responsibility of the military. I’m just a civilian.”

“If there’s nothing else, please leave. Haoyun, go wash up—Pepper’s calling you to breakfast!”

With that, Tony left without a backward glance. Hovering in midair, Haoyun pursed his lips and shot the three a provocative look before piloting his Shockwave Armor back to his bedroom.

Yes, he was just an ordinary member of the Illuminati. Did great matters like mobilizing or fighting wars have anything to do with him?

By the jeep, Coulson leaned in toward Nick. “Director, should I...?”

“No need. Let’s go. Without the Illuminati, you think I can’t handle a lousy god?” Nick gritted his teeth, leading Natasha and Coulson back to the car. He knew Tony’s animosity stemmed from his attempts to expose Thunder Knight’s identity, and from sending Black Widow to infiltrate Stark Industries.

But he’d only ever meant to help Tony... Fate plays cruel tricks.

What Nick didn’t know was that long ago, Tony had become utterly disillusioned with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the entire Security Council after receiving glimpses of the future.

...

After breakfast, Haoyun accompanied Pepper to Tony’s office at Stark Industries headquarters. Besides clocking in, there was another reason for the visit: vacation.

Tony had decided that, to keep Loki from targeting their skyscraper in New York, Stark Industries would give the entire staff ten days off to travel to Los Angeles—they wouldn’t return until after the coming battle in New York.

At the same time, the Arc Reactor inside Stark Tower would be removed, and all general power would be cut off, giving Loki no chance to open a portal.

While Pepper went to arrange the Arc Reactor’s relocation, Haoyun wandered alone to the rooftop—the very office where Loki and Tony would meet and clash.

“Host detected at a classic Marvel scene: the confrontation between Loki and Iron Man. Would you like to check in?”

“Check in!”

“Check-in successful! Congratulations, host, you’ve obtained the Divine Bloodline from the world of Naruto: Sage Body! Would you like to load it?”

Haoyun was overjoyed—Sage Body! The physique of Hashirama Senju! Did this mean he could now use Wood Release? No, with the chakra constitution, maybe he could use other jutsu as well.

Attack techniques aside, just Transformation, Shadow Clone, and Substitution—these special ninjutsu would be incredibly useful in the modern world!

“Load it! Hurry up and load it!”

“Ding! Host’s body will now possess two energy systems. System upgrade commencing!”

“Upgrade complete. Check-in system and system panel upgraded. Host, please review!”

“Show me the upgrade features!”

“System upgrade details as follows:
1. Check-in method changed! Due to host’s involvement, the MCU’s future has been significantly altered. Check-ins are now triggered by direct participation in major Marvel events, with rewards drawn from multiverse anime and film artifacts.
2. Energy systems unified. All bloodlines and abilities acquired by the host are now integrated into a single energy system.”

Haoyun stroked his chin. The system upgrades seemed pretty good.

First, the check-in method had shifted from iconic scene check-ins to event-driven participation. This greatly expanded the possibilities, especially since with so many plot deviations, many stories couldn’t unfold as before. For instance, Iron Man 2 and 3 had already cost him several check-in points.

Then there was the energy system. Judging by the system’s usual quirks, who knew what else he might acquire in the future—Haki, chakra, Sharingan, spiritual energy, all sorts of things. If these weren’t unified, who could say if his body could even handle it?

If it couldn’t, and he exploded—well, that’d be the end of everything. So, this upgrade was a solid improvement!