"What… Where is this? Why am I here?"
A sudden wave of weightlessness left Su Zhan dizzy and disoriented as he tried to make sense of his unfamiliar surroundings. All around him, fires raged, explosions echoed, and something metallic flashed across the sky. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, and the distant sounds of fierce fighting reached his ears, reverberating through the chaos.
"Wait, is that… Iron Man?"
Looking up, Su Zhan saw countless Iron Man suits flying overhead, weaving through the battlefield in a dazzling display of metal and light. Instantly, a sense of déjà vu struck him-this scene was unmistakably familiar. It was the climactic battle from Iron Man 3, the moment when Tony Stark's suits exploded one after another in a bittersweet, spectacular finale-a scene Su Zhan had always found regrettable when he watched it in the movie.
"Ah-!"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Su Zhan's head. He clutched his temples, groaning as a torrent of information and sensation flooded his mind. The agony was intense but brief, and as it faded, he found himself gasping for breath, a strange smile of surprise and excitement tugging at his lips.
"I can't believe it-I actually traveled to the Marvel world and received a system…"
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind, introducing itself as the "King System" and briefly explaining his current situation. Su Zhan still didn't know why he had been transported to the Marvel universe or why he had received the King System. The system's mission was to help cultivate the strongest king. It offered many functions but was only an assistant; whether he could become king depended on his own efforts.
Wasn't it a fantasy for an ordinary person like him to come to Marvel-a world filled with superheroes and supervillains-and dream of becoming king without any help? Fortunately, he wasn't entirely helpless.
His physique had changed!
Although he looked the same as before, the system explained that his body had been transformed during his journey. Now, he possessed the ability to devour and stabilize powers. In simple terms, he could absorb any ability without worrying about instability or incompatibility. His body would automatically stabilize and perfect any power he acquired, eliminating any risk.
This was the ultimate advantage!
After all, the Marvel universe was filled with powerful abilities-Super Soldier Serum, Hulk Serum, Extremis Virus, Centipede Serum, and more. While these powers were formidable, they came with flaws and dangers. But his body could completely ignore such drawbacks. Of course, there were even stronger abilities-those of the X-Men, or even Thor.
There were countless powers to obtain; the only question was whether he was strong enough to claim them.
At this point, the Battle of New York was over, the Avengers had formed, and even the events of Iron Man 3 were concluding. It wouldn't be easy to acquire powerful abilities now. Su Zhan felt a bit frustrated-why did he have to arrive at this time? Still, with so many abilities in this world, he wasn't too concerned. Without these superheroes, his path to becoming king would be dull.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He was caught in the middle of the battle between Iron Man and Aldrich Killian. Whether it was Iron Man, the main villain Killian, or the explosive Extremis soldiers, any of them could kill him in an instant!
Su Zhan quickly found a place to hide, keeping an eye on the fight and rapidly considering how to obtain the Extremis Virus.
That's right, the Extremis Virus!
It granted superhuman healing, strength, and the ability to breathe fire. It was far superior to Captain America's Super Soldier Serum. With it, he wouldn't have to worry about injury or death and would gain control over fire. Of course, the Extremis Virus had obvious drawbacks, with a low success rate, and failures resulted in self-destruction. If not for his body's stabilizing ability, Su Zhan would never have considered the Extremis Virus; it would have been suicide.
"Boom!"
A loud explosion sounded in the distance as a steel suit detonated. From afar, Tony Stark could be seen sitting on the ground, looking disheveled and exhausted. Killian must have been inside the suit that just exploded, but Su Zhan knew he wasn't dead. Sure enough, moments later, Killian-his body glowing like molten lava-emerged and advanced on Tony Stark. The furious Killian and the panicked Tony Stark were locked in a deadly confrontation, but suddenly, Pepper appeared!
Pepper arrived and knocked Killian away with surprising ease. Then, an Iron Man suit targeted Pepper, but she quickly defeated it.
"Careful!" Tony Stark shouted as Killian lunged at Pepper again.
Pepper calmly picked up the arm of a steel suit from the ground and attached it to her own. Using its repulsor, she struck Killian, obliterating him completely.
"What a pity…"
Watching Killian's annihilation, Su Zhan couldn't help but shake his head in regret. He had hoped to obtain the Extremis Virus from him. But now, that chance was gone.
As Tony Stark and Pepper Potts survived the ordeal, Tony promised to cure Pepper and began the cleanup. Instantly, the steel suits in the sky exploded one after another, like a dazzling fireworks display-a final gesture known as the Clean Slate Protocol.
"What a shame. But in the end, Iron Man is Iron Man-he could never truly give up his suit or identity."
Su Zhan watched the suits self-destruct in the sky, shook his head, and walked over slowly.
"There's still one left!" Tony shouted. Pepper raised the steel suit's arm, aiming its blue repulsor at Su Zhan.
"Chinese?" Tony was surprised to see Su Zhan approach.
"Don't worry. I mean no harm. I'm here to help. It seems this beautiful lady is in trouble?" Su Zhan raised his hands and smiled.
However, Tony and Pepper remained on guard. A mysterious stranger appearing at such a moment was cause for suspicion.
"The Extremis Virus is far from perfect, as you've seen. I'm sure Tony Stark, the famous Iron Man, will find a solution. But who knows if there's enough time? Living in fear is no way to live. So, I'm here to help-I can completely remove the Extremis Virus from her body!"
"I don't believe you!" Tony said, his tone was wary.
"Really?" Su Zhan replied, his gaze shifting to Pepper, who looked both anxious and hopeful.
Su Zhan shrugged. "Honestly, I came here for the Extremis Virus, but this helps you too, doesn't it? Why not let me try? Even if I fail, there's no danger. Besides, we may not be enemies-at least, not right now."