Boom!
A terrifying explosion suddenly rang out, and the ground beneath them shook and cracked violently!
Tony bolted like a madman, yelling at Du Mu, who was also fleeing, "How many bombs did you plant, exactly!?"
"Not many. Just about a hundred."
"???"
Tony instantly felt pursued by a memory from the grave.
He recalled how, before the Mark III was even born, he was running for his life just like this.
Now that he'd built the Mark III, life was finally looking up—he could run while wearing the Mark III!
Fortunately, the power of this explosion wasn't as great as the last one and occurred deep underground.
After the two sprinted for over a hundred meters, the shockwave finally subsided.
Looking back, a giant, multi-dozen-meter-wide crater had appeared in the ground!
Tony approached the edge of the pit, looking down at the smoke-filled abyss, his mouth twitching: "He must be dead this time, right?"
Du Mu glanced at his mission panel: "No, not yet."
Thud!
No sooner had he spoken than a tattered steel armor suit suddenly leaped out of the pit!
The Iron Monger armor was in terrible shape.
Under the continuous bombardment of TNT, even its powerful defense couldn't hold up. It was covered in damaged cracks, and a large hole had been blasted through the central cockpit, exposing Stane's disheveled figure inside.
"Didn't expect me back, did you!?"
Stane laughed maniacally, relieved at having survived death.
Tony was shocked.
He couldn't be killed even by that? Was the truth that the bigger the mech, the stronger it was?
He subconsciously raised his right arm to fire an energy beam, but the display showed low energy.
Seeing this, Stane's face twisted into a cruel smile: "Haha! You're finally out of options, aren't you? Now it's my turn to..."
Bang!
A crisp gunshot interrupted his declaration.
Stane's smile instantly froze. A distinct bullet hole on his forehead was slowly oozing blood.
Du Mu expressionlessly put away the golden Desert Eagle in his hand and shook his head:
"Who pilots a mech without a helmet?"
"..."
Tony was stunned, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
He had never imagined that Stane would meet such a comical end.
Du Mu ignored the bewildered Tony; his attention was drawn to the system messages that appeared in his mind.
[You have successfully defeated the BOSS 'Iron Monger' Obadiah Stane!]
[Starting damage reward settlement...]
[Rewards are as follows: 10,000 EXP, 5 Free Attribute Points, Equipment 'The Lethal Weapon Three Thousand', Item 'Master Key', Item 'Red Mushroom', Item 'Blue Pill', Equipment 'BT-7274 Vanguard-Class Titan']
[Equipment: The Lethal Weapon Three Thousand (A super weapon tyrant that combines ten different killing weapons)]
[Item: Master Key (You can open any door, and you can also steal other people's Wi-Fi)]
[Item: Red Mushroom (You'll get bigger if you eat it)]
[Item: Blue Pill (You'll get bigger if you eat it)]
Du Mu: "?"
It felt like none of these were entirely respectable items.
However, his gaze was quickly locked onto the last item.
[Equipment: BT-7274 Vanguard-Class Titan]
[Effect: A fourth-generation Vanguard-class Titan mech with high-level artificial intelligence. It can collaborate with the pilot via neural link and is equipped with various powerful weapon systems, including a high-speed autocannon, missile launcher, and energy weapons. It also possesses excellent mobility and defense systems, and can self-repair and absorb energy for replenishment.]
[Comment: Protocol 3: Protect the Pilot.]
"A mech!?"
Du Mu's eyes lit up, and a massive wave of pleasant surprise surged within him.
The rewards actually included a complete mech!
Moreover, judging by the description, its performance seemed in no way inferior to Tony's or Stane's Iron Man suits!
If Tony weren't standing right next to him, Du Mu would have summoned it out to study it.
Thump!
As Stane's life ended, the Iron Monger armor, now uncontrolled, crashed heavily to the ground.
Tony finally regained his composure. He looked at Stane's corpse with complex emotions, his voice somewhat low: "I honestly considered him family. I never thought it would end like this..."
Du Mu shrugged: "His daughter might be thinking the same thing."
Tony: "?"
Before long, accompanied by the screech of brakes, Agent Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. team arrived on the scene.
Coulson looked at the two of them, exasperated: "I have to say, your location is always remarkably easy to find."
"You can't blame me for this."
Tony pleaded innocence; he was the victim every time!
After learning what had happened, Coulson directed the team to clear the scene.
His gaze swept over the Iron Monger's wreckage, and he asked, confused, "I have a question. What happened to the arc reactor in this armor's chest?"
"Missing?"
Tony was taken aback and immediately strode forward to check.
Indeed, the chest area of the Iron Monger armor was empty. The arc reactor Stane had stolen from him was gone, but Tony clearly remembered seeing it there moments ago.
Tony immediately turned and looked at Du Mu, the most suspicious person present.
Feeling that scrutinizing gaze, Du Mu felt his pure dignity had been greatly insulted.
"Why are you looking at me? I didn't steal it!"
He really didn't steal it.
He just forgot to turn off the auto-loot function.
The next day, Stark Industries held a press conference.
"The truth is... I am Iron Man!"
With just one sentence, Tony ignited a frenzy across America and caused all S.H.I.E.L.D. departments to work overtime, cleaning up the mess he'd left behind.
Even Nick Fury developed dark circles under his eyes, though, given his skin tone, they weren't visible.
"Agent Du Mu, your surveillance mission is now complete. Tony Stark will be handed over to the Black Widow for further contact and assessment."
Nick Fury's voice came through the phone, hoarse from lack of sleep.
The system's chime sounded at the opportune moment.
[Mission 'Monitor Tony Stark' settlement complete!]
[Rewards received: EXP +1,000, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +30, Item 'Honeycomb Tech Smoke Grenade', Equipment 'Loitering Munition']
[Item: Honeycomb Tech Smoke Grenade (Releases a large amount of smoke, convenient for escape)]
[Equipment: Loitering Munition (Launches a controllable loitering munition that scatters four bombs upon explosion. Bridge camping? Need two more.)]
Well, I'll be!
Shouldn't he go to a space base to test the effect of that?
Du Mu was thinking this when Nick Fury's voice sounded again: "I have an urgent task for you now."
"Over the past month, the Bronx area has reported multiple missing person cases, with the cumulative number of missing persons exceeding one hundred, including both local residents and tourists."
"Preliminary assessment suggests the incident may have abnormal characteristics. I need you to go and investigate."
[NPC Nick Fury has issued a new mission to you]
[Mission: Investigate Missing Persons]
[Objective: Ascertain the reason for the disappearances]
[Rewards: 500 EXP, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +10, Random Equipment *1]
Chapter 20: Vampire
Night fell.
Following the task's guidance, Du Mu arrived at a bar in the Bronx district.
Investigation?
It was entirely unnecessary; the game's task directly pointed out the clues.
Following the noticeable red line in his line of sight, Du Mu quickly locked onto a brown-haired man dressed flashily with slicked-back hair.
This man was currently hitting on a girl whose arms and neck were covered in runes.
As he spoke, he casually flashed the fake gold watch on his wrist. The girl's eyes instantly lit up. She immediately put down the beer she had barely touched and drunkenly leaned in close.
The brown-haired man smiled, casually wrapped his arm around the girl's waist—which was as thick as an Iron Monger helmet—and turned to leave the bar.
"This guy really isn't picky..."
Du Mu watched in amazement, then quietly and quickly followed them.
The brown-haired man, with his arm around the girl, familiar-ly turned into a narrow, dark alley and stopped in front of an unremarkable iron door.
He knocked, and a large, burly man quickly opened the door to greet them.
The brown-haired man whispered a few words. The burly man nodded, stepped aside to let them in, and the iron door immediately closed.
Seeing this, Du Mu copied their actions and knocked on the iron door.
The burly man reappeared. Seeing Du Mu's completely unfamiliar face, he immediately frowned.
"What is it?"
"I just saw my friend being taken in by a stranger. I need to go in and find her!"
"This is a members-only establishment. You can't come in."
The burly man looked at Du Mu coldly and decisively refused.
Du Mu said angrily, "Damn it, that's my friend! Even though she drinks, has tattoos, and hooks up, I know she's a good girl! What if that guy tricks her into sleeping with him!"
The corner of the burly man's mouth twitched.
Are you sure anyone would be interested in that rune-covered Poppy's body?
"If you don't let me in, I'm calling the police!" Du Mu threatened on the spot.
Hearing this, a fierce glint flashed in the burly man's eyes, a barely noticeable hint of crimson.
"Fine, I'll make an exception and let you in."
The burly man pushed the iron door open, looking at Du Mu as if he were looking at a dead man.
Du Mu walked in without hesitation.
Inside the door was a long, dark corridor, lit only by a few scattered lamps.
At the end of the corridor was another iron door.
This time, a bald bouncer blocked Du Mu's way and raised the fluorescent stamp in his hand.
Fortunately, Du Mu wasn't allergic to the fluorescent stamp like Zhang Wei, and he allowed the man to stamp the back of his hand.
Pushing open the last iron door, a strong smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of marijuana instantly hit him, and the powerful beat of electronic music savagely pounded his eardrums.
A massive dance floor occupied most of the space, with dazzling colored spotlights flashing to the rhythm overhead. Countless figures twisted frantically below, lost in the moment.
In the booth area along the edge of the dance floor, the lighting was even more ambiguous and hazy. Men and women guzzled hard liquor, inhaled and exhaled smoke from slender cigarettes held between their fingers. Some were even brazenly performing a bunch of mosaic-worthy scenes, which dealt a significant shock to Du Mu's pure, innocent heart.
Du Mu noticed that the red line guiding the task had disappeared. It seemed the clue was right here in this underground bar.
A tall, red-haired woman with wavy hair noticed the fluorescent stamp on the back of Du Mu's hand. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately swayed her hips over to him.
"Hey, handsome, wanna get to know each other?"
Du Mu lowered his head. His gaze met a dizzying abyss, and he was immediately filled with awe!
"Of course, I love making friends."
The red-haired woman suddenly sniffed, frowning in confusion. "You smell like blood. What do you do for work?"
"A doctor."
Du Mu replied casually, not changing his expression.
"Oh? That's perfect!"
The red-haired woman's eyes brightened even more. Her fingers lightly traced Du Mu's chest. Her demeanor was seductive, and her body subtly rubbed against his. "Lately, I've been feeling a bit unwell. Could you help me figure out what kind of illness I have?"
Du Mu wasn't a doctor, but he could tell what the red-haired woman's symptom was at a glance.
This was definitely a classic case of being horny... no, a fever.
Du Mu pretended to be reserved. "It's probably not convenient to examine you here."
"It's fine, we can find a place to take a slow, full-body, detailed look," the red-haired woman whispered in Du Mu's ear.
Looks like the fever is serious!
Du Mu was a shy person and genuinely didn't know how to refuse an invitation, so he allowed the red-haired woman to pull him toward the restroom in the corner.
Once inside the stall, the red-haired woman immediately locked the door behind them.
"Doctor, where would you like to start the examination?"
The red-haired woman licked her lips with her tongue, her eyes full of a predator's excitement.
"That depends on where you feel uncomfortable."
Feeling the astonishing pressure against his arm, Du Mu glanced at the red dot on the mini-map and wondered if he should pretend to give up resisting.
"Well, that would be my stomach. Right now, I'm... starving!"
The red-haired woman's voice suddenly became hoarse and distorted. Her eyes burst forth with terrifying crimson light, and her lips curled back to reveal two hideous, sharp fangs!
Her originally beautiful face instantly became repulsive, like a monster, as she lunged at Du Mu!
Seeing this, Du Mu instantly felt bored.
"Muay Thai warning!"
Just as the fangs were about to touch his skin, Du Mu powerfully engaged his core and delivered a fierce elbow strike directly to the red-haired woman's face!
Bang!
A muffled thud accompanied the faint sound of bone splintering.
The red-haired woman felt an unimaginably huge force explode from her cheekbone. A few fragments of teeth, mixed with blood foam, flew from her mouth!
She didn't even have time to scream. Her entire body flew off the ground like a broken sack, slamming heavily against the stall wall with a boom, making the wall vibrate.
The red-haired woman slumped to the ground, dizzy. Half of her face was visibly sunken in, and her crimson eyes were filled with confusion.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Du Mu retracted his elbow, took a step closer, and looked down, asking sharply, "Speak! What kind of monster are you?"
That's a question I should be asking you!
The red-haired woman looked at Du Mu in horror.
The strength he displayed completely exceeded her comprehension. He had rendered her completely incapable of fighting with a single strike—was that something a human could do?!
"Not talking, huh!"
Du Mu had no compassion for the fairer sex. He grabbed the limp red-haired woman, and his other elbow struck down like a rainstorm!
The red-haired woman initially wanted to speak, but every time a word reached her mouth, it was ruthlessly hammered back down her throat by a vicious elbow strike.
With the relentless barrage of elbow strikes, the red-haired woman felt like her head was about to be smashed flat.
Relying on a powerful survival instinct and sheer willpower, she managed to seize a gap between elbow strikes and used the last of her strength to scream, crying hysterically, "Stop hitting me! I'll talk! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire!!"