Ivan died so abruptly it felt almost sloppy.
Tony and Rhodey hadn't even processed what was happening before he collapsed.
"Perfect timing, if nothing else."
Daniel walked over from a distance, shaking his head in mild lament.
He really didn't understand what was wrong with people who wore powered armor.
With armor defenses that strong, why did every single one of them insist on opening their helmets to talk?
He had followed the map marker to the scene, only to find Ivan standing there reciting lines with his head exposed.
Who could resist a shot like that?
Daniel didn't hesitate—he immediately drew his gun and fired.
And thus, the previous scene occurred.
Poor Ivan—an imposing supervillain whose actual screen time ended up shorter than the robots he created.
His cause of death? Not wearing a helmet.
Tony and Rhodey twitched at the corners of their mouths as they looked at Ivan's corpse.
Silently, both swore that from now on, as long as they were wearing armor, they would never remove their helmets under any circumstances.
Just as Daniel approached Ivan's body, the system chimed.
[You have successfully defeated the BOSS "Whiplash" Ivan Vanko!]
[Calculating damage rewards...]
[Rewards: 10,000 EXP, 5 free attribute points, Equipment: "Whiplash Armor", Skill: "Silent Step", Items: "Ladder of Free Entry", "Eternal Torch", "Non-Mainstream Wig"]
[Equipment: Whiplash Armor (Iron armor crafted by Ivan Vanko, equipped with two powerful energy whips. Drawback: no helmet—prone to ambush by certain old degenerates. Note: self-destruct system removed, rest assured.)]
[Skill: Silent Step (When activated, your movements produce no sound.)]
[Item: Ladder (Carry this ladder and you can enter any location without being stopped.)]
[Item: Eternal Torch (A pixel-style torch whose flame never goes out.)]
[Item: Non-Mainstream Wig (When worn, half the enemies you see disappear, dramatically boosting courage.)]
The next instant, the Whiplash Armor on Ivan's body suddenly vanished.
Daniel was speechless.
Great—harvesting materials right on the spot.
Seeing Tony and Rhodey glance toward him, Daniel immediately said, "Don't look at me. I didn't do that."
"Sure you didn't."
Tony let out a dry laugh. In his heart, he became even more convinced that the reactor stolen last time had been taken by Daniel.
As a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, holidays were basically nonexistent.
Whenever Daniel had a bit of free time, a certain slave driver would crack the whip and put him back to work.
And yes, that slave driver happened to be Black.
Daniel had been enjoying a Batman movie at home when Nick Fury called.
"Agent Daniel, I need you to go undercover at Oscorp and investigate Norman Osborn's classified military collaboration."
[Mission: Investigate Oscorp]
[Objective: Infiltrate Oscorp and investigate the secret military experiment conducted by Chairman Norman Osborn.]
[Reward: +1000 EXP, +20 S.H.I.E.L.D. reputation, 1 random item]
Daniel asked curiously, "Why not send Black Widow? She's better at undercover work."
Nick Fury explained, "I've assigned Romanoff to another mission. Besides, Norman Osborn is an older man—he's not like Tony Stark. Anyway, the mission is yours."
Daniel understood.
Norman Osborn was old and frail—immune to Natasha's charms, unlike Tony, who was easy to approach.
Oscorp Industries—the largest biotech corporation in the United States, valued in the hundreds of billions.
Of course, biotech was only the main business. In military tech, energy, and manufacturing, Oscorp was equally formidable.
Across America, only Stark Industries could compare.
Daniel drove to the Oscorp building.
He had to admit—Nick Fury's car was excellent, especially the air-conditioning. Exceptionally comfortable.
That one-eyed egghead really knew how to enjoy life.
Daniel muttered inwardly as he stepped into the Oscorp building.
With the receptionist's guidance, he quickly arrived at the company's recruitment room.
"This is your résumé?"
The recruiter's expression turned to shock as he looked over Daniel's file.
"Daniel. Male. MIT outstanding graduate. PhD. Specializes in biochemistry, genetics, gene engineering, close-quarters combat, firearms, stealth… Uh—you're sure you're applying for a research position?"
The recruiter was stunned.
Was this man applying as a researcher or a one-man special-forces unit?
"Yes."
Daniel nodded.
Naturally, résumés were best written as extravagantly as possible—S.H.I.E.L.D. had forged the documents, and Oscorp wouldn't be able to verify anything.
As expected, after running background checks, the recruiter found the credentials were indeed real.
He exclaimed, "Your résumé is incredible! I'm surprised we've never heard of you."
Daniel replied, "Not surprising. I prefer keeping a low profile."
"Congratulations. You're hired by Oscorp."
The recruiter didn't overthink it and immediately approved Daniel, assigning him the position of assistant.
But Daniel would have none of that. "I won't be an assistant. I need an independent lab to continue my research project."
"What project?"
Daniel pulled out a vial of red potion—the same Life Elixir he had given Blade before.
"This is my research. Life Elixir. One sip energizes you. Two sips keep you tireless. Three sips grant—well, not immortality, but it cures most illnesses."
The sales-pitch tone made the recruiter suspicious. "Are you sure it's really that miraculous?"
"Absolutely. If you don't hire me, I'll head over to Stark Industries. That bearded guy Tony Stark would be thrilled to have me."
Hearing that, the recruiter instantly became serious. "One moment, I need to report this."
He picked up the phone and called his superiors.
Soon after, an elderly man in a tailored suit entered the room.
"M-Mr. Osborn?"
The recruiter was stunned—why had he summoned the boss himself?
Norman ignored the recruiter. His eyes fixed directly on Daniel and the vial in his hand.
"You're saying this can cure most diseases?"
[NPC: Norman Osborn]
[Alias: Green Goblin]
[Affinity: 0]
[Description: Marvel's Goblin, Spider-Man's nemesis, one of Peter's many uncles.]
[Status: Suffering from a genetic disease with little time left.]
"That's right."
Seeing Norman's info, Daniel added cheerfully, "Even if it can't completely cure a terminal illness, for something like a genetic disease it can significantly alleviate symptoms and restore normal health. Continued use prevents further suffering."
Hearing this, Norman seemed to glimpse hope—but outwardly maintained his composure.
"May I take this vial for testing?"
"Of course."