Chapter 22

Filled with exhilaration, Fang Mo couldn't contain his excitement for even a moment after obtaining the Linking Book. His yearning to travel to the Marvel world was overwhelming, fueled by a desire to find Nick Fury and metaphorically smack him in the face with a gold bar, presenting a choice: either S.H.I.E.L.D. should join forces with him or seek out Tony Stark for radiation-related escapades.

Should Tony's palladium poisoning remain unresolved, Fang Mo didn't mind conducting an experiment by pouring a bucket of milk down his throat to test its curative potential.

However, despite Fang Mo's eagerness, preparations were necessary. During his last encounter, he had just awakened his Stand, Steve, and was unceremoniously pulled into the Marvel world through the Book of Ages. Apart from a meager sum of gold ingots, he was practically destitute.

Fortunately, luck favored Fang Mo as he drew the Ender's Hand, enabling him to defeat feeble adversaries like Abomination.

Having learned from his previous experience, Fang Mo was resolute in making comprehensive preparations this time. The prospect of realistically testing Minecraft items fascinated him, considering the exceptional utility of the Ender's Hand when materialized. Consequently, he meticulously organized an array of items, eagerly anticipating the moment to evaluate their effects.

Fortunately, Steve also acquired the Alchemy Bag; otherwise, Fang Mo would have grappled with the burden of carrying all these belongings.

Sorting through everything consumed a considerable amount of time, and as darkness descended outside, he finally stowed the Alchemy Bag with satisfaction. Instructing Steve to retrieve the Book of Ages, Fang Mo right-clicked and initiated its opening.

In the ensuing moment, an infinite black mist billowed forth from the book, enveloping both of them. Brief weightlessness engulfed them before tranquility was restored. Filled with anticipation, Fang Mo opened his eyes, only to be greeted by a gust of wind hurling yellow sand into his face.

"Hmm? A desert?"

Surprised by the sight, Fang Mo swiftly surveyed his surroundings.

Indeed, he found himself amidst a desert-like expanse, adorned with several sand dunes and struggling, withered yellow plants. The encompassing darkness limited his vision, permitting only a vague glimpse of a faint light in the distance, reminiscent of a camp or something similar.

"Have I ended up in Afghanistan again?"

Fang Mo couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. "No... I no longer wish to combat terrorists. Could you please teleport me to a more agreeable location?"

In truth, Fang Mo's speculation held some merit. In the game, using the Book of Ages transported players to the same coordinates, akin to a spawn point in the main world. Fang Mo suspected that his spawn point might be situated in that cave, necessitating his escape from Afghanistan on every entry into the Marvel world.

Yet, as Fang Mo mulled over his predicament, something abruptly seized his attention in the nocturnal sky. Amidst the pitch-black abyss, a flickering light materialized, captivating his gaze.

"Hmm? What could that be?"

Intrigued, Fang Mo lifted his head, observing a luminous speck against the darkness. Discerning its nature proved challenging, yet the object left behind a lengthy trail as it streaked across the heavens, hurtling directly towards him.

"Oh, damn-"

As the object resembling a meteorite hurtled towards him, Fang Mo instinctively activated his teleportation, disappearing in a flicker of purple light.

Moments later, the object crashed onto the ground with a deafening bang, causing the earth to tremble and sand dunes to rise like surging waves, enveloping the area in a haze of yellow sand.

Fortunately, Fang Mo's timely teleportation spared him from the deluge of sand after a few blinks.

"After time-traveling and being smacked by a meteorite, I can't say that was a pleasant experience," Fang Mo remarked.

Having narrowly evaded the shockwave, Fang Mo's attention shifted to the nearby meteor crater, and he mused, "System, how about unlocking a meteor module for me?"

To his surprise, the system responded with a notification sound.

[System Prompt: New module feature detected. Research it to gain download permission.]

"Could it be? Did it actually grant it to me?" Fang Mo wondered, astonished by the notification in his mind.

Despite his astonishment, Fang Mo teleported to the meteor crater, determined to unlock the bestowed module.

However, upon reaching the crater, he realized something was awry.

Instead of meteor fragments, a scorching, red-hot hammer was embedded in a stone at the center of the crater, radiating residual heat from its recent impact.

"A... hammer?" Fang Mo recognized it immediately as Thor's hammer, realizing that the Minecraft world's timeline was not synchronized with the Marvel world's events. He must have missed the plot of Iron Man 2.

Tony Stark would have already resolved the palladium poisoning issue, received guidance from his father with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s help, and invented a new element.

While contemplating the unfolding storyline, another system notification echoed in Fang Mo's mind.

[System Prompt: New module feature detected. Research it to gain download permission.]

Fang Mo found himself momentarily puzzled by the unexpected reminder.

The object in the crater was clearly not a meteorite, yet the system persisted in offering new module permissions, leaving him perplexed. What kind of module could be unlocked here? Perhaps a hammer mod?

Setting aside his musings, Fang Mo extended his hand toward Thor's hammer.

As his hand made contact, the system emitted another notification sound.

[System Prompt: The internal structure of 'Godly Metal - Uru' has been comprehended. You have gained 30% download permission for a new module.]

Finally understanding the situation, Fang Mo realized that the new module had nothing to do with the hammer itself. It likely involved expanding the array of blacksmith's alloys or a similar aspect.

With only 30% of the module loaded, Fang Mo surmised that he would need to study other metals like vibranium, meteorite iron, or minerals such as vibranium.

With these thoughts in mind, Fang Mo retrieved his cellphone and dialed Nick Fury's number.

"Fang Mo?" Nick Fury's voice sounded surprised as he answered the call. "When did you return?"

"I'll give you half an hour to bring me Captain America's shield so I can touch it," Fang Mo stated directly over the phone. "Once that's done, I'll provide twenty tons of gold as a research fund for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private study on the Tesseract."