Chapter 154: Ready Player One (Part 2)

"Isn't this too little?" Stark said, picking up the glass bottle on the table and looking at the single drop of liquid inside. After glancing at Pepper, he continued.

"I don't need it," Pepper immediately waved her hand.

"Sorry, it's hard to get. I only got a few drops this time. I'll make sure to get more for you next time," Daniel apologized to Pepper, explaining the limitations of the Felix Felicis potion.

For Daniel, Felix Felicis wasn't a rare item, and giving Stark a dozen drops wouldn't be an issue. However, he gave only one drop for a reason. Unlike the Harry Potter world, where potion restrictions and dangers are well understood, the Marvel world is different. Scientists here frequently violate taboos.

If Daniel gave Stark a dozen drops, Stark might waste them on research, which wouldn't be a big deal, but there was a risk Stark might consume them all at once to observe the potion's effects.

That would be a problem. Remember, in the original story, Ultron was created by Stark. Scientific progress is driven by curiosity, but some things shouldn't be tampered with.

Even Simmons was obsessed with GH325, let alone others.

If Stark consumed an overdose of Felix Felicis and his personality changed, it would be a huge problem, despite Daniel exaggerating the potion's side effects, like claiming a person could only take it once in their lifetime.

Scientists without limits can be incredibly destructive. Look at the scientists in Umbrella Corporation and Bruce Banner's father.

A commoner's rage may cause bloodshed within three feet, but a king's wrath can lead to millions of casualties.

"Using this for scientific research is a good idea," Stark mused, realizing the potential of Felix Felicis for solving scientific problems. He had many scientific challenges to tackle, and if Felix Felicis could help, it would greatly enhance his Iron Man suits.

Since creating the Iron Man suit, Stark had devoted most of his energy to it, which is why he developed so many models so quickly.

"By the way, this could be used for horse racing or lotteries to guarantee a win," Stark suddenly said.

"I hadn't thought of that," Daniel realized he had overlooked the most basic use of Felix Felicis.

However, neither Stark nor Daniel needed to increase their wealth this way. If it had been the old Daniel, he might have used Felix Felicis to buy a lottery ticket. In the US, if timed right, a lottery win could make someone a billionaire.

"Wanda and Pietro, yes, those are the right names," Daniel said, looking at the file sent by the detective. Wanda Maximoff and Pietro Maximoff were key members of the Avengers, especially Scarlet Witch, whose importance couldn't be overstated. However, their hatred for Stark needed to be addressed before strengthening them.

Wanda and Pietro's parents died because of Stark's weapons. Technically, the blame lay with Obadiah Stane, who smuggled the weapons. But since Stane was dead, Stark bore the responsibility.

Fortunately, Wanda and Pietro were fundamentally kind-hearted. Otherwise, they would be formidable adversaries. Quicksilver's speed, combined with a knife or gun, would be unstoppable for most people.

Their kindness was why they didn't use weapons to fight, similar to another speedster, which eventually led to Quicksilver sacrificing himself to save others.

Scarlet Witch also had opportunities to kill Stark but didn't.

"It's amazing how she gained top-tier power instantly, while I trained for so long and still couldn't match the power boost from the Mind Stone," Daniel mused. Scarlet Witch could later fight Thanos without the Infinity Gauntlet and win.

"Without Ultron or Vision, Scarlet Witch's later appearance won't be an issue," Daniel continued. He found it odd that she fell for Vision, who didn't look human at all.

The Mind Stone's power was remarkable, making Vision appear human.

After some contemplation, Daniel decided to explore a new world. He initially wanted to use Felix Felicis but decided to save it for later.

"I hope Helen Zhao can solve nanotechnology," Daniel muttered as he donned the Ant-Man suit.

If nanotechnology succeeded, the Ant-Man suit and Iron Man suit could be carried easily.

"This looks like a modern world," Daniel observed the streetlights and brightly lit buildings. After scanning his surroundings, he prepared to leave and cast a Disillusionment Charm to become invisible.

It's wise to be cautious when entering an unknown world, unlike Lorelei's blatant actions.

Turning a corner, Daniel saw five or six men gathered, their laughter mixed with a woman's cries. He quickly deduced what was happening.

"Brothers, we're lucky today."

"Scum like this is everywhere," Daniel muttered, pulling out a gun. He decided to intervene since he encountered them. 

"Black and white guys, it seems to be a Western world," Daniel noted. He aimed at the man who seemed to be the leader and fired. One shot, and the man's head exploded.

The sudden turn of events stunned the men. Before they could react, more shots rang out, and they all fell. The woman, now hysterical, fled without even fixing her disheveled clothes.

"Not much money. Well, if they had more, they wouldn't be doing this," Daniel said, searching the bodies and taking some money.

"The police are coming. They're quick," Daniel changed direction upon hearing sirens. He wasn't worried about being traced. He used custom-made bullets with no identifying marks. 

After watching many episodes of *Criminal Minds* and *CSI*, and learning from Ada, a real spy, he was skilled at erasing traces.

"I can't believe this is that world. Heaven and hell are only a line apart," Daniel remarked, standing in the presidential suite of a luxurious hotel and looking at the container area across the way.

After arriving at the hotel and gathering information online, Daniel knew which world he was in. With the Red Queen AI, arranging IDs and money was no problem.

Despite the advanced technology, the Red Queen easily handled it. Faking IDs and finding information were simple tasks.

From what he found about the Oasis and other details, Daniel realized this was the world of *Ready Player One*.

A world that had narrowly avoided apocalypse due to wars caused by resource depletion. The Oasis, a virtual reality game created by a genius named Halliday, provided a means of escape, allowing humanity to avoid real-world conflicts by immersing themselves in the game.

People used the game to escape reality's problems. Since in-game currency was equivalent to real money, crime rates dropped significantly.

Most people were engrossed in the game, solving disputes virtually, greatly improving real-world security.

What Daniel encountered was rare because most people were in the game. Excellent online shopping and delivery services meant most people didn't need to leave their homes, becoming recluses.

Recluses saving the world was validated in this world.

"The Oasis is the best thing here. Bringing it to the Marvel world could be beneficial," Daniel thought. Virtual reality games could be crucial in resolving modern societal conflicts.

Bringing the Oasis to the Marvel world would create many recluses but improve real-world security.

Had the Oasis existed earlier, the world might have been different. As it was, the game only delayed real-world issues. Without space travel, the world might eventually collapse.

The virtual reality game wasn't just for entertainment; it could be used for military training too.

"Halliday left behind shares, right? A company's boss was after them but was outwitted by a recluse and his friends, who won the shares and a girl. A classic underdog story," Daniel mused.

"Too bad, but since I'm here, the underdog story won't happen."

"IOI, huh? What's the protagonist's name again? I forgot, but it doesn't matter," Daniel said. Researching online, he quickly learned about IOI, the company trying to take over the Oasis, and its boss, Nolan Sorrento.

The internet was filled with reports of IOI's plans to invade the Oasis. The game spawned many professional players and guilds, but none as significant as IOI.

IOI recruited players en masse, essentially paying people to play, although the payments were dubious. The female lead wanted revenge on Nolan for this, sabotaging his plans.

The Oasis's map was enormous, divided by planets rather than continents, with different large regions.

Inspired by various novels, players could experience their stories, albeit modified.

In-game tasks earned coins and equipment, allowing even the most clueless players to earn enough to survive.

The protagonist, a failed recluse in reality, was a popular figure in the game, two entirely different personas.

"This world has no supernatural powers. I can go directly to Nolan and Morrow. I'm confident I won't lose Halliday's shares this way."

Halliday set three challenges in the Oasis, each corresponding to a key: the Copper Key, the Jade Key, and the Crystal Key.

Daniel had forgotten the details of the challenges but recalled the first involved a death race with a giant King Kong, an almost impossible task.

The race required a specific trick to pass, one even Daniel couldn't achieve in the game world, lacking real-world powers.

However, he didn't plan to clear the challenges now but wanted to enjoy the game. The Oasis, a virtual reality game, intrigued even him.

Using the highest-end VR pod, Daniel quickly logged into the game. In the Oasis, death meant losing all your gear and starting over, but only in terms of equipment.

The game, based on the modern world, focused on gear rather than leveling up, so players needed to hunt for equipment.

Fantasy gear existed, including magic, but these were modernized versions of regular gear.

The Oasis featured powerful items, like bombs that could wipe out entire planets and invincible magic shields.

"Halliday was meticulous, even incorporating certain professions," Daniel noted. With advanced tactile suits or the best

 game pods, the game could simulate real-life sensations.

"Monsters drop only coins and materials. Equipment drop rates are low, and only specific bosses drop gear." Most gear in the game had to be crafted by players or bought if they had money. The store sold many powerful items for those willing to pay.

"An alien? This is beyond an average player's ability," Daniel encountered an alien, a formidable enemy requiring strong gear to defeat.

"It's time to find Nolan," Daniel decided after connecting with the dimensional space using the Space Stone. He logged out of the game to confront IOI.

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