Chapter 4: Tony and Nick Fury's Thoughts

Over the sea, a pitch-black aircraft carrier rested like a massive steel beast crouched on the ocean's surface. From a distance, it exuded an imposing sense of power and authority.

Inside the aircraft carrier, countless electronic sounds filled the air, and the screens displayed every corner of the United States, along with certain activities in enemy countries.

Standing atop a high platform, a bald man with a single eye, clad in a black cape, gazed coldly at the operators below him. On the wall behind him stood the symbol of a hawk.

This was the headquarters of the United States' largest intelligence organization—S.H.I.E.L.D. And the man standing above them was none other than its director, the infamous Nick Fury.

His duty was to eliminate any threats before they could fully manifest. But in reality, S.H.I.E.L.D. was merely a weapon wielded at the whims of those in power.

As Nick Fury concentrated on the surveillance feeds, a capable-looking Agent Hill approached him, holding a surveillance tablet in her hands. She hurried over to the command platform.

"Director, I think you need to see this."

"Is there really something more important than my Avengers Initiative?" Fury responded.

Agent Hill, being one of his most trusted operatives, was aware of Fury's plans. However, they had yet to find suitable candidates for the team.

"I believe this could be your first recruit," Agent Hill replied, handing over the tablet.

Nick Fury took it from her nonchalantly. He had seen plenty of powerful individuals lately, but none had truly impressed him.

Most of them were mutants, and given the delicate relationship between mutants and the government, Fury had to be cautious in his selection.

He needed Avengers who would be fully committed to the cause, with no ulterior motives—heroes who would fight to protect humanity.

His experiences in his youth had taught him that humanity wasn't alone in the vast universe. That's why he was determined to form the Avengers.

As Nick Fury glanced at the footage on the tablet, his eyes narrowed.

"When did this happen?"

"Just now," Agent Hill responded.

"Do we have any clearer footage?" Fury asked.

Agent Hill shook her head. "The speed was too fast. Our satellites only managed to capture a blurry image. However, after using advanced frame-by-frame restoration techniques, we did get this photo."

With a swipe of her hand, a photo appeared on the tablet. It showed a figure in golden armor, streaking across the sky like a soaring dragon.

"Is this a mutant? Or some sort of advanced technology?" Fury mused, his interest piqued.

"Can we track their location?"

"We're monitoring closely," Hill replied. "By the way, about Dr. Banner—"

"He's escaped the lab," Hill said promptly. "His current whereabouts are unknown. The military seems to have acquired some of Dr. Banner's blood."

Fury nodded. "Keep tracking him."

"Yes, sir!" Hill responded.

...

In the Sky.

After flying for quite some time, Alan finally started to calm down from the excitement.

"Time to head back."

"On the way, I might as well try out this skill."

Alan placed a hand on his belt and softly said, "Teleportation!"

In an instant, Alan vanished from where he had been.

Nick Fury: "What!?"

Tony Stark: "What!?"

...

In completely different locations, both men wore identical expressions of shock.

On their satellite feeds, the golden armor had disappeared into thin air, as if it had evaporated like mist.

How could they possibly investigate this now?

What was left to investigate when there was nothing at all?

Despite this, neither man was willing to give up.

Both immediately mobilized all their resources to track down this fleeting figure clad in golden armor.

But their goals were vastly different.

Tony's thoughts were simple: spend money!

No matter how much it took, he wanted that miraculous technology.

Nick Fury, on the other hand, was more calculating. If the person behind the armor had good character, he'd recruit them into the Avengers without hesitation.

Swoosh!

The moment Alan activated "Teleportation," he reappeared back in his home.

The Emperor Armor on his body dissolved into points of golden light and returned to his belt.

"Looks like I'll need a training plan from now on."

From the recent armor fusion, Alan had received plenty of information from the Emperor Armor itself.

With enough improvement in both his strength and mental abilities, there would come a day when he could summon the armor directly—no belt needed.

Alan looked forward to that day. After all, who wanted to carry a briefcase around all day?

"Can the items I take out be stored back with the frog's inventory?"

He decided to find out immediately.

With a thought, Alan reopened the game interface, holding the briefcase containing the Emperor's Belt.

"Store."

"Would you like to store the [Emperor Belt] in Frog's room?"

Alan smiled. It actually worked!

"Yes!"

The next moment, in the game's screen, the little frog, which had been standing at the door enjoying the breeze, suddenly had a small briefcase in its hand.

The frog took the briefcase and carried it into its little room.

Soon after, a new icon appeared above the previously unclickable room: a box icon.

Alan tapped on the icon, and a storage interface popped up, displaying his Emperor's Belt.

"Doesn't this basically mean I now have a personal inventory space?"

Alan looked at the little frog, who was still innocently enjoying the breeze, and grew even fonder of it.

His thoughts drifted as he opened Frog's backpack, preparing for the next journey.

After the first trip, Frog's small backpack was now nearly empty.

All that remained was a permanent item awarded for completing the beginner tutorial—the four-leaf clover charm.

The amount and quality of the items packed in the backpack determined how many days Frog would spend on its travels.

Theoretically, the longer it was away, the more souvenirs and special items it would bring back.

Considering that the frog had only been gone a day and had already returned with the Emperor Armor, Alan figured it was time to give Frog some upgraded equipment and better food.

Who knew? Maybe next time, Frog would bring back something even better.

Alan wasn't asking for much—just a random supreme legacy or an unrivaled artifact, perhaps.

Amused by his own thoughts, Alan opened the in-game shop.

It was filled with items that Frog could use for its journeys across the worlds.

...