Su Zhan sat quietly in his hotel room, the hum of the city outside a distant, muffled presence. The events of the past day still lingered in his mind—the moment he had unlocked the fighting field, the strange sensation of summoning Claire, and the realization that the system's functions were far more powerful than he had first imagined.
He leaned back in his chair, gazing at the ceiling, lost in thought. The fighting field had always seemed like a minor feature, a place to practice and gain combat experience, but nothing more. Yet now, after his recent experience, he understood its true potential. The ability to update a character's status, to bring real people from copy worlds into the Marvel universe, or even to transport Marvel characters into other planes—these were not just upgrades. They were game-changers.
"System," Su Zhan said aloud, breaking the silence, "does this mean I can bring people from the copy world into the Marvel world?"
The familiar, mechanical voice answered immediately. "Yes. When a character's friendship reaches the required threshold, you can bring them from a copy plane to the Marvel world."
Su Zhan's eyes narrowed with interest. "And can I bring people from the Marvel world into the copy planes?"
"Yes," the system replied. "This function allows you to take Marvel world characters into other planes, making it easier to complete tasks or to have assistance."
Su Zhan could not help but smile. The implications were staggering. If he could bring powerful allies from one plane to another, he would always have the upper hand. He could assemble a team of the strongest heroes and use them wherever he needed, regardless of the world or the mission. It was as if he had discovered a way to break the rules of every universe he visited.
He sat forward, excitement building. "So, if I bring someone from a copy plane into the Marvel world, do they keep their abilities?"
"Yes. All abilities, memories, and status are retained," the system confirmed.
Su Zhan's mind raced with possibilities. He could bring Claire, with her undying healing, into the Marvel world as a nearly invincible ally. Or perhaps someone with a unique power that did not exist in Marvel at all. The more he thought about it, the more he realized just how powerful this function could be.
But then a question occurred to him. "Why don't I see any indication of friendship levels in the Marvel world? For instance, Skye, Blink, Natasha… Surely their friendship is high, but I never see any notifications."
"The system's level is too low to display friendship in the main world," the system replied, its tone almost apologetic.
Su Zhan let out a sigh. "So you're telling me to work harder, complete more tasks, and earn more energy so you can upgrade?"
The system fell silent, offering no response. Su Zhan shook his head, amused by the system's stubbornness.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's see what the fighting field actually looks like."
He closed his eyes and focused, calling up the fighting field interface. Instantly, the world shifted, and he found himself standing on a wide, luminous platform. The space around him was shrouded in darkness, infinite and impenetrable, but the platform itself glowed with a soft, welcoming light.
He looked around, taking in the details. The platform was large but not limitless, and he wondered if it could be expanded. "System, can the fighting field get bigger?"
"The more people you bring into the fighting field, the more space you can unlock," the system replied.
Su Zhan nodded. "So it's an upgrade system—a game within a game."
Above his head, a translucent screen appeared, displaying a series of icons. The only active one was Claire's, her face illuminated and clear. Next to her was an arrow pointing to another section labeled 'main world,' but it was grayed out, inaccessible for now.
"So, only copy world characters for now," Su Zhan mused. "But that's still a start."
He focused on Claire's icon, and a moment later, a beam of light appeared before him. When it faded, Claire stood there, looking around in confusion.
"Where am I? I was just in my dad's car—how did I get here? Su Zhan, are you here too?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Su Zhan smiled, trying to put her at ease. "Don't worry, Claire. You're safe. This is my place—a space I can bring people to for training or just to talk."
Claire's eyes widened, but she did not seem afraid. Instead, she moved closer to Su Zhan, as if seeking reassurance. "How did you bring me here? Is this another one of your abilities?"
Su Zhan nodded. "You could say that. I have a lot of abilities now."
Claire looked around the glowing platform, curiosity overcoming her initial confusion. "What do you want me to do here?"
Su Zhan hesitated. He had not actually planned to fight her, and the idea of sparring with Claire seemed pointless. After a moment's thought, he decided to check on her well-being instead. "Actually, I wanted to ask—does it still hurt? From before, I mean."
Claire glanced down, her cheeks coloring slightly as she remembered the ordeal of losing her ability. "No… it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm okay."
Su Zhan let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. "That's good. I was worried I might have hurt you. I hope you understand—I really did not mean to be so rough."
Claire smiled, her embarrassment fading as she saw the sincerity in his eyes. "I know. You did what you had to do. I'm fine, really."
They stood together in the soft light, an unspoken understanding passing between them. For all the power he wielded, Su Zhan still cared about the people whose lives he touched.
"Alright, I'll send you back now," Su Zhan said gently.
He focused, and Claire vanished in a flash of light. A prompt appeared on the virtual screen: "Do you wish to erase her memory of this visit?"
Su Zhan selected 'yes,' watching as Claire's icon dimmed. It would take time before he could summon her again, but he was content to wait. The system's quirks were becoming familiar, and he was learning how to use them to his advantage.
Returning to the real world, Su Zhan considered his next move. His original plan had been to travel directly to Japan to find Hiro Nakamura, whose time-space manipulation ability was among the most coveted in this world. But now, he realized he did not need to rush. Hiro's power was only just awakening, and he would likely appear in New York soon. Su Zhan could simply wait for him there, saving time and effort.
Before heading to New York, however, there were other abilities to acquire. The world was full of gifted individuals—some strong, some subtle, all valuable in their own way. Su Zhan's next target was a young girl named Jasmine, whose unique talent allowed her to locate anyone in the world, like a living GPS. With her ability, finding other powered individuals would become infinitely easier.
He stood, stretching as sunlight filtered through the hotel window. The world outside was teeming with possibilities, each one a new opportunity to grow stronger, to build alliances, and to shape his own destiny.
"Hurry up," he muttered to himself, a determined smile on his lips. "If I wait too long, someone else might get there first."
With that, Su Zhan stepped out of the hotel and into the bustling city, ready to embrace whatever challenges lay ahead.