With the sleek game bracelet strapped firmly around his wrist, Tony Stark leaned back on the sofa, allowing himself to relax. As his eyes gently closed, a soft light radiated from the bracelet, casting a shimmering glow that enveloped his body from head to toe.
In an instant, Tony's brainwaves shifted into a state of light sleep. But this was no ordinary nap.
His eyelids twitched slightly—then, without warning, a cosmic vista unfurled before his vision. Gone was the blackness of unconsciousness; in its place, the vast expanse of a star-filled sky stretched out endlessly. The stars twinkled like polished diamonds on velvet, and the Milky Way arced across the heavens like a glowing river of light.
"This sensation…" he murmured, his voice low with awe.
Tony's heart beat faster. He truly felt like he was floating in the depths of space. As he turned his head, scanning the universe around him, something massive and breathtaking came into view—Earth.
A radiant blue planet hung in the void, its continents clearly outlined beneath swirling white clouds. From this vantage point, Earth looked almost surreal, as though plucked from a dream.
It struck Tony with a wave of emotion. Since donning the first Iron Man suit, he had flown to incredible heights, soaring over oceans and mountain ranges. But the Mark IV suit had its limits. It could graze the edge of the atmosphere, but never fully break through into orbit.
This—this was different.
This was the first time he had truly seen Earth from space.
And yet… he was sure none of this was real.
But it didn't feel fake, either.
There was no lag, no uncanny valley effect. No pixelated stars or artificial lighting. Everything about the sight, the feeling, even the emptiness of space—it all felt authentic. Almost too authentic.
"How is this even possible? Just from a bracelet?"
Tony's eyes widened as a thousand questions raced through his mind. Could it be that technology had reached this level—without him knowing? Was someone, somewhere, creating simulations so advanced, so precise, they rivaled real life?
While he was still marveling at the view, a pleasant, clear voice rang softly in his ear:
"Welcome to the second world of 'Oasis,' Mr. Stark. As the Chief Experience Officer of the company, you have full access to real identity mode and are granted priority entry to all available dungeons."
Tony blinked. That voice… he knew it well.
"Alice?" he asked, instantly recognizing the advanced AI developed by Joseph, the mysterious creator of Oasis.
Using an AI like Alice as the in-game guide? That was absurdly extravagant—even by Tony's standards.
A wry smile played on his lips. "Only Joseph would do something this crazy…"
Still, Tony's curiosity had been ignited.
"Alright then. Let's see what all the fuss is about."
"As you wish, Mr. Stark."
Before the final syllable even finished echoing in his mind, a sudden wave of weightlessness swept over him. His stomach lurched, and his body floated briefly as if dropped from a cliff.
The feeling wasn't unfamiliar. He had experienced it before—when he cut power to the Mark II suit at 10,000 meters just to see what it was like to plummet through the sky. That stunt had been a hundred times more thrilling than bungee jumping.
But here's the thing: he wasn't in his suit now. He wasn't even awake.
So why didn't he wake up? A strong shock like this should've snapped him out of sleep immediately. Yet, his consciousness remained firmly embedded in this world.
Was he still dreaming?
Or was this something else entirely?
Just then, his surroundings began to shift. The stars disappeared. In their place, clouds formed. Beneath the clouds, continents emerged. Oceans sparkled. Cities came into focus—busy highways, gleaming towers, bustling neighborhoods.
Then, one skyscraper loomed larger than the rest: a hundred floors tall, with a glowing arc reactor emblem shining proudly near its summit.
"Stark Tower?" Tony muttered.
As if on cue, a warm breeze lifted him from mid-air and gently deposited him onto the crowded street below.
Honking horns, chattering pedestrians, and flashing advertisements filled the scene. It was all so real—Tony could almost feel the sidewalk beneath his shoes.
And just like that, he experienced the same visceral shock Professor Xavier had gone through during his earlier test run.
This world didn't just look real—it felt real.
At the tower's entrance, several sharply dressed employees were coming and going. As they passed Tony, they smiled and greeted him respectfully.
"Mr. Stark."
"Good morning, Mr. Stark."
"Nice to see you, sir."
Tony nodded at each one. Despite knowing they were AI-generated NPCs, their subtle facial expressions and mannerisms blurred the line between synthetic and real.
It was unnerving.
"Is this… real identity substitution?" he murmured to himself.
He didn't head inside the building. Instead, he wandered down the street, observing his surroundings with a mix of wonder and suspicion.
The more he walked, the more impressed he became.
"No wonder they call it the 'Second World'... You can live an entirely different life here. This isn't a game. It's a damn alternate reality."
Alice's voice chimed in again: "In this Second World, you can do anything you wish, Mr. Stark."
"Anything?" Tony arched a brow. "Including building a new Iron Man suit? Becoming Iron Man in here too?"
"Absolutely. That is one of your natural abilities."
A glowing interface materialized in front of Tony.
[Player: Tony Stark (Chief Experience Officer)]
[Identity: Chairman of Stark Industries Group]
[Ability: Technology Ascension]
[Skills: None yet]
[Items: None]
[Wealth: 90 Billion]
[Dungeon Coins: Unlimited]
Tony snorted. "Only 90 billion? That's barely my lunch money. And what's with these 'dungeon coins'?"
As if answering his thoughts, a second window popped open.
[Dungeon Selection Menu]
Categories scrolled past:
Free Leisure
Competitive Arena
Movie Experiences
Action
Horror
Sci-Fi
Monster Invasions
Magic Realms
Survival Challenges
There were hundreds of instances to explore—ranging from luxury beach vacations and food duels to interstellar wars and zombie apocalypses.
"You can experience everything without ever leaving your seat," he muttered. "That'll definitely attract casual players."
But Tony wasn't interested in five-star resorts or cooking contests. He was a thrill-seeker.
He scrolled past the relaxing modes and locked onto a category labeled [Monsters].
One title stood out immediately: [Jurassic World].
"Dinosaurs, huh?" He chuckled. "Never seen those in real life… let's fix that."
He tapped the selection without hesitation.
[Player Tony Stark has chosen the instance: Jurassic World.]
[Initializing... please wait.]
The virtual world shifted again.
Trees the size of buildings surrounded him. Lush vegetation covered every surface. The air was thick and salty, like the edge of an oceanic island.
Tony took one deep breath and declared, "This definitely feels like an island—smells like one too."
And then came the thud.
The earth trembled.
Tony instinctively looked to the right—only to see a massive creature charging through the jungle. It stood at least thirty feet tall, its legs pounding the earth like thunder, its skin glistening with sweat and rain.
A dinosaur.
A real, ten-ton dinosaur was heading right for him.
Tony's entire body stiffened. Goosebumps erupted down his arms. Primitive human fear, buried beneath decades of logic and science, exploded to the surface.
"GREAT CRAB SPECIAL!!!" he yelled, resorting to instinctive gibberish as the beast thundered toward him.
Before he could dive out of the way, the world darkened.
A massive foot—larger than a compact car—descended on his position.
BOOM.
His body was obliterated in an instant—transformed into a cascade of sparkling gold coins that scattered in all directions.
Everything went black.
In the distance, he barely heard Alice's voice, tinged with what he could swear was sarcasm:
"Mr. Stark, perhaps next time, forge yourself an Iron Man suit before entering the dungeon."
Tony gritted his teeth as the darkness enveloped him.
Next time, he was going in prepared.
___________________________________
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31