Chapter 4:
Mark was surprised. He'd stumbled across a dungeon while mining. It wasn't unusual to find dungeons in Minecraft, but finding one this easily was pretty lucky.
He had Steve clear away the mossy cobblestone, and then Mark peered inside. It was a small, dark room with a spawner cage in the middle. Zombies were popping out of the cage, surrounded by fiery particles, and wandering around aimlessly.
Mark noticed a wooden chest tucked away in a corner. He couldn't resist the urge to open it.
Everyone knows that, except for maybe those hardcore Dark Souls players, no one can resist opening a treasure chest in a video game.
Confident in his iron gear, Mark didn't hesitate. Steve smashed the mossy cobblestone with his pickaxe, and Mark quickly dispatched the zombies with his iron sword.
After taking care of the zombies, Mark blocked off the spawner with torches and went to open the chest. Inside, he found the usual loot: some gold ingots, a regular golden apple, and... a strange golden leather book.
Curious, Mark took a closer look at the book. It had a gold cover with the words 'Mrvl Cmcs' written on it. He'd heard of Marvel Comics, of course, but he didn't know much about them.
He recognized it as a mod item, but he couldn't remember which mod it was from. Intrigued, Mark decided to take a chance. He had Steve use the golden leather book.
Suddenly, a swirling black mist erupted from the book, engulfing Mark and Steve.
[Achievement Obtained: One-Way Journey.]
A strange electronic chime echoed in Mark's mind, and then everything went dark. He felt like he was falling, but it only lasted a few seconds. Then, just as suddenly, the sensation stopped.
Mark opened his eyes. He was in a dark, dingy cave. There was a messy table with various items scattered on it, and a heavy iron door that reeked of something foul.
Disoriented, Mark realized he was back on Earth. But he didn't recognize this place. And it looked so real... not blocky like Minecraft. The cave walls were rough and uneven.
"I'm back?" Mark felt a surge of excitement. He hadn't expected to actually return to the real world. This was amazing! He could see his family again!
But his joy was short-lived. There was a commotion outside. The heavy iron door swung open, and a group of armed men dragged in two bloodied prisoners. They saw Mark, and everyone froze.
"What the--!?"
Before Mark could say anything, the armed men turned their guns on him, yelling in some language he didn't understand.
"Oh, crap..."
Mark's heart pounded in his chest. Guns! He instinctively raised his hands in surrender. "I... Think, Mark, think!"
[System Prompt: Translation Module Downloading...]
"What?"
Mark was startled by the sudden voice. Before he could react, the men opened fire.
A gunshot rang out, and Mark felt a sharp impact on his forehead. He stumbled backwards.
"HAHAHA!"
The men laughed cruelly as Mark fell. The two prisoners, however, seemed elated. One of them shouted, "NO!" and "You monsters!"
"HAHAHA!!!"
The more agitated the prisoners became, the more the armed men seemed to enjoy it.
But their laughter died abruptly.
They watched in disbelief as Mark's 'lifeless' body slowly got back up.
"What the hell? Did you really think you could kill me that easily?"
Slowly, deliberately, Mark straightened up. There was a bullet hole in his forehead, a clean entry and exit wound, but he wasn't bleeding.
He wasn't even hurt.
He didn't feel any pain, even with a hole in his head.
Strangely, it was Steve who seemed to flinch. He'd lost half a heart.
But seeing that made something click in Mark's mind. He finally remembered who he was.
He was a Stand user! With an awesome Stand! Why was he scared of some guys with guns?
Mark's expression hardened.
If this were an anime, there would be some dramatic music playing right now, and maybe some cool visual effects.
Silently, Steve appeared behind Mark, his expressionless face radiating an eerie aura.
Seeing the brutality of this world had shattered any remaining illusions Mark had about being a good guy. All those hours he'd spent playing Minecraft, all those battles he'd fought in the game... it was all coming back to him now. With a thought, Steve moved like a phantom, striking the bearded leader of the group.
For a split second, the bearded man froze, a thin line of blood appearing on his forehead.
Then he collapsed, his lifeless body hitting the ground with a sickening thud. His intestines spilled out, and the air filled with the coppery scent of blood.
"Uh... Ahhhhh!"
The other men, horrified, raised their guns and fired wildly at Mark.
But to their shock, the bullets stopped in mid-air just before they reached him.
Steve, holding his shield like a massive door, was blocking every single bullet.
But Steve was just a manifestation of Mark's will. Only "similar beings" could see him. To the gunmen, it looked like Mark was stopping the bullets with his mind.
"!?"
The sight of Mark effortlessly deflecting the bullets terrified them. They kept firing, but Steve's shield was taking a beating.
Mark narrowed his eyes. With a thought, he had Steve grab some loose stones and arrange them in a makeshift barrier.
The bullets ricocheted off the stones, sending sparks flying. The gunmen faltered, their confidence shaken.
Mark seized the opportunity. He charged forward, Steve right beside him. The gunmen tried to fight back, but they were no match for Mark and his Stand.
One by one, Mark took them down. The remaining prisoners watched in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what they were witnessing.
Mark turned to the prisoners, his eyes blazing.
"You thought you could kill me?" Mark's voice dripped with disdain. "You underestimated the power of a Stand user. Now, face the consequences."
The prisoners cowered, realizing their mistake. They were outmatched, facing a power they couldn't understand.
Mark moved with a newfound confidence, his Stand ready to strike. He was a Stand user, and he was embracing it.
The fight was over quickly. Mark stood amidst the fallen, his Stand fading away. The prisoners stared at him in awe. They'd seen something truly extraordinary.
From that moment on, Mark's journey as a Stand user had begun. The world was his to explore, with all its mysteries and dangers.
[System Prompt: English to Chinese Translation Mod Download Complete... Load it?]
"English to Chinese Translation Mod?"
Mark paused. Why would he need that? Was there something in Minecraft that needed translating? Then it hit him. Maybe this could translate that golden book he'd found earlier.
Intrigued, Mark made his decision.
"Yes, load the English to Chinese Translation Mod," he said, eager to see what secrets it might unlock. He had no idea that his journey as a Stand user was just beginning, and the mysteries he would uncover would go far beyond the world of Minecraft.
[System Prompt: You have downloaded and activated a new mod, granting you a Lucky Block that randomly generates items from any known mod.]
Mark felt a strange sensation in his mind, like something had been added to his consciousness. At the same time, a brightly colored block appeared in Steve's inventory.
"A Lucky Block?"
Mark stared at the block in surprise. He knew about Lucky Blocks. They were a mod that gave you random items from the original game when you opened them. But this one sounded different. It could give him items from other mods too. It was like a modified Lucky Block, created by someone.
Now Mark was really confused. What did "any known mod" even mean?
Did it mean any mod in his modpack?
Or... could it mean any mod he knew about?
"Hey, buddy, how did you do that? Was that magic?" Two figures stepped out from the shadows, their voices filled with curiosity.
Mark turned to look, and his jaw dropped. "Iron... Iron Man?!"