After school, Merlin hurried to his modification shop.
Following the completion of Stark's mission, he handed Erica's body to Matt and issued a mission to resurrect her. The target of this mission was, of course, the Hand.
As for Bullseye, Merlin issued a separate mission, which was taken up by the Asian scientist Kenji oyama, also known as Lord Darkwind. Recently, Merlin has been tracking Lord Darkwind to uncover the source of the Adamantium metal he uses. He's particularly interested in Adamantium, Vibranium, and Asgard's magical Uru metal.
During this time, the Punisher also took a break, waiting for an opportunity from Merlin.
With the expansion of the platform and the increase in orders for vehicles and weapons, many gang members have been busy, either delivering goods or en route to deliveries. The surge in orders and the need for large amounts of materials have also boosted Kingpin's industrial economy.
Hell's Kitchen, once chaotic and disorderly, had now fallen into a strange calm, almost resembling a normal neighborhood on the surface.
Outside the modification shop, Merlin sat on a chair, quietly enjoying the night breeze. In the distance, atop a hill, a massive searchlight beam cut through the dark forest, illuminating the bright clouds in the sky. The light formed a symbol—a medal with a strong, recognizable emblem.
It was the icon representing the Autobot camp from Cybertron.
The source of the light was Arcee, perched on a tree trunk, holding the searchlight steady. She was calling out to the other Autobots on Earth.
"Autobots, assemble!"
As Merlin watched this scene with growing curiosity, his attention was suddenly drawn to the notebook on the small table beside him. The screen flickered, and a window popped up.
"The Lizard Rise mission has started."
Merlin's gaze shifted from the sky back to the task notification on his screen, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
"Looks like they took the bait after all," he muttered to himself, pleased that the Lizard Rise mission had been accepted. With a quick motion, he began assigning transportation tasks to players he deemed suitable for the job.
Just as he was deep in thought, another notification chimed, this time directly in his mind—a system alert.
*[Reputation has reached 10 million. Rewards unlocked: Orbital Cannon Technology, Droso Technology, and TM-02 Khanjali Military Tank Technology.]*
The platform's rapid expansion had caused a massive spike in reputation, with the value finally hitting the 10 million mark. The day had been a whirlwind, with various iconic game vehicles like the Vigilante, Tyrant, Super Combustion, Turaldo, and Shotaro becoming sensations on the internet. Their popularity had begun spreading like wildfire to other cities and even beyond national borders. And this, Merlin knew, was only the beginning.
"An orbital cannon!" Merlin's eyes lit up as he read through the rewards, the excitement palpable. But as the reality of his situation settled in, his excitement was tinged with worry. The idea of having such powerful technology at his disposal was thrilling.
Although the platform had expanded, it was still just Merlin and an artificial intelligence subsystem managing everything. Building and maintaining a Liberty City server was barely within his capabilities, but further development was proving to be a real challenge. While he could still produce vehicles like the Turaldo and Tyrant MK2, constructing larger fortress vehicles such as the Avengers or the Orca submarines was far more difficult.
To build something on that scale, he would need not only a proper site but also a massive amount of materials and time. Stark's cold fusion core had indeed reduced a significant portion of the required time, but it still wasn't enough for Merlin's ambitions. The addition of a space-based cannon further complicated matters—launching satellites into space was no small feat, and it was clear that more resources were needed.
Yet, despite these challenges, Merlin knew that building such deterrent weapons was crucial. As the platform continued to grow, it would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention. Having powerful weapons as a deterrent was not just desirable—it was necessary.
However, the stark reality was that, while Merlin had money, he lacked the essential materials and equipment. His foundation was simply too weak to support his grand plans. With this in mind, he pulled out the business cards for Stark Industries and Hammer Industries, examining them closely,
After mulling it over, Merlin decided to set the business cards aside for now, resolving to revisit them once the Lizard mission was complete.
In the game GTA he had already acquired nearly all the weapons and vehicle skills, except for Big Brother's notorious cheating abilities. The next game was likely to unlock soon, but Merlin wasn't in any rush. Instead, he turned his attention to the two new technologies he had just received.
The Droso land and air vehicle was decent, though its maneuverability left much to be desired, especially when up against more agile fighters. With Stark's cold fusion technology already in his arsenal, Merlin found Droso's tech less appealing—perhaps something better suited for selling to players rather than keeping for himself.
On a related note, Stark Industries' stock had recently taken a nosedive, and Merlin had seized the opportunity to buy in. He wondered when the classic Iron Man moment would finally arrive, setting the stage for a significant rebound in value.
As for the Khanjali military tank, that was another matter altogether. Merlin's mind was already working on ways to produce one.
"Buzz buzz..." Merlin's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of engines roaring in the silent night. As the headlights grew closer, a convoy led by a red Bilt heavy truck came speeding down the street.
"They're coming," Arcee murmured, her optics fixed on the approaching convoy.
Merlin stood up, equally curious, as the vehicles drew nearer. When they finally arrived in front of the shop, the scene that unfolded was nothing short of extraordinary.
Under the cold moonlight, the vehicles began to transform, the sound of mechanical collisions, sparks flying, and the friction of metal echoed through the night. Tires rotated with centrifugal force, and metal sheets bounced with a crisp clang...
Ku-ku-kikikuku-kikikukikiku...
Amidst this symphony of metal, a towering red and blue Autobot, resembling a knight, kneeled down, its imposing metal face now close to Merlin.
"Merlin Shaw, what a coincidence, you're also a high school student," a deep voice rumbled from the giant. Optimus Prime, though surprised, noted that aside from the name, the human before him was an enigma—untraceable online.
Dong dong dong... Merlin knocked on the large metallic face in front of him.
Optimus Prime, caught off guard by the unexpected gesture, quickly stood up. "Human, you are so rude," he said, clearly displeased.
"I should blast him to teach him some manners!" Ironhide grumbled, his fists clenched in irritation.
"Remember our mission, Ironhide," Ratchet, the Autobot medic, intervened with a sigh, before turning to Merlin with an apologetic look. "Sorry about that. He got sprayed with lubricant by a dog earlier."
"Hi, hello, I'm Sam," a young man stepped out of Bumblebee, offering a friendly wave.
"And I'm Megan," a black-haired girl chimed in, her red midriff-baring top and leg-length denim shorts revealing her sun-kissed skin and toned figure. She wore large rings in her ears and had an aura of wild beauty that was hard to ignore.
"Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet,"
....
After the introductions were complete, the group quickly turned their attention to the pressing matter at hand—the Allspark.
Merlin, now holding the old pair of glasses that Sam had brought, inspected them closely. "These glasses are no longer of any use," he said, glancing up at the others.
"The location of the Allspark marked on them has been moved elsewhere. However, I'm in the process of pinpointing the new location."
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