"Welcome, Host, to the new world. Due to system reformatting, your abilities and spatial inventory have been wiped. As compensation, you are granted one lottery draw," announced a string of system prompts, leaving Garus momentarily stunned.
"Damn it!" Garus cursed, flipping the sky an indignant middle finger. Years of hard-earned treasures were gone in an instant. "System, this is just cruel. My spatial inventory was filled with items I nearly died to obtain!"
"The reformat was necessary due to the Lich King's transformation of you, Host. Most items were purged to prevent your immediate death," the system replied matter-of-factly.
Recalling his last battle, Garus' frustration bubbled over. "You said most items were purged. What's left, then?"
"The Death Power of the Lich King remains. Your class has been converted to Death Knight, and the system shop has been unlocked. Redemption requires exchange points earned through missions."
"Death Knight? Seems like the Death Power left its mark on me. And a system shop? Interesting."
Garus quickly browsed through the shop, discovering an array of items from Azeroth's world: magical artifacts, technological devices, and even Dragonflight relics. However, the exchange points needed were staggering.
Oh right, he had a lottery draw. Might as well see what he could get.
A virtual spinning wheel materialized before him, displaying a variety of prizes: a Burning Legion Starship, the Sands of Time, a Gnomish Shrink Ray, a Delicious Wind Serpent, an Arcane Golem, Frostmourne, a Wormhole Generator, Tyrande's Banana, and a tearjerking romance novel Forbidden Love.
The items on the wheel were impressive—except for the banana and the novel. Was the system messing with him?
With a mix of excitement and resignation, Garus spun the wheel. The pointer rotated slowly, and he couldn't help but pray: No novel, no banana, and definitely no useless snacks!
"Stop, stop, stop!" he muttered, eyes wide as the pointer seemed to land on the Burning Legion Starship.
"Yes! My destiny is the stars and the sea. Come on, system, let me have it!" Garus drooled at the thought of the majestic warship. But disappointment struck as the pointer inched past the starship...
Tyrande's Banana. Useless!
"Congratulations, you have obtained the artifact Frostmourne," the system announced.
Relief washed over Garus. At least he hadn't drawn something entirely useless. Excitement quickly followed. Frostmourne was a legendary weapon of immense power—though not crafted by the Titans, it was renowned throughout Azeroth for its might.
The artifact was instantly transferred to his spatial inventory.
Distracted by the wheel, Garus now noticed his surroundings: a desolate desert under a scorching sun. The heat was unbearable, making him feel like roasted meat.
"Frost Aura." Activating his newly acquired ability, a layer of icy energy enveloped his body, offering some relief from the heat.
Still, being stark naked in the middle of nowhere was awkward.
Oh, right—the system had mentioned a gift. Summoning the gifted Runic Battle Armor, Garus watched as it automatically equipped itself, covering his body.
He had no idea where he was or what kind of world this was, so he decided to take things one step at a time.
"System? System? Where exactly am I?" Garus called out internally, but no response came.
Frustrated, he began to explore, trudging through endless dunes of sand. Was this Silithus or Tanaris? The teleportation had flung him far from anywhere familiar.
After climbing a ridge, Garus' eyes lit up—an encampment! Tents and trucks dotted the area, with people carrying guns wandering about. Their attire suggested they were a militant group, possibly terrorists or rebels from some small nation. Azeroth didn't have vehicles like that. Could he be back on Earth?
Observing their movements, Garus decided to initiate contact—with force.
"Host, frequent use of Frostmourne is not advised. It is a cursed blade capable of corrupting the wielder's mind. Safe usage requires the Mind Stone, Soul Stone, or significantly greater personal strength," the system warned abruptly.
Startled, Garus paused. "You mentioned the Mind Stone and Soul Stone. Does that mean this is the Marvel Universe?" Before his journey to Azeroth, he'd been a fan of Marvel movies and knew their storylines.
"Yes," the system confirmed.
Garus wasn't sure if this was good or bad news. Gazing at the desert, a realization dawned: he might be near the wasteland where Tony Stark was imprisoned.
"Since I'm in another world, the Lich King can't control me through Frostmourne, right?"
"This artifact has developed its own consciousness. Your current strength is insufficient to control it."
"Fine." Reluctantly, Garus returned Frostmourne to the system inventory and equipped a standard Runeblade instead.
"Summon Gargoyle!" Death Knight magic traced glowing runes on the ground, and a dark undead alchemical construct emerged.
"Scout that camp," Garus commanded.
The gargoyle soared toward the camp, drawing immediate attention. Panicked shouting erupted, but Garus couldn't understand the language.
Bullets rained down on the gargoyle, sparking harmlessly off its tough hide. Chaos engulfed the camp as the militants, clearly unfamiliar with such a creature, scrambled to respond.
Smirking, Garus stabbed his blade into the ground. Magical sigils flared to life around him.
"Summon Army of the Dead!"
Rotting ghouls, their flesh decayed and dripping, clawed their way out of the sigils. Resembling zombies but far faster, they charged toward the camp.
"Look at those things! What are they?!" the militants screamed, unloading their weapons at the oncoming horde.
Meanwhile, in a cave behind the camp, two men were busy assembling a massive suit of armor.
"Dr. Yinsen, what's going on out there?" asked a disheveled man. "Could it be the U.S. soldiers coming to rescue me?"
The man was Tony Stark, American billionaire and genius inventor.
"I'll check." Yinsen, a surgeon by trade and clueless about circuits, knocked on the iron door and shouted in a language Tony couldn't understand. "What's happening out there?"
"None of your concern! Stay put and make those missiles!" came the reply.
Yinsen shrugged at Tony.
Unbeknownst to the militants, Garus' attack had inadvertently drawn their attention, giving Tony the opportunity to continue assembling his secret project—a prototype Iron Man suit.
"Boom!"
Despite their ferocity, Garus' summoned creatures were ultimately limited by his current power. The militants' relentless firepower eventually obliterated the gargoyle and ghouls.
"Assist Tony Stark and Dr. Yinsen in escaping. Mission Difficulty: D. Reward: 2000 Exchange Points. Penalty for failure: None. Reward halved if either dies," the system announced.
It seemed Garus had stumbled into the events of Iron Man.
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