Chapter 31: Luke’s Last Bottom Line

At the same moment Doggo, now a towering, flame-wreathed Cerberus, shoved one of his three massive heads into the cave and found Tony Stark... Thousands of miles away, in a quiet grocery store on 58th Avenue in New York City, Luke Yale finally received a long-awaited system prompt. [Ding~ Congratulations, host, for participating in the Marvel storyline: "The Birth of Iron Man." You have earned 2 plot points. Please continue your efforts.] [Ding~ Reminder: "The Birth of Iron Man" is one of the early major Marvel events. While the full reward is 5 plot points, the host was not present on-site and therefore only receives 2 points.] The system's robotic voice rang out twice in quick succession. At first, Luke's face lit up with excitement. "Nice!" But the smile on his face instantly froze. "...Wait. Only 2 points?" He had unexpectedly missed out on 3 points. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. "System, what exactly are the rules for acquiring plot points?" He needed clarity. Only by understanding the mechanics could he choose the most efficient path forward. In response, a glowing blue panel materialized in front of him, displaying a detailed set of instructions. [Plot Point Acquisition Rules] [First encounter with a general supporting character (e.g., Phil Coulson): +1 point] [First encounter with a main protagonist (e.g., Natasha Romanoff, Tony Stark): +2 points] [Participation in a major plotline (e.g., "The Birth of Iron Man"): +5 points] [Participation in a general event (e.g., Stark Industries Expo): +2 points] [Note: Plot point gains are affected by participation level and whether the host is present during the event.] Luke quickly scanned the rules and nodded in understanding. "So... it's not enough to just 'trigger' an event," he muttered. "I need to actually be there." Deep involvement = higher points. 'Got it.' But as he thought about it more, a small grin crept onto his face. Now that Tony was officially Iron Man, the Marvel storyline was kicking into full gear. That meant a flood of major events was incoming, along with plenty of chances to rack up points. He was going to level up fast. Just as he began to daydream about future rewards, a hard slap landed on his shoulder. "Hey! What're you grinning about?" Wanda had appeared out of nowhere, glaring at him with mock suspicion. Despite the awkward incident from the past day where she almost ripped her clothes from an unexpected growth spurt, she seemed to have bounced back, if anything, with even more confidence than before. Her body had changed in subtle but obvious ways. At just sixteen, her figure was already striking. Even compared to someone like Natasha Romanoff, she was quickly catching up. Luke blinked and quickly composed himself. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking that you look... uh, really beautiful today." The grin he gave her was a little too genuine. Even he was surprised by the compliment. He usually didn't bother with that sort of thing, after all, Wanda was his sister, not a girlfriend. Still, a little flattery never hurt anyone. Hearing the compliment, Wanda's face immediately lit up. "You really think so?" She gave a proud little twirl, clearly showing off her new curves. Luke's gaze drifted for just a moment too long. Then he cursed himself silently. 'What the hell am I doing? She's my sister!' He quickly looked away, mentally smacking himself. Beast! Pervert! Scum of humanity! He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the ridiculous thoughts bubbling up. Suddenly realising his hand had subconsciously slipped into his pocket... reaching toward the X-ray glasses. Then he stopped forcefully. No. Absolutely not. He yanked his hand back like he'd touched a hot iron. Wanda was sixteen. She might've mutated and gained some very tempting curves, but he was still a man with lines he wouldn't cross. This? This was his final bottom line. If he really wanted to look... He could wait another two years. Wanda raised an eyebrow. "What's with the face? You look like you just ate a lemon." Luke forced a crooked smile. "I'm fine! Totally fine!" But Wanda didn't buy it. "Wait, is it the stocks? Did something happen?!" Her expression immediately turned anxious. Yesterday, she'd taken all her savings, nearly $60,000, and dumped it all into Hammer Industries stocks. If anything went wrong... Luke waved his hands. "No, no, it's not that! Everything's fine." Wanda still looked suspicious, so Luke pulled out his phone to prove it. He unlocked it, opened his stock-trading app, and handed it over. Together, they checked. Sure enough, her investment was holding steady. Yesterday, when Hammer Industries hit its daily upper limit, it increased her investment by 10% in a single day. But today, the market seemed a bit shaky. Luke tapped around, checking the current trends of Stark Industries. News had just broken: Tony Stark had been found alive and rescued. Predictably, Stark Industries stock was beginning to rebound. Wanda looked confused. "Is that... bad?" But Luke's eyes glinted with something else, certainty. "This spike won't last," he murmured. He remembered this part clearly. After returning to the U.S., Tony would soon hold a press conference. In it, he'd publicly announce that Stark Industries would no longer produce weapons. For a company that made its fortune entirely from military contracts... That kind of announcement would be a financial suicide. Luke smirked, let the amateurs celebrate. He knew exactly when to strike. Or well, his phone did... ...