Chapter 40: Level 3 System

Luke raced down the highway in his brand-new Camaro, the engine growling beneath him like a restless beast. Tires screeched as he weaved through traffic, every red light another challenge to ignore. He had only one goal: make it to the Stark Industries Press Conference before it began. By the time he pulled up, just minutes before the event kicked off, Tony Stark had already arrived. Up on the stage stood Tony, smug as ever, devouring a cheeseburger like it was the most important thing in the world. Pepper Potts hovered nearby, smiling in quiet relief. Colonel James Rhodes, as loyal as always, stood on the other side with a satisfied grin watching his friend safe and sound. And then there was Obadiah Stane, wearing a practiced smile, the kind that didn't reach his eyes. He stood just behind Tony, clapping slowly like a proud uncle. Only someone with future knowledge like Luke could see through it. "What a hypocrite..." Luke muttered under his breath, slipping through the crowd. That's why he prefers real villains, at least they are honest about being villains. ... Suddenly, a flurry of system prompts echoed in Luke's mind. [Ding! Congratulations to the host for participating in the Stark Industries Press Conference, 2 plot points obtained.] [Ding! Core protagonist encountered: Tony Stark, 2 plot points obtained.] [Ding! Core supporting character encountered: Colonel James Rhodes, 1 plot point obtained.] [Ding! Core supporting character encountered: Pepper Potts, 1 plot point obtained.] [Ding! Core supporting villain encountered: Obadiah Stane, 1 plot point obtained.] Plot points rained down like confetti. Luke practically glowed with satisfaction. 'So that's the trick,' he thought. 'No more sending Doggo alone, if I want serious points, I've got to show up myself.' But before the thought could fully settle, another ding resounded. [System upgrade conditions met. System upgrading...] [Upgrade complete. Host may now access the new system panel.] Eyes wide, Luke opened the interface in a hurry. The familiar blue light screen shimmered before him, lines of text scrolling neatly into place. [Host: Luke Yale System Level: 3 (20 plot points required to upgrade to Level 4. Upon reaching Level 4, new functions will unlock. Mutations will no longer be restricted to objects or beings directly linked to the host.) Current Plot Points: 1 Mutation Probabilities: • First-order: 50% • Second-order: 40% • Third-order: 10% • Fourth-order: 1% • Fifth-order: 0%] ... Luke's pulse quickened. 'Mutations will no longer be limited to stuff directly connected to me?!' That single line lit up his imagination like a fireworks show. 'So... hypothetically... if I walked into a bank, could I mutate the entire building? What if it suddenly started printing money for me?' He grinned, already scheming. The possibilities were ridiculous, and irresistible. But then he noticed the fine print. '20 points to reach Level 4, huh? And I've only got 1 left...' Luke frowned slightly. The system was getting greedy, those were double the amount of points needed to reach level 3, which meant it would probably need 40 for level 5 and keep on doubling. So he probably needed a new plan, a way to generate plot points consistently. ... While he brainstormed, the press conference began. Tony stepped up to the mic, his expression uncharacteristically serious. Reporters fell into a hush, waiting. Then came the bombshell. "Effective immediately, I'm shutting down the weapons division of Stark Industries." The room erupted. Gasps, shouts, frantic scribbling. Journalists surged forward. Cameras clicked like machine guns. The world had just shifted, and everyone knew it. Obadiah Stane's expression froze, his practiced smile cracking. His face paled, then flushed purple. He wanted to explode. This declaration would cause massive financial losses. Stark's decision jeopardized decades of profits and political leverage, and worst of all, Obadiah couldn't stop it. Not here. Not now. Still, he forced himself to walk onstage, pretending to smooth things over, blaming it on Tony's mind still being affected by the kidnapping. Meanwhile, Tony, accompanied by his bodyguard Happy, and surrounded by guards and staff, made his way out the side of the stage, the chaos swirling in his wake. No one was paying attention to Obadiah's damage control. Not the reporters. Not the cameras. Not even the audience. They were all focused on Tony's back as he walked away from the weapons empire, which was considered his father's legacy. ... And in the middle of the chaos stood Luke. His eyes gleamed as he checked the stock market app on his phone. Stark Industries' stock was already plummeting. "Heh~. What if I added some fuel to the fire?' he thought. 'Could I push it lower? Would the system give me bonus plot points for that?' There was only one way to find out. He looked up, spotted a stunned reporter with a microphone, and snatched it straight from her hands with a yoink sound in his mind. 'Let's make this interesting,' Luke grinned. ... (Support with power stones or comments. You can subscribe to my Patreon /mysterion901 to read over 40 advanced chapters ????)