Chapter 5:
Fang Mo stood there, completely stunned. He hadn't yet grasped the intricacies of the Chinese Translation mod and the Lucky Block, and now Iron Man had materialized before him out of the blue.
The figure in front of Fang Mo was undeniably Iron Man. Clad in a tattered coat, his chest bore a crude electromagnet stained with blood. Two wires connected the electromagnet to a car battery. Despite his worn-out appearance, Fang Mo immediately recognized him as the authentic Iron Man.
However, in Fang Mo's understanding, Iron Man was merely a fictional character from movies. How had he transformed into a living, breathing person? And to what mysterious place had Fang Mo journeyed?
"What is Iron Man?" Stark inquired, still grappling with the bewildering situation.
Startled by Stark's reaction, Fang Mo himself appeared equally astonished.
Before Stark could utter a word, a feeble-looking middle-aged man interjected, "Sir, no offense, but we are merely prisoners captured by terrorists."
"Um... Are you..." Fang Mo interrupted, recognizing the man's identity. "Are you Dr. Ho Yinsen?"
Dr. Yinsen seemed puzzled, unable to recollect any prior encounters with Fang Mo. Nonetheless, he seized the opportunity to assuage Fang Mo's hostility.
Raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture, Dr. Yinsen explained, "As you can see, my companions and I are victims, too, ensnared by terrorists. It won't be long before they end our lives..."
Dr. Yinsen deftly depicted himself as a fellow sufferer, forging a shared enmity with Fang Mo.
"Wait, let me process this..." Fang Mo said, rubbing his forehead. He turned to Stark and queried, "So... you are truly Tony Stark, right?"
Stark hesitated momentarily before finally nodding. "Yes."
Fang Mo sought affirmation once again. "Are you absolutely sure?"
"Well..." Stark appeared taken aback. "Are there any other Tony Starks in this world?"
Fang Mo's mind raced with thoughts.
He had never fathomed that he would traverse into the Marvel Universe, seemingly arriving in a timeline preceding Iron Man's advent.
At long last, the true identity of the golden book he had discovered in the dungeon reward chest became clear. It was likely an item from the "Mysterious Island" mod, enabling players to voyage through diverse realms. However, according to the mod's design, Fang Mo should have landed in the Minecraft world, not the Marvel universe. Something had gone awry.
This was not how mods were intended to operate, and Fang Mo had no inkling of how to retrace his steps back to his own world.
"What are your plans going forward?" Fang Mo inquired. "What course of action do you intend to take?"
"I must escape," Stark declared with determination. "I cannot comply with their demands to produce Jericho missiles. If I do, they will undoubtedly kill me afterward!"
"The military must be conducting an extensive search for you, but this location is exceptionally well-hidden," Dr. Ho Yinsen observed.
After hearing Stark's explanation, Dr. Ho Yinsen felt compelled to share his thoughts. "This place doesn't appear on any maps. Satellites can only capture the surrounding mountains. We'll have to find a way to escape on our own."
"I'm well aware of that, and I'm already working on it," Stark replied, taking a deep breath to steady himself. As a lifelong playboy accustomed to wealth and luxury, this was undeniably the most dire situation he had ever faced. The looming threat of death filled him with a sense of urgency and confusion. He had no idea how long he could hold on.
"Perhaps... we could explore the possibility of relying on ancient Eastern Sorcery?" Fang Mo suggested suddenly, causing Stark to freeze. Instinctively, he turned his gaze towards Fang Mo, who happened to be looking back at him.
"Are you suggesting it's actually sorcery?" Stark questioned, staring intently at Fang Mo.
"Are you willing to help us escape? And how did you end up here?" Stark couldn't help but ask.
"That's a lengthy story..." Fang Mo pondered, contemplating how to craft a believable tale. In truth, Fang Mo had no desire to stay in the Marvel world for long. The Marvel universe was riddled with chaos, with villains constantly emerging, bent on world destruction and the like. Even with Steve as his advantageous companion, Fang Mo yearned to return to the peaceful mining world of Minecraft.
However, the problem lay in Fang Mo's lack of knowledge about how to return.
'While I've dabbled in the Mysterious Island mod, it doesn't mean I possess a complete understanding. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up here unintentionally in the first place, right?' Fang Mo pondered inwardly.
Recognizing the importance of forming strong relationships while he couldn't immediately return home, Fang Mo saw Tony Stark as an ideal candidate. Stark was a man of immense wealth, scientific brilliance, Iron Man, and a key member of the future Avengers. Fang Mo believed that befriending Stark would be beneficial, as more friends meant more opportunities.
Additionally, Fang Mo held a deep admiration for Iron Man's character and desired to change the tragic events that unfolded in the original storyline if given the chance.
"Have you ever heard of Stand Users?" Fang Mo asked, aiming to establish a closer connection with Stark and carefully choosing his words.
"What's that?" Stark and Dr. Ho Yinsen shook their heads, indicating their unfamiliarity with the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or, perhaps, their lack of interest in anime... the latter seemed more probable.
Intrigued, Stark inquired, "Is that a term used by Easterners to describe Sorcerer?"
"In truth, I'm just a Stand User," Fang Mo explained, sighing intentionally. "You may find it hard to believe, but I was perfectly fine at home when, inexplicably, I suddenly ended up here. As for what happened afterward, you witnessed it... Those terrorists made the first move."
"Wait, are you saying you appeared here out of thin air?" Stark looked visibly astounded. "Really?"
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