R Star Subsystem, Banquet

As images were compared one by one, many people's attention converged on the game released by R Star.

What had originally been a game popular only within the gaming circle rapidly spread through the internet, breaking out to the mainstream.

Grand Theft Auto entered many people's field of vision.

Just as the Lizardman had gone quiet, journalists hungry for a headline swarmed like sharks smelling blood, zeroing in on the game as the new hot topic.

[Grand Theft Auto—a crime simulator!]

[Game car chases become reality—the progress of technology!]

[A game that tears off Eagle Country's fig leaf, a real-life game truly appearing in reality.]

[The peak of Brooklyn, with the full moon as backdrop—car chases and planes, the clash of sin and justice.]

[Who is justice? Who is evil? Why has the law become the glove of evil? Satire.]

Among the hot topics, nine out of ten discussed Grand Theft Auto and Frank.

As Apple City's heated discussion and attention toward Grand Theft Auto spread further, regions like Los Santos and Florida began to feel the effects.

Merlin's Reputation Points exploded as well, and the system entered an update.

[Reputation Points have reached five million. Offline Mode unlocked.]

[Liberty City server detected. R Star Subsystem activated. Host, please recruit players as soon as possible to build the Liberty City Game Platform.]

[Rewards distributing...]

[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained Tyrant MK2 technology, Hydra fighter technology, Sparrow Helicopter technology, Orca Nuclear Submarine technology, Star Cool Fighter technology, Avenger Fortress technology...]

[Intelligence +1]

[Life is like a game—the game of acting.]

[When you treat the world as a game, you too become a player in it.]

[Like the abyss!]

[But not just anyone can be the designer of this game.]

[Of course, I'd prefer you treat the above as hot air.]

Merlin: "..."

With this update, the flavor hit him all at once.

Hydra, Tyrant, Orca...

This update had released ten rewards at once, and every single one struck a chord in his heart.

Too bad there was no Turaldo or the Orbital Cannon he'd been dreaming of.

As for Intelligence, the system had given a newbie reward when it first bound, and now it added another point. Some techniques that had felt rough before now became clear and smooth.

After accepting all the reward technologies, Merlin focused on the new subsystem that had appeared after the update.

The R Star Subsystem—an AI system centered on offline real-life gameplay.

In this system update, this subsystem was the main event, the foundation for building the offline game platform.

After Frank wiped out three gangs in Hell's Kitchen yesterday, all their assets had been taken over by Merlin, including funds, real estate, and businesses.

Selling herbs, smuggling...

Nightclubs, villas, apartments...

With his own substantial savings and the subsystem, he could manage the initial production and platform setup.

As more players joined and more missions were completed, his businesses would naturally grow. Then players could buy businesses from him, forming a perfect cycle.

As for management, Merlin had temporarily hired some insiders online to act as NPCs, and the property and lease rights had all been transferred to his name.

If anyone refused to leave, players would eventually deal with them, adding some extra fun to the missions.

With the R Star Subsystem, he didn't have to worry too much about production. The vehicles and weapons sold could be handled entirely by automated assembly lines.

Originally, he'd planned to wait until Iron Man Stark had his transformation, then try to get close and learn about AI.

Time gradually moved into evening. Some nearby residents came to buy vehicles and weapons, but nothing major happened otherwise.

"Look and see her eyes, they glow..."

Just as Merlin was studying the subsystem, the ringtone of his phone suddenly went off from his pocket.

The song was Midnight City—one he often played while driving.

He pulled out his phone, raised an eyebrow at the caller ID, and sat up a little straighter.

"Hello? Uncle George."

"Merlin, do you have time right now? Come back as soon as you can—there's a banquet invitation for us." George at home looked at the invitation sent by the mayor as he spoke.

"A banquet? Why would they invite me?" Merlin was taken aback.

"Because of your Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter. A lot of tech companies will be attending."

Hearing this, a glimmer of understanding flashed in Merlin's eyes.

"Alright, I'll head back now."

After hanging up, Merlin checked the time.

"This guy still hasn't shown up, wonder what he's busy with..." he muttered, then closed up the tuning shop and rode his bike toward home.

He was waiting for Daredevil, Matt—they'd agreed on it last week, but the other guy was probably busy fighting crime and hadn't arrived yet.

But since something came up, he had to leave first.

Manhattan, Stark's private villa.

Tony Stark sat lounging on the sofa, watching footage of last night's events in the Brooklyn District on the screen in front of him.

Because of this, the hot chick he'd been about to bring home had also run off.

He'd originally thought the car racing against gravity along the glass walls of the commercial building was a magic show—because if carefully planned, something like that could still be pulled off.

Even when the helicopter exploded and the car flew away in plain sight, he still believed it was a magic trick, a grand performance.

This country never lacked crazy, brilliant people.

But after he went back and closely examined the captured footage, his expression grew more and more serious.

Even after repeated scrutiny, he still couldn't spot any flaw.

That left only one possibility—that flying car was real!

And the next day's reports confirmed his guess.

"But how did he do it? Used a rocket engine?" The only thing he could think of for now was a rocket engine.

"Ring, ring..." Just then, his phone vibrated.

"Hey! I'm busy right now, you can have Pepper handle it."

The caller was his uncle, Obadiah.

"No, I'm calling to invite you to a banquet. You know about the Midtown High School Science Fair? Some high school student has developed an Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter and Atomic Energy Technology."

"He's a genius—and to say something you won't like, a genius even greater than you."

Tony rolled his eyes and was about to refuse, but as he looked at the newly downloaded Grand Theft Auto, something seemed to occur to him.

"OK, I'll come."