As image after image was compared, many people's attention converged on the game released by R-Star.
Originally popular only within gaming circles, the game quickly spread beyond them after fermenting online.
Grand Theft Auto also entered the sight of many people.
With the Lizardman lying low and no fresh headline to chase, reporters were like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, focusing their attention on the game.
[Grand Theft Auto, a crime simulator!]
[In-game flying cars enter reality—the advancement of technology!]
[A game that exposes Eagle Country's shame, a real-life game that has truly appeared in reality.]
[At the peak of Brooklyn, against the full moon: flying cars and aircraft, the clash between crime and justice.]
[Who is just? Who is evil? Why had the law become evil's glove? Satire.]
Among the trending topics, nine out of ten discussed Grand Theft Auto and Frank's group.
As Apple City heatedly discussed and followed Grand Theft Auto, its influence spread farther and farther, reaching areas such as Los Santos and Florida.
Merlin's Reputation Points also exploded, and the system entered an update.
[Reputation Points have reached five million. Offline mode unlocked.] [Liberty City Server detected. R-Star Subsystem activated. Please recruit players as soon as possible and establish the Liberty City Game Platform.] [Rewards being distributed...] [Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Oppressor MK2 technology, Hydra fighter technology, Sparrow Helicopter technology, Orca Nuclear Submarine technology, Star Cool Fighter technology, Avenger Fortress fighter technology...] [Intelligence +1]
[Life is a play, and games are plays.] [When you treat the world as a game, you are also a participant in that game.] [Just like the abyss!] [But not just anyone can design this game.] [Of course, I would rather you treat the above as bullshit.]
Merlin: "..."
After that update, the flavor really came through.
Hydra, Oppressor, Orca...
This update had handed out ten rewards at once, and every single one hit him right in the heart.
Unfortunately, there was no Turaldo or the Orbital Cannon he had been longing for.
As for Intelligence, the system had given him one point as a novice reward when it first bound to him. Now that it had added another point, techniques that had once felt obscure became crystal clear.
After accepting the reward technologies, Merlin finally turned his attention to the subsystem added after the update.
The R-Star Subsystem was an artificial intelligence system centered on real people offline.
In this system update, this subsystem was the most important part, as well as the foundation for establishing the offline game platform.
After Frank wiped out the three gangs in Hell's Kitchen yesterday, all their assets had been taken over by Merlin, including funds, real estate, and businesses.
Herb sales, smuggling...
Nightclubs, villas, apartments...
Combined with the large amount of money he had saved, establishing initial production and the platform would not be a problem with the subsystem.
As more players joined and completed more missions, his businesses would naturally increase. Then, when players bought businesses from him, it would form a perfect cycle.
As for managers, Merlin had temporarily recruited some insiders online to serve as NPCs, while the property and lease rights had all been transferred to his name.
If they refused to leave, players would naturally deal with them later, and it would even add more fun to the missions.
With the R-Star Subsystem, he would not need to worry much about production. The vehicles and weapons sold later could be made through automated assembly lines.
He had originally planned to wait until Iron Man Stark underwent his transformation, then find a way to get close to him and learn about artificial intelligence.
Night gradually fell. During that time, a few 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 phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
The song was "Midnight City," which he often played while driving.
He took out his phone. Seeing the caller ID, he raised an eyebrow and straightened up slightly.
"Hello, Uncle George."
"Merlin, do you have time now? Come back as soon as possible. We've been invited to a banquet." At home, George looked at the invitation the mayor had sent him.
"A banquet? Why would they invite me?" Merlin froze at the words.
"It's because of your Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter. Many technology companies will be attending."
Understanding flashed through Merlin's eyes.
"Okay, I'll be right back."
After hanging up, Merlin checked the time.
"That guy still hasn't come. Who knows what he's busy with..." he muttered, then closed the mod shop and rode home.
He had been waiting for Daredevil Matt. They had agreed on it last week, but Matt was probably busy fighting crime and still had not arrived.
But now that something had come up, Merlin could only leave first.
Manhattan, Stark's private villa.
Tony Stark sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, watching footage of the incident that had taken place in Brooklyn District the night before.
Because of that incident, the hot girl he had been about to take home had run off.
He had initially thought the sports car racing along the glass wall of the commercial building against gravity last night was a magic show. If it had been carefully planned, something like that could still be done.
Even after the helicopter exploded and the car flew away in full view of everyone, he still believed it had been magic—a grand magic performance.
This country had never lacked crazy, intelligent people.
But after returning home and carefully examining the recorded footage, his expression grew increasingly grave.
Even after repeatedly reviewing it, he still could not find any flaw.
That left only one possibility: the flying car was real!
And the next day's reports confirmed his guess.
"But how did he do it? A rocket engine?" For the moment, a rocket engine was the only explanation he could think of.
"Ring, ring..." At that moment, his phone vibrated.
"Hey, I'm busy right now. Pepper can handle it for me."
The caller was his uncle, Obadiah.
"No, I'm inviting you to a banquet. You know about the Midtown High School Science Fair, right? A high school student has developed an Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter and Atomic Energy Technology."
"This is a genius. To say something you won't like, he's an even greater genius than you."
Tony rolled his eyes and was about to refuse, but when he looked at the Grand Theft Auto game he had just downloaded, he seemed to think of something.
"Okay, I'll attend."
Before you continue