Orbital Cannon, Optimus Prime

After school, Merlin headed straight to his modification shop.

Since the Stark mission ended, he had handed Erica's body over to Matt and posted a quest to resurrect his girlfriend, with the target naturally being The Hand.

As for Bullseye, he had also posted a quest, which was picked up by the Asian scientist Kenji Koyama, also known as the Dark Wind Lord.

Merlin had been using this opportunity to track the Dark Wind Lord, trying to find out where he got his hands on Adamantium.

Adamantium, Vibranium, and Asgard's magical metal—Uru Metal—all piqued his interest.

The Punisher had been lying low during this time, waiting for Merlin's signal to strike.

With the platform's expansion and the increase in vehicle and weapon orders, many gang members had been kept busy, either delivering goods or on their way to deliver them.

And because of the surge in orders, a massive amount of materials was needed, which in turn boosted the economy of Kingpin's industries.

As a result, Hell's Kitchen, once chaotic and lawless, had fallen into an eerie calm, looking no different from a normal neighborhood on the surface.

Outside the modification shop's gate, Merlin sat on a small stool, quietly enjoying the night breeze. At the top of a nearby hillock, a massive searchlight beam pierced through the dark, dense forest, shining onto the pristine clouds in the sky, forming a sharp, emblem-like image.

It was the symbol representing the Cybertronian Autobot faction.

And the source was Arcee, perched on a tree trunk, holding the searchlight.

She was calling out to the other Autobots on Earth.

"Autobots, roll out!"

Just as Merlin was curiously watching this scene, the notebook page on the small table flickered, and a window popped up.

"The Lizard Rise quest has been activated."

Merlin shifted his gaze from the sky, looking at the accepted quest, and a smile crept across his face.

"He took it after all!"

Muttering to himself, he began sending transport missions to suitable players.

"Ding!" As he was drafting the mission, another notification sound rang out.

But this time, it was in his mind—from the system.

[Reputation Points have reached ten million. Rewards granted: Orbital Cannon technology, Decepticon technology, TM-02K Khan Jari Military Tank technology.]

With the platform's expansion, the game's Reputation Points had skyrocketed, finally hitting ten million.

In just one day, iconic game vehicles like the Vigilante, Tyrant, Superburn, Turaldo, and Saint Taro had gone viral across the internet, rapidly spreading to other cities and even other countries.

Thus, ten million was just the beginning.

"Orbital Cannon!" Merlin's eyes lit up at today's reward, but soon, thinking about his current situation, he grew troubled.

Although the platform had expanded, it was still just him and one AI subsystem. Running a Liberty City server was barely manageable, but to keep growing, relying on one person alone was tough.

Vehicles like the Turaldo and Tyrant MK2 could still be produced, but large fortress vehicles like the Avenger and the Orca submarine were a different story.

To build them, he would need not only space but also massive amounts of materials and time. While Stark's Cold Fusion Core had cut down most of the time, it still wasn't enough for Merlin.

Now, with the Orbital Cannon, he would need to launch satellites into space—that went without saying.

But this thing had to be built. As the platform expanded, many would inevitably set their sights on him, and a deterrent weapon was a must.

However, while Merlin had money on hand, he lacked materials and equipment. His foundation was still too weak.

Thinking this over, he pulled out the business cards for Stark Industries and Hammer Industries.

He considered them for a moment, then put them back. He'd look into it after the Lizard mission was done.

For now, in the Grand Theft Auto game, aside from the big brother's cheat-like technology, he had already acquired most of the weapons and vehicle tech. The next game should unlock soon.

He wasn't in a hurry and continued reading the next two technologies.

The Decepticon, this land-air vehicle, wasn't bad, but its mobility was still too poor against fighter jets.

With Stark's Cold Fusion technology, he didn't think much of the Decepticon anymore. Selling it to players would be fine.

Speaking of which, Stark Industries' stock had taken a nosedive recently, and he had bought a lot. He wondered when Iron Man's iconic moment would come.

As for the Khan Tank, he could try to build one.

"Vroom vroom vroom..." As Merlin pondered, the roar of engines echoed through the silent night.

As headlights approached, a convoy led by a fiery red Peterbilt heavy truck sped down the street.

"They're here." Arcee, standing beside Merlin, said as she looked into the distance.

Merlin stood up as well, watching curiously.

The convoy drew closer, and as it reached the shop's entrance, the vehicles began to transform under Merlin's astonished gaze.

Under the cold moonlight, the clatter of machinery, the screech of sparks, the centrifugal force of spinning tires, the crisp snap of metal plates...

Kukukikikukukukiki...

Beneath the symphony of metal, a knight-like Autobot in massive red and blue knelt on one knee, his dignified metal face curiously leaning close to Merlin.

"Merlin Shaw. What a coincidence—also a high school student." A low, husky voice emanated from him.

Optimus Prime was somewhat surprised. Aside from the human's name, nothing else about him could be found anywhere online.

"Thump, thump, thump..." Merlin knocked on the Autobot's large face.

Optimus Prime seemed not to have expected such an action and quickly stood up.

"Human, you are truly impolite." He remarked to Merlin with displeasure.

"He should get a blast to learn what manners are." Ironhide swayed his hands irritably.

"Ironhide, don't forget the purpose of our visit." Ratchet reminded him helplessly, then looked apologetically at Merlin: "Sorry, a dog previously sprayed lubricant all over his foot."

"Hey, hi, I'm Sam." At that moment, Sam stepped out from Bumblebee and greeted Merlin.

"I'm Megan." A black-haired girl in a red strappy crop top and denim shorts that reached her thighs, revealing most of her wheat-colored skin and sexy waist, also smiled and waved.

Large hoop earrings dangled from her ears, exuding a wild aura—a true temptress.

"Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet."

"I'm Merlin."

After getting acquainted, they cut straight to the point and discussed the AllSpark.

"The glasses are useless now. The AllSpark marked on them has been moved elsewhere, but I'm still tracking down where." Merlin took the old glasses from Sam's hand and said.

Today's update is a bit late; there will be another chapter shortly.