Kane Penter

Queens, New York City

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring!

The moment the dismissal bell rang at Midtown High School, someone in the classroom grabbed his backpack and bolted for the door.

Seeing her best friend trying to slip away again, Carl hurriedly called out, "Hey, Karn! Yesterday you promised you'd come play video games with me today!"

"Uh, Carl, what I said yesterday was next time. That means the day after tomorrow."

Karn offered that explanation, then poked his head back through the doorway to add, "Next time for sure, Carl."

"That sneaky Karn. Is he sure his 'next time' means tomorrow?"

Carl grumbled to herself. Karn had said the same thing last time, but he still hadn't helped her finish that level. It was a game that required two players to clear.

Another classmate walked past Carl and said with a laugh, "If you remind Karn every day, he might make good on that promise next year."

"I swear, something must have happened to Karn. He loves guns more than he loves me, his best friend."

Still complaining, Carl packed up her things and prepared for her hundred-and-thirty-fifth solo attempt at the level. She swore that if she still hadn't cleared it after two hundred tries, she would drag Karn along to finish the game with her, whatever excuse he gave.

Karn really had changed somewhat. That change had begun about three years ago.

It was now the year 2000, and Karn had been in the Marvel Universe for three years. After the initial whirlwind of surprise, apprehension, excitement, fear, and all sorts of other emotions, he had learned to take the fact that he had arrived in the Marvel Universe in stride.

As for how he knew this was the Marvel Universe, a year after arriving, Karn had used the assets his parents left him to make a considerable amount of money. Even now, he still held shares in Stark Industries.

Inheriting an estate in the United States was a troublesome affair. Fortunately, Karn's parents had realized something was wrong with their health before they died, so they had hired a lawyer and spent a sizable sum to ensure Karn could inherit without trouble.

A thirty-four-percent stake in a private hospital was the most valuable part of the Penter family's assets. The rest consisted of nearly a million dollars, three houses, and two private cars.

If not for the damned estate tax and the full package of legal services, the Penter family would have had over five million dollars in bank deposits.

Those losses hardly mattered, though. Drawing on his knowledge of the economic trends around 2000, Karn had invested six hundred thousand dollars in the stock market. There had been some ups and downs at first, but after that, he had mostly made hefty profits.

The high-tech companies in the Marvel Universe differed somewhat from those in the world Karn knew, but that was due to the influence of certain extraordinary beings. Apart from those beings, technological development in the Marvel Universe followed roughly the same course.

Gold, high-tech stocks, oil, and more—using his foreknowledge and what he had learned, Karn had made a considerable amount of money in the stock market.

Ten million dollars in the United States in 2000 was more than enough to live a life of financial freedom: a luxurious villa, a full-time butler, chauffeured luxury cars, and fine food every day.

With Karn's ability to make money and his thirty-four-percent stake in a private hospital, he could certainly maintain that lifestyle until he was sixty.

Although Karn wanted to enjoy life as a rich man, he didn't dare let his guard down in the Marvel Universe, especially in disaster-prone United States. Without strength or influence, he could end up dead even if he hid underground.

Besides, Karn's cheat wouldn't let him relax either.

That was also why Karn had been so busy over the past three years. After he arrived in this world, perhaps because he had merged with his predecessor, his memory had become exceptionally sharp, and he could concentrate extremely well. He could quickly master subjects that would once have been difficult for him.

For example, Karn was now the top student in the twelfth grade at Midtown High School. With his grades and wealth, he could essentially take his pick of prestigious universities.

Even so, Karn had set aside plenty of time to practice shooting at a gun range on the outskirts of the city. For an ordinary person like him, firearms were probably the fastest way to improve his ability to protect himself.

After leaving Midtown High School, Karn rode his motorcycle toward the shooting range. Although he had a driver's license, he still wasn't allowed to drive a car alone. If the police caught him, they would be more than happy to write him a ticket, and in a serious case, he could find himself in trouble.

By the time Karn reached the shooting range, someone was already waiting for him at the entrance.

"Hey, Karn. Right on time, as always."

The man greeting Karn was an instructor there. He had made plenty of money off his wealthy client, which was why he came out to welcome him so enthusiastically. Anyone else probably wouldn't have received that treatment.

"What are you shooting today? Straight to moving targets?"

Karn nodded. "The same guns as before. The usual, Jimmy."

Jimmy smiled. "No problem, Karn. Honestly, with your skills, you could enter competitions now. Even if you didn't win the championship, you could still place in the top ten."

Jimmy wasn't just flattering him. Karn was an excellent shot at stationary targets. After only a year of practice, he had surpassed ninety percent of the people at the range. His recent practice with moving targets had improved his skills even faster. He was practically born to handle a gun.

Karn accepted Jimmy's compliment with a smile. He knew his own level: he could handle several kinds of firearms proficiently, but he had no experience shooting a living person. He was good enough for competitions, but when it came to saving his own life, his skills might be nothing special.

Still, fully arming himself would improve his chances of survival.

Body armor, grenades, rocket launchers, and certain restricted firearms—although many of these couldn't be bought legally, Karn had enough money to get around the law and acquire them.

Then Karn picked up a gun and began his training for the day. Whenever he settled into practice, his concentration became exceptionally intense.

Bang, bang, bang!

Time passed quickly. Karn stopped shooting and took a moment to catch his breath.

Jimmy, who had been accompanying him, walked over, clapping as he said, "Karn, it looks like you've improved again today. You're in much better form than yesterday."

"Eat more vegetables and go to bed early, and you can stay in good shape too, Jimmy."

Karn took the water Jimmy handed him, had a sip, and rested for a while. Then he glanced from side to side. Seeing no one nearby, he asked Jimmy a question.

"Jimmy, how did that thing I asked you to look into go?"

At that, Jimmy looked around warily and lowered his voice. "Karn, those weapons are all banned from sale. Besides, you live in the city, don't you? If you need protection, I can recommend a few bodyguards."

"Come on, Jimmy. I have a house out in the suburbs too. And I only want to collect some real hardware because I like it. You don't think I'm going off to war, do you? If I had that kind of time, I'd rather spend it making a few dollars."

Karn's last remark served as a reminder to Jimmy: point him in the right direction, and he could make a few dollars too.

Jimmy sighed, then took a slip of paper from his trouser pocket and handed it to Karn. In a low voice, he said, "Go to this place and tell them you're a friend of Jimmy Black."