"Finally got it." With the network file signed by Halliday himself, Daniel Davis left the game and found a lawyer in the real world. Shortly after, Ogden Morrow, Halliday's friend, also arrived. In the presence of witnesses, Daniel inherited all of Halliday's estate.
Reflecting on Halliday and Ogden Morrow's friendship, Daniel couldn't help but feel conflicted. Their split was not only due to disagreements over the Oasis game but also because Morrow married Kira Underwood. Halliday had always loved Kira but never confessed, losing his chance when Morrow made his move. The egg hunt's true theme was about Halliday's regret over focusing too much on his game and neglecting real-life relationships. His wish to shut down the game was an attempt to encourage people to engage more with reality.
"It's a pity this world doesn't have a Time Stone." They say there's no cure for regret, but the Time Stone proves otherwise.
Driven by resentment over his failure, Nolan and his men attacked Daniel during the inheritance process, only to be caught by the police. Nolan loudly accused Daniel of stealing his two keys, but no one took him seriously. In-game theft was legal, and one of Nolan's keys was also stolen.
Though Nolan was a billionaire due to his company, his actions led to his imprisonment and the subsequent downfall of his company, Online Creations, due to the opportunism of various forces.
Daniel had no time to worry about Nolan or the original inheritors of Halliday's estate. He was engrossed in learning the core code of the Oasis, marveling at Halliday's genius in creating such a vast virtual reality game.
"Building a large-scale virtual reality game from scratch isn't easy. But now I can simply copy the Oasis game over."
Beyond the game's quality, the cutting-edge virtual reality technology alone was enough to outshine all other games.
The Oasis game's vast and diverse experiences, derived from popular novels, were beloved by many. Whether you wanted to experience horror, action, puzzles, or daily life, the Oasis had it all. Daniel had only scratched the surface of the game's many planets.
"Samantha Cook, she'll do." Finding Artemis's real name online, Daniel decided to compensate her by hiring her at his social gaming company. As for Wade, he wasn't Daniel's concern—after all, he wasn't a pretty girl.
"Time to go back." Having collected enough technology from the Ready Player One world, Daniel decided to leave. He didn't need to worry about the Oasis after his departure. The game had operated smoothly for years after Halliday's death and before the egg hunt was solved.
The Oasis game, unlike other games Daniel had played, didn't require frequent updates. Halliday's absence hadn't been an issue, so Daniel's wouldn't be either.
"Sir, here is the current data on this planet's exploration." At the alien base, Daniel was greeted by a virtual girl in a white dress, reporting the findings.
This was White Queen, an AI system Daniel created. While AI programs were essentially code, and thus replicable, White Queen was uniquely crafted to test Daniel's skills. Despite having Red Queen's core code, creating White Queen involved numerous trials and errors, a testament to Daniel's hands-on abilities.
White Queen and Red Queen, though different in appearance, shared common data and similar equipment.
"Quite a few mineral resources, even a small gold mine. Lucky break." White Queen's data included weather patterns, astronomical changes, and mineral resources near the base.
"The surface is barren, but the underground is rich in untapped resources."
"Should I invite Tony to help develop this planet?" A planet was vast, and Daniel's main focus wasn't here. Collaborating with Stark seemed viable, though some base features would need to be hidden. White Queen's AI could be exposed, but not the Iron Man suits—Stark's signature creation.
"We'll deal with that later. For now, let's produce the necessary equipment." The Oasis game, being a world within a server, required extensive equipment, much of which wasn't available in the Marvel universe.
Daniel had procured a batch of sensitive equipment through underground channels, including production methods. All that remained was to start production.
"This is troublesome. Better let Pepper handle it. Alexander Pierce, hurry up with your schemes." Frustrated by the complexities of launching the Oasis game, Daniel invited Stark and Pepper to his company's game division.
Daniel's Feifei Group's game division had made a mark with unique holographic card games, attracting many players. The division had Stark Industries' shares due to the holographic system's origin. Personal use was one thing, but commercial profit required formal agreements.
In the holographic system exhibition hall, Stark and Pepper walked ahead, followed by Happy and other bodyguards.
"Looks interesting." Stark seemed intrigued by the holographic monsters battling each other.
"It's my turn. Draw a card, sacrifice two creatures, summon the six-winged archangel Gabriel." Daniel joyfully placed a card on the screen, summoning a holy six-winged angel.
In the Western world, he couldn't copy Yu-Gi-Oh entirely, so he incorporated Western mythology, gods, beasts, and monsters.
Daniel set the stage, leaving the rest to others.
"You didn't bring us here just to play games, did you? If so, I'm leaving." Stark's impatience was evident as Daniel approached after winning.
"If that's all, I could do this at home."
"Of course not. Follow me, I have something good." Daniel led Stark and Pepper to an off-limits lab within the exhibition hall.
"Try this." Daniel opened a game pod for Stark.
"What is it?" Stark examined the machine curiously.
"A virtual reality game pod." In Ready Player One, the rich used game pods, while the poor used full-body suits requiring physical movement. For comfort, game pods were superior, though the suits provided a physical workout.
"Virtual reality, real VR or just another headset?" Stark inquired.
True VR was rare in the Marvel universe, most VR technology being visual only, lacking the full sensory immersion.
"It's real, simulating all five senses," Daniel replied with a smile. The Marvel universe had a similar VR technology later on, known as The Framework.
Hearing this, Stark grew interested. After questioning Daniel further, he entered the game pod to experience it firsthand.
"It's incredible!" Stark emerged from the pod, excited. Pepper and Happy soon followed suit.
"A wizard dabbling in technology, huh?" Stark's remark made Daniel realize Stark was a bit jealous. As a scientist, he understood the true significance of real VR technology.
Unlike the VR systems in labs, which were glorified headsets, Daniel's technology was groundbreaking.
In "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Nick Fury's beachside relaxation was revealed to be a VR simulation on a spaceship. True VR and augmented reality (AR) were major research themes, with AR essentially being holographic systems.
Stark's bedroom had an AR system, changing its appearance based on his whims, allowing infinite renovations.
Daniel's room had a similar setup. Despite knowing it was fake, the visuals were pleasing.
"What are your plans for this?"
"I'm planning a virtual game where everyone shares a server." Thinking of games, Daniel couldn't help but recall a certain chubby Thor.
"A game, huh? Not a bad idea." Stark agreed. A well-run virtual game could significantly reduce real-world crime. Gang wars could be fought in-game, and even national battles could be simulated.
"The idea of playing while sleeping is nonsense." Virtual reality games still drained physical and mental energy, and couldn't be played indefinitely, though hardcore gamers might push limits.
"I'll leave it to you then." Daniel revealed his true intention.
"I knew you had an ulterior motive."
The VR technology would attract interest from various sectors: governments, corporations, militaries, and law enforcement.
SHIELD could use it to train agents, allowing rigorous training without real-world consequences.
These negotiations would be lengthy and complicated. Testing before the game's launch was a hassle for both Daniel and Stark, but Pepper excelled at such tasks.
Leaving everything to Pepper, Daniel resumed searching for life-filled dimensions. Resource distribution was quickly settled, as neither Daniel nor Stark were overly concerned.
"Stark seems a bit drained lately, while Pepper looks vibrant. Maybe I should give Stark a boost next time."
With that thought, Daniel wandered the quantum space, feeling guided by a specific direction, thanks to a dose of Felix Felicis before setting off.
"Good thing I can fly. The first time I encountered this, it was quite troublesome." On his hoverboard, Daniel looked at the endless sea around him, relieved.
"Where is this place?" Through his telescope, Daniel spotted land ahead and directed his hoverboard towards it.
"Pirates." On the way, Daniel encountered a wooden ship flying a skull flag, the classic pirate emblem. The flag featured a shark, marking them as a pirate crew.
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"Captain, this is a great haul this time."
On the pirate ship's deck, dozens of pirates excitedly surrounded a pile of gold and silver treasures, including various golden jewelry, precious gems, and paper currency.
Among them, a middle-aged man with a long scar across his chest, holding a large knife in his left hand and a pile of glittering jewelry in his right, laughed loudly. From the pirates' address, it was clear he was the captain of the pirate ship.
Scattered on one side of the deck were bloodstained weapons, including both cold weapons like swords and hot weapons like firearms.
"These are yours," the middle-aged captain said, using his large knife to divide the treasure pile, pushing about two-thirds of it to one side and leaving the remaining third for the surrounding pirates.
As the captain walked away, the other pirates immediately swarmed over the third of the treasure, loudly arguing and dividing it.
"Pirates, huh? Perfect opportunity to get some information about this world. After all, I used Felix Felicis to come here." Hovering above on a flying broomstick, hidden by an invisibility spell, Daniel Davis thought for a moment and decided to act.
After spotting the ship, Daniel switched from his hoverboard to his broomstick to reduce noise.
He then released ten metal spheres, targeting the captain with three of them.
Boom, boom, boom.
The impact of the ten metal spheres landing startled the pirates. As they looked around in confusion, the spheres exploded, shooting out spider webs that quickly ensnared the pirates. The captain, who was the primary target, was about to swing his large knife when he was engulfed by the webs.
These web grenades were created by Daniel using Spider-Man's web fluid, although he had rarely found a chance to use them until now.
"Hello, everyone." After seeing all the pirates bound by the spider webs, Daniel descended from above, waving to the confused and angry pirates.
"Who are you, you bastard?" The bound pirates cursed and struggled, but their efforts were futile against the strong spider webs.
Some of the curses were directed not at Daniel but at fellow pirates tangled together by the web's impact. Two of them were nearly face-to-face, swearing the loudest in frustration.
"Quiet down." Annoyed by their noisy curses, Daniel fired a web shot at the loudest pirates, sealing their mouths.
"If I hear any more noise, I'll make you all like them," Daniel threatened coldly, pointing at the two nearly kissing pirates.
Immediately, everyone fell silent.
"This guy is quite strong. Glad I targeted him first; otherwise, it could've been troublesome." Watching the captain struggling alone, Daniel was surprised. Despite being wrapped in webs, the captain was still trying to roll away, almost breaking free if not for the overwhelming number of webs.
"Room." After restraining the pirates, Daniel activated his Ope Ope no Mi ability to scan the ship's interior.
"No one here." Confirming no one was inside, Daniel personally checked the ship, finding more jewels and weapons.
Finally, he prepared to interrogate the pirates. Approaching the captain, Daniel placed his hands together and then on the webs, dissolving the ones around the captain's mouth. The captain, who had been unable to speak, immediately asked, "Who are you?"
"That's not important," Daniel replied, using his wand to hypnotize the captain.
"Pirate King Roger, the Navy, the Shichibukai—so this is the One Piece world. Felix Felicis works wonders," Daniel laughed after extracting information from the captain. This world was perfect for him, filled with powerful fighters relying solely on physical strength.
Not only strong in physical combat, but it also had the mystical Devil Fruits. Daniel's own Ope Ope no Mi ability originated from this world.
"Could there be two Ope Ope no Mi users?" Thinking of Trafalgar Law, the current holder of the Ope Ope no Mi, Daniel smiled. In the Marvel world, his online name was the Surgeon of Death. If he told Skye, she would recognize him immediately.
"Law in this world hasn't developed the Ope Ope no Mi much," Daniel thought. The true power of a Devil Fruit lies in its user's creativity. Even seemingly weak fruits could be powerful with the right application.
The One Piece world was still in the early stages of developing Devil Fruits, especially Paramecia types. With proper development, they could rival the Logia fruits.
Logia fruits were considered the strongest due to their users' quick growth to a high level. But even a strong fruit was useless if its user was incompetent. Daniel remembered a particularly useless Logia fruit user.
"This world has a necessary target. Becoming Pirate King is optional, but this person must die," Daniel thought of a particular individual with disdain.
"Unfortunately, this captain is too low-level to know the exact timeline. I'll have to deduce it slowly." This captain was a well-known pirate in the East Blue, with a bounty in the tens of millions. In the Grand Line, such a bounty was minor, but in the East Blue, the weakest sea, it made him a major pirate.
As a significant pirate crew in the East Blue, theoretically, he should have more men. Except for Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates, most crews had at least several dozen members, and stronger ones had hundreds.
This captain had nearly three hundred men and seven ships but had recently been decimated by the East Blue's dominant Krieg Pirates, leaving only a handful of survivors.
The Krieg Pirates were the undisputed rulers of the East Blue, with nearly a hundred ships and five thousand men, daring to attack naval bases openly.
With such strength, the East Blue Navy feared them, allowing the Krieg Pirates to act with impunity.
"With the Krieg Pirates still in the East Blue, Luffy hasn't set sail yet. Why hasn't the Navy sent even a low-ranking officer to handle them?" Daniel pondered. The Krieg Pirates, strong in the East Blue, were insignificant to the Navy or in the Grand Line.
"A bounty of millions should fetch a decent reward from the Navy." Deciding to collect the bounty, Daniel drew a complex alchemical circle on the deck, then threw the pirates into it.
The Philosopher's Stone transmutation circle turned the pirates into Philosopher's Stones. Daniel felt no remorse for these murderous, pillaging pirates.
Most pirate crews were villainous, including the Whitebeard Pirates, known for recruiting indiscriminately. Even the supposedly righteous Straw Hat Pirates caused collateral damage, indirectly harming innocents.
Pirates were not inherently good or bad; it was their actions that defined them. Similarly, the Navy had its share of corruption, tainted by the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
The Revolutionaries were the only truly righteous faction but also the weakest.
In a normal world, the World Government and Celestial Dragons would have been overthrown long ago. However, in a world where individuals could overpower nations, ordinary people stood no chance against the Celestial Dragons.
The Navy's inaction was similarly puzzling, as even a low-ranking officer could handle East Blue threats.
"Preparing nuclear weapons for defense might be necessary." Initially dismissing the need for nuclear weapons, Daniel now saw their potential against powerful individuals in this world.
Nuclear weapons could level the playing field, even against formidable opponents like the Yonko.
"Gathering nuclear weapons is now a priority." While he wouldn't use them lightly, the presence of a strong deterrent was essential.
In the face of nuclear weapons, ancient weapons like Pluton were insignificant. Even Jericho missiles from Stark Industries could achieve similar results.
Nuclear weapons, however, would not be Daniel's first resort. Resolving the Celestial Dragon issue required more subtlety, as eliminating them might not solve the underlying problems.
Daniel's goal was to grow stronger, not to play savior. He didn't intervene in Ready Player One's world and had no intention of saving the One Piece world.
His primary aim was to gain power. Once strong enough, dealing with Imu and the Celestial Dragons would be straightforward.
"Haki, huh? Which side should I join—Navy or Revolutionaries?"
Learning Haki meant joining a faction. Pirates were not an option, as Haki was rarely taught and only gained through deadly battles. The Navy and Revolutionaries offered systematic training.
If not for hidden Navy agendas, pirates wouldn't reach the New World. Even a few strong officers could block their passage.
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