Chapter 2: In Urgent Need of Top-ups

After enjoying a hearty American dinner, Luke said goodnight to his adoptive parents, returned early to his room, and locked the door behind him.

Tonight, after midnight, it would be Thursday—a day Luke had always looked forward to the most.

In the past, it was because Thursday meant dungeon attempts in his favorite game would refresh, and DNF would sometimes get unpredictable updates. But those days were long gone.

Now, every Thursday at midnight, the system would punctually reward him with a single complimentary “Magic Box.” Just like the loot boxes in games, it might contain something good.

As Lotus put it, “This is your reward for surviving another week in this world.”

From experience, the system’s magic boxes could yield a vast variety of items, but most importantly, they could grant a skill book.

Skill books were his direct path to becoming stronger.

Any skill from any class in DNF was possible. What he received depended entirely on luck.

Besides skill books, the boxes might yield all sorts of items—covering a wide range and with varied uses.

His very first skill book appeared last summer, not long after he’d crossed into this world and been adopted into this family. He was still adapting to everything at the time, and the arrival of the skill book was a delightful surprise. It gave him hope that he could grow strong in the Marvel world.

The skill he obtained was the Draw Slash—one of the signature skills of the Sword Saint from DNF.

When no one was around, Luke secretly tried it, whittling a wooden sword out of a log over two days, and then testing the skill in his adoptive parents’ backyard.

The next day, the neighbors called the police, claiming that a wild boar had broken through their fence in the night.

The “wild boar incident” caused quite a stir in the community for a while, but eventually faded away.

The wooden sword he’d spent two days making broke after a single use, clearly unable to withstand the power of the Draw Slash. But it was enough to amaze Luke with the might of DNF’s skills.

Any skill acquired from a magic box, he could instantly master with a single thought, and once learned, it became a part of his very being, fully integrated into his combat instincts.

From then on, Luke eagerly awaited every Thursday, though he gradually grew dissatisfied with just that.

“It's a pity the system only gives one complimentary magic box per week. If I want more, I have to purchase them with tokens from the modded system shop.”

The shop offered a dazzling array of items, but like cakes behind glass, they were tantalizing yet out of reach. Tokens could only be bought with real money—ten dollars for one token. In other words, it was pay-to-win.

“What does the system need dollars for?” Luke had wondered at first.

“It’s a way to measure your ability,” Lotus replied.

“My ability to make money?”

“My recommendation is to rob a bank.”

“…”

But Luke’s body was only seven years old—a true proletarian. Where was a child like him supposed to find cash for tokens? Frustrated, he could only rely on his weekly free box for the time being.

Fortunately, there was a rule: a ten-box draw guaranteed at least one rare reward, usually a skill book. So, over the past two months, Luke had saved up ten boxes.

Since discovering that a ten-pull guaranteed a skill book, he’d managed three skill books in the past six months, acquiring three DNF skills: Inch Punch, Nen Barrier, and Draw Slash.

Inch Punch was the signature attack of the Striker, an advanced class of the Fighter.

Nen Barrier also came from the Fighter, though it was a Nen Master’s skill—a defensive technique that created an energy shield to ward off attacks.

This was a solid start.

“As they say, a single draw brings miracles, ten draws ruin your life… Bah!” Luke muttered at his bedside, half joking, half earnest. “No, ten-pulls are a matter of faith—true non-luckers’ faith. Let’s hope for a Colorless skill this time?”

“Where’s your resolve?” Lotus’s retort was as sharp as ever.

With a single thought, ten identical, mysterious boxes appeared before Luke, neatly arranged on the bed. They were neither metal nor wood, their surfaces inscribed with strange, arcane symbols that exuded an inscrutable sense of power.

“Let’s begin,” Luke declared.

Even Lotus watched intently this time.

No sooner had he spoken than the boxes began to open in sequence, each releasing a flash of light. Simultaneously, a series of notifications sounded in his mind:

[Magic Suppression Stone x1]
[Seria’s Homemade Cake x1]
[Revival Coin x1]
[Seria’s Special Drink x1]
[Colorless Small Crystal x25]
[Data Chip x1]
[Skill Book: Electro Grenade x1]
[Colorless Small Crystal x19]
[Seria’s Homemade Cake x1]
[Magic Suppression Stone x1]

“Electro Grenade? Not bad!” For a result he’d waited two months for, Luke was quite satisfied, though a Colorless skill would have been even better.

Electro Grenade was a skill of the Male and Female Launcher in DNF—a grenade that, upon detonation, would leave enemies electrically charged.

Holding the skill book, Luke absorbed its knowledge with a thought. A gentle warmth flowed through his body, and suddenly he knew, instinctively, how to assemble an Electro Grenade. His mind was clear with new, master-level industrial assembly knowledge. Given even the simplest materials, he could quickly craft a working Electro Grenade.

Glancing around, Luke considered his options, then grabbed a remote-control toy car from the bed, went to the bathroom to squeeze some toothpaste, put on a mask and scraped some grime from the drain, wrapping it in tissue. Finally, he quietly snatched his adoptive father’s lighter from the living room.

Once everything was ready, Luke locked his door again, sat back on the bed, and began to assemble, his small hands moving with surprising dexterity.

In just two minutes, he refined the explosive contents, spent another half minute disassembling the toy car, and finally pieced together a crude Electro Grenade.

In his tiny hands, he now held a small vial, glowing with a faint phosphorescence—the experimental Electro Grenade, crafted with limited materials.

“Doesn’t look like much,” he evaluated. “In the game, electrified enemies take extra damage with each hit. What would that look like in the Marvel universe?” He was curious.

“Throw it at the door and see what happens!” Lotus urged excitedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. It was a grenade, after all—however crude, it would be powerful enough to blow this bedroom to bits. He had no intention of relocating to the basement tonight.

He simply tossed the makeshift grenade into his storage space.

Just like his other skills, Electro Grenade assembly was now second nature—a part of his body’s instincts. As for its true power, he’d have to find an opportunity to test it later.

“If I want to grow stronger, the answer is still in opening boxes,” Luke sighed.

He now had four DNF skills, each immensely useful. Though he was still far from being a powerhouse in the Marvel universe, it was a promising start.

The storage method he’d just used was the system’s storage space—a built-in feature. Currently, its capacity was 30cm by 30cm, able to hold anything, and incredibly convenient. He could expand it further by spending tokens.

Luke also reminded himself that his young body needed extra nutrition.

He could feel himself developing—and quickly at that. It wouldn’t hurt to supplement his diet during this period. That, too, required money.

His adoptive family wasn’t wealthy. In America, being middle class just meant you weren’t poor. For all its status as a superpower, material abundance here wasn’t all that impressive. Infrastructure was good—hospitals, schools, parks—but there were still plenty of homeless people going hungry.

“This body’s just too young—so inconvenient. I really wish I could grow up faster, but that’s out of my control. Nutrition is important, though. My adoptive parents treat me well, but it’s not quite enough.”

Even after dinner, Luke found himself hungry again—a side effect, it seemed, of accumulating DNF skills. The more skills he learned, the more energy his body consumed.

With his little frame barely over a meter tall, Luke was more eager than ever to grow taller compared to his previous life.

Opening boxes, expanding storage, extra meals—all required money.

As for the festival bundles in the system shop, all he could do was drool over them—he simply didn’t have the cash.

In short, everything required spending money.

“What should I do? Get a job?” Luke muttered.

“A job? How unimaginative! I still say rob a bank—fast money, and thrilling above all!” Lotus, propping himself up on his eight little legs, hopped in excitement. “Luke, let’s rob a bank! Come on, what do you say?”

Luke ignored him.

By New York state law, you had to be fourteen to work, and even then, you couldn’t work more than ten hours a week. With his seven-year-old appearance, what shop would dare hire him? New York police would be teaching the manager a lesson in no time.

“How long will it take to save enough for more boxes at this rate…” Luke sighed, brow furrowed.

Already, Iron Man had appeared, and it wouldn’t be long before the Hulk, Thor, and Captain America showed up, followed by the formation of the Avengers.

Soon after, the Battle of New York—the turning point of the Marvel storyline—would begin. For the first time, humans would face alien invaders—the Chitauri—and the malicious god Loki behind them.

In such a troubled place as New York, survival would require real power.

Not to mention, there was that nuclear bomb that nearly hit the city…

“No, I need to figure out a way to make some money, fast.”

He scratched his head and sighed.

Luke’s childlike appearance, coupled with his serious expressions and adult-like gestures, made him endearing—anyone would find him adorable, like a little grown-up. Yet who could imagine, inside this body was a true adult soul.