Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

Three days later.

Colin Workshop, Reception Room

"Duke, here is the payment for the first batch. I've converted it into gems and a check for your convenience."

Sitting across from Duke on the sofa, Mel accepted a box from her assistant, placing it gently on the table. The box, crafted from ebony and twice the size of a typical jewelry case, gleamed under the light. Duke gave a nod of approval.

"Thanks for going through the trouble, Councilor Mel."

"It's nothing. I'm just looking forward to your next creation. The application range of the Clockwork Power Exoskeleton is vast, buyers go beyond Piltover, you know."

Her smile carried an implied message. Duke casually opened the box, discreetly siphoning wealth points as he glanced inside. "So, what? The council now doubles as a brokerage firm?"

"I just can't stand seeing a brilliant young inventor stalled due to lack of funding."

"I'll find time to work on the next model, an upgraded version of Orianna Mark I. You'll get my response in a month. I don't care who you sell it to, but make sure the money's delivered."

"Of course. I'll handle everything."

Mel extended her hand, smiling. Duke reached out, his fingers brushing hers lightly. A fleeting trace of disappointment flickered in her eyes, but she still left with grace. "Until next time, Duke."

"Farewell, Councilor."

Duke walked her to the door and watched as her carriage disappeared down the street, only to hear a voice behind him.

"I don't like her."

Jinx, dressed in her academy uniform and slinging her school bag, frowned at the disappearing carriage. Duke stepped aside with a sigh. "Not everything's up to whether you like it or not. That's the adult world."

"But I'm still a kid. That means I can say no, right? 260?"

"Of course."

Duke pulled her into the workshop. "So, what did you learn today?"

"Gear linkages in clockwork systems. Boring stuff. I prefer big, explosive things!"

"You'll be disappointed, then. The academy's not big on explosions."

Their laughter faded into the distance.

That Evening

After dinner, Duke returned to his room, closed the door, and sat at his desk. He opened his personal interface:

[Host: Duke]

Wealth Value: 55,036

Character Template: Iron Man , Tony Stark (Fusion: 5.6%)

Title: The Cursed of Knowledge

Talent , Curse of Knowledge: (Omitted)

Abilities:

Clockwork Master (Master Artisan)

Mark Series Blueprints (Tier 1)

Anti-Hero Series Blueprints (Tier 1 Unlock: 10,000 Wealth)

Artificial Intelligence (Tier 1 Unlock: 8,000 Wealth)

Energy Systems (Tier 1)

Mechanical Engineering (Tier 1)

Mechanical Dynamics (Tier 1)

Precision Machining (Tier 1)

...

Staring at his over 50,000 wealth points, Duke exhaled deeply. "Yep, this is still the fastest way to earn. Based on a 10:1 conversion, that first batch was worth over 500,000 Gold Seas."

"Didn't expect that."

He began unlocking modules rapidly until he had only 12,000 points left. No more for now, he needed these upgrades to finish his next invention.

"Clockwork tech as the skeleton, alchemy as the blood, and a Hextech Prime Crystal as the heart... What kind of sparks will three totally different systems ignite when fused?"

He retrieved his heavily revised blueprint, originally the design for the Mech Pegasus, now transformed into a fearsome bike with a dragon-shaped front.

"But the Hextech Prime Crystal... that's going to take a gamble."

His eyes sharpened. "Still, for the quest reward, it's worth the risk."

10x Gacha Pull: Let's Test My Luck!

Duke clicked the button. Instantly, 10,000 wealth points vanished. Mist swirled from the premium gacha pool. Ten glowing blue orbs shot upward and exploded one by one:

Freeze Solution Formula (Mr. Freeze)

Ebony and Ivory (Legendary Guns)

Inheritance: Gun Kata Combat Style

Doc Ock's Mechanical Arms

Arcee's Remains (Transformers)

Liquid Metal (10 Liters)

Nano-machine Swarm Enhancer

Vulture's Wings

Hive Drone (Prototype)

Enhanced Mantis Blade Design Blueprint

Duke rubbed his hands in glee. He first pulled out the legendary twin pistols:

Ebony (left hand) for long-range precision.

Ivory (right hand) for close-range suppression.

"Perfect for Gun Kata. I was just lamenting that Deadshot's pair couldn't keep up. These will do."

He examined the other nine prizes, his eyes lit up. "All these can feed into my new design... Liquid metal, Arcee's frame, nanotech bugs... This is a jackpot!"

"Time to move."

Looking out into the night, Duke took a deep breath. It was time to visit the grave of Camille's ancestor: Alicia Ferros.

Blue Rose Estate, Graveyard

Moonlight draped the cemetery. Not a soul in sight.

A figure soared through the darkness like a bat, landing silently in the Ferros family mausoleum. A red glint flickered in the shadows.

"Am I dancing on the edge of death again?"

Glancing back at the 4-meter wall he'd just scaled, Duke chuckled bitterly. Still, he hadn't forgotten why he came, the Hextech Prime Crystal buried in Alicia Ferros' tomb.

His very first gacha pull had accidentally activated a broken Destiny Loom fragment, giving him this clue.

Who would've guessed that such a legendary core was buried as a funerary treasure?

"WALL-E, night vision on. Scan for all life forms within a 1-kilometer radius, centered on me. Alert me if anything moves."

"Yes, Father."

Red light spread across Duke's vision, the darkness transforming into clarity. Walking past tombstone after tombstone, Duke studied the graveyard's careful upkeep.

Even non-blood contributors to the Ferros family, craftsmen, butlers, guards, were buried here.

"Guess the Ferros aren't as cold-blooded as I thought."

He halted before Alicia's grave. "Too bad they won't show me much kindness after tonight."

"Still, this risk is worth it, for science!"

He lifted his shovel, muttered a quick apology, and began digging.

Grass and dirt flew. In no time, he uncovered the sarcophagus and hauled it out of the pit.

He surveyed the area. Nothing.

The stone was dark gray, Ferros' favorite. The lid was etched with a carved history, Alicia's solo ventures into the desert, her return, and a second journey with a caravan.

There, she encountered a giant crystal scorpion in a Shuriman canyon. After slaying it, she retrieved a glowing Hextech Crystal, losing her arm in the process.

These carvings told not only her tale, but the Ferros clan's rise, and why they chose secrecy over domination. They believed Piltover needed a future rooted in innovation, not control.

Her tomb had two locking mechanisms, one requiring dual-sided coordination, the other, inner-outer sync. Impossible for most.

Not for Duke.

Removing his helmet, he exhaled a breath imbued with faint blue sparkles. The locks responded to the arcane signal and clicked open.

Clack. Clack.

He lifted the lid.

Inside, a noblewoman lay peacefully, clad in ceremonial robes. Embedded in her chest: a crystal the size of a fist, glowing faintly blue.

Its light bathed Duke's face.

And with it, an invisible ripple swept through the entire Ferros estate.

"This is it."

Elsewhere, within the Ferros Estate

A pair of eyes glowing deep sapphire snapped open, turning toward the graveyard.

To be continued...