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New York, Midtown Institute of Technology, graduating class.
The windows in the back row were tightly shut, yet the pages of a book lying on a nearby desk flipped silently, untouched by any wind. On the title page, the name "Lucas M. Mason" appeared as the pages continued to turn.
"Rooster Talisman: Telekinesis," Lucas Mason whispered to himself. Bored in class, he often toyed with the power of the talismans, practicing control over their effects by doing small things like this.
Next to him, a girl with glasses glanced curiously at the steadily turning pages. There was no wind, no hand touching the book—just quiet movement.
Feeling mischievous, Lucas decided to tease her. With a flick of his wrist, he shut the book. Then, he pulled out a pen and spun it skillfully in his fingers before closing his hand. In the next second, the pen disappeared.
The girl blinked and adjusted her glasses, clearly confused. She thought she had imagined it.
Lucas smiled and turned his palm once more, revealing the pen. He twirled it casually.
"What a magic show," the girl whispered, still staring at the pen.
Lucas chuckled softly to himself. Snake Talisman: Invisibility. He had only applied its power to the pen.
But his mind drifted. The girl next to him had a fleeting role in The Amazing Spider-Man, but her character had left enough of an impression for fans to remember her in various fan edits. It amused Lucas that he'd end up in the same class with her after crossing into the Marvel universe. (she is Missy Kallenback)
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The excitement had been overwhelming at first—especially after awakening the twelve Talismans —but now that initial thrill had subsided.
Reality had hit him: these powers, while cool, felt underwhelming in this universe. The Ox Talisman only gave him a 200-kilogram strength boost, and with the Rabbit Talisman, he could just run 100 meters in five seconds. Even the Dragon Talisman couldn't pierce a centimeter-thick steel plate.
In any other world, these abilities would be enough. But this was Marvel. A universe where people could snap away half the population with a flick of their fingers.
Just as he was about to mentally complain again, a blue, glowing 3D interface appeared in front of him.
Lucas froze, staring at the text in disbelief.
[Choose your identity: A superhero who symbolizes light and justice, protects mankind, and maintains world peace; a villain who symbolizes darkness and evil, destroys everything, and brings fear of doom.]
Before he could fully process what was happening, the interface blinked and updated.
[Choose your item: Hero Cloak / Devil Mask.]
His excitement flared up again. This was the real deal.
Without hesitation, he picked the villain path and the Devil Mask. It wasn't even a hard choice. Good deeds came with too many restrictions, but villains? They were free to do whatever they pleased. And, in the Marvel universe, doing bad things often came with fewer consequences than being a hero.
Lucas stroked the Devil Mask hidden beneath his desk. It was light, almost weightless, with uneven lines carved into the surface. The information about its powers flowed into his mind: wearing the mask could alter his appearance, change his clothes, modify his voice and temperament.
Perfect. A killer tool for any villain.
He quickly used the Snake Talisman to turn the mask invisible and tucked it into his backpack before turning back to the glowing interface. More lines of text appeared:
"Welcome to the evil camp!"
"Unlock plots with the main characters of the Marvel Universe and gain the chance to enhance your spells. Unsealed spells can be upgraded using villain points, making It more powerful!"
"Villain points are earned by causing negative emotions—fear, anger, sadness, regret. Villain points are the devil's currency. With enough, you can buy anything: fame, fortune, even immortality... or your own downfall."
"Target superheroes to create negative emotions for special rewards..."
Lucas grinned. Mr. Devil had officially arrived in the Marvel Universe.
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.
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