Reborn with Steve Stand

Chapter 8:

Fang Mo was astonished as he looked at the purple aura in the palm of his hand.

He had never imagined that his Stand, Steve, could be utilized in such a manner.

When Fang Mo touched it, the Ender's Hand underwent a noticeable change, owing to the contrasting rules of the real world and the Minecraft world.

In the game, the Ender's Hand hand had a straightforward function: left-click to inflict 6 points of damage, right-click to pick up and throw blocks at enemies, and holding SHIFT+right-click allowed teleportation.

However, after Fang Mo touched it, this object transcended its status as a mere game item.

It transformed into something that existed tangibly in reality.

This seemed highly illogical, as though Fang Mo had posed an unreasonable request, leaving the world's rules to determine its transformation into something relatively reasonable.

Now, the transformed Ender's Hand had seamlessly fused with Fang Mo.

With a single thought, Fang Mo's hand would emanate a purple aura.

Conducting a brief experiment, Fang Mo discovered that it functioned like an energy force field. It not only augmented the power of his punches but also enabled him to retrieve objects from a distance.

Moreover, if Fang Mo desired, he could even execute small-scale teleportation.

"Wow... This is amazing!"

Fang Mo clenched his fist, visibly excited. "This is even better than the Ender's Hand in Minecraft."

After experiencing the satisfaction, Fang Mo proceeded to transform some other items.

However, it turned out that not everything could be transformed into the exact form Fang Mo had in mind, just like the Enderman's hand.

Let's take a pickaxe as an example.

Fang Mo touched a pickaxe, and in a flash of white light, a pickaxe made of stone and wood appeared before him. However, without the mining rules from Minecraft, when Fang Mo tapped the ground with the pickaxe, the tip broke off instantly.

In addition, Fang Mo tried a torch.

As a result, he found himself holding a burning torch.

This torch, too, lost the perpetual burning feature of Minecraft. After burning for a while, it gradually turned into a small pile of ashes.

Fang Mo pondered and realized that the issue lay in the rules of this world.

Items like pickaxes, torches, or various types of food already existed in reality. So, when transformed, they lost the unique properties of Minecraft and became ordinary items commonly found in the real world.

However, the Ender's Hand was different.

You see, this thing didn't exist in the real world to begin with.

Because of that, the Ender's Hand, after being transformed, could reasonably retain its original abilities, such as grabbing objects, teleportation, or enhancing punching power.

"It seems glass swords can't be easily transformed."

After grasping the underlying principles, Fang Mo felt a sense of enlightenment.

Based on this transformation characteristic, if he were to transform a glass sword, it was highly likely that he would end up with a polished glass rod, simply because glass exists in the real world.

Fang Mo expressed his frustration with the uselessness of the item.

"Well, let's grab something to eat first."

Shaking his head, Fang Mo temporarily put aside testing his Stand ability and decided to check the refrigerator instead.

He had recently discovered this characteristic at a fast-food restaurant: both he and Steve shared the same level of satiety. While Steve could satisfy his hunger by munching on carrots, Fang Mo could alleviate his hunger by consuming real-world meals.

Whether it was Steve or Fang Mo, once one of them felt full, the other would experience the same satisfaction.

"Ding Ling Ling!"

However, before Fang Mo could open the refrigerator, the doorbell suddenly rang.

"Hmm?"

Hearing the doorbell, Fang Mo paused momentarily.

You see, the house he currently resided in was located in a very remote area, making it unusual for anyone to disturb him.

With a sense of curiosity, Fang Mo opened the door to find a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline standing outside.

"Hello, Mr. Fang Mo."

The man outside was dressed in a suit. Despite his receding hairline, he had a friendly demeanor. He smiled at Fang Mo and introduced himself, "My name is Phil Coulson, from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. I've come to consult you about some matters."

"I guess Nick Fury must keep you working overtime."

Fang Mo scrutinized Coulson and couldn't resist making a sarcastic comment, "With that little hair, I can't help but feel tempted to sprinkle bone meal on your head."

"...Do you know the Director?"

Upon hearing this, Coulson was somewhat surprised. The intelligence reports hadn't mentioned that this person was so familiar with his immediate superior.

"Well, the renowned Mother Fu- I mean, who doesn't know him?" Fang Mo nodded and then invited, "Anyway, come on in and have a seat."

"Alright."

Despite having many questions, Coulson followed Fang Mo into the house.

Upon entering the house, Coulson surveyed his surroundings. After all, the intelligence report suggested that the person in front of him was likely an Eastern sorcerer, and as an agent, gathering information was his duty.

Unfortunately, he didn't find any signs of magic circles, altars, or candles. The entire house, though not pristine, was clean and devoid of anything suspicious.

"Please have a seat."

Fang Mo casually sat on the sofa. "You mentioned wanting to consult me about something. You can ask now."

"We already know the details of your situation," Coulson inquired, "What is your motive for getting close to Stark? How did you acquire your special abilities... or should I say, magic?"

"I've already mentioned that I'm a Stand user."

Fang Mo shrugged. "This power is something I naturally awakened to. It has multiple functions, and I can't fully explain it myself. It's akin to a guardian spirit or something."

"So why did you approach Stark..."

"I simply happened to encounter Stark in the desert," Fang Mo interrupted, "I'm not interested in his wealth or the peculiar scientific technologies in his mind. It's more about him being an intriguing person, and I don't mind having one more friend."

"But Stark is the wealthiest man in the world."

Coulson appeared skeptical. "Your presence is excessively mysterious, and we have reasons to suspect..."

"You know nothing."

Fang Mo rolled his eyes and asked, "Have you heard of alchemy?"

"What is... that?" Coulson, of course, hadn't heard of it. "Is it what I think? Like Medusa in Greek mythology?"

Fang Mo shook his head, and in the next moment, with a slight thought, Steve, standing behind him, silently produced a gold ingot and handed it to him. The pixelated gold ingot transformed into a gigantic gold brick, as large as a grinding wheel, the moment it touched Fang Mo's palm.

Since Coulson couldn't see the Stand, from his perspective, it appeared as though Fang Mo had magically produced a gold brick out of thin air.

"This is... gold?" Coulson was left stunned.

"It's genuine, a solid gold brick with a purity exceeding 99.99%," Fang Mo placed the gold brick on the ground, causing cracks to appear even on the tiles. "See that? This is the legendary art of alchemy."

Being an agent, Coulson possessed keen observational skills. Upon examining the gold brick, he discovered that it was indeed real and solid, which prompted a shocked expression. "How... how did you accomplish this?"

"It's simply a matter of my Stand ability, nothing too surprising."

Witnessing Coulson's astonished expression, Fang Mo proudly smirked. "That's why I said I don't care if others have money when making friends. After all, it's impossible for them to be richer than me, right?"

"..."

Upon hearing Fang Mo's statement, Coulson was at a loss for words.

If the other person truly possessed the ability to perform alchemy, then there was no one in the world wealthier than him. That single gold brick alone weighed several hundred pounds, which felt insignificant compared to his lifetime earnings.

"So, do you have any insights into Stark's plan to shut down the weapons division?" Coulson swiftly adjusted his mindset as an agent. "You see, Stark Industries employs a large number of people, and their weapons are of exceptional quality. If they were to close down, even the military would face significant challenges..."

"That's Stark's own decision," Fang Mo replied. "His journey through the desert shattered his long-held illusions. He realized that relying on weapons for peace is unreliable, so he no longer wishes to sell weapons. After all, he's a proud genius... It's a reasonable decision on his part, isn't it?"

"Is that so?" Coulson instinctively nodded.

However, before Coulson could come up with the next question, Fang Mo suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Alright, I'm hungry. Our Q&A session ends here today."

After saying that, Fang Mo waved his hand, and the door suddenly opened on its own, indicating that it was time for the guest to leave.

"..."

Coulson looked at Fang Mo with a somewhat speechless expression. Without fully understanding the other person's true abilities and character, they couldn't let their relationship become too strained. Since Fang Mo didn't want to continue the conversation, Coulson could only be tactful and leave.

Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to secretly leave behind a few small gadgets.

Fang Mo was unaware of Coulson's little tricks, but he had already tested most of what needed to be tested. He wouldn't expose anything significant.

In fact, his real target was S.H.I.E.L.D. Considering the storyline, Nick Fury, the head of the agency, was currently recruiting a team. After showcasing a bit of his abilities, wouldn't they be interested?

Of course, Fang Mo had no intention of joining the Avengers or anything like that. After all, he wasn't a good person and couldn't become a superhero. When he killed those terrorists in the desert, he felt no emotional reaction. It was as if they were just zombies in a game.

Fang Mo wasn't sure if this indifference was influenced by Steve, but he didn't dislike it.

Seeking revenge or repaying kindness was too advanced for Fang Mo. He couldn't do it. In his view, taking decisive action and using force to control force were the true principles of the world. As long as you were powerful enough, others would be willing to reason with you.

He approached S.H.I.E.L.D. simply for the convenience of him causing trouble.

And as expected, just as Fang Mo had anticipated, after waiting for a few days, he finally had the opportunity to meet the formidable Mother Fcuker.