Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

After the system announced it was upgrading, there was nothing but silence.

Reid assumed it would take some time to process, but only a few seconds later, the upgrade was complete.

[System upgrade complete. Host, please check the new system functions.]

"You tell me. I'm not interested in looking."

Reid had gradually mastered the art of dealing with his system. In other words, he had learned not to give it any room to act smug.

Otherwise, this nonsensical system might start handing him useless characters as mission rewards.

At this point, he was completely convinced that every card pack was prearranged by the system. If he showed it any kindness, who knew how many low-tier cards it would throw at him?

[...Understood, Host.]

The system's voice carried a hint of grievance but still proceeded with the explanation.

[Although it appears to be a system upgrade, in fact, the system has simply absorbed a portion of the Space Stone's authority, unlocking some new abilities.]

"Such as?"

Reid was ready to hear what nonsense the system would spout this time. If it dared to say the new feature was something like 'increased card draw rates,' he'd seriously consider making Lex Luthor into Superman—just to see if that could pull out Superman's soul.

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the system's tone quickened slightly.

[The Space Stone's spatial authority allows the host to split into two separate entities—essentially, a duplication ability. However, only one clone can exist at a time, and the host's total strength remains unchanged. This means that once a clone is created, the host will lose access to the abilities of the role-playing card used.]

"So, I can split into two—one remaining as myself while the other continues role-playing?"

[As expected of the host, truly intelligent.]

Reid rolled his eyes at the unnecessary flattery.

"There should be more features. Keep going."

The cloning ability was indeed useful. Lately, Reid had realized that due to constantly playing DC characters, his identity as 'Reid' had been absent from the world for too long.

That wasn't a good thing.

With the Martian Manhunter and Aquaman role cards in his possession, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed that Reid always had ties to super-powered individuals.

Rather than let others speculate later, it was better to establish a clear identity for himself now.

The cloning ability not only doubled his power but also made it easier to maintain his presence as 'Reid' while continuing his role-playing. It was the perfect solution.

The system continued speaking.

[Another newly unlocked feature allows the host to manually swap any follower card or character card once.]

'So, I can turn a follower card into a character card—or vice versa?'

Reid stroked his chin, quickly making a decision.

He took out the Aquaman card and activated the newly unlocked function.

A flash of blue light surged across the card, transforming it into a follower card.

This was a decision Reid had carefully considered.

Aside from commanding marine life unconditionally, most of Aquaman's abilities were ones that Martian Manhunter could replicate.

Even Aquaman's power to communicate with sea creatures could be achieved through Martian Manhunter's telepathy.

More importantly, Martian Manhunter didn't rely on water to unleash his full strength. Even in space, he could remain a formidable force.

But the biggest reason was Aquaman's mission—to establish Atlantis.

The mission itself suggested that Atlantis didn't exist in this world. Even if there were ocean-dwelling species, they likely weren't called Atlantis.

That would be an incredibly troublesome task, potentially taking years to complete. Reid had no intention of wasting that much time on Aquaman's role card.

Rather than chase a single mission reward, it was far more practical to turn Aquaman into a follower card and let him take control of Earth's oceans.

That was probably the only real value of this card. Powerful, without a doubt, but its limitations were just as obvious.

As Reid completed the transformation of Aquaman's card, a cluster of light emerged from it, floating in front of him.

'What's this?'

He reached out and gently grasped the glowing orb, which instantly materialized into a new card.

"Another follower card?"

[Yes, Host. Since you converted Aquaman's role-playing card into a follower card, the energy stored within the card has been repurposed into this new follower card.]

Reid carefully examined the card in his hand.

The card art depicted numerous Atlanteans swimming through the vast ocean, led by none other than Mera, Queen of Atlantis and Aquaman's wife in the comics.

It was the first time he had ever seen a follower card representing multiple individuals.

"Looks like I made the right call," he mused.

Aquaman's abilities weren't essential to him. By sacrificing the chance to gain Aquaman's powers and the mission reward, he had instead secured an entire Atlantean force, along with Queen Mera.

That trade was an absolute win.

With these two cards, Reid was confident he could control Earth's oceans.

Even if this world had something like Talokan, the underwater nation using Vibranium technology from the movie universe, having Aquaman's leadership would be enough to defeat Namor.

Satisfied with his decision, Reid stored the cards away before turning his attention back to the Tesseract still resting in the device.

He considered taking it now but hesitated.

In about a year, Captain Marvel's story would begin.

By then, he'd have another chance to access the Cube. If he took it now, it was impossible to predict how that storyline would unfold.

He vaguely remembered that Captain Marvel and her allies had located this space lab by tracing the resonance between the Tesseract and the energy inside her.

'Forget it… I'll wait another year.'

With careful planning, Reid was confident he could manipulate events to his advantage. There was no rush to claim an Infinity Stone just yet.

As long as he set things up properly, the Cube would still end up in his hands a year from now.

If he took it prematurely, he might lose the opportunity to gain Captain Marvel's trust—making it harder to influence the powerful figures in this universe from the shadows.

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