Chapter 163: A Train?

 Wolverine, real name James Howlett.

As the most popular mutant character today, it's no exaggeration to say Uncle Wolf is a household name. Even those who aren't familiar with the X-Men series might know a thing or two about him.

When people think of Uncle Wolf, the first thing that comes to mind is his incredible self-healing ability. This unusual power allows him to recover quickly from injuries, reminiscent of the thirty-life cheats from the classic game Contra. In fact, it's even more impressive than that.

According to his backstory, Wolverine's self-healing is pretty remarkable. His regeneration speed correlates with the severity of his injuries. A mere scratch or small puncture can heal in the blink of an eye, but losing a limb or sustaining severe damage might take longer. However, as long as he isn't completely obliterated, his healing won't stop, even if he's left with just his head; he can regrow his body.

Uncle Wolf's toughness isn't just due to his incredible healing factor. Years ago, he underwent a brutal transformation in a program called "Weapon X," where scientists covered his bones with a rare metal called "Adamantium." This superalloy is as famous as vibranium in the Marvel Universe. The material's quality is top-tier, granting Wolverine virtually unmatched defense. His internal organs and vital areas are shielded by Adamantium bones, effectively giving him a layer of indestructible armor beneath his skin.

So, any attack on Wolverine fails to penetrate his bones. Even the Hulk, in his most powerful form, can only defeat him but not kill him, as he can't destroy Wolverine's skeletal structure. With his monster-level healing, stripping Wolverine of his skin merely leaves him looking a bit rough, not in pain.

Yet Uncle Wolf, who embodies the idealistic side of mutants, has also faced his share of persecution in the U.S. His effectiveness in battle often fluctuates depending on the demands of the story.

Wolverine first appeared in the Hulk comics, where he played a minor role. However, he soon faced off against the Hulk multiple times, proving his high potential. In a good situation, he can endure a hail of bullets without flinching, yet in a less favorable state, a random passerby could shoot him in the head, leaving him unconscious for an extended period. Eventually, he would squeeze out the bullet from his forehead and reconnect, but it wouldn't be easy.

Regardless, since Uncle Wolf is drawn from the B-list pool, even if he isn't at his peak, he should still be a valuable asset. Chu Cheng included Uncle Wolf in his list of top-tier heroes as a candidate for maximum combat effectiveness.

This led Chu Cheng to feel grateful to Leng Ji for the valuable experience he provided through his selfless sacrifice. Not only did it boost his first-line combat power, but it also significantly increased the number of superheroes in his roster.

Reflecting on the Captain America movie, it seemed anyone with a team of super soldiers at the Winter Soldier level could easily sway any government and become a significant force.

Chu Cheng believed this claim was somewhat exaggerated, but there was some truth to it. As the number of Winter Soldiers and even stronger fighters in his pool steadily increased, he felt he had outdone Hydra, which was always on the run by the end of their battles.

Of course, one must remain grounded despite growth; clarity is essential. Compared to others' Winter Soldiers, his superhero roles still had limitations, such as their inability to operate in multiple locations at once.

However, as the account upgrades and functionalities expand, new features are introduced—like a much-anticipated auto-leveling function.

This feature is similar to the automatic leveling found in traditional online games. In simple terms, it's hero hosting. When players are offline, the hero will follow specified commands within a designated area, allowing for efficient leveling while players rest.

Observations so far suggest that this game operates somewhat like cheating, uniquely tied to the player. The hero's field operations still consume the player's energy, meaning even while auto-leveling, it requires Chu Cheng's input.

However, using hosted AI is simpler than typical team battle AI, leading to lower energy consumption for the player. Friday assessed that Chu Cheng's current fitness was vastly improved since he first began playing the game. Choosing a non-superhero would allow him to hang up for 24 hours without significant impact on him.

Currently, the system supports up to two heroes patrolling at the same time. However, selecting two may strain Chu Cheng. Based on Friday's advice, it's better to choose a non-superhero for most cases unless special circumstances arise where he has sufficient energy but cannot play for long periods—a situation that's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

The patrolling function is relatively straightforward. The hero will move within a designated area, and its range covers a significant portion of a city.

During this period, the hero will automatically patrol, stop ongoing crimes, and attack marked enemies. However, they cannot handle complex tasks without player input.

If a notable event occurs—like overhearing a suspicious phone call, spotting a suspicious person, or uncovering clues—the information will be flagged and sent to the player. Players can then log in, select the hero character to view details, and decide whether to intervene.

In layman's terms, it's like a hidden side mission. Various tasks can arise during the hero's hang-up period, and players have the freedom to accept them or not.

The first test subjects were naturally the heroes stationed in Harborview City.

Currently, Daredevil and Batgirl are the heroes on duty there. While Cassandra excels in combat, Chu Cheng ultimately chose Daredevil for the hosting option.

After all, Daredevil's heightened senses make him better at detecting unusual activities. In the end, whether he's a fighting master or a keen observer, it doesn't matter much; both roles serve to curb street crime. Opting for Daredevil with superior perception increases the chances of triggering side missions.

One patrol can last up to 12 hours before requiring the player to log back in and reset. Chu Cheng initially set it for 12 hours and hit start, watching as Daredevil wandered around the rooftops of Harborview City.

Rather than logging off immediately, he decided to observe the effects. He saw Daredevil leaping across the rooftops, fully alert. Within minutes, a warning appeared on his screen, indicating a crime was in progress.

Daredevil swiftly turned and tracked down the source. Instead of jumping in directly, he climbed to a higher vantage point to assess the situation below.

He spotted a street fight, with six people beating up two others, who were huddled on the ground, unable to move. One of them was in critical condition.

No firearms were involved. After surveying the scene, Daredevil leaped down and landed in front of the attackers.

The six were startled, and one yelled at him. In response, Daredevil hurled his baton, hitting one man in the forehead. The baton then returned to him as if guided by instinct.

Daredevil executed a somersault and landed among them, twirling his batons like a percussion instrument. In less than thirty seconds, he knocked out the six assailants, some rolling on the ground in pain.

Having swiftly ended the conflict, Daredevil approached the baton he'd thrown, stepped on it, and caught it as it flipped back into his hand like a boomerang.

He fired the grappling hook, soared back onto the roof, and vanished into the night, all under the amazed gazes of onlookers.

While his combat operations weren't as seamless as a player's and lacked strategic foresight during fights, the hosted AI was more than capable of fulfilling the role of a night watchman and gaining experience.

Chu Cheng had initially planned to observe the patrol feature closely, particularly to see how the AI would handle armed foes and stealth assassinations, but then something urgent caught his attention.

Friday interrupted, displaying a news report on the monitor.

"Sir, urgent news from the city," she said. "I think you'll want to see this."

Chu Cheng glanced at the screen, where a headline caught his eye: "Breaking News! Subway Line 9 Out of Control!"

An out-of-control train?

His gaze immediately shifted to Spider-Man in his character list.

Is it time for a professional response?