Chapter 123

"I see."

After listening to Doug's story, a gleam of interest flashed through Eren's eyes.

Each victim appeared to have suffocated as if choked to death. It was no wonder the community had sought help from spiritual practitioners, suspecting some malevolent entity.

But for Eren, many things could cause such deaths beyond just ghosts.

For instance, certain forbidden objects.

Hmm... could the incident on 13th Street involve a forbidden object?

This thought brought a shadow of suspicion to Eren's mind.

Of course, it wasn't a certainty.

13th Street isn't far from where I live. When I have time, I should go and check it out myself to see what's really going on.

If it turned out to be some malevolent entity, that would be one thing.

But if it was a forbidden object, it might be an opportunity for Eren to gain some Fate Points.

After his recent streak of luck, drawing several valuable items, Eren was eager for more Fate Points.

Doug, unaware of Eren's thoughts, nodded quickly and added, "True or not, it's better to stay away from 13th Street until the issue is resolved."

The chubby boy shuddered slightly, his plump body jiggling, before leaning closer to Eren. "By the way, where were you yesterday? I was going to share that secret video with you, but you didn't show up after school."

"Also, you didn't even tell me you were taking the day off. Not cool, man. I was planning to show you the video I secretly snagged. I didn't show it to anyone else, you know? Yesterday, a mysterious mech appeared in New York and stopped that giant Iron Monger from wreaking havoc. The internet's been calling that mech Iron Man..."

As Doug grew more excited, Eren suddenly interrupted, "Doug, did you watch the news this morning?"

Doug blinked in confusion. "The news? What news? I barely opened my eyes this morning before my mom dragged me out of bed to wash up. By the time I was awake enough to think, I was already on the school bus. Why? What's up?"

Eren smiled faintly.

"Nothing much, just that during a press conference held by the federal government and the military this morning, Tony Stark admitted he's Iron Man..."

Before Eren could finish, Doug's eyes widened, and he blurted out, "Holy crap!"

Almost instantly, he whipped out his phone, deftly typing in a website and scanning the latest headlines.

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap..."

Doug muttered in disbelief as he read, drawing annoyed looks from nearby classmates.

Had Eren not recently dealt with the school bully Fletcher, earning some clout, several irritated students might have taught the loud-mouthed Doug a lesson.

But when Doug exclaimed his next sentence, the annoyance on their faces turned to shock.

"Holy crap! That billionaire genius Tony Stark is Iron Man? This world is insane!"

What?!

Doug's words silenced the noisy classroom for a few seconds.

Then, like a dam bursting, the room erupted into chaos.

"No way! That playboy is Iron Man?"

"Exactly! Stark is infamous for being a weapons dealer. How could he be the one who swooped in and saved civilians from terrorists?"

"Come on, Doug, think before you speak!"

"..."

Students who envied Stark's lavish lifestyle but disapproved of his character reacted like agitated porcupines, firing rebuttals at Doug.

Faced with the backlash, Doug turned red and defended himself, "Why would I lie? This is all over the internet! Look it up yourselves!"

As soon as Doug finished, most of the class pulled out their phones to check.

Moments later, the classroom was filled with gasps and exclamations.

"Holy crap, Doug was right. Tony Stark really is Iron Man!"

"Damn it! This world is so unfair. A billionaire with fame, power, luxury cars, and women... Fine. But now he's also a top-tier scientist and a superhero? What chance do the rest of us have?"

Eren shook his head, watching the chaos in the classroom.

These guys are so loud, it's like they're begging for a teacher to show up.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Principal Shermo stormed in, slamming the door open with a loud bang.

"What's going on? Are you all trying to start a rebellion?"

The students, who had been buzzing with excitement just moments ago, froze at the sight of Shermo's thunderous expression.

One by one, they sank into their seats, heads bowed, as silence blanketed the room.

"Hmph!"

Shermo stood at the door for a while, ensuring the students remained subdued before finally leaving.

Though he was gone, no one dared to cause a commotion again, fearing he might return unexpectedly.

The oppressive silence didn't last long, however.

When the bell rang for the end of class, the classroom erupted in chatter again.

With keywords like "Iron Man" and "Tony Stark," the buzz quickly spread throughout Midtown High like wildfire.

Exiting the classroom, Eren soon spotted a familiar golden-haired figure in the crowd.

Pushing through the chatting students, he made his way to Gwen.

As Eren approached, Gwen noticed him and started making her way toward him as well.

Before long, the two met amidst the bustling crowd.

Seeing Eren safe and sound, Gwen smiled and said, "Looks like you managed to handle Principal Shermo!"

(End of Chapter)

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