Chapter 2: The Stark Reality

Isaiah, or rather, Tony, stared at the floating blue box with a mixture of awe and utter bewilderment. "The Gamer System?" he muttered, running a hand through his now-perfectly-styled hair. This was… unexpected. He'd read fanfictions about this sort of thing, systems granting overpowered abilities to transmigrated souls, but he'd always dismissed them as wish fulfillment. Now, it was his reality.

[Ding!]

[Initiating Status Window Display!]

Another blue box materialized, this one larger and filled with text:

**[Status]**

**Name:** Anthony Edward Stark

**Age:** 18

**Level:** 1

**HP:** 100/100

**MP:** 50/50

**STR:** 8

**DEX:** 9

**VIT:** 10

**INT:** 25

**WIS:** 15

**LUK:** 12

**Skills:**

* **Engineering (Novice):** Ability to design and build basic mechanical devices.

* **Programming (Novice):** Ability to write basic code.

* **Charisma (Adept):** Natural ability to charm and influence others.

* **Genius-Level Intellect (Passive):** Possesses an exceptionally high IQ and aptitude for learning.

Tony blinked. "Twenty-five INT?" he whispered. "Okay, that's… that's definitely Tony Stark level." He scrolled through the rest of the information, a slow grin spreading across his face. This… this could be useful. Very useful.

"System," he said, testing the waters, "Can you tell me anything about my current situation? Like, which universe am I in?"

[Analyzing…]

[Current Universe Designation: Marvel Multiverse - Designation Undetermined. Cross-referencing with known databases… Discrepancies detected.]

[Conclusion: Host is in a variant Marvel Universe. Probability of encountering familiar characters and events: High. Probability of significant deviations: Moderate.]

Tony frowned. A variant universe? That explained the… off feeling he'd had. It wasn't quite the MCU, and it definitely wasn't the classic 616 comic universe. This was something new, something unpredictable. It meant he couldn't rely solely on his pre-existing knowledge. He'd have to adapt, to learn, to… well, to game the system, literally.

"Okay, System," he said, his mind already racing with possibilities, "What else can you do?"

[Ding!]

[System Features Unlocked!]

[Shop: Access a vast catalog of items, skills, and blueprints from across the Multiverse. Currency: System Points (SP).]

[Lottery: Test your luck! Win rare and powerful items, skills, or even… other surprises!]

[Current SP: 0]

Tony's eyebrows shot up. A shop? A lottery? This was getting better and better. He just needed to figure out how to earn System Points.

"How do I earn SP?" he asked.

[SP can be earned through completing quests, achieving milestones, and defeating enemies.]

[Initial Quest Available!]

[Quest: Awkward Family Dinner]

[Description: Survive a dinner conversation with your step-father, Howard Stark.]

[Reward: 50 SP, +1 WIS]

[Failure: -1 CHA, Awkward Silence Debuff]

Tony chuckled. "Awkward Family Dinner? That's… surprisingly relatable." He glanced at the clock. It was almost 6 PM. Dinner time.

He took a deep breath, trying to channel the cocky, confident persona of Tony Stark. He could do this. He had to. He was Iron Man, damn it! Even if he was just an 18-year-old version in a strange, new universe with a video game system in his head.

He walked out of his room and headed towards the dining room, the scent of roasted meat and… something vaguely metallic… wafting through the air.

He found Howard Stark already seated at the head of the massive mahogany table, a newspaper in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. Howard looked up, his expression a mixture of sternness and… was that a hint of awkwardness?

"Anthony," Howard said, his voice a deep rumble. "You're late."

"Fashionably late, Dad," Tony replied, trying for a casual smirk. He pulled out a chair and sat down, immediately feeling the weight of Howard's gaze. "So, uh… what's for dinner?"

"Roast beef," Howard said, folding his newspaper. "And we need to talk."

Tony braced himself. This was it. The beginning of the awkwardness. "About what?"

Howard cleared his throat. "About your… recent activities. Maria tells me you've been spending an inordinate amount of time in the lab. Blowing things up, mostly."

Tony winced. Right. The lab. "Research," he said quickly. "Just… exploring some new concepts."

Howard raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Concepts that involve… miniature fusion reactors?"

Tony's smirk faltered. "Okay, maybe 'miniature' is a bit of a stretch…"

The dinner conversation that followed was a minefield of uncomfortable silences, pointed questions, and thinly veiled disapproval. Howard grilled Tony about his future plans, his lack of interest in Stark Industries' weapons division, and his "unconventional" approach to science. Tony, in turn, tried to deflect, to explain his passion for innovation without revealing the whole 'I'm from the future and need to build an armored suit to save the world' bit.

He earns,

[Reward: 50 SP, +1 WIS]

SP: 0 + 50 : 50

WIS: 15 + 1 = 16