A few minutes ago...

  Floating above the ocean, near New York City, was the Helicarrier, the aircraft carrier of the world's most secretive organization, S.H.I.E.L.D.

  In a massive room—the main operations center—several screens monitored every country. Only the best agents were allowed in this room.

  The director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, stood with a serious expression, reviewing intel on a terrifying terrorist organization.

  A stunning agent, Maria Hill, continued presenting all the data they had gathered.

  "Sir, these are all the details we've managed to collect on the Mandarin, the real Mandarin," she said. "What do you think?"

  Nick remained silent, deep in thought.

  "I think that..."

  But whatever he was about to say, no one would ever know, because at that moment, all the data on the screens was suddenly replaced by an image of a magnificent and ominous castle, with the name "Castlevania" appearing slowly.

  This didn’t happen on just one screen—it was displayed on every monitor in the Helicarrier.

  As everyone stood in shock, the main theme of Castlevania began to play, filling the room with an epic and eerie melody. Each note echoed loudly, amplifying the tension and suspense. As the music swelled, an incredible trailer for the game began.

  (Author: Still too lazy to narrate the trailer, sorry.)

  While most of the agents were stunned, Nick Fury was the first to snap out of it, his face twisted with rage.

  "CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE? AND WHY HASN’T ANYONE SHUT THIS DOWN YET?"

  Hearing their furious boss, all the agents scrambled to remove the advertisement from the screens, but after numerous failed attempts, they could only accept that it was impossible.

  "Sir... it appears our intelligence systems have been hacked. Something is forcing our operating systems to run this, and even shutting off the monitors isn’t working. The only way to stop it would be to cut the power to the ship," one of the tech agents cautiously explained.

  He knew that turning off the Helicarrier’s power was impossible—it would send them plummeting to the ground from 20,000 meters in the air.

  "You’re telling me our only way out is collective suicide?" Nick asked, his frustration clear.

  "...Yes."

  Finally reaching his limit, Nick simply pulled out his pistol and fired three shots, shattering one of the monitors in front of him.

  Of course, there were dozens of other screens, so destroying one was useless, but no one dared to point that out.

  Sigh.

  Slowly, Nick tried to calm himself—but he couldn't.

  What infuriated him wasn’t just this ridiculous game ad, but the fact that someone had managed to hack into the operating systems of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most important vessel.

  If this person wanted to, they could have simply shut off the engines, sending them all to their deaths.

  "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night! Buy it on Steam and embark on an adventure through Count Dracula’s magnificent castle as his son, Alucard!"

  With that final announcement, the advertisement ended, and all the screens returned to normal.

  Without hesitation, Nick ordered the Helicarrier to land in the ocean.

  Understanding the gravity of the situation, the crew worked quickly, managing to land without delay.

  Then, Nick spoke again.

  "I want to know everything about this game—and even more about its creator. Find out who has the ability to infiltrate our systems as if they were their own!"

  "Could it be Stark?" Agent Hill suggested.

  Nick considered it for a moment but quickly dismissed the idea.

  "It shouldn’t be," he told Hill.

  (Author: At this moment, that’s really impossible.)

  "Sir, there’s not much information on the game. But what we did find is pretty strange," an agent reported. "As for the creator, it’s impossible to see anything beyond their name."

  The agent summarized everything they had discovered and shared the data on the main screen.

  "Let me see."

  Nick opened the available files on the game.

  [Name: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]

  Superficial Analysis: Appears to be some kind of old 2D platformer action game about Dracula’s son trying to defeat his father.

  Note: We weren’t the only ones hacked. This ad played on every screen in the entire country—phones, tablets, TVs, and more.

  Analysis: The game was published yesterday at 2:38 PM on Steam. Even hacking Steam didn’t reveal the creator’s identity or allow the game to be deleted. The creator’s name cannot be determined, only their codename: Dr. Marvelous.

  Rumors Found Online:

  1. Players claim they receive a reward upon completing the game. The reward "magically" appears in front of them.

  2. The rewards vary between three items: Potion of Intelligence, Potion of Defense, and Potion of Luck.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Note: Those who posted about the rewards insist they used them and that their effects are real.

  3. There are four reports of people receiving a sword or a cloak instead of a potion. They claim both items have magical properties.

  4. Just 1 hour and 17 minutes ago, a user named NovaStar claimed they received a "Sword Card" as an exclusive reward for being the second person to achieve the perfect ending.

  Item: Familiar Sword

  Description: A floating sword with free will that attacks independently without needing to be wielded. The owner can issue commands to it.

  Note: We have been unable to track any of the players who received rewards or posted comments about the game. It appears that everyone who has played it is impossible to locate.

  5. All reward items exist within the game itself.

  That’s all we could find.

  Looking at these surreal findings, not only Nick Fury and Maria Hill were bewildered—every agent present was equally stunned.

  Even the agent who compiled the report wasn’t sure if he believed any of it. But since he had been ordered to gather all information, he had no choice but to write a complete and thorough report.

  Silence filled the room for a long time before Nick finally spoke.

  "Download the game. I need to know what makes it so special."

  Following his order, the same agent who compiled the report quickly downloaded the game.

  He created a save file with the name "*******" and started playing.

  After the opening cutscene, he took control of Richter.

  "Sir, what should I do?" the agent asked Nick.

  "Just continue. This game can't be normal," Nick replied.

  The agent proceeded, struggling but eventually defeating Dracula after a few minutes.

  After watching a cutscene of Alucard arriving at the castle, the real game finally began.

  But soon, he encountered a strange, top-hat-wearing wolf, and at that moment, he lost control of Alucard.

  Initially, he assumed it was just another cutscene.

  But then, the wolf opened its mouth and spoke.

  "Oh!? Look what we have here! Spies!"

  Everyone in the room fell silent.

  "He’s not talking about us, right?" Agent Hill asked in disbelief.

  Nick and the others hoped that wasn’t the case.

  But to their disappointment, the wolf spoke again.

  "You are the only spies here. So, of course, I'm talking to you."

  "Right. Of course, you're with us. But now, who exactly are you?" Nick Fury remained calm and tried to extract some information from the strange situation.

  "At the moment, I am a top-hat-wearing wolf. But you can call me Marveler or Dr. Marveler. You don't know me yet, but you'll hear a lot about me in the future," the wolf replied excitedly.

  "I'll hear about you in the future?" Nick Fury asked.

  "But of course! After all, I will be the greatest game creator in the universe!"

  Nick raised an eyebrow.

  He said 'universe,' not 'world.'

  Nick understood something, so he said, "So, you came to Earth just to create games?"

  Immediately, all the agents were surprised.

  Does this mean the game's creator is an alien? And their boss knows about extraterrestrials?

  'S.H.I.E.L.D. is much deeper than I expected.' All the agents thought the same thing.

  "Wow! You figured it out so quickly! Truly worthy of being the great director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury. As for your question, yes. I chose a random planet and simply came here to create games," the wolf said cheerfully.

  But Fury wouldn't be satisfied with an uninvited guest from space wandering around his planet. The only problem was that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

  He wanted to send a signal to Carol Danvers, but he needed to find Marveler's exact location first, and he wasn't sure how long that would take.

  "Are these potions, the cape, and the magic sword real? If someone completes the game, can they win one of them?"

  That was one of the things he wanted to know—not just him, but everyone in the room.

  "Yes, yes! As real as Thor's hammer!" the wolf said enthusiastically. "However, even if you complete the game a thousand times, you can only receive the reward once per person."

  Even if he couldn't solve the problem of this alien being on Earth, at least Nick could gain something from it. If the effects of these potions were real, maybe he could replicate them through research.

  "Are you saying that if all these agents completed the game, each would get a reward?"

  S.H.I.E.L.D. had more than 2,500 agents and another 4,000 staff members. If each one completed the game, he would have a huge stock of potions. As for the cape and the sword, Nick simply ignored them—this was the modern era; swords were for gladiators.

  "But of course!" Marveler confirmed.

  "Since we understand each other, don't you think releasing these items to ordinary people could be dangerous? After all, criminals could use them to hurt people, and children could get injured."

  Nick slowly tried to convince him to limit these rewards. Of course, he was genuinely concerned about ordinary people, but he also wanted to monopolize them somehow.

  "You're right!" the wolf said.

  Nick was pleased to hear that.

  "But isn't it the same with firearms? Besides, all potions are temporary. As for the sword and cape, they are indeed a bit dangerous, but not enough to eliminate the rewards."

  Disappointed, Nick sighed.

  He decided internally that he would try to stop the game's spread using all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s power, but he knew it would be difficult—if not impossible.

  "Anyway, I've bothered you enough. Maybe one day we'll meet in person. Bye! Bye!"

  The wolf on the screen caught fire and disappeared, leaving behind a top hat. Then, a message appeared in the game.

  [Item: Marveler's Top Hat]

  Description: A farewell gift from Mr. Marveler. Upon completing the game while wearing Mr. Marveler's top hat, you may choose the reward you desire.

  Equipment Stats:

  +10 Luck

  +20% Luck

  P.S.: Good Luck!

  Signed, Marveler.

  "Sir, should I close or continue the game?" the agent in front of the monitor asked.

  "Continue. Complete the game. Agent Hill, if the rewards are real, you will be in charge of setting up a special room with at least 50 monitors. Assign an agent to each one to complete the game. All rewards will be taken to a level 4 security warehouse."

  After giving his orders, Fury headed toward the meeting room.

  Nick looked at the phone, where complaints from almost every U.S. politician were piling up.

  "Son of a..."

  ◇◇

  At the same time, in an apartment in New York...

  James sat in his apartment, lost in deep thought. His eyes focused on the two objects before him, each carrying a unique significance.

  On the left rested an imposing black cape—a true symbol of presence and mystery. To his right lay a simple golden ring, seemingly old and worn, but James knew that this ring possessed far greater power than the cape.

  James looked at the information that appeared before his eyes, focusing on the cape's detailed description.

  [Item: Count Dracula's Cape]

  Description: Created by Dracula himself, this cape possesses incredible defensive capabilities. During a full moon, its defensive power is doubled.

  Item Stats:

  +26 Defense

  +5 Charisma

  +2 Strength

  [Warning: Normal people have an average of 5 points in all attributes. Be careful when using this item, as you may hurt others or yourself.]

  The warning caught his attention, but it was far from discouraging him—it only reinforced the cape's image in his mind.

  "During a full moon, its defensive power is doubled... That function didn't exist in the game."

  With such high defense, wouldn't he be comparable to a small tank when using it under a full moon?

  "Now... how should I use this?"

  Doubts soon arose about how he could make meaningful use of the cape.

  Becoming a superhero like Captain America didn’t seem like a viable option—James was certain the government would take the cape from him.

  An anonymous hero could be an alternative, but after some thought, James decided to simply store the cape.

  As his eyes shifted to the golden ring on the table, detailed item information appeared before him.

  [Item: Ring of Varda]

  Description: A golden ring forged to rule over all. Increases total power to a near-divine status.

  Item Stats:

  +30 Strength

  +10 Stamina

  +30 Intelligence

  +10 Luck

  +30 Attack

  +10 Defense

  [Warning: Wearing this ring will elevate your power close to the limit of human ability. Be careful not to harm others or yourself.]

  (Author's Note: Wearing this ring gives him about 70-80% of Captain America's strength.)

  "The most powerful item in the game... in real life..."

  Still hesitating, he put on the ring.

  Observing it on his finger, James only felt a refreshing sensation, as if he had been revitalized after a good night's sleep.

  To test the ring’s strength, James picked up the toughest object available in his apartment—his baseball bat.

  After gripping it lightly, his surprise only grew—he felt no resistance at all. It was like squeezing a piece of soft foam, incapable of offering any opposition.

  Then, with a loud crack, the baseball bat shattered like a balloon.

  "This is too much for me," James murmured, astonished by the impressive power.

  He looked at the bat's remains scattered before him and wondered how he was going to deal with this.