Chapter 15 – The Second Map
He hurriedly tapped into the map page. Sure enough, a new map had appeared below the original one. The previous, cleared map had turned black and was now unselectable.
The name of the new map sounded quite flashy: Endless War.
[Endless War]: Travel cost—5 Traversal Coins.
The price of traversing had suddenly quintupled! Just when Zhou Ning had thought that having 12 Traversal Coins was already quite a lot, his face turned green.
What a scam! The inflation rate was way too outrageous!
As for this map, Zhou Ning recalled once playing a mini-game with the same name—it was a tower defense game.
So his first impression was to guess it might be a fantasy-themed map. But knowing how quirky this simulator was, it could very well turn out to be modern warfare instead. Zhou Ning admitted he couldn't make heads or tails of its patterns.
He tapped into the newly released feature—the lottery page—and found the rules simple enough: 1 Traversal Coin per draw, 10-draws for just 9 coins. The current prize pool was filled with items from the completed JoJo's Bizarre Adventure map.
Free draws remaining: 3
Zhou Ning: …
Wasn't this just a classic pay-to-win mobile game gimmick?
Having had bad luck since childhood—he'd never even won a "try again" bottle cap—Zhou Ning had never had much interest in lotteries.
But free stuff? That's different.
Without hesitation, he hit the draw button—single pull miracle, let's go!
[You obtained a rare item: Browning M1906 pocket pistol, comes with several .25 ACP rounds]
Again!
[You obtained a rare item: Colt M1908 pistol, comes with several .25 ACP rounds]
Hold up. Zhou Ning, face dark, walked over to the washroom and splashed some water on his face.
Keep going!
[You obtained a unique item: Webley Scott Bulldog revolver, comes with several .45 ACP rounds]
Zhou Ning: …
This was ridiculous. Including the two guns already in his inventory, he now had five firearms! Who could even use that many at once? What did he think he was, Doctor Octopus?
Screw this stupid draw system. One more pull and I'm cutting my own hands off!
He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time—barely past two. The night was still young. Having just learned Ripple Breathing and gotten a taste of its power, Zhou Ning didn't feel sleepy at all. After finding a few pieces of dark bread in the room to fill his stomach, he lay on the bed, staring at the yet-unentered new map, itching with curiosity.
Maybe… try it out?
In the end, his internet addiction won out. He selected the new map Endless War and chose to enter.
[Preparing to traverse… Traversal Coins -5]
[Please select a traversal mode…]
[1. Direct Traverse]
[2. Traverse using Parallel World Template]
Whoa, even the traverse mode got an upgrade?
Curious, Zhou Ning picked option 2 to check it out. Three cards appeared before him.
The first card showed himself in a black suit and sunglasses, with a cold, emotionless face. Personality: cold-blooded, ruthless. Talents: [Precision Shooting] (Blue), [Bullet Time] (Orange). Skills: Firearms Mastery (Expert), Hand-to-Hand Combat (Expert).
Title: Yakuza Fiend Zhou Ning. Traverse cost: 15 Traversal Coins.
The second card had him in a purple suit with clown makeup. Personality: unpredictable, erratic. Talents: Criminal Genius (Purple), Explosives Expert (Purple), Firearms Master (Purple), Dyslexia (Gray - Negative). Skills: Intimidation and Extortion (Master), Explosive Crafting (Expert), Negotiation (Expert).
Title: Mad Clown Zhou Ning. Traverse cost: a whopping 25 Traversal Coins.
The third card showed him in a black suit again, calmly seated at a poker table with a confident smile and a piece of chocolate in his hand. Personality: arrogant, confident, composed. Talents: Gambling God (Red), Winning Strike (Purple). Skills: Gambling (God-tier), Firearms Mastery (Beginner).
Title: Supreme Gambling God Zhou Ning. Traverse cost: a jaw-dropping 100 Traversal Coins!
After reading the description, Zhou Ning immediately understood why the prices were so steep. Partly because these templates helped complete maps faster, but more importantly, once a template character successfully cleared a map, their talents and skills could enter the prize pool for future draws.
Now that was tempting. Any one of those cards would be a massive power boost.
At the bottom, a refresh countdown: 23:59:59—clearly, once the time reset, all three cards would disappear.
They looked amazing, but with only 7 Traversal Coins left… they didn't seem so sweet anymore. Not! A! Single! One! Is! Affordable!
[You have selected Direct Traverse Mode]
[Please select three talents from the ten below as matching criteria]
[1. Enigma (Blue): No one knows who you are. Your name and past are a mystery.]
[2. Vampire Physique (Purple): Your physical abilities far exceed normal humans. You're ageless and immortal—but sunlight will kill you.]
[3. Underdog Path (Green): This is the story of my legendary life. Don't mock a poor youth, a poor middle-aged man, or a poor elder.]
[4. Cross-Species Romance (White): You may not be a furry, but furries love you. Furry creatures are naturally drawn to you.]
[5. Faceless One (Green): You were born without a face, but are immune to all mental and spiritual control magic.]
[6. Super Gambler (Purple): You have exceptional talent and intuition in gambling. When you go all-in, your luck dramatically increases.]
[7. Sweet Tooth (White): You adore sweets—can't live without sugar.]
[8. Naturally Sociable (Blue): Your charisma is maxed out. You can make friends with anyone quickly.]
[9. Business Genius (Blue): You have great talent in business, allowing rapid capital accumulation.]
[10. Soul Transfer (Blue): Your chosen traverse method is soul transfer, allowing countless possibilities.]
[Please make your selections!]
Compared to the previous traverse, these options were noticeably worse—many didn't even make sense.
Option 2, Vampire Physique, likely entered the pool after clearing the last map. It sounded amazing, but the sunlight drawback was severe. Without knowing the setting, you could die instantly at the start and waste 5 coins.
Option 10 was similarly unstable. Its value was too uncertain. Far better to pick Options 6 and 8—at least they were solid positives.
After a brief pause, he selected 6, 8, and 9.
[You have selected Talents 6, 8, and 9.]
[Your current talents: Super Gambler, Naturally Sociable, Business Genius, Permanent Talent: Tony Stark.]
[Match successful. In this parallel world, you are a playboy, a social butterfly, a genius in both science and business, and a certified gambler.]
[If you die in the simulation, the game ends.]
[Boarding time machine… 1%... 33%... 65%... 95%... Whoosh... Traverse Complete.]
[You have arrived in New York, 2006. From this moment forward, the wheels of history begin to turn.]
2006 New York? What kind of map was this supposed to be? Call of Duty?
[July 1, 2006: You appear alone on the streets of New York. Through conversation, you learn you're in Flushing, a neighborhood primarily inhabited by Chinese immigrants from mainland China and Taiwan. Thanks to your striking looks and social skills, you earn a small sum performing street dice tricks.]
[July 2, 2006: You're mugged at gunpoint by a few thugs. But these small fry are no match for you—you turn the tables, robbing them instead and netting $900 in cash.]
[July 3–12, 2006: You place small bets at a dozen minor casinos and rake in a big profit, then wisely withdraw. As a gambler, you understand well: "Gamble" with the shell radical becomes "Greed," the halves of "Greed" form "Poverty," and when combined with "Weapons," it becomes "Thief." Without restraint, a gambler ends in greed, poverty, and crime. (Wealth +2)]
[July 13, 2006: You rent an apartment in Flushing and start learning about this world. What you discover shocks you. In this world, Stark Industries exists—and in Manhattan, the landmark isn't the Empire State Building, but the 1,138-foot Stark Tower.]
Zhou Ning was stunned. The result was now clear—the second map was set in the Marvel Universe.
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