[What if... a soul that didn't belong here suddenly appeared in the Marvel Universe?]
2012. New York. Midtown Manhattan.
Inside an unassuming, yet spacious 5,000-square-foot duplex on Fifth Avenue.
A handsome boy, around 14 or 15 years old with chestnut hair, was sitting alone on the oak floor of his bedroom, sketching something with chalk.
He was dressed in a casual white button-down. He was tall, with sharp, refined features, and wore a pair of semi-rimless gold wire glasses.
Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting dappled shadows across his face. Combined with the room's cozy decor, the scene felt quiet and refreshing.
Except for one thing...
Protruding from the right sleeve of his shirt was a jarring, black mechanical arm. As he drew, it emitted a faint, rhythmic squeak.
But compared to the slightly noisy mechanical arm, the circles the boy was drawing on the floor—which looked like some kind of dark ritual circle—seemed even more out of place in this modern setting.
"Alright, that looks about right. Now for the materials!"
He tossed the chalk aside. Before he could make another move, the hushed sounds of an argument between a middle-aged man and woman drifted up from the living room downstairs.
"Gina! You need to at least discuss this with me beforehand! We finally got out of Sokovia and escaped those people! And now you're actively seeking a partnership with them?"
"You're practically pushing this company into a fire pit!"
The man, Hermann, was trying his best to keep his voice down, but he couldn't hide the anger in his tone.
In contrast, the woman across from him—mature and beautiful—sounded incredibly calm and hard-edged.
"Hermann, times have changed. We can't survive on just a couple of inventions and patents anymore."
"I can wait, but will the shareholders wait for you?"
"We've already lost the contracts with Stark Industries and Hammer Industries. If we don't make a change soon, the company won't survive."
"I don't care what you think. Even if it's just to secure Luca's future, I have to save this company!"
Hearing his wife's decisive words, Hermann opened his mouth several times to retort but couldn't find the words, leaving him to weakly argue his principles.
Although the arguing downstairs was getting louder—to the point where it was impossible to ignore—the boy in the upstairs bedroom just shook his head helplessly. He had no intention of going down to intervene.
It wasn't that he was cold-hearted or didn't care about family harmony.
It was just that he had only transmigrated into this world recently. After spending nearly two months in the hospital, he was still struggling to figure out the dynamics of this new family.
Luca von Aurantius.
His name from his previous life didn't matter anymore.
In his past life, he had just finished helping the police dismantle a massive scam ring. On his way home, he was hit head-on by a truck loaded with gravel.
His last memory was seeing that truck—likely sent to take revenge on him—smashing him through the wall of an apartment building without slowing down.
When he opened his eyes again, he had become Luca, a boy who had also met a tragic end in a car accident.
Maybe the God of Transmigration was feeling generous, or maybe Luca's soul had healed this body.
After days of emergency treatment, the body survived, though he lost his right arm from the elbow down.
Now, after nearly two months, his memories had merged. Luca, who had been all alone in his previous life, gradually accepted this new reality: a wealthy family where both parents were alive and well.
At least in this world, I have a happy family, right?
That was how Luca had been comforting himself since he arrived.
However, compared to his happy family, the world itself wasn't exactly "wonderful."
During his two months in the hospital, aside from integrating his memories, the only thing he could do was watch TV.
And naturally, the billionaire who flew around the world in flashy armor fighting crime was the most frequent figure on the news.
Having watched plenty of Marvel movies in his past life, Luca knew exactly what kind of world he was in.
The only catch was that the Marvel Universe was famous for its multiverse and infinite timelines. He couldn't be sure if the future would play out exactly as he remembered.
Fortunately, Iron Man was the only superhero currently active in the public eye. The world hadn't yet gone completely crazy to the point where normal people couldn't survive.
Of course, the other reason Luca could remain relatively calm was...
As a transmigrator, he had his own special ability—a "Cheat."
Looking at the circle on the floor that resembled a magic ritual, Luca pulled an ordinary red sneaker out of a box next to him.
To anyone else, it was just a shoe. But in Luca's eyes, it glowed with a soft white light. When he held it, a pale blue holographic panel appeared over it.
> [Kick-Enhancement Shoe]
> [Detective Conan World 1/5]
> Creator: Professor Agasa
> Core Component: Red & White Sneaker
> Synthesis Materials: 0.5m Wire, 6 Medical Electrode Pads, 1 Small Dial, 1 Small Battery
> Item Description: Magical kick-enhancement shoes that stimulate pressure points via electricity to boost leg strength. Level 1 kicks heads off, Level 2 wrecks vehicles, Level 3 blows up satellites. Massive power without hurting your foot; 100% accuracy without collateral damage. The ultimate tool for home travel and crime-fighting!
> Note: These shoes are durable, breathable, and odor-resistant—verified by a famous detective who didn't change his shoes for 30 years.
Yes, this was the Cheat Luca obtained after transmigrating.
Originally, while lying in the hospital bed, Luca had tried everything to awaken a "System" or a "Spirit Guide," but nothing worked.
He had assumed he didn't have any powers and would have to survive solely on his limited foreknowledge of the Marvel plot.
But when he returned home, he noticed a pencil case that "he" used to own was emitting a glow only he could see.
Upon touching the pencil case, information like [Source World], [Creator], and [Synthesis Materials] popped up.
That item turned out to be the [Pencil Missile] from the One Punch Man world. Two days ago, Luca had successfully synthesized it using a pencil, gunpowder, glue, and a pistol grip.
This [Kick-Enhancement Shoe] was the second synthesizable item he had found—just an ordinary sneaker in a shoe store.
Luca still didn't fully understand the rules of his ability.
For example, what did the "1/5" after "Detective Conan World" mean?
Why did a pattern resembling a "Magic Circle" appear in his mind when he touched a Core Component?
Why couldn't he synthesize a second [Pencil Missile] using the same circle and identical materials?
But at the very least, he had figured out the basic "Synthesis" function.
He placed the red and white sneaker in the center of the circle, then arranged the other materials in their corresponding smaller circles.
These ordinary items immediately began to glow with the same light as the Core Component.
"Hm? AA batteries won't work? Small military batteries aren't working either?"
He tried several power sources. It wasn't until he placed a common button battery from the supermarket into the circle that the white light finally accepted it.
"Uh, can a button battery that can barely power a vibrating toy really drive these Kick-Enhancement Shoes?"
Shaking off the skepticism, Luca pressed both hands on the edge of the circle and mentally commanded:
Synthesize!
Immediately, golden light exploded outward, swallowing the entire circle.
When the light faded, all the materials were gone. Only a brand-new pair of red and white sneakers remained in the center.
Except...
"Why are they so small?"
Looking at the sneakers, which were barely larger than his hand, Luca was speechless.
"Are you telling me these shoes are only for elementary school kids?"
He reached out and picked up the tiny shoes.
To his surprise, as soon as he touched them, they seemed to react, instantly expanding until they were the perfect size for him.
"This..."
Luca examined them closely. The shoes looked seamless. Aside from a white dial on the side of the right shoe, they looked exactly like normal sneakers.
Even looking inside, there were no signs of batteries, wires, or electrode pads.
If it weren't for the size-changing trick just now, one would think they were just regular shoes that had lost their synthesis panel.
After hesitating for a moment, Luca decided against tearing them apart to check the insides.
With the [Pencil Missile], he had removed two "missiles" to see if he could reverse-engineer them later.
But these shoes were a complete unit, and "black technology" (super-science) usually defied logic. With his pitiful theoretical knowledge and clumsy one-handed skills, if he took them apart, he'd never get them back together.
It was better to just put them on and test their effects.
"Speaking of which, if I kick something with these, will the recoil snap my leg?"
Thinking this, he awkwardly pulled the shoes on, struggling a bit with his mechanical right hand.
It's a pity the power dial is only on the right shoe. Adjusting it with my mechanical hand is going to be a hassle.
Hopefully, I can find some cybernetic arm items later.
Feeling the inconvenience of his hand, Luca moved his feet around and stood up.
Just as he was considering telling his parents he was going downstairs to find something to kick, a series of urgent, whistling sounds came from outside the window.
Confused, Luca walked quickly to the bedroom window and looked out.
What he saw froze him.
In the distance, a blue beam of light shot straight into the sky. At the peak of the beam, the sky had been torn open, revealing a massive hole.
Countless aliens in armor riding flying chariots poured out of the portal, wreaking havoc across New York.
There were even massive biological warships, over a hundred meters long—looking like the mythical Leviathan—swimming through the air and crashing through buildings.
On the ground, screams and cries for help filled the air. Beams of light from alien weapons rained down like a storm, triggering chain explosions.
New York had turned into a living hell.
All these sights pointed to one answer.
"The Chitauri... the invasion has begun!"