It was getting late. A cold wind occasionally swept through the bustling streets, and the air temperature continued to drop.
Yet, as the most prosperous city in the Marvel universe, New York remained lively, its streets still filled with pedestrians, including a young man named Luke Yale.
"The weather's cooling down faster than I thought," Luke muttered, tugging his collar higher.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding~ Your coat senses a chill in the air and decides to increase its thickness to help resist the cold.]
[Ding~ Inspired by your coat, your leather boots grow inward fluff, enhancing cold resistance.]
Immediately, Luke felt his coat become slightly heavier, and the inside of his boots grew noticeably softer and warmer.
Only he could hear the voice. Strange as the notification sounded, and stranger still the changes in his clothes, Luke didn't seem surprised at all.
He'd had this ability ever since arriving in this world four years ago.
Back then, he had transmigrated into the body of a withdrawn fourteen-year-old orphan, bullied to death by other children at the orphanage.
Now eighteen and legally an adult, Luke was finally able to claim the only thing his "new" parents had left behind, a small grocery store on 58th Avenue in Manhattan.
It had been closed for years, but Luke reopened it after taking ownership. Business wasn't great, but he had nowhere else to go, so he settled in.
Life, surprisingly, had been pretty good.
Sometimes, when he was hungry, food would randomly appear in the kitchen. When funds were running low, the lucky cat statue at the entrance seemed to magically attract customers.
The voice in his head was bizarre, but helpful, like a passive superpower tailored for daily survival
The only downside is that when he had been living here for a few days, he suddenly found in horror that there was a war hero named Steve Rogers in the history of this world, also known as Captain America.
Moreover, there is also Stark Industries, whose current CEO is named Anthony Stark, a famous genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist.
After an initial period of disbelief and internal screaming, Luke accepted the grim truth: he was in the Marvel universe.
The one where alien invasions were annual events. The one where gods, monsters, and megalomaniacs took turns trying to destroy Earth.
He had once dreamed of using his strange ability to build a comfortable life or even make a name for himself, but after realizing what world he was in?
Nope. Hard pass.
In a place like this, staying alive meant staying low-profile. Especially since his power, while useful, wasn't exactly Earth-shattering.
After years of experimentation, Luke confirmed that his ability only affected objects around him, it made them mutate or evolve based on his needs or emotions. But other than that, he himself remained physically normal.
So he gave up the idea of being a hero or a public figure and embraced a quiet, cautious lifestyle, spending his days contentedly and leisurely.
Every evening, he took the same walk, leisurely strolling through the streets of New York with his husky on a leash. He moved at his own pace, a stark contrast to the hurried pedestrians around him.
"Another ordinary day," Luke yawned, adjusting his glasses, which had mutated to include an X-ray function, and eyed the girl in the wool coat ahead.
'If only these glasses didn't come with censorship filters. Seriously? This isn't JAV!'
Ever since the glasses evolved, he'd been spending more time outside, casually people-watching. To make it seem more natural, he even bought a dog. His husky's adorable face often drew attention, especially from women who would squat to pet it.
Unfortunately, that's usually where the interaction ended.
Luke wasn't one of those outrageously handsome transmigrators with perfect genetics. His looks were above average, pleasant enough, but easy to overlook. Short, disheveled black hair, brown eyes, straight nose, 1.8 meters tall, average build, somewhat skinny, but he never would admit that he looked like a twig.
But today felt… different. Tense. Unusual. A helicopter hovered endlessly in the distance. Police cars were also much more frequent than usual.
"Forget it, let's go home early today." He reluctantly retracted his gaze and decided to go back to his grocery store.
Just as he turned to leave, the ground shook violently.
Boom~!
The thunderous crash of something massive landing echoed down the street.
From a nearby high-rise, a monstrous figure leapt down, a hulking creature with greenish-gray skin and jagged bone spurs coming out of its joints and back. It hit the pavement like a meteorite.
Screams erupted as chaos broke loose.
As someone who had watched every Marvel film more than once, he instantly recognized the beast.
"Fucking Abomination, are you kidding me?!" He muttered, half whispering, and half shouting.
…