The movie had ended again.
Tony's voice—"I am Iron Man."—echoed faintly through the room's dim glow before the screen faded to black.
He lay bundled in a blanket, the hum of his oxygen machine whispering beside him. Bottles of medication stood like a row of silent soldiers on the nightstand. The clock blinked 2:47 a.m.
He smiled weakly at the credits. "Man… even after all this time, it still hits hard."
His chest rose and fell in shallow rhythm. A faint ache, nothing new. The doctors had said he had maybe a month left. Stage IV didn't bargain.
He chuckled to himself. "If I get reincarnated, I wanna be something cool… like Ego. But, y'know, not the planet-sized narcissist version."
The thought made him laugh—and cough. He wiped his lips, turned off the TV, and stared at the ceiling.
"Good night, Marvel," he whispered.
He never woke up.
A soundless instant stretched into eternity.
No pain. No breath. Just… peace.
Then came the voice.
[System initialization detected.]
[Compatible soul located. Designation: World Seed Host.]
He opened his eyes—and the universe opened with him.
Stars burned above an endless void.
Beneath him, an island floated on a glowing ocean, haloed by mist. A tiny sun orbited lazily overhead, its light golden and alive. He floated weightless, bathed in a warmth that hummed through his veins like a heartbeat.
[Welcome, Host. You have been chosen as the bearer of the World Seed.]
"Huh…?" His voice trembled. "Wait, am I… dead? Is this… heaven?"
[Negative. This is your metaphysical core—the inner world that mirrors your existence.]
He turned slowly. Every direction was endless. And in that endlessness, the island below shimmered like a living jewel—half-formed rivers, patches of forest, wisps of cloud.
"It's… beautiful," he murmured.
A blue panel flickered to life before him.
[STATUS]
Name: ——
Species: Planet-Born Entity (Proto-Celestial)
World Size: 0.5 × Greenland
Energy Core: Stable
Strength: 1.5× Human
System Points: 250
He blinked. "A status screen? Oh, you've gotta be kidding me. I actually got a system?"
[Affirmative. Your planet will grow as you evolve. Energy, emotion, and experience expand the world within you.]
He laughed in disbelief. "So I am a planet… inside my own head. That's insane—and kind of awesome."
Another window materialized.
[Beginner's Package available.]
"Sure, open it."
A ripple of light formed a vast roulette wheel filled with glowing emblems—blades, orbs, sigils, even anime symbols he half-recognized.
[Wheel of Fate initiated.]
He grinned, nerves buzzing. "Alright, RNGesus, don't screw me over."
The wheel spun, colors blending into a whirlpool.
Click. Click. Click.
It slowed, inching toward something dazzling—then burst into light before he could read the result.
"Wait—what did I get?!"
No answer came, only the serene tone of the voice.
[Reward stored. Reincarnation protocol commencing.]
[Destination: Universe-199999. Temporal point: 2008 A.D., Afghanistan.]
[Mission: Survive.]
The stars folded inward. The ocean beneath cracked into shards of light. He felt himself being pulled, his body dissolving into threads.
Heat.
He gasped as sunlight stabbed his eyes. Sand scorched his skin. The roar of explosions echoed across the desert.
He sat up, coughing dust, heart hammering. "Desert… heat… wait—Afghanistan? No way."
A distant boom rolled across the dunes—the echo of an IED detonating. His breath caught.
This is Iron Man 1, he realized. The start of everything.
Blue symbols shimmered in his vision again:
[STATUS]
Race: Planet-Born Entity
Power Level: 1.5× Human
Energy Core: Stable
Points: 250
He flexed his hands. They felt heavier, denser—like compressed energy pulsing under his skin. The air itself vibrated faintly around him.
"So this is my new body…" He laughed shakily. "The MCU. I actually made it."
Another notification chimed.
[Main Quest: "First Step of Evolution"]
Objective: Survive and create the first lifeform within your Inner World.
Reward: +150 Points.
Warmth bloomed in his chest—the heartbeat of his planet. Through the corner of his mind he saw it: waves lapping on bright shores, wind stirring nascent trees. The world within him was alive, waiting.
He gazed at the horizon where black smoke curled into the sky. Somewhere out there, Tony Stark was bleeding in the sand, beginning his legend.
A smile crept across his face.
"Alright, System," he whispered. "Let's see how far we can take this."
He started walking toward the mountains, the desert sun blazing overhead, while deep inside his soul, oceans shimmered and the newborn world turned beneath his heartbeat.