New York, top of Stark Tower.

  The top floor was a space that blended elegance with the functionality of a mechanical workshop, filled with advanced equipment and tables cluttered with parts from various machines.

  Sitting at one of the tables, Tony Stark was focused on a holographic vial. His gaze was fixed on the small floating holographic screens beside it.

  The screens displayed messages such as: "Matching ingredient combination not found," "Comparison error," "Unrecognized ingredient," and "Vial material recognized: Glass. Manufacturing method: Rudimentary and ancient. Age unknown."

  "After all this time, we’ve only managed to identify the material of the vial? Nothing about the potion?" Tony asked Jarvis.

  "Unfortunately, sir," Jarvis replied.

  The defense potion was the reward Tony had received for finishing Castlevania. He had been studying it ever since but with little success.

  Realizing that he wasn’t making any progress in analyzing the potion, Tony shifted his attention to The Marveler.

  He had made an irresistible offer to him about two weeks ago.

  "Has he contacted us yet?"

  "Not yet, sir," Jarvis responded.

  "Were you able to find any information about him? An address, email, anything?"

  "So far, I haven’t found a single trace of him on the internet. I also couldn't access the Castlevania game system or locate any of the players. It seems that after downloading the game, the players become untraceable," Jarvis explained.

  "I’m pretty sure I created you to be the most advanced artificial intelligence in existence. Where exactly did things go wrong?" Tony complained.

  Jarvis remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.

  "Outer Wilds has just been released—a game created by The Marveler. The description states that it’s a virtual reality game."

  Tony was surprised by the news.

  "That’s impossible. True virtual reality doesn’t exist yet."

  "Just like spatial folding technology didn’t exist?" Jarvis countered.

  "Good point," Tony admitted. "Download the game and show me the details."

  "And what about Project Jericho?"

  "It’s almost 90% complete. I’ll send it to Obadiah for evaluation," Stark replied.

  Jarvis expressed some doubt.

  "I don’t believe Mr. Stane has the capability to evaluate Project Jericho."

  Although Obadiah had been with Stark Industries since the beginning, he didn’t possess the same technological expertise as Tony or Howard. Tony knew he wasn’t qualified to judge the project, but sending it to Obadiah would ease the pressure on the matter.

  After all, Obadiah constantly asked about the project, claiming that shareholders were putting a lot of pressure on him.

  "Just send it to him. Now show me the details of the game."

  "Okay."

  [Game: Outer Wilds]

  Creator: The Marveler

  Ratings: N/A

  Published: 2 minutes ago

  Price: $20

  Description: Outer Wilds is a mysterious open-world game about a solar system trapped in an infinite time loop.

  Welcome to the Space Program!

  You are the newest recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a space program recently launched in search of answers within a strange, ever-changing solar system.

  Mysteries of the Solar System...

  What lurks at the heart of the sinister Dark Bramble? Who built the alien ruins on the moon? Can the infinite time loop be broken? The answers await in the most dangerous corners of space.

  Dynamic Worlds

  The planets of Outer Wilds are filled with hidden locations that change over time. Visit an underground city before it’s swallowed by sand, or explore the surface of a planet as it collapses beneath your feet. Every secret is guarded by dangerous environments and natural disasters.

  Grab Your Intergalactic Exploration Gear

  Put on your space boots, check your oxygen levels, and get ready to explore the cosmos. Use a variety of unique tools to analyze your surroundings, track mysterious signals, decipher ancient alien texts, and toast the perfect marshmallow.

  Tags:

  [Virtual Reality], [Mystery], [Exploration]

  Download size: 235GB

  Tony was intrigued. The very idea of a galactic exploration game in virtual reality was absurd on its own. The technology required to make such a thing possible was still light-years away from Earth.

  He also wondered how Outer Wilds could be a VR game when there was no sign of any VR headsets or equipment.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Will they send a VR device through spatial folding?" Tony pondered, excited.

  He carefully examined the available menu options.

  [New Expedition]

  [Options]

  [Exit]

  Driven by curiosity, Tony selected "New Expedition," expecting a VR device to magically appear through spatial folding. However, what happened next left him speechless, as a mysterious message appeared in his mind.

  [Diving into Virtual Reality...]

  "...?"

  Then, his vision gradually darkened until everything went completely black.

  When light returned to his eyes, he realized that everything around him had changed.

  He was now lying in a sleeping bag. The first thing he saw was a breathtaking starry sky, with a massive blue planet in the distance—where some kind of satellite had just exploded.

  Still disoriented, Tony sat up and noticed a blue-skinned humanoid creature with four eyes, sitting by a campfire roasting marshmallows. The creature was dressed like an old farmer, which made the scene even stranger.

  Tony realized he was already inside Outer Wilds because, in the upper corner of his vision, two small bars were visible. One was red, which he assumed was a health bar, and the other was blue, possibly an energy or mana bar.

  "How does this work? Fully immersive virtual reality without any external equipment?" Tony wondered. "Could it be direct brain signaling? Maybe The Marveler’s technology is more advanced than expected."

  Looking at his hands, Tony noticed that he was no longer human—he had possibly taken the form of the same species as the blue-skinned creature in front of him.

  Approaching the campfire, he saw the name "Slate" floating above the creature's head.

  "Slate?" Tony murmured.

  Slate smiled and greeted him.

  "Here’s our pilot! Back from your pre-launch camping trip under the stars. So, today’s the big day, huh? Feels like just yesterday you joined the space program, and now, here you are, heading out on your first solo mission!"

  He continued talking.

  "Ready to take this beauty off the ground? She’s fueled up and ready to go!"

  In the corner of Tony’s vision, response options appeared:

  [All systems go!]

  [I’m ready if you are!]

  [Are you sure you fixed the rockets?]

  Thinking quickly, Tony decided to ask about the rockets.

  "The rockets are working properly, right?" Tony asked.

  Slate replied with a touch of humor.

  "That only caused a problem once. And then maybe a few more times after that, but hey, no reason to dwell on the past, right? Anyway, you'll need to get the launch codes from Hornfels at the observatory before you can take off. Just bring them back here after you say your goodbyes or something."

  At that moment, Tony had the feeling that this guy wasn't very reliable, but he simply ignored it. After all, even if the ship exploded on takeoff, none of this was real.

  "Looks like I need to talk to the other creatures to understand how things work. In other words, I'm in the tutorial..." he concluded.

  Continuing down the road, Tony arrived at a checkpoint strategically located to observe a large part of the area.

  "Hey, it's you! Slate said you're taking off in your ship today. I'm so excited to see the launch!" A small creature named 'Mica' called out to Tony as he approached.

  "You're going to space, right? You better not have changed your mind!" Mica added, overflowing with excitement.

  Tony considered the available dialogue options and chose the one that seemed most appropriate.

  "I heard you and Slate reinforced the ship model. Can I take a look?"

  Mica smiled.

  "Yeah, we recalibrated the controls and installed better thrusters. Want to test this miniature version? Slate guarantees it's almost like the real thing, just with a lower chance of catching fire."

  She pointed to a wooden workbench with an improvised ship control panel, full of buttons and levers.

  "See if you can land it on one of the platforms near the geyser pools. Show me what you've got!"

  As Tony approached, he noticed a small retro-designed spaceship sitting on a platform ahead.

  Looking at the improvised control panel, he found simple instructions like "take off," "directions," "landing," "brake," and "reset." It seemed relatively simple, and he quickly grasped the general idea of how to pilot the ship.

  However, the ship took off faster than Tony expected. Given the short distance between the platform and the geyser pool, he couldn't slow down in time, and the ship ended up hitting the geyser and being thrown away.

  Feeling frustrated with his failure, Tony stepped away from the ship's controls.

  "Woah! That was just like when the external fuel tanks exploded on reentry! You’re... you’re ready to pilot the big version, right?" Mica asked with a worried expression.

  "Possibly," Tony replied uncertainly.

  As Tony made his way toward the observatory, he encountered numerous Hearthians—the name of these small blue creatures—and each had something valuable to teach.

  He spent an enjoyable time playing hide-and-seek with the Hearthian children, an activity that introduced him to the functionality of the Signalscope.

  He was fascinated by this seemingly rustic tool’s ability to precisely locate a wide range of frequencies across the entire solar system.

  Tony also delved into the history of Outer Wilds Ventures, the pioneers who left Timber Hearth—this small planet—to explore the vastness of the universe and uncover its secrets.

  His visit to the Zero-G Cave, where he helped Gossan, one of the more experienced Hearthians, repair a satellite, turned into a valuable lesson. There, he learned how to fix his own spaceship and navigate zero-gravity environments using the Space Suit.

  After that, he received instructions on how to use the Surveyor Probe Mk 7, affectionately nicknamed "Little Scout" by the Hearthians. This tool, equipped with a photographic probe, allowed Tony to see beyond the horizon, test the environment, and, most importantly, detect invisible threats like Ghost Matter—a deadly phenomenon found in certain atmospheres.

  The Little Scout was also equipped with features such as a distance indicator, seismic stability readings, floodlights, a danger indicator, and a warp core to bring it back in case of long-distance flights.

  Finally, he learned how to use the most crucial item of all—the Nomai Translator, essential for deciphering the numerous messages left throughout the universe, granting Tony access to the accumulated knowledge of the ancient Nomai civilization.

  Upon reaching the observatory, Tony met Hal, a Hearthian who seemed to be a friend of the character he was playing.

  "Hey, hey, it's my favorite astronaut! Finally, the big launch day, huh, buddy? It's also the inaugural flight of the translation tool! I'm so excited it's making me sick!" Hal exclaimed the moment Tony stepped into the observatory.

  He explained to Tony the importance of the new translation tool.

  "Now you'll be able to translate any Nomai text you find, anywhere. We spent many hours inventing this tool, so don't break it, okay? Haha!"

  As Tony observed the statue placed at the observatory's entrance, he noticed that it resembled a three-eyed creature with an oddly wise appearance.

  Tony chose the first dialogue option.

  "New statue?"

  Hal enthusiastically explained.

  "Haven't you heard? Gabbro brought it back with him from the depths of Giant's Deep, and Hornfels just got it ready for display. Cool, huh? Makes me wish I could see what a real Nomai looked like, but I guess this is the closest we'll get. Look, it seems like they had fur!"

  Tony, though he still didn't know much about the Nomai, was intrigued.

  He had learned from the locals that 80% of the technology used by the Hearthians had roots in ancient Nomai technology found in ruins throughout the universe. This connection sparked his curiosity about this ancient people and their civilization.

  Hal continued.

  "This is the first fully intact statue ever found, you know. And for how old it is, it's in great shape!"

  He bid Tony farewell with a warm smile.

  "...Oh wow, I got a little carried away there. Go on, you’ve got a ship to launch! Take care out there, you hear?"

  Upon entering the observatory, Tony was surprised by what he found.

  "This looks more like a museum!"

  While exploring, he came across various fascinating relics, each telling a piece of the Nomai's history:

  ? A complete Nomai skeleton, revealing clues about the appearance and anatomy of these ancient inhabitants of the universe.

  ? An original Nomai warp core, a key component that allowed travel through space and time.

  ? A Gravity Crystal, which particularly caught his attention.

  Tony read the information plaque beside it.

  [A piece of Nomai technology that alters gravity within a certain radius, allowing someone to walk on any surface, regardless of whether they are in zero gravity or affected by the gravity of another object.]