Chapter 54: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Mission World: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Probationary courier Mason is required to activate his personal terminal at a safe location within 24 hours to enter the mission world.
Failure to do so will be considered an automatic abandonment of the mission, and the courier will be subject to penalties.
Delivery Mission: Not Activated.
Side Mission: Not Activated.
Basic Mission Reward: One standard bio-battery upgrade, with the option to choose the modification direction.
Other Rewards: Unknown.
Mason had initially thought he would enter the Captain America universe to continue the storyline, but now it seems each mission world is randomized.
In his previous life, Mason had seen this movie and vaguely remembered the plot, though the details were somewhat hazy.
Essentially, it was about MARS Industries CEO McCullen inventing nano-warheads capable of devouring metal and various materials.
These things were incredibly powerful—a single one could destroy a major city like Paris or London.
Driven by greed, he stole the warheads during a NATO escort mission, only to be intercepted by special forces just as success seemed certain, leading to a fierce battle and a fight to save the world.
After finishing his daily tasks, Mason returned to his apartment, locked the door, and prepared to purchase some powerful external armor on the black market.
However, after consulting with company support, he was informed that he couldn't bring any items other than company rewards into the mission world.
The world he was currently in, while somewhat distorted in its development, still possessed some technologies surpassing many movie worlds he knew.
For instance, if he could enter the world fully equipped with military-grade Level 1 power armor, he could instantly go on a rampage.
He calmed himself, activated his personal terminal, and after a slight burning sensation, everything went black—he found himself in a dark space.
Unlike the first time, this time it wasn't completely dark—he could see within about six feet around him. Perhaps his visibility would increase with his level.
On the left side of the space were displays of the worlds he had previously experienced and the bodies he had used. On the right was the mission world he was about to enter.
At that moment, a authoritative voice echoed in his mind.
"Given the probationary courier's level, the following entry options are provided to employee Mason."
"Option 1: Physical Descent."
"Option 2: Consciousness Descent with Strength Correction."
"Option 3: Designated Descent (Not Activated)."
"It seems that with increased permissions, there are indeed many more options." Mason carefully reviewed the options, his brow furrowing.
Physical Descent, as the name suggests, means Mason enters the mission world in his current body. However, the Dimensional Express Company will correct some body characteristics that don't fit the current mission world.
Even worse, Physical Descent costs money, and the cost is directly linked to the mission world and the courier's level and strength.
If the mission world's standard level is higher than the courier's strength, the descent fee is reduced accordingly. But if it's lower, the fee increases accordingly.
When Mason becomes powerful, he can indeed unleash his full power in mission worlds with lower ability levels, but he'll also have to pay higher descent fees.
Increasing the courier's level and permissions can reduce descent fees, and later on, certain reward items allow the courier to descend into a world without any cost.
Before his first paycheck arrived, Mason was broke.
The second method was consciousness transfer, a method recommended by the Dimensional Express Company.
Generally, the company would randomly select a native of a mission world for their courier and transfer the courier's consciousness into that person.
Then, based on the courier's own strength and the world's power level, their abilities would be adjusted, essentially allowing the courier to reach their original strength.
The third method was more demanding. In certain special missions, different identities could significantly increase the mission's difficulty.
Some special items allowed the courier to transfer their consciousness into a main character, or even the protagonist.
Think about it: in the previous world Mason experienced, if his consciousness had transferred to Howard, he
wouldn't have needed to do anything—he could simply follow the plot and rightfully hand over the vibranium shield to Captain America.
There should be other methods after these three, but Mason's current access level prevented him from viewing them.
After thinking it over, Mason felt the second method was most suitable for him. Not only did it not cost dimensional coins, but it also guaranteed his original strength—a win-win situation.
"Wait!" He frowned, pondering carefully.
"The Dimensional Express Company wouldn't make such a basic mistake—physical descent must have its advantages."
Suddenly, a thought struck him: the Dimensional Express Company currently doesn't allow him to bring any non-reward items into the mission world.
Conversely, does that mean the company also doesn't allow him to bring items from the mission world back to the real world?
If so, could the enhancements and improvements gained in the mission world after physical descent be retained in his real body?
If this deduction is correct, then physical descent is the most practically significant and beneficial of the three descent methods!
The technological development of each world has its focus—a technology that might seem insignificant in the mission world could bring about earth-shattering changes to Mason's real body.
In this way, he could completely leverage his strengths and compensate for his weaknesses, improving at a speed far beyond imagination. Thinking of this, his breathing became rapid.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. The most urgent task now was to complete the current mission, accumulate dimensional coins, and prepare for the next physical descent.
However, in the current G.I. Joe world, it already costs 1,000 dimensional coins, while Mason's monthly salary is only 720 dimensional coins. Mason suddenly remembered the message the delivery company had given him when he received his reward:
"Believe me, you'll be short on cash—perpetually."
"Choose consciousness descent to enter the mission world."
"Employee has chosen descent method, initiating teleportation."
An authoritative voice rang out.
"Ten, nine, eight..."
"Three, two, one!"
"Mission revision in progress!"
"Welcome to the world of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra—good luck!"
Everything went black, and when Mason regained consciousness, he found himself seemingly crushed under some heavy objects, with something soft stuffed in his mouth, completely muffling any sound.
Could he have been crushed to death again, like in the last world, or perhaps kidnapped?
He didn't move rashly, but instead listened intently. All around was silent, save for the sounds of varying breathing patterns.
He pushed aside the things covering him and opened his eyes to look around.
"Damn it, what kind of identity did they give me?" Mason muttered weakly.
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