Reborn as an American Writer

Castle's face was a mask of disappointment. Did the concept of sincerity even exist in this world anymore? Now, even his own system was trying to deceive him. Was there no justice left?

The system, typically responsive, was caught off guard by Castle's accusations and nearly crashed. "…Host, do you even understand what a skill is? A skill!!! Skills are about how one applies existing knowledge through practice to perform certain actions or intellectual activities! It refers to the host's ability to master and use specialized techniques. Pay attention to the key phrase 'through practice'!

The things you're talking about, like Tony Stark's arc reactor, those are his knowledge, not skills! What does that have to do with skills?"

As a system bestowed upon him by higher powers, it had tolerated Castle's antics for long enough. It was almost unbearable to think that this guy, supposedly a writer who plays with words daily, couldn't even distinguish between skills and knowledge. The system was exasperated to the limit!

After being schooled on the difference between skills and knowledge, Castle sheepishly grinned. Of course, the system had repeatedly emphasized that he would only receive skills. It never promised him the main character's knowledge from any movie or show! Damn it, he had completely forgotten this crucial detail. What a fool!

Though his dream of becoming Iron Man was dashed, Castle was still satisfied with the wealth of mechanical modification skills and experience he had inherited from Tony Stark, a genuine genius. With a thick skin, he quickly moved on, embodying the phrase "use people for your purposes and discard them once done." He happily closed his eyes and began contemplating how to upgrade his annoyingly slow quadcopter.

The system, being emotionless, logged off automatically after Castle fell into deep thought. If it had an emotion module, it would likely curse this shameless host to no end.

Despite not gaining Tony Stark's famous inventions like the miniaturized arc reactor or the Iron Man suit, Castle was elated. The extensive mechanical skills and experience of Tony Stark, one of the smartest individuals in the Marvel Universe with remarkable hands-on abilities, had been transferred to him. This transformation propelled Castle, originally a humanities student, to the level of a highly capable engineering expert. He was thrilled!

A flood of modification ideas for the drone filled Castle's mind, each from Tony Stark's vast expertise. There were numerous choices for upgrading the quadcopter, including comprehensive plans to enhance its battery and power, or to turn it into an armed platform. There were even full blueprints and industrial production techniques for building medium and large-scale quadcopters.

Armed with Tony Stark's extensive abilities, Castle could hardly contain his excitement. With these advanced technological capabilities, he couldn't just sit around in the hotel, waiting for Dominic and Hobbs to regroup and plan. He needed to seize the moment to procure parts for upgrading his drone, which would be essential for spying when Dominic and Hobbs executed their plan against Hernan Reyes's stash.

After informing the chubby kid that he had urgent business outside, Castle, unable to suppress his excitement, hurriedly left the hotel. Apart from the secretive trip to stash weapons in Dominic's villa basement, he hadn't left the hotel since arriving in Brazil. He flagged down a taxi and headed straight to Rio de Janeiro's largest electronics market to buy components for upgrading his quadcopter.

At the electronics market, Castle bought a heap of electronic gear and had it sent back to the hotel. Not yet sated by his shopping spree, he turned his attention to the local branch of the Continental Hotel. Walking in with a swagger, he entered the Rio de Janeiro branch, which he had never visited before.

The receptionist was a stunning Brazilian woman, whose tall, elegant frame could not be hidden by her formal black suit. She eyed Castle curiously, clearly seeing that he looked more like a vacationer than a hitman. Politely, she asked, "Hello, sir. How can I assist you today?"

Castle flashed a grin and flipped a coin—a Furious Lion gold coin given to him by Miss Giana—onto the desk in front of her. Once the receptionist verified its authenticity with a special device, Castle smiled and said, "I'd like to speak with the 'sommelier.' Is he available?"

After confirming the coin's authenticity, the receptionist's professional smile turned genuinely warm. She pointed to a small door near the front desk and said, "Of course, sir. The sommelier is available. Please head that way. He will be expecting you."

Nodding in thanks, Castle headed towards the door. In the Continental Hotel's jargon, the 'sommelier' was the person who provided and modified weapons. Naturally, their prices were steep, and without a Furious Lion coin, no amount of money could buy these top-tier armaments!

However, Castle wasn't here to buy weapons today. His temperament leaned towards buying in bulk if he were to buy at all, and he doubted he could buy that many weapons here.

Today, Castle's sudden impulse, driven by his newly acquired mechanical skills, led him to the Continental's sommelier. He wanted to purchase a few standalone gun barrels to see if he could mount them on his DJI quadcopter, mimicking an armed drone!

Though this idea was somewhat absurd, with Dominic and Hobbs nursing their wounds, they wouldn't seek revenge on Hernan Reyes for a few days. Castle had time to explore how to turn his drone into a surveillance tool.

The conversation with the sommelier went smoothly. After parting with a few Furious Lion coins, Castle walked away with five gun barrels of various calibers and a thousand matching rounds, two hundred of each type. He left the Rio branch of the Continental Hotel grinning, carrying a large box filled with his new toys.

Enhanced by the system's month-long secret upgrades, Castle's physical strength had grown significantly. He didn't even notice how surprising it was that he could easily carry a box containing a thousand rounds and five gun barrels with one hand. It wasn't until he flagged down a taxi and saw the car sink slightly under the weight of the box as he placed it in the trunk that he realized just how heavy the load was.

With this, Castle acknowledged that the system had elevated his physical abilities to nearly superhuman levels. He reminded himself to be careful in the future to avoid inadvertently revealing his extraordinary strength, as it could attract unwanted attention. Despite not fearing trouble, he now had a family and a daughter to protect. It was best to steer clear of unnecessary complications whenever possible.

Upon returning to the hotel, Castle found the chubby kid staring at the pile of electronic equipment with a distressed look. Seeing Castle walk in, the kid immediately began to complain, "Uncle Rick, are you under some kind of misunderstanding? I'm good with computers; I'm a science student, not an engineering one. If you want me to upgrade your drone with this stuff, I honestly can't do it!"

The kid's plaintive tone made Castle chuckle. After setting down his box, he nonchalantly responded to the innocent-faced boy, "Who said I was going to make you upgrade the drone? Today, Uncle Rick will show you something. I'll handle this myself. These parts and components are for me to use. I'll prove to you that I'm not just a useless slacker!"

Castle's declaration was met with disbelief. The kid widened his already narrow eyes in shock. "You're a humanities student! You're even less technically inclined than I am! You've got to be kidding me!"

Castle didn't bother to explain further. He simply said with a calm confidence, "Just wait and see…"

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