Marvel: Becoming Overpowered With The Friendship System!

The weather was scorchingly hot, and the sun blazed down relentlessly.

(Location: Afghanistan)

The sun beat down from the sky, transforming the vast desert into a golden wasteland.

At this moment, three figures and a dog trudged through the unbearable heat.

"Ryuji, your dog is... bah bah bah. Is it really okay? How long are we going to be stuck out here?" Deadpool complained angrily.

"By the way, your mask isn't sandproof? At least you have one; we're going to be roasted alive out here," Pietro groaned, adjusting his goggles.

"Woof woof woof... It's almost too hot to survive out here." Deadpool's dog stuck its tongue out, looking parched.

"Be patient. If it were that easy to find him, we wouldn't be getting paid for it. Though you got any better ideas?" Ryuji said, clearly frustrated. Although Ryuji knew Tony Stark was somewhere in the desert, it was still too vast to search easily.

[Flash back to the night of the meeting.]

Happy had come to the "Good Luck Restaurant" again, carrying a box. "Mr. Ryuji, this is what you need. These are the things Tony Stark has worn recently." Inside the box was a pair of slippers, a watch, and a small tuft of hair. Ryuji nodded with satisfaction upon seeing the items and said, "No problem, this will work. With these things, I can find Tony Stark."

It seemed Pepper Potts was genuinely concerned about Ryuji's request—or maybe about Tony Stark. Not only did Happy bring personal items, but he'd also gathered all the hair Tony had left behind on his bed. As expected of an official Marvel operation, Ryuji couldn't help but envy the attention to detail.

Happy sighed in relief, patting Ryuji on the back before bowing deeply.

"Sorry to trouble you, please bring Mr. Tony Stark back. I'm counting on you! As Stark's bodyguard, I'm really useless!"

Looking at Happy's round face, full of guilt and sincerity, Ryuji said with seriousness, "Don't worry. Wait for good news. Tony Stark's disappearance is not your fault. You're a good person and a good bodyguard. It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Happy."

That's right, even if you're here, can you really take on the Ten Rings? Tony Stark might be useful, but you, Happy, are entirely helpless. If the Ten Rings found you, they'd just shoot you down without hesitation.

"Thank you for your words, you're a good person. But the price you're charging is a bit high," Happy said cheerfully.

At that moment, a voice sounded in Ryuji's mind.

[Ding]

[Congratulations to the host for successfully adding Happy to your friend list.

[Attribute gained: Driving Skill Level 6.]

[Would you like to merge this immediately?]

The system prompted.

Seems like Happy isn't entirely useless after all.

"Merge now, system," Ryuji ordered.

A rush of knowledge filled Ryuji's mind, and professional driving skills began to surface. He felt his driving abilities improving instantly.

Ryuji looked at Happy and couldn't help but find him suddenly much more endearing.

After receiving Ryuji's guarantee, Happy turned and left the Good Luck Restaurant.

"Alright, doggy, time to work. I'll leave this here with you. Smell it carefully over the next two days. It's up to you to track down our sponsor later," Ryuji said, placing the box near Deadpool's dog.

A gust of hot wind blew across the desert, snapping Ryuji back to reality. The air felt even drier.

"Are you sweating in that suit, Wade?" Ryuji teased Deadpool, who seemed barely able to keep his hands from dragging as if he were about to collapse.

"Shut up, this is my style. You wouldn't understand. Hurry up! I'm dying of heat out here. Damn it, I need that money!" Deadpool muttered weakly.

"I'm in even worse condition, okay? Why do I have to carry such a heavy backpack? Why don't you carry it? This is blatant discrimination!" Pietro grumbled, dragging the large pack, his goggles slipping down over his face.

"This is to train you. Look at how weak you are. You need some weight training. Stop using your superpowers, Pietro."

Ryuji looked around at the vast desert. "We should be close to the place where Tony Stark vanished. It shouldn't be much farther."

Ryuji, who seemed the most relaxed, spoke slowly.

"I can't use my superpowers, but why don't we just drive? How long would it take to cross this desert?" Pietro asked with a tone of frustration.

. . . . . . .

Meanwhile, in a hidden cave in the desert, a place undetectable by any equipment, Tony Stark was hard at work, studying blueprints with a miniature reactor by his side.

A man with Mediterranean-style glasses observed the reactor, asking, "This can't be a Jericho missile, right?" This was Ethan.

Tony Stark didn't look up, answering nonchalantly, "Because it's a miniature ARK reactor."

"I have a larger one at home, it's used to power the factory."

"It should be enough to clear the shrapnel from my chest," he added.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, curious. "How much power does it generate? Is it enough for your heart?"

Tony Stark smirked, "More than enough."

"Stop staring at the reactor, look at this blueprint. This is the key to our escape," Tony said, gesturing to the design he had been focused on.

Ethan hurried over to examine it more closely.

After studying it for a while, Ethan still didn't understand and asked, "What is this? It looks a bit like a robot?"

Tony Stark folded the blueprint and said, "Come closer, look at it from this angle."

A set of armored steel appeared before the two.

"Wow, what a genius idea," Ethan exclaimed.

Tony Stark exuded a glow of genius in Ethan's eyes.

Then, remembering they were still under surveillance, Ethan lowered his voice.

"I need your help, Ethan," Tony said quietly but seriously.

"I could assemble it myself, but it would take too long. These guys aren't giving us that much time. I need your help."

Ethan hesitated, "We can't let them find out. The consequences would be unimaginable. I can help, but the materials..."

Tony Stark smirked and walked to the door, calling out to the masked militants outside.

"I want to speak to your leader. I'm willing to help you make missiles, but only if the materials I need are provided."

Ethan watched Tony Stark, amazed by his calm composure in the face of danger.

Only someone like Tony Stark—a true genius—could think his way out of such a dire situation. Ethan couldn't help but feel lucky to be locked up with him. Maybe, just maybe, they could escape.

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