I have to admit, Tony Stark is truly a genius.
Even in such a harsh environment, he still managed to create that small arc reactor.
Just like what was portrayed in the plot of *Iron Man 1*.
Of course, because of the uncertain variable of Mo, Stark didn't try to create the MK1 armor and escape from his captivity like in the original story.
And of course, Ethan didn't die as a result.
However, after personally witnessing the terrorists' atrocities, Stark had planted the seed for change in his heart, and it was only a matter of time before it would bear fruit.
Just like right now.
Originally, the three of them had agreed to leave right away.
But after leaving the cave, Stark suddenly changed his mind.
He saw that the valley was filled with countless weapons and missiles, all branded with the name of Stark Industries, and it made him feel incredibly uneasy.
So he couldn't help but say to the others, "Can you wait for me for a moment? I think I may have forgotten something very important that I need to take care of."
"What is it?"
Ethan asked, confused.
"I need to destroy these weapons," Stark's expression was complex. "I... okay, to be honest, I never thought these weapons would fall into the hands of terrorists. I thought they would bring peace to the world, but now I realize I was wrong."
"The weapons themselves aren't the problem, Stark," Ethan tried to comfort him.
"I know, but I can't escape the condemnation in my heart," Stark shook his head. "You know what? Even the terrorists are mocking me. They say Tony Stark is the most terrifying murderer in the world."
"Alright, so what are you going to do?"
Ethan asked.
"Give me a little time."
Stark explained, "I can make a time-delay detonator to ensure these weapons don't fall into the hands of other terrorists…"
As a genius capable of creating a reactor with his bare hands, Stark almost completed the detonator with his eyes closed. Not long after the three of them left the valley, a deafening explosion echoed across the desert, and the blinding flames nearly turned half the sky red.
The vast, endless desert, with only a few cacti, was filled with scorching yellow sand.
This dull color stretched all the way to the horizon, where the sun's scorching heat had made the temperature unbearably high. Even the air turned into visible waves of heat.
Before long, Tony and Ethan started showing signs of dehydration, and they even felt slightly overheated.
In contrast, Mo seemed as if he was leisurely strolling through a forest in the morning, with no sign of discomfort on his face.
He even somehow pulled out a few large cucumbers from somewhere and offered them to the others to help replenish their fluids.
Stark and Ethan chewed the crisp and juicy cucumbers in surprise and envy. They felt as though Mo was filled with mysteries—every interaction with him made them feel his uniqueness and strangeness even more.
As for Mo himself...
Actually, he had already realized this much earlier, when they encountered the terrorists.
Steve, the half of Mo's soul, had shared all of his characteristics with him.
Now, Mo's body had completely turned into data.
When they had a conflict with the terrorists earlier, Mo's head was pierced by a bullet, but the only result was a small hole, which quickly regenerated.
It's well-known that Steve doesn't experience thirst. As long as his hunger is satisfied, he can move swiftly in both snow and desert, feeling neither cold nor heat, and never experiencing fatigue. Even if severely wounded, he can recover in seconds.
And after inheriting these characteristics, Mo had almost turned into a full-fledged monster.
It was precisely because of Mo's help that Ethan and Stark managed to survive. As the sound of a helicopter grew closer, both of them couldn't help but excitedly wave their hands.
The helicopter soon spotted the three of them and slowly descended nearby.
As soon as the hatch opened, a muscular soldier with dark skin rushed out. Mo instantly recognized him. This was Tony Stark's good friend, the future War Machine, Colonel Rhodes.
"Was the little jeep comfortable?"
Seeing Stark, Colonel Rhodes obviously let out a sigh of relief and joked.
Stark didn't respond but smiled in relaxation.
"Next time, let's ride in the same vehicle, alright?" Colonel Rhodes patted Stark's shoulder, and the two shared a deep hug, demonstrating their brotherly bond.
"These two are...?"
After the greetings, Colonel Rhodes finally noticed Mo and Ethan standing nearby.
"Hello, I'm Ethan."
Ethan smiled and extended his hand. "I'm a surgeon."
"And you?"
Colonel Rhodes shook Ethan's hand, then shifted his gaze to Mo.
"A man stranded in the desert for five years, found wearing a multi-million-dollar diamond armor, claims to be an MC player." Compared to the honest Ethan, Mo's introduction was clearly less serious.
"What?"
Colonel Rhodes froze.
"I'm Mo, just a passing Stand user." Mo repeated.
"..."
Rhodes didn't speak but instinctively became more cautious, his right hand instinctively reaching for the gun at his waist.
"Hey, Rhodes, don't be so tense."
Stark noticed the situation and, after spending some time with Mo, had eased up on his own attitude. While Mo's abilities were mysterious and powerful, and he often caused trouble verbally, he didn't seem like a truly evil person—maybe just a bit crazy: "These two saved my life. We agreed to go back to the U.S. together."
"Is that so?"
After hearing Stark, Colonel Rhodes slowly relaxed.
Though still full of questions, he understood that now wasn't the time for further interrogation, so he waved his hand and signaled the group to get in the helicopter.
Soon, the helicopter took off, not heading directly for New York but flying to the nearest military base. The journey was still far, so they switched to a military transport plane.
Before long, the transport plane arrived at a military base in New York.
The hatch slowly opened, and Stark's secretary, Pepper Potts, and butler, Happy, had already been waiting there.
"Your eyes seem a little red."
After changing into a clean suit at the military base, Stark's demeanor had clearly become more flamboyant. He slowly walked towards his secretary, "Let me guess, you've been crying for your long-lost boss, haven't you?"
"It's because I'm happy."
Potts' eyes were red, but she smiled. "I don't have to find a new job anymore."
"Oh, right."
Stark raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Your vacation is over."
After a brief exchange, Stark introduced Ethan and Mo to Potts. Then the group got into the car, and at Stark's request, Happy floored the gas pedal, driving them to the nearest burger joint.
After a hearty meal, Stark held a press conference.
No matter what country, reporters are always the fastest to arrive, especially at a press conference for the world's richest man, Tony Stark. They would never miss it.
And Stark didn't disappoint them.
He dropped a bombshell news piece—closing Stark Industries' weapons division.
In an instant, society seemed to shake. Investors were furious, and all kinds of news spread like wildfire, causing Stark Industries to fall into complete chaos.
However, Stark, the instigator of all this, didn't care in the slightest.
After settling Ethan and Mo, he immediately dove into his lab, disappearing without a trace.
As for Mo…
He didn't bother Stark.
Having seen the original work, Mo knew that Stark wasn't going crazy. He was just trying to grasp a fleeting idea in his mind. After all, now that he had the arc reactor, how far could the Iron Man suit be?
Moreover, aside from Stark, Mo himself needed some time to conduct his own experiments.
After all, Mo had just entered the Marvel world, and many of his Stand abilities hadn't been fully tested. It was better to test them now rather than suffer later due to a lack of understanding in future crises.
Combining his previous experiences with a series of detailed tests…
Mo finally fully understood his Stand abilities.
First was strength.
Mo realized his physical strength was terrifying. He could easily punch someone to death without a problem.
Mo guessed this was due to the fact that he shared life with his Stand. Since his body was now dataized, it naturally surpassed human limits. Steve could smash a one-meter-wide log with his bare hands, so why couldn't Mo do the same?
Aside from strength, Mo also discovered a few other things.
Probably due to the mobility module, Mo's Stand moved extremely agilely in the real world, not at all stiff and awkward like in the game. It could even make sword flourishes in mid-air.
Of course, aside from these positive discoveries, Mo also found a serious issue.
Steve couldn't gather resources in the real world.
Back when they were in the cave, Mo tried to have Steve mine rocks. The result was that a cubic meter of rock was indeed missing from the wall, but there were no drops at all.
Not giving up, Mo tried digging up a cactus on the road, but the result was the same.
The cactus disappeared, but no drops were left.
Luckily, the blocks Steve brought from the MC world weren't restricted in this way. They could be freely placed and mined again, which made Mo breathe a little easier.
Aside from these traits,
Mo also discovered another feature that greatly intrigued him.
He controlled Steve to pull an apple from his backpack and hand it over.
The apple in Steve's hand still retained its characteristic pixelated style from MC. However, when Mo reached out to touch it, a flash of white light appeared, and the pixelated apple transformed into a real red apple.
This process was irreversible.
Mo tried to give the apple back to Steve, but failed.
"I see…"
After some comparison and research, Mo instinctively nodded. "Items from the MC world can be converted into real-world items, but not the other way around... so this is a one-way flow logic rule?"
While thinking, Mo suddenly noticed the Ender Hand in Steve's backpack and his mind raced. "What if it's something that doesn't even exist in this world…"
"What would happen then?"
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