The "ordinary" middle-aged woman outside let a glint slip through her eyes, then lowered her gaze again.
After a brief rest, Maguire and the others set out for New York. They didn't go home, though—they headed straight to the Spider Tower. Seeing the imposing headquarters, Gwen, Jones, and Hannah all froze in awe.
"So this is your base? That's amazing!"
"Can't believe you're actually Spider-Men…"
Even so, Hannah and Jones still looked at Maguire with a hint of fear. His notoriety preceded him. Only Gwen—though she'd learned his true identity—never wavered. She liked Maguire for who he was; whether he was a hero or something darker didn't matter.
"This is the Spider Alliance HQ," Maguire said. "Since you know who we are now, why not join us—help out on logistics?"
He and Harry led the three through the Tower on a tour. When they finished, Harry arranged escorts to see Gwen and the others home. Maguire, Garfield, Holland, and Harry stayed behind.
Garfield and Holland looked like they had something on their minds.
"What's with you two?" Maguire asked. "You've been off ever since we got back from Asgard."
They sighed in unison and shook their heads. "It's nothing, Maguire."
Obvious lie. Maguire frowned. "Out with it. Don't dither like a pair of grandmas."
Garfield finally muttered, "We feel… weak. Useless, next to you. We can't really help."
Holland looked just as helpless. Harry's brow creased too; in this world he hadn't inherited armor or anything—just a normal guy.
Maguire nodded. "You're not wrong. You can handle a fight solo, but the enemies ahead won't be something two A-tier at best can resolve." He'd just hauled in a mountain of Bully Points, and his own strength was more than enough for now. "Might as well see if the Bully System shop has anything that fits you."
He opened the shop:
[Super Saiyan — 100,000 Bully Points
Emperor-rank Cultivation — 50,000 Bully Points
Perfect Desolate Ancient Sacred Body — 100,000 Bully Points]
"Yeah… let's check the budget aisle."
[S-rank Devil Fruit: Logia (Rumble-Rumble) — 1,000 BP
SS-rank Devil Fruit: Logia (Magma-Magma) — 1,500 BP
SS-rank Devil Fruit: Logia (Ice-Ice) — 1,500 BP
SS-rank Devil Fruit: Logia (Glint-Glint) — 1,500 BP]
Cheap enough, but they came with only 10% development to start. And unlike Maguire, they didn't have Talisman protections; the Devil Fruit seawater weakness would still apply. And there's no shortage of seawater on Earth.
An idea sparked: build his own "Three Admirals" for the sea world. Three Logias would cost 4,500 Bully Points. He had 5,230. If he bought them, he'd drop close to where he started—but with Loki already stirring the pot, the big Avengers-level clash was inevitable anyway.
Decision made. He purchased three Devil Fruits.
Shop items didn't auto-apply; they were stored in the system's space. Maguire faced the trio, expression turning serious.
"I've got three fruits. Eat one and you'll gain tremendous power—but there's a fatal weakness: no contact with seawater. Want them or not?"
Garfield, Holland, and Harry lit up. "We do. Of course we do! But… these are priceless. You sure you'll give them to us?"
"Quit fussing. If you don't want them, I'll take them back. I've only got three."
They cracked grins. "We want them."
"This yellow, banana-looking one grants the power of light. The blue one grants ice. The red one grants magma."
After some thought: Garfield chose the Magma-Magma Fruit; Holland chose the Glint-Glint Fruit; the cooler-headed Harry chose the Ice-Ice Fruit.
They each bit down.
"Bleh—ugh—this tastes awful."
"Worse than garbage—"
"If you want power," Maguire said, smiling, "not a single bite can be left."
Grimacing, they forced the rest down.
While they choked the fruits down, Maguire opened his lottery.
[Congrats, host—your first major purchase in the Bully System shop earns you one guaranteed SS-rank draw.]
He eyed the diamond prize wheel:
[SS-rank Item: Divine Radiance (Dark), single-use
S-rank Item: Twelve Talismans — Tiger Talisman
S-rank Ability: Thousand-Mile Eyes & Following-Wind Ears (Clairvoyance & Clairaudience)
A-rank Item: Sword — "Piphis"
Talisman: Twelve Talismans — Pig Talisman
Ordinary Item: One trillion US dollars]
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