Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

"Norman, this is our next experiment plan."

Inside the lab, after all the researchers had left, Otto handed the prepared documents to Norman.

"Let me see." Norman took the papers and scanned through them. Most of the content detailed the current issues with their serum.

The biggest problem was stability.

The serum could indeed grant the subject a unique black and white energy. While its raw destructive power was slightly weaker than the previous laser-based serum, it had much greater versatility.

Norman and Otto had already tested it on lab mice.

The injected mice underwent a drastic transformation. Their fur changed, turning completely black and white, and their bodies constantly emitted energy without control.

More importantly, this energy had properties the laser serum lacked.

It enhanced the physical abilities of the user and had strong adhesion. It could easily attach to other objects and the user could even transfer a portion of their energy to others, temporarily granting them a weaker version of the ability.

In terms of potential, this new serum far surpassed the Scarlet Serum Reid had created using Scott's corpse as a sample.

Norman had high hopes for it.

But the side effects were just as severe.

Not a single test subject had survived. They either exploded from the uncontrolled energy buildup or dropped dead the moment the serum's effects wore off.

So, in Otto's proposed research plan, aside from resolving known issues, the majority of the process focused on continuous animal testing. It involved making small adjustments, consuming large amounts of resources to refine the serum and slowly identifying the underlying problems over time.

This approach was standard. Unless one was a genius like Luthor, who made no mistakes from the theoretical stage onward, skipping complex animal testing was impossible.

But Norman couldn't wait.

He frowned as he looked at the research schedule in his hands.

"I think the animal testing phase is too long. This serum is meant for humans, after all. The sooner we start human trials, the faster we can identify the flaws."

"No." Otto's reaction was immediate.

As a scientist with no interest in power struggles, Otto was someone who preferred to take his time, following a structured approach to research. Norman's urgency was understandable, given his competition with Luthor, but Otto would never agree to rushing the process.

"Norman, I know you're anxious, but don't be. You're well aware of the serum's side effects. Not a single test subject has survived so far. Rushing into human trials will only put lives at risk. Let's take our time. If you're worried about Luthor, maybe you should focus more on the administrative side of things and leave the lab to me."

When Norman invited Otto to join the project, he had been upfront about its true purpose—to compete with Luthor, whose influence within the company had grown significantly.

To Otto, his old friend Norman still felt more trustworthy than Luthor. He was willing to help Norman secure his position as chairman.

Even though their differing approaches had led to several heated arguments, Otto still chose to believe in Norman.

However, Norman did not share the same sentiment toward Otto.

He had already burned his bridges.

Norman had invested massive resources from the company into this serum. Every cent earned from Luthor's Scarlet Serum had been funneled into this project.

If he couldn't complete it soon, if the process dragged on for too long and the costs kept mounting, even if he eventually succeeded, Luthor would have already solidified his hold on the chairman's seat.

That was something he could not allow.

Moreover, if Norman couldn't trust Luthor, could he really trust Otto? To Otto, their arguments were just disagreements on ideology, but to Norman, those arguments meant Otto wasn't fully supporting him.

Thinking about this, Norman's expression grew darker, though he didn't dare show it openly. Looking at Otto, he knew he still needed his help.

So, Norman adjusted his mindset, forced a smile and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you this time, Otto. I'll calm down, and we will definitely create this new serum and make history."

"Good!" Otto smiled as well, glad to see Norman was willing to change.

After their conversation, Norman returned to his office. Everyone assumed he was planning to stabilize his reputation in the administrative sector after the experiment stalled, before turning against Luthor, who had been making waves in the administration.

But in reality, although Norman didn't angrily smash anything when he got back to his office, he was trembling with anxiety.

On the way there, he could already feel that in just a few months, the administrative department of Oscorp Industries had begun to lose respect for him. They were taking the tasks assigned by Luthor more seriously than those from their own chairman.

He also realized that time was running out.

Luthor's exceptional abilities had backed him into a corner.

His ongoing collaborations with the military, as well as the partnerships with Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises in materials, had brought massive profits to the company.

Those who Norman had originally recruited, people who had once worked under him, were now slowly distancing themselves. By the time everyone fully supported Luthor, Norman feared he might lose his position as chairman—maybe even be dismissed when the company suffered losses.

'No, this can't go on.' Norman shook his head. He had to act.

He called in one of his trusted aides and gave a clear order.

"Find volunteers for human testing in New York. Tell them it's a new drug that can enhance physical strength and cure most diseases."

"Understood."

The aide didn't ask further questions and left Norman's office to quietly spread the word throughout New York.

Soon, word of this operation was brought to Reid's office.

**

**

**

Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:

P@treon/SilverShark769

Your support means a lot, thank you!