Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

'It seems Norman can't hold back any longer.'

Reid sat in his office, looking at the materials brought in by the head security.

"Thank you for the information, William. While I'm unable to offer a raise at this time, please accept this token of my appreciation."

Reid placed a bank card on the table. William, the head of security, didn't hesitate and immediately took it. He had no idea how much money was on the card, but given that the incredibly capable CEO in front of him had offered it, he assumed it must be a generous amount.

William had originally been recruited by Norman. His role had been to work as security while gathering information inside the company, especially concerning Luthor.

However, things had changed. Norman had repeatedly lost to Reid in their confrontations. Now, much of Norman's power in the administrative sector had been taken by Reid.

William, naturally, had begun to think for himself.

Normally, someone like him would remain neutral, avoiding taking sides for fear of being eliminated. But the gap between Norman and Reid was too vast to ignore.

Norman was a natural born capitalist, a genius and an exceptional leader. Without Luthor, Oscorp Industries would still have flourished.

But his opponent was Reid, an entity with the intelligence of Luthor.

In terms of administrative ability, Luthor was able to keep Earth advancing at a rapid pace for 4,000 years while remaining beloved by the public. He never once stepped down from his position as president.

It wasn't until the pace of technological development could no longer keep up with the natural cycle of life and death that Luthor, at 4,000 years old, finally passed away.

In terms of research ability, Luthor, who could comprehend the technology of Brainiac with a 12th-level intellect and was rated as having a 9th-level intellect by Brainiac, was one of the most brilliant minds in the Marvel Universe.

The only ones who could surpass him, apart from those omniscient and all-powerful beings, were characters like Mr. Fantastic when tapping into his full potential.

Reid, with such a vast difference in capabilities, was an overwhelming force in every sense.

In terms of willpower, even when Luthor was possessed by The Anti-Life Equation, becoming a completely rational being similar to a god, he still managed to retain his hostility toward Superman through sheer force of will.

Competing against such a well-rounded genius, it was clear to anyone under him who the superior party was. Since Reid was willing to offer an olive branch, they had no qualms about seeking a new master.

"Thank you, Mr. Luthor. I'll get back to work now."

"Go ahead. Security work is crucial. I look forward to your performance."

Reid smiled as he watched the head of security. Once the door closed, he picked up the report again and reread it.

"Norman… you know what you're doing is underhanded, don't you? But within Oscorp Industries, there are still people who trust you."

Reid would definitely expose this, though it might not spread across all of New York.

It would be more than enough to let the people within Oscorp know that Norman Osborn, desperate for success, was willing to sacrifice the safety of his test subjects for his own ambitions.

But Otto, as expected, would still choose to trust Norman. All Norman had to do was find an excuse to shift the blame onto him, and Otto would believe it.

"However, it is because of that trust, the final clash will be that much more intense. Norman, after being chairman for over a year, it's time for you to step down."

...

Over the following days, rumors spread within the company that Norman was planning to conduct human experiments with the new serum, which had failed in animal trials.

The rumors had no concrete evidence and Norman of course denied them vehemently. Even when Otto came to inquire, Norman found a way to brush it off.

'It must be that bastard pulling the strings behind the scenes.'

Knowing that even his trusted agents were under the other's control made Norman realize that he couldn't afford to wait any longer. He had to finalize the serum and only through human trials could he truly identify its flaws.

"It's them. I'll have them come by tonight. I'll personally conduct the experiment."

Now, he had a number of volunteers lined up. Among them was a Chinese family who had traveled across the ocean seeking medical treatment.

They weren't American citizens, so if anything went wrong, it would be easier for Norman to handle.

He knew that Luthor would be keeping a close eye on him. If anything went wrong, there would be no way to hide it.

He could only hope that the serum wouldn't cause any deaths once injected into the human body. As long as no one died, he'd still be able to maintain control.

Meanwhile, the family that had come to New York received an invitation from Oscorp Industries. With anxious hearts, they prepared and arrived at the gates of the Oscorp building.

Under the guidance of Norman's trusted aide, they entered his personal laboratory.

At the same time, Otto, who was supposed to have finished his workday, returned to the new project laboratory.

When the rumors started circulating within the company, Otto had approached Norman for an explanation. Norman assured him that it was all part of Luthor's plot to undermine his reputation and throw him off balance.

Although Otto was somewhat skeptical—after all, Luthor had never been the type to resort to spreading rumors, he still chose to trust his old friend.

On the other hand, Otto was willing to believe that his friend Norman was not the type of person to disregard the lives and deaths of others, leaving everything to time for answers.

However, that evening, after returning home, Otto suddenly had new thoughts.

Unable to shake them, he decided to return to the laboratory to make a few notes. He knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

Otto, being meticulous in his research, carefully examined the state of the laboratory, focusing particularly on whether the serum samples that had been produced were intact.

But upon this inspection, he quickly noticed that two entire test tubes worth of serum were missing.

At that moment, the rumors he had pushed aside resurfaced in his mind.

'No... Norman, you wouldn't do this…'

Frantically, Otto left the laboratory, intending to find Norman. But just as he stepped outside, he saw Luthor, quietly leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"Luthor? What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing? A little relaxation, as anyone of reason would. There's nothing odd about it."

"Relaxing?" Otto narrowed his eyes.

Trusting Norman as he did, he briefly suspected that Luthor might have stolen those two test tubes of serum. But the words that followed from Reid shocked him deeply.

"However, my entertainment for tonight is watching your dramatic reaction. After all, you must already have some idea of what will happen tonight, don't you?"

Otto's expression changed again after hearing that.

'Yes, why am I even guessing? I could just go directly to Norman's lab.'

If Norman wasn't there, then he would have been worrying for nothing. But if Norman had already started the experiment, he could intervene in time.

'No, I absolutely cannot allow Norman to make this mistake.' thinking this, Otto ran toward Norman's personal laboratory.

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