Chapter 63: Otto’s Dream
Reid sped through the streets of New York City, his mind spiraling into confusion.
'This is getting out of hand.'
From an ordinary person's perspective, what Reid was doing now seemed more and more extreme. He had become a true villain, willing to do anything to achieve his goals.
He had seemingly abandoned the values he had developed in his past life, becoming someone completely selfish and self-serving.
Martin Li, the future Mister Negative, a super-villain in Spider-Man's story, a mafia boss—was gone just like that; when he was still young and unaware, Reid had wiped him out.
Turned to ashes by a fatal laser.
Reid glanced at his hands. These hands had gripped Martin Li's neck. Even when the boy screamed in pain, Reid showed no mercy, turning him into dust.
"Ha..."
Reid exhaled sharply, his gaze hardening once more. He wasn't sure if what he did was right, but one thing was certain—everything he did was for his own sake.
If he were an ordinary person living in the Marvel world, clueless about the dangers lurking around him, an encounter with a super-powered criminal could end his life in confusion.
But he wasn't ordinary.
He knew how this world would unfold, how many crises it would face.
He refused to die! He would not accept his death!
It wasn't about returning to his original world—he wasn't that naive. He simply wanted to live well in this world.
If the price was hands stained with blood, then so be it. He would be covered in blood if he had to.
He was determined to outlast everything. Even if gods fell, he would remain standing.
Reid turned the car around and drove toward Otto's home.
With the trust between Norman and Otto shattered, and Otto now facing the selfish side of his own nature, the necessary conditions for their deal had been successfully met.
...
At Otto's house.
After his complete break with Norman, Otto returned home. However, as he crossed the doorway, he stumbled over the low threshold, almost falling to the ground.
Otto paused for a moment, then anger flashed across his face. He slammed his fist hard into his thigh, gritting his teeth through the pain, yet still cursing loudly.
"Useless thing, getting in my way like this!"
Otto was a man of integrity, but he was also incredibly proud. He considered himself among the most intelligent people in the world and took pride in his wisdom.
But his only dissatisfaction was with his body, which didn't match his intellect.
From the moment he was born, his physical abilities were below those of ordinary people. At first, he thought it was just a difference in what people were good at, but gradually, he realized something was wrong.
His brilliant mind seemed unable to properly control his body.
His limbs were always out of his control, failing him at critical moments. It was a burden, and for a genius who prided himself on his intellect, it became a lifelong shame.
Later, through self-study in medicine, Otto conducted a thorough examination of himself.
He eventually discovered that since birth, he had been suffering from a neurological disorder.
This disease hindered his brain from properly sending commands to his body, turning it into a burden on his intelligence.
And as he aged, the condition would only worsen. In the end, he would be permanently bedridden, capable of thought but unable to do anything else.
From that moment on, Otto had made it his life's goal to perfect his flawed body. His dream was to use technology to create the perfect human limbs to replace his own defective ones.
So he studied chips, circuits, new materials, and mechanical structures.
To the world, he seemed like a scientist devoted to the advancement of humanity. But deep down, everything he pursued was solely for himself. Every field of research he dived into was just another step toward overcoming his body's limitations.
"Damn it!"
Tears of frustration streamed down Otto's face as he collapsed onto the couch.
'If only I had Luthor's level of intelligence.'
Reid had deliberately left Norman with an optimized version of the serum project. Not only did it push Norman into reckless desperation, leading to his downfall, but it also forced Otto to recognize a painful truth—there were differences even among geniuses.
It was only after personally studying the serum that Otto realized Luthor wasn't just conducting research. He was performing miracles.
Something that should have been theoretically impossible with current scientific advancements, Luthor had forced it into reality using nothing but the knowledge of the present.
A man capable of creating miracles at will… Just how terrifying was such a person?
Otto didn't dare imagine it. But he envied it.
'If I had that kind of intelligence, maybe then I could have fixed this broken body of mine.'
As Otto was lost in thought, a sudden knock at the door snapped him back to reality.
He wiped his tears, straightened up and walked over to answer it.
Standing outside was Luthor—or rather, Reid.
"Luthor? What brings you here?"
Otto didn't move aside, but Reid simply squeezed in, casually inspecting Otto's home while speaking.
"Naturally, it's for both of our futures, isn't it?"
Facing Luthor's blatant intrusion into his home without permission, Otto rolled his eyes. This was very much like Luthor.
After personally pouring a glass of orange juice for Luthor, Otto sat down across from him.
"So, what exactly did you do with that child?"
Reid didn't answer Otto's question directly. After sipping his orange juice, he replied, "If you still want to be able to eat breakfast tomorrow, I suggest you don't ask me to describe the scene from that moment... The orange juice tastes good."
Even though he didn't say anything, Otto could roughly guess what Luthor had done.
However, seeing that Luthor seemed completely unaffected, Otto let out a soft sigh.
With an opponent like this, Norman's loss in the competition was almost inevitable.
"Tell me, Luthor. What exactly do you want to do? You don't seem like someone who enjoys playing games and wasting time."
"I like your directness, Otto," Reid said, his tone suddenly more serious. "Since you're being blunt with me, I'll be too."
He straightened up, locking eyes with Otto, and spoke slowly, "Name your price for your shares, and I'll help you achieve your dream."
"My dream?" Otto chuckled.
To him, this was typical of Luthor's business dealings—this smart guy, apparently, was also impulsive when it came to matters of interest.
Only he was fully aware of his own physical condition.
Luthor, knowing nothing of it, was speaking out of urgency to strike Norman down.
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