Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

Norman didn't show much excitement as he carefully went through the equipment he had stolen from Oscorp at great cost.

Once everything was accounted for, he put it away and turned toward his workbench.

He wasn't foolish enough to just rely on using Luthor's inventions to kill him.

His arsenal needed something of his own.

On the workbench lay what appeared to be a simple skateboard, but in fact, it was a personal flight device—his true trump card.

Only by gaining air superiority could he confidently use Luthor's own weapons to take him down.

Norman wasn't opposed to creating his own weapons, but after leaving Oscorp, he no longer had the resources to secretly research and produce advanced weaponry on a large scale.

'Right. I almost forgot.'

As he worked on the final assembly of the flight device, a thought suddenly struck him.

"And that damn Otto. If it weren't for you, Luthor wouldn't be this arrogant. Just wait, Otto. Once Luthor is dead, it will be your turn!"

...

While Norman was secretly plotting Luthor's assassination, Reid—playing the role of Luthor—was riding in a jeep alongside Rhodes and Tony.

After spending so much time in New York, Reid naturally didn't just confine himself to Oscorp Industries' headquarters.

He attended the necessary social events and maintained key relationships, one of which included Tony Stark.

Reid, as Luthor, had gotten to know the famous playboy all over again.

He also came to understand that Tony's arrogance wasn't indiscriminate, it depended on who he was dealing with.

When they first met at a party, Tony had treated him exactly as expected, looking down on him, dismissing Luthor as just another so-called genius.

But over time, as their conversations continued, Tony realized that Luthor was an even more well-rounded genius than himself.

While Tony still held an advantage in mechanics, Luthor's brilliance wasn't limited to a single field, he was a prodigy across multiple domains.

Even when Tony steered the discussion toward art, a subject most scientists had little connection with and one that required an elite upbringing to master, Luthor still spoke fluently and insightfully.

In short, aside from his personality flaws, Lex Luthor was a flawless being in every other aspect of humanity.

Tony gradually acknowledged this and, over time, even came to respect Luthor as a fellow genius.

Now, the two of them were heading to a military base to present their companies' latest weapons.

Stark Industries' contribution was a new short-range missile.

When they arrived at the testing site, a brief field test was enough for the military to place a massive order, earning Stark Industries a fortune.

After Tony's display, it was time for Reid and Oscorp Industries to showcase their weaponry.

These were special weapons designed specifically for those injected with the Scarlet Serum.

The testing method was straightforward.

Reid personally stepped forward, injected himself with the serum, and picked up a dagger from the equipment case.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, the Scarlet Serum grants its users the ability to unleash red laser energy. However, this power requires either a second, expensive serum or extensive training to fully harness. But I ask you—when did humanity ever rely on just our bare hands to fight?"

Reid began his speech in Luthor's tone, instantly capturing the attention of everyone in the military base.

"The invention of firearms forced knights to abandon their swords. What I'm doing today is using technology to liberate you from your base instincts."

As he spoke, red laser energy surged along his arm, flowing into the dagger in his hand, turning the blade a glowing crimson.

"This dagger harnesses the energy released by the body, channeling it into a high-frequency field, much like high-frequency weapons. It's a breakthrough, one I've cleverly engineered."

While speaking, Reid walked toward the various alloy steel plates that had been prepared in advance, swinging his arm with the dagger in hand.

Without exception, even aerospace materials were sliced through effortlessly by the energy-infused dagger, as if they were mere sheets of paper.

"Of course, I wouldn't have you all fighting with daggers. This is merely one application of laser energy. Watch closely."

Following that, weapons capable of firing laser bullets were showcased: handguns, rifles, sniper rifles, and grenades that released laser shockwaves.

Various weapons relying on laser energy to attack were displayed, in stark contrast to the current standard issue single-soldier combat gear.

These specialized tools easily outperformed the standard gear.

Although the power of these weapons couldn't match the direct long-range laser blasts produced by those who had adapted to the serum, the military high-ups were still wide-eyed with excitement.

While such weapons may seem like a low-tier substitute for the adaptation serum, but that wasn't the case at all.

Rather than relying on instinct to use superhuman abilities, with these weapons, soldiers would only need to inject the Scarlet Serum to unleash their full potential.

Even though the conversion of laser energy into the weapon's attacks resulted in some loss of energy, the overall benefits of these special weapons were undeniable.

"There's no need to say more, Mr. Luthor. Your abilities are well-recognized. The military is eager to place a large order for these weapons. We hope Oscorp Industries can increase its production capacity to meet the growing demand from the military." one of the military officials stated.

To this, Reid simply smiled.

"As long as the funding is sufficient, General, your request is quite simple."

Once the meeting was over, Reid and Tony were escorted out of the military base by Rhodes.

On the way, Tony seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking.

"Luthor, I've heard that your Scarlet Serum has started circulating within terrorist organizations. You might want to watch out for pests within your company."

"Understood." Reid nodded in acknowledgment of Tony's warning.

However, Tony wouldn't know that unlike Stark Industries, where Obadiah secretly smuggled weapons, the smuggling of serum within Oscorp was something Reid allowed.

While he had gained immense power through the serum and nearly seized control of Oscorp, he couldn't let the U.S. government grow too powerful because of the serum.

Thus, under his tacit approval, smuggling was bound to occur.

He intended to change the world to make it more suitable for his life, but at present, his power was insufficient, and he needed to stabilize the current global order.

Just like with the Scarlet Serum, under Reid's special attention, the serum could indeed turn its users into superhumans and give the U.S. military an advantage. But its high cost and various limitations would ensure that the U.S. could gain an upper hand but never dominate the entire world.

Thinking about all he had done to maintain this fragile stability, a sense of anxiety crept over Reid.

He wanted to complete Luthor's mission quickly.

Although Luthor's abilities were formidable, to fully harness them, he needed to use Luthor's identity to control the world step by step, both politically and economically.

That was just too troublesome.

Superpowers would be much better. Even Aquaman would do—at least then he'd have a powerful superpowered individual for himself.

'Norman, when will you finally make your move? Emily still needs one last push to truly fall.'

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