Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

Page 39

Otto's eyes lit up with surprise.

“However,” Kingpin emphasized again, his tone leaving no room for argument, “there are conditions. First, you will receive ‘limited’ access; you can only conduct research on designated isolated servers, and all data operations will be recorded. Second, all your research processes, interim results, and even the final solution must be unconditionally backed up and shared with the association’s technical team. Third, you need to submit detailed research reports regularly. Fourth, and most importantly…”

His gaze swept over the mechanical tentacles behind Otto: "During the research phase, and in any subsequent application stages, the Electro-Man Max Dillon will be involved as your 'personal energy advisor' and project assistant. He will be responsible for the high-purity, specific-frequency energy supply you require. At the same time, he will also be responsible for... ensuring the safety and stability of the research process."

Otto's facial muscles twitched slightly. Surveillance? And they sent that simple-minded energy being? This was an insult! His mechanical tentacles hummed softly in response to their master's emotional fluctuations.

Kingpin, seemingly oblivious to his displeasure, continued, "This is the maximum support and trust the Association can offer. Accept it, and you can access the knowledge you've always dreamed of and resolve your core dilemma. Don't accept it, and you can continue your current work; the Association will still consider you an A-level hero."

This is an open strategy. Kingpin has laid out his intentions: I know what you want, and I can give it to you, but only under my rules and supervision. You either abandon your pride and gain a ticket to a higher level of technological advancement, or you cling to your pitiful self-esteem and continue to stagnate.

Otto was torn. Reason told him that this was the optimal solution, the only way for him to escape his predicament and access higher levels of technology. But emotionally, the feeling of being bound and monitored made him extremely uncomfortable.

Ultimately, the greed for knowledge overwhelmed everything.

“…I accept.” Otto practically spat out those three words through gritted teeth.

“Very good.” Kingpin nodded. “Wesley, take the Doctor to the ‘Ivory Tower’ lab. Access is activated immediately. Notify Electro that his new mission has begun.”

The so-called "ivory tower" laboratory was a highly isolated research facility located deep underground at headquarters. When Otto arrived there with mixed feelings, accompanied by Wesley, he was still awestruck by its facilities. The advanced equipment far surpassed anything he had ever seen in any laboratory, the energy supply interface was incredibly stable, and there was an independent database terminal storing some of the core technologies.

Soon, Max Dillon, dressed in a brand-new Class A hero uniform, arrived. He appeared somewhat reserved, his blue energy emanating a soft glow under the steady lighting.

“Dr. Octavius…” Max stammered, “The president asked me to assist you with your research. Just tell me what kind of energy you need.”

Otto gave him a cold glance, said nothing, and walked straight to the main control panel, eagerly beginning to retrieve data. Mechanical tentacles connected to the interface, and data poured down like a waterfall, overwhelming him.

For the first few days, the atmosphere in the lab was icy. Otto was completely absorbed in his own world, oblivious to Max beside him, only speaking briefly and almost commandingly when a specific frequency of energy was needed for a simulation test.

"Frequency 132.7 Hz, square wave, duration 3 seconds."

"Energy output increased by 15%, while maintaining the trapezoidal waveform."

"No! You idiot! It's a decreasing wave, not an increasing one!"

Max, like a submissive wife, diligently and precisely controlled the electricity according to Otto's incredibly demanding requirements. He didn't quite understand the complex data and models, but he could sense that when the energy was input perfectly as required, Otto, though not praising him, would noticeably ease the oppressive atmosphere around him. Occasionally, when Otto encountered a problem, scratching his head in frustration and muttering to himself in front of the holographic screen, Max would carefully hand him an energy drink (even though he didn't drink it himself) or silently adjust the brightness of the ambient light.

One late night, Otto encountered an insurmountable obstacle while conducting a crucial neural signal simulation, with the experimental data repeatedly showing abnormal peaks. He angrily waved his tentacles, almost smashing the control panel.

"Damn it! What went wrong? The initial parameters are definitely correct!" he roared.

Max watched quietly for a long time, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke softly, "Doctor... I may not understand your experiment. But... when you adjusted the energy input for the third time just now, I seemed to feel that at the moment of signal conversion, there was a slight... 'snag' in the energy field, like current passing through an old transformer. It was very slight, but it was somewhat similar to some of the precursory faults I had felt in the power grid before."

Otto turned his head sharply, his eyes behind his goggles fixed on Max.

Max felt a chill run down his spine under his gaze, and his blue light flickered. "I...I just feel...something might be wrong..."

Otto didn't scold him. Instead, he quickly retrieved the energy monitoring records from that time and magnified the data from the point Max mentioned. Sure enough, at an extremely minute point in time, there was a negligible disturbance in the energy flow. It was this disturbance that was continuously amplified in the complex signal transmission chain, leading to the final anomaly.

“…Hmph.” Otto snorted, the tone unreadable, neither approving nor simply indicating understanding. His hands quickened, rapidly adjusting the parameters and restarting the simulation. This time, the data curve perfectly met expectations.

Since then, Otto's attitude towards Max has undergone some subtle changes. While he's still not exactly polite, he at least stops scolding him casually. Occasionally, he'll even explain a basic energy-related concept or two to Max, and Max will open his blue eyes wide, trying hard to understand, and occasionally asking questions that seem naive to laymen but sometimes trigger a flash of inspiration in Otto.

"Doctor, why does the energy here have to take a detour? Can't we just go straight through?"

"Stupid... (pause) Hmm? Go straight there? Wait... maybe we can try to simplify this circuit..."

A peculiar symbiotic relationship, based on professional needs, slowly developed in this secluded laboratory. Otto provided top-notch wisdom and problem-solving approaches, while Max offered stable and sensitive energy support and occasional "intuition" that went beyond the box.

Wesley regularly shared the lab's monitoring reports with Kingpin. The reports showed that Otto's research was progressing far beyond expectations, and he had made a breakthrough in optimizing the stability of neural connections. However, the number in the section assessing his loyalty had subtly shifted from "extremely low" to "low" without anyone noticing.

After successfully completing yet another milestone, Otto looked at the perfect data curve on the screen and, unusually, didn't immediately jump into the next project. He leaned back in his chair, a mechanical tentacle unconsciously curling up the empty energy drink can Max had just handed him and gently squeezing it flat.

He glanced at Max, who was diligently "recharging" to replenish his energy, and then looked around at the state-of-the-art, energy-limitless laboratory, as well as the knowledge in the database that he might never be able to access on his own in his entire life.

“Here…” Otto murmured to himself, his voice so soft that only he could hear it, “it seems… not entirely unbearable.”

At least here, he can single-mindedly pursue the ultimate knowledge without worrying about running out of energy, outdated equipment, or even... being alone behind him.

Of course, the thought only flashed through his mind. His pride wouldn't allow him to admit it so easily. He shook his head, precisely tossing the empty can into the distant recycling bin, and the mechanical tentacles reconnected to the database.

"Electro-optical man! Stop slacking off! The next experiment requires a high-frequency pulse array, so get the output accuracy below the ten-thousandth!"

Chapter 97: Joint Exercises and Initial Tactical Development

After the lights in the "ivory tower" laboratory had been on for a week, Otto Octavius ​​appeared in Kingpin's office with a detailed report titled "Neural Connectivity Stability Optimization and AI Limitation Protocol Version 1.0," and faint dark circles under his eyes. He placed the data chip on the table, his tone still bearing that unchanging arrogance, but subtly less defiant and more focused on getting to the point.

“The fundamental problem has been solved. This is the optimization plan, which can improve the efficiency of neural signal transmission by 37%, and adds triple shackles to those disobedient ‘little things’ at the underlying logic level.” He tapped the chip with a mechanical tentacle. “Theoretically, there will be no more risk of going out of control.”

Kingpin picked up the chip, inserted it into the reader, and quickly scanned the complex charts and data. "Very efficient, Doctor."

“It only solves the most basic structural problems.” Otto adjusted his glasses. “But to deal with more complex battlefield environments, especially the kind of ‘dragon-level’ threat you mentioned, the improvement of individual soldier capabilities is far from enough. My tentacles need more sensitive battlefield feedback, that blue guy’s energy output needs more precise guidance, and the Sandman’s defense needs more intelligent responses… Our current so-called ‘cooperation’ is still at the level of street thugs fighting in a brawl.”

These words, though harsh, accurately pinpointed the very issue Kingpin had been pondering. The Association's high-end combat force had already taken shape, but the most pressing task was how to forge these powerful individuals with vastly different styles and abilities into an iron fist capable of dealing with planetary-level crises.

"Your suggestion?" Kingpin looked up at him.

“An exercise,” Otto uttered. “A high-intensity, realistic joint exercise. Simulating one of the most challenging complex adversaries we know. Identifying problems through failures and refining synchronization through those problems. I need the highest level of access to utilize the full computing power of the ‘High-Fidelity Environment Simulation Pod’ and to set the simulation parameters according to my requirements.”

Kingpin responded almost without hesitation: “Sure. Whatever you need, the association will provide. I want to see the exercise report and a preliminary team tactical model in three days.”

Three days later, inside the deepest underground "high-fidelity environment simulation chamber" of the association, the scene had drastically changed. It was no longer an endless desert or a simple city street scene, but had become a bizarre complex terrain that seemed to have been visited by different disasters at the same time: on one side was a crystalline jungle burning with eerie blue flames, and on the other side was a ruin filled with swirling, viscous black mud. Distorted force fields that interfered with perception floated in the air, and sharp, energy-absorbing metal spikes rose from the ground from time to time.

Flint Marco the Sandman, Max Dillon the Electro, Lin the Mind Master, Peter Parker the Spider-Man, and Otto the Octopus, who served as the technical advisor and participant in this exercise, stood at the edge of this bizarre battlefield. On the holographic screen before them, the terrifying characteristics of the simulated target were displayed:

[Simulated Threat: The Prototype of the "Reaper"]

1. Energy Absorption: It can absorb and store most forms of energy attacks, converting them into self-defense or for repair.

2. Physical resistance: The shell is made of adaptive nanometals, which makes it extremely resistant to pure physical attacks and can learn attack patterns to evolve accordingly.

3. Mental interference: It emits continuous waves of mental pollution, disrupting judgment and inducing fear and confusion.

4. Rapid Learning: Equipped with advanced battlefield AI, it can analyze opponent capabilities in real time, adjust tactics, and identify weaknesses.

"Energy absorption... physical resistance... mental interference... and it even has learning capabilities?" Peter stared at the screen, his face falling behind the mask. "This thing was designed based on our weaknesses, wasn't it? It's so cheating!"

“That’s why it’s called an exercise, Spider-Boy,” Otto said coldly, his four mechanical tentacles already connected to the auxiliary computing unit of the simulation pod. “If we can’t even defeat a simulated enemy, we’ll be nothing but lambs to the slaughter when facing a real crisis.” He glanced at Max. “Electro, remember, your primary mission is not attacking, but providing cover and precise obstacle breaching. Blindly releasing energy will only recharge it.”

Max nodded nervously, and the electric current around him subsided considerably.

“Mind Master, your force field is our only barrier to maintaining rationality. Prioritize ensuring our own safety.” Otto then looked at Lin.

Lin nodded slightly, her hands already forming a hand seal, a gentle mental barrier enveloping the five people, resisting the invisible mental pressure in the air.

“Sandman, you are the bulwark and the core of control. Your task is the most important: defend while restricting its movement and creating opportunities for others.”

Flint gave a heavy "hmm," and the sand beneath his feet began to surge silently, shimmering with a crystallized light.

“As for you, Spider-Man,” Otto said, turning to Peter last, “you are the only mobile force, responsible for coordinating the entire operation, filling in any gaps, and executing the final, precise strike. Your spider-sense is key to avoiding its targeted attacks once it learns from you.”

"Understood!" Peter took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance.

Exercise, begin!

The "Reaper" emerged from the burning crystalline jungle. It had no fixed form, resembling a constantly writhing shadow covered in metal plates, with only a few compound eyes flashing red, coldly locking onto the five people.

The battle immediately fell into the expected predicament.

Max's tentative lightning arrow was easily absorbed by the ripples on the Reaper's body, causing it to swell slightly.

The crystallized sand spears controlled by the Sandman slammed into the opponent's armor, most of them being deflected, leaving only shallow white marks. The few attacks that could cause damage were quickly absorbed and repaired by the Sandman.

Peter attempted to use his agility to get close and harass the enemy, but the enemy anticipated his movements, and a metal tentacle that suddenly emerged from the mud nearly pierced him.

Only the mental barrier of the meditator firmly resisted the pervasive mental interference, keeping everyone clear-headed.

"It's learning the Sandman's attack patterns! The sand is gathering slower!" Otto's mechanical tentacles danced rapidly, analyzing the data stream, his voice urgent, "Electroman! At the three o'clock position, at the boundary between the swamp and the crystal jungle, three meters below the ground, use a 7.5 Hz low-frequency pulse to interfere with its energy sensing node!"

Without hesitation, Max aimed both palms at the target and fired a nearly invisible low-frequency pulse with pinpoint accuracy.

The Reaper's movements visibly faltered, and the energy ripples on its body surface momentarily became disordered.

"Now! Sandman, trap it! Use quicksand traps, mixed with crystallized chains!" Otto immediately ordered.

Flint let out a low growl, and a large amount of sand surged into the swamp beneath the Reaper's feet, instantly freezing and locking its lower body. At the same time, several shimmering sand chains wrapped around it from all directions, tightly binding its upper body.

"Master of meditation! Concentrate your mind and attack its compound eyes; they are amplifiers of mental interference!"

Lin closed his eyes, and all his mental power condensed into an invisible spike, which slammed into those scarlet compound eyes.

The Reaper let out a piercing, inhuman screech, its body thrashing violently, and its mental interference field noticeably weakened.

"Spider-Man! Fifteen centimeters below the second compound eye from the left, at the junction of the scales, there's an energy leak! That's its energy conversion center! Use your strongest single-point penetrating attack!"

"Received!" Peter was already ready to go. A white spider silk, condensed to its extreme, shot out like a sniper rifle bullet with incredible speed and accuracy, directly towards the tiny gap that Otto had specified!

As the spider silk penetrated, the Reaper's massive body suddenly froze, and the chaotic energy accumulated within it seemed to find an outlet, erupting with a roar!

After the intense explosion simulation, the "Reaper" was reduced to countless data fragments that slowly dissipated.

Inside the simulator, calm was restored.

The five stood still, except for the calming master Lin, whose breathing remained steady; the others were all slightly out of breath. Sandman was covered in sand, Electro's light had dimmed somewhat, Spider-Man was supporting his knees, and Otto's mechanical tentacles were slowly drooping.

Their first collaboration was a success. Although the process was thrilling and the instructions were somewhat rushed, they did indeed rely on their complementary abilities to defeat a seemingly invincible and powerful enemy.

After a brief silence, Peter was the first to jump up: "Wow! We did it! Doctor, you did a fantastic job!"

Max flew to Otto's side, his blue face full of excitement: "Doctor, that low-frequency pulse really worked!"

Even Flint the Sandman gave Otto a simple, sandy smile.

Otto looked at his "colleagues" who had just fought alongside him, listening to their sincere (perhaps Spider-Man's exaggerated) praise. The sarcastic remark he habitually wanted to make reached his lips, but inexplicably he swallowed it back. He adjusted his glasses, turning his gaze to the holographic screen generating a detailed report. His tone remained calm, but less cold:

"This is just basic tactical application. The enemy's learning ability has been underestimated; next time it might prioritize attacking the Mind Masters. Our coordination is delayed by 0.3 seconds, so we need to optimize the communication protocol. Also, while Spider-Man's attacks are accurate, their power is insufficient; the equipment department needs to develop special warheads..."

He began to analyze the shortcomings and improvement plans in the battle, his mechanical tentacles gesturing in the air, his eyes focused and bright.

Jin watched the scene inside the simulator via the monitor. He ignored Otto's critical comments and noticed the subtle change—Otto used "we" instead of "you" or "I".

He picked up his internal communicator and connected to the Equipment Department: "Fitz, based on Dr. Octavius's upcoming exercise report and optimization recommendations, prioritize the development of team-based equipment. The focus should be on high-precision communications, energy guidance devices, and special warheads."

"Understood, Chairman!"

Putting down the communicator, Kingpin's gaze returned to the screen. On the screen, the five figures were huddled together, listening to Otto's analysis, nodding occasionally or asking questions.

Chapter 98: The Calm Before the Storm and the Final Gathering

The equipment research and development department has now become one of the busiest places. Otto Octavius ​​still habitually evaluates everything in his critical tone, but he's no longer confined to his own lab. He'll proactively walk up to Leo Fitz's workbench, point at a circuit design with a mechanical tentacle, and while his tone is still curt, the content has changed: "The redundancy in this conduction module can be reduced. By using the shunting technology from my optimized neural connection protocol, efficiency can be improved by fifteen percent." Fitz, who initially blushed and retorted, can now seriously consider things while stroking his chin, occasionally offering his own insights. The two have even developed a kind of stumbling, conversational style typical of tech geeks.

Max Dillon became a regular here, not just because Otto's research required him to provide precise energy. He noticed several technicians in the logistics department struggling with the stability of the energy nodes in the new generation of the city's defense matrix, so he volunteered to float over and carefully control the weak current to help test the energy conductivity of different materials. Watching him intently "fussing" with those precision components, his blue face full of seriousness, no one looked at him with fear anymore. Instead, several young technicians began to affectionately call him "Brother Max."

Inside the restaurant, Peter Parker was enthusiastically describing the "thrilling" scenes of the joint exercise to several newly recruited, still somewhat green, Class C heroes.

"...Then the doctor yelled, 'Spider-Man! Below the left eye! Hit there!' Good heavens, you didn't see it, that thing learned incredibly fast, it almost assimilated Sandman's sand! Thank goodness Miss Lin calmed everyone down, otherwise we would have been tap dancing in there..." He gestured wildly, eliciting chuckles from the crowd. Sitting not far away, Flint Marco, holding his specially made "plate" mixed with minerals and nutrient solution, merely raised his eyelids and slightly twitched his lips in response. Beside him, the soothing therapist Lin sipped her tea, listening to Peter's exaggerated narration with a hint of helplessness and warmth in her eyes.

Even Matt Murdoch, the Daredevil who always appeared and disappeared elusively and avoided group activities, showed up at the routine meeting in the tactical analysis room. He sat quietly in the corner, his superhuman senses clearly capturing the heartbeats, breathing, and subtle emotional fluctuations behind the words of everyone in the room. He could "hear" the bond of "trust" that was gradually forming among these companions with different personalities and abilities, gradually growing stronger because of their shared goal.

All this peace and adjustment was suddenly shattered on a seemingly ordinary afternoon.

The association headquarters is the command center.

On the main screen, the three areas representing Siberia's "Winter's Nest," the Sahara's "Heart of Scorching Sands," and the Amazon's "Green Scars," which were originally just steadily pulsating dark red halos, suddenly expanded and their brightness increased dramatically, as if injected with a violent life force! The dark red color became like congealed blood, almost dripping down.

【alarm! alarm! 】

[The energy index of the Dragon-level hatching site has surged abnormally! It has exceeded the critical threshold!]

[Energy enrichment rate: exponential growth!]

[High-intensity life signal detected! Repeat, high-intensity life signal detected!]

[Final stage of incubation process launched! Expected completion window...recalculating...]

[Calculation complete: 7 to 10 calendar days! Repeat, 7 to 10 calendar days!]

For the first time, the cold, electronic system voice carried an almost shrill urgency, echoing in the suddenly deathly silent command center. The dark golden alarm light flashed wildly at an unprecedented frequency, clearly illuminating the instantly drained color from everyone's faces.

7 to 10 days! Even earlier than the worst-case scenario!

Kingpin's imposing figure appeared in front of the command console almost the instant the alarm sounded. His face was expressionless, but in his eyes, it seemed as if a storm was gathering and compressing.

"Confirm signal strength and range!" His voice, as firm as a rock, drowned out the piercing alarm.

"Confirmed! The energy linkage at the three points has reached its peak! Life response confirmed! Not a false alarm!" The technical supervisor's voice trembled slightly, but he remained professional.

"Activate the final contingency plan, 'Ragnarok'!" Kingpin's voice was resolute, echoing throughout headquarters. "All external missions are suspended indefinitely from this moment forward! All personnel on leave, regardless of rank, must return to their posts immediately!"

"Notify all global branches to enter a state of maximum readiness, activate the emergency shelter protocol, coordinate with local governments, and make recommendations for non-mandatory evacuation."

"Logistics Department, clear all reserves of 'Ark'! Equipment Department, halt all non-essential research and development, and focus all efforts on ensuring the production and deployment of combat equipment!"

"Medical Department, activate all field medical units and stockpile the highest-level medical resources!"