Chapter Seventy-One: Return to the Marvel World

“The expenses were considerable, but the returns were just as great.”
Karn's face was alight with a smile upon his return. In the last few days, he finally received a reply from Dumbledore. The White Magus was unexpectedly generous—not only did he send the flesh and blood of the phoenix, but also feathers and tears, all exceptionally rare materials.

“Gold… less than a third of it used. The magical world isn't that large, so this is all it takes. Four dragon species’ blood and flesh, plus materials from other magical creatures. The power of Galleons truly is remarkable.”

These materials from magical creatures needed to be carefully preserved. Those required for research would be set aside, and the rest could be stored in the system’s spatial inventory.

“As for research, Lys is an excellent candidate. I'll have him form a team dedicated to serving me.”

After a brief deliberation, Karn found the perfect person for the task. Lys was a researcher in Kilian’s research team, with impressive credentials and research ability, making him a suitable choice for Karn.

He agreed to join Kilian’s research because the Desperation Virus might cure his daughter. Now, it was Karn who was driving the Desperation Virus project, and all the promises Kilian made to him, Karn could fulfill.

Most importantly, Lys desperately needed money for his daughter’s treatment. No matter what he tried, he could barely keep her treatment ongoing at the hospital. This was why Lys always helped Karn with his assignments—each one paid two thousand dollars, an act of true generosity.

...

“Betty, have the driver pick me up and take me to the Biological Research Center. And how’s the task I gave you last time coming along?”

Karn’s sudden phone call startled Betty Ross. Her boss had vanished for days, only to appear out of nowhere again—he was utterly unpredictable.

“Understood, sir. Paul will be waiting outside your home in half an hour. The assignment is proceeding smoothly. So far, seven candidates can be invited to join with absolute certainty.”

Though Betty was nominally part of the Biological Research Center, she also managed Karn’s personal schedule—a requirement justified by her generous salary.

Still, she wished her boss would disappear for longer periods, so she could slowly explore the experimental projects at the research center under his directives.

Twenty minutes later

Paul drove up to the front of Karn’s house. The driver, recruited by Laura, was steady and taciturn.

When Karn arrived at the Biological Research Center, Betty was already waiting at the entrance. As Karn got out of the car, she hurried to greet him and began reporting on the center’s recent affairs.

Betty’s position was quite effective. She had contacted nineteen experts or researchers in genetic biology, but only seven had agreed to accept the invitation. The rest either had ongoing projects or were uninterested in Karn’s confidential research, believing the center little more than a façade.

The seven who accepted were not well-known and seemed peripheral in their previous teams. Still, Betty rated them quite highly, and since Karn’s center was itself obscure, he extended his invitation.

Karn intended to find a research team for Lys, so he would let Lys see if any among these seven would prove useful.

As they neared the laboratory, Karn stopped and said to Betty, “That will be all for today’s report. Your work exceeds my expectations. Please reserve a dinner place for me, and if you have nothing else, feel free to add yourself to the reservation.”

“Of course… sir.”
Betty smiled, though inside she was irritated. She wanted to see the projects inside the lab, but Karn clearly wouldn’t let her in. Security here was strict—even as the boss’s assistant, she couldn’t enter without an access card.

With a polite smile, Betty turned and left, though her mind was busy with other schemes.

...

“Ladies and gentlemen, how goes the research?”

Karn entered the laboratory and addressed Maya and Kilian about the research projects. Upon seeing their boss, Maya and Kilian began to brief him on the progress of the Desperation Virus.

Following Karn’s guidance, they cultured the Desperation Virus with the cellular genes of two different animals. They had already succeeded in mice and simians, and the calculations suggested a high success rate even in humans.

Once successful, the next step would be commercialization. The Desperation Virus was potent, able to repair both cellular and bioelectrical damage. If left at full strength, Karn would be creating superhumans.

He planned to dilute the effect by ninety percent before releasing it to the public.

At that point, the virus would only restore lost limbs, with all other enhancements removed. Even limb regeneration would depend on the dosage of injected serum. Karn would sell it not for profit, but for stability.

If the serum only healed lost limbs, they would become an outstanding biomedical company. But if they could mass-produce superhumans without Umbrella’s strength, Karn would be inviting a global confrontation.

After hearing Maya and Kilian’s report, Karn urged them to accelerate progress, then asked about Lys.

“Mr. Lys, I need to form a new research team, and you fit my selection criteria.”

Lys was momentarily stunned by Karn’s invitation. He looked around, seeing everyone’s gaze upon him. Usually, he was methodical and reliable—Kilian’s most capable assistant.

Karn’s sudden invitation left Kilian with some reluctance, but the Desperation Virus project had already found its breakthrough, and Karn was the boss. Kilian understood Lys’s motivations; he had no ability to stop him, so he let matters be.

Lys was then summoned to another laboratory, unused since its construction.

“Mr. Lys, I need your help with a research project. In return, your daughter will be the first to receive the mature Desperation Virus serum, and the company will cover her treatment costs during this period. You need only follow my orders, maintain absolute confidentiality, and that will suffice!”

Lys was still bewildered by these words, but soon realized this was his opportunity.

For his daughter’s sake, Lys quickly nodded his agreement.

“Excellent, Mr. Lys. I hope you remember my words. I will assign you research tasks; as for personnel, I can recommend some, or you may select your own, but they must be able to keep secrets.”

Just then, another Karn walked in from a different door and addressed him. Witnessing this, Lys’s eyes widened in shock like brass bells.

Having spoken, the two Karns exited the laboratory one after another.

This was both a warning and intimidation for Lys. Though he was usually honest, one could never be sure about leaks. The research involved the flesh and cells of magical creatures; not a single mistake could be tolerated.

As for the shadow clone technique, Lys was unlikely to mention it; even if he did, no one would believe him, and Karn would never give him the chance.

Karn planned to double the security and surveillance at this research site. Unfortunately, he lacked an artificial intelligence like Jarvis; otherwise, he could entrust this task with peace of mind.

...

After dinner, Paul drove Karn to the gate of his villa.

As Karn got out, he stopped Betty, who was about to open the car door. “Betty, though I’d love to invite you in for tea, it’s inconvenient at the moment. Next time, I’ll invite you over as a guest.”

Betty’s hand lingered awkwardly on the door lock, unsure whether to proceed and insist on a visit. Karn gave her no time to hesitate, signaling the driver to take her home.

Once he finished dealing with affairs in the Marvel world, Karn would head to the Naruto universe.

With his new self-preservation abilities—the upgraded Desperation Virus and the spatial traversal of the trading system—only the resurrection of the Second Hokage marking him with the Flying Thunder God could threaten his life.

Upon returning to the Naruto world, Karn could finally have his revenge, especially on the Third Hokage and Danzo, the only two capable of ordering the Anbu to attack him.