Nolan studied the data on the Super Soldier Serum in front of him.
The greatest challenge lay not in its raw strength but in its genetic instability the difficulty of stripping and realigning genes while locking the enhancement into a stable form.
He tapped the edge of the table thoughtfully before asking,
"Helen, tell me if we lowered the serum's strength, if we didn't insist on maintaining the same level of power as the original formula, what would happen?"
Helen Cho froze for a moment, surprised by the question. She leaned closer to the screen, her brows furrowed as she examined the data again. After a long silence, she bit her lip and finally said,
"The difficulty would drop considerably. The strain on the human body would also be far less severe. But if we weaken the serum that much, it won't fulfill its intended purpose. The Super Soldier Serum exists to create superhumans. If it can't produce someone like Captain America, then doesn't it lose its meaning entirely?"
Her words were clear. The serum was meant to turn ordinary men into living legends. If it couldn't achieve that, why pursue it at all?
But Nolan thought differently.
Right now, he was weak pathetically weak by this world's standards. What he needed wasn't instant godhood, but a first step, something to free him from being so powerless. As long as he could shed the identity of a "weakling," the path forward would open.
And beyond that first step, he had other ideas. The serum was only one tool. This world overflowed with methods to gain strength.
His eyes shifted toward Helen.
She held in her hands the foundation of another miracle the Cradle of Life technology. In theory, it could heal and restore the human body. But what if it could be adapted, turned into a system that didn't just repair, but improved? That, Nolan thought, might rival or even surpass the serum itself.
He smiled faintly.
"Helen, you should broaden your perspective. If even Dr. Abraham Erskine, the man who created the original serum, never perfected it, then why should we chain ourselves to his mistakes? Imperfect as it is, even a flawed serum that can strengthen without harming the body is still progress. Sometimes, a single safe step forward means more than chasing a perfect but impossible dream. Why don't we pursue that?"
Helen blinked at him, surprised. The words made too much sense to dismiss outright. She nodded slightly, despite herself.
Nolan, of course, wasn't relying solely on luck. His system's store was a treasure trove of technologies. He had already spent vast amounts of resources on advanced genetic knowledge, accelerating their research pace to an astonishing degree.
Within a single week, he had already found a potential breakthrough. Helen was stunned. Even if what they produced wasn't the legendary serum itself, even an "imperfect" version would be a milestone for biological science.
What she didn't know was that Nolan's real work wasn't only done in the physical lab. It was inside his system's virtual laboratory a place that, to him, was perhaps the most broken, bug-like feature of all.
In reality, every experiment carried risks. One wrong variable could destroy years of work, or worse, lives. But inside the system lab, there were no risks. He could inject the serum into test subjects at will, and if the results were catastrophic, the system would simply reset everything. No danger, no consequences.
It was a playground where mistakes cost nothing, and perfection was only a matter of time.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city…
Jessica Jones's private detective agency was thriving. Thanks to her unusual strength, she had closed several difficult cases in record time. Word of her abilities spread quickly, and new clients came knocking almost daily.
Yet despite her success, Jessica wasn't happy.
She slumped across her desk, her chin resting on folded arms, scowling at nothing in particular. What really bothered her wasn't the work it was Nolan.
He hadn't come to see her in days. And when she finally did stop by his company last week, she found a new secretary working there a woman who dressed far too provocatively and seemed to delight in flaunting herself right in front of Jessica. The memory made Jessica's teeth grind in irritation. That woman's smug, flirtatious smile still made her blood boil.
And worse it had made her blush.
She groaned and buried her face in her arms. She was still young, not even twenty, and though she'd been manipulated into Nolan's orbit, she still carried a streak of innocence. That secretary's presence felt like a challenge she didn't know how to face.
As she fumed, the door creaked open. A man stepped inside.
"Hello," he said smoothly. "I've heard from some friends that you possess certain… unique abilities?"
Jessica looked up, blinking. Her mind felt suddenly foggy, her thoughts dulled. Without hesitation, she answered, "I'm very strong."
The man smiled approvingly.
"Honesty. I like that." He rose and stepped closer, his presence unsettlingly calm. "Then, why don't you come with me?"
"Of course," Jessica murmured automatically, her will already slipping away.
She had no idea she was staring into the eyes of Zebediah Killgrave the infamous Purple Man.
Just as he turned to lead her out, a projection flared into life across the room.
The Red Queen's holographic form shimmered into existence, her voice cutting coldly through the haze.
"Warning: detected unusual pheromones consistent with mind-control agents. Subject Jessica Jones is in danger. Alert issued. Zebediah Killgrave, leave her immediately."
For the first time, Killgrave's composure cracked. His smirk faltered as his eyes narrowed at the projection. Someone knew his name? His identity?
What was this thing?
But then he sneered, brushing off his momentary alarm. He was the Purple Man. No one had ever stopped him before.
"Jessica," he said smoothly, "tell me how to deal with this little nuisance."
Jessica frowned, confused. "I… I don't know."
She didn't even realize the Red Queen had installed hidden surveillance here.
Killgrave's expression hardened. He glanced once at the projector, then hurled a nearby object at it, shattering the device. The hologram fizzled and died.
But the Red Queen wasn't gone. The signal had already reached the Hive base.
Inside the lab, Nolan and Helen were mid-discussion about the Cradle of Life project when the AI's voice cut through.
"Sir. Subject Jessica Jones is in immediate danger."
Nolan's eyes narrowed to slits.
…
By then, Killgrave had already guided Jessica out of her office. He was unhurried, even relaxed. This was nothing new for him he had bent countless people to his will. No one had ever managed to stop him, and he saw no reason today would be different.
On the street, every passerby who brushed shoulders with him forgot his face the moment they moved on. He was untouchable, a phantom in plain sight.
Killgrave glanced at Jessica beside him. Young, strong, beautiful, and untainted by cynicism exactly his type. What he liked, he kept. No one would ever take her away.
Soon, they were seated at a café. He ordered two coffees, leaning back in his chair as if the whole world belonged to him.
Who could possibly challenge the Purple Man?
The bell above the café door chimed. A young man stepped inside. His eyes immediately found Killgrave and Jessica. He smiled, though something in that smile carried an edge of frost.
"Good afternoon," the man said calmly. "My name is Nolan Lock. It seems this is our first meeting."
Killgrave tilted his head, eyes gleaming with amusement.
"If I were you," he said softly, "I'd walk away now."
Nolan's smile didn't waver. His gaze sharpened, a glint of killing intent flickering within.
"Is that so?" he replied.
Because today, he hadn't come to negotiate.
Today, Nolan had come to kill.
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