Chapter 38: Must You Really Crawl Through the Toilet? (Seeking Follow-up Reads)
In the sewer.
Connors crawled in the darkness.
The effects of the Lizard Serum had worn off again.
Having experienced that feeling of immense power, Connors found it unbearable to be so weak and frail now. He was incomplete, feeble, and utterly defenseless. A simple germ or a minor accident could ruin his life, end his existence.
And above him, in this New York City, millions of lives were just as fragile and pathetic.
"I can save them!"
Connors leaned weakly against a grimy wall, his face filled with fervor.
Though his body was frail, his blood boiled with passion!
He felt a great responsibility resting on his shoulders: to lead Earthlings, who had reached the end of their evolutionary path, towards a broader world, onto a new road.
Only by shedding their current, fragile human forms could Humans gain the strength and future to move forward!
He thought.
"I will be that savior!"
"My inventions will be used to benefit the entire world!"
Even though Connors had returned to his human form, his thoughts had been irrevocably altered by the Lizard Serum. He now believed Humans were weak and inferior beings, but he could change all that, spreading well-being to everyone, freeing them from the torment of illness forever.
Of course, Connors knew not everyone would accept the terrifying appearance of becoming a Lizard Man. But in his view, their resistance was merely because they hadn't yet experienced the power that came with it.
Once they tried it, they would immediately become addicted to the sensation. As for the change in appearance, who would care about that?
As Connors was lost in thought, a sharp voice suddenly came from behind him.
"A grand vision, Doctor!"
"Who are you?!" Connors immediately became wary.
He turned his head, peering cautiously into the darkness. From the depths of the dark pipes, an old man with sallow skin emerged, looking at him with admiration.
"You can call me Doctor Animo!" Animo said, baring his shriveled, vampire-like mouth, his voice filled with excitement.
He didn't care at all about the filthy environment of the sewer. He spoke passionately and animatedly:
"Doctor Connors, I am someone with a shared ambition with you. We both want to change this world and make it a better place!"
Naturally, Connors wouldn't be easily swayed by a few words from Animo. He looked at Animo coldly, like a cold-blooded animal eyeing its prey, ready to strike at any moment.
"Don't be nervous, Doctor Connors, I mean no harm," Animo said softly. "On the contrary, I've come to bring you a precious gift."
Animo clapped his hands, and behind him, in the empty sewer, terrifying echoes immediately rang out, like dull, continuous thunder, deafeningly loud.
Connors' instincts immediately made him feel a strong sense of danger.
He looked into the darkness, where four crimson eyes glowed!
Then, the monster in the darkness approached like a mountain.
Connors stared, dumbfounded.
"I proudly present to you!" Animo's clothes were shabby, but he displayed the highest level of etiquette, as if presenting a priceless treasure to an audience at an exhibition, raising his hands.
"My masterpiece!"
"A Mutant Creature!"
Connors froze.
Before him stood a giant, frog-like creature, three to four meters tall. It was as massive as a mountain, capable of swallowing a person whole in a single gulp!
"How did you do it?" Connors himself was an expert in reptiles. While a frog wasn't a lizard, he had studied them before. But with a frog's skeletal structure, it was impossible for it to grow this large!
Its bones couldn't support its current weight; gravity would crush it into a pulp!
"This is the greatness of my invention, the Gene Variator!" Animo proudly pointed to the device on his head, cunningly concealing the fact that he could control the mutant creature.
He continued, "This world is not simple, Doctor Connors."
As a highly intelligent scientist capable of building Level 5 technology with parts bought from a supermarket, Doctor Animo had immediately conducted some investigations upon arriving in this world.
He had not only discovered Iron Man but also an organization called "S.H.I.E.L.D."
This was why Animo had been acting so cautiously until now.
He took a step forward, while Connors remained frozen, stunned by the sight of the giant mutant bullfrog. Animo continued, "Don't you think, in order to achieve our grand vision, it's necessary to obtain greater power and eliminate those who stand in our way?!"
He said it with all his might, ferociously!
"Evolution is survival of the fittest! Only the strong survive!"
"Your Lizard Serum, and my mutant genes, if we combine them, we can create even greater species, even greater power, even more—"
Animo took a deep breath, his voice echoing in the pipes like the whisper of a god.
He was so excited he almost exploded, wanting to roar at the top of his lungs, but he didn't.
Instead, he walked to Connors' side and whispered in his ear:
"...a more glorious civilization."
Connors turned his head, seemingly stunned by Doctor Animo's ambition, and remained silent for a long time.
After a while, he finally spoke blankly, "You..."
A smile spread across Doctor Animo's face as he awaited Connors' response and praise.
"You have a bit of bad breath."
"What did you say?"
Doctor Animo was on the verge of a breakdown.
I just told you all that, and all you care about is my breath? I've cut through a dozen streets with a knife, killed people without batting an eye, and you're asking if my eyes are dry?
Besides, you've fallen so low that you're living in a stinky sewer, and you're worried about my bad breath?
"I said you have a bit of bad breath, get away from me." Connors pushed Doctor Animo away, then nodded and said, "Your plan is quite good, but we need to get rid of a nuisance first!"
Connors was naturally referring to Spider-Man.
However, Doctor Animo shook his head and mysteriously produced a small orange crystal. "We have more than one enemy. Is the power of a lizard enough?"
"Is this... Amber?"
---
Midtown High School.
Ben was preparing to go to the restroom as usual.
But at that moment, his Spider-Sense suddenly went off, and every hair on his body stood on end.
The next second, the restroom began to shake as if a localized earthquake had occurred. To his astonishment, a section of the floor collapsed, and a green head, sporting a toilet, emerged from the ground.
Ben: ...
Dr. Connors?
Do you really have to come out of the toilet?
Ben didn't quite understand, but he was deeply shocked.
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