CHAPTER 223: ADRIAN’S PATH

"Adrian, I understand your situation well. But Martian Manhunter... it’s likely he won’t be able to come to Earth for another ten years."

Reid spoke with a calm and considerate tone, but Adrian couldn’t stay calm like him. After all, it was his life that was being eaten away by illness, not Reid’s.

He didn’t expect the man to understand him. All he could do now was plead.

"Then... is there any way to contact Martian Manhunter? Or... does LexCorp have any plans to explore deeper into space? If possible..."

He wasn’t willing to give up on any hope, but Reid shut down each possibility, one by one.

"I’m sorry, there’s nothing like that. A few years ago, Martian Manhunter and Carol did return briefly. But now, aside from covertly sending a large number of Skrulls here, both of them have remained in deep space, trying to keep the Kree Empire’s attention away from Earth. That means staying far away."

"...How could it be like this..."

Hearing that there was no contact and little chance of return, Adrian felt a wave of despair wash over him. But at the same time, a bold plan began to form in his mind.

He knew LexCorp wasn’t without the ability to travel through space. Given that they had sheltered the Skrulls, the company naturally came into possession of their advanced technology. They even had a fully functional Kree warship.

However, they had sealed this technology away for now. Their reasoning was simple: Earth, in its current state, couldn’t afford to draw attention from the wider universe. Too many regions around the world were still underdeveloped, and if a cosmic threat really came, there’d be no defense.

Adrian had once agreed with that logic.

Yes, maybe LexCorp’s current tech was no longer behind by galactic standards. But Earth as a whole was still weak. Most of the world wouldn’t survive a single alien invasion.

Now, though, that rational judgment was thrown out the window.

He was dying, and no one could tell when his illness would worsen again. In the face of that, nothing mattered more than his own life.

Adrian had already decided that he would secretly sneak into LexCorp’s Kree warship and pilot it into space in search of a cure for himself.

But such a plan was impossible to hide from Reid, whose telepathic powers gave him a clear view of everything Adrian was thinking.

"Don’t act rashly, Adrian. Think about the mindset you have when you’re working on research. If you weren’t cautious and methodical, you never would’ve earned your place here. Isn’t that true?"

He didn’t say it outright, but Adrian understood. His thoughts had been completely exposed. Knowing this, it felt like the sky was falling.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and watch myself age and die? I’m a genius! How can I just die like this?!"

It wasn’t only those obsessed with power or wealth who feared death. People like Adrian, who possessed remarkable talent, feared it just as much, perhaps even more.

To him, it was unthinkable that a genius like himself would meet such an end.

Watching Adrian spiral into desperation, Reid nodded. The time had come.

He had brought Captain America out of the ice, but that didn’t mean he would let the man quietly live out his days. Someone like Steve Rogers had to be kept occupied. Otherwise, he would inevitably start interfering with Reid’s plans.

Unlike Tony, Reid was certain: when Captain America woke up and took a walk through the streets of New York, he would never agree with what LexCorp was doing.

And in this era, there were no true enemies left for him. If that was the case, then Reid would simply create one for him.

"Adrian, you’ve been putting your effort in the wrong direction."

Reid stepped forward and gently patted Adrian on the shoulder.

"I’ve been wrong?" Adrian looked at him in confusion. What exactly had he done wrong? Was it the dangerous plan he just had, or was it his decision to seek out Richard and pursue biology?

Judging by instinct, he doubted it was the former. Reid wouldn’t have said he was wrong because of a mere thought. In front of a man like him, people’s minds were practically open books. If he truly feared that idea, then Adrian would’ve already had his memory wiped.

"Am I wrong to dive into biological research? But... isn’t biology the field most directly connected to extending lifespan?"

Adrian couldn’t understand, but Reid quickly cleared it up for him.

"Yes, biology is the field closest to prolonging life. But it’s not the one you should be pursuing. Tell me, Adrian, is your talent in biology anywhere near what it is in electrical engineering?"

Adrian fell silent. He was a genius, a proud one, but even he had to admit that compared to monsters like Reid and Luthor, he wasn’t anything exceptional.

His brilliance had always been in the field of electrical engineering, where he had dedicated the first half of his life. Regarding biology, he had only managed progress thanks to Richard’s guidance. But ever since that man vanished, his research in that field stalled completely. If it hadn’t, he wouldn’t be in his current situation.

"I... I don’t have any real talent in biology. That’s the truth."

"Then why not use the knowledge you’re actually good at to solve your problem?" Reid asked calmly. "You know this: cosmic energy can give an ordinary person superpowers. Doesn’t that mean, in theory, the human body must already contain a certain kind of energy, too?"

His voice was like a devil’s whisper, and with his telepathic influence, the idea etched itself deeply into Adrian’s mind.

"If the human body truly possesses an internal energy that supports life functions, then couldn’t you, with your engineering knowledge, find a way to replicate that energy? Use it to offset the damage from your illness, at least until the biologists in the lab find a real cure."

With every word, Adrian’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. By the time Reid finished, he nodded heavily, eyes filled with determination.

"You’re right. Cosmic energy and its effects all support that theory. If I steer my research in that direction, I’m confident I can find something."

"Indeed. Finding the path that suits you, that’s the biggest thing Luthor and I ask of our people. Besides, apart from Martian Manhunter, who’s long-lived due to his species, isn’t there another great subject of study?"

Reid lightly tapped the ice block resting on his shoulder.

Simultaneously, the realization struck Adrian. ’Of course. Captain America. He was born before World War II. He was frozen before I was even born. If we’re looking for an example of extended lifespan on Earth, who better than him?’

Even if there were many unknown factors behind Captain America’s preserved youth after being frozen, it couldn’t be denied—if the human body truly contained some kind of life-sustaining energy, then Steve Rogers likely had it in the highest concentration.

As for Reid, the man who could go toe-to-toe with Magneto?

Adrian had no plans to use him for reference.

He was trying to survive, not get himself killed.

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