Online Game: I Started with Max Charisma and Caught the Goddess's Eye

After walking through several twists and turns down the corridor for a while.

John and Doe stopped in front of a cell at the very end.

To their surprise, there were two people standing outside the cell at that moment.

One of them was a middle-aged man dressed in a suit, with an ordinary appearance, but his gaze was sharp, like that of a hawk.

He was saying something to the person inside the cell.

The other person was Rephovers, the woman they had seen in the lobby earlier.

In contrast to her previously arrogant demeanor, she was now extremely respectful.

She had somehow changed into sexy black stockings and was lowering her head, taking notes.

Noticing someone approaching, the middle-aged man, who had been in conversation, looked over.

Upon seeing that it was John and Doe, he frowned and said, "Didn't I tell you that no one is allowed to approach without my permission?"

Seeing that the middle-aged man seemed a little upset, both John and Doe became tense. John quickly said, "Sorry, Minister, it was Professor Marx who sent us. There's been a problem with Experiment 092."

Luca's mind shifted. So, this man was the head of Zenith Technology Company at Dragon Gate Mountain…

"So it's on Professor Marx's orders," Minister Ric's expression softened slightly after hearing this. "Professor Leipoder is preparing to join our organization. Be sure to show respect to Professor Leipoder."

After finishing his sentence, he waved his hand and left with Rephovers.

As they passed by, Rephovers immediately showed an arrogant expression.

She looked at the two men with even more disdain.

This haughty attitude irritated John, but he dared not say anything and could only lower his head and quickly walk past.

Luca's attention, however, was focused on the man named Minister Ric.

He was a bit surprised. He didn't sense anything unusual about him.

Minister Ric seemed like an ordinary person.

Why would Zenith Technology Company send an ordinary person to Summer Country?

Or perhaps he was hiding his true identity so well that Luca couldn't figure him out?

As Luca was pondering, John and Doe had already arrived at the cell door.

Looking through the small window on the door, they could see a man inside the cell, wearing tattered clothes and looking filthy, almost like a beggar.

He was sitting on the white bed in the cell, his messy hair covering his eyes, making it hard to see his expression. He sat motionless, as if he were a puppet.

John tried calling out a few times, but the man didn't react much.

Doe decided to lay out the data and issues of Experiment 092, saying, "Experiment 092 failed. The subject couldn't withstand the genetic modification agent. After the injection, it quickly triggered an immune rejection response…"

The two of them waited for a moment, but the man still didn't speak. They exchanged a glance, both thinking, Didn't the Minister say this guy was ready to join them? How is he still acting like this now?

"Heh…" Just as they were perplexed, a light chuckle suddenly came from the cell. The laughter was filled with disdain and contempt, as if the questions the two had just asked were utterly ridiculous.

John and Doe's expressions immediately darkened.

This mere prisoner dared to mock them? This guy really didn't take them seriously at all.

John coldly asked, "What are you laughing at?"

The middle-aged man in the cell slowly raised his head, revealing a scruffy, haggard face.

But his eyes were unusually bright.

He calmly replied, "I laugh because you're both so stupid. I laugh because Marx is still the same incompetent fool, unable to detect such a simple problem with the experiment."

His tone was incredibly arrogant, and both John and Doe were left wondering if this guy had lost his mind. After all, Marx was one of the world's top biologists, yet in this man's words, he was reduced to a fool.

Luca, however, found it quite amusing. No wonder Leipoder was able to create artificial monsters—something that could truly surpass the conventional. Just his mindset alone was not something an ordinary person could have.

John, however, picked up on the underlying meaning in Leipoder's words. He said, "So, from what you're saying, you have a way to solve the experimental problems we're facing?"

"That's nothing difficult," Leipoder chuckled lightly. "The first step in creating artificial monsters is to solve the genetic rejection between the human body and the monster. I broke this technology long before the monsters even arrived. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to successfully create those few artificial monsters."

Upon hearing this, both John and Doe's eyes lit up. They immediately wanted to ask how they could solve the issue.

But at this moment, Leipoder's tone shifted. He gave them a smirk, looking at them as if mocking them, and said, "You don't seriously think I'll teach you the technology I've spent so long developing just because of a few words, do you?"

John and Doe's excited expressions immediately froze on their faces.

They never expected that Leipoder would ask something in return.

Luca, hidden in the shadows, found this man somewhat interesting, but that was all. A person who used their own daughter for experiments didn't seem like someone to be trusted, no matter how you looked at it.

At the same time, Luca began to entertain a few thoughts of his own. If they could get this guy out of the underground prison, not only would Tracer's problem be solved, but Zenith's people would surely be furious. It would be a win-win situation.

But how could he get this guy out without anyone noticing?

Although the "Serpent of Shadow" could conceal his presence, it could only be used on himself. Given his current situation, he couldn't produce another Superclassmagic rune in such a short amount of time.

While Luca was deep in thought, and John and Doe were at a loss, a calm voice suddenly echoed through the dungeon corridor. "Leipoder, now that you've joined the organization, if you're willing to contribute your research, the organization will certainly reward you. I'm sure you understand this."

Luca and John both looked over, and they saw, at some point, Marx—dressed in a white lab coat with a full head of white hair—walking toward them.

He didn't look at John or Doe, instead heading straight for the cell, where he used a silver-white card to unlock the door. He walked right in and stood before Leipoder.

"If you're willing to hand over your research, I can release you right now," Marx said, looking down at Leipoder.

His expression was calm, but the condescending attitude was unmistakable.

"Heh, what if I say no?" Leipoder lifted his head, looking at the scientist whose appearance did not match his age, and sarcastically retorted, "Are you going to kill me then?"

The two locked eyes, and the atmosphere in the cell instantly grew tense. Both Marx and Leipoder were among the top scholars of the modern world, but very few knew that they had come from the same academy and had the same teacher.

They had known each other for a long time, but Leipoder had risen to fame far earlier than his senior, Marx. When Leipoder was already well-known in academic circles, Marx had only just emerged from his teacher's lab.

It seemed there was also a deep animosity between them that had never been resolved.

The reason Leipoder ended up in Zenith's hands was largely due to the information Marx had leaked to Zenith, revealing just how deep their grudge ran.

John and Doe, standing outside, felt tense as they watched this unfold, fearing that the two top scholars might start fighting right there in the small cell. Fortunately, neither of them seemed so irrational.

Leipoder suddenly looked away. He lay back on the bed, lazily saying, "I told Ric earlier, I can give you the research, but you'll need to meet my demands first. Otherwise, it's off the table."

Marx paid no attention to his attitude. He glanced at his once brilliant junior, who had now become a mere prisoner, then turned and started walking toward the door of the cell, speaking as he did. "Didn't the Minister tell you? We've already found your daughter, Tracer."

"She's in the Imperial Capital right now."

"You don't need to say anything. I can have someone bring her here for a nice little study session."

Upon hearing these words, Leipoder's pupils shrank. The next moment, everyone saw him suddenly spring from the bed, leaping toward Marx, who was walking toward the door, like a predator hunting its prey. His speed was astonishing, far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person.

"Professor, watch out!" John and Doe both shouted in unison. But before their voices even faded, they saw Marx, just about to step outside the cell, narrow his eyes. A flash of pitch-black light flickered across his body.

Bang!

Without any visible movement from him, Leipoder, who had been charging toward him, was sent flying backward. Midair, he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood, crashing violently into the wall of the cell. The reinforced walls of the cell crumpled under the impact, leaving a large, deep dent, and his blood, as soon as it hit the floor, turned black and emitted a foul odor.

Hidden in the shadows, Luca was shaken. It wasn't just because he realized both of them were artificial monsters, but because he discovered that both of their powers were at the Superclass level—Marx's even reaching Sky-level!

Both Leipoder and Marx were not players, but ordinary humans. Yet somehow, through the technology of artificial monsters, they had both elevated their abilities to terrifying levels!

If such technology were widely spread, enabling the mass production of high-level or even Superclass artificial monsters…

Just thinking about such a scenario made Luca's scalp tingle with unease.

"You don't really think I won't kill you, do you?" Marx said, not turning around, his voice calm. "Or do you think that without you, I won't be able to perfect the artificial monster technology?"

Leipoder's forehead twitched, his veins bulging with anger.

He clutched his abdomen, blood still staining the corner of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Marx, who was walking away. His voice was hoarse, but filled with fury as he shouted, "Marx!"

"If you dare lay a finger on Tracer, no matter the cost, I will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!"

Click!

The door of the cell slammed shut, leaving only Marx's voice to echo through the room.

"You can try and see if I dare," he said calmly.