Chapter 13: The Lich King's Minions Multiply

Drawing cards is an exhilarating delight.

Especially when you draw a golden legend.

But if you have a way to print your own cards, and there’s a chance one of them could be a golden legend, that’s sheer happiness.

Whether Nick Fury, because of Roald’s maneuvers, turned all suspicion toward Peter Parker, or whether his series of actions had caught the attention of Hydra members within S.H.I.E.L.D.—none of it had anything to do with Roald’s current joy.

After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. would come knocking sooner or later; whether he made the first move or not made no difference.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to worry about. He’d already flexed his muscles and thrown out some misleading information; that would keep S.H.I.E.L.D. busy for some time.

At worst, there was always the Scourge.

Roald casually put away several freshly printed spell cards. The Lich King’s abilities had already allowed him to accumulate many minions over the past days. But the time wasn’t ripe for their appearance; he was still thinking about gathering some of the Hulk’s or other superheroes’ blood to further enhance his printed cards.

As Erica handed him a cup of coffee, Roald, lounging on the sofa, took it and asked, “Did the payment come through?”

Erica set the coffee pot on the table. “One million dollars—no more, no less, sitting in the account of the person under my control.”

“Have you heard of Oscorp?” Roald asked offhandedly.

Spider-Man’s powers originated from a genetically modified spider developed by Oscorp, and it was after being bitten by this spider that Parker gained his abilities.

Compared to Stark, who focused on energy, Norman Osborn’s family empire was vast and powerful, specializing in biotechnology and making significant strides in the military industry as well.

In Spider-Man’s story, Oscorp’s development of human enhancement serums, the Goblin Glider, and pumpkin bombs indirectly led to the birth of the Green Goblin.

There was also Dr. Connors’ regenerative serum and Dr. Octopus’ mechanical arms—all products of the company’s experiments.

Even the neurotoxin that granted Spider-Man his powers was intricately linked to the Osborn Group. Compared to Stark, Oscorp was practically a Marvel talent incubator.

Mentioning Oscorp, one had to bring up another company:

AIM, Advanced Idea Mechanics.

Its founder, Killian, was originally a fan of Tony Stark; after being humiliated by his idol, he turned vengeful. Through genetic engineering, he developed the Extremis virus, which could instantly regenerate damaged tissue and grant control over high-temperature flames.

Though the virus had a glaring flaw—extreme instability, making its hosts prone to spontaneous explosions and causing several notorious incidents—Roald coveted the Extremis virus, hoping to forge a batch of cards imbued with fire or magma traits.

Something like hellfire. Or more hellfire. Or, well, you get the idea.

Erica poured herself a cup as well. “I took note while gathering intel. It’s a company focused on biotechnology.”

“Oscorp has a Dr. Connors—a biologist researching arthropods. And there’s the current CEO. I believe I have something they might be interested in,” Roald said while handing Erica a card with a spider emblem on the back.

[Undead Corrosive Potion]
[Effect: Recall a fallen minion.]
[Description: Hey, buddy, you’ve been buffed. Now go get yourself killed! Before you can drink this potion, you have to die once.]

“Since S.H.I.E.L.D. provided the seed money, we might as well try founding a company for fun. I’ve already got a name in mind: Shinra.”

Roald had originally wanted to use Umbrella as the company name, but he wasn’t sure whether a real Umbrella Corporation existed in this merged universe, so he borrowed “Shinra” instead.

More importantly, he intended to divert the attention and clues about Peter Parker and the spider away from S.H.I.E.L.D.

“At your command.”

Erica nodded respectfully to Roald. For her, the plan itself was unimportant; what mattered was carrying out the Lich King’s orders.

Likewise, Roald wasn’t worried about S.H.I.E.L.D. tracing the flow of funds—it had nothing to do with him. The company would be registered by a persona controlled by Erica.

As usual, Norman Osborn slumped in defeat after another failed day of human enhancement research.

He had failed countless times, but knowing that his life was nearing its end due to a hereditary disease left him restless.

He was constantly testing the boundary between life and death, feeling as if Death himself was watching him from the ceiling.

A gaze that clung to him like a shadow, making him feel a constant prickling on his back.

Wait…

There really was someone on the ceiling.

No, a spider?

He thought of Spider-Man—but the figure on the ceiling was different.

Norman suddenly remembered that his office was on the top floor.

How did anyone get onto the ceiling?

Seated behind his desk, Norman instinctively reached for his gun and triggered the security alarm.

When Norman looked up, Erica dropped from the ceiling in a way that defied science.

“Are you Norman Osborn?” Erica asked politely after glancing at him.

“Yes, I am,” Norman replied reflexively, sitting silently behind his massive desk, his hand already unlocking the safety on his gun. It wouldn’t be long before the security team burst in.

“Erica. You can call me Erica,” she introduced herself, politely extending her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Osborn. My employer would like to discuss something with you—about how to deal with Stark, and how to make Oscorp grow even stronger. As for what you have in your hand, believe me, it means nothing to me.”

At that moment, Erica handed her ringing phone to Norman.

Norman only glared coldly at her, unmoved. “If I refuse—”

A teeth-grinding sound interrupted him as he watched the metal between them being torn apart, the entire desk dissolving into molten iron. Erica appeared not to notice, and glanced his way. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“I think Stark’s actions are always so ostentatious, so I get agitated whenever I hear his name. To be honest, any topic involving him makes me irritable, to the point I can’t control my temper…”

Faced with overwhelming power, he chose the most prudent answer.

“Ahem…”

“Mr. Osborn, I understand your predicament completely. But don’t worry—I love solving people’s problems, especially if that person is Stark.”

As the video connected, Roald appeared on the other end, finally meeting the legendary villain face-to-face.

Seeing how young Roald was surprised Norman, but Erica’s earlier display of power and her melting his desk had already piqued his curiosity. Straightening his collar, he asked, “So, sir, what is so important that you would approach me this way?”

Norman was astonished at Roald’s youth, but his mind was already turning over his possible motives.

But Roald’s next words caught his full attention.

“As far as I know, the Osborn family suffers from a hereditary genetic disease. I believe you’ve been researching various serums and testing them on yourself, all in an effort to find a cure. You seem to be working on human enhancement, yes? As it happens, Shinra possesses advanced technology in that field. Your company is a powerhouse in New York. I believe there’s a foundation for us to work together.”

Norman had never heard of this “Shinra,” and didn’t believe their claims about human enhancement.

But after witnessing Erica’s unnatural abilities—and the way she just melted his metal desk—he realized their origins were far from ordinary.

More importantly, implied in their words was a potential cure for his genetic condition.

This was what Norman wanted.

If he could live, he was not willing to surrender to fate.