At his desk, Norman Osborn leaned back in his chair, watching Soren with an appraising gaze.
"Doctor Soren, what brings you to my humble office today?" Osborn asked smooth smile playing at his lips.
Soren returned the smile, as practiced. "Osborn, I am a major shareholder, after all. I thought I'd drop by to check if any of your employees are getting too comfortable."
Osborn chuckled. "If they were, I'd have replaced them already." He gestured toward a sleek coffee machine. "I'd offer you tea, but I only have freshly ground coffee. Hope that's acceptable."
Soren took the cup without hesitation, though he privately cursed the old fox. Osborn was sharp, he already knew Soren hadn't come just to chat.
Setting his coffee down, Soren slid a stack of papers across the desk.
"Actually, I do have a reason for coming."
Osborn raised a brow, picking up the documents. "Oh?"
"My clinic is running low on certain medicinal ingredients." Soren explained. "I was hoping you could help procure some of them."
At the word medicinal, Osborn's eyes gleamed with interest. Soren's medical breakthroughs were nearly supernatural. Anything connected to them meant potential power and profit.
He flipped through the pages, his expression shifting.
"Hmm…" Osborn frowned slightly. "We have some of these, but in limited supply. And some…" He shook his head. "I've never even heard of them. If it weren't for the blood-promoting fruit and dragon scale wood on this list, I'd assume these were fantasy herbs drawn by an overactive imagination."
Soren let out a quiet sigh, already expecting this response.
"I figured as much." He leaned back. "If you don't have them, that's fine. But for whatever you do have, I'll take as much as possible. If I can get my hands on even a few, I'll plant them myself."
Osborn studied him for a long moment. "Are these for some new kind of potion?"
Soren nodded, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "Let's just say that if you help me, you won't regret it. Once my research is complete, I'll give you a sample quick-healing potion that can restore most injuries. Its effects will last twenty minutes… with zero side effects."
Osborn's fingers tightened around the papers.
A healing potion with no side effects? For twenty whole minutes?
His mind raced. The military applications alone were staggering. Soldiers who could instantly recover and keep fighting… this could shift the balance of war.
His eyes awoke with a new kind of hunger.
"Consider it done." Osborn said, his voice almost reverent. "I'll have the materials sent to you today. As for the rarer ones, I'll send people across the globe to find them."
Soren's grin widened. That was exactly the answer he wanted.
As they finished their business, Soren casually leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk.
"By the way, Osborn… What's your opinion on Stark Industries?"
Osborn's brows furrowed, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation.
"Stark Industries? Impressive company. They supply nearly half the U.S. military's weapons." He paused. "Though, I hear Stark plans to shut down the weapons division. Quite the unexpected move."
Soren nodded, sipping his coffee. "Yes. I know Tony personally." He glanced at Osborn, gauging his reaction. "I own six percent of Stark Industries."
Osborn's expression flickered with momentary lapses before he masked his surprise.
Six percent?
The Doctor's reach was deeper than expected.
Osborn's mind whirled. Why was Soren telling him this?
Leaning back, Osborn folded his hands. "Doctor, what exactly are you suggesting?"
"Help Stark Industries." Soren smiled.
"Help them? Stark's transition away from weapons manufacturing will bleed money. If I invest and it fails, I'll lose everything." Osborn's eyes narrowed.
"That's true." Soren admitted. "But if you trust me, I can promise you this, Stark Industries' future will be stronger than it has ever been. If you're worried, I'll put up my shares as collateral."
Osborn fell silent, deep in thought.
Backing Stark Industries' transformation was a massive risk. If it failed, billions would be lost. But… Soren was always right when it came to things.
The room was silent for a long time.
Then, Osborn let out a quiet chuckle.
"Since you, the major shareholder, are asking personally, I'll help. But Osborn Industries has limited resources. I can only do what's within my power."
Soren nodded in approval. Osborn had left himself an escape route, but that was fine. He had done what he needed to do.
Now, it was up to Osborn and Tony.
Later that evening, a fleet of trucks arrived at Everlife Medical Center. Crates filled with rare, living medicinal plants were unloaded one by one, carefully stored in a specially designated greenhouse.
Soren walked through the rows of plants, running his fingers over the delicate leaves and stems.
Some of these would take years to mature in nature.
But in here?
He would accelerate their growth, with the right methods, what should take decades…
Would be ready in a month or two.
Watching the plants under the warm glow of artificial lights, Soren smirked.
The world wasn't ready for what was coming.
The Amazon Basin… dense, wild, and unforgiving.
Deep within its depths, a hired expedition team moved cautiously through the thick, humid air, their boots sinking into the damp earth with each step. Towering trees blocked out much of the light, allowing only slivers of golden sun to filter through.
At the front, Shan wiped sweat from her brow, her heart pounding in her chest. This mission, orchestrated by Osborn Industries, was supposed to be a standard retrieval job. Find the legendary Blood Orchid, extract samples, and return. Simple.
But reality had other plans.
Their explosives had done their job, collapsing a massive snake nest and sealing away the writhing horrors within. For a moment, Shan and the four remaining team members had allowed themselves a breath of relief.
Then, the ground trembled.
A deep, bone-chilling growl resonated through the jungle, vibrating the very air around them.
Something was coming.
A colossal shadow erupted from beneath the wreckage of the nest of King Anaconda, more than thirty meters long, its scarlet eyes glowing with fury.
The sheer force of its emergence sent trees toppling and a gust of wind tearing through the expedition team like a hurricane. The creature was a monstrous force of nature, woken from its evolutionary dormancy, and now, it had only one thing in mind, vengeance.
The first man in front, a tall, muscular mercenary, didn't even have time to scream.
WHAM!
The serpent's tail lashed out, striking with such force that the mercenary exploded into bloody fragments, his body torn apart like wet paper.
The remaining survivors froze in terror.
"RUN!" someone screamed.
Panic set in instantly, their survival instincts kicking in. They bolted through the jungle, crashing through foliage, dodging roots, and scrambling over fallen logs.
But Shan wasn't fast enough, she could hear the beast crashing through the trees behind her, feel the air shift as it moved with terrifying speed.
Her mind raced. We're all going to die.
Then, she remembered.
The business card.
Soren had given it to her back in Osborn's office. A sleek black-and-gold card, mysterious and unassuming. His words echoed in her mind...
"If you ever find yourself in danger… crush that business card. You might be surprised by what happens next."
Without hesitation, she grabbed the card from her pocket and crushed it.
A flash of blue light enveloped her.
The last thing she saw before everything went black was the giant serpent lunging toward her, its razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light of the jungle.
Everlife Medical Center
Soren stood in the middle of a vast greenhouse, carefully planting one of the rare medicinal herbs Osborn had sent him. The process was delicate, requiring precise control of life energy to accelerate its growth.
Then, without warning..
A spatial distortion tore through the air.
The sudden fluctuation made him pause. He turned his head just in time to see a swirling vortex of blue light appear in the middle of the room.
And a figure collapsed onto the ground.
Soren frowned and approached. Shan.
She was unconscious, her breath coming in short gasps, her body trembling with residual fear.
"She's not physically injured…" Soren murmured, pressing his hand against her forehead. A soft glow of life energy spread from his fingertips, calming her body and steadying her pulse.
[Congratulations to the host, treating E-class character Shan]
[Shan]
[This World Class E]
[Ability: Adventure Lv 5, Wilderness Survival Lv 5, Fighting Lv 1]
[Ability is drawn immediately, congratulations to the host for obtaining Wilderness Survival Lv 5]
A moment later, Shan's eyelids fluttered open.
Her eyes darted around wildly, taking in the strange new environment. No jungle. No big snake.
"…Where am I?" She asked, voice hoarse.
Soren smiled slightly, offering her a glass of water. "My clinic. You crushed the card I gave you, remember?"
Shan's fingers tightened around the glass. Slowly, her mind pieced everything together. The card had actually worked.
But then, the memories came flooding back.
Her team. The monster. The blood.
She sat up so fast she nearly knocked over the glass. "Doctor! You have to help me! My teammates, they're still out there! That thing is going to kill them all!"
Soren's expression remained calm. "Tell me everything. Slowly."
Taking a deep breath, Shan forced herself to recount the horrifying events in the jungle. By the time she finished, she was visibly shaking.
Soren's gaze darkened. "A King Anaconda… over thirty meters long?"
Shan nodded furiously. "Yes! I swear it's real! It was like something out of a nightmare! Please, can you call the authorities? Maybe a rescue team~"
She paused, seeing the look on Soren's face.
His expression wasn't that of someone concerned.
It was one of interest.
Soren let out a quiet sigh. "If it's as large as you say, your team's survival chances are… minimal."
Shan's heart clenched. "Then..."
"No need to call the police." Soren stood up, stretching his fingers. "I'll check it out myself."
Shan froze.
"…You'll what?"
Soren simply smiled. "If your description is accurate, then both the anaconda… and the Blood Orchid… are valuable to me."
Shan gawked at him. "Are you serious?! You're going to fight that thing? It killed my teammate in one hit!"
"Then I'll make sure it doesn't hit me."
"But!"
Before she could protest further, Soren raised his hand.
In an instant, his entire body transformed into a swirling cloud of blue energy, his form vanishing into nothingness.
And he was gone.
At the same moment, deep in the Amazon Basin, a spatial fluctuation rippled through the air—
And Soren materialized in the jungle, his body was already humming with active abilities.
The thick jungle air wrapped around him, heavy with the stench of blood and decay. The once-vibrant forest was now a battlefield, uprooted trees, broken weapons, and pools of fresh blood painted a grim picture.
His eyes scanned the destruction.
Too late.
Soren sighed. Even without seeing the bodies, it was obvious the expedition team had been wiped out. If the King Anaconda hadn't finished them, then the collapse of the nest likely had.
His gaze caught a brilliant red glimmer.
Amid the ruined earth, partially buried beneath the rubble, lay the legendary Blood Orchid.
With a simple flick of Psychokinesis, the surrounding dirt and debris shifted aside, revealing more of the rare flowers. Some were damaged, petals torn or stems broken, but their potency remained intact.
"Not a total waste, after all."
Just as he reached for another cluster of orchids...
"HISSSSS!"
A bone-chilling screech cut through the jungle.
Soren's instincts screamed at him.
A rush of wind, thick with the stench of rotting flesh, surged toward his back.
Move!
Soren teleported in an instant, vanishing in a swirl of blue energy.
WHAM!
A colossal tail slammed down where he had just stood, splintering the earth and sending debris flying. The sheer force of the impact sent shockwaves through the ground, toppling nearby trees.
Soren reappeared a few meters away, turning swiftly~
And locked eyes with the beast.
Towering above the carnage, its obsidian-black scales gleamed under the faint light, each one thick and unbreakable like iron plating.
Its scarlet eyes burned with unrestrained fury.
The King Anaconda.
[World Class C]
Thirty meters of pure muscle.
It coiled its enormous body around the remains of fallen trees, its massive head swaying slightly, tongue flickering as it analyzed its prey. The destruction around them was a testament to its raw power and rage.
"Are you still hungry?" Soren smiled.
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Fellow Phantoms and aspiring Phantoms to be, if you seek to access advanced parts of this story procced to my shadowy realm of p@treon.
PhantomDream