Chapter 706: The Infinite Event (Part 22) (Patreon)

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Outside the laboratory window, the moon shone brightly while stars were few, but inside, the laboratory was in chaos. Otto stood amidst the debris, his tentacles supporting him off the ground, moving forward with a step-like motion until he came face to face with Otto Parker.

"You're Spider-Man too?" Otto looked at the four tentacles protruding from behind Otto Parker. Compared to Doctor Octopus's tentacles, those behind Otto Parker resembled the legs of arthropods—sharp at the ends, resembling weapons more than tools.

"I am not Spider-Man." Otto Parker acknowledged his identity for the first time. "I am the version of you from a parallel universe."

Otto chuckled, not responding verbally. He controlled his tentacles to clean up the mess, anchoring them to the ceiling.

But Otto Parker, seemingly irritated, said with some anger, "You don't believe me? I've outdone you. I've replaced Spider-Man and became the sole hero of that world."

"Really? That's impressive. Why don't you go back to your world? What are you doing here? Think I'm not busy enough?" As Otto bent to pick up broken lab equipment, a hint of regret crossed his face.

Every item in this laboratory was made of the finest materials. However, the mechanical tentacles behind Otto were made of even superior materials—a luxurious combination of molten steel and vibranium, making them incomparably strong. Even a light swing could shatter a lab table.

"Where did you take them?" Otto Parker asked.

"Who are you referring to?"

"The other Spider-Men."

Otto shook his head. "They left with the agents. S.H.I.E.L.D. is investigating the inter-dimensional incidents. If you chase them now, you might still catch up."

As he spoke, Otto put on his glasses and started reading the documents beside him. Though weary, after venting out his frustrations, he seemed much calmer.

"Are you just going to stay here?" Otto Parker took a step forward, looking intently at Otto. "Living a life of repeated defeats at the hands of Spider-Man? Don't you want to beat him?"

"Why would I want to defeat him?" Otto retorted without looking back.

"He's taken everything from you! If not now, he will someday! That's who he is! His indecisiveness and cowardice will be the world's downfall!" There was palpable rage in Otto Parker's voice, his tentacles vibrating with tension.

Otto placed down his documents, turning slowly to face Parker. The moonlight reflected off his glasses, obscuring his gaze from Otto Parker, but Parker could tell Otto was not angered by his words.

"Are you jealous of him?" Otto asked.

"I told you, I have defeated him. I've done better!" Otto Parker emphasized. "I've eradicated all criminals. New York is safe forever."

Otto, removing his glasses, revealed a familiar gaze. Otto Parker had seen this look before, perhaps even directed it at Spider-Man himself.

"You're not me," Otto declared under the moonlight, facing Otto Parker. "Otto Octavius wouldn't swing aimlessly over New York like Spider-Man. He knows it's pointless."

Before Parker could reply, Otto approached, looking into his eyes, "New York is safe, but what about the East Coast? The entire east? The west? The Americas? The world?"

"You're still not me; you are still Spider-Man," Otto reiterated, "Only naive young men believe that by defeating every criminal with their fists, the world can achieve peace."

"And Otto, that's me, knows that it's impossible to completely rid the world of criminals because that's human nature," Otto put on his glasses again. This time, with the light behind him, Parker saw a more mature depth in his eyes.

"The world has so much evil, wars, bloodshed, and death, primarily because resources are limited. Humanity constantly competes for scarce resources," Otto explained. "If we had infinite resources to allow everyone to live their best lives, even if we couldn't eradicate all crime, the world would be much better."

Moving closer, Otto, elevated by his tentacles, looked down at Parker and said, "From the beginning, I've been an energy scientist. The only way I can save the world is by providing humanity with inexhaustible clean energy, ensuring no more fights over resources. That's my purpose."

"And if you think defeating every criminal is the way to save the world, then you're not me. I've never considered that approach."

Otto turned back to cleaning the lab, while Otto Parker stood in silence.

Ever since exchanging bodies with Peter Parker, Otto Parker had been constantly on the move: establishing his own lab, creating advanced equipment, combating criminals, inventing monitoring devices to oversee the city, always wary of Spider-Man's counterattacks.

He'd also deciphered various conspiracies, traveled through time to battle the Inheritor Family, leading the Spider-Army in a frontal assault and getting severely injured in the process. Otto Parker introspected; even the Peter Parker from his world couldn't have done better.

Had he outdone Peter Parker?

Perhaps. He provided many with mech armor, eradicated criminals, and combated threats like the Inheritor Family. The immature young man could never be this strong.

But, was he still Otto Octavius?

The days of being a researcher felt distant. Days filled with commuting, dealing with tedious data, getting frustrated with lab assistant errors seemed to vanish like the moonlight at sunrise.

Along with them vanished Otto's ambitions and aspirations.

When a younger Otto first ignited the reactor, he felt unparalleled excitement, with visions of abundant clean energy finally becoming a reality. How brilliant it was to be a scientist, he had thought.

He became Otto Parker to better achieve these visions. But now, were they still his visions?

Or had he taken Peter Parker's place so perfectly that he forgot who he was?

The two Otto Octavius, one from each universe, had distinct paths, completely different in their methods and visions.

And now, Otto Parker had to decide which path he would take.

The laboratory was silent again, with only the whispers of the night wind outside. And as the moonlight shone in, two very different versions of Otto Octavius pondered the paths they had taken and the paths they would take next.

He took two steps forward and picked up a piece of paper from the ground. It contained data that even he couldn't fully comprehend, seemingly the survey results related to the Sun.

"If you're looking for this, the Materials Room is next door," Otto's voice echoed nearby. Otto Parker felt a tremor in his arm. He moved along the wall of the room, heading towards the door.

Upon opening it, there were neatly arranged cabinets full of documents. Otto Parker walked briskly towards them, as if desperate to find an answer.

He began examining the materials, pulling out every document—data, blueprints, conclusions, including those about energy devices ready for production and those already in operation. Everything he could understand and everything he couldn't was laid bare before him.

Numbers and diagrams surrounded him, and memories from his time as a scientist resurfaced.

By the time Otto Parker had fully grasped the materials, he realized that in this universe, the genius scientist Otto had saved the world in his own unique way.

The energy extraction device he designed, in practical application for no more than three months, had already accounted for 30% of the world's total coal power generation. In the next three years, it was expected to replace over half of the energy produced by coal on Earth, providing clean, pollution-free, and sustainable energy.

Otto Parker set the materials aside and exited the room. He then pushed open the door to the neighboring laboratory, where other Spider-Men were conducting experiments. There, Otto saw even more projects.

There was a serum for perfect limb regeneration without side effects, machinery for a Mercury Base project, and cryo-chambers to freeze people with incurable diseases for future treatment...

Every document here represented a step closer to mankind's ultimate happiness.

A few minutes later, Otto looked up to see a shadowy figure with tentacle-like appendages reappear outside the door. Otto Parker asked in a raspy voice, "Lizard Man... I mean, Dr. Connors. Where is he?"

"His lab is in Stark Tower," replied the silhouette. "If I'm not mistaken, he's probably still conducting experiments. You can call Tony Stark. He usually has a soft spot for people named Peter Parker."

As Otto's words faded into the moonlight, the figure with tentacles had already vanished.

Inside the laboratory of Stark Tower, Connors rubbed his wrist, setting down the pen after recording the last set of data. As he was about to leave, he turned to see a silhouette with four mechanical arms standing in the moonlight.

"Otto? Oh, you're not Otto, Peter? You got the mechanical arm surgery too?" Connors exclaimed, looking surprised at Otto Parker.

"I..." Otto Parker stuttered, looking at Connors. This once ruthless and cold-blooded Lizard seemed calmer than he had imagined. For some reason, everyone in this universe appeared more focused, content, and balanced, emanating an inner sense of relaxation.

Connors glanced at Otto Parker, sensing he wasn't the Peter he knew. But finally, his gaze fell to Otto Parker's waist, asking, "Are you hurt? And it looks severe..."

Turning around, Connors fetched two syringes from a nearby cabinet. Approaching Otto, he handed him the syringes, saying, "These are tested and mature versions. Just one shot, and wounds will heal perfectly, even regenerating lost limbs."

Otto Parker accepted the syringes silently, hesitated, then asked, "Can I take them with me?"

"Where are you going?"

Otto Parker looked out the window, under the bright moonlight, and uttered softly and nostalgically, "Home."

"You're saying you want to go home?" Peter scrutinized Otto Parker. "You want to leave now?"

"Exactly. However you brought me here, do the same to send me back," Otto Parker told Peter.

"The problem is, I don't even know how I brought you here," Peter, holding a thick stack of materials, replied with a grimace.

"The secret of magic is to make wishes come true," Otto Parker repeated the words Peter had muttered when they arrived. "If you know magic, use it to send me back."

"I'll try, but I can't guarantee it will work," Peter said hesitantly. Placing his hand on Otto Parker's shoulder, he focused intently, murmuring, "Make wishes come true, make wishes come true..."

Following a flash of light, Otto Parker found himself in a quiet space. Holding his teleportation device, he used his Spider-Sense to communicate with the Spider Totem, locating his universe.

Moments later, he was in a familiar room, looking out at surveillance drones flying by. Police officers and security personnel patrolling the streets were all wearing Mech armor he had designed.

Otto Parker gazed at the vial of Lizard serum in his hand, taking a deep breath as if making a hard decision.

In a corner that he'd almost forgotten, Otto Octavius' frail body lay preserved. Otto Parker approached it, placing the syringe in its hand, then activated the body exchange device.

As the process continued, he heard the faint voice of Peter Parker's soul fragment within him, "No! You can't do this! Your body is dying, you'll die..."

"Foolish boy."

As his words faded, Doctor Octopus' eyes flickered open once more.

Feeling the intense pain of the weakened body, worn-out, aged, and in agony, Otto realized it wasn't nearly as useful as the young, healthy body he'd occupied.

Yet, he smiled, clutching the Lizard serum and injecting it fiercely into his shoulder.

Soon after, in the New York City skyline, four massive mechanical tentacles burst from the ground.

A middle-aged man in a trench coat and sunglasses stood in the sunlight once more, taking a deep breath and turning to gaze at the hustle and bustle of downtown New York and the Sun hanging high in the sky.

The restored Spider-Man leaped down from a hole in the ceiling, extending a tentacle towards Otto, "Doctor Octopus, calm down! I believe you're not a bad guy; we can talk!"

Otto looked at him, taking another deep breath. A roar of frustration, aimed both at Spider-Man and himself, shattered the skies above the city, echoing throughout New York:

"Spider-Man! You'd rather spend three hours swinging around New York every day than spend a moment worrying about humanity's future!"

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Next Chapter>>Chapter 707: The Infinite Event (Part 23)