New Toys

A single injection brought the sleeping dwarf awake at once. He immediately began screaming his lungs out, as if he were suffering unbearable pain.

Penguin was startled by the sight and pointed at the dwarf. "What's going on?"

Jude waved a hand dismissively. "Quiet. It's just a normal physiological reaction. This is a modification that directly affects the genetic level. How could it work without some pain?"

"Ah..."

The dwarf screamed as his body began to mutate. His frame, originally less than a meter tall, seemed to tear itself apart as it grew—one centimeter, two centimeters, three centimeters. The screams lasted a full half hour before the dwarf finally became a burly man standing 1.8 meters tall.

"Well? Are you satisfied with my work?"

Penguin stared at the scene in wild excitement, stroking the burly man's body as he trembled with agitation.

"Wonderful! It's simply perfect. Mr. Jude Herbert, trusting you was the most correct decision I've ever made. You're a genius."

Meanwhile, the group of lab-coated researchers beside them stared blankly at everything.

"Impossible. This is absolutely impossible. How could you create a genetic-altering drug targeting an individual in just seven days?"

"Even a cutting-edge team of dozens would often need decades to achieve something like this. It makes no sense."

Jude gave them a Rick-like sneer. "Three days. And don't use your stupid brains to measure my intelligence. It's an insult."

"In this world, smart people climb to the top and stomp reality beneath their feet. Trash like you, meanwhile, spend your entire lives accomplishing nothing."

Jude's words were as venomous and hard to accept as ever, but the lab coats had lost their earlier arrogance. Faced with a super genius they could not even comprehend, they had no choice but to concede.

"So, Mr. Oswald, are you ready to accept the pain?"

A fervent light shone in Penguin's eyes as he gazed eagerly at the syringe. "Come on. Compared with physical pain, mental torment is far harder to bear."

Jude nodded toward the two bodyguards behind Penguin. "Keep an eye on your master. If he can't endure it, remember to restrain him."

"Could we use an anesthetic?" one of the lab coats suggested.

"A genetic-level modification. Do you really think anesthetics or sedatives would be useful?"

As Jude spoke, he drove the needle in. Soon, Penguin began roaring in agony just like the dwarf before him. The pain was worse than death.

"Oswald, think about how people used to discriminate against you. Like a piece of garbage crouching in a corner and crying, with everyone daring to spit on you and treat you like trash."

"Do you want to remain a cowardly, pitiful penguin, or endure the pain and welcome the dawn? The choice is yours."

Oswald wailed in agony. With this opportunity right in front of him, how could he continue being Penguin? He wanted everyone to respect him.

Oswald's transformation lasted even longer than the dwarf's, a full forty-five minutes. His body changed bit by bit, and when the mutation ended, a tall, muscular, virile man standing 1.9 meters tall rose to his feet.

Jude pointed at the mirror that had just been brought over. "Look at yourself. You've been reborn."

Still unfamiliar with his new body, Penguin staggered step by step to the mirror and stared at his reflection in disbelief.

Then he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "From today onward, Penguin is a thing of the past. In this world, there is only Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot."

After Penguin had celebrated for a while, Jude finally asked, "I've done what I promised. Now tell me, where is Ivy?"

Oswald calmed his excited emotions, took a deep breath, and said, "Arkham Asylum."

Jude frowned. "Doesn't Arkham Asylum only hold psychiatric patients and superpowered criminals? Why was Ivy sent there?"

"I'm not sure either, but I vaguely heard something. Deep inside Arkham, someone is conducting human experiments. Perhaps the answer is there."

"You're saying Ivy has been turned into a lab rat?"

Oswald smiled. "That's not impossible. I'm in a very good mood right now. Do you need help? It would cost a great deal, but you're worth the price."

Jude refused outright. "No need. I'll go to Arkham myself, and I don't like owing favors."

"Then that's unfortunate. Let me give you a warning: Arkham Asylum is definitely a place that makes one's skin crawl. Good luck."

After saying that, Penguin changed into new clothes and left. Jude packed up some rare materials and prepared to leave as well, only to be stopped by a group of people.

"Hello, Mr. Herbert. I'm Osborn, general manager of Cobblepot Technology Company. We greatly recognize your scientific research abilities and would like to invite you to become the company's chief scientist."

"I have things to do. Not interested."

"Wait, Mr. Herbert. Here, you will enjoy the highest privileges. We will fully respect every one of your requests, whether you need money or manpower."

"I said I'm not interested."

Seeing that they still intended to keep pestering him, Jude muttered, "What a nuisance." Then he lightly tapped his belt and vanished from the spot. Under the dumbfounded gazes of the crowd, he walked out of Cobblepot Technology Company.

The Invisibility Belt was one of the pieces of equipment Jude had made over the past few days. It mimicked the principles of a chameleon, allowing him to instantly blend completely into his surroundings and become invisible.

However, this was only a first-generation model. He had no time to continue improving it, so he would make do with it for now and upgrade it when he had the chance.

He first went to Ceres's restaurant for a hearty meal, then returned to his apartment and slept soundly. Once night fell, Jude gathered his equipment and left the apartment.

"Take me to Arkham Asylum."

At that, the taxi driver immediately shook his head. "It's too late, sir. I wouldn't dare go to a haunted place like that. I wouldn't be able to sleep after making that trip."

Jude said nothing and tossed him two hundred dollars.

"Sir, this isn't about the money. That place is truly terrifying."

Jude tossed over another hundred dollars.

"Sir, please don't make things difficult for me. I'm very timid."

Jude casually threw him another two hundred dollars.

The driver immediately pocketed the money. "Thank you! My children will remember your generosity!"

Jude laughed. "Indeed. What in this world is more terrifying than being poor?"

From a distance, Arkham Asylum's searchlights flickered through the darkness. Even without drawing close, Jude could feel a sinister chill.

Reaching the side of the asylum, Jude activated the newly made Gravity-Adhesion Shoes and walked across the wall as if it were level ground. The five- or six-meter-high perimeter wall could not stop him at all.

"The famed Arkham Asylum. Tonight, I'll have a good look around."

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