Character missions had never really been a major concern for Reid. The system always issued them to align with his own actions, and even without those missions, everything he'd planned so far would have unfolded the same way.
LexCorp would still rise. The dangerous mutants would still be eliminated. Carol would still have hidden traps waiting around her. The Skrulls would still be caught in his schemes.
However, the card rewards that came with those character missions were something Reid couldn't ignore.
If he couldn't continue getting new cards, controlling Earth with his current deck wouldn't be a problem, for now. But once the truly powerful villains of the future began to emerge, the strength of just a few founding members of the Justice League wouldn't be enough.
[There's no need to worry about that, Host. Now that character missions are gone, the system has unlocked a new feature: System Points.]
"Oh?"
Reid opened the system panel he hadn't seen in a long while. Like in many other novels, it now showed "System Points" and a full "Exchange Store."
Inside this store, every DC character and location had a clearly marked price. As long as he had enough points, he could choose and redeem whatever he wanted.
"So, how do I earn these system points?"
Being able to choose directly, just as the system said, gave Reid even more freedom and control.
[Host, the method for earning system points is similar to how you completed character missions before. As long as you continue to affect this world and cause ripple effects along its timeline, those disruptions will be converted into system points. You can then use them to unlock new character cards.]
"I see."
After answering the question, the system went silent again. But Reid didn't look the least bit pleased.
Sure, it was more convenient now. But from another angle, he could see the system's real objective. It wanted him to turn this Marvel world upside down, to completely twist the entire universe until it was unrecognizable.
But why?
Maybe the system really could draw some kind of power from the chaos. However, there had to be more to it. Some deeper meaning.
Reid ran through several possibilities in his mind, but none of them could be proven. Ironically, the thing he knew the least about in this world was the system living in his own head.
'So the goal is to disrupt this entire world?'
That thought brought his attention back to the Joker card. That strange, unexpected card, and the vague mission tied to it, had once again caught his interest.
'Still, my main focus now has to be dealing with the Fantastic Four.'
* * *
Time moved on. A few days later, Luthor sat in his office, sorting through documents and assigning tasks across the different departments for the coming weeks.
At LexCorp, there was no need for meetings to gather everyone's opinions. After all, even if every other executive voted on something together, their decision would never be more accurate than Luthor's alone.
Right now, he was focused on matters related to the company's entrance into the financial industry. But just as he was finalizing a few key assignments, the office door opened.
Susan stepped in.
On the ring finger of her left hand, a diamond sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
From the very beginning, Luthor had approached her with the intention of marrying her and having a family. And setting that aside, based on capability alone, Susan couldn't find anyone who could replace him. The fact they had reached this point was both by design and by nature.
Ignoring Reid's planning, solely from Luthor's own perspective, if she was to be the woman by his side, Susan was more than qualified.
But right now, her face looked troubled. She had just ended a phone call as she walked in.
"Is something wrong?"
It wasn't until Luthor spoke that Susan took a deep breath and composed herself.
"Sorry, Lex. It's Reed. He messed with my emotions a bit."
"I forgive you."
Luthor answered directly, but he didn't stop there.
"But I want you to remember something. I don't want any other man, besides me, to affect how you feel. Now, tell me what happened."
Susan and Lois were never the same type of woman.
Even without powers, the latter was far more independent. In many stories, even if she married the controlling Luthor, she always kept her own identity and strength.
Susan, clearly, wasn't like that. She leaned on the people around her: Reed, Victor, Ben. Maybe the only time she ever truly showed strength was when she was facing her younger brother.
But in front of Luthor, she couldn't maintain that pride. Not like Lois could.
"I understand, Lex. But this does have something to do with Reed. He and Victor came to LexCorp. We were classmates before, and now it looks like they're hoping to collaborate with the company. They didn't tell me any specifics. Oh, and Ben, he's still with Reed."
Susan explained everything in detail, though most of this Luthor had already heard from her before.
"Have them wait a bit. You and your brother go to the meeting room and greet them first. I'll be there soon."
"Understood."
Johnny Storm, known as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four, was now a part of LexCorp in this world. Of course, with his level of intelligence, he was only suited for basic tech work, nowhere near the level of a researcher or manager.
* * *
After leaving Luthor's office, Susan couldn't help but feel a flicker of irritation as she recalled how he had discovered her emotional reaction to Reed.
And naturally, she blamed it all on the man's sudden appearance.
If he hadn't shown up at LexCorp after all these years, if he hadn't looked at her with that familiar expression, there was no way her emotions would've been stirred up so easily, enough for Luthor to notice.
She didn't want her almost-perfect engagement to be ruined because of him.
Even if, once upon a time, she had truly been captivated by this man.
* * *
Before long, Susan brought Johnny to the meeting room, where they saw Reed, Ben, and the true centerpiece of today's meeting: Victor Von Doom, the chairman of Von Doom Industries.
"Sue..."
Reed tried to reconnect, to draw Susan's attention again. But this time, he found something different. The warmth she'd shown in the lobby earlier had completely vanished. Her attitude was distant and cold.
He opened his mouth to say something, but the man beside him stopped him.
"Ben? What is it?"
Ben didn't answer. He just shook his head and pointed at Susan's left hand.
Reed followed his gaze and saw the diamond ring shining on her ring finger.
And just like that, he understood.
She was getting married. As long as he still had feelings for her, she would never allow herself to have any unnecessary contact with him. Not for the sake of her future marriage.
That was just who Susan was.
"I get it, Ben."
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