"Can you not crowd in so close?" Kevin Cross frowned.
"The elevator's small and there are too many people. We can't help it."
"It's not like this is your private elevator."
"But it's really cramped…"
"Just wait. We're almost there."
Kevin's brows knit tighter. It wasn't just the crowding—something about this whole situation felt off.
Sure, the elevator wasn't huge, but it could still comfortably hold twenty or thirty people. Yet, counting himself, there were only about nine passengers inside. One other guy, and the rest? All women. And somehow, all of them had ended up squeezed against him, pushing him into a corner. They kept pressing in, deliberately or not, closer and closer.
He even noticed the bespectacled guy standing awkwardly in another corner with a whole zone of empty space around him—enough room to roll across the floor without touching a soul.
Watching Kevin surrounded by a cluster of seven or eight women, the other guy looked completely lost. At some point, the water bottle in his hand had dropped to the floor and he hadn't even noticed. In that moment, he truly felt the cruelty of the world... and the cruelty of his own unfortunate face.
Ding—
Finally, the elevator doors opened. Kevin squeezed his way out from the crush of girls. But just as he stepped out, he felt a sudden pinch on his butt—someone had grabbed him!
He immediately sped up, almost bolting down the hallway. Thank goodness he hadn't agreed to give any of those girls his number earlier. Judging by how aggressive they were, he might've ended up in real danger.
Seriously, a guy's got to protect himself these days.
Looking back, Kevin saw the girls inside the elevator seemingly ready to chase after him. His eyes flashed with three tomoe the Mangekyō Sharingan spun to life—and with a subtle genjutsu, he caused them to completely overlook him.
As they stood there blinking, lost and dazed, and eventually drifted back into the elevator, Kevin finally let out a breath of relief. He'd definitely have to be more cautious from now on.
Being a good-looking guy already made going out risky. And this was America, after all—a country notorious for its... openness.
He arrived at Dr. Stern's lab and pushed the door open without knocking.
But the moment he got a good look inside, Kevin's brow twitched slightly. The lab was small—surprisingly so. Altogether, the place probably didn't even total a hundred square meters. And apart from Dr. Stern himself, there was no one else there.
Clearly, Dr. Stern wasn't exactly popular at the moment. Then again, maybe it was intentional. Given that he was researching the Hulk's blood, it was possible he didn't want anyone else snooping around. Whatever the case, Kevin didn't really care.
"Who are you? Who let you in here? Get out, now!" Dr. Stern snapped as he turned and caught sight of Kevin surveying the lab with open curiosity. His expression darkened immediately.
Kevin didn't respond. Instead, he raised a hand—and a Mangekyō Sharingan appeared in his palm, its intricate patterns glinting hypnotically in the light.
Dr. Stern froze, captivated. Slowly, a different set of patterns began to bloom in his eyes—shuriken-like shapes spinning rapidly before fading from view.
"Master," Dr. Stern said calmly, his expression now completely placid.
He was under the influence of Kotoamatsukami, the ultimate genjutsu—completely dominated by Kevin's will. Even though Stern would one day become the villainous Leader, with extraordinary intellect and telepathic abilities, right now he was still just a normal man. Under this level of mental control, he didn't stand a chance. Kevin had taken full control without harming his intelligence or thought processes.
"You've been studying the Hulk's blood?" Kevin asked, eyes gleaming with interest.
"Yes, Master."
"Put that on hold for now. I've got a virus I need you to analyze. It's extremely dangerous."
"Yes, Master." Though Stern was reluctant to abandon his research, he couldn't disobey the command.
"This virus is highly infectious and potentially catastrophic. I want maximum containment protocols in place. And don't even think about turning it into a bioweapon. For now, your only priority is developing a vaccine and a cure."
Kevin had no intention of letting the undead run rampant in this world. It was chaotic enough already, what with all the superpowered beings. The last thing he needed was Dr. Stern adding more variables—especially one named Abomination.
Sure, it might derail The Incredible Hulk Part II, but Kevin honestly couldn't care less. The fewer superpowered freaks in this world, the better. He wanted peace. If he ever got bored, he could just visit other worlds for fun.
"Master, I have experience in virology. It's a field I'm quite comfortable in," Stern said. "But... I'll need funding."
"Funding, huh? Don't worry—I'll handle it," Kevin replied with a sigh. As expected, no matter how brilliant Stern was, he was still broke. Not everyone could be Tony Stark, after all. If Kevin had brought this to Stark, it would've been done in a week—with a bow on it.
But for now, Kevin had to personally figure out the money part. Luckily, with the chat group, he wasn't entirely without options.
"Saeko, I'm coming to your world in a bit."
"Huh? Kevin? Why would you want to come here? The virus has already wiped out 99% of the population—there are undead everywhere. Or... wait, don't tell me you're coming to devour me?" Saeko Busujima's voice grew sultry toward the end.
"No. I'm broke. I'm planning to rob a few banks and loot some gold from your world. Startup capital."
"…No wonder Kumoko says you have no idea how to pursue girls. Kevin, if you're serious about dating, you really need to change your approach," Saeko said helplessly.
"No need. I'm not looking to date anyone. Besides... girls are a pain."
"???" Saeko.
"???" Kumoko.
"???" Uchiha Izumi.
"???" Izumi accidentally dropped a "+1".