Chapter 79

Wait! Isn't this the art of using someone as a scapegoat? 

I'm just the "knife," and the real "victim" is my... teacher!

Mark quickly grasped the logic behind this. As he had thought earlier, such a colossal blunder would have been a crime punishable by death in ancient times, involving entire families.

In the present day, it could be seen as an attempt to fraudulently acquire research funding. If proven true, he could lose his job, and his reputation could be forever tarnished. However, he was just a junior research assistant – why would anyone go to such lengths against him?

Among all the people in the base, his closest associates were only his teacher, Dr. Harper, and Landry.

Landry belonged to the Soil Research Department and had almost no connection to this matter. So, it was evident that the real target was his teacher, Dr. Harper.

Dr. Harper's identity went far beyond being the head of this base. As a renowned astrophysics professor in the country, he held various prestigious titles. Therefore, the attacker's goal became apparent – they wanted to exploit the situation to connect the two incidents, place blame on Dr. Harper, and force him out of his position.

"So, I'm caught up in a power struggle?" Mark inquired.

Landry nodded. "Exactly."

Mark found himself speechless for a moment. In the past, when faced with such a situation, he could only rely on the hope that his teacher, Dr. Harper, would find a way to resolve it. He didn't have the power to influence such matters, being just a minor figure who had to cooperate with any investigation.

However, everything was different now. He had made his decision before returning.

In order to fully prepare for potential future disasters, he decided to resign from his position at the institute. Although this choice might disappoint his teacher, Dr. Harper, and cost him the chance to advance his academic career further, it was a small sacrifice compared to the safety of himself, his friends, and even the entire multiverse.

Furthermore, things had changed.

In the past, he needed knowledge and degrees to prove himself. But now, with the ability to traverse different universes, did he still need these things to validate himself?

Clearly, he did!

After all, these were dreams and pursuits he had cherished for many years. Even if he wasn't trying to prove anything, he wanted to continue learning simply for the joy of it.

However, compared to academic degrees, his safety was evidently more important. Moreover, Mark desired nothing more than to ascend directly to the stars and conduct research on Mars rather than studying slowly on Earth through devices. Wouldn't that be more beautiful?

Apart from these reasons, there was another consideration.

If, hypothetically, there was some kind of "curse" around Spider-Men that could harm his friends, it might be a good choice to distance himself from them.

"But don't worry," Landry reassured Mark, noticing his serious expression. "My teacher and I both support you and Dr. Harper."

Mark nodded. "Do you know where my teacher is right now?"

Landry replied, "Work at the institute has been suspended. A few days ago, some higher-ups came and said they were taking Dr. Harper away. He's currently under tight surveillance by the security department, and you won't be able to see him. However, you must stick to your story and absolutely deny any connection to that stone. Otherwise, it won't just be your misfortune."

Landry's expression was extremely solemn, a stark contrast to his usual jovial demeanor.

Mark nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation.

He wasn't naive. Even though he had prepared to resign, there was a world of difference between leaving on his own terms and leaving with a cloud of suspicion hanging over him. Moreover, this matter involved his respected teacher.

It was nighttime, with a clear moon and sparse stars, as typical for the vast desert.

The desert nights were always like this because of the region's perennial aridness, which meant there was little moisture to form clouds.

However, this posed no challenge for Mark anymore. After experiencing several different worlds, he was no longer the same as he had been a month ago when he first gained his abilities.

In the quiet of the night, he stealthily donned his Spider-Man suit. With his practiced agility and heightened senses, he avoided the surveillance cameras along the way and silently infiltrated the research institute.

The lax security policies outside the base made Mark's infiltration a breeze.

With almost no effort, he found the location where the stone slab was kept within the institute.

There weren't many places to store items within the research institute, just a few small rooms. Most of the space was dedicated to storing valuable images and data captured through telescopes and Mars rovers. These images, after being carefully selected, were even published on astronomy websites for other enthusiasts to enjoy, hardly qualifying as "classified."

It was only recently, following the acquisition of Martian soil samples, that a room had been set aside to store these items that had come from Mars.

It was evident that the stone slab was inside this room.

Perhaps due to the stone slab becoming "evidence," there were unexpectedly two people guarding this room. This added some complexity to Mark's infiltration.

For an ordinary Spider-Man, the most likely course of action would be to retreat and find an access point through the ventilation system.

However, that was no obstacle for Mark. While the room was made of metal, there were still "gaps" to exploit.

Hanging upside down from the ceiling, Mark silently calculated and then activated his powers.

Quantum Blink!

His figure instantly quantized, with countless quantum particles passing through the seemingly solid walls of the room and reassembling inside.

There were still surveillance cameras in the room, several of them, but their focus was primarily on the room's only entrance and the items inside.

So, Mark easily found a suitable spot to hide.

His gaze wandered around the room, searching for the presence of the stone slab.

Hum~

Suddenly, his Spider-Sense reacted.

Mark's gaze was involuntarily drawn to a certain direction.

There was a safe!

Clearly, the stone slab was inside!

Moreover, Mark could now be certain that this stone slab had something to do with him!

Otherwise, his Spider-Sense wouldn't have reacted like this.

However, there were two surveillance cameras focused on the safe, making it difficult to approach.

What should he do?

Disable the cameras?

No, that would only confirm suspicions.

At this moment, Mark couldn't help but envy the Spider-Man from the MCU.

Holland Spider's suit had an artificial intelligence named Karen, which could effortlessly infiltrate surveillance networks without a sound.

"If I get the chance, I'll definitely have to get one of those." Mark thought with some envy and jealousy.

°°°

A/N: Next chapter is the revelation for the purpose/origin of his power. 

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