Chapter 48

"This is really not good. We can't let him proceed with the experiment! His experiments could destroy the entire New York!" Toby Spider was getting anxious.

During the last experiment conducted by Doctor Octopus, he used just a drop of tritium as the core and created a miniature sun with immense gravitational force, sucking everything in and outside the lab, even causing casualties.

And this time, looking at the high-pressure container, it contained several times more tritium than the previous one!

"Alright then, I'll go stop him. You go find Mary Jane," Mark said.

"Okay!" Toby Spider readily agreed.

The two swiftly entered through a hole in the building.

In front of the machine, Doctor Octopus was completing the final calculations before his second attempt.

The failure of the first experiment reminded him of his conversation with Peter in the past. He believed he had learned his lesson.

This time, he would undoubtedly succeed!

"Stop, Dr. Otto" Mark loosened his grip, dropping down from the ceiling right beside Doctor Octopus.

Startled, Doctor Octopus turned around and immediately became tense upon seeing Mark's figure. He recognized this Spider-Man as the one who had defeated him with just a few moves not long ago.

"You're here to stop me? Why? I only want to complete my experiment for the benefit of all mankind!" Doctor Octopus yelled, "Do you know what my experiment can bring to humanity?"

"It's energy of the sun, boundless energy!" Doctor Octopus swung his own hand and mechanical tentacles excitedly, as if he had truly become an octopus.

Mark applauded lightly, "Indeed, it's a commendable ideal. I also appreciate your vision. Once successful, controlled nuclear fusion could provide humanity with the cleanest and endless energy source. But, your experiment has issues, and your approach is incorrect."

"What do you know? Who are you to say my experiment has issues?" Challenged on his professional expertise, Doctor Octopus momentarily forgot Mark's threat and engaged in a debate.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're currently using the inertial confinement approach," Mark confidently stated, "placing a mixture of a few milligrams of deuterium and tritium in that small sphere with a few millimeters in diameter. Then, you use an externally uniform laser beam to heat the sphere's surface, causing it to evaporate and apply pressure inward due to the reaction force."

"Inertial confinement, what a fitting term!" Doctor Octopus' eyes lit up.

Initially appearing nonchalant, his expression became serious.

As an exceptional nuclear physicist, he had great confidence in his professional expertise. He had the credentials.

The nuclear fusion technology he was experimenting with was still in the theoretical and experimental stages for most major countries, even in an era that was roughly a dozen or twenty years later than Mark's world.

Yet, he, with his own efforts, had already completed the lab setup and achieved experimental results!

So, whatever he does, he can only rely on himself.

Because very few people can keep up with his thinking.

Mark looked at Doctor Octopus and continued to deceive him with something he had read in a science magazine before, "When the deuterium-tritium mixture inside the small sphere is compressed, and the pressure and temperature increase rapidly, reaching the ignition temperature, the mixture will explode, generating a large amount of heat. The explosion process is extremely short, maybe just a few picoseconds. However, as long as this type of explosion happens three or four times per second and continues, the released energy will be equivalent to that of a million-kilowatt power station!"

"Am I right, esteemed Doctor Otto Octavius?"

"You are absolutely right!" Doctor Octopus's face flushed, looking at Mark with excitement.

This was the first time someone could resonate with him intellectually!

In the past, even Peter Parker, with whom he had enjoyable conversations, only presented interesting ideas based on existing knowledge.

But this new Spider-Man standing before him had a vision of the future, just like him!

"It's truly astonishing. What's your name? I think, perhaps, we could become friends?" Doctor Octopus was thrilled.

Mark removed his mask, knowing that Doctor Octopus had already seen him before.

He smiled faintly and said, "My name is Mark."

"Mark? What a fitting name. Hmm." Otto said while nodding with a sagely look.

Due to his excitement, Otto somewhat praised his name which was actually common and generic as shit. But Mark didn't say anything to that and just continued smiling.

Doctor Octopus continued nodding and then said, "Then, Mark, do you think there is a problem with my experiment?"

This time, Doctor Octopus's tone was not accusatory and angry but genuinely inquiring.

"Yes, there is an issue," Mark replied, "You have already conducted the first experiment, and it failed, right?"

"Yes," Doctor Octopus nodded, a pained expression on his face.

That failed experiment not only turned him from a respected nuclear physicist into an infamous criminal but also took the life of his beloved wife.

"What would happen if you released the intensity of thousands of megawatts of energy in an extremely small area?" Mark guided Doctor Octopus.

After pondering for a moment, Doctor Octopus recalled the scene of the first experiment.

Then, he finally understood what Mark was trying to convey, "It would create a gravitational field! If the energy is released outward at the moment of generation, it's the principle of a hydrogen bomb. However, if all that energy is confined within this container, it will create a massive amount of energy at a singularity. Before the collapse, gravity will increase, engulfing everything it can."

As he spoke, Doctor Octopus's face showed a hint of panic.

He hadn't considered this aspect before.

Because if he wanted to achieve his goal – controlling nuclear fusion as an energy source, he must constrain this energy and not let it be released rapidly.

So, he had been calculating how to find a balance between constraining and generating energy.

"Do you have a solution?" Doctor Octopus looked at Mark anxiously, "Since you have identified the problem, you must have a solution, right? Help me!"

"Unfortunately, I don't have a solution," Mark shook his head.

He knew nothing about nuclear physics.

He was just an astronomy graduate student!

The only reason he could deceive Doctor Octopus was that he occasionally read science magazines, and managed to remember it to this day because of his enhanced brain.

While experiments related to nuclear fusion were researches conducted by every major country in his time.

Crack!

The mechanical tentacles behind Doctor Octopus moved.

Mark sighed while rubbing his forehead with a tired expression.

Why did every Doctor Octopus have this attitude?

°°°

A/N: Cliffhanger-kun shows himself once again! Give me stones to cast him away!

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 10 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.