'What would happen if they were forcibly separated?'

  Reid directly asked about the cost. As long as the sequences weren't too severe, he would be willing to accept them.

  The system hesitated for a moment, as if it were pting, and finally came to an answer.

  [If separated forcibly, Alfred's card will be damaged, and the Outsider form you’ve unlocked will be celed.]

  'The Outsider form will be celed?'

  During previous as, Alfred's rolepying degree had been stuck at 49%, uo reach the 50% o unlock the Outsider form. Reid had always thought there must be some specific trigger for the breakthrough, and in fact, he was right.

  When Reid, in the guise of Alfred, killed the Wayerprises executive, Earle, to maintain trol of the pany, the restri was lifted. Alfred's rolepying degree not only broke through to 50% but also soared to 70% in a short time.

  Before arriving at the airport, Reid had checked the Outsider identity.

  As someone born in the 2000s, the Outsider he knew best was the butler of Owlman from Earth-3.

  However, Reid had also vaguely heard aory from the Silver Age.

  At that time, Batman had just been beled by the writers as the greatest detective in the world, gradually rising to the top of superhero status. The editors, aiming to reintroduce Alfred's character and make him more captivating, decided to create a storyline where Alfred dies.

  After Alfred's death, he was resurrected by a special mae, but he began to hate Batman, being the Outsider and hunting down both Batman and Robin.

  In the end, Batmaed the Outsider and pced him bato the mae that had revived him, rest Alfred to his inal state. This also gave the editors a ce to redesign Alfred's character, establishing the familiar image of Alfred that Reid knew.

  Before this, Alfred’s image was simir to that of J.A.R.V.I.S., the butler of the Stark family in Marvel—a plump gentleman.

  After Reid's previous experiment, the Outsider form he unlocked was based on the inal Outsider from the Silver Age, not the Earth-3 version, which was the Owlman's butler who was killed by Bck Manta.

  The Silver Age Outsider possessed superhuman abilities. Based on Reid's experiment, this version had invulnerability, super strength, and the ability to create whirlwinds and storms.

  Reid vaguely remembered that the Silver Age Outsider also had magical abilities and could trol statues.

  However, because many superhumans from that era had abilities reted to wish fulfillment, the system had not granted him the power to use magic or trol statues.

  Overall, while the Outsider form wasn’t useless, it couldn’t be said to be particurly powerful. Being invulnerable was only retive, many human ons could still harm the Outsider form of Alfred.

  The strength of the Outsider is just at a basic superhuman level, around one or two tons. pared to an ordinary person, it would definitely seem monstrous, but a random street-level hero from Marvel could probably be strohan this Outsider.

  After all, as a vilin in Batman's story, the Outsider's abilities were more focused on intelled outsmarting Batman rather than direbat.

  But even so, pared to Reid's previous two identities—the Butler Alfred and the Joker—at least the Outsider actually had superpowers!

  Weak as it might be, it still had some abilities.

  So when Reid learhat separating the fusion required the Outsider form as a sacrifice, he could only choose to give up.

  'Fet it, let the Joker wait a bit. I estimate that by the time i really stabilize Wayerprises, Alfred's role pying degree will be nearly pleted. At that time, I release the Joker.'

  After ing to a decision, Reid didn't open his eyes but instead focused his mind and took a brief nap.

  When he was woken up by Happy, they had already arrived at the New York airport. He then boarded the luxury car arranged by Stark Industries, heading toward the funeral venue.

  ……

  "Wele, Alfred, thank you for attending today."

  Uhe astonished gazes of everyone, both Howard and Tony expressed their enthusiasm towards Alfred.

  Tony thanked Alfred for mending the gap between him and Howard, while Howard, on top of that, also expressed his gratitude for Alfred's past rescue of him.

  If Alfred hadn't passed by, Horobably would have already died on that desote road.

  The uests, who were also invited, looked surprised. In just a few mihey quickly gathered some information about Alfred.

  Afterwards, they sighed in relief.

  After all, it's no big deal for Tony and Howard to express their gratitude for saving their lives. However, if Alfred had turned out to be some important figure they didn't reize, then things would have gotten serious.

  Tony and Howard didn’t spend much time talking with Reid as they still had to oversee Maria's funeral.

  However, to Reid, it was all just part of the process.

  Ohe proceedings were over, it was already night.

  After Maria's death, Howard seemed to have aged rapidly in a very short amount of time. All the affairs of Stark Industries were now handed over to Tony, and Howard retired to rest with his personal doctor.

  Even though Tony was exhausted from just taking over Stark Industries, he still found the energy after the funeral to approabsp;Alfred, who was about to leave.

  "Alfred, please wait a moment."

  Tony jogged over. He wasn't yet the domineering figure he would be in ten years, and he certainly hadn't fotten Alfred’s great kio him.

  "Mr. Stark, is there something I help with?"

  "I have some business in Gotham City. If you don't mind, perhaps we could travel together."

  Reid smiled inwardly. Just as pnned. Everything was falling into pce.

  Howard's quick exit meant that Tony, who had never fully takeark Industries' operations, would iably face difficulties, even if Howard were still alive. He o quickly gee profits or rely on the pany's executives to help him navigate these challenges.

  For example, iure, he would be targeted by Obadiah Stane, who would attempt to have him assassinated by the Ten Rings.

  For now though, Tony still saw Obadiah as a kind uncle, as long as he sought Obadiah’s help, Tony could easily take trol of Stark Industries.

  However, Tony's character meant he would never rely on others to trol the pany.

  At this point, Tony had just takeark Industries and didn't even fully uand the pany’s operations. Without Obadiah’s help, he didn't have time to use his intelligeo create profits.

  In this situation, Tony's best option was to identify a reliable partner for Stark Industries to gee profits.

  Before this, Alfred's repeated appearances would have undoubtedly given Tony a thh uanding of Alfred and the current state of Wayerprises.

  One pany with strong capabilities but a chairman in urgent need of establishing authority, and another pany that was solid but had just lost its leader.

  Both businesses also operated in the ons industry.

  Could there be a better colboration target than Wayerprises?

  Reid didn’t e here just to attend Maria's funeral or to ask for Tony's assistance.

  Instead, his goal was to use this visit tthen his ties with Stark Industries and subtly guide Tony into seeking a partnership with Wayerprises.

  And now, his pn had succeeded.

  **

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