Bab 40: Restart, Spider-Man! [40]
In the boundless cosmic web, Xia Luo sat up, a look of exasperation on his face.
A sneak attack? Seriously? How shameless.
Running into Hydra's Captain America was just his bad luck.
At least this time, he'd begun to piece together the bigger picture. The shadowy figures behind everything were finally coming to light.
Whether it was Norman's death or Tony's kidnapping, it was highly likely Hydra was pulling the strings.
Xia Luo guessed that the key to it all was that mysterious black spine.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s request for Norman's body might be connected to that spine—it wasn't just for research.
But if Hydra needed Norman's body so badly, why didn't Bucky retrieve it after killing him?
Bucky had plenty of time to take Norman's body.
Could it be that Norman had a similar strange spine inside his body?
What was the purpose of that spine, anyway?
Hydra. A strange spine. There had to be a connection between the two.
And then there was the fact that Hydra's Captain America went to such great lengths, risking exposure, just to kill Spider-Man. Xia Luo couldn't figure out why.
He shouldn't be that important.
No—he wasn't important before. But now, he was!
Xia Luo thought back to his resurrection at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
Hydra's Captain America must have set his sights on Xia Luo after discovering he had the ability to come back to life.
Of course, it was also possible Hydra's real goal was the spine, and killing him was just a bonus.
If Xia Luo lost this resurrection match, his body would likely be taken by Hydra for study.
Who knows where he'd end up resurrecting next?
If he won the match, there would undoubtedly be another fierce battle waiting for him after he came back to life.
Remembering the moment before his death, Xia Luo's expression grew solemn.
The first time he'd met Steve was during his battle with Norman at Oscorp Tower.
At that time, Steve wielded his shield, but he couldn't even scratch Norman's armor.
Yet during the recent sneak attack, even though Xia Luo had been weakened, he hadn't been completely defenseless.
And still, he was killed instantly.
Clearly, this guy had been hiding his true strength.
Too bad Xia Luo didn't notice. The parallel versions of characters across the multiverse often had subtle differences, which had made Xia Luo overlook Steve's oddities.
Especially after easily fending off Steve in the mansion, he'd stopped seeing him as a threat.
He never expected the guy had hidden his abilities so well.
Without his "cheat," Xia Luo knew he'd stand no chance against these sneaky, deceitful masters of disguise.
Speaking of his cheat, Xia Luo looked up at the floating notifications in the void.
[Congratulations! You have received an invitation to the Resurrection Match!]
[Would you like to join the match?]
[Yes] [No]
Seeing the familiar prompt, Xia Luo didn't immediately accept the invitation.
In this space, his mind and body were restored to peak condition, but he still felt tired.
Mentally exhausted.
After all that fighting, he deserved a break.
Lying down on the massive cosmic web, Xia Luo put his hands behind his head, letting himself relax completely.
As he gazed at the flickering stars across the universe, his thoughts began to wander.
Would he run into Lizard Parker in this match?
He'd messed with the guy twice already. Xia Luo kind of missed him.
If he lost this match, would he, like Lizard Parker, be able to enter the Resurrection Match again?
Lizard Parker had shown up twice without having any restart ability.
Could the Resurrection Match have been triggered by something else, not just Xia Luo?
Maybe it would still appear in the multiverse, even without him?
Ugh, he was overthinking it, and his head was starting to hurt.
Gradually, Xia Luo closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep on the cosmic web.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but the cold, mechanical voice jolted him awake.
[Ding! No response detected. You have been automatically entered into the Resurrection Match.]
Before Xia Luo could fully react, the void swallowed his body.
In the next moment, a grand crystal fountain appeared before his eyes.
"Splash!"
The fountain's blue, sparkling waters shot dozens of meters into the air, and amidst the swirling mist, a rainbow shimmered in the sunlight, bending in graceful, wave-like arcs.
The dense mist made the air feel crisp and cool, and even the air seemed sweet.
Looking up, Xia Luo saw massive, multicolored planets hanging in the purple sky.
These planets floated in close proximity, their surfaces covered with pink clouds that occasionally glowed and flickered. Through the gaps in the clouds, he could make out glimpses of mountains and glaciers on the planets' surfaces.
It was dreamlike and enchanting, stirring endless imagination.
The planets seemed to be drawn toward each other by some invisible force, as if they were about to collide, creating a sense of both danger and beauty.
As the mist gradually cleared, a message appeared before Xia Luo, detailing the current match.
[Scenario: Titan]
[Mission: Participate in the Exile Journey and ensure the survival of Thanos (Thanos).]
[Mission Item: Legal Identification as a Citizen of Titan.]
[Reward 1: Resurrection Slot x1]
[Reward 2: Titan's Physique (Beginner)]
[Participants: Xia Luo Parker, Peter Parker, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Jane Foster, Peggy Carter, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Loki, Thor (and more)]
[Countdown: 3 minutes]
[Restart Opportunities: 9]
As the countdown began, Xia Luo furrowed his brows at the information.
So, they were on Thanos' home planet, Titan, and the task was to ensure Thanos survived.
This match seemed different from the ones before.
With Thanos' strength, they should be worried about the participants' survival, not his.
Something wasn't right.
The mission item was a Titan citizen ID, and the "Exile Journey" sounded like some kind of trial or competition.
Looking at the list of participants, the sheer number of familiar names was overwhelming. Even after clicking "More," another dozen or so familiar and repeated names appeared.
The upcoming scene was bound to be chaotic. Xia Luo couldn't even imagine it.
As for the restart opportunities...
Xia Luo had earned more during the Ten Rings mission after saving Tony and eliminating the cyborgs.
He hadn't paid much attention at the time because he hadn't expected to be backstabbed by Hydra's Captain America.
Nine restarts—just the right amount.
As the countdown ended and the mist fully cleared, familiar faces began appearing around Xia Luo.
"Tony!"
"Cap..."
"Natasha! I didn't expect to see you again."
"Wait, something feels off here..."
"Brother!"
"Stop looking at me with that disgusting gaze, you idiot..."
"Jane, how did you die?"
As the fog dispersed, a group of people either looked delighted, confused, or conflicted as they saw each other.
In this seemingly "harmonious" scene, a green giant's eyes landed on Xia Luo Parker, and fury ignited within him.
"Xia Luo Parker! You piece of trash! You died again, and now I'm going to tear you apart!!"
Xia Luo: "..."
It had to be fate.
Somehow, the Resurrection Match never seemed to happen without him.
---
If there are any mistakes let me know!
Read up to 30+ Chapters! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone