章 129: Restart, Spider-Man! [129]
Thunder cracked through the night sky, and the Black Order froze, dread etched across their faces.
"It's… Thor!" Ebony Maw gasped, stunned. "Thanos had thrown him into the cosmos. He must've ended up here after his death!"
Cull Obsidian sneered, "Thor, schmorr. We wiped out half of Asgard's so-called gods. Nothing special about him."
Corvus Glaive's cold gaze fixed on him. "That was only because Thanos was with us. Asgard was tearing itself apart from within. Otherwise, we wouldn't have defeated them so easily."
"But now… he's alone."
Proxima Midnight frowned. "Last I remember, Thor had lost his hammer. So why does he…?"
Ebony Maw narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't matter. The God of Thunder is troublesome. Be careful."
As he spoke, a fierce bolt of electricity arced through the darkness nearby.
"Pure lightning! I can't resist! I have to have it!" Max Dillon, aka Electro, who'd been lurking in the shadows, couldn't hold back. He lunged toward the sky, aiming for the lightning—but the raw power of Mjolnir surged through him, tearing his body apart. The remaining electricity surged with the hammer's momentum, arcing straight toward Old Man Steve.
"Don't let him get the hammer!" Hydra Steve bellowed.
"I've got this!"
With a cloud of smoke, Rhino's bulky form charged, leaping up and reaching for the descending lightning.
"Got it!"
As soon as he gripped Mjolnir, Rhino let out a triumphant laugh.
But a split second later, the immense power of the hammer dragged him straight toward Old Man Steve.
"No!! This… shouldn't be possible!"
Boom!
With a resounding crash, Rhino was driven deep into a crater. Old Man Steve raised Mjolnir with a casual shrug.
"Sorry, you're not the first to try and lift the hammer. All of them failed."
He glanced over at Carter. "Ready?"
"Ready for what?"
Carter looked confused—until Steve leapt into the air, raising Mjolnir and bringing it crashing down toward her.
"You're insane!!"
She quickly raised her shield just in time.
Boom!
In an instant, the hammer struck her shield, unleashing a powerful storm of lightning across the battlefield.
Zzzzzzt~
Bzzzzzt~
Everywhere the lightning spread, toy cars and paper airplanes vanished in flashes of light. Holographic projectors hidden in the shadows were laid bare, and the thick smoke hanging in the air dissipated in the electrifying storm.
Crackle, crackle…
The illusion faded, revealing Norman and the rest of the villains.
On a nearby rooftop, a man with a glass dome on his head gaped in disbelief.
"Impossible! My holograms—"
"Gotcha!"
Red and blue scales flashing, Lizard Parker scrambled onto the rooftop. Before Mysterio could release another cloud of hallucinogenic gas, Lizard Parker shot a web and yanked him close.
"I'm tearing you apart!"
"No—!"
Shrrrip!!
With a savage swipe, Mysterio's shredded body tumbled from the rooftop.
"What?!"
The facade of the building crumbled as Professor Connors watched Mysterio's battered body plummet to the ground, his eyes glowing red with a sinister gleam.
"Peter Parker… my prized pupil. Let's see just how much you've grown."
Hearing Professor Connors' voice, Lizard Parker poked his head out, eyes gleaming with fury as he spotted the familiar green reptilian form scaling the building toward him.
"You twisted freak—I'm going to tear you apart!"
With a feral snarl, Lizard Parker leaped down, the transformation intensifying his aggression, leaving no room for restraint.
Meanwhile, with Mysterio's illusions dispelled, Gwen shot a web to latch onto Norman's glider.
"Ha-ha-ha, Gwen, my dear! You think you're going to drag me back to a prison cell?"
"We'll see about that."
Gwen darted through the battlefield, her agility unmatched even by Xia Luo's strength. With her spider-sense fully restored, it wasn't long before she managed to strike Norman down from the skies.
Crack! Crack!
As Gwen moved to attack, a mechanical arm whipped toward her, only for a shield to intercept it.
"You're facing me."
Carter slid skillfully beneath Dr. Octopus, dodging his metal arms to close the gap, maximizing her hand-to-hand combat advantage.
Elsewhere, Old Man Steve wielded Mjolnir in tandem with his shield, battering Rhino's hulking form down with a series of relentless blows.
"No… this can't be happening!!"
Mjolnir struck his chest, pinning him to the ground as he struggled to breathe. For the first time, Rhino's vaunted strength felt inconsequential against the godly power weighing down on him.
As he looked up in horror, Old Man Steve strode over, shield in hand. "Take it easy. Pain means it's working."
With that, he raised his shield and brought it down in a brutal arc aimed at Rhino's head.
"No!"
Freed from the illusions, Xia Luo delivered a powerful mid-air kick, his chest spider emblem flaring with a brilliant surge of magical energy.
Boom!
The magical blast forced Cull Obsidian and Corvus Glaive to retreat under its explosive power, but Ebony Maw noticed something peculiar.
After the attack, the glow on Xia Luo's chest dimmed, the energy rapidly waning.
"His magic's weakening—this is our chance to finish him off!"
Without missing a beat, Ebony Maw launched steel beams and chunks of debris, cocooning Xia Luo in metal armor that immobilized him.
"Kill him!"
Cull Obsidian and Corvus Glaive lunged forward, while Hydra Steve roared, "Now, Bucky!"
"Understood!"
In the shadows, Bucky emerged, hurling a bomb extracted from his body straight at Xia Luo.
This time, Spider-Man was done for.
But Xia Luo merely smiled.
"Perfect. Everyone's finally here."
The spider emblem on his chest began to glow once more, reigniting with radiant power.
When one spider totem's power was drained, he still had four more.
"What?!"
As the emblem flared to life, the villains' expressions twisted in panic.
"Fall back!!"
Ebony Maw screamed, but it was too late. The totem's power spread beneath Xia Luo's feet in a dazzling web of energy.
"Let's blow this place up, Spider-Man style!"
Kaboom!
A violent eruption of magical energy swept through the battlefield, scattering Cull Obsidian and the rest of the Black Order like leaves in a storm. Bucky's bomb, still in the blast zone, detonated prematurely, sending a hail of vibranium shrapnel raining down.
Boom!
Splurt, splurt
The fragments tore through their bodies, shredding them like tissue paper.
"No!"
When the surviving members of the Black Order staggered to their feet, their bodies were covered in horrific, bloody wounds.
"Gaaaah! What is this?!"
Cull Obsidian howled, losing all reason to the searing pain.
Unlike Xia Luo's experience, the genetic disruptors embedded in the bomb were ineffective against the Black Order's physiology. Their exceptional resilience had spared them immediate death.
Corvus Glaive, possessing regenerative powers, was the first to recover. He scooped up the gravely wounded Proxima Midnight, understanding the inevitable.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, voice quivering.
"I… ugh…" Her gaze dimmed as she tried to speak, only to cough up a stream of blue blood.
Of all the Black Order, Proxima had the weakest physical resilience, and the vibranium shrapnel was proving fatal.
Corvus Glaive's face contorted with grief, tears welling up as he cradled her.
"No! Don't die… please don't leave me…"
He stroked her cheek with a trembling hand.
But this wasn't a movie, and no one would grant him time for a heartfelt farewell.
"She lives; you die."
Shlunk!
Old Man Steve looked away, regret flickering across his face as Corvus Glaive's newly regrown head was once again severed by his own weapon. Only the blade of the Reaper's Scythe could end his life.
Chop, chop, chop…
Suddenly, a helicopter flew over them, spotlight illuminating the carnage below.
"Gwen, sorry I'm late."
From the cabin, George Stacy tossed the Black Order's confiscated weapons onto the battlefield.
"Don't let them reclaim their weapons!"
Hydra Steve's tentacles shot out to snatch the weapons mid-air.
Realizing their value, Ebony Maw manipulated the Reaper's Scythe and trident with his telekinetic force, pulling them toward him.
"Thanks for the delivery, Octopus!"
Old Man Steve let out a cheer, lightning crackling in his grip.
"What?"
Mjolnir crashed forward, bypassing Ebony Maw's telekinetic barrier and sending him flying. The Reaper's Scythe quickly swung back to Old Man Steve, captured in a well-placed webline.
"Catch!"
With a joyful shout, he hurled the scythe to Xia Luo.
"On it!"
Xia Luo fired a web to swing down, catching the Reaper's Scythe mid-air, his energy pouring into its blade.
"Ha! Nothing like close combat mage mode!"
Slash!
The magical blade swept across the field, cleaving through Hydra Steve's blood-red tendrils, which fizzled out into smoke, unable to reform.
"What—?"
Hydra Steve's face went pale, but before he could retreat, Xia Luo was already upon him.
"Spider-Man's Half-Moon Slash!"
"Nooo!"
Shhhhink!
The scythe came crashing down, slicing Hydra Steve cleanly in two, his blood mist dissipating as his bisected body crumpled to the ground.
"Steve!"
With a desperate cry, Bucky charged forward, wielding the trident, but was sent flying by Mjolnir's mighty blow.
"Not bad, eh, young Spider?"
Old Man Steve reclaimed the trident from Bucky's fallen form, tossing it back to Xia Luo.
"Always aging like fine wine."
Xia Luo grinned, tossing the scythe back as they exchanged weapons once more.
Hum!
With the trident in hand, Xia Luo cast a triple strike of crimson rays, skewering Doctor Octopus where he battled Carter.
"Next!"
He launched the trident again, and its crimson arc flashed through the air, taking down both Norman and Professor Connors in quick succession.
Across the battlefield, Old Man Steve was carving through the enemies with Mjolnir and the scythe in hand, his final strike reducing Corvus Glaive to scattered fragments.
One by one, Cull Obsidian and Proxima Midnight fell, each defeated by Old Man Steve's relentless assault.
"Xia Luo Parker, next time… next time you won't be so lucky."
From the debris, Bucky glared at Xia Luo with a broken smile, before his body was once again cleaved in two by the scythe.
With that, Old Man Steve had achieved a flawless six-kill.
"Who's next!"
He raised Mjolnir, exuding an infectious confidence.
"Only Octopus got away," Carter said as she approached with her shield in hand. "He fled the scene."
Old Man Steve shrugged. "No problem. First thing next time, I'm taking him down."
Xia Luo, however, was eyeing his updated kill count.
[Kill Count: 80]
Killing four supervillains had netted him a cool twenty points each—just one more and he'd have made a full return.
"Think they're all dead this time?" Lizard Parker asked, reverting to human form and passing Xia Luo the Spider Emblem.
Taking it, Xia Luo replied, "Not necessarily. There's always next time."
Lizard Parker blinked, slowly catching on.
"Ah, I think I get it."
"Do you, though?"
"Of course I do!"
"Yeah… you don't get it."
Xia Luo was referring to restarting, not another revival game.
So far, the mission had gone surprisingly smoothly.
Something felt… off, but he couldn't quite place it.
"Where's Felicia?" Carter suddenly asked.
"They'd know."
Xia Luo nodded at a group of men in black suits standing nearby, who'd yet to join the fight. "We haven't seen Kingpin yet."
At that moment, a round, suited figure emerged, flanked by his entourage.
Clap, clap, clap
Kingpin applauded with a smug grin as he stepped into the light, his bulky frame exuding arrogance.
"Bravo, truly magnificent. Thank you all for ridding New York of such dangerous criminals. On behalf of its citizens, I extend my deepest gratitude."
Gwen frowned. "Cut the act, Kingpin. We know you were part of this whole scheme."
Kingpin shrugged, feigning innocence. "Oh? Where's your proof? Without evidence, you can't touch me."
His grin widened as he continued, "In fact, I'd say I'm just as much a victim here. My lawyers are already preparing my claim for damages. And heroes—should I be unable to collect on that claim, I expect you'll pay for all the property damage you caused."
Kingpin's confidence was palpable. He knew the law was on his side and believed none of them would dare to take him down without legal grounds.
Xia Luo watched him, an odd expression crossing his facfe. "Has he always been this fearless?"
Gwen sighed. "He's not wrong. Legally, we don't have a case. And with his legal team, we won't be able to touch him."
Xia Luo's lips curved into a smirk. "I've got to say, this world's Kingpin is surprisingly easy to deal with."
"What?"
Before Gwen could process what he meant, Xia Luo casually tossed the trident, letting it split into three crimson beams that streaked through the air toward Kingpin.
Thud, thud, thud!
The beams pierced Kingpin's chest, creating three deep, bloody holes. The mob boss stared down at the wounds, shock freezing his expression as he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Gwen gasped. "You… you just…"
"What?" Xia Luo replied, feigning innocence. "That weapon's from space. There's no proof I did anything."
"We can testify!" the horrified bodyguards shouted, accusing fingers pointing at Xia Luo.
Old Man Steve stepped forward, his expression solemn. "Clearly, they've been deeply affected by Mysterio's mind games. We should arrange for them to get the care they need."
Gwen looked at him, exasperated. "…"
Meanwhile, Lizard Parker rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Learning so much today… If this is how it's done, maybe I have what it takes to be a superhero after all."
At that moment, Mjolnir trembled in Old Man Steve's hand, vibrating with an urgent call.
"It's Thor—he's in that direction!"
Xia Luo and the others turned to where Old Man Steve pointed, ready for the next encounter.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
Posture and water check! Remember this is a fan translation!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
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