Capítulo 135: Restart, Spider-Man! [135] [DDD!]
December Double Drop!
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"Right." He nodded, tapping his earpiece.
"Don't follow too closely, or she won't lead us back to their base."
"Understood."
Down below, Old Man Steve revved his motorcycle, racing through the streets.
"Captain Carter, leave a gap—pretend you lost track of her."
"Got it."
In a crowded supermarket, just as she was about to intercept Cindy, Carter stepped back, letting Cindy slip away.
Felicia swung across the rooftops, her eyes fixed on Cindy's retreating figure.
"What about me?"
"Cats are natural at ambushes. Sure you won't get spotted?" Xia Luo swung in nearby.
Felicia smirked, brimming with confidence.
"Of course not. I can promise you that."
"Good—you're finally useful."
"Took you long enough to notice my strengths."
"What strengths?"
"Pervert!"
She cursed under her breath, leaping ahead.
Throughout her chase, whether using her grappling hook or her soft footsteps, she moved without a single sound.
Xia Luo glanced at the virtual map on his wrist, tracking Felicia's movements.
"Perfect. Cindy's not moving toward any crowded areas, so she hasn't noticed Felicia."
Old Man Steve swung down beside Xia Luo.
"Are you going to hide again later?" he asked.
"Of course. I'm the commander this time."
"Even Nick Fury's got better leadership skills than you."
"Impossible. I don't hide in command centers like him."
"Which is why you're not a qualified commander."
"You don't know anything about Spider-Man's tactical genius."
After a while, Xia Luo glanced at the red dot that had stopped moving on the map and frowned.
"Norman Osborn's castle."
"A castle?" Steve's eyes lit up. "Let me blow it up!"
"Hold on. If this is their headquarters, then we can't just blow it up."
Xia Luo thought out loud. "With these different versions of Cindy, there's likely a lab inside, probably with all sorts of dangerous stuff. If we accidentally cause a spill, we'd end up causing an apocalypse."
From a neighboring building, Carter chimed in with a nod of agreement.
"Exactly. If we ended up triggering the world's crisis, it'd be…kind of dramatic, don't you think?"
Steve thought it over. "Fine. I'm best at frontal assaults anyway."
He tapped his earpiece.
"Hey, Shiba Thor, lend me your hammer."
"Woof!!"
Only an indignant bark answered him.
Steve's face went a bit stiff. "I'm guessing those barks were pretty unkind."
"No need to guess—I can see it in his expression." Xia Luo lowered his binoculars, then swung into action.
"Come on, Felicia's waiting for us."
Before long, they arrived near Osborn's castle.
The group hid in the woods, observing the castle from a distance.
Gwen lowered her binoculars, sighing in frustration.
"I should've known—Norman's castle is the perfect hideout for a secret base."
Xia Luo looked at Gwen. "You know Harry?"
"Of course. He was my friend." Gwen sighed. "According to the news, Harry died in an accident.
"But I know that wasn't the case. Harry passed away because of a genetic illness.
"Ever since he died, Norman has been shut away in his lab. I think that's when he really started going mad."
Xia Luo was silent for a moment.
Finally, he asked, "If we could get a sample of the Goblin serum, do you think there's a way to make a cure for Norman?"
Gwen shook her head. "I'm not an expert, but if we could get all of Norman's research data, maybe one of the top scientists could create a cure."
"Is that so?"
Xia Luo nodded thoughtfully.
In the movies, the three Peters had managed to develop a Goblin cure using Tony's gadget.
Maybe he could get Tony's help.
But only if Norman could be brought back to life.
The problem was, if Norman came back, Xia Luo would have to subdue him immediately.
If he missed that crucial moment, Norman could easily reveal his identity to the entire world.
Which meant he'd need Carter's help as well.
Even so, Norman in this tournament wouldn't agree to cooperate with him.
No cooperation, no revival. No revival, no progress.
A perfect catch-22.
Xia Luo took a deep breath. He'd have to win this tournament before worrying about anything else.
He raised a hand, patting the little spider perched on his head.
"Go see what's going on in there."
Chitter chitter!
Without a hint of protest, the little spider shot a web and swung off toward the castle.
No complaints, since it couldn't talk.
As the little spider slipped into the castle…
There was nothing.
An hour passed, and the spider still hadn't returned.
Xia Luo rubbed his forehead. "Guess it's not coming back."
"What?! You sent that cute little spider in there just to be cannon fodder?" Felicia scoffed.
"So, you go then."
"No way. Being alone makes me feel insecure. I'm scared."
Nearby, Old Man Steve secretly grabbed Shiba Thor's hammer, his confidence blossoming again.
"Let's just charge in!"
"Woof!"
The Shiba, who'd been gnawing on a drumstick, realized the hammer was gone and started barking furiously.
But he was no match for Steve.
Growling, Shiba Thor bit Steve's calf, only to find the guy's muscles were like steel, nearly shattering his own teeth.
Frustrated, Shiba Thor gave up and sulked, sitting down to scratch circles in the dirt.
Xia Luo thought for a moment. "Fine, you go first. I'll watch to see what we're up against."
Before he'd even finished speaking, Steve charged toward the castle.
BOOM!
With lightning flashing, Steve crashed through the castle walls like a human cannonball.
Behind him, Carter and the others joined the attack.
Only Xia Luo, Gwen, and the bone-chewing Shiba Thor remained outside.
Watching the flashes of lightning erupting from the castle, Xia Luo's expression grew darker.
A young Steve with both Mjolnir and a shield had been able to hold his own against Thanos.
This Old Man Steve, strengthened by three rounds of the revival tournament, should be even tougher.
Xia Luo knew he couldn't stand against a "Thor-Captain."
Yet even with that strength, the battle was still dragging on.
Something was wrong.
Sure enough, before long, Steve came stumbling out of the castle, battered and bruised, and dashed toward Xia Luo with panic in his eyes.
"Help! They're—"
"They're what?"
As Steve got closer, Xia Luo started losing the ability to hear him.
Then he noticed the eerie grin spreading across Steve's face and immediately understood.
Chameleon Cindy?
Damn!
---
[You have been eliminated, with no revival rewards available. Spider Gene Toxin Resistance +1% acquired.]
[26 remaining restart chances. Restart?]
Sixth Revival Round.
He still had no clue what all these Cindys were actually after.
After multiple failures, Xia Luo decided he'd take it easy for this round.
"Spider-Kid! The Black Order is on the bridge. We have to stop them!" Old Man Steve brandished his shield, heading over to Xia Luo.
Xia Luo, stretched out on the couch, waved dismissively. "I'm not going."
Carter frowned. "What's gotten into you?"
"Nothing. You go on—I'm sure you can handle them just fine."
Old Man Steve narrowed his eyes, then suddenly clapped his hands.
"I've got it! He wants us to go first, so he can swoop in at the end and steal the show!" he declared confidently.
Carter: "...???"
"Is that it?" she asked Xia Luo.
Xia Luo nodded. "Yes, yes, exactly. Don't worry, I'll make my grand entrance."
"All right, fine," Carter sighed. With no better option, she and the others set off toward the Brooklyn Bridge.
In the heat of battle, Ebony Maw alone was pushing them to their limits.
"Damn it, it's critical—we need Spider-Kid!" Old Man Steve shouted, trapped within twisting steel beams.
From a nearby pit, Carter spat blood. "Maybe something happened to him."
On the bridge, Lizard Parker was skewered by several steel rods. Staring at Felicia, who'd been crushed to a pulp under piles of rubble, he burst out, "What did you think? That idiot never planned to show! He lied to us!"
Old Man Steve, still struggling against the steel restraints, snapped back, "Impossible! Spider-Kid would never abandon me. He'd only abandon you!"
Lizard Parker: "..."
Soon, Ebony Maw and the rest of the Black Order slowly closed in around them.
"Steve Rogers," Proxima Midnight sneered, "I know you. You're old—and it's time for you to die."
Corvus Glaive's blade flashed.
Old Man Steve was beheaded in one swift motion.
Until the very end, he refused to believe Xia Luo would ever leave him behind.
"Steve!" Carter cried, stricken with grief, but a trio of energy beams arced toward her, and her life ended in an instant.
""I HATE YOU, XIA LUO PARKER!"" Lizard Parker's anguished screams echoed through the air.
The Battle of the Bridge was lost.
---
Not long after, Gwen stumbled back home, having barely escaped the fight.
When she saw Xia Luo lounging on the couch without a care, anger surged through her.
"What do you think you're doing?" she shouted.
Xia Luo, holding a glass of juice, was glued to a TV show, laughing hysterically.
"Hahaha! No way, you're supposed to leap up and tear off the tag, not run around like a bunch of amateurs!"
Seeing Gwen's fury, he shrugged it off without a second thought.
"Oh, you're back. Did you bring any snacks?"
She gritted her teeth. "They're dead. All of them. Aren't they your friends? Why did you just let them die?"
She grabbed Xia Luo by the collar, practically spitting in rage.
Xia Luo calmly wiped his face. "Hold up, that old man has the hammer—oh, shoot, I guess he didn't get a chance to grab it."
He paused, looking a bit regretful.
Ah, well, this round was a throwaway.
Seeing Gwen's face twisted with fury, he chuckled and tried to reassure her, "C'mon, it's not the first time they've died."
Hearing that, Gwen blinked.
"…You might have a point."
She took a steadying breath. "On the way back, that old friend of yours kept mentioning your… powers. Is it true?"
Xia Luo's face darkened. "Let's not talk about that."
"Fine," she said, folding her arms. "So now they're dead. Are you planning to save the world on your own?"
"Don't worry, I've got a plan."
But seeing Xia Luo so nonchalant did nothing to reassure her.
"No—wait, Peter wasn't a contestant. If he dies, he's gone. Really gone." Her voice wavered, realization sinking in.
Xia Luo stayed unfazed. "He's already died once. Trust me, there's no need to worry."
"But—"
"Ms. Gwen, Peter probably told you about me. I'm an old hand at these revival games. You're in good hands."
She hesitated, her expression uncertain. "…Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Three days later, Cindy arrived at the apartment, and Gwen's senses were stripped away.
As for Xia Luo? He was long gone, hiding out to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
But this time, Cindy didn't take Gwen with her—she killed her, right there.
In the security footage, Cindy's face twisted in fury as she dismembered Gwen, chanting furiously all the while:
"You wretched Gwen! It's all because of you! You turned me into this! I hate you—die already!"
"No matter the cost, I'll erase you completely! I can't wait another moment."
"You don't deserve to live, you useless Spider-Woman!"
Downstairs, in Betty's apartment, Xia Luo watched the footage unfold, grimacing in distaste.
"Well, that's done. Guess she's cold now. Can't exactly bring her back fresh."
Bound up in a cocoon of webbing in the corner, Betty looked on in shock.
This man is a complete lunatic!
Just then, Cindy finished disposing of Gwen's remains, then turned suddenly to face the surveillance camera, a twisted grin spreading across her face.
"Did she… spot me?"
Xia Luo's brows knitted. Without hesitation, he launched himself out of the window.
Swish!
Firing off a space-thread, he shot himself several thousand meters into the air.
"This high up, I should be safe."
Settling back in his nanotech suit's web hammock, Xia Luo relaxed, insulated from the biting chill of high altitude.
But that evening, a green comet streaked across the night sky.
"Here already?"
Noticing the movement, Xia Luo sat up, squinting at the green glow speeding his way.
Green Goblin Cindy.
"Of course she can still find me. What a headache."
He shot out more webbing to evade her, but soon a massive shadow fell over him.
"Spider-Man, you can't escape me!"
Cindy, now towering like an ancient deity, loomed across the sky. Her massive hand, hundreds of meters wide, reached down to swat at him.
"Uh… Mysterio version Cindy?"
As the giant hand closed in, Xia Luo froze in mid-air. He could tell this was a holographic projection, like something Mysterio would use—there was no other explanation.
As the shadow engulfed him, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness.
Yes, gradually losing awareness.
Thanks to his increased gene toxin resistance, he didn't black out instantly this time.
In his hazy state, he vaguely heard something:
"Bring him to meet the Mistress."
---
The Cosmic Web
Xia Luo awoke, piecing together fragments of his memory.
"The Mistress?"
He sat up, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "A clue at last."
With his gene toxin resistance steadily increasing, he realized this was his only path to a breakthrough.
If he could build up enough resistance, he'd gain immunity, and nothing could stand in his way.
When he lost consciousness, he hadn't died. Instead, he'd been disqualified simply because he was left unable to take any action during the remaining events.
But by continuing to build his resistance, he was on the verge of uncovering the revival game's biggest secret.
And so, he restarted.
On the seventh revival round, his toxin resistance was up by 6%, allowing his hearing to partially return.
By the eighth, he regained partial vision.
Then, by the eleventh round, with his resistance at a solid 10%, his hearing and sight were completely restored.
Now, as Cindy escorted him, Xia Luo could finally glimpse pieces of the world-shattering secret lying at the heart of the revival game.
They reached the Osborn Castle.
Deep within its underground base, he came face-to-face with the entity that seemed to be the ultimate boss of this revival game.
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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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