Restart, Spider-Man!

Before long, a ferocious roar echoed through the alley. Sergei, having downed a mysterious potion, charged through the hail of gunfire as if impervious to harm, his eyes locked onto the relaxed figure of Xia Luo.

"Spider-Man! I will hunt you down—"

BAM!

Before he could finish, Xia Luo raised a fist and punched him square in the face. Sergei's entire visage caved in with a sickening crunch.

Sergei: "…"

He staggered backward, rubbing his disfigured face. Miraculously, his features quickly reformed, the potion granting him the regenerative abilities of a mollusk.

"That doesn't count! Try again!"

With that, his leg muscles bulged grotesquely, and he launched himself at Xia Luo like a living cannonball.

Xia Luo remained unfazed. He formed a single hand seal before slapping Sergei's chest with his palm.

BZZZ!

A spider totem bloomed on Sergei's chest, sending his body reeling backward. A faint shadow was forcibly torn from him, drifting into the air.

"What's happening?"

Hovering above the ground, Sergei stared at his own ethereal form, confusion giving way to terror.

The air around him grew icy cold, and a tidal wave of malice seemed to crash down upon him from all sides. A gust of wind swept past, and he felt as though his soul might scatter at any moment.

Panic-stricken, Sergei flailed his limbs, trying to "swim" back into his body. But no matter how much he struggled, he remained suspended, unmoving—like a drowning man thrashing in an endless ocean.

Despair and fear engulfed him.

"No! Why? Why is this happening?"

"I gave you a chance," Xia Luo interrupted, his voice calm.

The magical light in his palm flared briefly, and Sergei's soul was ground into dust by its energy.

"Nooooo!"

POOF!

Sergei's soul shattered into countless glimmers of light, scattering into the air.

From behind him, Carter frowned, pointing at Sergei's now-motionless body. "What just happened? Why isn't he moving?"

Xia Luo shrugged. "Probably scared stiff by the Invincible Spider-Man."

Carter rolled her eyes. "You really expect me to buy that?"

"Nope."

Without further ado, Xia Luo fired a web and swung deeper into the alley, using the same method to crush Chameleon's soul.

[You, as the Friendly Neighborhood Hero, have ended a pointless hunting ritual. Restart count +3.]

Xia Luo glanced at the notification and stepped out of the alley with a satisfied smirk.

The soul magic didn't just allow his own soul to leave his body—it could also forcibly eject the souls of his opponents. By destroying Sergei and Chameleon's souls while leaving their bodies intact, he had effectively turned them into vegetative husks.

No more prison breaks for these villains. Perfect.

His gaze swept over the captured mutants being rounded up by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Unlike the relentless Kraven, these mutants posed no real threat to him. But the one who had hired them? Now that was his real target.

"Dear Commander Carter," Xia Luo said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "They're all yours. If you can't get them to talk, let me handle it."

"You?" Carter folded her arms. "Do you even know how to interrogate?"

"Not really. But I know magic."

"Magic?" Carter blinked. "Like hypnosis?"

"Something like that."

"Well then," Carter smirked. "If the need arises, I'll call you in."

---

The commotion died down, and Xia Luo swung back to the Eisen Apartments. Seeing that Wade and Baby Kingpin hadn't returned, he enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The next day, he visited Black Street. Aunt May and Uncle Ben had grown used to his frequent "business trips." They shared a family meal together before Xia Luo set off for the evening.

While swinging between skyscrapers, Xia Luo suddenly vanished mid-flight.

An hour later, he reappeared at the exact same spot, clutching a golden orb in his hand—a time machine.

It was Old Steve's "final gift," and this marked the first time Xia Luo had personally escorted the old soldier to his end. The experience left him feeling... odd.

But his trip to the cinematic universe wasn't solely to retrieve the time machine.

Glancing briefly toward his apartment, Xia Luo turned and swung toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.

---

On the way, he ran into Agent Hill, who was working late. Hitching a ride on her vehicle, he reached the S.H.I.E.L.D. laboratory.

"This is definitely nanotechnology, but far more advanced than anything we've seen," Dr. Helen Zhao exclaimed, scanning the tech suit Xia Luo had brought with him. "The technology embedded here surpasses our era by centuries. Besides Stark, I can't think of anyone capable of replicating this."

She turned to Xia Luo, her curiosity evident. "Spider-Man, where did you get this? It doesn't belong in this timeline."

Xia Luo shrugged. "I stole it from some black-armored guy."

Dr. Zhao frowned. "Black armor… Wakanda?"

"Wakanda?" Carter raised a brow. "What's that?"

Dr. Zhao explained, "A very secretive nation. They occasionally invite select scientists to exchange knowledge. I visited once and learned about nanotechnology from them."

Xia Luo's eyebrows shot up. So Wakanda here isn't completely isolated. Interesting.

"How's Tony's nanotech armor project coming along?" he asked.

Dr. Zhao shook her head. "He doesn't seem to care much about it. Lately, all he does is party."

Carter's face darkened. "Typical playboy—never taking anything seriously."

But Xia Luo had another theory. Tony's indifference likely stemmed from the fact that the cinematic universe version of him had already acquired 31st-century technology from Kang the Conqueror's database. Compared to that, the tech suit was insignificant.

However, upgrading a suit still took time. Transferring the tech from the advanced armor into Spider-Man's suit would be far more efficient.

Unfortunately, few people could manage the task—Tony included.

With that thought, Xia Luo borrowed a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft from Carter and headed straight for Stark Tower.

---

But Tony wasn't at Stark Tower.

Undeterred, Xia Luo followed the trail to Tony's private villa.

On the coast of Liberty City, Stark's lavish mansion exuded opulence. Inside, Tony, surrounded by a crowd of women, demonstrated a unique feature of his armor: a waste filtration system. His antics earned cheers and applause from the onlookers.

Watching from the doorway, Xia Luo shook his head. "Of all the things to show off… really?"

Suddenly, a deep voice interrupted him. "He's not the same Stark as before."

Startled, Xia Luo turned to see darkness. As he blinked, the figure stepped into the light—Colonel James Rhodes.

"Sorry," Xia Luo quipped with a grin. "Didn't see you there. You're just… really dark."

Rhodey's face darkened further. "Tony told me about you. Figures you'd fit right in with him."

"Why's that?"

"Because you're just as irritating."

"Think you've got the wrong idea."

Before Xia Luo could elaborate, Rhodey turned and yelled to the crowd. "Hey, everyone! Spider-Man's here!"

At his shout, the women turned, their eyes lighting up as they recognized the hero.

"It's Spider-Man!"

"His suit is so cool!"

"And those muscles—amazing!"

"Please don't touch me without washing your hands," Xia Luo muttered as the group surged toward him.

Meanwhile, Rhodey approached Tony, his expression grim. "Had enough of this nonsense?"

Tony, oblivious to the tension, reached for his drink. "Care for a glass?"

"I said, have you had enough?" Rhodey snapped, snatching the drink from his hand. "I don't know what's wrong with you, but you're letting everyone down. You're Iron Man, not some drunk playboy."

Tony's expression darkened. "You've got the wrong guy. I'm just a washed-up arms dealer."

Slumping to the ground, he grabbed a bottle of whiskey and took a long swig.

Rhodey sighed deeply, then said, "Spider-Man's here. Even if I can't help you, he can."

For a moment, Tony froze. Then, a faint smirk crept onto his face. Without warning, he swung a punch at Rhodey.

BAM!

Rhodey flew backward, crashing into a liquor cabinet as the crowd gasped.

"Oh my God! They're fighting!"

"No, it's a one-sided beatdown!"

"This is insane. Stark just attacked Colonel Rhodes. Headline news for sure."

"Spider-Man's been all over the news lately anyway."

As the murmurs grew, Xia Luo frowned.

This is going too far.

As Rhode lay dazed amidst the shattered glass, pain etched across his face, Tony's scowling visage hovered into view.

"Rhode, you've lost the right to interfere in my life. We're not friends anymore."

With that, Tony waved dismissively. "Happy, take him to the hospital."

Moments later, he turned back to Xia Luo, his expression utterly indifferent.

"See? This is who I am now—a complete jerk. Go ahead, start hating me."

Xia Luo watched as Happy carried the injured Rhode away, stepping aside to clear a path.

"You seem to be in a great mood," Xia Luo remarked with a faint smile.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah, and if you want to join the party, stay. If not, this place isn't for you."

"Of course," Xia Luo replied coolly, stepping forward. "I love it here."

As Xia Luo approached, Tony raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snap!

Click-clack!

Suddenly, lights flared, and a swarm of drones appeared, each locking their weaponized optics onto Xia Luo.

"Still loving it?" Tony taunted, his grin dripping with malice.

It was in this moment that Xia Luo realized something was off. This wasn't the behavior of a man spiraling due to palladium poisoning. Tony had planned this encounter.

So… this was deliberate, Xia Luo thought.

"Now things are getting interesting," he muttered, his pale blue eyes flashing faintly. Turning on his heel, he began to walk away. "Don't let me interrupt your fun. Good luck, Iron Man."

Without another word, Xia Luo left the villa, taking off in his aircraft.

As Spider-Man vanished into the distance, the women around Tony gawked in disbelief.

Tony, however, burst into arrogant laughter. "See that? Spider-Man ran away, scared of Iron Man!"

Cheering, he threw wads of cash into the air. The women shrieked with delight, scrambling to collect the bills.

"Yes! Spider-Man was totally scared!"

"All hail Iron Man!"

The women, their inhibitions discarded, knelt to gather the scattered money, cheering as they went.

They weren't celebrating Tony. They were celebrating wealth.

---

Meanwhile, Xia Luo's aircraft skimmed across the ocean, leaving trails of foamy waves in its wake.

"Captain Carter, something's wrong with Tony," Xia Luo said, activating the communicator.

On the holographic screen, Carter's face appeared, her expression grim.

"I know. He attacked Rhode. There's no way he's not getting sued for this."

"That's not what I mean. Tony's in serious trouble."

"What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference."

Glancing in his rearview mirror, Xia Luo caught sight of the villa in the distance.

"Keep a close eye on him. Stop him before he does something worse."

Carter frowned in confusion. "What else could he possibly do?"

"I don't know."

Switching his aircraft to autopilot, Xia Luo reclined his seat and rested his hands behind his head.

"But if I'm right, S.H.I.E.L.D. is about to face a big problem."

"Another problem…" Carter groaned, massaging her temples—a gesture that reminded Xia Luo of Nick Fury.

Carter knew Xia Luo wouldn't say such things without reason. If he was warning her, it meant trouble was inevitable.

"I envy Nick Fury sometimes," Carter said with a bitter laugh. "He wasn't forced out—he ran. I regret becoming the commander."

"It's too late for regrets," Xia Luo replied.

Carter nodded. "Yes, too late."

"Is this about the so-called 'God of the Mutants'?" she asked.

Xia Luo hesitated for a moment. "I'm not sure. But before the crisis fully erupts, I need to deal with Apocalypse."

"Ask the Sorcerer Supreme for help?"

"No. She wouldn't agree. This is something I have to handle myself."

"Can you?"

"I don't have a choice."

"By the way," Xia Luo added, "did the mutants confess yet?"

Carter's face shifted, her expression turning odd. "They did. No resistance whatsoever."

"Who hired them?"

"A lot of people," Carter admitted. "Not just one person—a whole group."

"Go on." Xia Luo felt a twinge of unease.

Taking a deep breath, Carter continued. "The group includes several senators, General Ross from the military, and even some world-famous billionaires."

Hearing this, Xia Luo abruptly sat up.

"Now everything makes sense."

To Carter's surprise, he didn't seem angry. In fact, he looked almost pleased.

"I should've guessed. Killing Spider-Man was never the real goal. Hiring a bunch of low-tier mutants? Their actual plan was to provoke Spider-Man into waging war against everyone."

"War?" Carter groaned, the implications weighing on her.

"I suspected as much," she admitted. "But what's the point? Everyone knows Spider-Man is basically immortal."

"Maybe I'm not their real target."

"You're not?" Carter's eyes widened as realization dawned. "They're trying to use Spider-Man against human authorities… This is starting to sound like a mutant agenda."

"That part doesn't matter."

Xia Luo chuckled. "What matters is that it's time for Apocalypse to notice me."

Carter: "…"

Save the world all you want, but did it have to sound so suggestive?

---

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