Restart, Spider-Man!

"Now?" Carter asked.

"Of course."

Xia Luo smiled faintly as a swirling portal of magical sparks ignited in the air before him.

In Mephisto's hell or the Quantum Realm, such a portal wouldn't work. But here? No problem.

Carter's eyes narrowed as realization dawned.

"You could've used your portals the entire time but still borrowed my aircraft. You weren't planning to return it, were you?" Her voice dropped into a deadpan tone.

Xia Luo paused for a moment, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Oops, busted. Haha, how embarrassing."

"By the way, what were you saying just now? I didn't catch that."

Feigning ignorance, he stepped into the portal.

Meanwhile, the aircraft he had borrowed had already been programmed to return to the Eisen Apartments. Carter's personal ride was undoubtedly expensive.

A win's a win, Xia Luo thought as he crossed the threshold into the portal, arriving in a dark underground chamber.

---

The dim space was dominated by a towering pyramid that stretched over a hundred meters tall. Around the pyramid, several guards spotted Xia Luo's arrival and immediately cried out in alarm.

"Spider-Man!"

"Damn it! How did he find us?"

"Sound the alarm!"

The guards were visibly shaken, scrambling to act. Before they could move, Charles stepped forward from among them.

"The master already knows. Stand down."

With a wave of his hand, the guards visibly relaxed, shooting Xia Luo wary glances before retreating. The area was left to the two of them.

Watching the retreating backs of the guards, a faint blue glow flickered in Xia Luo's eyes.

"It seems that Apocalypse has been doing well for himself lately. Those guards are no pushovers," he commented.

Charles nodded. "He has the ability to unlock a mutant's full potential. Even ordinary mutants grow much stronger under him. That's one of the reasons Erik follows him so willingly."

Charles paused before adding, "How did you find this place? Magic?"

"Exactly."

Xia Luo raised a hand, twirling his fingers as faint magical sparks shimmered around them.

"All I have to do is focus on your name, and I'll know your location—so long as you're still on Earth."

Charles looked impressed. "That's quite the power."

"It's magic," Xia Luo corrected with a smirk.

"Right. Great magic," Charles said, stepping aside and gesturing toward the pyramid. "Shall we? I know you're not here for me."

Without further ado, Xia Luo strode confidently into the pyramid's vast interior space.

Charles followed behind him. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Nope."

"Then why are you walking in front?"

"Frontline superheroes always take the lead."

Charles: "…"

He quickened his pace, taking the lead as they navigated the pyramid's labyrinthine corridors.

"Do you have a plan to defeat the master?" Charles asked quietly.

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "Of course not."

Charles didn't believe him for a second, giving him a knowing look. "Ah, I see. You can't discuss it here."

Xia Luo blinked, his expression turning oddly amused. Sure, let's go with that. He thinks I'm undercover. Classic Apocalypse mismanagement.

Apocalypse's biggest problem wasn't a lack of power—it was his poor judgment of character. Half of his Four Horsemen weren't loyal, and the rest weren't exactly devoted.

Still, Xia Luo had brought a plan with him this time.

If all goes as expected...

Before he could finish his thought, the golden hues of the corridor began to shimmer. From a metallic doorway, Wanda and Pietro emerged, stopping short as they spotted Xia Luo.

"Spider-Man!" Pietro exclaimed in surprise, while Wanda frowned deeply.

"The master summoned us because Spider-Man is here," Wanda said, glancing at Charles.

Charles nodded. "As expected. The master anticipated Spider-Man would come after his revival."

Hearing this, Wanda's frown deepened.

"Looks like we'll have to fight again," she said, fixing Xia Luo with a steady gaze.

Xia Luo shrugged. "Relax. I came here willingly—I won't resist."

"That's terrible news," Wanda muttered.

At that moment, Erik appeared from around a corner, his eyes scanning the group before resting on Xia Luo.

"Move it," Erik barked. "The master is waiting."

His gaze lingered on Xia Luo for a moment, contemplative.

The previous night, Erik hadn't seen anything extraordinary from Spider-Man—nothing that suggested a dramatic increase in power.

But the fact that Xia Luo had willingly sought out Apocalypse? That confidence was... troubling.

He was already considering his next steps.

---

Before long, the group entered the grand golden throne room.

At its center, perched atop a towering throne, the blue-gray figure of Apocalypse surveyed them all with a cold, unyielding gaze.

Xia Luo sidled up to Wanda and whispered, "Does he always sit there? Late at night, no room of his own?"

Wanda: "…"

Apocalypse's sharp ears caught the remark. His fists clenched briefly, but he maintained his composure.

"Spider-Man," Apocalypse began, his deep, commanding voice reverberating through the chamber, "have you made your decision?"

"Decision about what?" Xia Luo asked, rubbing his ear.

"The time for battle."

"Nope. I'm here to surrender."

The room fell silent. Apocalypse's brow furrowed slightly, while Wanda's expression turned grim.

She had warned Xia Luo that surrender wouldn't matter—Apocalypse wanted his body, not his compliance.

Charles and Erik exchanged uneasy glances, sensing something was off. Pietro, on the other hand, exhaled with relief, grinning.

"Great! No need to fight Spider-Man now!"

From his throne, Apocalypse cast a glance at his followers before fixing his gaze on Xia Luo, his lips curling into a faint sneer.

"Surrender? Even the invincible Spider-Man surrenders?"

"Of course."

Xia Luo shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyone who's been friends with Spider-Man knows I have no shame."

Apocalypse: "…"

His calm facade was betrayed by a growing sense of unease.

Pride was the hallmark of strength, and strong individuals didn't surrender so easily. Yet with Spider-Man, he couldn't be sure.

Despite his reputation as a superhero, Spider-Man was notorious for being... unorthodox. Still, something about this felt wrong.

After a moment's contemplation, Apocalypse steadied himself.

"Spider-Man, I accept your surrender."

Xia Luo clapped his hands together and grinned. "Great! That makes us teammates now. What do you need me to do? I'll follow your orders without question."

A smile ghosted across Apocalypse's face. "Your task is simple. Help mutants defeat humanity. That should be easy for you."

"How, specifically?"

"Begin by storming S.H.I.E.L.D. Kill the superheroes there."

"Um... we're all friends. That's a bit awkward for me."

"Then you're not truly loyal to the mutant cause."

Apocalypse's eyes narrowed, glowing white. The stone beneath Xia Luo's feet crumbled into sand, swallowing him up to his waist.

Even as the ground shifted around him, Xia Luo made no move to resist.

Come on, come on, try to take over my body already! he urged silently.

But just as quickly as it had trapped him, the sand disintegrated, freeing him.

"Spider-Man, I forgive you," Apocalypse said suddenly.

Xia Luo blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I forgive you. You don't have to betray your friends," Apocalypse said, smiling faintly.

The entire room stilled, with even Apocalypse's followers thrown off by the sudden shift.

Spider-Man was infamous for his trickery. Something about this screamed trap. And Apocalypse, once a ruler of the world, wasn't about to fall for it. He prided himself on his caution, congratulating himself silently.

Xia Luo, on the other hand, sighed inwardly. Guess he's smarter than I thought.

His plan had been simple: lure Apocalypse into attempting to possess his body, then use his enhanced soul to fight back. But Apocalypse's wariness had thwarted that.

Time for Plan B.

Pulling out the golden orb, Xia Luo grinned as Apocalypse instinctively raised a protective shield.

"Spider-Man, you finally—"

Before Apocalypse could finish, the orb opened, revealing another glowing portal.

"Follow me," Xia Luo said, stepping into the portal. "I'm sure you're dying to learn the secrets of resurrection."

---

Curious but cautious, Apocalypse floated toward the portal, flanked by his Horsemen.

The moment they entered, Xia Luo, now back in the golden throne room, smirked as the portal sealed behind them.

He threw his arms wide, reveling in the empty chamber.

"Finally got him," he muttered, savoring the victory.

The time machine had sent Apocalypse into another universe—one where he wouldn't return.

"Retirement, here I come!" he cheered.

But behind him, a familiar golden portal materialized. Apocalypse and his Horsemen stepped out, their expressions unimpressed.

Xia Luo's spider-sense screamed a warning. Turning, he watched Apocalypse place a strange device into the void, his confidence faltering.

"How… how are you back?"

Apocalypse smirked. "The Time Variance Authority isn't as invincible as they think. I took their tools, and now I've returned."

Xia Luo's heart sank. This just got a lot worse.

"Why is this happening? The Invincible Spider-Man has failed again." Xia Luo clutched his head in frustration.

This was nothing like what he had envisioned.

Apocalypse, seated upon his throne, regarded him with mockery.

"I know your plan, Spider-Man," he said with a cruel smirk. "But, unfortunately for you, I've returned."

Turning his back on Xia Luo, Apocalypse settled back into his towering throne.

"Not long ago, likely due to the powers of the Time Monolith, I awoke prematurely. A strange group of soldiers sought me out, claiming they were here to erase me from existence.

"Though their weapons were peculiar, I killed them all."

As he spoke, Apocalypse reached into the void and retrieved the metallic box once again.

"The Time Variance Authority's special device allows me to travel between universes. Naturally, it also brings me back to this one.

"So, Spider-Man, if this was your master plan, then yes—you've failed."

Hearing this, Xia Luo fell silent, his mind racing. Piece by piece, the puzzle began to fall into place.

"Erik and Charles—they're not from this universe," Xia Luo said finally. "You brought them here from another."

Apocalypse nodded. "Correct. I needed reliable assistants. Their potential was... promising."

Xia Luo's eyes gleamed faintly. "If you can return here with the device, why are you so intent on ruling this universe?"

Apocalypse's gaze sharpened. "This is my homeland."

"No," Xia Luo said, folding his arms with a sly smile. "This is your only choice."

Pointing directly at Apocalypse, Xia Luo continued, "There's only one truth."

"You've grown cautious because you've witnessed versions of yourself in other universes fail."

"And it's not just that. Not every universe has mutants. You want to lead mutants in conquering a world—but only a world where they exist."

"Your options are limited, aren't they?"

Xia Luo began pacing. "You've already realized that there are far too many beings across the multiverse who are stronger than you. You're too afraid to invade their worlds."

"And most importantly, your device has issues, doesn't it? Somewhere along the way, you ran into trouble. That's why you can't move freely through the multiverse."

"If you could, you'd still be importing mutants from other universes instead of relying on the candidates from this one."

"And the final nail in the coffin: you haven't tried to take my body. It's not because your power hasn't fully returned. It's because you're scared."

"You're terrified of the idea that this isn't a mutant ability. You know I'm not one of you."

Each word struck Apocalypse like a hammer blow. His expression darkened with every sentence.

Behind him, Wanda and the others exchanged uneasy glances, their faces betraying a mix of shock and realization.

If Spider-Man was right, then the legendary progenitor of mutants wasn't as invincible as they had believed.

Until now, they had assumed the resurgence of mutant genes in this world was due to Apocalypse's influence.

But now they saw the truth.

It wasn't the mutants who had chosen Apocalypse. It was Apocalypse who had chosen this mutant-filled world.

Stealing glances at his stiffened expression, they grew more certain of their conclusions.

Meanwhile, Apocalypse was reeling. He hadn't anticipated that Spider-Man would deduce so much from a few casual remarks.

Worse, Spider-Man seemed to understand the Time Variance Authority better than he did.

Every word felt like a thunderous blow to Apocalypse's psyche. His body trembled faintly.

The more he learned, the more fear gripped him.

And the more fear gripped him, the more hesitant he became.

---

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