"Spider-Man, show me how you'll beat me!"
Under the Grandmaster's fervent gaze, Charlie drew his final card.
"What?"
Seeing the card, the Grandmaster's face twisted in shock.
"How is this possible!"
He clutched his head, eyes bloodshot, roaring, "How could it be a blank card!!"
As if drained of strength, the Grandmaster collapsed, pale.
"A blank card—what's your plan?"
"Obviously, I surrender."
Charlie shrugged, raising his hands.
"I give up. I lose."
As Charlie declared defeat, the game ended.
Charlie lost.
Instantly, the game's rules locked onto Earth. The dark star in orbit turned to ash, vanishing in the solar system.
The shattered Earth rapidly restored itself under the rules.
The dead awoke, as if from a nightmare.
Gray cards returned to the interface, Elder Steve and others now bearing the Grandmaster's mark.
Charlie's cards now belonged to the Grandmaster.
The game ended, and a victor emerged.
The Grandmaster!
Buzz!
A radiant beam enveloped the Grandmaster.
Confetti rained, but he showed no joy.
Crouching, he clutched his head, muttering ferociously.
"How could this happen? The invincible Spider-Man can't create miracles. He's second place, the highest-ranking loser. A failure…
Ahh!! I'm first, but I'm a failure too!
Why!
Why can't anyone beat me, why!!"
The Grandmaster struggled.
His expression dazed, he shook his head.
"Impossible, it's illogical. No bet has a 100% win rate. It's not reasonable…
Why can't I figure it out? I'm so stupid!!
If even invincible Spider-Man can't give me answers, who can!!!"
He knelt, wailing.
Charlie felt a mysterious rule pulling his soul from his body.
It was surreal.
He couldn't resist, and his spider-sense gave no warning.
It was meant to be.
He lost. Per the deal, Spider-Man's body belonged to the Grandmaster.
That was the rule.
No one could break it.
Charlie lost.
The bet took effect, witnessed by countless humans.
"What happened?"
"Spider-Man lost."
"This game was never reliable."
"No, look at our bodies and the sky!"
Suddenly, people noticed strange marks on themselves and a Sakaar symbol in the sky.
"We're marked."
"Damn, per the rules, Spider-Man lost. Earth belongs to the alien."
"We're alien slaves now."
"Oh my gosh, no, I won't be a slave."
"Damn Spider-Man, it's his fault."
"If he tried harder, we wouldn't be slaves."
"Yeah, that arrogant bug ruined everything."
"No idea how the alien will treat us."
"I don't want to mine on an alien planet!!"
"Maybe they'll can us."
"No, that's too horrific."
Resentment surged, and the invincible Spider-Man was nailed to a pillar of shame.
S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Hill stared at the mark on her arm, her face grim.
"Spider-Man lost. We're the Grandmaster's trophies."
Coulson shook his head, gazing firmly at the ship.
"Spider-Man lost, but we might not."
Hill frowned. "You know something."
Coulson turned. "I overheard the Captain and Spider-Man in the bathroom."
"Bathroom?"
Hill's face changed. "What did you say?" Her tone sharpened.
"I heard—"
"Where?"
"The bathroom."
"Bathroom!!!"
Hill clenched her fists, nearly manic.
"No!! How could this happen? The Commander in a men's bathroom with Spider-Man… Damn, so thrilling, and I wasn't there…"
"Uh, well…"
Coulson looked awkward. "It was the women's bathroom. I walked in by mistake."
Hill: "…"
Before she could process, a loud noise came from the ship.
Boom~
"They're fighting," Hill gasped.
The external screen showed Spider-Man as the Grandmaster's trophy.
No, precisely, Spider-Man's body was the trophy.
His soul was free.
To the Grandmaster, Spider-Man's soul held no value.
But now, even his body was meaningless.
Spider-Man lost.
He wasn't the one the Grandmaster sought.
In rage, the Grandmaster swung his staff, unleashing fury on Charlie.
Charlie's body instinctively dodged, the staff embedding in the ship's wall.
"Damn bug, you don't deserve to live in this world!"
Furious, the Grandmaster pulled out the staff, waving it. Countless mechanical tentacles, coated in strange energy, sealed the interior.
Unable to evade, Charlie's body was bound.
The tentacles released a substance, dissolving Spider-Man's body.
Charlie's soul calmly watched.
"I gave you my body, and you didn't cherish it. Wasted my effort."
He shook his head, forming a seal. A massive spider totem spread across the sky.
Devouring Magic!
Crack crack crack~
A blood-red demon eye emerged from the magic circle.
Roar!
The unknown-dimensional beast roared, blood-red mist bursting the ship. The eye's eerie light enveloped Charlie's soul and the Grandmaster.
The creature bound them, but the enraged Grandmaster dismissed it.
"Bug, think this lowlife can turn the tables? You underestimate me!"
He roared, the interface reappearing, a card shooting out.
Buzz~
Boom!!
A black blade sliced the sky. Gwen, wielding the Black Death Sword, obliterated the eye.
As it vanished, Charlie converted its power into magic.
Swish~
Blood-red energy surged into his soul. The Grandmaster's eyes narrowed.
"Damn bug, you can't break the rules. Your only fate is to become my card for the next game."
He unleashed countless cards, conjuring familiar figures.
Rumble!!
Captain Thunder appeared, thunder and shield striking.
Twin Black Death Swords flanked, black clouds covering the sky.
Hero skills followed: War Soul Sword, Carol, Supreme Peter…
Yup, Charlie was mobbed by his friends.
Facing the dense, terrifying onslaught, Charlie just shrugged.
"Oh yeah, brothers, come chop me."
Boom!!
His soul was torn apart by the energies.
Witnesses despaired.
"Spider-Man's dead."
"Earth's hero became the alien's blade."
"We're doomed."
"I really don't want to mine!!"
"Wait, look, what's that?"
"It's Spider-Man!"
"Right, we forgot—Spider-Man doesn't die."
"He's back!!"
Under countless gazes, red-blue light gathered in the sky, the invincible Spider-Man reappearing.
[You've used your stored Resurrection Quota x1. You cannot participate in this Resurrection Match.]
Revived, Charlie gripped a black-red spider.
"Black Emperor, activate!"
Boom!!
Absolute destruction overwhelmed Gwen and Gorr's Black Death Swords. Blood-red claws tore the void, a blood-red sword falling into Charlie's hand.
Click~
As the claws gripped the sword, Charlie's eyes blazed red.
The Grandmaster destroyed his trophy, so the revived Spider-Man was free.
Body and soul!
The Grandmaster's face changed.
First shock, then realization.
"You… you did it on purpose!"
He reined in his anger, then laughed.
"Hahaha, brilliant, just brilliant. Worthy of you, invincible Spider-Man. You surprised me.
You provoked me to destroy your body, then your soul.
Revived, you're free again.
Perfect. So, cute bug, let's start the next game…"
Before he finished, a blood-red streak crossed space.
No one reacted.
Not even the Grandmaster.
Splurch!
Under black clouds, thunder roared.
White light flashed, illuminating the Grandmaster's stunned face.
He looked down, the blood-red blade piercing his chest, game rule energy pouring out, turning to light particles across the world.
He froze, then smiled.
Raising his head, he gazed at the evil figure under the clouds.
"Spider-Man, when… when did you figure it out?" He knelt, giving a bitter smile.
Charlie stepped through the void, appearing before him.
Hum!
He slowly drew out the Black Death Sword.
"Guess," Charlie said calmly.
"Naughty," the Grandmaster chuckled bitterly.
Rumble!
Dark lightning cracked, and he lowered his proud head.
His body turned to ash from the bottom up.
His face held only joy, no regret.
He was convinced.
Logan was right.
Immortality was a curse.
Always winning was too.
From the moment he gained eternal power, thrilling games were beyond him.
For eons, every game lacked suspense.
He was tired.
He was the game's rules, unbreakable.
So he could only win.
Not bad.
But humans crave what they can't have.
At some point, he longed for defeat's taste.
He didn't know what it felt like.
He'd seen countless second-placers—losers.
They wept, regretted, paid with freedom or life.
Unattainable to him.
Then and now.
In his final game, he didn't lose.
Invincible Spider-Man didn't beat him in the game.
But he tasted defeat.
At the cost of his life.
In his last conscious moment, he looked up, opening his mouth.
Charlie nodded slightly, waving away the ash.
As the Grandmaster vanished, people cheered, cards disappearing into the void, perhaps to their universes.
Or maybe…
"No!!"
Elder Steve clutched his head, wailing.
"What did I do? I killed little Spider, no!!"
"Hey, I killed Spider-Man," Carol patted his shoulder, proud.
Elder Steve glared fiercely.
"You said it! You killed little Spider. I'll avenge him!!"
Seeing the old man lose it, Carol backed away.
"What are you doing? Stay back! We're conscious now—everyone will scorn you."
"I'm old. They won't dare."
"Shit."
Carol bolted, Elder Steve chasing with Mjolnir.
Passing Charlie, he paused, curious.
"Honestly, how'd you take him down?"
Gwen and others were puzzled too.
Charlie shrugged, offering no explanation.
The Grandmaster's death was a mystery.
Only he and Charlie knew.
As the embodiment of the game's rules, the Grandmaster was invincible in the game.
But between games, before the next started, he could be killed.
For eons, no one discovered this.
His life was a game.
Eating, sleeping, every word, every move.
Even the game with Spider-Man was part of his game.
But he shouldn't have mentioned the "next" game.
In his world, a new game required ending the previous one.
The rules couldn't be broken, but they had a bug.
The Grandmaster chose his bug.
Before Spider-Man, he hinted at it to countless opponents.
None followed the rules.
So they failed.
Spider-Man followed them more than anyone.
So he succeeded.
He wasn't first, but with no first, second was the highest victor.
But second had troubles too.
Charlie reached out, the Grandmaster's staff falling into his hand.
He didn't win, but he claimed a trophy.
Sakaar's full authority.
The Sakaar marks on everyone remained.
Whoever held the staff owned Earth!
Charlie declared the invincible cosmic neighbor wouldn't do anything crazy.
He'd just quietly own a planet.
Become Earth's King!
Under countless shocked gazes, Charlie raised the Sakaar staff.
"From now on, in the name of the King, I declare the world will live and work by Spider-Man's will. No one can defy the King's orders!"
His voice, through the staff, reached the world.
People, stunned, showed disbelief.
"How? Spider-Man's an evil demon."
"He wants to control Earth, control everyone!"
"He slew the evil dragon to become the next."
"No, this isn't what superheroes do."
"This is Spider-Man's true face, the most evil being."
"My idol's fallen. What do I do!!"
"Dude, you were cursing him hardest, and you're his fan?"
"Yeah, a black fan."
On TV, J. Jonah Jameson, praising Spider-Man's victory, continued.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's congratulate Spider-Man on owning Earth!!" he cheered.
Studio audience: "…"
On the plaza screen, Jameson's smile was sincere.
Street fans felt inferior.
"That's a true Spider fan."
"I concede."
Meanwhile, Carter and others snapped out of their shock.
"Do you know what you're saying?" Carter's face darkened. "Stop playing."
Charlie was serious. "I'm not. I'm serious."
Carter: "…"
Elder Steve crossed his arms, eyeing Charlie. "So, as Earth's King, what's your plan?"
"I bet you'll demand a dollar from everyone," Tony said confidently.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Am I that shallow?"
"Then what?" Gwen asked.
Charlie grinned, raising the staff.
"Now, Spider-Man orders all foolish Earthlings, as low-civilization beings, you're only fit to be the lowest slaves.
From now on, you'll work eight hours a day—exactly eight hours!"
People thought they were hallucinating.
Tony clutched his face. "No, eight hours a day? Kill me!!"
Charlie laughed. "Hahaha, I know you fools are already crying, but Spider-Man has worse!
You'll get only two days off a week.
You'll live in cramped, filthy 300-square-meter garden homes, like pigs in your world.
I'll drain your value. Your minimum wage will be ten thousand dollars, rising 9.9% three times a year.
Such meager pay means buying the latest compact flyer requires two years of saving without eating or drinking. That's all you deserve.
Worst of all, you'll work until fifty. I'll eradicate diseases, so no slacking excuses. Your kids will be forced into schools, learning work skills, eating the cheapest cosmic fruits, veggies, and meats. They'll be my leverage against you…"
Spider-Man's decree left the world in self-doubt.
Agent Hill blinked. "So Spider-Man's still Spider-Man, right?"
Coulson clenched his fists. "Damn Spider-Man, I'll work hard to ruin his world-conquering plan!"
"Me too."
Agents gritted their teeth.
Hill cried.
Her salary was far more than ten thousand dollars.