Eisen Apartments.
Harry brought over the latest model of a juicer.
"Hey, my friend, welcome home. I brought some imported fruit."
Harry set the juicer on the table as workers behind him carried in various boxes.
Eyeing the packaging on the boxes, Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"Imported? That's a fancy word. You sure this isn't just from a farm in the next state?"
Harry grinned, spreading his hands. "Of course not. The bad stuff stays where it's grown."
"I feel personally attacked."
Charlie turned to open the fridge, organizing the fruit inside.
At the same time, a flicker of information appeared in his mind.
[Heat Vision: 4999°C]
[Stellar Energy Absorption Conversion: Advanced Successfully]
[Spider Totem: 11]
[Remaining Restarts: 11]
[Remaining Free Resurrection Match: 1]
[DC Universe Summon Quota: 1]
[Summon Advancement Change: When summoning Atlanna, activate Bloodline Summon, allowing a second summon of Aquaman Arthur.]
Reading this, Charlie felt the surge of stellar energy within him and shook his head.
The stellar energy absorption had advanced, but its boost still paled compared to the real Superman.
And the repeated failure rewards from the Resurrection Match meant his heat vision's temperature still couldn't match Superman's.
That guy was a bug-level character in the DC Universe. No need to compare.
But the Bloodline Summon skill was… odd.
What even was a Bloodline Summon?
Was that guy really the child of the invincible Spider-Man?
What a joke.
Charlie grimaced, mentally cursing Atlanna's nonsense antics.
Suddenly, Harry stepped up beside him, his gaze falling on the back of the fridge, surprised.
"Your fridge isn't plugged in. How's it staying cold?"
"This."
Charlie moved the fruit aside, revealing a blue box inside.
"What's that?"
Harry curiously touched the box, only to recoil, his face paling from the biting cold.
"Oh, crap, that hurts."
He pulled back his frostbitten fingers. "That's some creepy stuff."
"It's called the Casket of Ancient Winters, a treasure I got from Odin," Charlie explained. "If you like it, I can give it to you."
"What would I do with that?"
Harry shook his head. "Nah, I need to get my fingers checked at the hospital before they heal on their own."
"Hold on."
Charlie took out the Casket, then shut the fridge door.
"Your gear's too outdated. I need to upgrade your glider's durability."
"Outdated?"
Harry gave him a sideways glance. "You have no idea how strong I am now."
"Wanna test that?"
"Nah, I'm not an idiot."
Harry declined Charlie's "kind" offer, then seemed to remember something.
"You're upgrading my gear because you've got a job for me, don't you?"
Charlie shook his head. "Not exactly. If you guys can hold your own, it takes some pressure off me."
Everyone around Spider-Man gets dragged into his mess—it's been proven time and again.
Except for Aunt May and Uncle Ben, everyone else had died at least once.
Without his cheat codes, Charlie would've been toast long ago.
Right now, only Aunt May's fate had been severed. Everyone else was still doomed to die.
If his cheat codes ever glitched, Charlie wouldn't be able to save those around him.
So, boosting their combat strength was the only plan he could think of.
In the Kryptonian War, Harry, old-man Steve, and others had gained a fraction of the Life Code's power, allowing them to absorb stellar energy to enhance their physique.
But it wasn't efficient enough. They needed external help.
As for how, Charlie had a plan.
Not just for Harry, but for the others too.
He looked at Harry. "Gather the team. Wait for me to get back."
"What are you off to do?"
"Learn magic."
"Oh man, you're such an ambitious Spider-Man. In front of you, I feel like a total slacker—"
"Stop rambling. That doesn't sound like you at all."
With that, Charlie turned and vanished into a portal.
…
Scarlet Witch's Spider-Man Universe.
Charlie raised the Infinity Gauntlet, using the Mind Stone to connect his consciousness to the Web of Life and Destiny.
In the tattered cosmic web, the Weaver was still diligently "working."
Arriving at the cosmic web, Charlie didn't waste time. He closed his eyes, silently communing with it.
He needed to learn more Spider-Man-exclusive magic.
The most critical was the "Summon Little Spiders" series.
Summoning magic like this was one-time-use. To summon again, he'd need to master more spell arrays.
As for the Inheritors on the other end of the web, Charlie paid them no mind.
In such a short time, as long as he didn't mess around, they'd be hard-pressed to notice him.
Thinking of the Inheritors and the Morlun family, Charlie recalled Karn, whom he'd met in this Resurrection Match.
In later retries, he'd learned from Karn the coordinates of the Inheritors' multiverse.
Universe 001!
A universe brimming with evil forces and extreme danger, hiding countless powerful beings—any one of whom could be an ultimate boss in another multiverse.
It was also the Inheritors' homeland, known as the "Loomworld."
Beyond that, Charlie knew nothing.
Karn had only shared that much.
The guy seemed confident in the Morlun family. When he learned Charlie planned to counter-invade Loomworld, he revealed the coordinates without hesitation.
In his mind, the Morlun family was the strongest totem clan, unbeatable by anyone.
Not even the invincible Spider-Man.
Charlie thanked Karn for his cooperation.
In a flash of thought, Charlie arrived in a colorful space.
The space was filled with floating bubbles, each containing the collective wisdom of all Spider-Men.
Charlie began fishing for these bubbles in the colorful world.
Each time he caught one, strange bits of information flooded his mind.
Peter Parker's Crush Notes
Artificial Web Synthesis and Decomposition
Spider-Man's Suit Design Philosophy
Mary Jane's Daily Routine and Hobbies
Gwen's Full Swan Lake Photo Collection
As time passed, Charlie shook his head, tossing aside the useless bubbles.
The Inheritors' damage to the Web of Life and Destiny made it hard to pinpoint summoning magic.
Last time, the Master Weaver had actively helped him find what he needed instantly.
This time, the Weaver was silent, likely under the Inheritors' tight watch.
He was on his own.
With that, Charlie dove back into the colorful bubbles.
After an unknown amount of time, he gradually fished out the magical knowledge he wanted.
…
When Charlie returned to the main world, a week had passed.
Nighttime, Eisen Apartments.
As Charlie opened the door, he saw Carter and the others tied up and thrown on the floor, familiar friends filling the living room.
Woo woo woo~
Seeing Charlie return, old-man Steve, his face bruised, struggled, but the ordinary ropes binding him were surprisingly tough. Even Steve couldn't break them, making Charlie's expression darken.
He looked to the balcony, where a white-haired old man lay in an artificial web hammock, quietly admiring the… haze over the city.
Huh, no moon tonight.
Noticing Charlie behind him, the white-haired man turned, his wrinkled face curling into a creepy smile. Like a demon from hell, he radiated evil.
In that instant, Charlie's scalp tingled.
"You are?"
"My friends called me Banner. Dr. Banner."
The white-haired Banner shakily stood, his cloudy eyes glinting green in the dark, eerie and terrifying.
He continued, "But they're all dead. I killed them."
Charlie instantly understood who this was.
The High Evolutionary's cards were scattered across this world, and this guy was the white-haired Hulk from back then!
He'd finally shown up.
Charlie stepped forward calmly, the stellar energy in his body stirring.
"Your target's me?"
"Of course."
White-haired Hulk glanced at Charlie. "Relax, I'm still in control. Otherwise, you'd only see their corpses when you got back."
He looked at Carter and the others, then shook his head. "No, not even corpses would be left."
Carter and the others' eyes flashed with fear.
Only they knew what role they played in front of this white-haired Hulk.
Ants!
No, weaker than ants.
Even old-man Steve, enhanced multiple times by the Resurrection Match, couldn't withstand a single punch.
In this situation, only the invincible Spider-Man could handle it.
But seeing Charlie's guarded stance, they weren't so sure.
The High Evolutionary was defeated, yet his cards were far stronger than imagined. What was going on?
They couldn't figure out how the High Evolutionary had turned the white-haired Hulk into a card.
Charlie couldn't either.
But soon, he understood.
White-haired Banner sighed. "The High Evolutionary couldn't fully seal me. He betrayed my trust. If he were still alive, I'd tear him apart.
But Spider-Man, you defeated him. You're barely my hope."
His cloudy eyes fixed on Charlie. "Come on. Kill me, or I'll kill you."
Like an old man who could collapse any moment, he shuffled toward Charlie.
Yet Charlie felt immense pressure, his spider-sense screaming warnings before falling silent.
His spider-sense gave up.
It believed Charlie couldn't survive.
Charlie thought so too.
So he raised his hands in a time-out gesture. "Hold up. If you want to die, we don't have to fight. I can find someone to kill you."
A simple sentence made White-haired Hulk pause, a faint light flickering in his cloudy eyes.
"You know the consequences of lying to me," he said.
Charlie nodded. "Of course. If one guy can't kill you, I've got plenty of friends who can.
Oh, by the way, you want your body intact?" he asked.
White-haired Banner thought carefully, then shook his head. "No, my body's full of radiation. Leaving it would kill everyone."
Seeing him "calm" down, Charlie exhaled in relief.
He pointed at the tied-up Carter and others. "How about you let them go, and we keep talking?"
"Fine."
White-haired Banner raised a hand, and with a slight twitch of his fingers, the ropes on Carter and the others came alive, slithering off like snakes and burrowing into his wrist, turning back into bulging veins.
Charlie's face stiffened.
"Those… are your veins?" he asked.
White-haired Banner nodded. "Yeah. Weird?"
"Not weird."
Charlie covered his face, then waved for Carter and the others to leave.
Finally, only the young and the old remained in the room.
After a brief silence, Charlie broke the awkward atmosphere.
"So, how do you want to die?" he asked.
White-haired Banner shook his head. "Doesn't matter."
"Then I'll give it a shot. Just a try, so don't get worked up."
With that, Charlie slapped a palm against Banner's chest. The white-haired old man's soul seemed to leave his body, but his eyes snapped open, pupils flooding with blood-red.
Roar~~
Seeing him lose control, Charlie quickly shoved his soul back in, preventing the Hulk's rampage.
"What just happened?" White-haired Banner moved his body, curious.
"Nothing."
Charlie waved it off, thinking.
When Banner's soul left, his body instinctively raged.
If Charlie had been slower, this guy would've turned into the white-haired Hulk right in front of him.
He hadn't fought him, but his spider-sense already told him the outcome.
This was a being more dangerous than a newborn Celestial.
Even the Black Death Sword's power might not be enough.
Before leaving the main world to hunt the Inheritors, he had to keep this guy stable.
With that, he summoned a golden spider and opened a portal to Hell.
"I've got a friend in Hell who might be able to kill you," he told White-haired Banner.
Hearing this, Banner's eyes lit up. "Good. Take me to him."
"No problem."
…
Meanwhile, in Mephisto's Hell.
Deep in a volcano, a flicker of hellfire pulsed uneasily.
"Strange. Something feels off today, like something's targeting me."
In the hellfire's projection, Mephisto returned to his Hell from another universe.
Because of this ominous feeling, he'd just abandoned a deal with some poor sap.
Finally, he realized where the bad vibe came from.
Buzz~
In a ring of golden sparks, the invincible Spider-Man appeared.
But what caught Mephisto's attention was the white-haired old man behind Charlie.
His pupils shrank, and the hellfire flickered wildly.
"Hey, my friend, how's it going?" Charlie stepped forward, hugging Mephisto, whispering, "If you can't kill him, he'll kill you. Good luck!"
"What—"
"Enjoy the fight!"
With that, Charlie vanished in a flash.
"Dr. Banner, you can start."
As Charlie shouted, White-haired Banner let out a roar.
"Come on! Kill me!!"
ROAR!!
With a bellow, Banner's body swelled, green muscles like coiled pythons ripping through his clothes. The white-bearded green giant clenched his fists, and the entire Hell volcano shook violently. Pure power, fueled by rage, erupted, a terrifying aura collapsing the volcano in an instant.
Crack~
BOOM!!
"No!!"
From the volcanic ruins, Mephisto's furious curses echoed through Hell.
"You damn bug, I'm not your friend…"
Half an hour later.
The former Hell volcano was now a vast lava lake, molten rivers flowing everywhere. The distant Bone City was like a lone boat in an ocean, ready to be swallowed by endless hellish lava.
On a web in the sky, Charlie watched the devastation, shaking his head.
"Destruction's a bit lacking. Is that old man really that strong?"
The question crossed his mind, but then he noticed cracks forming in the surrounding space.
Charlie: "…"
Okay, White-haired Hulk was seriously strong.
Soon, White-haired Banner shot out from the lava, back in his old-man form.
"Too weak. He couldn't kill me."
He stared at Charlie. "I told you, if he can't kill me, I'll kill you."
"Wait."
Charlie swallowed hard. "I've got more friends. Don't rush."
"Then take me to them."
"I need to collect my friend's body first."
"Hurry up."
"No problem."
Charlie dove into the lava lake.
At the lake's deepest point, a dim hellfire flickered as the surrounding lava formed Mephisto's body.
"You damn bug, bringing that guy here? I'll never forgive you!!"
Mephisto gritted his teeth.
Suddenly, he forced a smile, looking at Charlie who appeared before him.
"Mr. Spider-Man, anything else?"
Charlie crossed his arms, grinning. "Just checking on you."
"I'm fine."
"I know. Your real body isn't here, so you can't die."
Charlie reached out. "Give me Peter's love. I promised him."
"You—"
Mephisto's face darkened, but thinking of that terrifying green giant, he complied.
He tossed out a glowing orb, taking a deep breath. "Don't come back."
"Depends."
Charlie grabbed the orb and left Hell.
…
Some Spider-Man Universe.
Zip!
At a factory in the suburbs, a Spider-Man swung to the roof on thick web-ropes, striking exaggerated poses.
"The man who returned from Hell, Spider-Man!"
After the poses, Takuya Yamashiro waved to Charlie. "You just back from Hell too?"
Charlie's mouth twitched. "Yeah. How's your Golden Crusade going?" he asked.
"It's the Diamond Crusade now," Takuya corrected.
"Updating fast, huh?"
Charlie quipped, stepping back to introduce White-haired Banner.
"This is Dr. Banner. We're here to borrow your Battle Soul Sword."
Takuya leapt down. "Borrow my Battle Soul Sword?"
"Yeah."
Charlie pointed at Banner's head. "Aim here. Chop him."
"What?"
Takuya stepped back, shaking his head. "No way. How could I bully an old man?"
"Then lend me the Battle Soul Sword. I'll chop him," Charlie said.
"Sure."
Takuya handed over the summoner without hesitation. "Make it quick. I've got monsters to fight."
Charlie: "…"
Three minutes later, a red-and-blue giant rose, swinging a massive sword in a horizontal slash.
Hum!!
BOOM~~
Under near-rule-level power, White-haired Hulk knelt in the mountain ruins, hands clasped to catch the giant sword's tip, his face growing more ferocious.
Charlie cursed loudly.
"Jerk, don't you want to die? Stop resisting!!"
White-haired Hulk roared, "It's instinct. Try again."
"Try what? Skill's on cooldown."
The next day, same place.
Giant Charlie raised the Battle Soul Sword.
BOOM!!
ROAR~~
Amid slashing light, the earth split, the island shattering into pieces.
Endless seawater poured into the cracks, but White-haired Hulk's roars remained strong.
Seeing him withstand the Battle Soul Sword's edge with just his body, Charlie grimaced.
"Takuya, your finisher's useless," he shouted to Takuya, watching from the side.
Takuya waved his hands, striking a classic pose.
"The man who's often called the wrong name, Spider-Man!"
Charlie: "…"
He wanted to strangle this guy.
…
Main World.
S.H.I.E.L.D., Super Prison.
Charlie walked expressionlessly down the corridor, White-haired Banner's hostile gaze behind him.
"Spider-Man, if you can't kill me next, I'll—"
"Shut up!"
Charlie cut him off rudely. "You're annoying."
He turned, pointing at Banner's nose. "You old fossil, just wait. I'll kill you. If I can't, you can kill me."
Charlie roared, and White-haired Banner, stunned at first, grinned in satisfaction.
"Good. An angry Spider-Man is stronger."
"Screw you!"
Charlie gestured, turning to open the alloy door.
Inside, Ophelia was waiting.
"Heh, heard you needed me?"
On a pink bed, Ophelia lazily blew Charlie a kiss.
Charlie caught the kiss, crushed it underfoot, and stomped.
"Kill this old guy."
He pointed at White-haired Hulk. "If you can poison him, I'll agree to any condition."
Ophelia trembled, eyes gleaming. "Really?"
"Absolutely."
Charlie turned. "You've got half an hour."
"No problem."
Ophelia began collecting Banner's genetic data, crafting targeted toxins.
Half an hour later.
Ophelia wailed, clutching her head. "No!! Why!! Why won't he die? I hate this!!"
White-haired Banner stood, wiping green blood from his mouth, disappointed.
"Almost. Just a little off."
"No, way off."
Charlie glanced at the near-mad Ophelia and left the prison.
"Come on, this useless woman's no good. I'll have to do it myself."
…
The two arrived at an open area.
Nearby, Carter and others watched nervously.
"Little Spider, you got this! You can do it!"
As old-man Steve shouted, surrounding agents joined in.
"Take him down!"
"Kill that guy!"
"The invincible Spider-Man's got this!!"
"Poke his eyes!"
"Step on his toes!"
"Crush his old pal!!"
Amid the chaos, Charlie's eyes glowed with searing heat.
"This'll hurt. Don't move."
"I won't."
As White-haired Banner spoke, crimson rays shot from Charlie's eyes.
Sizzle~
BOOM!!
Instantly, the heat warped the surrounding space. The island trembled as a red-and-blue figure lifted Banner's body, soaring into the atmosphere.
"Quick, kill me!"
In outer space, White-haired Banner transformed into the Hulk, his ferocious aura solidifying. A small sun exploded, its energy carrying the Hulk's body toward the blazing star.
After an unknown time, the star's light remained, and a black dot sped back, White-haired Hulk's eyes blood-red.
ROAR!
Buzz~
A portal flashed, and White-haired Hulk crashed into Asgard's palace.
"Great All-Father, your turn."
Charlie shouted, and the palace erupted in dazzling gold. The Gungnir spear pierced through time and space, embedding in White-haired Hulk's chest.
Splurch!
BOOM~
As golden light faded into the void, White-haired Hulk's body stiffened.
His exaggerated green muscles shriveled, and White-haired Banner regained consciousness, kneeling slowly.
Huff~ Huff~
Panting, Banner's heartbeat grew stronger, audible to Charlie.
Charlie's heart sank. Not good.
Sure enough, White-haired Hulk quickly regained vitality.
He glanced at Odin approaching, then at Charlie.
"Spider-Man, we failed."
White-haired Banner sighed, not lashing out immediately.
"But it was good. I felt pain. For a moment, I even saw my grandma's grandma."
"Grandma's grandma?" Odin blinked.
Beside him, dark-faced Thor whispered, "It's Earth humor."
"Hmph, not funny," Loki snorted nearby.
Seeing Loki there, Charlie glanced at Odin.
Odin shook his head slightly, and Charlie didn't press.
Odin wasn't dealing with Loki, and Charlie couldn't meddle.
It was their family business.
He walked to White-haired Banner, patting his shoulder. "Don't lose hope. If this didn't work, I'll find another way to kill you."
White-haired Banner shook his head, full of despair.
"I've waited so long."
He looked at Charlie's Spider-Man suit, memories stirring.
"When I was young, Spider-Man was my friend. Everyone loved him. He was the true friendly neighborhood hero, but we couldn't help him. It was his fate. He lost everything. I pitied him then, but only pitied.
Years later, war broke out. The apocalypse came for everyone. Ultimate weapons spread radiation across the world, driving everyone mad.
I did too. Hulk saved me, saved so many, absorbing most of the radiation. It saved many, but not itself.
Hulk lost control, growing stronger. I couldn't control it. It killed many, including those it saved.
Little Spider, Tony, Natasha, Barton, Steve… they all died.
Soon, I lost control too. Unlike Hulk, my loss came from being the last one left.
That's when I understood Spider-Man's despair.
Everyone died because of me. That feeling could drive anyone mad.
I caused their deaths.
I admired Spider-Man's willpower. I wasn't like him.
He chose to stay the friendly neighborhood hero. I chose to run.
When the High Evolutionary found me, I agreed to be his card. It eased the pain, spared me from constantly reliving those breakdowns.
But he's dead now, and my pain's back."
He looked at Charlie. "Even if you can't kill me, I won't kill you. My friend, please let me call you that. You've tried your best."
White-haired Banner stood slowly, a despairing old man again.
He turned to Odin. "Since you can't kill me, seal me away!
All-Father, I know you can. If I don't resist, you have the power."
Odin hesitated. Sealing him wasn't hard, but he knew Loki's plans.
Keeping White-haired Banner in Asgard would bring Thor bigger problems.
With Ragnarok looming, Odin didn't want to disrupt his plans.
Seeing Odin's hesitation, Charlie stepped up.
"I'll take it from here!"
He drew a portal. "Let's go back. There's gotta be a way to kill you. The invincible Spider-Man promises."
Charlie met his eyes, resolute.
In that moment, White-haired Banner was moved.
"Thank you, Spider-Man. I look forward to the day you kill me."
"No problem."
As they stepped into the portal, dark-faced Thor scratched his head.
"This world's gone nuts. A guy who wants to die thanks the guy trying to kill him. The killer can't kill him, but he really wants to be killed. The killer might get killed, but he doesn't want to kill the killer, and the killer's trying hard to kill him—"
"Enough, brother."
Hyperion Loki cut off dark-faced Thor's rambling, flashing a harmless smile. "Brother, I've got a problem. Can you help me out?"
"Problem?"
Dark-faced Thor thumped his chest, roaring, "Don't worry. Whoever messes with my brother, I'll smash them!"
The next moment, an exasperated Odin slapped Thor's head.
"Father, why hit me?" Thor clutched his head, aggrieved.
Odin glared, raising Gungnir to smack Thor's head again.
"I don't just want to hit you. I want to smash you."
"No, Father, I'm your son!"
"Even if you are, I'll still smash you."
"No!!!"