Chapter 225: Discovering the Inheritors
The beautiful scene Red Guardian imagined—a family reunion with tearful embraces—did not happen.
Natasha moved away with a look of disgust.
Yelena was even more direct, jabbing an elbow into Red Guardian's chest:
"Fake! You're nothing but an impostor! Don't think I've forgotten who was the one that brought us back to this loathsome country!"
Only Red Guardian's 'wife,' Melina Vostokoff, winked at him.
The meaning was clear: the irresponsible father still had a lot of work to do.
...
With Natasha's personal issues resolved, Peter finally welcomed a long-awaited period of peaceful life.
Over the next week, he spent almost all his time busy with the Parker Foundation's affairs.
Because he was the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and his father-in-law was the future Mayor of New York City, the foundation's establishment faced no obstacles.
Though previously unheard of, the foundation had ample funding thanks to generous donations from Parker Tech, Oscorp, and Stark Industries.
Uncle Ben and Aunt May finally had a place where they could put their value to use.
The elderly couple now practically wanted to live at the foundation twenty-four hours a day.
Despite a heavy daily workload, there wasn't a trace of fatigue on their faces; instead, they looked radiant, as if they had grown ten years younger.
As for Peter himself, after finishing the foundation's setup, he stepped back onto a school campus for the first time in a long while.
That's right—he, Gwen, Felicia, and Harry had all been admitted to Empire State University.
The trio of Peter and his friends, along with Harry and his girlfriend, were inseparable every day, attending classes, going on dates, and enjoying campus life filled with the breath of youth.
Sif and Daisy hadn't forgotten Peter either; the two women would occasionally send messages to share their lives with him.
One frequently complained about Earth's excessive red tape, while the other shared her training progress with Peter every day.
Daisy was now among the top performers in the Agent training camp; it wouldn't be long before she grew into an elite Agent capable of standing on her own.
Peter also planned to give her the terrigen crystal when the time came.
Additionally, it's worth mentioning...
Yelena would also occasionally send Peter some strange photos, always captioned: "I'm much better looking than my sister."
Peter said nothing, simply taking screenshots and sending them to Natasha, sitting back to watch the two sisters bicker whenever they had time.
Peaceful times flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another half-month had passed.
After class today, Peter was about to ask Gwen and Felicia to go see a movie, hoping to find an opportunity after the film to test whether a triangle truly possesses stability.
But just then, the multi-functional watches on his and Gwen's wrists suddenly vibrated.
The two exchanged a look and immediately went to a secluded spot to open their watches.
Felicia felt quite helpless about this... who told her to be Black Cat instead of a member of the Spider family!
The moment the watch connected, a virtual projection popped up. Punk Spider-Man's distinctive black face appeared before them, his expression more solemn than ever before:
"Boss, something's happened."
"Otto Parker's research had a breakthrough recently, allowing us to more accurately pinpoint the coordinates of those the hunter."
"Just yesterday, we conducted an exploratory crossover, and then... we actually ran into a hunter."
Hearing this, Gwen and Peter looked at each other, both reading a hint of curiosity in the other's eyes:
"How is the situation?"
"Much worse than we imagined."
There was a faint, imperceptible tremble in Punk Spider-Man's voice:
"The opponent killed a Spider-Man right in front of us."
"That monster... he really can drain power from a Spider-Man. When we saw him, he was clearly covered in wounds, but once he finished absorbing that Spider-Man, all the wounds on his body healed!"
"Furthermore, his strength is exaggerated."
"There was only one of him, but... but we were completely outmatched! That guy's strength is staggering, his speed is ridiculously fast, and the most terrifying thing is..."
At this point, Punk Spider-Man's voice paused before he spoke again with a heavy face:
"Our Spider-Sense completely failed in front of him!"
Hearing this, Gwen's expression couldn't help but change.
As Ghost-Spider, she knew all too well what Spider-Sense meant to a Spider-Man!
Without Spider-Sense, the various attributes of the Spider-Men wouldn't be much different from villains like Dr. Lizard.
It was precisely because of the existence of a miraculous power like Spider-Sense that Spider-Men were often able to turn defeat into victory in battle.
In the silence, it was Peter who spoke up:
"So what is your situation now? Is anyone injured?"
"Three Spider-Men are down to their last breath. If Otto Parker hadn't opened the portal in time, they probably wouldn't have made it back alive."
"Now, the equipment has detected another hunter appearing in the Universe designated Earth-1261. We... need your strength."
Peter's eyebrows quirked, and a long-suppressed excitement clearly flickered in his eyes.
To be honest, after living these peaceful days for so long, his hands were indeed itching for some action.
He instinctively looked at Gwen beside him, and Gwen gave him a sweet smile, casually tossing away the movie tickets in her hand:
"Fighting is much more interesting than watching a movie."
Peter gave her a kiss on the cheek, then spoke to Punk Spider-Man, who had just been inexplicably stuffed with a face full of 'Cringe':
"Send me the coordinates."
...
Light and shadow flickered as Peter and Gwen arrived once again at the Spider Alliance headquarters.
Peter first used the horse talisman to heal the three dying Little Spiders, then quickly determined the members for this mission's squad.
For this operation, Peter only intended to take four people.
Gwen, Otto Parker, Punk Spider-Man, and Number One Good Neighbor.
"Let's head out."
With Peter's command, a portal opened, and the five of them stepped together into the passage leading to an unknown Universe.
Earth-1261—this was a World with a somewhat cyberpunk style.
On the streets of New York here, a man over two hundred and thirty centimeters tall, as burly as a black bear but dressed in classical noble attire, was currently clutching a Cyber Spider-Man by the neck with one hand as if he were slaughtering a chicken.
Half of this Spider-Man's body was composed of machinery.
At this moment, his mechanical limbs had been torn into a pile of parts on the ground, and the wires on his body were still constantly throwing off sparks.
The little bit of flesh he had left was an even more gruesome sight, bloody and mangled all over.
He was breathing weakly, trying to make a final deathbed struggle, but this last counterattack seemed utterly laughable to the opponent.
Just as the large man opened his bloody maw, aiming for the Cyber Spider-Man's carotid artery...
Suddenly, his movements froze.
Because a spatial portal was slowly opening in front of him.
The noble brute stared blankly at the five people who had delivered themselves to his door, his gaze finally fixing on Peter, who wasn't wearing any Battle Suit. An unprecedented light suddenly erupted in his crimson eyes!
====================
Chapter 226: the other
A nearly frenzied glow suddenly erupted in the aristocratic brute's crimson eyes.
His gaze was locked firmly on Peter, completely ignoring Gwen and the other three Spider-Men nearby.
That look wasn't like he was looking at an enemy, but more like a glutton who had been starving for centuries, finally seeing a legendary delicacy that could make him ascend to the heavens in a single step!
In his perception, Gwen, Hobie, and the others before him were like bright spots of light in the Spider-Verse; although powerful, they were ultimately just vessels for "totems," mere "food" for his family.
But Peter was different.
He wasn't a spot of light.
He was a Sun!
Even though he clearly lacked the aura of a spider totem, he possessed an indescribable, supreme connection to the entire Web of Fate.
It felt as if just by standing there, the spider totems would bow down and submit to him!
This feeling, this power that far surpassed all other prey!
There was no mistake!
The prophecy was true!
This guy before him, who wasn't wearing any Battle Suit, was the most crucial existence in the prophecy passed down by the Inheritors for over a hundred years!
Actually, the Inheritor family hadn't always been a family that specialized in hunting spider totems.
They were actually "omnivores"; not just spider totems, but the powers of other totems were equally delicious to them.
But later, they became a family dedicated to hunting spider totems.
Why did such a change occur?
The answer to this question was very simple!
Because their father, Solus, had heard a prophecy.
The prophecy said, "The Inheritor family will die by the power of the spider totem!"
To break this predestined fate, they had to collect the three most crucial powers of the spider totem—
"descendant," "bride," and... "the other"!
Among them, the "descendant" referred to the future successor of Spider-Man, representing the "inheritance and Freshman of the spider totem."
The "bride" referred to the key bond connecting all totem powers, representing the "unity and fearlessness of the spider totem."
And "the other" was the most special; he was the ultimate form of the spider totem, representing the "ultimate and master of the spider totem."
"the other" was different from the descendant and the bride; he would not continuously reincarnate, but would only appear when a spider totem should have died but didn't.
This was a power used to maintain the balance of the Universe.
Only by finding these three powers together and destroying them completely at the same time could they reverse the fate of the Inheritor family being destroyed by the spider totem!
Solus believed in this prophecy without a shadow of a doubt.
So, from the day he learned of this prophecy, he led his family to feed on spider totems, beginning a hunting journey that lasted for centuries.
Over the past few centuries, the members of the Inheritor family had obtained the "descendant" and the "bride" countless times.
But they had never obtained "the other," nor had they even seen it.
But now, feeling the vast and majestic power within Peter, the aristocratic brute was one hundred percent certain that the man before him was that most mysterious and crucial "the other"!
"Haha... Hahahaha!"
At this thought, he suddenly burst into a crazed laugh, his burly body, as massive as a Kuma, trembling slightly with excitement,
"Found it... Father, we found it! 'the other' has been discovered by me, Deimos!"
The moment the words fell, the man calling himself Deimos suddenly lunged.
He stomped his feet heavily on the ground, and the earth beneath him exploded with a bang!
He himself turned into an afterimage difficult to catch with the naked eye, ignoring the other four spiders and charging straight at Peter!
"Peter!"
Gwen cried out in alarm, flicking her wrist, ready to fire her webbing.
"Get lost!"
Deimos's speed far exceeded Gwen's imagination; he actually grabbed the webbing Gwen fired while moving at high speed.
It was unknown what special structure his body had, but even though he held the webbing in his hand, he was completely unaffected by the web's adhesive.
Instead, he could grip the webbing and easily fling Gwen away.
Seeing Gwen take action, Number One Good Neighbor, Punk Spider-Man, and Otto Parker naturally didn't dare to be slow.
Otto Parker rushed up, revealing the four Spider-legs on his back, attempting to pierce Deimos's chest.
Number One Good Neighbor stuck to a giant boulder and hurled it heavily toward Deimos.
Punk Spider-Man grabbed his electric guitar, which had one end as sharp as an axe blade, and swung it at Deimos's head.
But all these actions of theirs became a joke in front of Deimos.
The boulder thrown by Number One Good Neighbor couldn't even touch the hem of his clothes.
The Spider-legs Otto Parker thrust were caught firmly by him, and with a surge of strength from his hand, he snapped them clean off.
Punk Spider-Man's axe-guitar did indeed strike his head.
But the sound that erupted was like striking steel.
A loud "Clang!" vibrated, making Punk Spider-Man's eardrums ache.
Deimos, who had been struck in the head with an axe, seemed completely unfazed, with only a microscopic wound appearing on his forehead.
"Get lost, bugs!"
Deimos roared impatiently, "You appetizers aren't qualified to stand in my way!"
As he spoke, he swung a punch at Punk Spider-Man.
With just one punch, he sent the other flying backward; his body collapsed half a wall, and his chest visibly caved in significantly.
"What kind of monster is this guy!" Number One Good Neighbor, facing an Inheritor for the first time, couldn't help but cry out in alarm.
Otto Parker's brow was furrowed deeply into the shape of the character:
"This guy is even stronger than that woman named Verna we met before!"
Seeing that the three of them together couldn't even block a single move from this guy calling himself Deimos.
The three Spider-Men couldn't help but feel a bit discouraged, while also feeling a faint worry for Peter's safety.
They all understood the meaning behind the other's words.
In their eyes, the Boss was clearly a very important person!
So... would the Boss, who was also as strong as a monster, be a match for this monster calling himself Deimos?
While they were thinking this in their hearts, Deimos had already charged unimpeded to the front of Peter.
Looking at this burly man before him who exuded a primitive and savage aura, Peter's face showed not the slightest hint of panic.
Instead, there was a kind of curiosity in his eyes, as if he were looking at an animal in a zoo.
Hmm, his strength is indeed not small, and his speed is okay; dealing with an average Spider-Man while being immune to Spider-Sense is indeed a dimensional strike.
It's just that, compared to himself, he's still a bit lacking.
While Peter was thinking this, Deimos's palm, as large as a cattail fan, had already reached for Peter's neck.
His face was full of the ecstasy of being about to succeed, as if he could already see the scene of bringing "the other" back to the family and being heavily rewarded and affirmed by his father.
But in the next second, all these thoughts of his turned into a dreamlike illusion.
Slap!
A crisp slapping sound rang out abruptly.
Peter didn't even lift an eyelid; he just somewhat boredly, as if shooing away an annoying fly, swung a backhanded slap.
But it was just such a slap that caused Deimos, who was over two meters and thirty centimeters tall and as burly as a prehistoric behemoth...
...to be slapped into a spinning top!
Chapter 227: 666, and Fountain Resurrection
Under the gaze of the three, including Punk Spider-Man, who were almost dropping their jaws, Deimos, who seemed like a powerful monster in their eyes, was now spinning rapidly like a top.
That massive body was knocked high into the air, then spun and crashed to the ground, instantly collapsing a still-intact building in the distance.
Silence...
The scene suddenly fell into an eerie silence.
The electric guitar in Punk Spider-Man's hand slipped and fell to the ground unconsciously.
Otto Parker's pupils shook violently, deep wariness and complexity surfacing in his eyes.
As for Number One Good Neighbor, he was now the textbook definition of "dumbfounded."
Only Gwen, looking at Peter standing there with a nonchalant expression, as calm as if he had just swatted a small bug, couldn't help but let the corners of her mouth curl up.
It really has been... a long time since I've seen a scene like this~
"Boom!"
In the silence, someone pushed aside the ruins in the distance.
Deimos stood up unsteadily from the pile of rubble, half of his cheek swollen high with a bright red handprint clearly visible.
But he didn't feel fear or pain because of it; instead... he became increasingly excited!
"To actually make me feel pain, it's true! You are the 'Other' we've been looking for!"
With that, he charged at Peter again.
This time, he didn't even manage to get close to Peter.
Peter raised his leg and kicked out a Tempest Kick, sending him flying back even faster than he had come.
"Again!"
His chest dripping with blood, Deimos still showed no fear, continuing to charge recklessly.
And Peter, perhaps truly bored, didn't think of just crushing him to death right away.
Instead, he toyed with the guy over and over.
On one hand, he was truly unfamiliar with the existence of the Inheritor Family and wanted to gather more information.
On the other hand, he also wanted to see if an elder would jump out right after he finished beating the younger one, allowing him to solve the problem once and for all.
Being slapped away, kicked away, having his chest collapsed by a punch, his knee shattered by a kick...
Even though the speed at which he flew backward was faster than Meituan Delivery, Deimos remained tireless.
Just like a Soulslike player whose "masochistic" soul had been deeply stimulated by Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Flying back time and again, yet running back every time, delusional enough to think he could speedrun Peter, the big boss, in one life.
Finally, after being knocked away by Peter for the umpteenth time, Deimos, who could only crawl forward, stopped.
He panted heavily, his body covered in scars, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.
He lost.
He lost completely, with no power to fight back.
But there was no sign of defeat on his face; instead, he looked excited.
Lying on the ground, looking at Peter's face, he crowed triumphantly:
"I've remembered your scent... 'Other'!"
"I can't beat you, but it doesn't matter! My mission is complete!"
Deimos's voice was full of frantic joy and vicious curses.
Then, Deimos's form suddenly changed.
His scarred body began to swell visibly, like an inflated balloon, instantly tearing his clothes apart.
An aura of destruction emanated from him.
Clearly... he had detonated the power of the spider totems he had absorbed!
He wanted to use his sacrifice to cause some trouble for Peter!
"Not good! Retreat!" Otto Parker's expression changed drastically as he shouted urgently.
Gwen's expression also changed. Without a second thought, she covered herself in the symbiote suit, then shot out webs, pulling Number One Good Neighbor and Punk Spider-Man, who didn't have time to escape, to her side.
"There's no need for such trouble."
While the others were in a panic, Peter's voice drifted over casually.
He casually tapped the little broken watch, and a blinding golden light suddenly erupted from him.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, a high wall made entirely of ice blocked the path in front of everyone.
Boom!
An earth-shattering energy storm erupted instantly with Deimos's body as the core.
Behind him, Otto Parker and the others felt the terrifying intensity of the energy and couldn't help but tremble with worry.
And Peter just stood in front of everyone, maintaining the ice wall's output with an easy expression.
Who knows how much time passed.
The terrifying energy storm gradually subsided.
The scene was a mess; nearly half of the abandoned city had been turned to dust in this self-destruction.
But the ice barrier in front of Peter only showed a few fine cracks.
Gwen and the others protected within the barrier were completely unharmed.
As Peter casually removed the ice barrier, Otto Parker and the others, though survivors, had extremely grim expressions.
The opponent was simply too powerful.
They felt they couldn't help at all.
What frustrated them even more was that with Deimos's self-destruction, even the idea of studying his body to gain more information had vanished like a dream.
"It's tough. If every one of them chooses to self-destruct when they die, how long will it take us to figure out their weaknesses and background?"
Otto Parker clutched his head, his face full of irritation.
the other two didn't speak, but they had similar reactions.
While everyone was feeling gloomy, Peter's voice rang out once more:
"Who says information can't be obtained from a self-destruction?"
As he spoke, Peter crouched down and picked up a piece of Deimos's flesh from the ruins.
He pointed his finger at the piece of flesh, and in the next second, a soft white light appeared in his palm.
horse talisman, activate!
As the horse talisman took effect, before long, Deimos's body appeared perfectly intact before everyone.
After flashing a smile at the stunned Otto Parker and the others, Peter turned the dial of the little broken watch again, instantly switching to Symbiote mode.
Black Symbiote slime enveloped Deimos's remains.
Following that, a massive amount of information flooded into Peter's mind like a tide.
Those were Deimos's memories—his entire life from birth to death, his knowledge of the family, information on all members of the Inheritor Family, and the plan he had formed in his mind to deal with Peter—all were acquired by Peter!
Father, Solus.
Eldest brother, Morlun.
And other siblings...
And their headquarters—Universe 001.
In that World completely dominated by them, there was a massive Cloning Factory.
This factory had only one purpose: mass-producing their clones.
Once a family member died, a clone would be released immediately, achieving rebirth in another sense through a Blood-red Crystal that stored memories.
"No wonder he self-destructed so decisively; it turns out they can respawn at the fountain!"
After sighing like this, Peter casually flicked his finger, and a golden flame landed on the body, burning it completely clean.
"Let's go," Peter looked back at the stunned Otto Parker and the others:
"It's story time. Let me give you all a good rundown on the Inheritor family."
====================
Chapter 228 Solus: All-in is a Form of Wisdom
Universe 001, this is a World completely shrouded by a gloomy, blood-red sky.
In the center of this Universe, a Gothic castle so grand it was almost eerie stood in the middle of the land.
This was the base of the Inheritor Family, and hidden beneath the castle was the family's greatest secret—the Clone Factory.
The cold alloy corridors of the factory extended into endless darkness, with large amber petri dishes lining both sides.
It was unknown how many years these petri dishes had remained unopened, their surfaces covered in a thick layer of dust.
But if one looked closely, they could still vaguely see figures soaking inside the containers—all of them clones of the Inheritor Family members.
These clones had their eyes tightly shut, like sleeping specimens, quietly waiting for the day they would be awakened.
Suddenly, one of the petri dishes labeled "Deimos" emitted a piercing alarm.
The nutrient fluid was rapidly drained, and immediately following that, a blood-red crystal was sent into the petri dish via a conveyor belt and roughly inserted into the back of the clone's head.
After an unknown amount of time, the clone's crimson eyes slowly opened.
Ping!
The protective shield of the petri dish was shattered by a punch; the clone... no, he should now be called the reborn Deimos.
Deimos tumbled out, gasping for air as if he were a drowning man granted new life.
Once he caught his breath, a look of ecstasy appeared on his plain yet terrifying face:
"the other... 'the other'!"
Deimos didn't even have time to put on clothes before he stumbled out of the cloning room and headed straight for the dining room.
In the luxurious yet sinister dining room, Deimos's family members were gathered around a long table enjoying dinner.
Their dinner was very simple: various Spider-Men who had died in different ways!
Some Spider-Men had their throats pierced by a wooden stake.
Some Spider-Men had all their joints crushed, slumped on the plates like limp mud.
Some Spider-Men were completely chewed into a meat soup, with only a head morbidly hanging off the edge of the soup bowl.
And Deimos's family members were feasting greedily on these "delicacies"!
"Oh? Look who it is. Isn't this my dear brother?"
Seeing Deimos stumble into the dining room, the man sitting in the first seat to the left of the head of the table couldn't help but stop his knife and fork.
The man was much thinner than Deimos, but the dangerous aura emanating from him was far greater.
He was the eldest son of the Inheritor Family and the most powerful hunter under his father, Solus—Morlun.
Morlun looked at the unclothed Deimos, a look of interest appearing in his eyes.
He casually set down his knife and fork and teased Deimos in a mocking tone:
"How many years has it been? How many years has it been since anyone in this family crawled out of that cold jar?"
"Tell us so your brothers and sisters can hear—exactly what kind of spider could make a useless dog like you unable to even find a chance to escape?"
Hearing this, a burst of laughter erupted from the surroundings.
Clearly, the atmosphere of the Inheritor Family wasn't exactly loving; it was more like mutual hostility!
Hearing the mockery from his eldest brother Morlun, Deimos, who had always been at odds with him, couldn't help but retort:
"You fool, what do you know? If you ran into that guy, you'd only die faster than me!"
After snapping back at Morlun, Deimos respectfully knelt and bowed to the man at the head of the table who had remained calm throughout, speaking respectfully yet excitedly:
"My Lord father, I found him! I finally found that guy!"
"Found what? A particularly delicious spider?" A sexy female Inheritor subconsciously licked her lips, her eyes full of intense hunger.
"No! Something ten thousand times more important than that!" Deimos was trembling with excitement: "It's 'the other'! The most crucial 'the other' from the prophecy!"
As soon as the term "the other" was spoken, the scene fell into a deathly silence.
The contempt and mockery on the faces of all the Inheritors vanished without a trace, replaced by a complex expression mixed with shock, doubt, and greed.
Morlun couldn't help but slam the table, his face turning terrifyingly grim:
"Deimos, don't talk nonsense. the other's whereabouts are elusive; even father has never seen him. Why are you so sure the one you met is the other?"
"There's no mistake!" Deimos roared, "He doesn't have the aura of a spider totem, yet he is closely connected to the entire Web of Destiny! He is like... the center of the web! The absolute ruler!"
Still trembling, he recounted the entire process of his brief clash with Peter.
"I couldn't even make him move a single step! That power! That power that crushes everything! There's absolutely no mistake! He is 'the other'!"
Hearing Deimos say this, Morlun's expression was grim, but he could no longer find a reason to refute him.
Meanwhile, the other brothers and sisters in the family had all fallen into a frenzy.
Hundreds of years of hunting and countless disappointments had almost made them believe the prophecy was just an ethereal legend.
But now, "the other" had truly appeared!
Only after hearing Deimos's account did the expression of the elder sitting at the head of the table finally change:
"Have the gears of fate finally begun to turn!"
He was the father of all Inheritors—Solus.
After eating the last piece of meat on his plate, Solus stood up abruptly and turned to enter a secret room.
The secret room was filled with dense spider webs.
At the very center of the webs, a figure with a human upper body and a lower body firmly trapped in a spider-like mechanical device hung his head half-dead—it was the Master Weaver.
Solus grabbed the man's hair and whispered a few words into his ear.
Before long, the Master Weaver began to work like a living corpse, displaying a massive projection.
"It's right here." Solus let out an excited shout, then turned back to look at Morlun and the others:
"My children! The appearance of the other is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This time, we must sever that damned prophecy!"
At this, Solus's gaze swept across everyone, and he spoke with an incredibly solemn tone:
"This time, you will all move out! You must bring the other back alive!"
Hearing this, Morlun hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively:
"My Lord father, should we also call Karn back?"
Hearing that long-forgotten name, Solus's brow furrowed slightly.
But after a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke:
"Very well, Morlun. You go and bring that waste back."
"To ensure the plan is foolproof, I must also head out. I'll leave the castle in the hands of Jennix and that waste!"
After hearing Solus's arrangements, the members of the Inheritor Family rubbed their hands together, full of anticipation for launching this cross-Universe surprise hunting war.
Only... what they would never imagine is.
Their so-called surprise hunt, in Peter's eyes, no longer held the slightest secret!
Chapter 229: Is Peter getting cocky?
On the other side, in the conference room of the Spider Alliance headquarters.
"...Generally speaking, this so-called Inheritor Family is a group of savages who rely on their bloodline advantage to be immune to Spider-Sense and can absorb totem power.
Their home is in Universe 001, where they have a Clone Factory that allows them to be resurrected infinitely. In addition, they kidnapped a poor guy named the Master Weaver. It's by relying on that guy's power that they can travel freely across various Universes and hunt you all down with precision.
According to them, to defeat them, one must find the three Children of Prophecy: the bride, the other, and the descendant."
After Peter finished speaking, there was dead silence.
All the Little Spiders felt their scalps go numb at this moment.
That kind of God-defyingly powerful opponent actually has a whole family of eight!
Even excluding the technician staying at home, there are seven!
Their father's strength is even more unfathomable.
Facing such opponents, how should this group of Little Spiders, who are naturally countered, deal with them?
"How about this!" The young and impulsive Number Three Good Neighbor slapped his thigh. "Let's just go all out against them!"
"Didn't you say their home is in Universe 001? Let's form a group and sneak over. First, drop a dozen missiles on them, then swarm them..."
"Idiot!" Otto Parker decisively rejected the proposal. "They've occupied that Universe for so many years; how could they be so easy to deal with?"
"Besides, don't forget, they can absorb our power to keep getting stronger!"
"If you go and get yourselves killed, it will only be harder for others to deal with these monsters in the future!"
"I think the key point lies in that prophecy," Miguel OHara spoke up weakly.
"They need to gather the 'descendant', the 'bride', and 'the other' to break the prophecy. 'the other' is you, Boss, so who are the 'bride' and the 'descendant'? We must find and protect them before they do!"
Miguel's suggestion was met with approval from many.
But Otto Parker once again offered a contrary opinion:
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket. What if the boss isn't a match for Solus either, and we've brought the descendant and the bride along? Wouldn't that be a total disaster?"
"Then what do you suggest!" Number One Good Neighbor, who had always found him disagreeable, couldn't help but ask.
Otto Parker pushed his glasses up and spoke calmly:
"I think we should first develop weapons that can severely damage them."
"The Boss's account reminded me of something. The original owner of this body once dealt with that Morlun!"
"He once used nuclear Radiation to severely injure Morlun!"
"Fuck!" Before he could finish, Number One shouted:
"You want to build a nuclear bomb? That's absolutely out of the question!"
"Not to mention whether your nuclear bomb will be used by people with ulterior motives in the future, where would you even drop it after it's built?"
"Even if they really fear nuclear Radiation, their tolerance for Radiation is definitely much stronger than an average person's!"
"By then, before they even die, millions of innocent people will have lost their lives first!"
For a moment, the entire headquarters was in a state of chaos.
The Little Spiders each expressed their own views, and no one could convince anyone else.
"Everyone, be quiet."
In the midst of the chaos, Peter's voice rang out again.
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly silenced the restless scene.
Everyone stopped arguing and just quietly looked at Peter, waiting for him to make the final decision.
"If you ask me, we might as well take a two-pronged approach."
...
"A two-pronged approach?"
Otto Parker was stunned; even his high IQ couldn't quite keep up with Peter's train of thought.
The other Spider-Men also had question marks all over their faces, looking at each other, completely failing to understand what Peter meant.
Peter shook his head helplessly and then explained:
"The logic is simple. Right now, who is the person the Inheritor Family wants to find the most?"
"It's you!" Punk Spider-Man answered quickly, like a student actively answering questions in class.
"Exactly." Peter snapped his fingers. "It's me, the most crucial 'the other' in their prophecy. So, it's foreseeable that their primary goal next will be to concentrate all their main forces to capture me."
He paused, leaving time for everyone to think.
"This gives us a golden opportunity," Peter continued. "What does it mean if they come out in full force?"
"Their home... will be empty!" Number One Good Neighbor's eyes lit up, instantly understanding.
"Exactly." Peter nodded approvingly. "So, my plan is to split into two groups."
"One group, led by me, will return to my Universe to engage in a decisive battle with them."
"the other group will take advantage of their empty rear to charge directly into Universe 001, destroy their Clone Factory, and completely cut off their hope of resurrection."
After hearing Peter's plan, all the Little Spiders present couldn't help but have their mouths twitch wildly.
It wasn't because they were deeply shocked by the brilliance of the plan.
But because they were stunned by the sheer crudeness of the plan.
Big brother, is there a possibility that even if all of us tied together, we'd struggle to face them head-on? And now, you actually want us to split into two groups?
"Can this really work?"
After a long silence, it was Otto Parker who spoke first.
"Boss, I'm not doubting your strength, I'm just worried..."
"Worried that the other team won't be able to handle their Clone Factory, right?"
To this, Peter just smiled slightly, and then, a strange white light emerged from his body.
In this white light, his figure suddenly split into two. The two Peters looked at everyone together with very different smiles:
"Doesn't that solve the problem?"
Otto Parker:...
A group of Little Spiders:...
Report him, this guy is a cheater!
Oh, wait, this cheater is my teammate.
Then it's fine!
Coming back to their senses, the tension and anxiety on the Little Spiders' faces instantly vanished.
The boss just split into two to lead them in a two-front war. What else was there to say?
Just be a Lackey for the big boss and it's all good!
While the Little Spiders were cheering one by one because of Peter's simple and crude plan, Gwen's brow was unconsciously knitted into a deep frown.
She looked up at Peter, a hint of suspicion and wariness faintly appearing in her eyes:
"Peter, do you really... want our Universe to become the main battlefield?"
In Gwen's mind, the scene of Deimos's self-destruction involuntarily surfaced.
That world-destroying energy storm, a terrifying shockwave enough to turn half the city into ruins.
Just one Deimos had that kind of power.
If the entire Inheritor Family self-destructed in New York...
She didn't dare to think about how terrifying the outcome would be.
New York is her home, Peter's home. Their family, friends, and countless innocent citizens are there.
Bringing such a dangerous war to their own home seemed, to Gwen, far too risky no matter how you looked at it.
Precisely because the potential cost was so great, she couldn't understand it at all.
How could Peter, who valued family and friends even more than she did, make such a risky decision?
Could it be... that the Peter in front of her was no longer the Peter she knew?
====================
Chapter 230: Something Big Is Coming
At this moment, Gwen stared nervously at the two Peters in front of her.
She seriously suspected that this power of splitting had affected Peter's personality.
Or perhaps... had the real Peter already been controlled by these two clones without anyone realizing it?
As she nervously wondered how to "awaken" the real Peter without alerting the two in front of her...
Peter, who was watching all of this from a "third-person perspective," couldn't help but slap his forehead, feeling both helpless and amused.
He had forgotten that ever since he obtained the power of the tiger talisman, he hadn't yet shown Gwen this splitting ability.
Therefore, it was only natural for Gwen to be suspicious of his "uncharacteristic" remarks.
With that thought in mind, Peter didn't hesitate and immediately used the tiger talisman to merge back into one.
He walked over to Gwen and gently pulled her into his arms.
Gwen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't struggle. She simply buried her head into Peter's chest, sniffing his scent to confirm he hadn't been replaced, and couldn't help but whisper:
"The Peter I know would never make such a proposal."
"Don't worry, I am who I am, genuine and authentic."
Peter stroked Gwen's hair to dispel her doubts while explaining:
"I know what you're worried about, but it's precisely because this battle could bring huge danger that I must keep the main battlefield in our Universe."
Gwen looked up, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
What kind of logic was that? The bomb's destructive power was too great, so it had to be detonated in their own home?
Peter smiled and pecked her cheek lightly, then leaned in close to her ear and whispered:
"Do you remember the 'Web Event' that Miguel mentioned before? Those so-called 'predestined tragedies' that every Spider-Man must go through."
"Hasn't that thing already been proven by you to be a misunderstanding?" Gwen's brows furrowed.
"Didn't you say he just happened to see the collapse of one Universe, which led him to draw that far-fetched conclusion?"
"I did think so before, but after reading Deimos's memories, I realized I was too naive."
Speaking of this, Peter's expression became serious.
"The 'Web of Destiny' actually exists. The imprisoned Master Weaver's job is to weave and maintain this web; in a sense, he is a minor deity specifically in charge of this."
This news shocked Gwen, and she couldn't help but ask:
"Do you mean that you, my dad, and the others could still die?"
"That's right, just like in 'Final Destination'."
Peter simply used a well-known Hollywood movie series as an example.
"We, who were originally destined to die in the Web Event, are like the passengers who were supposed to be on the plane that crashed."
"Even if we luckily didn't board that plane and avoided this death event, the Grim Reaper would still create one accident after another in a set order, attempting to reap our lives."
"It simply means... as long as I exist in our Universe, all kinds of trouble will keep coming. Today it might be the Inheritor Family, tomorrow it might be something else."
"And if nothing unexpected happens, to ensure that I definitely die, the crises we face next will only become more and more exaggerated!"
Gwen was a top student whose intelligence was not inferior to Peter's, so she quickly understood the deeper meaning behind his words:
"Is that why you realized this and wanted to turn from passive to active? For example, using the 'inevitable crisis' of this Inheritor Family invasion to give everyone in our Universe... a heads-up?"
"Bingo!"
Peter kissed Gwen's cherry lips again with satisfaction, then rubbed against her smooth cheek and said:
"Here's what I'm thinking: since the crises are destined to escalate, to avoid having more innocent people die, we must prepare safety facilities to protect them in advance.
Like underground shelters, or large-scale energy defense devices.
But you know, while I can threaten the President, I am not the President after all. I can't just talk and make all of New York start building large-scale defense facilities.
If such news spread, everyone would just think I've gone crazy.
By then, not only would the momentum and reputation I've accumulated disappear instantly.
But those who see me as a thorn in their side would use this opportunity to try every possible way to take me down.
At that time, not only would the situation for George and the others become more dangerous.
What's more terrifying is that when the real crisis comes, more innocent people will die because of the actions of those idiots."
"So, to avoid this situation, I must take the initiative!"
A flash of realization crossed Gwen's azure blue eyes; she understood Peter's entire plan almost instantly.
"You mean to..."
"Shh."
Peter held up his index finger, gently pressing it against Gwen's soft lips, then leaned to her ear and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, laid out his plan that could be described as both crazy and bold.
"We will do this and that..."
As Peter explained, Gwen's eyes widened further and further, from initial shock to disbelief, and finally to... realization and admiration.
Following that, the way she looked at Peter changed completely.
It was a complex gaze mixed with heartache, love, and admiration.
The man she loved so deeply was far greater than she had imagined.
He was truly the one who was always racking his brains for the safety of the common people.
After a long silence, Gwen gradually calmed her stirred emotions.
"Your plan... it's simply brilliant."
Her voice carried a hint of imperceptible trembling.
"It's just that... if we really do this, you're going to suffer a great deal of grievance."
Facing Gwen's look full of heartache, Peter just smiled slightly, his smile as warm and gentle as always.
"As long as I can protect you, protect our home, what does a little temporary grievance matter?"
"Besides, reality will help vindicate me, won't it?"
"By then, not only will the situation be completely reversed, but we can even achieve a true sense of having no rivals across the entire United States!"
Noticing the determination in Peter's eyes, Gwen took a deep breath and then nodded heavily:
"I understand! So, what do you need me to do?"
Peter gently stroked Gwen's hair, his eyes shining with the confidence of someone who had everything under control:
"Please go back and notify George and the others first. Also, remember to have George contact J. Jonah Jameson in advance and tell him that something big is coming!"
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