Ultimately, Charlie's sincerity moved Doctor Octopus.
"Alright, we'll save Ruth together, and I'll save myself too."
Doctor Octopus's eyes gradually hardened with resolve.
Charlie then shared Madame Gao's location with Otto.
"Claim the Time Tablet and harness the power of the dragon bone fossil."
Charlie handed over a piece of dragon bone fossil to him.
With Doctor Octopus's current strength, Madame Gao stood no chance.
Having convinced Doctor Octopus, the rest of the plan became much simpler.
Before the artificial sun spiraled out of control, Charlie visited Stark Tower and had a long chat with Tony.
...
Ninth Resurrection Match.
Hum~
The moment the countdown ended, a dazzling halo materialized at Kamar-Taj.
Zzt zzt.
Under the glow of magical sparks, Charlie shed his nanotech suit and stepped into the village.
At that moment, an open field was filled with mages in brown and yellow robes practicing their spells.
Hum~
As the mages traced circles in the air with their hands, basic golden mystic arrays took shape.
Then, with intricate hand signs, they evolved the arrays, weaving obscure runes and geometric lines into the golden discs.
These arrays felt dreamlike—real in the physical world yet born from the void, as if they could vanish at any moment.
Pff~
Suddenly, a younger mage's spell flickered unsteadily at their fingertips, and the gathered magical energy dissipated into the wind.
Seeing the young mage's disappointed expression, Charlie shook his head slightly.
Borrowed magical power ultimately belonged to someone else.
Unless you kept it for good.
Lost in thought, the Sorcerer Supreme's aide, Wong, spotted Charlie from a corner.
After a moment of contemplation, Wong approached, bowing slightly in a mage's salute.
"Does this mage wish to see the Sorcerer Supreme?" he asked.
Appearing silently in Kamar-Taj meant this person had the Sorcerer Supreme's permission.
Otherwise, sensing Kamar-Taj's existence—let alone entering it—would be impossible.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, I'd like to speak with Master Ancient One."
"Very well, follow me."
Wong led Charlie past the training grounds where mages honed their spells, arriving at an elegant pavilion.
"Sorcerer Supreme."
At the door, Wong spoke softly, then stepped back and gestured inside.
"The Sorcerer Supreme is within."
He stood silently by the door.
Charlie thought for a moment. "I'd like some juice—freshly squeezed, two glasses, please."
Wong's eye twitched, but he replied expressionlessly, "The Sorcerer Supreme doesn't drink juice."
"Both are for me."
Wong: "..."
"Very well, one moment."
As Wong headed to the side hall, Charlie rubbed his cheeks, put on a smile, and stepped into the pavilion.
"I'm—"
"Spider-Man, please, have a seat."
Before Charlie could finish, the bald Ancient One, sitting cross-legged on a cushion, opened her eyes and smiled.
Charlie blinked, his gaze falling on the cushion beneath her.
"You guys use these too?" He sat on a nearby wooden chair, curiosity piqued.
Ancient One maintained her smile. "Of course, they're quite convenient."
With that, she pulled a bottle of cola from the cushion.
Iced.
"Want some?" she offered.
Charlie: "..."
"No thanks, I only drink freshly squeezed.
Hmm… it's definitely convenient."
He meant the cushion.
Ancient One nodded, conjuring a golden mystic array with one hand. Droplets of cola materialized from the void, coalescing into a stream that filled a teacup on the table.
"This is freshly squeezed too." She guided the cup to Charlie with a wave.
Charlie considered it. "Artificial synthesis isn't very healthy."
Ancient One glanced at Wong, who was entering with the juice, and with lightning-fast reflexes, hid the cola back in the cushion.
"Indeed, mages must prioritize health," she said, as if nothing had happened.
Charlie's lips twitched. Were all Marvel characters such clowns?
"Your juice, mage."
Wong placed the juice on the table, glancing briefly at the brownish "tea" in the teacup and shaking his head helplessly.
"You've got barely any teeth left."
He shot a look at Ancient One before turning to leave.
Ancient One kept her smile.
No teeth visible.
"Spider-Man, I know why you're here. This isn't our first meeting," she said, getting to the point.
Charlie frowned at her words.
"But it is our first meeting…"
Mid-sentence, he recalled the previous Resurrection Match.
The one with Dark Strange—he'd met Ancient One there.
So…
Realizing a possibility, Charlie chuckled.
"It can work like that?"
Ancient One smiled. "The singular universe is fascinating, but you've tasted the wonders of the multiverse—exchanging spells with different versions of yourself is quite intriguing.
Though sometimes it's hard to tell who's who. I wouldn't recommend it."
Charlie sipped his juice. "I bet you also swapped gossip."
"That's called life experience," Ancient One corrected.
"Fine. So, Master Ancient One, will you help me this time?" Charlie asked.
Ancient One shook her head with a smile. "Of course not. This isn't a Dark Dimension invasion. I have no reason to intervene."
"Not even for the end of the world?"
"It's an event humanity must face in its development. I can't interfere."
"So, no deal then?"
"Not entirely."
Ancient One glanced at the door, then sneakily sipped her cola from the cushion.
"At least I can help you deal with one troublesome guy."
"Loki?"
"Yes, that crocodile. It's not the first time it's targeted Kamar-Taj."
At her words, Charlie understood.
In the Resurrection Match in Lizard Parker's world, Crocodile Loki hadn't appeared. Had it gone to Kamar-Taj first?
If you don't play the game properly, you'll just keep playing it.
"You did that on purpose?" he asked.
"What?" Ancient One feigned ignorance.
Charlie said, "Sealing Loki doesn't require sacrificing yourself."
Ancient One stowed her cola, her tone serious. "The moment you became Spider-Man, my mission was complete.
I can follow Eternity's footsteps—basically, take a vacation."
She paused, then added, "If I stay, my creditors will come knocking. That'd be a hassle."
"So you're dodging your debts."
Charlie frowned. "Master Ancient One, with great power comes great responsibility. You—"
"Spider-Man, allow me to call you by your full name, Charlie Parker."
Ancient One's tone was teasing. "That line doesn't work on me. I told you, my mission is over. I have no responsibilities now."
Charlie: "..."
She's tough to sway.
But that was fine—he hadn't expected Ancient One to intervene anyway.
If she meddled in everything, the Avengers wouldn't be needed.
"Can you stay?" Charlie tried again.
Ancient One shook her head. "Not without a compelling reason."
"Your disciples need you."
Charlie continued, "I've seen what happens next. Some of them will die."
"Death isn't the end."
Ancient One smiled. "Spider-Man, you of all people should know that."
As she spoke, the ground trembled beneath Charlie's feet, the entire pavilion shaking violently.
Crack crack crack~~
Outside, the sky's faint golden mystic array barrier fractured rapidly. A beastly roar echoed through the air as a colossal crocodile, hundreds of meters long, shattered the magical barrier and crashed into the village with a boom.
Roar!
Boom~~
The sky darkened swiftly, shrouded in ominous clouds. The giant crocodile swung its tail, reducing swathes of buildings to rubble.
"Damn, it's a magical creature from another dimension!"
"Form the array, quick!"
Hum~
The mages shouted in alarm, linking golden mystic arrays to barely withstand the crocodile's onslaught.
Boom~
Thud thud thud~
The earth quaked as Charlie swung onto the rooftop.
Eyeing the terrifying giant crocodile, he frowned.
"Loki's that powerful?"
"It's a physical clone."
Ancient One calmly stepped out of the pavilion. With a flourish of hand signs, the entire village folded into a dimensional space.
Broken buildings hung suspended in the air, and the massive crocodile was pinned beneath a mountain of debris.
Hum~
Dozens of golden portals bloomed, and the mages conjured golden chains to bind the crocodile's massive form.
Roar!
The beast thrashed wildly, snapping the dense golden chains one by one. The backlash sent the mages staggering, blood trickling from their mouths.
"That's it?"
Charlie sighed at the fragility of the mages' physical forms, then shot webbing to anchor himself in the air.
Swish~
As winds howled, Charlie's body was enveloped in red-and-blue nanotech metal midair.
"Spider-Man!" Wong caught sight of him, shocked.
He often sneaked off to New York for burgers and fries, so of course he knew Spider-Man.
He just hadn't expected Spider-Man to be such a young guy.
Before the mages could cast again, Charlie plummeted like a radiant meteor.
"Friendly Neighborhood Dropkick!"
The meteor streaked downward, but the crocodile snapped its jaws open wide.
Pff~
The meteor landed in its maw. The crocodile burped contentedly, spewing wisps of red-and-blue magical energy.
Ancient One: "..."
Wong: "..."
Charlie: "..."
In the pitch-black space, Charlie felt the magical energy in his body being siphoned away by a mysterious force.
The radiant glow on his body melted into the darkness, vanishing completely.
The spider emblem on his chest flickered dimly before fading.
"Hm?"
Charlie pondered. Was Crocodile Loki's goal to absorb magical energy?
No wonder it targeted Kamar-Taj from the start.
Talk about dedication.
As he wondered how to escape, a familiar voice rang out beside him.
"Oh my God, it's so dark! Is this the DC Universe?"
Wade screamed, clutching his face. Charlie's face darkened.
Was this part of the plan?
Nope.
He kicked Wade, who was sneaking closer, and transformed into an electric arc, zipping through the space.
But the darkness seemed endless.
Even a magical portal couldn't get him out.
Gradually, his magical energy drained completely, leaving his body exposed in the void.
The crocodile's stomach acid surged, numbing Charlie's body. He felt no pain.
But he could clearly sense his body dissolving.
"Hey, Spider-Boy, wanna go for a swim?"
As the acid surged, Wade's leisurely voice called out.
Charlie thought for a moment. "Let's race."
"Deal."
...
Tenth Resurrection Match.
Kamar-Taj. A meteor streaked downward.
Roar!
The giant crocodile opened its jaws to swallow the radiant meteor.
But at the last second, magical sparks flared. The meteor vanished into a portal, reappearing from another to slam into the crocodile's right eye.
BOOM!!
Roar~~
Magical energy erupted, and the crocodile howled in agony.
Its massive eyeball, gushing green blood, shot out like a giant bowling ball, smashing a house to pieces.
"Help!"
Wade's cry for help came from the rubble.
"Save me, and I'll lick your toes!!"
As he spoke, the thrashing crocodile crushed the house completely. From the debris, a severed hand flew out, flipping the bird.
The dimensional space shifted again.
A coliseum of piled stones formed. Ancient One led the mages, wielding magical shields, charging the crocodile.
Charlie: "..."
This never ends, does it?
I told you, mages shouldn't melee!
Before he could stop them, the one-eyed crocodile lunged, sending figures crashing into the rubble like ragdolls.
Screams filled the air. The crocodile's body glowed with intense green magic, regenerating its missing eye.
"Damn, this thing knows magic too!" Wong exclaimed.
Charlie landed. "Find its real body, and we can take it down."
"Its real body is inside."
Ancient One held a massive magical shield against the crocodile's charge, sweat beading on her forehead.
"I can't locate it, so I'll have to use forbidden magic to seal it here."
Charlie facepalmed.
Such convincing acting.
Too bad I'm not giving you that chance.
No good excuse, so how will you "die"?
He opened portals, and figures poured out.
"Little Spider, we're here!"
Old Steve and others arrived through the portals. Ancient One sensed trouble.
She should've sealed the dimensional space.
Then, young Logan pushed a wheelchair into the space.
"Its real body is in the pond!"
Professor X closed his eyes, instantly pinpointing Loki's true form.
At his words, the pond's waters churned. The crocodile glared, its jaws opening with terrifying suction.
Roar!!
Professor X trembled, his face paling as his mental energy was crushed by something horrific.
Without intervention, he'd die.
But Charlie was ready.
He'd already guessed Professor X's first death was tied to Crocodile Loki.
This thing devoured not just magical energy but mental energy too.
Hum~
Charlie traced a circle, opening a portal. Water gushed from the pond, and a dark green crocodile wearing a horned crown flailed in a web.
Crocodile Loki!
"Damn you, I'm a god of Asgard, the great Crocodile God! You puny mortals, release me!"
Crocodile Loki ranted. Charlie grinned.
"I'm gonna rub some dirt in your eye!"