"Father, did you see that?"
In the night sky, two green trails lingered.
Totem Harry stared at the hemispherical energy dome below, sensing its terrifying power. His shocked expression darkened with disappointment.
Noticing his son's gloom, Norman comforted him. "Harry, don't be like that. Three years ago, you didn't get a chance to face Spider-Man, but now you can. He's back—you should be thrilled."
Harry: "…"
He gave his father a strange look, his voice tinged with resentment. "Father, I didn't stand a chance three years ago. Are you sending me to my death now? Or do you have a secret kid out there?"
Norman's face darkened. "You little brat, you're my only kid. I was just trying to cheer you up."
"Then don't," Harry sighed. "Seeing Spider-Man's power now, I'm throwing in the towel."
He exhaled heavily. "I just want to find Peter. He's been missing for three years, and I suspect it's tied to Spider-Man. I need to talk to him—he must know something."
He kept staring at the fading energy dome below.
In the scorched mountain rubble, the Red Hulk knelt, gasping for air.
Yet, no visible wounds marked his body, showing that this level of destruction hadn't threatened his life.
Norman's expression grew serious. "It's Ross, as expected. The Hulk totem's power is within him. He's the one who drove off the Hulk back then!"
Harry's gaze shifted to the red-and-blue figure. "Is Spider-Man a match for him?"
Norman shook his head. "The Hulk totem gives Ross physical strength beyond anyone's imagination. Even with Spider-Man's enhanced totem power, beating Ross is unlikely."
As he spoke, the Red Hulk staggered to his feet in the rubble, only to collapse as if all his strength had been drained.
Thud!
The seemingly invincible Red Hulk fell, and Norman's face flushed with embarrassment.
He scrambled to explain. "Uh, I meant unlikely, not impossible. It's a matter of probability—I wasn't wrong." He looked at Harry earnestly.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Father, if your body were as tough as your mouth, the Green Goblin totem's side effects wouldn't be breaking you down. You wouldn't have to worry about the family's genetic disease—or me. You could have another kid. Just make sure my new stepmom is young and pretty. That's my only request."
Norman: "…"
You little brat, no respect for your old man.
He quickly changed the subject. "Emil went that way. Let's check it out. This fight's beyond us."
"Got it, dear Father."
"Stop with that weird look!"
"Yes, dear Father."
The duo shot toward the mountain depths, while on the scorched ground, the Invincible Spider-Man approached General Ross.
Staring at the trembling Red Hulk, Charlie's blue-glowing eyes flickered.
Ross struggled to lift his head, glaring at Charlie. "You… what do you want?"
His years of confidence were shattered by that single kick.
He never imagined the "reborn" Spider-Man could overpower him.
It was unthinkable.
He was certain this guy wasn't the Spider-Man he knew!
This guy was a monster!
A totem monster that evolved the Spider totem!
He couldn't fathom how this was possible.
His mind roared, but Charlie's casual remark sent Ross into total collapse.
"Your… your skin's not as nice as mine."
Charlie pointed at Ross's forehead, ignoring the fury and growing menace in his aura.
"Your totem power's such a letdown."
With that, the Spider totem on his chest detached, forming a vivid red-and-blue spider that crawled onto Ross's body.
Splat!
The Spider totem bit into Ross's shoulder. Pain and the loss of totem energy drew a terrified scream.
"No!!"
"Get off!!"
Ross struggled, but a large foot stomped on his chest, suppressing all his power. No matter how he thrashed, it was futile.
He stared in horror at Spider-Man. "No! You're stealing my totem power—how?! The Hulk totem is the greatest! No one can take it, not even Morlun!!"
His roar revealed something to Charlie.
The Inheritors couldn't steal the Hulk totem?
So, Morlun wasn't invincible in the Totem Universe. The Hulk totem made the Inheritors wary.
The Leech totem countered the Spider totem but not others.
Good news for Charlie.
As for the great General Ross, the Spider totem rapidly drained his Hulk totem power. The Spider totem's patterns grew more intricate, resembling a magical spider with glowing LED lights.
As the Hulk totem faded, Ross's giant form shriveled, his exaggerated muscles deflating like a punctured balloon.
Charlie hadn't planned to act, but Ross's arrogance changed his mind.
Looking for trouble? If not him, then who?
With a thought, Charlie stomped, crushing Ross's head. The Red Hulk totem vanished from this world.
As he prepared to leave, his Spider totem frantically warned him.
Sensing malice behind him, Charlie slowly turned.
On the scorched ground, a towering figure approached.
A black tuxedo fluttered in the wind, and golden eyes radiated suffocating totem energy in the dark.
Charlie wasn't sure which Morlun family member this was, but they were no small fry.
The figure stopped, half-hidden in the shadows.
"Invincible Spider-Man, I didn't expect you to show up."
As Morlun spoke, the world seemed to freeze.
No wind, no sound—just eerie silence.
Charlie sensed the extreme danger in Morlun's aura and sighed inwardly.
In a straight totem power clash, he was no match.
But between Spider-Man and the Inheritors, totem power decided victory.
This was a fated duel!
The only chance for redemption in the web of life and destiny!
Charlie's expression hardened, and he stepped closer.
Their gazes locked for a moment, and Morlun suddenly smirked.
"Charlie Parker, Invincible Spider-Man, your power is astounding. I consumed a thousand Spider-Men to gain my strength, but your ally seems to have devoured far fewer totems."
Charlie's heart jolted.
A thousand Spider-Men?
Holy hell, he was facing the Thousand-Spider Slayer!
He took a deep breath. "Your name."
"Morlun, of the Inheritor family."
Morlun didn't hide his identity, his lips curling. "It's not time for the final duel, but since you're here, you need a lesson. That's the price for intruding in this world."
The world returned to normal.
Wind rose, and golden totem energy from his eyes spread like silken light particles.
BOOM!!
In an instant, the golden totem erupted. Charlie's world darkened, his Spider sense silenced, and everything froze.
His senses were gone—the evolved Leech totem's suppression of the Spider totem.
His evolved Spider totem was no match for Morlun.
But Charlie, prepared, wouldn't go down without a fight.
Buzz~
As Morlun closed in as a golden streak, the Spider totem swelled, circle after circle. The chaotic totem energy made Morlun's face shift.
"What?"
With a low growl, the Spider totem exploded, unleashing boundless totem energy like a dam breaking.
CRASH!!
The mountain forest was engulfed in dazzling light, accompanied by Morlun's furious roar.
"Damn bug! I'll destroy you when you resurrect!!"
BOOM!!
The Spider totem's power raged, drowning out Morlun's voice.
…
"What happened?"
In the distant swamp, Fury's team was drawn to the explosion.
They didn't understand what had occurred.
"I heard someone shout Spider-Man's name."
"Me too."
"'Bug'? That's Spider-Man."
"He must've beaten someone—otherwise, they wouldn't be so angry."
"Spider-Man's too shocking now."
The group calmed their excitement.
In the corner, Charlie woke again. Connors, ever-watchful, whispered, "What happened?"
Charlie shook his head. "Nothing much. Just tricked a big idiot."
The moment he sensed Morlun, he'd switched to a clone.
The clone's totem self-detonation made Morlun think the Invincible Spider-Man was dead.
It also confirmed something: the Inheritors knew he could resurrect infinitely.
That's why Morlun vowed to kill him upon resurrection.
Charlie wasn't sure if Morlun was injured in the blast, but Spider-Man's "death" would make Morlun drop his guard.
That was his chance.
He stood. "I'm gonna take a leak. You coming?" he asked Connors.
Connors shook his head. "Didn't drink tonight."
"Alright, I'll go alone."
Charlie slipped into the nearby thicket.
Buzz~
A red-and-blue flash, and Charlie "split in two."
Clone technique!
The magical clone held nearly all his power, including a perfect Spider totem replica.
But after the clone's self-detonation, its totem became lifeless, drained of power.
When a clone's body died, its totem energy returned to the original.
But a totem detonation required massive magical energy to revive.
Spider magic was about equivalent exchange, and reviving the Spider totem demanded a ton of mana.
His internal Elios could only reduce magic cooldowns, not grant infinite mana buffs.
Luckily, his mastery of absorption magic had amassed enough mana to recreate a full Spider totem without weakening himself.
One more time, though, and the Invincible Spider-Man might be tapped out.
Back with the team, Charlie clapped his hands and followed Fury's group toward the distant mountains.
The commotion was too big for Fury to ignore.
At the rear, Connors eyed Charlie.
He could tell this wasn't the real deal.
The real Spider-Man wouldn't keep staring at Natasha's big apples!
…
Meanwhile, the real Charlie suppressed all Spider totem traces, locked onto Harry and Norman's auras, and opened a portal to a hollowed-out mountain.
Rat-a-tat-tat~
BOOM!!
Roar~~
In the massive mountain, hordes of Dinosaurfolk fell to relentless gunfire. Emil led soldiers to slaughter the defenders, then glared at the restless totem families.
Within the vast mountain, a lava river spanning its entirety radiated immense totem energy.
From Charlie's perspective, the river was a massive Pterodactyl totem!
This was the Dinosaurfolk's dedicated totem altar!
Like the Snakefolk's altar, the Pterodactyl totem had been altered by totem energy, its form sleeker, its head shifting toward a lizard-like shape rather than a pointed pterodactyl.
Seeing this, Charlie frowned.
He'd thought the Snakefolk's altar was evolving toward a dragon.
But the Dinosaurfolk's altar raised more questions.
What were these subterranean natives up to?
Their tribal totem altars absorbed vast totem energies, transforming in unknown ways. Was that their ultimate goal?
What happened when it was complete?
How was this tied to the Supreme Totem?
As he pondered, he glanced at Harry and Norman, also observing from the shadows. A thought struck him.
Per Marvel's law, bizarre rituals or sacrifices either revived evil to destroy the world or unlocked wish-granting miracles.
Nine times out of ten, Charlie was sure he was right.
And with Morlun here, it meant this was valuable to the Inheritors.
If the Inheritors wanted it, Spider-Man could probably use it too.
The Invincible Spider-Man was tempted.
Temptation called for action.
He'd watch these guys move!
Charlie stayed still, while Emil grew anxious, still waiting for Ross.
He didn't think Ross was in danger—probably just delayed.
He held his post, but the totem families grew restless.
They whispered among themselves, with the Inheritors remaining the calmest.
Emil sensed something off.
"Damn it, it's Morlun…"
A terrifying realization hit him.