Totem Universe, Underworld.
In the sky, the molten river formed by the four totems still hung high above.
The dragon totem had left this world, but because of Charlie's challenge, he returned once more.
Above the molten river, Charlie walked slowly across the cooled magma.
Step by step, like the devil's pace.
Well, it was kinda rough on his feet.
The golden handgun in Charlie's grip trembled slightly, the Fin Fang Foom totem flickering faintly.
"Aren't you supposed to be looking for those three Spider-Totems? Why are we here?" Fin Fang Foom asked.
Charlie replied calmly, "Some things you just gotta do first, then figure out why later."
Fin Fang Foom: "."
"What the heck are you even talking about?" His tone dripped with exasperation.
Charlie kept his eyes forward, continuing along the molten river.
"You wouldn't get it even if I explained."
"Try me. I might."
"For the honor of the invincible Spider-Man!"
Fin Fang Foom: "."
"Oh, so it's about pride. Why didn't you just say so?"
He muttered under his breath as the underworld's sky suddenly blazed with brilliant starlight. A dazzling starry expanse unfurled, and specks of light coalesced into a figure.
Captain Universe Spider-Man!
Thanks to the Inheritors' defeat, all the Spider-Men who died in the duel world had been resurrected in the Resurrection Match.
Including him.
As one of the most powerful Spider-Men, he'd lost to Morlun due to the limits of his Spider-Totem, which left him bitter.
But this time, facing another Spider-Man, he was brimming with confidence.
From his starry canvas, Captain Universe Spider-Man looked down at the Spider-Man on the molten river.
Just an ordinary Spider-Man in an ordinary Spidey suit.
He couldn't sense the slightest hint of a threat from him.
Relieved, Captain Universe Spider-Man thought, As long as it's not that guy.
With that, he transformed into cosmic energy, diving down at breakneck speed and landing on the molten river, blocking Charlie's path.
"Just some small-time punk, huh? Showing up to a duel with only a little handgun? You're not doing so hot, are you?" Captain Universe Spider-Man laughed.
Charlie didn't get mad.
He locked eyes with Captain Universe Spider-Man, while the group chat exploded.
[LizardLegsStud: Live stream's up! That guy's silhouette looks kinda familiar.]
[SupremeVIParker: All Spider-Men's silhouettes look the same. Of course it's familiar.]
[UltimateT-rex: I'm curious—why pick this place? This world feels like where that guy rounded us up.]
[SpiderPigPigPigMan: It's called strategy!]
[MadCoolShadowSpider: Something feels off.]
[HatedMiles: I feel it too. Should we warn the admin?]
[BackFromHellMan: Nani? You guys knew already?]
[LizardLegsStud: I've got my sources. That loser's definitely in.]
[FlipFlopSpider: So what's his deal?]
[PerfectPeter: He just wants to know who leaked his superpower info.]
The group fell briefly silent after that message.
Then, LizardLegsStud was the first to bail.
[BoomBangCrashParker: I'm out. Gotta go eat. Y'all keep chatting.]
Another member left the group.
[UltimateT-rex: The guy above's toast. I smell a conspiracy.]
[BackFromHellMan: I'm out too. Don't forget—there was once a man who fought the multiversal crusade from start to finish. Spider-Man!]
[FlipFlopSpider: There's an old Eastern saying: "You can escape the wizard, but not the castle." I'm off to draft a sincere apology letter. He'll probably forgive us.]
…
Meanwhile, the two on the molten river weren't checking the group's reactions.
They locked eyes, the dazzling starlight still shimmering.
"Why so quiet?" Captain Universe Spider-Man sensed the vibe was off.
Charlie slowly raised his golden handgun. "Hand over the admin role, and I'll give you a retry."
"No way—"
Bang!!
In an instant, the dragon totem on the golden handgun flickered. As the bullet left the barrel, the entire underworld dimmed, as if all light had been sucked into that single shot.
Light!
Blinding light!
The starry sky above dimmed for a moment. The golden Spider-Totem roared, the dragon totem cheered, and the ultimate totem energy bared its fangs. With lightning speed, the radiant bullet pierced Captain Universe Spider-Man's bio-force field, landing square between his eyes.
Pfft~
With a muffled groan, Captain Universe Spider-Man staggered. His body, dimmed by the totem energy's impact, quickly regained its starry glow.
It felt like an illusion.
But when he touched the dent on his forehead, it hit him.
He gasped, "Charlie Parker!"
"That's me!" Charlie nodded.
Captain Universe Spider-Man went silent.
After a long pause, he finally muttered, "You lunatic! Why didn't you just say so?"
His eyes glowed faintly, conjuring a virtual interface in the air.
With a few taps, he transferred the admin role to Charlie.
"Done. Don't pull this creepy crap again."
With that, he started to merge into the starry sky to leave.
But the next moment, dense golden webbing ensnared his body.
The overwhelming totem energy left him powerless to resist.
Without the totem's restrictions, he could've one-punched this so-called Spider-God.
But now, he was stuck, forced to take it.
"What do you want?" he asked.
Charlie smirked. "Relax, just wanna discuss something."
"What?"
Charlie leaned in, whispering, "You take down Doctor Doom."
"What?"
Captain Universe Spider-Man's expression turned bizarre. "Me?" He pointed at himself, his face a mix of emotions.
Charlie nodded. "Yup, you. Do me this favor, and I've got your back."
Captain Universe Spider-Man's power was terrifying. Though bound by the Spider-Totem's limits, against those without totem energy, he was like a nuclear weapon.
Yup, that was the ultimate move!
That's why Charlie had lured him here.
Doctor Doom was likely watching him constantly, and leaving him unchecked kept Charlie on edge.
Sadly, Captain Universe Spider-Man was about to let him down.
"Sorry, I'm no match for him."
"Huh?"
"It's true. I just became Captain Universe. That guy's already tapped into some ultimate cosmic powers. Unless I get more time to figure out my limits…"
"No need to explain."
Charlie cut him off, disappointed.
By design, Captain Universe Spider-Man could defeat Doctor Doom.
But not yet.
No plot, no plot armor.
"Fine, I get it. Next thing—"
"There's more?" Captain Universe Spider-Man gritted his teeth. "What do you take me for? Some omnipotent god?"
"Aren't you?" Charlie's eyes were pure and earnest.
Captain Universe Spider-Man: "???"
"You—"
He was speechless.
"What do you want me to do?" His anger fizzled out.
He never expected the first Spider-Man to call him a god would be this guy.
Great taste. What could he do?
He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Charlie grinned. "Simple. Find the Other, the Bride, and the Scion. I need their power to sever Spider-Man from the Web of Life and Destiny."
"Sever?"
Captain Universe Spider-Man seemed to catch on, his eyes lighting up.
"No problem. But where are those three Spider-Totems?"
"Madame Web knows, but she won't tell me."
"Oh my god, that old hag dares to hold out? Don't worry, I've got this."
"Cool. Omnipotent god, Spider-Man's fate is in your hands."
"No sweat. With great power comes great responsibility. It's what I do."
With that, Captain Universe Spider-Man shot into the sky, vanishing into a starry river.
"Wow, that guy's effects are so extra," Fin Fang Foom said, his tone dripping with envy.
Charlie's smile faded. "You can drop your barrier now."
"Got it."
The golden handgun glowed faintly, and the underworld's invisible shield vanished.
Fin Fang Foom added, "Don't worry, no one heard what you two talked about."
"Thanks," Charlie said with a smile.
Since the duel world, Doctor Doom hadn't shown up.
Charlie was certain he was being watched.
Some things he couldn't handle directly, so he'd enlisted Captain Universe Spider-Man.
Unable to predict Doctor Doom's plans, Charlie could only use this misdirection.
As for how well it'd work, that was up to luck.
He glanced down at the golden handgun. "Spill it. What is this place?"
If the underworld was just some ordinary dimensional pocket, Fin Fang Foom couldn't have used it to block Doctor Doom's senses.
There had to be something more.
Fin Fang Foom didn't hide it.
"You caught me."
He chuckled. "No harm in telling you. You've got the basic divine power now. It's time to build your own divine domain."
"Divine domain?" Charlie frowned.
"Yup, divine domain."
Fin Fang Foom explained, "This underworld was once my divine domain, but those guys shattered it. It's never been fully restored, but some power lingers. That's how I blocked that guy's senses—divine domain energy."
Charlie pondered. "Divine power… Asgard's gods have plenty, but there's only one Asgard. And after Asgard was destroyed, no god could rebuild it. What's up with that?"
Fin Fang Foom scoffed. "Those so-called gods aren't real gods. In Asgard, only someone like Odin counts. It's the same in the multiverse. Odin's father created Asgard. Young Odin was just a divine envoy until he absorbed massive World Tree energy to become a true god."
"World Tree?" Charlie was lost again.
"Yup, World Tree."
Fin Fang Foom continued, "It's a divine power source like the Spider-Totem. It birthed the Nine Realms and spawned many powerful gods. My power's similar—looks like totem energy, but it's divine at its core."
Charlie rubbed his chin. "So the Spider-Totem could create a dimensional space like the Nine Realms, spawning divine envoys for itself?"
"No need to spawn envoys. The Web of Life and Destiny already did that for you."
Fin Fang Foom said, "All those Spider-Men are ready-made envoys. Create your divine domain, give all Spider-Men a home, and your power will grow. You'll not only borrow their strength but also—"
He paused, asking Charlie, "Are you sure Spider-Man exists to save the world, not destroy it?"
Charlie blinked. "I… think so? Why's that matter?"
"It matters."
Fin Fang Foom went on, "Every divine power source needs unique fuel. Take Mephisto—he collects souls to feed his demonic power. Some demons grow by destroying worlds. So, invincible Spider-Man, you need to lead Spider-Men to save the world over and over to expand your divine domain and boost their power."
Charlie got the gist.
Wasn't this just faith-based godhood?
Man, this was getting way too mystical.
No wonder dimensional demons kept screaming about destroying worlds.
For powerful dimensional entities, world destruction was the simplest, most brutal way to gain power.
"So, Fin Fang Foom, how do I create my own divine domain?" Charlie asked earnestly.
Fin Fang Foom grinned. "It's not that simple. You need a vessel for the domain—like a tree, maybe a fruit, or even a pile of poop."
Charlie: "."
"Can't the Web of Life and Destiny work?" he asked.
Fin Fang Foom shook his head. "It could, but no god has ever fully controlled it. Using it as a domain vessel is nearly impossible."
Charlie eyed the Fin Fang Foom on the golden handgun. "You've said all this, so you've got another way, right?"
"Haha, you caught me again."
Fin Fang Foom finally revealed his goal. "Come with me to my world. Help me deal with those guys. They've got what you need."
Charlie narrowed his eyes. "So that's your play!"
Fin Fang Foom gave a dry laugh. "I really need your power."
"Why me specifically?" Charlie shot him a sideways glance.
"Because you're the handsomest," Fin Fang Foom blurted without hesitation.
Charlie: "."
"While that's true, without another reason, this is gonna be tough."
Fin Fang Foom thought for a moment, then got serious.
"Have you heard of the Twelve Talismans[1]?"
Charlie: "???"
Wait, are we really doing a crossover now?
[1] from Jackie Chan Adventures