Beneath the ocean's abyss, a hidden natural tunnel stretched into darkness.
The submarine's beams barely pierced the gloom of the thousands-of-meters-deep seabed, where light couldn't spread far and even detection instruments frequently failed. The vessel nearly collided with a massive blue whale passing by.
Gurgle~
Bubbles rose as Charlie touched the submarine's inner wall. "If I'm right, this thing's built with vibranium too. No wonder Wakanda's richer than Stark Industries on steroids…"
"Talk about overkill," Corrupted Charlie interrupted, cutting off Charlie's lame humor.
He continued, "The Water Demon's chi comes from the deepest part of this tunnel. It's definitely Baasha. I'm taking back all her demonic chi."
Charlie nodded. "Got it."
He assessed the submarine's size, realizing the tunnel was too narrow for it.
So, he pulled out the Monkey Talisman. In a flash of light, the invincible Spider-Man returned.
"Here we go!"
Ka~
The moment the hatch opened, immense pressure engulfed Charlie.
Yet, in this crushing water force, the invincible Spider-Man withstood it effortlessly with just his physical strength, not even activating his stellar-energy biofield.
Anthony had mimicked the invincible Spider-Man before, but his power was limited.
It came down to not truly understanding Spider-Man's full potential.
Sadly, even after crossing over, the Molten Clan still existed, and the third-stage Totem Power remained tied to the Web of Life and Destiny. The Monkey Talisman couldn't replicate that, so Charlie's strength wasn't at its peak.
But his current foes weren't that strong, and this level of power was barely enough.
In a fleeting thought, Charlie's body radiated magical light, and he shot into the tunnel like a rocket.
The tunnel wasn't long. With his speed, he reached the exit in an instant.
The increasing water pressure couldn't stop the invincible Spider-Man from entering the legendary underwater civilization.
Gurgle~
As Charlie emerged at the tunnel's exit, vibrant lights bloomed in the deeper ocean caves. Blue figures wielding primitive weapons and riding sea creatures charged toward him.
"Enemy spotted!"
"It's a human!"
"Kill him!"
Pff pff pff
The blue sea-dwellers surged forward with spears, swarming Charlie in a blink.
The next second, the ocean quaked, caves trembling. Golden stellar energy, wrapped in torrents of water, swept through the underwater world, unleashing violent undercurrents that battered the so-called civilization.
Boom~~
Pff pff pff
Shaa
In the terrifying currents, scores of sea creatures were smashed against stone walls, ground to pulp by the force. Blood spread through the water, jolting awake the guardian deity of this underwater civilization.
Roar!!
A primal beastly bellow echoed through the ravaged seabed. A massive maw emerged from the depths, its thousands of jagged teeth glinting eerily under the glow of seabed gems. The darkness and despair within its mouth were unfathomable, its true size impossible to gauge.
But even this dramatic scene was nothing to the invincible Spider-Man!
"What a big mouth. I'm guessing… giant bass?" Corrupted Charlie chuckled.
Charlie rolled his eyes. "Guess what this is."
He formed a bizarre nautilus-like monster model from nanomaterial in his palm.
Corrupted Charlie scoffed. "Seriously? You're using that?"
"Why not?"
"It'll work, but that big mouth's coming fast. Hurry up—I don't want a close-up of its tonsils."
"Fine."
Charlie raised the model, and the Rat Talisman's light enveloped it.
"Come forth! Ancient Dark Evil God, Gatanothor!!"
With a shout, the Rat Talisman's power turned imagination into reality, bringing the toy to life.
Waa~ Shaa~
A roar of darkness and fear reverberated through the ocean, like a crying infant or a vengeful specter. Absolute dark power spread, consuming the seabed.
Where the darkness passed, the blue sea-dwellers felt their souls freeze, terror blooming endlessly within.
Even the abyssal maw hesitated briefly.
Under the cave's flickering light, writhing tentacles spread, the massive nautilus body radiating absolute power and dread.
Blood-red eyes gleamed from its center, dragging all into an era of despair.
But the despair came and went quickly.
As the black mist dissipated, a palm-sized nautilus monster roared, leaving everyone feeling it was a false alarm.
The abyssal maw, unimpressed, lunged at Charlie even faster.
Corrupted Charlie groaned. "Next time, custom-order a bigger toy."
Charlie shrugged. "You forgot—Ultraman can grow huge, and so can monsters."
He tossed the tiny Gatanothor toward the maw.
Shaa~
In an instant, Gatanothor screeched, darkness flooding its body. As it swelled, its mottled shell crackled with purple lightning. A burst of dark purple light shot into the abyssal maw.
Buzz~
The maw froze.
Under the shocked gazes of the sea-dwellers, its surface turned to stone, sinking into the seabed as a giant stone statue.
Boom
The massive object hit the ocean floor, stirring clouds of sediment.
Charlie crossed his arms, grinning. "Told you, the Twelve Talismans are all about setting."
Corrupted Charlie sneered. "Sure, setting. But you forgot—this thing's a monster. It's born to destroy worlds. It's got no humanity."
As he spoke, Gatanothor, having defeated the maw, unleashed denser dark energy. Its inverted blood-red eyes locked onto the invincible Spider-Man, sensing an irritating giant-like aura.
Charlie: "…"
"Nice one. Flipping on me already."
He raised the Rat Talisman, shrinking the dark evil god back into a toy, crushed by the water pressure.
The blue sea-dwellers regrouped, eyeing Charlie with fear but holding back.
Charlie floated calmly, waiting for his "tour guide."
Finally, as the sea-dwellers stirred, their "king" appeared, wielding a primitive vibranium spear.
He swam toward Charlie, muscles rippling, as if to intimidate the invincible Spider-Man.
Seeing the king's murderous gaze, Charlie crossed his arms, smiling. "Atlantis's king, Namor?"
Namor's eyes narrowed. "That's me. State your purpose."
Charlie tapped his virtual computer, displaying an image of the Water Demon Baasha. "I'm looking for her. If she's not here, I'll settle for you."
Namor's face twitched at the sight of Baasha.
"I don't know her."
"Honest Aquaman, you should take acting lessons on the surface," Charlie quipped. "The demonic chi trail ends here. You must've used some trick to block Baasha's presence. No worries, though—I'm not familiar with this place, but someone else will be."
He retreated to the tunnel's mouth, forming hand signs. The second-stage Spider Totem spread through the seabed.
In the warped totem's glow, a trident-wielding sea warrior materialized.
DC's Aquaman, Arthur!
Charlie's summoning skill was back in action.
But surprisingly, another figure appeared behind Arthur.
The current Aquaman, Atlanna!
"Oh, Father, I finally see you again!"
Arthur lunged for a hug, but Atlanna yanked his ear.
"Little Arthur, your job is to take out the enemy. I'll protect your father."
Arthur: "…"
He broke free, glaring resentfully at his nearby father.
Craving fatherly love but never receiving it.
Because his opponent was his mom.
With nowhere to vent, he turned his fury on Namor, the "other" Aquaman.
The moment Marvel's Aquaman saw DC's Aquaman, his muscles tensed, scalp tingling as if facing a natural enemy.
Arthur locked onto Namor instantly.
Same vibe, same power, but from different dimensions.
In this shared space-time, only one could stand tall.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
Without Charlie's prompting, the two charged like swordfish, stirring violent undercurrents.
Gurgle~
Boom!!
Clang clang clang
In the underwater ruins, the two clashed hundreds of times in an instant. Trident met ancestral spear, sparking torrents that churned the scene into chaos.
Weaponry glowed, and ruins were buried in sediment.
Amid the chaos, Charlie's magical energy formed a protective shield, keeping the sediment at bay.
Atlanna gracefully entered the shield, smiling at Charlie.
"Long time no see. You seem… more—"
Charlie tried to greet her but struggled for words to describe the new Atlanna.
No worries—Corrupted Charlie had him covered.
"Congrats, lady. You've matured," Corrupted Charlie said, eyeing the refined, noble Atlanna. "Very nice. I like elegant women like you."
Charlie: "…"
"If you can't talk, don't."
He felt embarrassed, but Atlanna didn't respond with her old fiery passion.
She studied Spider-Man, frowning. "You're possessed by an evil spirit?"
Corrupted Charlie: "…"
He wanted to argue, but Charlie cut him off.
"You caught me. Yeah, a nasty evil spirit's in my body."
Atlanna nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder your vibe's off. Need help?"
"Nah, the spirit's tame."
"Yeah, he knows women better than you—especially that look earlier," Corrupted Charlie teased.
Atlanna stepped closer, her silver-scaled gown glimmering with wealth, making Charlie squint.
"I have a question," he said, stopping Atlanna's attempt at intimacy.
She straightened, smiling. "Ask away."
Charlie pulled her to sit on a nearby reef. "I'm curious—how did you give birth to Arthur alone?"
Atlanna stared at him. "A woman named Ophelia gave me your genetic data."
Charlie: "…"
That jerk!
He gritted his teeth, then forced a smile. "So, we're still friends, right?"
"Of course not."
Atlanna kept smiling. "We have a child. That's no ordinary friendship."
"But I didn't agree to it!"
"Doesn't matter. We have a child."
"We've only met a few times! Is this necessary?"
"No one can resist Spider-Man. I can't even look at other men now."
"I didn't ask you to resist! I didn't even make a move!"
"Doesn't matter. We have a child."
Charlie: "…"
Deep inside, Corrupted Charlie snickered. "Pathetic. Let me handle her. I'll have her eating out of my hand."
"She's already way too compliant," Charlie muttered helplessly.
He swore he hadn't tried to flirt with her.
He had no interest in the Sea Queen.
Blame the invincible Spider-Man for being too perfect, making a thousand-year-old ingénue fall hard.
Lost in thought, Atlanna had somehow leaned her head on his shoulder.
She smiled softly. "I get it. Atlantean women are traditional. If you don't mind—"
"A second kid?" Charlie guessed.
But her answer was…
"If you don't mind, I can be the mistress."
Charlie: "!!!"
Where have I heard that before?
Atlanna continued, "My father had multiple wives. He was king—that's how kings are. I'd understand."
Charlie shot her a look, his mouth twitching.
Her character arc had officially collapsed.
Flash, stop messing with the timeline! he screamed internally.
Meanwhile, Arthur and Namor's battle reached a fever pitch.
The two tangled, shooting through the tunnel and bursting onto the surface.
"End this!!"
Above the ocean, Arthur glared at Namor in the sky, his trident erupting with radiant divine power.
Zzt zzt~~
Boom!!
A ten-thousand-meter tsunami surged, golden lightning crackling within, ready to strike Namor down.
Namor's ankle wings vibrated invisibly, his flight dodging the onslaught of golden lightning.
"Time to end it!!"
Mid-flight, he locked onto Arthur's chest, hurling his vibranium spear like a streak of light.
Buzz~
Clang!!
The spear hit Arthur's chest but failed to pierce it.
In a flash, Arthur caught the spear, his eyes glowing gold.
Divine power exploded, golden lightning and waves crashing down, engulfing the stunned Namor.
"No!!!"