To be honest, Atreus really hates those guys who can regenerate infinitely. Luckily, Dr. Lizard isn't like the Hydra from Greek mythology, where chopping off one head causes another to grow.
Now *that* would be a real headache.
Successfully killing Dr. Connors, a massive surge of red energy was absorbed into Atreus's body, and the notification window on his retina popped up right on time.
[Congratulations, Host! You've killed Dr. Lizard Connors.]
[Congratulations, Host! You've gained the following base attribute upgrades: Constitution +18, Strength +21, Intelligence +9, Perception +10, Willpower +1.]
Seeing this, Atreus trembled slightly with excitement.
As expected, high risk comes with high rewards. Although Dr. Lizard didn't give him any agility boost, it did shore up his relatively weaker constitution and strength.
Now, his base stats stood at [Constitution 37, Agility 41, Strength 42, Intelligence 26, Perception 34, Willpower 28]. With the boost from Kratos' suit [+5 Constitution, +12 Strength], he had truly become a powerhouse.
Unfortunately, the next message from the system made his heart sink a little.
[It has been detected that the Host's current body template limits Constitution and Strength to approximately 60. If you wish to surpass these limits, you'll need to hunt down a god-blooded being or a high-bloodline entity to modify your body.]
Atreus squinted his eyes, already forming a plan in his mind.
He continued reading:
[Host has gained the Constitution-based branch skill (Hardened Skin): Host now has passive tough skin, capable of withstanding a close-range shot from a .22 caliber bullet without injury. In a focused state, the Host can resist 9mm bullets. In both states, the default armor base values are 20 and 30, respectively.]
[Host has gained the Constitution-based branch skill (Regeneration): As long as there is sufficient nutrition, the Host can regenerate missing limbs and organs at a rate of 10 cubic centimeters per hour.]
[Host has gained the Strength-based branch skill (Mighty Throw): The Host can lift objects weighing up to one ton and throw them with violent force. This skill reduces the duration of (Peak Fitness), and its effect is proportional to the Host's constitution.]
[Host has gained the Perception-based branch skill (Heat Sense Lv1).]
[Host has gained the Intelligence-based branch skill (Intro to Biotechnology).]
Four skills in one go, and all of them practical—Atreus really felt like killing Dr. Connors was the right move.
"Whoa! That's Dr. Connors!"
Following the voice, Atreus saw Spider-Man Peter crouched on the bridge railing.
Suddenly, Atreus felt a headache coming on—Spider-Man was famously against killing.
Many of the heroes in the justice camp had this same flaw. When they shouldn't show mercy, they let the bad guys go too easily.
In peaceful times, Atreus would have respected heroes like this. After all, they held noble ideals and maintained a high moral standard that ordinary people could look up to.
Unfortunately, this was Gotham-New York, a megacity hybrid.
It's like Gotham's Arkham Asylum—every criminal there is talented, charming, and downright comfortable, as if they're on vacation. But after their "vacation," they escape and start killing again, causing chaos everywhere.
Sometimes, eliminating villains is the greatest salvation for the innocent!
Atreus didn't have any particular grudge against Dr. Connors. He knew well that, in the 'history' of the comics, Dr. Connors had actually helped Spider-Man many times.
But here, this famous doctor was nothing more than a huge threat.
With the zombie universe looming, Atreus had no choice but to treat the doctor as a big experience package.
"Is he a friend of yours? Oh, I'm sorry for your loss." Atreus casually picked up a rag, wiped his blade, and sheathed it.
Peter's mind was in chaos.
Had this mysterious man done something wrong?
No! If it had been him fighting a giant lizard monster, he wouldn't have thought of sparing it either.
At this level of battle, there's no way to hold back.
Still, Peter's heart was heavy. This was Dr. Connors! He had just given the doctor that formula, and now this happened. Could it be his fault?
This was an ugly mess.
Not far away, Gwen was equally speechless.
At that moment, more police sirens wailed in the distance.
It was time to leave—otherwise, everyone would be in trouble.
Compared to Spider-Man swinging away on his webs, Atreus's exit was more direct—he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.
"What the—" Gwen's eyes widened.
Before higher railings were installed, the Golden Gate Bridge was a hotspot for suicides in New York.
The bridge's height is over 60 meters (about 20 stories high) from the water surface.
Don't be fooled by the water below. From that height, the water's surface would feel as hard as concrete.
Normally, jumping from such a height would pulverize a person.
But when Kratos plunged in, it was like dropping a depth charge into the water. With a loud "boom," his figure quickly disappeared into the Golden Gate Strait.
Only Spider-Man, with his night-vision enhanced senses, could barely see a faint white trail under the water—that was the path someone left while swimming away at high speed...
Dr. Connors was dead, but the shockwaves from his death weren't over yet.
The next day, the TV news anchors were reporting the event in a sensational manner:
"Today, the Golden Gate Bridge was attacked by a terrifying creature resembling a lizardman, standing over ten feet tall! It could easily hurl a one-ton car off the bridge. Even New York's SWAT team was no match for it. Fortunately, two Spider-People, along with a mysterious bald man, managed to defeat it."
"Upon identification, this lizardman was revealed to be none other than the famous Dr. Curt Connors. Before being fired by Oscorp, he was conducting research on cross-species genetic engineering. His goal was to use a lizard's regenerative abilities to heal human limbs..."
"The police have discovered Dr. Connors' temporary research center, where they found a container filled with a mysterious liquid. According to preliminary estimates from leading scientists, this liquid could potentially turn all of New York into lizard monsters like Dr. Connors..."
The screen switched to a spokesperson for Oscorp: "Our company noticed long ago that Dr. Connors' research was heading in a dangerous direction. In the interest of public safety, we shut down his lab and terminated his work. It's clear now that the doctor lost his mind and continued his reckless research..."
While the media buzzed with this story, Gwen felt she was facing the biggest crisis of her life.
As a young person who hadn't yet entered the adult world, her dad's authority was no joke—especially since her father was the Chief of Police for New York City.
"Dad? What are you doing home?" Gwen was shocked to see her father standing in front of her, chest wrapped in thick bandages, looking pale.
"No worries! After a thorough check-up by the doctors, it turns out the injuries that seemed severe last night were just flesh wounds. I got stitched up, and I'll be fine in a week." George looked at his beloved daughter with a faint smile. "Gwen, don't you have something to tell me?"
Gwen gulped, stiff as a board, and followed her father into his study.
After the door closed, George sat down heavily in his chair. "Alright, so how should I address you? Spider-Woman? Lady Spider? Or just my dear daughter?"
What could Gwen do?
She was utterly desperate!
All she could do was go with her last-resort plan and confess everything.
After a while, George rubbed his temples, his head pounding. "So, in short, you were bitten by a mutated spider and turned into Spider-Woman. You hid the spider, which ended up biting Parker too. To figure out what was happening, you snuck into Oscorp as Dr. Connors' assistant to investigate whether you would turn into a monster?"
"Yes, Dad, your poor daughter could become a monster at any moment," Gwen's 'pity me' act was top-notch.
George was torn.
Spider-Woman had a decent reputation. She helped the police catch criminals and didn't cause unnecessary trouble. In internal police evaluations, she was seen as an ally hero.
Heh, actually, every superhero is useful to the country in some way.
Good ones can be recruited; troublesome ones... can always be put on the Suicide Squad!
George knew all too well how the higher-ups operated.
In America, it's family first, then the greater good.
He'd already given it plenty of thought.
"Gwen, you've grown up, and you have your own ideas. Since what you're doing is just, as your father, of course, I'll support you. But don't expect the Chief of the NYPD to help."
"Thank you, Dad—" Gwen dragged out her words with excitement, covering her father's face in kisses.
"Alright, alright! Just make sure you protect yourself. Don't cause trouble."
"Yes, Dad."
"As for your research..."
"The Oscorp path is blocked, but I have a Plan B."
"Wait, you're not talking about that Atreus guy, are you?"
"Yep!"
"..." The concerned father suddenly felt his heart tighten, like he was sending his daughter into the lion's den. But then again, she *was* Spider-Woman—surely he couldn't do anything to her... right?
(End of Chapter)