Chapter 79: Twisted Transcendence, Death Underground
The narrow, pitch-black sewer.
Dr. Connors, his body fully transformed into a massive Lizard beast.
Dr. Octavius, with mechanical claws sprouting from his back.
And Xi Nian, clad in the same hooded Spider-suit as Gwen, stood facing the two of them.
Gurgle—
The foul, icy wastewater surged rapidly through the central channel.
With both Spider powers and Cheetah's abilities, Xi Nian's senses were razor-sharp. His beastlike instincts screamed danger—the two doctors before him were filled with murderous intent.
They truly meant to kill him and Gwen down here.
Had they already abandoned their humanity?
His eyes dropped briefly to the shocking claw marks torn into Gwen's calf. His green-lit pupils grew colder, more ruthless.
"One each. I'll handle the Lizard, you take—hey?!"
Before Gwen could finish, Xi Nian suddenly scooped her into his arms in a princess carry.
"Planning to run?" Doctor Octopus sneered, glaring down from above.
The Lizard's beastly eyes glowed red, saliva dripping between his jagged fangs. He was like a humanoid dinosaur, his mind teetering on the edge of berserk madness.
Xi Nian ignored them. He only spoke softly to the light figure in his arms. "Hold onto me."
Gwen's hands, wrapped in the sleeves of her tight Spider-suit, instinctively circled around his neck. Beneath the mask, her cheeks burned red with both worry and frustration. "You can't take them both alone—not while carrying me."
"Still got one hand free, don't I? Won't know unless I try." Xi Nian smiled faintly. Holding Gwen close with one arm, his other hand rose calmly.
That quiet, almost disdainful composure—
For a moment, it made Octavius recall the girl he had encountered half a year ago. Rage welled up so intensely he trembled. With a roar, he lunged forward like a monster. "Don't mock me!"
Behind him, the four metal arms gleamed coldly as they whipped forward like venomous snakes, stabbing at Xi Nian with terrifying speed.
Xi Nian didn't dodge. Standing still, Gwen safe in one arm, his left hand suddenly clawed like a predator.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Four simultaneous metallic crashes rang out. Every single claw strike had been swatted back by his bare hand.
"Impossible!"
Doctor Octopus's eyes went wide. His mechanical limbs screeched, whipping forward again with frenzied speed, stabbing and twisting, tearing through the air.
The sewer rang with sharp metallic echoes. The claws blurred into a storm of silver light, engulfing Xi Nian in deadly precision.
But his glowing green pupils tracked every strike. His left hand moved even faster, intercepting each one, stopping every attack half a meter from his body.
Clang, clang, clang—
From the outside, it was surreal: Octavius's four claws, moving at machine speed, were being matched by one human hand. Flesh against steel, holding even.
This wasn't scientific.
Octavius's jaw slackened beneath his glasses. Could it be… was that hand mechanical? No. It was worse—it was like the hand of a demon.
"Amazing…" Gwen whispered in awe. Not a single strike had reached her thanks to Xi Nian.
"Don't just stand there—help me!" Octavius roared at Connors, still hammering with his claws.
The Lizard's red eyes flared. With a savage snarl, he lunged at them.
Xi Nian's eyes narrowed. He leapt upward with Gwen in his arms, evading the snapping jaws. Midair, he stomped down with both feet onto the Lizard's skull.
Boom!
The beast's green-scaled body crashed into the ground, smashing open a deep crater.
"Die!"
Octavius's claws lashed again, stabbing down at Xi Nian.
But Xi Nian moved like lightning, running sideways along the sewer wall, Gwen still in his arms. With a sharp grab, he caught one of the mechanical arms.
With a single brutal pull, he swung Octavius's entire body through the air and slammed him down onto the Lizard. The ground cracked wider beneath the impact.
And still, Xi Nian's breathing remained steady. He landed softly on the floor, spinning midair to bring Gwen down safely with him.
This was the power of Spider and Cheetah combined.
His body, fortified by both sets of abilities, was tougher than refined steel. Strength, speed, instincts—all had evolved beyond the human scale.
Seeing both villains trying to rise again, Xi Nian lifted his hand. A web shot out, engulfing them together.
With another flick of his wrist, he layered more and more webbing until the two were wrapped tight, bound like a giant cocoon.
"Our research… failed? No… it shouldn't be like this…"
Octavius's sunglasses slipped from his face. His dazed eyes stared blankly as he muttered.
The mechanical arms writhed like snakes, screeching violently as though alive.
Suddenly, the Lizard snapped. His blood-red eyes widened, and with a monstrous roar he lunged sideways, biting into Octavius's neck.
Crunch!
Blood sprayed as the unreinforced human throat snapped in his jaws.
But Octavius's mechanical arms didn't stop. They whipped back furiously, stabbing into the Lizard's body—piercing through his eye socket, his mouth, his chest, his abdomen.
Green corrosive blood gushed out, splattering across the claws. Smoke hissed, electricity crackled, but the Lizard only bit down harder.
Xi Nian and Gwen froze, stunned by the sudden bloodbath.
It didn't last long.
Entwined together, the Lizard, Doctor Octopus, and those four mechanical claws all collapsed, lifeless. Blood of two different colors pooled briefly before being swept away by the rushing sewage.
The sewer fell silent once more.
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