Chapter 73: Sealing the Undying Dragon Soul, Beginning a New Journey Across the Worlds
Marcus hovered in midair, looking down at the giant dragon slowly wagging its tail below. The creature's upper body was already completely restored.
The dragon's vertical pupils reflected the black-and-red figure. It did not assume an attacking stance again, its tail slowly sweeping across the ground.
"I am no match for you," the dragon's voice echoed in the night sky, deep and calm. "But you cannot kill me either. So, let us both take a step back. I won't hurt anyone else tonight, and you don't stop me. How about it?"
Marcus was silent for a moment before speaking, "I indeed do not know how to destroy this body of yours. But I don't believe your original body can also undergo Rebirth."
Before his voice could fade, Marcus's figure vanished from the spot. Long before the dragon had opened its mouth to negotiate, his hearing, which covered the entire urban area, had already locked onto the direction where the muscular man was fleeing while carrying Mr. Liu.
Watching the direction Marcus flew, the dragon opened its mouth and let out an earth-shaking roar. Whipping its tail, its massive body twisted frantically in the air as it gave chase at its fastest speed.
On the other side, the muscular man carrying Mr. Liu was sprinting through the alleys of the abandoned industrial zone. Panting heavily, he rounded a corner and suddenly slammed on the brakes. Ten meters ahead, a black-and-red figure blocked the very center of the alley. The muscular man's pupils dilated, and he turned in a panic, trying to flee in the opposite direction.
Marcus's figure instantly appeared by his side, his right palm slicing out like a hand-blade. The muscular man's head rolled off his neck, and his headless torso swayed twice. The arms holding Mr. Liu went limp and released their grip, and both bodies collapsed to the ground together.
Marcus bent down, gripping the back of Mr. Liu's neck with his fingers, and lifted him up. He turned his head to look at the dragon shadow rapidly approaching in the night sky. Raising his other hand, he grabbed Mr. Liu's head and exerted sudden force. The body, covered in mechanical components, was brutally torn in half by him, scattering flesh and metal fragments all over the ground.
"No!"
The dragon let out a heart-wrenching roar. Its body stiffened in midair for a moment, the light in its vertical pupils rapidly dimming. Its massive body glided forward one last stretch under its momentum, crashing heavily onto the ground.
The emerald scales scraped against the gravel, making a piercing sound as the dragon's body slid all the way to Marcus's feet before coming to a complete stop.
Marcus released his grip, letting the half-severed wreckage in his hand fall to the ground. He looked down at the dying dragon at his feet, kicked away some broken bricks, and took half a step back.
In the next second, the dragon's massive body began to disintegrate from the edges. One emerald scale after another broke down into countless tiny, emerald-green particles of light. These particles swirled and gathered in the air, condensing into a churning, fist-sized sphere of green light.
The light sphere hovered for a brief moment before shooting violently toward Marcus.
Seeing this, Marcus channeled all the remaining energy in his body into his palm without reservation. Churning and condensing, the Aether Particle instantly formed a completely transparent energy sphere in his palm.
With a wave of his hand, the energy sphere precisely enveloped the green light cluster.
Inside the transparent sphere, the emerald-green energy crashed frantically against the walls, each impact sending fine cracks spiderwebbing across the surface. Marcusgripped the constantly vibrating energy sphere tightly, but the speed at which the cracks spread far exceeded the speed at which he could repair them. He could feel that this sphere wouldn't be able to trap it for much longer.
He flipped his left hand, and Cosmic Orb ejected from his space bracelet. The moment Cosmic Orb's outer shell popped open, a blinding purple light surged out, illuminating the entire ruins in a deep purple.
Marcus clenched his fingers around the Power Stone, forcibly directing that violent energy into the energy sphere in his right hand. Empowered by the Power Stone, the Aether Particle flooded into the sphere's walls, filling in the cracks layer by layer.
The emerald-green light inside the sphere finally dimmed gradually and stopped crashing.
Marcus flipped his hand and stored it in his space bracelet. He took to the air, flying in the direction of Eve.
At the edge of the ruins, Eve was squatting beside The Immortal. Using her Atomic Ability, she condensed a roll of pink bandages and wrapped them layer by layer around the bone-deep wound on The Immortal's chest. Her technique was not very skilled, but it was secure enough.
Hearing the sound of rushing air behind her, Eve looked up. Her face was still smudged with dirt from the previous battle, and seeing Marcus land completely unharmed, her shoulders visibly relaxed.
Little Spider leaped from the top of Eve's head, its thin legs drawing a faint golden arc in the air as it landed steadily on Marcus's head. Eve stood up and patted the dust off her knees. "How is that giant dragon?"
Marcus walked over to her side, bent down to pick up the bag of takeout food on the ground, and said in a flat tone, "The dragon has been dealt with. It's time for me to head back as well."
Eve nodded and didn't try to make him stay, only adding, "Alright. But you have to tell me your address."
Marcus gave her the address of his villa, then took to the air and flew off into the distance.
————————————
Two years later.
Deep in the desert, the scorching sun baked the sand dunes into a blinding golden-yellow. Eve hovered in midair, her arms slowly spreading wide as the atomic energy inside her poured out from her fingertips.
The pink light swept over the sand dunes like a tide. Wherever it passed, the sand grains were decomposed and reorganized, turning into dark brown soil.
Tender green grass shoots sprouted from the soil, growing into shrubs, which then spread their leaves and swayed gently in the wind. A withered, yellow sea of sand was being encroached upon by green at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Marcus stood at the top of a nearby sand dune, watching this scene.
A lot had happened over the past two years. During her first training session, Eve had been injected with five portions of Totem Power by Little Spider, becoming the first Spider-Man of this Universe.
Her strength had also grown by leaps and bounds through continuous training. The Eve of today was no longer the girl who had been smashed through three buildings by a single swipe of the dragon's tail.
As for his own attributes, they hadn't experienced any major leaps. His stats had only increased by about 5% on average. For his current strength, without life-and-death battles, pure daily training was already hard-pressed to bring any significant improvement.
What he had truly spent time pondering was his Dimensional Travel ability. After repeated testing, he had finally figured out several of its key rules.
First, no matter how many years he spent in any Universe, only one year would pass in the other Universes.
Second, every year he could initiate a Transmigration to a completely new Universe. Each time he stepped into a new world, the experience progress of his Dimensional Travelwould directly increase by 50%.
At this moment, Eve withdrew her arms, and the pink light filling the sky receded into her fingertips like a tide. She glanced with satisfaction at the newly formed green land beneath her feet, then turned and flew back to Marcus's side, hovering next to him.
"Marcus, let's go. Let's head back."
Marcus nodded, and the two of them flew side-by-side toward the city. After flying over several sand dunes, he glanced at Eve and said, "I have to make another trip to another Universe."
Hearing this, Eve tilted her head, then showed a slightly apologetic expression. "I have exams coming up, so I can't go with you. Be careful."
Her tone was very natural. Over the past two years, she had become completely accustomed to the fact that Marcus could run off to another Universe.
"Alright."
The two parted ways over the city. Marcus returned to his suburban villa alone, where Little Spider was lying on the living room sofa, watching cartoons on television. Hearing the sound of the door opening, it bounced up from the sofa and scurried up the wall in a few bounds, climbing onto Marcus's head.
With a slight thought from Marcus, a pitch-black spatial rift silently tore open, and the man and the spider stepped inside.
Chapter 74: Everyone Captured? Fubuki Encounters Tentacle Monster!
Marcus stepped out of the space channel. As soon as his feet touched the solid ground, he was enveloped by a cacophony of shrill screams and chaotic footsteps.
The surroundings were packed with a dense crowd; men, women, and children were fleeing wildly from him, their faces etched with the same look of terror.
In a moment where everyone was solely focused on escaping with their lives, no one noticed that he had appeared out of thin air.
He sidestepped a middle-aged man who nearly collided with him and looked up to scan the area.
The rolling shutters of shops on both sides of the street were being pulled down one after another, and the broadcast overhead pierced through the chaos, with a female voice repeating the same message over and over: "Alert, a Tiger-level monster has appeared in H-City. Please proceed immediately to the nearest shelter. Repeat, a Tiger-level monster has appeared in H-City."
Little Spider poked half its head out from the top of Marcus's head, its fine legs gently scratching his hair, and its voice carried a hint of curiosity: "Master, should we go take a look?"
Marcus gave a response, tapped his feet lightly on the ground, and his figure rose into the air.
After flying only a few hundred meters, he saw the source of the chaos.
A giant tentacle monster, standing three stories tall, was entrenched in the center of the intersection, with dozens of thick, dark purple tentacles extending from its bloated torso, slowly writhing in the air.
Five of the tentacles were wrapped around three men and two women, lifting them into mid-air.
The trapped victims struggled desperately, their faces flushing red as the tentacles writhed against their bodies.
Standing in front of the tentacle monster were three figures.
A muscular hunk in a bright yellow bodysuit, a blonde man clad in silver armor holding a long sword, and a short-haired girl wearing a baseball uniform and holding a metal bat.
One of the tentacle monster's tentacles curled elegantly to its chest, as if performing a gentleman's bow: "I am the Tentacle Monster, who became a monster because I loved tentacles too much. Please treat me well."
"Who wants to listen to your self-introduction, you jerk!" the girl in the baseball uniform roared, stomping hard on the ground, launching herself like a cannonball straight at the tentacle monster, her metal bat whistling through the air as she smashed it fiercely toward the bloated torso.
One of the tentacle monster's tentacles lashed out like lightning, striking the metal bat with precision.
The bat shattered upon impact, metal fragments flying in the air, and before the girl in the baseball uniform could react, another tentacle had already wrapped around her waist, lifting her high up.
The girl struggled desperately in the air, emitting a distorted scream: "No—no!"
"Armored Swordsman, let's attack together!" the muscular man in yellow shouted.
The Armored Swordsman drew his long sword, the tip tracing a silver arc in the air.
The two rushed out simultaneously, one left and one right.
The long sword in the Armored Swordsman's hand turned into countless sword lights, clashing violently in the air with the incoming tentacles, the sound of metal clashing ringing out incessantly.
The muscular man in yellow had only charged halfway when he was entangled by several tentacles, his entire body lifted upside down into mid-air, his muscles emitting a teeth-grinding creaking sound under the pressure of the tentacles.
Just then, a long, black luxury sedan stopped silently at the street corner.
The door opened, and a tall figure stepped out calmly.
She had neat, ink-green shoulder-length short hair, wore a deep green slim-fit long dress, and a string of lustrous pearls layered around her neck, her eyebrows and eyes as cold as frost.
Several subordinates in matching black suits followed closely behind her.
Marcus recognized the newcomer at a glance.
B-Class Rank 1, Hell's Fubuki.
"As expected of B-Class Rank 17, Armored Swordsman, you are indeed stronger than the other two C-Class heroes."
Fubuki crossed her arms, her tone carrying a hint of condescending approval.
The Armored Swordsman, while waving his sword to block the fierce attacks of the tentacles, shouted without looking back: "Stop making sarcastic remarks on the sidelines and come help!"
No sooner had he spoken than a tentacle made a breakthrough of his sword net and struck him hard in the chest.
The Armored Swordsman flew backward, crashing heavily into a utility pole, his metal armor emitting a muffled thud upon impact.
Fubuki looked at the Armored Swordsman, who was struggling to stand up while leaning on his sword, her tone unhurried: "I asked you to join my Fubuki Group a few days ago, but you didn't agree. Now you should know, one cannot go far in the hero industry alone."
The Armored Swordsman wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice hoarse and angry: "What time is it now? You're not saving people, yet you're still saying these things. Are you even a hero?"
"Don't you dare speak to Lady Fubuki like that!" the subordinates behind Fubuki stepped forward in unison.
Behind them, the tentacle monster suddenly let out a deafening roar: "Don't ignore me, you heroes!"
Dozens of tentacles swarmed toward Fubuki and the others, the overwhelming dark purple shadow enveloping the entire block.
Fubuki did not look back, her voice cold and calm: "Eyelashes, Mountain Ape, deal with this disgusting tentacle monster for me."
"Yes, Lady Fubuki!" Two figures darted out from behind her; one was a man with long hair and handsome features, the other a burly, bald man.
The two rushed toward the tentacle monster, and in the next second, they were entangled by the swarming tentacles, lifted into mid-air before they could even let out a scream.
"Lady Fubuki—" Eyelashes' voice came muffled from between the tentacles, and then he was choked into complete silence.
The Armored Swordsman's pupils shrank: "Look out!"
Fubuki turned abruptly, several tentacles already close at hand.
She did not retreat; she clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, and the psychic storm within her erupted with her at the center, shredding all the incoming tentacles, dark purple fragments mixed with sticky body fluids splattering in the air.
The storm gradually subsided.
Fubuki looked up, the corners of her mouth curling into an arc: "It's over. Having been hit by my Hell Storm, this guy definitely won't survive."
No sooner had she spoken than a low laugh came from the smoke, and the tentacle monster's torso loomed in the dust: "You heroes, do you not even care about the hostages?"
The smoke cleared.
At the cross-sections of the tentacles that had been shredded by the Hell Storm, new flesh buds were writhing and growing frantically, condensing into dozens of complete tentacles in just a few seconds.
The five civilians and four hero hostages were still tightly entangled, hanging in mid-air, their struggles growing increasingly weak.
"How is this possible..." Fubuki's pupils shrank slightly, and the arc at the corner of her mouth stiffened completely.
The tentacle monster looked up to the sky and laughed triumphantly, dozens of newly grown tentacles exploding outward simultaneously, the nine tentacles mixed among them tightly wrapped around the hostages, smashing toward Fubuki like a tidal wave: "You become my plaything too!"
Fubuki gritted her teeth, clasped her hands again, and the psychic storm erupted for the second time.
But this time, her gaze was fixed on the tentacles binding the hostages, and the edge of the storm was visibly restrained in strength when it touched the vicinity of the hostages.
The tentacles wrapping the hostages were severed, and the nine hostages fell from low altitude, crashing heavily to the ground with painful groans.
But the remaining tentacles had achieved a breakthroughof the storm's defensive line, heading straight for Fubuki's face.
Chapter 75: Unfounded Slander and Reckless Attacks, Disciplining the Arrogant Tsundere Loli Powerhouse
Just as those tentacles were about to strike Fubuki, and Marcus was preparing to intervene, a voice suddenly came from afar: "Do not interfere!"
Marcus ignored it. His figure vanished from mid-air, and in the next instant, he was already standing in front of Fubuki. He raised his right arm and extended a finger. The purple energy within his body surged out, condensing into a purple energy ball the size of a fist in front of his fingertip.
With a slight flick of his fingertip, the energy ball shot out. After flying less than half a meter, the fist-sized ball of light suddenly expanded, transforming into a purple sphere several meters in diameter, piercing forward along the central axis of the entire street. Wherever it passed, the dark purple tentacles were completely annihilated, leaving not even ashes behind.
The energy ball engulfed the bloated torso of the Tentacle Monster. The smile on that strange face froze for less than an instant before silently dissipating in the purple light. When the light faded, only a charred, deep trench remained in the center of the intersection, extending from under Marcus's feet all the way to the end of the street.
Fubuki stood frozen in place, her hands still maintaining the posture of releasing Hell Storm, and for the first time, pure bewilderment appeared in her cold, sharp eyes. She looked at the black and red figure standing before her, her lips moving slightly, but she said nothing.
At this moment, that same voice sounded again, with obvious anger in its tone: "Who told you to interfere? Didn't I tell you not to interfere!"
Marcus and Fubuki looked up at the same time. A petite figure hovered in mid-air, her face youthful, yet she wore a mature black slim-fit, long-sleeved, stand-collar dress, with high slits on both sides of the skirt that exposed a large area of her fair legs.
She had her arms crossed over her chest, and a psychic field far more powerful than Fubuki's swirled around her, her cold, sharp eyes staring down at Marcus from above.
She had planned it all out perfectly: wait until Fubuki was pushed to the brink, then descend from the sky and take out the Tentacle Monster in one blow. Then Fubuki would understand that acting tough outside only leads to getting hurt, and she would obediently give up those childish hero games and return to her side. But all of this had been ruined by this guy who suddenly appeared.
"Sister..." Fubuki murmured subconsciously.
Marcus recognized the newcomer: S-Class Rank 2, Tatsumaki. Before he could speak, Tatsumaki fired at him like a machine gun: "You guy, you didn't interfere when the previous people were in danger, but as soon as Fubuki is in danger, you jump out? Are you planning to play the hero to win Fubuki's favor, and then get handsy with her body!"
"Sister, what nonsense are you spouting!" Fubuki's cheeks flushed red instantly, her voice mixed with embarrassment and urgency.
Tatsumaki huffed, crossing her arms even tighter over her chest: "Fubuki, let me tell you, bastards who look like decent human beings like this one have the worst intentions. Now, hurry up and give up your childish games and come home with me."
A few black lines appeared on Marcus's forehead. Fubuki's face also darkened; she lowered her head, her lips pressed into a thin line, and squeezed two words through her teeth: "Childish... games..."
Tatsumaki ignored their expressions, her tone becoming increasingly aggressive: "Fubuki, you should understand after this incident, right? No matter how many weaklings you gather, you won't become stronger. So, hurry up and disband your so-called Fubuki Group and come home with me."
"I don't need you to manage my affairs, Sister!" Fubuki suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly red, the long-repressed emotions finally breaking through the gates of reason, her shout echoing through the empty street.
At this moment, Marcus also spoke up: "Shorty, the fact that you know so much about this means you must have been here the whole time. I think you wanted to be the one to step in at the last moment to win your sister's favor, so she would go home with you."
Upon hearing the words "Shorty," the bit of anger Fubuki was forcing herself to show was instantly replaced by fear. She turned her head sharply toward Marcus, her voice hurried and panicked: "Run!"
In the moment Tatsumaki in mid-air heard "Shorty," veins bulged on her forehead. She raised her hand sharply, and a terrifying psychic force pressed down on Marcus like an invisible giant hammer.
The moment Tatsumaki attacked, Marcus grabbed Little Spider from the top of his head and tossed it gently in Fubuki's direction. Little Spider traced a pale gold arc in the air, landing precisely on Fubuki's chest, bouncing once, and was caught by Fubuki's hands subconsciously.
Boom! The psychic force slammed down, sending debris flying and smoke and dust rising into the sky.
Little Spider struggled desperately in Fubuki's palms, wanting to charge at Tatsumaki, but was held firmly by Fubuki. She looked down at this pale golden little creature, determined not to let it rush into her sister's psychic storm no matter what.
A gust of wind exploded from the center of the smoke, blowing away the remaining dust completely. Marcusstood in the same spot, fanning away the lingering smoke with his palm, and said in a calm tone: "Shorty, is that all you've got?"
Seeing Marcus unharmed and hearing those three words again, a fierce rage appeared on her youthful face: "You bastard, go to Hell!"
She waved her hands sharply, and over a dozen cars by the roadside were lifted into the air by her psychic power and hurled at Marcus.
Looking at the cars flying toward him, Marcus said in a calm tone: "Again? Then I won't hold back either."
Before the words faded, his figure had vanished from the spot. Before Tatsumaki's body could react, the psychic barrier around her shattered like glass. A hand pressed against her back from behind, and a knee precisely struck her abdomen. Tatsumaki was pressed horizontally across his knee, unable to move.
Slap.
A crisp sound exploded in the silent street. Tatsumaki only felt a burning pain in her buttocks, and her brain went completely blank in that instant.
On the street, the armored swordsman's longsword, which he had just picked up from the ground, clattered to the ground again. The yellow-clad muscle man who had just climbed out of the ruins had his mouth wide open, the girl in the baseball uniform rubbed her eyes, and Eyelashes and Mountain Ape were still sprawled in the ruins, all forgetting to get up. The five civilians had completely forgotten to run, staring blankly at that scene in the sky.
Fubuki held Little Spider in her hands, staring blankly at her sister being pressed across his knee, her lips moving silently.
Marcus raised the palm that had just delivered the slap, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly as he said: "Will you still slander me, and will you still attack me?"
Tatsumaki finally came to her senses, her youthful face turning bright red, a mix of shame and rage: "You bastard! I'm going to kill you!"
The psychic power within her erupted like a volcano, and the surrounding air was instantly compressed into a white shockwave. But in the instant before the psychic power exploded, Marcus had already lifted her by the back of her collar and soared into the sky, their figures vanishing above the clouds in an instant.
Chapter 76: Subduing Fubuki in One Battle, Acquiring a Haunted House
Flying high into the sky, Marcus pressed Tatsumaki back onto his lap, raised his palm, and asked in a calm tone: "Will you slander me again in the future?"
"You jerk! Pervert! Lecher!"
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Marcus struck three times in a row, each sound crisp and loud. Tatsumaki struggled desperately on his lap, her psychokinesis pouring out in all directions like a storm. The clouds churned and vibrated violently, and the architectural debris floating in the air was gathered by an invisible force, smashing fiercely toward Marcus.
Marcus didn't even look up. The purple energy within his body surged out from around him. Those incoming projectiles were shattered one by one by the purple beams meters away from him, and not even a single pebble could land on him. Every time he shattered a wave of attacks, his palm would fall.
"Still attacking me."
Slap.
"Still framing me."
Slap.
Every time Tatsumaki was hit, a short, muffled groan would involuntarily squeeze out of her throat. She gritted her teeth, wanting to swallow the sound back, but the next time his palm fell, that muffled groan would leak out from between her teeth.
Below, Fubuki came to her senses and hurriedly flew high into the sky. Just as she passed through the clouds, she saw this scene: the sister who had always been high and mighty and arrogant in front of her since they were young was being pressed across a man's knees, getting her butt spanked just like a child. Her sister would cry out every time she was hit, her cheeks flushed bright red, and tears welled up in her eyes, yet she bit her lip tightly, refusing to admit defeat.
"Sister..." Fubuki murmured subconsciously. She hovered in mid-air, not rushing forward. She watched her sister, who had been arrogant and domineering for over twenty years, being held down and spanked, and a hint of unexpected joy actually surfaced in a corner of her heart. Since they were young, her sister had never listened to her properly, never respected her choices, and would only use a condescending tone to order her home, to order her to abandon her partners. And now, that arrogant sister had finally been subdued by someone.
Tatsumaki saw Fubuki flying up. Her pupils suddenly constricted, and then she bit her lower lip hard, forcing that muffled groan about to escape back down her throat. She could not make such a shameful sound in front of Fubuki, absolutely not.
She used her last bit of clarity to extend the perception range of her psychokinesis to the limit, rushing out of the atmosphere to lock onto a huge meteorite in space. Her psychokinesis wrapped around the meteorite, dragging it hard from its orbit, and pulled it toward the top of Marcus's head with a blazing trail of fire.
Fubuki saw the meteorite dragging a trail of fire, and her heart tightened. She opened her mouth, just about to call out a warning.
Marcus didn't even look up. A stream of purple energy shot out from the top of his head, and the meteorite was silently annihilated in the air; not even a single pebble could pass through the atmosphere and land on the ground.
Fubuki stared blankly at the direction where the meteorite had disappeared, her lips moving for a moment before she squeezed out a single sentence: "So... so strong!"
The Little Spider lying on Fubuki's head puffed out its chest, its front legs gesturing in the air. It knew Fubuki couldn't understand its words, but it still said proudly: "That goes without saying, my master is the strongest!"
Seven minutes later, Tatsumaki finally stopped struggling. She lay on Marcus's lap, eyes closed, having passed out. Her youthful face was still streaked with undried tears and a flush that hadn't yet faded.
Marcus stopped his movements, looked down at the fainted Tatsumaki, and gently picked her up. He flew in front of Fubuki, and the Little Spider leaped from Fubuki's head, landing steadily on Marcus's head.
Marcus extended both hands, handing the Tatsumaki in his arms toward Fubuki, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness: "Your sister has a really stiff mouth. If she had just yielded a little, I would have stopped."
Fubuki carefully took Tatsumaki, letting her sister's head rest on her own shoulder. She looked down at the tear-stained sleeping face. This face finally shed all its sharpness while asleep, like an ordinary woman who needed someone to take care of her. She whispered: "Since we were young, my sister has been this kind of person. She never bows her head to anyone."
Marcus looked at the sisters and spoke in a flat tone: "For the sake of your sister being a hero, I will let her off. Tell your sister after she wakes up not to come looking for trouble with me again, and don't spread rumors about me. Otherwise, next time, it won't just be a spanking."
Fubuki nodded, her voice solemn: "Okay. I will tell my sister."
Marcus turned to leave, and Fubuki hurriedly called out to stop him: "Wait."
Marcus turned his head back: "Is there anything else?"
Fubuki hesitated for a moment, her lips moving: "Th, that..."
"What?"
Fubuki took a deep breath and looked up, meeting his eyes directly: "Can you tell me your name?"
"My name is Marcus." After saying that, he didn't linger any longer; his figure turned, and he flew toward the distance.
Fubuki hovered in mid-air holding Tatsumaki, watching that black and red figure gradually shrink until it completely disappeared among the buildings.
"Marcus." She repeated the name in a low voice, a smile slowly rising on the corners of her mouth, her eyes brightening again, "I must make you join my Blizzard Group."
On the other side, Marcus slowed his speed in the air, his hearing, which covered the entire city, peeling away layers of countless noisy sounds. Just then, a middle-aged man's sigh passed through the sound of traffic and the clamor of the crowd, falling into his ears.
"Sigh, why am I so unlucky? It was fine when I bought it, but after I bought it, it turned into a haunted house. If I can't sell it again, it's going to rot in my hands."
Marcus immediately flew in the direction of the sound, his figure descending silently from mid-air and landing in front of an old two-story residential house. A middle-aged fat man wearing a wrinkled shirt was squatting at the door smoking, with seven or eight cigarette butts thrown by his feet. His hair was messy, and there was dark bruising under his eyes; clearly, he had been worried about this house for a long time.
"Are you selling this house?" Marcus landed in front of him and asked straightforwardly.
The fat landlord was startled by the figure that suddenly descended from the sky, and the cigarette in his hand almost fell to the ground. He looked up at the stranger in front of him wearing a black and red battle suit and squeezed out a few words: "You... who are you?"
"You don't need to worry, I'm here to buy a house." Marcussaid in a calm tone.
When the fat landlord heard the three words "buy a house," the fear in his eyes was instantly drowned by ecstasy. He sprang up from the ground, not caring where this person in front of him came from, grabbed Marcus's wrist, and dragged him toward the house: "You want to buy my house? Great! I'll sell it to you for five hundred thousand!"
He pushed open the door while spitting everywhere, introducing how good this house was, how transparent the lighting was, how reasonable the layout was, and how quiet the neighbors were. It was as if he wasn't holding an unsellable haunted house, but a luxury villa with an unbeatable view.
"Didn't you just say this house was a haunted house?" Marcus interrupted him in a flat tone.
The landlord's footsteps stopped abruptly, and the fawning smile piled on his face froze at the corners of his mouth as if frozen. He turned around stiffly, his voice dry: "You... you heard that?"
Marcus didn't answer, just looked at him calmly.
The landlord's round face turned pale and then green, but eventually, he gave in. His shoulders slumped, and he let out a long sigh: "Actually, it's not really a haunted house. No one has died in this house; it's just that strange sounds appear every night, like someone is eating something, crunching, crunching. Every morning when I get up, things in the kitchen have been eaten a bit, especially the rice; a bag of rice would be empty after one night. I've installed surveillance, looked for exorcists, and even invited heroes, but nothing was found. I couldn't even figure out what it was."
Marcus tilted his head slightly, and his hearing scanned every corner. In the entire house, except for him, the fat landlord, and the Little Spider on his head, there was no sign of any living creature. He retracted his gaze and said in a calm tone: "I'll buy this house."
Chapter 77: Strange Noises in the House at Midnight, Catching the Invisible Little Dragon Sneaking Snacks
The Fat Landlord rubbed his hands together and leaned in with a face full of smiles: "That's great, may I ask how you would like to pay, sir?"
Marcus said, "I'm going to get the money," and turned to leave. He walked to a deserted corner of the street, and Aether Particle surged from his fingertips, first condensing into a dark cloth bag, then creating a pile of gold bars and several thumb-sized rubies and sapphires inside it.
He carried the bag back to the front of the house and handed it over: "Are the gold and gems in this bag enough?"
The Fat Landlord opened the bag, seeing the gold bars first, then the gems; his eyes nearly popped out. He scrambled through them in a flurry, confirming they were all real, and nodded repeatedly: "Enough, it's enough!" He stuffed the property deed, land deed, and keys all at once into Marcus's hands and turned to run, his speed completely unlike that of a decadent middle-aged man who had just been squatting at the door smoking half a pack of cigarettes.
Little Spider poked its head out from the top of Marcus's head, watching the Landlord's retreating figure as he sped away, its voice filled with confusion: "Master, are we really going to live here?"
"This is the only place in this city selling a house. So we'll stay here for now and change places later." Marcus replied in a flat tone.
"Alright." Little Spider replied obediently.
The night grew deeper. Marcus lay on the bed with his eyes closed, resting, while Little Spider lay on his pillow. The entire house was so quiet that only the sound of wind occasionally brushing past the window remained.
At this moment, a very faint sound of airflow disturbance reached his ears. Marcus opened his eyes and sat up from the bed. Immediately following, a crisp chewing sound came from the direction of the kitchen—crunch, crunch—extraordinarily clear in the silent night.
Little Spider was also awakened by the sound, its thin legs moving slightly: "Master, what's wrong?"
"Listen." Marcus said in a low voice.
Little Spider perked up its ears, the crunch-crunch sound continuously entering its mind. Its thin legs suddenly tensed: "Master, let's go take a look."
Marcus floated up from the bed, his feet off the ground, moving silently toward the kitchen downstairs. Little Spider leaped gently and landed steadily on top of his head.
In the kitchen, the refrigerator door was wide open, cold air churning into a faint white mist in the darkness. A cucumber was floating in mid-air, beginning from the tip, disappearing in circles out of thin air.
Little Spider lowered its voice, its tone full of excitement: "Master, you really can't see anything at all!"
Marcus floated silently to the very front of the floating cucumber. He raised his right hand and grabbed directly at the air beneath the cucumber. The moment his five fingers closed, the sensation of cool scales came to his palm—slippery and tough, the thickness just right to be grasped in one hand.
The cucumber fell to the ground with a thud. The thing in his hand began to struggle frantically; the scales rubbed violently against his palm, making a rustling sound. The entire torso twisted and thrashed desperately under his grip, yet it could never break free from that hand.
Suddenly, a faint prickling itch came from his palm. The thing was biting his fingers, two rows of fine, sharp teeth rubbing uselessly against his skin, unable to even break the surface.
Marcus suddenly tightened his fingers, increasing his grip.
"Squeak—" A sharp mouse-like cry exploded from his palm. The sound was high and thin, completely mismatched with the scale-covered torso in his hand.
At the same time, its invisibility was dispelled. A jade-green, snake-like Little Dragon appeared in his hand, as thick as a thumb and half an arm in length, with fine scales arranged along its back and soft, light-green scales on its belly.
Its head was round, a pair of small horns just poking out from the top, and four short claws were uselessly scrabbling at his fingers.
"It clearly looks like a Dragon, but its cry is just like a mouse's." Little Spider lay on top of Marcus's head, tilting its head as it commented.
The Little Dragon realized it couldn't break free; its two front claws clapped together and bobbed up and down toward Marcus, its pair of round eyes filled with watery sheen.
Marcus asked: "Are you begging for mercy?"
The Little Dragon nodded frantically.
"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Marcus asked again.
The Little Dragon continued to nod, its tail also swinging up and down along with it.
"Everything that happened before was done by you, right?"
The Little Dragon's head nodded even faster.
"You are not allowed to steal my food in the future."
The Little Dragon nodded its head like a chicken pecking at rice. Marcus relaxed his fingers, and the Little Dragon immediately darted out of his palm, hovering in mid-air, its long, thin tail swaying slowly behind it.
"You should go now." Marcus waved his hand at it.
The Little Dragon didn't leave. It hovered in place, its two front claws patting its shriveled belly, opening its mouth to make urgent "squeak" sounds.
"You're not full yet, you still want to eat." Marcus watched its actions.
The Little Dragon continued to make squeaking sounds from its mouth, its head nodding along with it.
Marcus opened the refrigerator, took out a piece of refrigerated pork, and handed it to it. The Little Dragon immediately pounced on it, its two front claws clutching the meat—which was about the same size as its own body—and buried its head to gnaw on it in large bites.
"Master, I want to eat too." Little Spider said from above his head. Marcus took out some more food from the refrigerator and placed it on the dining table for it to eat.
After they had both finished eating, Marcus cleaned up the table and looked at the Little Dragon that was still hovering in mid-air licking its claws: "You can go now."
Hearing this, the Little Dragon stopped licking its claws. It didn't fly toward the door; instead, it twisted its body and flew to Marcus's side, pressing its long, thin body against his arm, rubbing back and forth, and making low squeaking sounds.
"Master, it seems like it's latching onto us." Little Spidersquatted on the table, looking up at the scene.
Marcus looked at the Little Dragon that was still rubbing against his arm and said in a flat tone: "I already have Little Spider; I don't intend to have a second pet."
Upon hearing this, the water in the Little Dragon's round eyes shone even brighter. It released his arm, flew to his face, and rubbed its round head desperately against his cheek, making urgent and aggrieved squeaking sounds.
Marcus reached out and caught it in his palm, his tone without a ripple: "It's useless no matter how much you rub against me."
"Master, let's keep it." Little Spider's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Marcus turned his head to look at Little Spider on the dining table: "Why?"
Little Spider leaped from the table, crawled up his arm all the way to his shoulder, and rested a few of its front legs gently on his collar: "I saw it on the internet—Dragons are auspicious. Although this guy's cry is like a mouse's, it really does look like a Dragon. If we take it in, maybe we'll encounter good things in the future."
Marcus was silent for a moment, then reached out a finger to gently stroke Little Spider's back, his tone softening a bit: "Alright, I'll listen to you. We'll keep it."
The Little Dragon sprang up abruptly in Marcus's palm, its long, thin tail swinging wildly, and a series of high-pitched "squeak-squeak-squeak" sounds erupted from its mouth.
Chapter 78: Waking Up to an Evolved Pet, Fubuki Tracks Him Down Only to Be Rejected!
Marcus looked at the Little Dragon still excitedly wagging its tail in his palm, raised his hand to press down on its restless head, and held it firmly against his palm: "Calm down first. Let me give you a name."
The Little Dragon immediately stopped wagging its tail, tucked its two front claws obediently against its chest, looked up at him with round eyes, and nodded its head at a rapid frequency.
"Master, I want a name too!" The Little Spider was on his shoulder, its front legs tapping eagerly on his collar, afraid of being left out.
Marcus reached out a finger and gently rubbed the Little Spider's head: "Alright. Let me think about what to call you two."
He was silent for a moment, then looked down at the Little Dragon.
This guy was hovering above his palm, its slender tail swaying slowly behind it.
Marcus remembered what the landlord had said about the whole bag of rice vanishing into thin air, so he asked: "You really like eating rice, right."
The Little Dragon nodded vigorously.
"You like eating rice, and your squeak sounds like a mouse." Marcus paused and said with a serious tone, "How about I just call you Mickey Mouse."
The air was quiet for a moment.
The Little Dragon's eyes widened, its four short claws froze in mid-air at the same time, and the whole Dragon stood motionless as if it had been acupunctured.
The next second, it shook its head frantically.
The Little Spider lay on his shoulder, covering its face with its front legs, its voice full of helplessness: "Master, your naming sense is terrible."
Marcus flicked his finger, and the Little Spider rolled off his shoulder, flipping twice in the air before landing on the table.
Ignoring the Little Spider's protest, he looked back at the Little Dragon in his palm: "Let me think again. You like eating rice, and you look like a Dragon, so let's just call you Rice Dragon."
The Little Dragon hovered in mid-air, tilted its head slightly, rolled its round eyes, and after a moment, nodded.
"Master, it's my turn, it's my turn!" The Little Spiderbounced off the table, its front legs tapping eagerly on the surface.
Marcus looked down at it: "Don't you think my naming is bad?"
"Even if the names Master gives are bad, I accept them." The Little Spider's tone was as sincere as if it were making a vow.
Marcus flicked it with his finger again, and the Little Spiderflew straight out.
"You'll just be called Spider Child." After saying this, he turned and went upstairs without looking back.
The Little Spider climbed up from the ground and shook the dust off its body: "Although this name is very average, no problem Master, I'll be called Spider Child!"
As it spoke, it hurriedly climbed up the stair railing.
Rice Dragon floated in the air and also flew upstairs.
The next morning.
Sunlight spilled onto the bedside through the gap in the curtains.
Marcus opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Spider Child, who was curled up on the pillow.
He reached out a finger and shook it.
"What's wrong Master..." Spider Child's voice was still thick with sleepiness.
"Did you evolve?" Marcus raised his hand and condensed an energy mirror in his palm.
Spider Child gave a puzzled "Hmm," and looked at itself in the mirror, dazed.
Its body was several circles larger than before, about the size of a soccer ball.
It jumped twice on the bed, making the mattress sink slightly: "Master, I seem to have grown bigger! And stronger!"
"Not only have you grown bigger, but you've also become heavier." Marcus felt the vibration from the mattress and reminded it in a steady tone, "And haven't you noticed, you aren't talking to me on the spider web channel."
Spider Child stopped abruptly.
It opened its mouth: "Ah—Ah—"
"Master! Master! I can talk with my mouth!" Its voice came directly from its mouth, crisp and loud, carrying irrepressible ecstasy, "In the future, I won't have to struggle to jump around and type when playing games! If anyone dares to sabotage me again, I'll curse them to death!"
Marcus reached out and touched Spider Child's back; the soft fur under his palm was fluffier and smoother than before, and the texture was much better.
He withdrew his hand and rolled out of bed.
Spider Child exerted force with its hind legs and jumped towards Marcus.
Marcus turned around and caught it steadily with both hands.
Spider Child's face, magnified several times, was close at hand, and its huge mouthparts opened and closed slightly before his eyes.
He put Spider Child back on the bed: "Spider Child, you've grown up, you can't stay on my shoulder and head anymore."
Spider Child froze on the bed, only reacting after a few seconds: "That's right, I've grown bigger now, I can't stay on Master anymore..."
It was silent for a moment, then fell onto the bed and started rolling around frantically, howling: "No! Make me small again! I want to stay on Master!"
Rice Dragon was pressed several times, but it just turned over and continued to sleep soundly, its tail wagging unconsciously.
At this moment, the doorbell rang downstairs.
Marcus glanced at Spider Child, who was still rolling on the bed: "When you're done, remember to call Rice Dragon to wake up."
He walked downstairs and opened the front door.
The person standing outside was Fubuki.
Marcus raised an eyebrow imperceptibly: "How do you know I'm here."
"Nearby surveillance cameras captured you. I found your location from the surveillance." Fubuki crossed her arms in front of her chest, her tone carrying a bit of smugness.
"Where did you get the surveillance footage from."
"You defeated the S-Class Rank 2 hero in public, so the Hero Association is bound to pay attention to your movements. So I used my sister's name to get the surveillance footage." Fubuki's mouth curled up slightly.
Marcus was silent for a moment, his tone returning to indifference: "So, what do you want from me."
"I came to you because I hope you will join my Fubuki Group." Fubuki said straightforwardly.
"I don't intend to join any organization, please go back." Marcus interrupted her and reached out to close the door.
Fubuki was quick-witted and stuck one hand directly into the door crack.
Marcus stopped closing the door, looked at that slender palm, and looked up at her: "What."
"You should reconsider, we have many benefits." Fubuki's tone carried a bit of desperate persistence.
Marcus was about to speak when Spider Child's voice came from behind him: "Master, who is it?"
Fubuki tilted her body slightly, her gaze passing over Marcus, and she saw Spider Child crawling down from the stairs.
Her pupils contracted sharply, the expression on her face switched to a combat state in an instant, Psychokinesiserupted, and the small knife at her waist was pulled out by an invisible force, hanging in mid-air, with the tip pointing directly at Spider Child.
"There's a monster!" Fubuki's voice was cold and tense.
Upon hearing the word "monster," Spider Child waved several front legs angrily in the air: "Who is the monster! I think you're the monster!"
Marcus reached out and grabbed Spider Child, who was about to rush out, his tone helpless: "It's my pet."
Fubuki remained in a combat stance, the knife still hanging in mid-air, her gaze sweeping back and forth over Spider Child's soccer-ball-sized body twice: "Don't I remember your pet being very small."
"It evolved, it's normal for it to grow bigger." Marcusexplained in a flat tone.
"This is not normal at all, okay!" Fubuki's voice raised a few notches.
She took a deep breath, withdrew her Psychokinesis, and the knife hanging in mid-air fell back to her waist.
She raised her hand to rub her brow, her tone full of helplessness: "Forget it, regardless of whether it's that spider or not, you need to keep it under control and don't let it hurt anyone."
"That won't require your concern." Marcus finished speaking and closed the door.
Fubuki's voice came from outside, still clearly audible through the door panel: "I won't give up!"
Chapter 79: Street Encounter with King! One-Shot Kill on the Monster!
Marcus heard Fubuki's footsteps fading away, so he turned and walked into the kitchen.
He opened the refrigerator, took out some chilled meat and vegetables, prepared them simply, and placed them before Kumoko and Milong, respectively.
After breakfast, Marcus cleaned up the dishes, wiped his hands, and looked at Milong, who was floating in mid-air licking its paws: "Let's go, we're going shopping. I'll buy the rice you like while we're at it."
Upon hearing the word "rice," Milong flew a happy circle around his head, letting out excited squeaks.
Marcus then looked at Kumoko, who was sprawled on the dining table: "Sorry for the trouble, but please watch the house."
Kumoko suddenly raised her head, her front legs tapping the tabletop eagerly: "Master, I want to go with you too!"
"Your body is too big; you'll scare people." Marcus walked over to her, reached out to stroke the soft fuzz on her back, "Tell me what you want, and I'll buy it all for you."
Kumoko was silent for a few seconds, then lay listlessly on the table and listed everything she wanted.
After Marcus noted them down, he first used Aether Particle to create some gold and gemstones, found a jewelry store to exchange them for cash, and then purchased the items one by one according to the list: Kumoko's snacks, daily necessities, a few manga magazines she had been talking about for a long time, and two large bags of high-quality rice specified by Milong.
He put the items into his space bracelet and walked toward the next shop.
Just then, a piercing scream suddenly came from the street ahead.
The crowd surged frantically from the direction of the intersection, men, women, and children scrambling to flee in the opposite direction.
Marcus walked forward against the flow of people.
The screams and chaotic footsteps flowed past him on either side; a woman holding a child almost bumped into his shoulder, but he sidestepped to let her pass.
In the center of the intersection, a monster with an LCD screen embedded in its stomach was grabbing a middle-aged man by the head, forcibly aiming his face at the screen on its abdomen.
The man struggled desperately, his limbs flailing uselessly in the air.
"I am the Filming Monster, and I want everyone to enter my body to be filmed!" The monster sounded smug as it introduced itself.
"Help! I don't want to be filmed!" Before the middle-aged man's scream had even faded, his entire body was swallowed into the screen.
The Filming Monster turned its bloated body, grabbed the ankle of a little girl who had fallen to the ground, and held her upside down.
The little girl kicked her other leg desperately, tears flying from her face.
She screamed at a tall man standing ahead, who was wearing a baseball cap and carrying a plastic bag: "Onii-chan, help me!"
The man's entire body shuddered violently.
He stood rooted to the spot, his legs trembling slightly as if filled with lead, his fingers gripping the plastic bag tightly.
After a second of silence, he walked step by step toward the Filming Monster.
"St-stop." His voice was hoarse and low, not very loud.
A dull heartbeat echoed from somewhere in the air.
Thump, thump, thump-thump, thump-thump—the sound grew faster and louder, like a heavy drum being struck repeatedly.
The Filming Monster looked around suspiciously, unable to find the source of the heartbeat.
It looked back at the tall man in front of it, its mouth curling up: "What, do you want to stop me, or do you want to end up in the same film as this little girl?"
Just as the man was about to speak, a strong gust of wind blew in from the end of the street, knocking his baseball cap to the ground.
A head of striking blonde hair was combed meticulously back into a slicked-back style, the tight hairstyle making his facial features appear even colder and harder.
Three gruesome scars ran down his left cheek from the cheekbone, accentuating the fierce aura of his entire face to the extreme.
"It's King!" The surrounding passersby erupted in ecstatic screams, "Great, it's the strongest man on earth, King! That little girl is saved!"
The Filming Monster's smile froze.
It instinctively took half a step back, the smugness in its voice clearly diminished: "King, I have hostages inside me. If you dare to attack me, they will never be able to come out."
King did not speak.
He just stood there, his eyes, made exceptionally fierce by the scars, staring straight at the monster.
The heartbeat became faster and louder, thump-thump, thump-thump, like an engine running at full speed.
"The sound of the King Engine is getting louder!" A passerby excitedly grabbed the arm of the person next to them, their voice trembling, "King is about to use his ultimate move!"
King stood where he was, maintaining that poker face made extremely fierce by the scars.
His heartbeat echoed through the street like a drum, and the surrounding crowd continued to cheer wildly for the roar of the King Engine.
His gaze was fixed on the monster holding the little girl upside down, with only one thought in his mind: Why did I have to come over when I heard the girl call me brother? I'm so scared, some hero please come and fix this.
In the crowd, Marcus's figure disappeared from where he stood.
The next instant, he appeared out of thin air behind the Filming Monster and slapped the back of its head.
The monster's bloated body fell to the ground like a kite with a broken string, the little girl slipped from its hand, and Marcus caught her and placed her on the ground.
Marcus raised his foot and stepped on the monster's leg, his tone flat yet chilling to the bone: "Release the hostages. Otherwise, I'll break every bone in your body, one by one."
As he finished speaking, he applied pressure with his foot, and with a crisp crack, the monster's leg bone snapped.
"Ahhh!" The monster let out a heart-wrenching scream, "I'll release them! I'll release the hostages!"
Several hostages were spat out from the screen on the monster's abdomen, collapsing on the ground, gasping for air with no strength left.
The monster dragged its broken leg, its voice full of weeping: "Spare me... spare me..."
Marcus stepped on the monster's head, knocking it completely unconscious.
He turned around, his gaze landing on King, and he calmly dropped a single sentence: "If you're this weak, you'd better give up being a hero sooner."
With that, he turned and left.
The onlookers exploded into an uproar.
"Who is this guy? How can he be so arrogant? To actually say King is weak!"
"Exactly, he just attacked before King. If King had attacked, he could have dealt with this monster just the same!"
King ignored the discussion around him.
He bent down to pick up the baseball cap that had fallen on the ground, brushed off the dust, put it back on his head, and then chased after the direction Marcus had left without hesitation.
Marcus walked along the street, and behind him came a series of rapid footsteps and panting shouts: "Wa-wait a moment!"
He stopped and turned around.
King was carrying the plastic bag, bent over, panting heavily; it was clear that the sprint just now had exhausted all his energy.
"Th-thank you... for saving me."
King straightened up, one hand supporting his knee, the other hand taking off his baseball cap to reveal that iconic blonde slicked-back hairstyle.
He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and squeezed out a sincere smile, "May I ask... have you saved me before, by any chance?"
Chapter 80: The Helplessness of the Strongest Man on Earth, Kumoko's Second Evolution
Marcus shook his head. "No."
King lowered his head, his signature golden pompadour drooping slightly. "Is that so..."
He shook his head, lifted his head again, and squeezed out a smile. "Regardless, you saved me this time. So, please let me treat you to lunch."
"No need. I have pets waiting for me to return home." Marcus refused again in a flat tone.
King's expression dimmed for a moment, but he quickly cheered up and placed the plastic bag with the supermarket logo on the ground. "Wait here for me!"
After saying this, he turned and ran, his tall figure rushing into a large supermarket by the street at a speed that completely defied his physical fitness.
Marcus watched the sprinting back without leaving. After a while, King ran out panting, carrying two full bags, sweat dripping down his forehead along his scar.
"Inside these bags are the most expensive ingredients I bought!" He handed the two bags to Marcus with both hands, bowing at a ninety-degree angle. "Please, you must accept them!"
Marcus looked at the man bowing before him and suddenly thought of another thing about King from the manga in his past life—this man, who had been placed on a pedestal, truly possessed real strength in another Domain. He reached out to take the bags and asked casually, "Are you very good at playing video games?"
King straightened up, clearly not understanding why the other party suddenly asked this, but still answered subconsciously, "Uh... I guess so."
"If you really want to repay me, then accompany my pets to play games." Marcus carried the bags and turned to walk towards his home.
"Eh?" King stood where he was, a trace of confusion appearing on his fierce face.
Marcus pushed open the door and stepped aside to make room. "Come in."
King stood at the doorway, hesitated for half a second, then stepped inside, habitually saying, "Excuse me for intruding."
"Master, you're back!"
Just as King stepped through the door, a black shadow lunged from the direction of the living room. He looked up subconsciously, his pupils shrinking suddenly, as a giant spider the size of a soccer ball, covered in pale gold fuzz, bared its hideous mouthparts and lunged at Marcus from mid-air.
"Watch out!" King's words had barely left his mouth when he saw Marcus skillfully extend his hands and steadily catch the spider.
Marcus held Kumoko and turned around, introducing her in a flat tone, "Don't worry. She is the pet I raise, named Kumoko."
King had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Kumoko's mouth open and close, and a crisp voice came from it, "Master, who is this fierce-looking guy?"
"The... the giant spider spoke!" King pointed at Kumoko, stuttering, his fingers trembling.
Kumoko waved her front legs in the air in dissatisfaction. "How rude! Master already said my name; I am not just some big spider."
King was rebuked by Kumoko and subconsciously lowered his head to apologize. "I... I'm sorry!" He took a deep breath, raised his hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, "Um... Marcus-kun said to let me play games with his pets, is it her?"
"That's right." Marcus nodded.
Kumoko poked her head out from Marcus's arms, her eyes lighting up simultaneously. "Master, is this person the playmate you found for me?"
"You could say that." Marcus gently placed Kumoko on the ground, raised his left hand, and took out the supplies he had purchased earlier from the space bracelet. Snacks, daily necessities, manga magazines, and two large bags of premium rice that Milong loved to eat were neatly stacked beside the coffee table.
He raised his hand and tapped the top of his head. "Milong, wake up."
A small, emerald-green, snake-like Dragon slowly materialized on top of his head. It propped up its round head with its four short claws, yawned groggily, then floated down and curiously flew a circle around King.
King's gaze swept from the talking giant spider to the invisible Dragon, and then landed on the space braceletthat had produced a pile of items out of thin air. He was silent for a long while before speaking again, his voice carrying a sense of confusion and seriousness after having his worldview refreshed. "Marcus-kun... could you be some kind of game protagonist?"
"Don't overthink it." Marcus interrupted him in a flat tone, then turned to look at Kumoko. "Kumoko, you play with King. Milong, you too."
Marcus carried the two bags of ingredients into the kitchen and put everything away.
The sound effects of the game console starting up already echoed in the living room. He wiped his hands, walked to the living room, sat on the sofa, and picked up a spare controller.
The four of them teamed up to advance in the pixel-style adventure game. Marcus asked while controlling his character to unleash skills, "Knowing your strength is poor, why do you still act as a hero? Are you not afraid of death?"
King's fingers danced rapidly on the controller, and the little warrior on the screen dodged the boss's fatal blow with frame-perfect precision. He did not stop his hand movements, his voice calm and frank. "Of course I'm afraid of death. I've also told the Hero Association that my strength is poor, but they simply don't believe me."
The character he controlled rolled to create distance, his tone carrying a hint of self-deprecating laughter. "I've also submitted my resignation. But every time I luckily survived a monster incident, they would say things like, 'Look, this is the strongest man on Earth; his sense of responsibility would never let him quit.' So my hero name has never been revoked."
"Is that so." Marcus's gaze fell on the screen, his fingers pressing a combo. "Then have you never thought about becoming stronger yourself?"
"I have tried training hard. But I discovered that besides my body becoming stronger, my actual strength didn't increase, so I stopped training." King smiled bitterly, and the character on the screen dodged another round of dense barrage attacks in his hands.
Marcus did not ask again. In the living room, only the clicking sound of controller buttons and the sound effects of the game characters remained.
It wasn't until the night grew deep that King put down the controller and stood up to say goodbye.
The next morning. Sunlight spilled in through the gap in the curtains. Marcus opened his eyes to see Kumoko curled up by his bedside, her size having grown another circle since last night. Her body had gone from the size of a soccer ball to a sphere half the height of a person, her thick legs resting on the edge of the bed, rising and falling gently with her breathing.
Marcus reached out a finger and tapped Kumoko's head. Kumoko opened her eyes groggily, yawned, and opened that hideous mouthpart wide. "Master... is it morning yet..."
"You've grown bigger again." Marcus rolled out of bed and raised his hand to tap Milong. "Milong, wake up."
Milong slowly materialized, rubbing its eyes with its four short claws, its tail flicking unconsciously.
"Let's go." Marcus moved his mind slightly, activating the remaining two uses of Dimensional Travel. A pitch-black space passage opened in the center of the room.
Kumoko propped up her significantly larger body, and Milong floated to the top of her head to lie down. Marcus took the two guys and stepped into the passage. The moment the darkness swallowed the three of them, the passage closed silently behind them.