Chapter 201 Are you cosplaying as a big-headed doll?
"George, congratulations on your promotion to Director of the New York Police Department."
In George Stacy's home in Queens, New York, Earth-404, Russell raised a glass of coconut water, congratulating George.
This was George's third promotion in the past seven months.
Since the Super Hero Registration Act was implemented on a trial basis, Earth-404's George had achieved three consecutive promotions in just seven months, leaping from captain to Deputy Director.
On one hand, this was due to his good luck, as he always received calls from 'enthusiastic citizens' and solved various cases, big and small.
On the other hand, there were people in higher positions who supported George's promotion to Director of the New York Police Department.
George shot Russell a look, but still raised his glass in a toast to Russell: "Russell, you're already 21, you can drink."
"Gwen doesn't like the taste of alcohol, and neither do I," Russell just smiled.
He wouldn't admit that his taste had become too refined lately, and he no longer cared for the alcohol George had.
"It's good not to drink, don't listen to George's nonsense."
Helen Stacy happened to carry a plate of steak from the kitchen and placed it on the dining table. Hearing George's words, she immediately retorted.
"Helen is right."
Little Gwen, holding her younger brother who was not yet one year old, also said seriously from the side.
"I heard a classmate, her dad liked to drink, and when he got drunk, he would beat her and her mother. The last time, her mother, to protect her, had no choice but to shoot and kill her dad.
So, George, you'd better drink less."
Upon hearing this, George silently poured out the alcohol in his glass and replaced it with milk.
"Little Gwen, don't worry, George isn't that kind of person. He usually doesn't get drunk, and even if he does, he wouldn't hit us."
Helen rubbed little Gwen's head, comforting her.
Saying that, she called Gwen to come over and raise a toast together.
"Happy Halloween!" X5.
At the dinner table, as they chatted, they started talking about the Super Hero Registration Act and the super-criminals who had emerged in New York during this period.
With the implementation of the Act, conflicts between civilian super-powered individuals and the government in the U.S. intensified, and super-powered criminal incidents sharply increased.
The U.S. federal government and various states also continuously increased their crackdown on super-powered individuals.
At this time, observant people noticed that New York, as an international metropolis, held an inclusive and open attitude towards super-powered individuals.
For a time, super-powered individuals from various U.S. states flocked to New York, adding a lot of trouble to George's work.
"I wonder if anyone will take advantage of Halloweennight to cause trouble," George sighed.
Holidays are good for ordinary people, but not necessarily for police officers like him.
Russell thoughtfully helped George clarify: "George, someone will definitely take advantage of tonight to cause trouble."
Gwen swallowed her steak and comforted him: "George, don't worry, there will be enthusiastic citizens to help you."
Watching the two of them interact, George shook his head helplessly.
What enthusiastic citizens? They were all members of the Phantom Spirit Band that Gwen had formed.
George was quite satisfied that these super-powered individuals didn't cause chaos, but merely relayed information.
However, George glanced at Russell.
The New York branch of S.W.O.R.D., responsible for supernatural affairs in the U.S., tolerated this borderline behavior mostly out of respect for Russell.
He understood less and less about this half-son-in-law, who was a few years younger than him.
George was momentarily distracted and realized that Russell and Gwen had almost finished the steak on his plate, so he quickly snatched the last piece.
"After dinner, I have to go back to the police station to hold the fort; I probably won't be able to leave tonight.
Russell, Gwen, I'm entrusting Helen, little Gwen, and Philip to you tonight. Please help look after them at the Halloween party later."
"Okay, George, don't worry," Russell nodded, indicating that he would take care of it.
"George, you also be careful," Helen, on the other hand, cautioned George.
A moment later, they all went downstairs together.
George drove alone to the police station, while Russelland Gwen took Helen and the others to the party.
Gwen, for the first time in a while, put on her Ghost-Spider suit.
Since the Super Hero Registration Act was implemented, her frequency of activities in her spider suit had decreased significantly, and her daily routine had become much more regulated.
However, even so, Ghost-Spider remained New York's most popular super hero.
Therefore, there were many girls at the Halloween party wearing Ghost-Spider suits identical to Gwen's, so Gwendidn't have to worry about being recognized.
Just as Charlie Chaplin himself participating in a Chaplin impersonation contest could only get second place, Ghost-Spider was no different.
"Hey, Gwen, Russell."
From a distance, Erin Smith waved and greeted Russelland Gwen, then jogged over.
Tonight, she also, for the first time in a while, put on her self-made Magician Spider-Man suit.
"Erin, Happy Halloween."
After Erin joined, Russell and his group of six continued to wander around the party.
But even with Erin, a member of the Phantom Spirit Bandand Magician Spider-Man, Gwen still wasn't recognized.
It was like Henry Cavill, the actor who played Superman, wandering around Times Square, New York, in a Superman T-shirt, yet no one recognized him.
"Gwen, it seems you're past your prime, no one recognizes you," Russell teased, seeing this.
"Ghost-Spider is not past her prime; my classmates like her the most," little Gwen retorted to Russell.
"My classmates' favorite super hero is also Ghost-Spider," Erin echoed little Gwen.
Gwen raised an eyebrow, gesturing for Russell to look around the party carefully.
At the party, most people were cosplaying Spider-Man, wearing various spider suits.
"See, Russell. Spider-Man is New York City's good neighbor, and even if Spider-Man has appeared less frequently recently, New York City citizens' favorite is still Spider-Man."
"Gwen, don't forget, there's not just one Ghost-Spiderhere, there's also a Magician Spider-Man," Russell said with a smile.
"Yes, yes, and a Magician Spider-Man from the Phantom Spirit Band."
Gwen grumbled, emphasizing 'Phantom Spirit Band'.
Russell's face darkened.
After the performance seven months ago, on Earth-404, the title of Magician Spider-Man had been usurped by Erin.
As soon as he thought of this, Russell felt a pang of anger in his liver and looked at Erin with ill intent.
He saw that Erin and little Gwen had already run ahead and were chatting with two bald humanoid creatures dressed as priests, standing ramrod straight.
"Sirs, what are you cosplaying? Are you ancient priests?" little Gwen asked curiously.
These two were dressed in strange clothes, and their behavior was also very realistic.
If she could give a score, little Gwen would give them full marks.
"No, little Gwen. They are cosplaying Big-headed dolls."
Russell walked behind little Gwen, shifting his ill-intentioned gaze from Erin to these two Big-headed dolls.
These two Big-headed dolls were precisely the two Watchers who had luckily escaped from the Blink Realm.
Chapter 202 Late Tickets, Additional Conditions
Big-headed dolls?
Little Gwen looked up, carefully observing for a while, then said in a serious tone:
"Russell, although these two sirs' heads are indeed very big and not very good-looking...
But you can't personally attack them; that's wrong."
The two Watchers' expressions stiffened, and they forced out awkward but polite smiles.
Although they didn't like the term Big-headed dolls, big heads weren't ugly!
"Little Gwen, we are not Earthlings, but an ancient race of Watchers. Big heads are a characteristic of our race.
In our race, the head is a symbol of wisdom, a symbol of beauty, and the bigger, the better."
Little Gwen nodded thoughtfully.
In her opinion, the so-called Watcher race, which considers big heads beautiful, was made up by this person.
"Oh, so are you cosplaying Watchers? Don't worry, I won't laugh at you.
Everyone has their flaws. The most important thing is to learn to appreciate yourself.
Be your own light, illuminate your own path, do what you love, live the life you want, and be the protagonist of your own story."
Little Gwen spoke eloquently, but the two Watchers' expressions grew increasingly awkward.
They had already said that their big heads were a racial characteristic, not a physical defect!
However, seeing Russell's murderous gaze, they could only force smiles and dared not interrupt Little Gwen.
"Alright, Little Gwen. These two sirs said they aren't Earthlings, they're aliens."
Gwen pressed Little Gwen's shoulder, stopping her long speech.
"Russell, do you know them? Why do they look so afraid of you?"
The two Watchers' fear of Russell was almost written on their faces.
Except for Little Gwen, who couldn't see clearly due to her height, the others saw it clearly.
"Not well acquainted. I saw them once in the Blink Realm; today is the second time."
Well, the Watcher who had previously made a deal with Russell but later parted ways unhappily had already died tragically in the Blink Realm.
The Watcher said with a stiff upper lip: "Mr. Russell, can we find a place to chat? About the ticket."
Ticket?
Hearing this word, Russell's expression softened slightly.
He hadn't given these two Watchers a good look precisely because they had broken their promise.
They had agreed to pay him the energy needed to watch the battle after leaving the Blink Realm, but they had been slow to arrive.
After pondering for a moment, Russell said: "You two find a place to wait for a while. I'll come find you after the party."
Helen, who had followed, said considerately: "Russell, if you have something to do, go ahead and be busy. I've been walking for so long, I'm a bit tired, so it's a good time to find a place to sit and rest."
"Alright, then let's find a place to sit."
Bypassing the crowd, the group found a corner and sat down.
Five chairs, just right.
"Mr. Watcher, aren't you going to sit down?" Little Gwenasked.
She had just been thinking of offering her seat to the Watcher, but he had refused.
"I don't sit. I always stand."
"Oh."
Little Gwen didn't insist. After accepting the premise that the Watcher was not human but an alien, she no longer continued to comfort the Watcher. Instead, she cornered one of them and began to ask him about interesting facts about the Universe.
Erin and Helen also pricked up their ears, listening.
The other Watcher was quietly apologizing to Russell, explaining why they hadn't come immediately to pay the viewing fee.
"God Russell, the Watcher who was in contact with you died in the Blink Realm. I needed to sort through his belongings to determine the coordinates of your Universe. That's why there was a delay."
Russell looked at the Watcher suspiciously and asked: "Is that all?"
The Watcher was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice: "God Russell had just finished his battle with Chthon, and we dared not disturb you."
"Heh." Russell chuckled lightly, "You were worried that I might be mentally affected by Chthon's black magic, unstable emotionally, and in a bad mood, so I might just kill you for any random reason, right?"
The Watcher hesitated for a moment, then nodded, admitting Russell's statement.
"Please forgive God Russell."
That was the God of Black Magic!
How could they know if Russell would be infected by black magic after fighting Chthon, suffer sequelae, and eventually fall into a Loki?
What if?
Wouldn't they become lambs sent to the slaughter?
Russell's lips curved into a smile:
"Alright, I forgive you. However, being late requires a price, you can understand that, right?"
Seeing this, the Watcher breathed a sigh of relief.
"Understand, understand. What are God Russell's conditions?"
In the information he had compiled, God Russell was particularly fond of energy.
And energy, accumulated over countless years, he still had quite a lot of it.
As long as God Russell didn't make an exorbitant demand, it would be a small matter.
"I need a method that can quickly enhance the strength of my apostles."
"Why?" The Watcher didn't understand.
"Hmm?!" Russell raised an eyebrow, glaring at the Watcher.
Why did this Big-headed dolls suddenly forget his place?
"Uh, there are many ways to increase strength. What kind does God Russell want?"
The Watcher waved his hand in the air, and a phantom screen appeared.
On the screen was a single-item list, with each column representing a method. Clicking on it revealed a detailed description.
There were roughly five methods.
The first, Super Soldier Serum. The upper limit was too low, pass.
The second, technological modification. Russell didn't like it, pass.
The third, orthodox magic cultivation. Too slow, pass.
The fourth, forging magical artifacts, where artifacts strengthen the Master. To be discussed.
The fifth, devouring energy for enhancement.
Russell had seen this method in the darkhold and had also seen the Blood God use it. His White energy also had similar effects.
It's just...
Compared to black magic, which is effective for quick results but has significant side effects and a generally average upper limit,
When his White energy was used on others, the effect was almost the opposite.
Safe, no side effects, and a high upper limit, but the improvement speed was much slower.
Russell shook his head. The combat power he needed was not at the level of an ordinary transcendent, but at the level of a Dimensional Demon God.
Although the methods collected by the Watcher could also significantly enhance the strength of apostles, most of them could not elevate them to the level of a powerful transcendent like Silver Surfer, let alone a Dimensional Demon God.
And only apostles at the Dimensional Demon God level could complete the task Russell assigned—
—finding a suitable Hell Dimension to serve as Russell's energy source.
The difficulty of finding a Hell Dimension was clearly greater than finding a suitable Planet.
After carefully re-explaining the requirements to the Watcher, as more conditions were added, the number of methods in the list plummeted.
Finally. No data found for your query.
"Um... God Russell, why don't you propose a new condition?"
The Watcher said in a low voice.
"Normally, even Ancient Gods cannot quickly raise an apostle's strength to the Dimensional Demon God level.
Your request is a little bit unreasonable."
Chapter 203: The Sinister Six: Sandman
On Halloween night, the moon was hazy.
The faint scent of candy and the mischievous laughter of children drifted over New York, filling the entire city with a festive atmosphere.
In a corner of Queens, New York, under trees adorned with pumpkin lanterns, there was an atmosphere completely different from the holiday cheer.
A bald humanoid creature, dressed as an ancient priest and standing ramrod straight, nervously watched a young man who was lazily seated in a chair, frowning in thought.
The flickering light of the pumpkin lanterns reflected off the humanoid creature's shiny bald head, illuminating the faint cold sweat.
The silence lasted for a while, finally broken by the young man's sigh.
"If it usually can't be done, then that means it can be done under special circumstances. Tell me about those special circumstances."
"The human body has a limit to the energy it can withstand. Therefore, some proposed a method of storing power in weapons, which is the forging of magical or divine artifacts.
Through these artifacts, ordinary people can temporarily gain immense power. For example, mjolnir, thors hammer, it can lend Thunder God Power to its wielder."
Russell nodded; Mjolnir was indeed a classic example.
Steve Rogers, Jane Foster. On Earth-199999, two people temporarily and significantly boosted their combat power through Mjolnir and participated in battles.
If the Multiverse is included, this number would be even higher.
However, using Galactus, one of the best background characters, as an example:
Russell's and Galactus's needs are different.
Galactus devours Planets to resist hunger; enough Planets to eat and not starve is sufficient.
Russell absorbs energy to enhance himself; the more energy, the better. And the more apostles who can find suitable dimensions for him, the better.
And mjolnir, thors hammer is clearly not a mass-producible standard weapon; otherwise, Thor wouldn't have had to use what Hela left behind.
He can't just borrow dozens of mjolnir, thors hammers from Universe after Universe, can he?
Russell stroked his chin, considering this possibility.
He would try it himself first to see if he could find a way. If not, then he would have to trouble the Thors of other Universes.
"Watcher, please prepare a copy of the magical spell data related to enhancement for me first."
"Understood, God Russell."
The Watcher let out a long sigh of relief, formed a hand seal, and as crystal energy flickered, a blank book appeared out of thin air.
Immediately after, crystal energy outlined runes, which were then imprinted onto the blank book.
As the runes were imprinted, the pages flipped, and spells took shape, inscribed in the tome.
A moment later, the Watcher stopped his actions and respectfully presented the freshly compiled spell collection with both hands.
Russell casually took it and put it into his dimensional space.
There was no rush to read it now; he would have plenty of time after the party.
Similarly, Russell was not in a hurry to collect the billions of energy that served as the entrance fee.
Instead, he gave the Watcher a dimension shard coordinate, instructing them to store the energy there first.
Afterward, the two Watchers left, and Russell and Gwencontinued to stroll through the garden with Erin, little Gwen, and Helen.
Outside the garden, more pumpkin lanterns flickered in the night, as if countless eyes were peeking at this Halloween cosplay carnival, all the way to the city's edge.
A swaying figure in the darkness stumbled towards the city.
Wherever he walked, grains of sand fell, paving a twisted line.
And the line pointed directly to Queens, New York, the garden where Russell and Gwen were.
Sandman, William Baker. One of Spider-Man's archenemies in the Sinister Six.
His abilities are similar to the Sand-Sand Fruit ability of the Logia-type Devil Fruits in One Piece, and he is also vulnerable to Water.
He can control sand with his mind, converting part or all of his body into a sandy substance, making him immune to physical attacks.
As time passed, William Baker entered the urban area.
Under the light of the pumpkin lanterns, his exposed skin appeared granular.
Normally, people would easily notice his abnormality. But at this time, everyone just assumed his makeup skills were excellent.
A young Black man, wearing a plastic-like, red and gold armor, clearly cosplaying Iron Man, approached from behind, slapped William Baker's shoulder, and said familiarly, "Hey, buddy, what character are you cosplaying? Your makeup is so cool!"
William Baker slowly turned his head to look at the young Black man, and on his sand-condensed face, only his two eyeballs gleamed with a cold light.
The young Black man was scared and took half a step back, then became annoyed and pushed William Baker hard: "If you're not going to talk, then don't be so fierce."
To the young Black man's surprise, it wasn't that his push failed to move William Baker.
Instead, his right hand, which pushed William Baker, sank into William Baker's shoulder, just as if it had fallen into quicksand.
"Hey, buddy. I didn't mean to, let go of me."
The young Black man tried to pull his arm out, but it was useless.
"Let go of me!"
The commotion here quickly attracted the attention of several other young Black men nearby, who swarmed around William Baker.
Inside the police station, George Stacy's office door was pushed open, and a young police officer entered, quickly reporting: "Director, four bodies have been found on 11th Avenue in Queens. The killer is suspected to be a super-powered individual."
"11th Avenue, I remember there are a few surveillance cameras nearby. Did they capture the killer during the act?" George Stacy pondered for a moment and asked.
"The nearby surveillance cameras were broken and haven't been repaired. We only have some freshly taken crime scene photos."
The young police officer placed the documents in his hand on George Stacy's desk, which included several crime scene photos.
These photos, taken from multiple angles, showed the victims' states of death, with the commonality being
—their bodies had sand in multiple places, including their mouths, noses, eyes, and ears.
George Stacy instructed: "Send more personnel to patrol near 11th Avenue and notify officers to be careful and maintain distance from suspicious individuals.
Additionally, contact the New York branch of S.W.O.R.D.This case is suspected to be a supernatural case; have their people take over."
After the young police officer left, George Stacy sighed deeply.
Giving up on a case was not his character,
But cases involving super-powered individuals were too dangerous!
Ordinary people were defenseless against super-powered individuals; all sorts of superpowers were impossible to guard against, and one moment of inattention could lead to heavy casualties.
He was the Deputy Director of the New York Police Department and responsible for the safety of his officers' lives.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
Pushing the case over also avoided taking the blame.
His thoughts raced, but George Stacy ultimately couldn't help but curse himself inwardly.
Damn politics!
"Respond to the call!"
George Stacy decided to go to the front lines to track down this dangerous super-powered individual.
On the other side, William Baker continued to walk aimlessly forward.
As if guided by fate, he was getting closer and closer to the garden.
Chapter 204: The Mage Spider-Man is Defeat
"Ah!!!"
A scream pierced the night sky, drawing glances from the crowd, but the festive atmosphere in the garden remained undisturbed.
People simply assumed it was a girl startled by a prank.
"Something's wrong!"
Gwen stopped her leisurely stroll and looked in the direction of the scream.
Her keen senses helped her detect the terror and panic in the scream.
This was not the sound of someone merely startled by a prank.
"Russell, please keep an eye on Helen and little Gwen. Erin and I will go see what's happening."
After giving the instruction, Gwen took out her web-shooter, pressed it on, and with a flick of her wrist, she swung into the night sky using her webs.
The entire process was fluid, she didn't even need to hide to change her spider suit.
It was Halloween night, so she could openly wear her Ghost-Spider spider suit while out and about.
"Look! Ghost-Spider, it's the real Ghost-Spider!"
"Ghost-Spider, I love you!"
"Ghost-Spider, look at me!"
Accompanied by the crowd's exclamations, Erin Smith sprinted, reaching speeds of tens of meters per second, far exceeding human limits, chasing in the direction Ghost-Spider had disappeared.
However, those running on the ground clearly received less attention than those swinging through the air.
As a result, no one recognized Magician Spider-Man, ErinSmith.
As fellow Spider-Man, Magician Spider-Man was completely defeated in the popularity contest.
"Was there something wrong with that scream?" Helenasked worriedly. "Will Gwen and Erin get into trouble?"
"Probably not."
Russell looked in the direction of the scream, his expression a little strange.
What did he see?
Sandman!
The third villain from the Spider-Man series he had encountered.
The first was Vulture, who was dead beyond dead.
The second was Mysterio, who was still alive and well.
Russell was a reasonable man, never judging others by future crimes or crimes from a parallel Universe.
Thanos had already done it. He had been carrying out massacres throughout the Universe for a long time, it just hadn't reached Earth yet.
And while Mysterio had ulterior motives for joining the Phantom Spirit Band, he had been well-behaved for the past seven months, so Russell naturally wouldn't bother him.
"Let's go, we'll go take a look too."
A white energy surged, instantly engulfing little Gwenand Helen, then disappearing from their original spot.
Before they could react, the two were brought to the scene by Russell.
At this moment, Ghost-Spider, who had arrived first, was already locked in battle with Sandman.
Further away were the daring New Yorkers, gathered in groups, snapping photos of Ghost-Spider and Sandmanwith their cameras.
"Oh, damn it, can you stop throwing things around!"
Ghost-Spider created some distance, complaining as she took off her boot and poured out a small pile of sand from it.
"Ghost-Spider, I know you," Sandman said coldly, looking at Gwen. "I'm going to kill you!"
"Why do you want to kill me? To become a big star and get people's attention?"
Gwen answered her own question: "Then you should do more good deeds. Your abilities are quite good; if you try to sign the Super Hero Registration Act and work for the government..."
"I don't want to be some Super Hero! And I certainly don't want to work for the government!
Now I just want them to feel my pain!
To feel the pain of every cell in my body collapsing, every minute, every second, constantly present!"
Sandman roared, then sneered:
"Ghost-Spider, if it weren't for you Super Heroes catching me and locking me in prison, I wouldn't have gained my current abilities.
I will make you pay with blood!"
As Sandman spoke, quicksand continuously gathered at Gwen's feet.
As soon as Sandman finished speaking, a chain made of sand suddenly formed, binding Gwen's feet.
Gwen lightly tapped her toes and backflipped, dodging Sandman's sneak attack.
"So, you were caught by a Super Hero, locked in prison, and then gained superpowers in prison? And the side effect of these superpowers is pain?"
Gwen said, dodging the chains formed by the sand.
"But isn't that your fault? If you didn't commit a crime, no one would arrest you and put you in prison."
Dodging and weaving, Gwen closed in on Sandman's main body and kicked him in the waist.
Bang!
With a spray of sand, Sandman was kicked in half by Gwen, splitting into upper and lower sections.
However, there was no expression of pain on Sandman's face; instead, he revealed a cunning grin, as if his trick had succeeded.
The next second, Sandman's two body segments merged.
At the same time, a massive fist smashed towards Gwen.
"Ghost-Spider, prepare to die!"
In a flash, Gwen only managed to bring her arm across her body to block Sandman's fist.
But even so, Gwen was sent flying by the immense impact, tumbling several times in the air before dissipating the force and landing.
Although she looked disheveled when she was sent flying, her landing pose was as elegant as ever.
"Ghost-Spider!!"
Seeing Gwen sent flying, a worried gasp erupted from the crowd.
"Russell, hurry and help! Little Gwen and I will be careful ourselves, we don't need your protection," Helen urged Russell anxiously.
Russell sighed helplessly and first comforted Helen: "Don't worry, Sandman is no match for Gwen."
Under Russell's years of enhancement, Gwen's physique had been greatly strengthened in all aspects, more than enough to defeat Sandman.
However, most Spider-Man shared a common flaw: they didn't want to hurt others.
Therefore, they rarely fought with full power.
But Russell knew this, while others did not.
Just as Gwen was sent flying and Sandman pursued his advantage.
Magician Spider-Man, Erin Smith, finally reached the battlefield on foot.
Seeing this, Erin attacked Sandman from the side, relieving pressure on Gwen.
Bang!
Erin delivered a powerful punch, using the momentum of the impact, striking Sandman hard on the shoulder and creating a dent, causing Sandman's entire body to sway.
"It worked!"
Erin was overjoyed and was about to pull back her arm to deliver a second punch when she found her arm clamped and unable to be withdrawn.
"Magician Spider-Man, I recognize you too."
Sandman grinned, a cold glint in his eyes.
He raised his arm, about to smash a fist towards Erin.
And Erin still couldn't pull out her arm or escape from around Sandman.
Whoosh!
Sandman's fist tore through the air, making a whistling sound.
In her panic, Erin could only block with her other arm.
Bang!
A collision sounded, but Erin felt no pain.
As her arm moved away, Erin saw Gwen, her body shimmering with a white light, catching Sandman's fist with her left hand.
Immediately after, Gwen delivered a punch with her right hand, striking Sandman's shoulder, disintegrating that part of his shoulder and helping Erin pull out her arm.
Then, with another kick, she sent Sandman flying far away, plowing a deep furrow in the ground.
At the critical moment, Gwen no longer held back, using the power Russell had given her.
And this power suppressed Sandman's sand-controlling superpower.
Sandman lay on the ground, unable to get up for a long time, having lost control of his body.
In terms of power comparison, Magician Spider-Man was once again defeated.
Chapter 205 The Righteous Mage Spider-Man
"Erin, be careful from now on, don't be so reckless. When you encounter an unfamiliar opponent, first try a probing attack to figure out their background."
"After that, adjust your rhythm and tactical choices," Gwen constantly reminded Erin in her ear.
By then, some time had passed since Sandman was defeated by Gwen.
After defeating Sandman, Gwen quickly left the scene with Erin, and after getting out of public sight, they circled back to find Russell and the others.
"I understand, Gwen," Erin said, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
She knew that her recklessness had put her in danger.
Fortunately, Gwen's strength was much greater than Sandman's, allowing her to rescue Erin in time.
"Alright, Gwen, Erin was just worried about you. She doesn't have experience fighting real super-powered individuals yet, and concern can lead to errors. Some mistakes are normal," Russell interjected, trying to smooth things over.
In fact, Russell didn't think Erin's tactical choice was a mistake.
She simply lacked the strength; it had little to do with tactics.
On the surface, Sandman was easily defeated by Gwen, making him seem weak.
In reality, Sandman's combat power was no less than Hulk's.
In one comic, Sandman knocked out Hulk twice and held his own against other Super Heroes.
Sandman possessed a special, almost elemental body, with the ability to control sand particles, making him immune to physical attacks. In his normal state, he had nearly a hundred tons of strength.
When his body increased in size, his strength would also increase accordingly.
The reason Sandman was easily defeated by Gwen was that Russell's energy suppressed his sand-controlling abilities, inhibiting his power at its root.
And Erin?
Although her physique far surpassed that of an ordinary person, she was essentially just a normal Vampire, with all side effects removed.
The hard power gap between her and Sandman was roughly the difference between a minion and a mini-boss.
It was a gap that could not be bridged by all soft skills combined, such as tactics, wisdom, courage, and willpower.
"Erin, I don't mean to blame you. On the contrary, I'm very grateful that you risked yourself to save me."
"However, I still need to remind you that facing ordinary criminals is different from facing super-powered criminals."
"You must be more cautious when facing the latter, otherwise, you could easily get injured or even die," Gwensaid, holding Erin's small hand. Her tone softened, but she remained very serious.
"In the first two years after I gained my superpowers, I was injured multiple times while saving people in battles against some Super Villains. That's when I realized that the prerequisite for helping others is to protect yourself."
"I hope my experience can be of some help to you."
"What if you, Gwen, were in Erin's situation just now? What would you do?"
"Would you protect yourself and watch Erin get hurt, or would you risk saving Erin?" Russell asked.
Has the Sun risen from the west?
Spider-Man telling others not to sacrifice themselves, but to protect themselves.
Shouldn't Spider-Man's line be, "With great power comes great responsibility"?
Erin, Helen, and Little Gwen also pricked up their ears, waiting for Gwen's answer.
"I would shoot a web and save Erin," Gwen replied.
"Erin doesn't have webs," Russell pressed.
"Then I'd kick Sandman away and stall him," Gwenanswered again.
Russell shrugged, looking at Erin, Helen, and Little Gwen, indicating with body language: I knew she would do that.
"See, Gwen. You yourself would do that, so why are you telling Erin to choose another approach?"
Gwen, embarrassed, nudged Russell, but still said seriously, "That's different. I can't ask Erin to choose to sacrifice herself just because I choose to sacrifice myself."
"That's wrong. The correct approach is to protect yourself first."
Amidst the laughter of Erin, Helen, and Little Gwen, the topic was temporarily dropped.
Only Russell smiled meaningfully.
The best solution to this kind of problem is not to solve the problem, but to solve the person who poses the problem.
That is, to avoid getting into such a predicament as much as possible.
Russell looked up at the night sky, his gaze profound.
In a place more distant than the night sky, several invisible webs pierced through the void, extending towards them.
The webs continuously stretched and connected in the void, weaving a vast, endless net that seemed to cover the entire Universe.
And this vast net was just an offshoot of another net. On that larger net, this vast net covering the entire Universewas merely a single strand.
The web of life and destiny!
As the vast net wove in the void, and the web of life and destiny extended to Earth-404, Gwen immediately sensed it.
Her spider-sense was frantically warning her.
Gwen looked up at the night sky but saw nothing.
"Russell, what's there?" Gwen asked, pointing at the night sky.
Although she couldn't see it, she had a mouth and could ask.
"The web of life and destiny has extended to this Universe," Russell replied.
Russell also looked at the night sky, suddenly understanding.
No wonder he had been encountering villains from the Spider-Man series these past few months; it turned out to be the power of the web of life and destiny extending here.
And it was getting closer and closer, its influence on this Universe growing stronger.
The first Vulture he encountered was just an ordinary person embarking on a criminal path.
The second Mysterio he encountered already possessed impressive special effects technology.
The third Sandman he encountered had gained superpowers.
The three individuals' abilities gradually approached their strength when they became Spider-Man villains.
In the night sky, after the web of life and destinyextended, a vibrant red spider also crawled out of the void along the web.
The red spider roared skyward, emitting a series of squeaking, friction-like sounds, as if from leather.
Immediately after, the red spider's body stretched and widened, as if flattened, dimensionality-reduced from a three-dimensional being to a two-dimensional being.
Finally, the red spider disappeared, replaced by a vibrant red spider totem.
This was the source of Spider-Man's power!
The red spider totem flickered in the night sky, swaying around, looking like a lost headless fly.
It's not looking for me, is it?
As soon as this thought emerged, Russell immediately confirmed it.
This spider totem was indeed looking for him!
He was the rightful, web of life and destiny-certified Magician Spider-Man!
Erin was an imposter!
With a thought, Russell actively released his aura.
In the night sky, the spider totem, sensing Russell's aura, zipped across the night sky towards him.
And as the spider totem approached, Gwen's spider-sense grew even stronger.
Although she couldn't see it with her eyes, her spider-sense clearly told her that something was rapidly flying towards them.
"What is that?"
"A spider totem."
Russell smiled, explaining to Gwen, and casually caught the flying spider totem, slapping it onto the back of his hand with a "splat."
Chapter 206 Russell's Exclusive Spider Totem
Looking at the spider totem on the back of his hand, Russell was overjoyed.
Although, the spider totem currently couldn't enhance his physique;
Although, the spider totem currently couldn't enhance his perception;
Although, he didn't need the spider totem to traverse the Multiverse by borrowing from the web of life and destiny, as he could do it himself;
Although the spider totem was almost useless to him now.
But this was proof of his identity as Magician Spider-Man!
From today onwards, no one could question his identity as Magician Spider-Man!
Hmm?
Looking at the restless spider totem moving on the back of his hand, Russell felt a pang of doubt.
What was it trying to do?
The spider totem continuously tried to extend its power, attempting to permeate Russell's body and transform his cells from the ground up.
Suddenly, the spider totem seemed to come alive. It started from the back of Russell's hand, moving across the surface of his body, trying to find a weak spot to penetrate deeper into Russell's body.
However, no matter how hard it tried, it always remained on the surface.
Even though it was just a two-dimensional life form, Russell could read its emotions.
It was a palpable sense of discouragement.
It might be the most unsuccessful spider totem, unable to influence its host in the slightest.
After understanding the spider totem's intention, Russellsmiled slightly.
This was simple enough; if the spider totem couldn't change him, then he would change the spider totem.
With a thought, a glowing White energy surged, engulfing the resting spider totem and permeating it.
First, it would be transformed into Russell's exclusive spider totem without changing its structure or function.
Afterwards, it would be continuously fine-tuned and modified, with abilities being added, deleted, or edited.
"Screech, screech~"
Faintly, Russell seemed to hear two spider calls with an inexplicable emotion.
He wasn't sure if it was satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
In any case, Russell was quite satisfied with his new, exclusive Magician Spider-Man totem.
"Russell, what are you doing, smiling so strangely?" Gwen asked. "Also, was that a spider totem you just caught?"
Russell nodded: "That's right, what I just caught was a spider totem, a newly born spider totem in this Universe."
"A newly born spider totem in this Universe, what does that mean?" Erin asked.
She had always called herself Magician Spider-Man and was very interested in news about both Magicians and Spider-Man. She had asked Russell to teach her magic more than once.
Unfortunately, Russell refused, citing that her parents were both alive and well.
Russell shrugged: "It means exactly what it says."
Erin was speechless and asked again: "Uh, what is a spider totem?"
"A spider totem is the source of Spider-Man's power. The web of life and destiny spans the Multiverse, and every Universe it affects has a spider totem and a corresponding Spider-Man."
Gwen explained: "Like me, I am the Spider-Man of Earth-65. And Russell has now become the Spider-Man of Earth-404."
"So, I don't have a chance to become Spider-Man?" Erinasked, disappointed.
"Theoretically, that's correct," Gwen replied.
"Erin, being Spider-Man isn't that great."
Russell said, the spider totem on the back of his hand now completely imbued with White energy, changing from a vibrant red and blue to a pure, glowing White.
"Look at this thing; it brings power, but it also brings a tragic fate."
"Erin, can you bear to have one of your elders die due to your inaction?"
"Can you bear it if your best friend turns out to be the criminal you're trying to catch?"
"Can you bear to suffer torment but have to keep secrets from the parents who raised you?"
"This is the fate Spider-Man must face! An inescapable, unavoidable fate!"
Russell's three consecutive questions made Erin's face turn pale.
After being abducted by a Vampire on her way home from Grandpa's pizza shop one evening, then rescued by Gwenand Russell, and unexpectedly gaining superpowers.
She had decided to do something for others.
She had been drenched in the rain, so she was willing to hold an umbrella for others.
But if it required such a huge price, would she still be willing?
The answer was obvious: no.
This couldn't be blamed on Erin; most people would make the same choice as her.
In fact, Erin's willingness to use her superpowers to help others, rather than for personal gain, already surpassed most people.
Like Russell, for example.
"Erin, there's a saying: what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over; what the ear doesn't hear, the mind doesn't worry about.
You know, because of Matt's excellent hearing, he hears cries for help every night. As a result, he can't sleep and constantly roams the night, making one emergency call after another.
Gwen is the same; she also constantly rushes around because her Spider-Sense allows her to detect the occurrence of evil.
Becoming Spider-Man won't make you happy; it will only make you feel the heavy burden on your shoulders."
Each of Russell's words made Erin's face grow paler. Helen and little Gwen also looked unwell.
And as he watched Erin's increasingly pale face, Russellfelt refreshed.
That's what you get for always trying to steal my Magician Spider-Man title!
I finally got my chance, didn't I?
"When a person has the ability to foresee the harm others are about to inflict, and cannot turn off this ability.
This ability is both a blessing and a curse!" Fortunately, I can freely control my perception and won't encounter such problems.
"Russell, stop scaring Erin. It's not as terrible as you make it sound."
Gwen interrupted Russell. She saw the slight smile at the corner of Russell's mouth and realized he was deliberately scaring Erin.
Sigh~ He's so old, yet he still likes to play pranks and scare little girls.
Muttering to herself, Gwen met Erin's questioning gaze and comforted her:
"Erin, don't worry, you're not Spider-Man anyway."
Erin: "…"
Russell smiled and raised the spider totem on the back of his hand, gesturing to Erin and asking:
"Erin, after hearing what I said, do you still want this spider totem? If you want it, I can give it to you."
Erin shook her head abruptly, as if having a stress response.
"No, I don't want it anymore. I don't want to be Spider-Man anymore. I'll just be Magician Spider-Man."
Russell's smile froze.
Not being Spider-Man, but being Magician Spider-Man, what the heck was that?
Was she going to be at odds with Magician Spider-Man?
"Erin, this spider totem has been modified by me and will no longer be affected by Spider-Man's fate.
As long as you return the title of Magician Spider-Man to me, I'll give you this spider totem, how about it?"
Russell coaxed her gently, but Erin just kept shaking her head and even took a few steps back.
It was as if what Russell held in his hand was not a spider totem that could grant superpowers, but a monstrous flood.
Chapter 207 Pure Artificial Intelligence Ultron
"Hey, Russell, Gwen, are you two ganging up on Erin?
Erin is also my friend, I can't just ignore something like this."
Tony Stark's voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
He had arrived in the garden at some point.
"Cough, cough, I was just joking with Erin. Oh, right, Tony, why are you here too?"
Russell let out two dry laughs, slightly stiffly changing the subject.
"Ultron detected subtle abnormal energy fluctuations here, and after analysis, it seems there was a super-powered individual's battle, so I came to see what was going on."
Tony Stark said casually, still holding an unfinished hamburger. He really just came to take a look; he hadn't even put on his Iron Man Suit.
Gwen asked curiously, "Ultron, is that the new AI you and Dr. Banner developed, Tony?"
"Yes." Tony Stark nodded, then began to brag:
"He is a super AI for maintaining global peace, newly developed by Dr. Banner and me, combining the code of Jarvis and Dr. Zola.
He possesses self-awareness and learning capabilities, able to independently complete various complex tasks. Monitoring New York City's energy fluctuations is child's play for him.
With just a few more iterations, he can even easily monitor the entire globe, preventing supernatural crime events or detecting them the moment they occur."
Russell's expression was strange; he wasn't sure if this Ultron just happened to have the same name, or if there was something else going on.
In the movie (Earth-199999), Ultron's program was infected by the Mind Stone, turning him into an entity obsessed with protecting Earth by eliminating all life on it.
Ultimately, this led to the Sokovia crash, with severe consequences.
But in this reality (Earth-404), the Mind Stone has always been guarded by Russell, and Tony Stark and Dr. Bannerhave never come into contact with it.
Therefore, Russell is currently unsure which path their newly developed AI, Ultron, will take.
Will he, as Tony Stark wishes, strive to protect Earth's peace, or will he go down the old path of wanting to eliminate all life, as in the movie?
Besides this, Earth-404 also differs from the movie in one aspect.
Due to the implementation of the Super Hero Registration Act, the Avengers' situation on Earth-404 is far less favorable than on Earth-199999.
By refusing to sign the agreement, the Avengers have lost their law enforcement authority.
That is, legally, even if Ultron detects a supernatural event, the Avengers cannot take action; they can only notify the various national supernatural management organizations.
At most, they can act heroically and assist innocent civilians.
"Look, S.W.O.R.D. Agents are here. If I hadn't notified them, who knows when they would have found out."
Tony Stark complained, pointing at the slowly descending invisible fighter jet.
"Let's not talk about Ultron for now; let's talk about the man lying on the ground, leaking sand. What's his deal?"
"A fugitive who accidentally gained superpowers; his superpower is turning into Sandman and controlling sand," Gwen replied.
"Turning into sand and controlling sand, that's a simple and clear superpower," Tony Stark mumbled, compiling and sending the information.
"Are you sending them (S.W.O.R.D.) intelligence?" Russellglanced at Tony Stark's phone and asked.
"No choice, these people are just so incompetent. If I don't help them, who knows how much trouble they'll cause; they really need me," Tony shrugged.
"Then you'd best remind them to keep Sandman in this kind of high-strength sealed container, without even a single grain of sand's worth of a gap.
Otherwise, Sandman will be able to escape."
Russell pointed at Sandman, who was being placed into a sealed container by S.W.O.R.D. Agents, and explained:
"His true form is just one grain of sand. As long as that grain of sand escapes, he can escape.
And as long as there's sand nearby, he can immediately gather a massive body again."
"Is that so? Thank you for the information, Russell. If there's nothing else, I'll head back. I haven't finished my dinner yet."
Tony Stark said, gesturing with the hamburger in his hand.
With a flash of magic Fire, Tony disappeared into the portal.
Through the portal, one could vaguely see two hamburgers and a cup of cola on a mechanical table on the other side, as well as Dr. Banner sitting opposite the workbench.
Dr. Banner's hair was a bit messy, and his blue-collar shirt was slightly wrinkled.
It was clear that Tony Stark and Dr. Banner were still working overtime on Halloween. And, they might have already been working overtime for several days prior.
It seems the research on the new AI, Ultron, has run into trouble.
Russell was pensive.
Then he thought again and found it reasonable.
"It's getting late, let's head back too. Anyway, there's nothing left for us here." Russell suggested, leading them away.
At the crossroads, Russell whispered to Gwen, "Gwen, you stay with Helen and little Gwen tonight. I'll take Erinhome and chat with her on the way."
Gwen looked at Russell with a puzzled expression, then saw Russell raise the glowing White spider totem in his hand.
She then nodded and walked towards Helen's house with Helen and little Gwen.
Russell also took Erin and walked towards Erin's house.
All the way, Erin kept her head down, seemingly deep in thought, not even noticing that she had separated from Gwen and the others.
Perhaps the tragic fate of Spider-Man had brought her great shock.
Erin didn't speak, and Russell also remained silent.
Anyway, Erin lived in Manhattan, about a 15-minute drive. Walking slowly, it would take a long time.
"Oh, Russell, where are Gwen and the others? They're gone?"
"They went home first."
After a long while, Erin finally came to her senses.
Seeing this, Russell took out the modified, glowing White spider totem and dangled it in front of Erin, tempting her:
"What do you think, Erin? As long as you give me back the title of Magician Spider-Man, I'll give you this spider totem."
Russell noticed that Erin's gaze involuntarily followed the spider totem in his hand.
Clearly, Spider-Man's superpowers greatly appealed to her.
However, after hesitating for a moment, Erin's gaze retracted from the spider totem, and she firmly shook her head: "No."
"Don't you really like Spider-Man's superpowers?" Russell asked in surprise.
Erin nodded, then couldn't help but glance at the spider totem again.
"Then why don't you want this spider totem?
Don't worry, I've eliminated the side effects; this spider totem won't affect your destiny." Russell continued to ask.
"Russell, when Matt trained me before, he asked me if I was ready.
At the time, I thought I was ready, but now I realize I wasn't."
The next chapter will probably be around 2 or 3 AM; I suggest reading it in the morning.
Chapter 208: Living off a man?
Russell got a headache looking at Erin, who had fallen silent again after saying that, feeling like he had shot himself in the foot.
His original intention was just to tease her.
The only use of this spider totem for him was for analysis and research, serving as a technical reserve for his study of strengthening magic that could reach the Dimensional Demon God level.
He had already completed this when he modified the spider totem.
He quite liked this girl who, after getting caught in the rain herself, thought about holding an umbrella for others.
This reminded him of a poem he had recited in school, 'My Thatched Roof Is Ruined by the Autumn Wind'.
The poet Du Fu, when his roof leaked continuously through the night, thought instead of the poor scholars across the World.
Du Fu even felt that if there were houses to shelter them, he would gladly freeze to death.
Although Erin had not reached that level.
She had already done very well.
Russell's voice was calm, doing his best to keep his tone gentle, and he said:
"Erin, you've already done very well, what else aren't you ready for?"
Erin said firmly: "I'm not ready to give up the title of Magician Spider-Man."
Russell: "."
He saw Erin silent and deep in thought the whole way, and thought she was scared by Spider-Man's tragic fate.
He had prepared many comforting words for her.
He never expected.
Russell wondered: "You don't want Spider-Man's superpowers anymore?
By merging with this spider totem, you can gain Spider-Man's superpowers, and an optimized version at that."
Erin nodded, then shook her head: "I want Spider-Man's superpowers! But I don't want to give up the title of Magician Spider-Man.
Russell, why don't you just give me this spider totem for White.
If you hold this spider totem, you can only become Spider-Man, not Magician Spider-Man.
And I, even without Spider-Man's superpowers, and without knowing magic, am still Magician Spider-Man.
Oh right, why don't you teach me some more magic?
That way, after getting Spider-Man's superpowers, it will be even more justifiable."
Saying that, Erin looked at Russell, full of expectation.
She had already figured it out.
Since Russell only wanted an optional title in exchange for this spider totem, it meant that this spider totem was no longer useful to Russell.
"Erin, although it's night now, you're not asleep yet."
Russell said faintly: "As for eating soft rice hard, you should look for that in your dreams."
Erin asked: "If I find it in my dream, will Russell give me the spider totem?"
Russell looked at Erin, his gaze unfriendly.
This little girl actually wanted to mooch off him?
She should go inquire, he, Russell, was always the one to mooch off others!
Erin, feeling a bit uncomfortable under Russell's gaze, chuckled awkwardly: "How about, Russell and I share the title of Magician Spider-Man.
You can be Sorcerer Spider-Man, and I can be Sorcerer Spider-Woman, that doesn't conflict."
Russell pouted, rejecting the suggestion: "I don't want people to misunderstand our relationship."
"Besides, Erin, I'm half your savior. Don't you feel guilty trying to snatch a title from me?"
Russell looked at Erin, his eyes bright.
Erin lowered her head, her eyes darting away, not daring to meet Russell's gaze directly, with faint glistening tears in the corners of her eyes.
She was careless, she didn't dodge.
Stung by the light in Russell's eyes.
"But, when I first used this title, you didn't stop me, did you?
Now, not only New York, but everywhere in the Worldwith internet knows that Magician Spider-Man is a member of the Phantom Spirit Band, how can I give it to you?"
Russell thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be true.
He had hardly ever used the title Magician Spider-Man on Earth-404.
Erin, at first, didn't even know it was one of his titles, let alone have the intention of snatching it from him.
It was only out of admiration for her two saviors that she took the title of Magician Spider-Man for herself.
Russell's eyes dimmed, and he said, nodding: "Erin, you have a point."
Erin still had her head down, but her voice was slightly joyful: "So, Russell, you agreed?!
My demands aren't high, Spider-Man's superpowers and the portal magic will do.
It's that magic where you draw with your fingers, make a Fire circle, and can go wherever you want."
"You mean this?"
Russell, with his index and middle fingers together and his ring and pinky fingers bent, drew a circle in the air in front of his chest.
As his fingertips moved, magic Fire sparks flickered, and a golden-yellow halo formed and expanded.
Erin nodded repeatedly, no longer bothering to avoid Russell's gaze: "Yes, that's it!"
Russell pointed his finger towards Erin, and the portal quickly moved, engulfing Erin, and teleporting her directly back home.
"Go home and sleep, everything you want is in your dreams."
As soon as he finished speaking, the portal closed immediately, not giving Erin a chance to react and return from the other side.
After sending Erin away, Russell looked at the spider totem in his hand and tossed it.
Erin guessed correctly, this thing was indeed useless to him now.
If he wanted, he could replicate a few at any time.
However, the replicated ones would not be able to connect to the web of life and destiny.
And what he planned to give Erin was also a replicated one; he intended to keep the original for himself.
Meanwhile.
In the laboratory, Tony Stark and Dr. Banner were looking at the active blue flashing entity in front of them, which seemed to be thinking like a human brain.
Tony Stark spoke first: "Ultron just detected abnormal energy fluctuations in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens, New York. I went to check, and he was right."
Dr. Banner stretched, perking up: "That's good news, it shows that Ultron can still process accurately while accessing high-density data simultaneously.
However, Tony, we still have two problems, how do you plan to deal with them."
The three essential elements of artificial intelligence: data, algorithms, and computing power.
Tony Stark and Dr. Banner worked for months to get the algorithms right, something unimaginable in the real World.
But fortunately, this is the Marvel Universe.
Even so, Tony Stark and Dr. Banner still had to face two problems: data collection and computing power support.
The data collection problem.
Although Ultron could accurately process high-density data and integrate multi-dimensional calculations to discover where supernatural events were occurring.
But data needs to be collected by sensors.
Ultron could not create something out of nothing or perform calculations in a void, unless he completely disregarded accuracy.
And Stark Industries did not have a global data collection system, so Ultron could only illegally invade other institutional databases to read data.
This was also why Tony Stark had arrived late earlier.
The computing power support problem.
"The computing power problem isn't big; for now, we'll use Stark Industries' supercomputing center, and I've already started building a new supercomputing center."
Tony Stark waved his hand, activating his money-power.
Chapter 209 The Road Ahead is Long
Inside the dimensional space, colorful energy stretched out like a vast, boundless ocean.
Suddenly, a vortex appeared in the center of the energy ocean, like a bottomless black hole, beginning to devour everything around it.
The energy was sucked into the vortex, heading towards its center, and disappeared into the body of a young man radiating a soft white glow.
This person was Russell, who was currently holding a spell collection and reading it carefully to pass the boring time of absorbing energy.
Incidentally, he was trying to see if he could draw inferences from other cases and find a way to increase the speed at which his glowing white energy could strengthen others.
"No wonder my glowing white energy strengthens others so slowly.
It turns out I wasn't using a ritual to guide a targeted strengthening; it was just passive absorption, allowing life to adaptively evolve."
This spell collection was a gift from the Watcher, and each spell had clear and easy-to-understand detailed annotations.
After reviewing it, Russell found the reason why his glowing white energy was slower than other dark energies when strengthening others.
Targeted strengthening is quick to take effect, but it makes people adapt to the spell, unable to fully unleash their potential, leading to a relatively lower Upper limit.
Adaptive evolution is slow, but it makes the spell adapt to the person, allowing for a solid foundation and full potential, leading to a relatively higher Upper limit.
At least, Russell hadn't found any targeted strengthening spells in the darkhold, the spider totem, or the spell collection gifted by the Watcher that could directly strengthen someone to the Dimensional Demon Godlevel.
"Perhaps, I can combine the two: first use targeted strengthening to raise them to a certain level, then go back and fill in the foundation.
However, would the final effect be inferior to adaptive strengthening from the very beginning?"
"I need to do an experiment and observe."
Russell took out the replica spider totem, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
His original intention for this spider totem was to give it to Erin.
But the thought of being a kept man made him uncomfortable.
As time passed, energy was absorbed by Russell, and the surface of the sea gradually receded.
The once boundless and vast energy ocean visibly shrank, gradually becoming a lake.
Finally, the energy ocean completely dried up, and the dimensional space became empty, with only the faint glow emanating from Russell illuminating this void.
Seeing this, Russell opened his attribute panel, quickly scanned it, and couldn't help but smile.
[Attribute Points: 185,1557,4396]
[Sacred Body: 5133]
He found that 10.5 billion attribute points had been added, not the agreed-upon 10 billion.
The Watcher had given him an extra 500 million!
"These two Watchers are certainly more competent than that Big-headed dolls from before."
Muttering to himself, Russell's thoughts stirred.
deep blue, add points!
In an instant, the Sacred Body value rapidly changed, increasing from 5133 to 10000.
However, the description bar below the attribute panel still did not indicate that it was upgradeable.
deep blue, continue adding points.
[Attribute Points: 5,2217,4396]
[Sacred Body: 11111]
The Sacred Body value exceeded 10,000, more than doubling.
Russell could feel the divine power within his body becoming even more surging, and the destructive power he could unleash further increased.
But Russell didn't feel much joy.
This was merely a quantitative change, not a qualitative one.
The Sacred Body was only a part of his combat power, and not even the most important part.
The most crucial part of Russell's combat power was his talent 1 [Energy Absorption].
The fourth stage of [Energy Absorption] was his most important defensive measure, allowing him to achieve damage immunity at the same level. Furthermore, attacking him would result in his absorption of energy.
In the battle with Chthon, Chthon was completely helpless against Russell because of this.
He couldn't attack him, nor could he trap him.
He could only try his best to avoid him and minimize his losses.
"Sigh, I wonder how high the Sacred Body value needs to be before the panel can be upgraded again."
Emerging from the dimensional space, Russell took out his phone, connected to the internet, and recalibrated the time.
It was half past two in the morning, considered the time of the heaviest yin energy and weakest human yang energy in a day, the moment when yin and yang converge.
Russell decided that at this special time, he would go to the Blink Realm to test his skills against Chthon, to practically assess the impact of the Sacred Body value exceeding 10,000 on his own combat power.
Of course, part of the reason was that he had told Gwenhe wouldn't be returning to the bookstore tonight.
So, Gwen decided to stay at Helen's house for the night and not go back either.
In the Blink Realm, within a huge cosmic void, a glowing white stream of light was chasing a crimson stream of light.
The glowing white stream of light was Russell, and the crimson stream of light was Chthon.
As soon as Russell entered the Blink Realm, he was discovered by Chthon.
Afterward, Chthon immediately tried his best to clear the surrounding matter and energy around Russell.
But even so, Russell still unexpectedly devoured a considerable amount of matter and energy from the Blink Realm.
Chthon was greatly pained, anger welled up in his heart, and he was about to exchange blows with Russell.
After his last battle with Russell, in order to counter Russell's ability to devour energy, he had specifically strengthened his control over energy.
A single finger is easily broken, but five fingers clenched together form a strong fist.
Chthon influenced the viscosity between energies, making the energy almost a single entity, difficult to easily separate, increasing the difficulty of devouring and absorbing.
And so...
Every now and then, Russell would catch up to Chthonand tear off a piece of "flesh" from him.
The first change manifested from the Sacred Body value exceeding 10,000 was that he had a speed advantage when facing Chthon.
"Chthon, aren't you an energy body? Why do you act like a flesh and blood body? If an uninformed person saw this, they'd think I like to eat people."
Russell complained.
He didn't know why, but every time he attacked Chthon, using his talent [Energy Absorption] would pull out a large mass of energy, causing greater injury.
Although, this was quite good.
But looking at this energy that resembled flesh and blood, Russell found it a bit hard to stomach.
He was afraid that after absorbing it, he would lose his appetite for food later.
"Damn it!"
Russell and Chthon cursed simultaneously in their hearts.
Without prior agreement, they both sped up again.
From a distance, only two streaks of light could be seen traversing and leaping through the void.
The next morning, Russell opened the bookstore door early.
In the early hours, after exchanging a few warm-up blows with Chthon, he left.
With Chthon having no will to fight and only focused on escaping, Russell couldn't do much to him.
Although he had a slight advantage and could slowly chip away at him, absorbing a bit of Chthon's energy from time to time.
But this method of acquiring energy was too inefficient.
If he could completely defeat Chthon and annex his Blink Realm, then it would have some value.
But that was simply unrealistic.
Compared to that, Russell believed his method of cultivating apostles to find other dimensional dimensions was more reliable.
It takes three million energy to add one point to the Sacred Body, and a Sacred Body of ten thousand points means thirty billion energy, and this still hasn't triggered a panel upgrade.
Russell only felt that the road ahead was long and arduous.
Chapter 210 How can you sleep!
Inside the bookstore lounge, Russell sighed deeply and picked up his phone to call Erin.
The path to accumulate the energy needed to upgrade his panel was long, so Russell decided to quicken his pace.
A moment later, the call connected.
A slightly hoarse voice came through: "Hello?"
From the voice, Russell detected three parts drowsiness, three parts confusion, three parts displeasure, and one part doubt.
Clearly, Erin had not yet woken up from her sleep.
Because of this, Russell couldn't help but blurt out, "At your age, at your stage, how can you even sleep?!"
"Huh?! Who are you, and what do you want with me?" This time, Erin's voice finally gained a bit more clarity.
"I'm Russell." Russell was puzzled, "Erin, don't you check caller ID when you answer the phone?"
"Oh, Russell, is there something urgent this early? If not, I'll call you back after I wake up."
Russell vaguely heard a yawn from the other end of the phone.
"Erin, do you still want a spider totem? If you do, go to the training ground at Avengers Tower immediately."
On the other end of the phone, Erin's sleepiness vanished instantly, feeling a surge of Riptide erupt from her head and spread rapidly.
She couldn't help but shiver, her heart raced, and her fingers holding the phone trembled slightly.
"Russell, are you serious?"
"Magician Spider-Man doesn't lie to Magician Spider-Man."
With that, Russell hung up the phone.
Hours later, at the training ground outside Avengers Tower, Erin was undergoing various tests.
The spider totem Russell had replicated was a type of directional enhancement, and its effects were relatively quick.
In just a few hours, the transformation could largely be completed.
A small portion of her potential would need to be gradually unlocked through long-term training later on.
Besides Russell and Erin, Steve Rogers was also present. He spent most of his time in the training ground.
He was currently assisting Erin in collecting data.
"Russell, these are Erin's physical test results."
Steve handed Russell a form, his tone filled with unsuppressable shock.
He knew this girl, a member of the Phantom Spirit Band, nicknamed Magician Spider-Man, and one of New York's street heroes.
Before the Super Hero Registration Act was enacted, she was mainly active in Queens, New York.
According to the data collected by the Avengers, this girl possessed physical abilities several times beyond that of an ordinary person.
Her strength, speed, and reflexes were all excellent.
However, her physique was still slightly inferior to that of a soldier injected with the Super Soldier Serum.
Even with training, she could at most become an elite warrior, not a true super-powered individual.
Steve glanced at Erin's physical test form again; even though he couldn't clearly see the data due to the angle.
But this did not affect anything, as he had already firmly memorized the data.
"Strength to lift 80 tons, limit unknown;
Vertical jump approximately 26 meters;
Maximum speed exceeding the speed of sound, approaching Mach 1.3."
This physical test data far surpassed all types of Super Soldier Serum recipients.
Most importantly, it surpassed most Spider-Man in their normal state.
Russell was very satisfied with this.
If the spider totem he modified wasn't as effective as the original, wouldn't he lose face?
"Erin, stay here for a while and get used to your vastly increased strength. Don't go home until you can skillfully control it.
Now, ordinary people are like cakes in front of you; you might accidentally break them." Russell cautioned.
"Mm." Erin nodded heavily, unconsciously exerting force with her feet.
Crack, crack ~
The training ground floor cracked, and fissures spread from under Erin's feet.
Russell and Steve had already grown accustomed to the unintentional destruction caused by Erin.
"Remember this carefully." Russell cautioned again.
"Russell, don't worry, I won't go anywhere during this time; I'll just stay here."
Erin also assured him again, "I'll call home right now."
Saying that, Erin was about to pick up the phone she had placed aside earlier to call her family.
Crack ~
The phone was picked up, but it was already twisted into a mess and unusable.
Seeing this, Russell had no choice but to have Erin tell him the number, and he dialed it for her.
Then, he helped hold it, letting Erin explain the situation to her family herself.
And so on and so forth.
After an explanation, Erin successfully convinced her parents.
"Alright then, let's start training, Erin. Try to get familiar with your current strength as soon as possible, then you can go home."
Russell first patted Erin's shoulder in encouragement, then turned to ask Steve for a favor.
"Steve, please help me test Erin's data once a day. Her potential hasn't been fully unleashed yet, and I need to observe her future growth."
"Okay." Steve nodded, agreeing.
Anyway, after the Super Hero Registration Act was enacted, he had become idle.
Working out alone was quite boring, so having someone else around wasn't bad.
Additionally, once Erin could freely control her strength, he planned to further train her combat skills.
Such excellent physical quality would be a waste not to train properly.
After instructing the two, Russell left first, returning to the bookstore to relax.
Although he had experiments to conduct, he didn't plan to constantly monitor Erin.
Recording data periodically would suffice.
Not just now, he had been relaxing during this entire period.
In the short term, it would be difficult for Gaya and Wanda's cultivation to reach the Dimensional Demon God level.
And until they reached that level, Russell would not allow them to go to other Universe to search for different dimensional dimensions.
On one hand, with insufficient strength, they would not even be able to freely enter and exit different dimensional dimensions, greatly increasing the difficulty of the search.
On the other hand, with insufficient strength, they could easily encounter danger.
Russell didn't want to constantly worry about someone pressing a pager and needing his rescue.
Russell understood the principle of sharpening the axe before chopping wood.
"I wonder when the Reality Stone will emerge."
Lying on the sofa in the bookstore lounge, Russell silently calculated the time.
He didn't pay close attention to the exact time the Reality Stone would reappear when he watched the movie (Thor2) before transmigrating, only remembering it was in 2013.
Now, there were only two months left until 2013 passed.
He still remembered the plot, though.
Thousands of years ago, the Dark Elves attempted to use the Aether Particle (i.e., the Reality Stone) to plunge the Universe into darkness.
Thor and Loki's grandfather, the former Asgardian KingBor, defeated the Dark Elves and seized their divine artifact, the Aether Particle.
He wanted to destroy the Aether Particle but couldn't, so he could only hide it.
Thousands of years later, during the Convergence, the Aether Particle emerged and accidentally merged with Thor's girlfriend, Jane Foster.
Acquiring the Reality Stone was a plan Russell had made long ago.
For no other reason than to strengthen the members of his Sorcerer Supreme Team and motivate them to protect the Real Universe.
Of course, before giving away the Infinity Stones, Russellwould also need to research them himself and eliminate any risks.
And while researching, he would learn and improve the diversity of his own methods.