Chapter 27: Kingpin's Army Strikes
Please excuse me for a moment, everyone."
Kingpin suppressed his rage and set down his wine glass.
With a grim face, he walked to a huge display screen on the wall and pressed a button.
The screen lit up.
The image that should have shown the production progress of the fourth underground floor was now a scene of utter chaos.
"Damn it!!"
The instant he saw the image,
Kingpin could no longer maintain his dignified demeanor as a crime lord. He slammed his fist onto the table, making the ashtray jump.
"What is going on?"
The assembled guests rushed over, looking at the scene on the screen, and each one gasped sharply.
The secret underground Base that Kingpin had spent hundreds of millions of US dollars and countless manpower and resources to build,
had now been reduced to ruins.
A massive hole had been blasted through the ceiling, and gravel littered the floor.
The expensive military production lines had been violently dismantled and scattered.
Most shocking of all was that
the Charlatan and the Black Sky Warrior, who should have been guarding the place strictly, were now just scattered mosaics on the floor.
The scene of their brutal deaths was so gruesome that
even the battle-hardened Jigsaw couldn't help but frown.
Worse yet,
those assembled prowler armors, which Kingpinconsidered his trump card weapons,
had all—no!—flown away!
"My armors! My army!"
Kingpin's heart was bleeding.
That was his biggest bargaining chip when negotiating with The Hand, and his ultimate trump card for dominating New York in the future!
They hadn't even been put into use, the paint wasn't even fully dry,
and now they were gone?!
"Who was it?"
Suddenly,
Tombstone pointed to a red and blue figure in the corner of the screen, curiously fiddling with a production line.
The figure was holding a wrench,
and as if dismantling a toy, he casually broke down a million-dollar precision instrument into parts.
"What's going on, Kingpin?"
Tombstone asked in a deep voice, a hint of unease flashing in his eyes. "Could it be an earthquake in Manhattan? This level of destructive power..."
Kingpin stared intently at the retreating figure.
His teeth ground together, and he squeezed out a few words through the gaps:
"No, it's not an earthquake. It's that damn Spider-Man!"
The moment he said that,
the entire conference room instantly erupted.
"What?! Spider-Bully?!"
Hammerhead's previously arrogant demeanor instantly deflated by three points.
He subconsciously touched his hard skull, seemingly worried whether he could withstand that legendary punch.
The Jigsaw's face turned pale, and he even felt like crawling under the table.
As a villain who was just a normal person,
he feared unpredictable superhumans the most.
"How is Spider-Man here? Has our meeting been exposed?"
Panic spread through the conference room like a plague.
For these criminals,
the name "Spider-Man" held more deterrence than the combined forces of the Police Department and the FBI.
That was a monster who could lift a tank with one hand and smash through walls with a single punch!
Looking at these so-called "allies" who were already losing morale before officially forming an alliance, Kingpin took a deep breath.
He knew that
if he couldn't stabilize the situation now, his dream of a criminal empire would be completely shattered.
"Everyone! What are you panicking about?!"
Kingpin suddenly turned around.
His massive body blocked the screen, and the suffocating sense of pressure once again enveloped everyone.
"This is Fisk Tower! This is my territory! And it's your future fortress!"
He scanned the room.
His gaze was as sharp as a blade, sweeping over every person present.
"There are so many of us! So many top experts gathered here! Are we really afraid of a mere spider in a spandex suit?"
Kingpin pointed at Bullseye, then at Mister Negative and Tombstone.
"We have a sharpshooter, an energy manipulator, and an invulnerable superhuman! And he is only one person!"
"This is a crisis, but it is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Kingpin's voice was filled with seductive power.
"Before, we fought alone and were always picked off one by one by these superheroes."
"But now, we are all here! As long as we unite, even Spider-Man cannot deal with so many people at once!"
"Think about it, if we eliminate Spider-Man here today... what does that mean?"
Kingpin spread his arms, as if he could already see the dawn of victory.
"It means that no one in all of New York will dare to stand against us again!"
"We will become true legends! All our businesses, all our territories, will be unimpeded!"
These words
were like a powerful shot of adrenaline, fiercely piercing the greed in everyone's hearts.
That's right.
Who were they? They were the top villain supergroup in New York!
A fierce glint flashed in Mister Negative's eyes:
"Fisk is right. My Negative Force can corrode his will. As long as everyone cooperates, I am confident I can control him."
"Exactly!"
Hammerhead regained his confidence and sneered.
"My head is hard, I can be the meat shield! As long as everyone attacks together, I don't believe this little bug has three heads and six arms!"
"I've long wanted to spar with him,"
Anaconda squeezed her modified arm, producing the sound of metal grinding.
"Let's see whose elbow is harder, his or my constriction."
Even the initially hesitant Jigsaw,
after seeing so many bosses express their resolve, felt their chances of winning were very high, and he gritted his teeth:
"Unity is strength! We absolutely cannot let that bully continue to be arrogant! For the sake of our business, let's take him down!"
A passionate atmosphere, something like the 'AvengersAssemble (Villain Edition),' rose up in the conference room.
Fear was gone from their eyes.
In its place were crazed killing intent and ambition for the future.
If they could truly hunt down Spider-Man here, their prestige in the underworld would instantly soar to the top!
"Very good."
Kingpin nodded in satisfaction, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
He waved his large hand, grabbing his walking stick from the table.
"Since everyone has this resolve, let's give this 'good neighbor' an unforgettable surprise."
"All units deploy! Head to the fourth underground floor!"
...
"Rumble--"
The elevator, normally reserved only for Kingpin's personal use, began to descend rapidly.
The elevator was packed with various villains.
At this moment,
they felt invincible.
...
Meanwhile, on the fourth underground floor,
Peter stood next to the production line, which had been stripped down to just its skeleton. His wristband was still connected to the main control computer.
Through the [Hacker] skill,
he had long since taken over the entire building's security system.
At this moment,
a small window in his eyepiece was displaying the rapidly descending elevator.
Watching the villains inside the elevator, who were eager for a fight and looked like they were about to'slaughter a god,'
Peter showed no sign of panic; instead, he couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"Whoa, quite the grand entrance."
Peter stroked his chin, his eyes shining with the joy of a farmer seeing a bountiful harvest.
"Kingpin, Bullseye, Tombstone, Mister Negative, Hammerhead, and a snake-playing woman?"
He counted the heads and silently calculated the progress of his system tasks.
[Mission: Street Fighter (Progress: 0 / 5)]
[Mission: Crime Syndicate (Progress: 0 / 3)]
"How is this them coming to cause me trouble? This is clearly them lining up to deliver experience points to me."
Peter's lips curved upward slightly.
"I just wonder what the system's criteria are for 'defeating a gang'?"
"If I wipe out all these gang leaders in one go, will it directly count as these few gangs being dismantled?"
He flexed his wrists, which made crisp cracking sounds.
Peter turned toward the elevator doors and struck a relaxed pose.
"Since the guests have so warmly come to visit, it would be very impolite of me, their good neighbor, not to give them a small gift."
"Come on, everyone, let me see whose head is harder, yours or my elbow."
Chapter 28: Peter's Pumpkin Grenade
Chapter 28: Peter's pumpkin bombs
Underground Level Four.
Peter stood before the elevator exit, the data on his visor flickering rapidly.
Through the suit's thermal vision, he could clearly see the elevator descending at high speed.
That was Kingpin's private elevator.
At this moment, it was packed with dangerous crime bosses and superhuman villains.
If this were the Spider-Man from the original story, or the high-school-aged Dutch version of Peter.
Faced with this situation, he would probably be so nervous his palms would sweat.
And then start thinking.
How to use his Web fluid to tie them up one by one and hand them over to the Police, or try to talk them down.
But the Peter Parker of today?
He merely tilted his head, a cruel smile curling his lips.
"So many people, crammed into a single tin can, being sent straight down..."
Peter shook his head.
Seemingly lamenting the intelligence of this group of villains.
"Kingpin, oh Kingpin, have you been boss for too long that your brain has gone haywire?"
"Or do you think I'm some hot-blooded comic book protagonist who talks about chivalry and one-on-one duels?"
"You guys really think I'm some soft-hearted gentleman with a stubborn no-kill rule, treating me like a high school kid you can easily manipulate?"
"Sorry, I'm here to grind monsters."
Peter's mind moved.
He performed an action that absolutely did not align with the original Spider-Man, one that was astonishing.
His spatial mark on his wrist flickered slightly.
In the palms of both his hands.
Two metal spheres, only the size of a fist, entirely orange-yellow, with bizarre smiling faces carved on their surfaces, materialized out of thin air.
[Item: pumpkin bomb]
[Source: Green Goblin (Norman Osborn)'s Armory]
[Description: Although its appearance is comical, this is Osborn Industries' top-tier personal weapon of mass destruction. It is loaded internally with highly concentrated explosives and a miniature plasma generator; one is enough to destroy a main battle tank.]
These two bombs.
Peter had casually taken them from Osborn Industries; they were the classic weapons Norman relied on for fame.
The same model as the Green Goblin's—the pumpkin bomb!
The destructive power of this type of bomb was far greater than the fragmentation grenades routinely equipped by the military.
The special chemical explosives packed inside.
Possessed extremely powerful blast and penetration capabilities, easily capable of shattering even thick steel plates into pieces!
Peter rarely used them normally because the power was too immense and could easily harm innocents.
But now?
This was Underground Level Four, surrounded entirely by villains, and the only homeless person had already been evacuated by him.
It was simply a perfect 'demolition testing ground'.
"Ding—"
The elevator indicator light showed that the target had reached Ground Level Six and was about to enter the underground area.
The speed was fast, carrying an unstoppable momentum.
"The guests have arrived; time to serve the food."
Peter stepped back, the muscles in his right leg instantly tensing, power converging at a single point.
"Boom!"
A deafening sound erupted.
Peter's kick, powerful enough to snap steel girders, landed heavily on the thick alloy elevator door in front of him.
That hard protective door was incredibly fragile against Peter's monstrous strength.
The entire door panel twisted and deformed, slamming backward into the deep elevator shaft.
Revealing a pitch-black abyss.
A fierce wind howled up from the bottom of the shaft, making the edges of Peter's suit flutter.
He peered down.
About ten meters above, the massive metal car was rapidly approaching with a rumbling sound.
"Goodbye, everyone."
Peter pressed the activation button on top of the pumpkin bomb.
"Hee hee hee hee—"
The grotesque face on the bomb instantly lit up with a blinding green light, emitting a spine-chilling electronic cackle.
Peter flicked his wrist.
The two pumpkins carrying deathly laughter streaked through the air, flying straight upwards along the elevator shaft.
The next second.
Inside the descending elevator car.
Kingpin leaned on his cane, staring gloomily at the continuously flashing floor numbers.
Suddenly, a strange sound was heard.
"Hee hee hee..."
"What sound is that?" Bullseye, whose hearing was sharp, suddenly looked up.
Before he could even make out what those two green lights were—
"BOOM!!!!"
An earth-shattering explosion roared within the narrow elevator shaft!
That wasn't an ordinary fire explosion; it was a destructive shockwave generated by a plasma burst!
In such a confined space.
The explosion's power was magnified manifold; the unrestrained energy flow instantly engulfed everything, like a raging fire dragon.
The entire Fisk Tower shook violently, as if an earthquake had occurred.
Dust rained down from the ceiling of Underground Level Four.
Strictly speaking.
The strength of Kingpin and the 'Crime Syndicate' members he gathered was not particularly formidable.
Even the original ordinary Spider-Man.
If he could steel his heart and be ruthless enough to kill, he could completely wipe them all out with his strength and speed far beyond that of ordinary humans.
Not to mention.
This transmigrator Peter, who possessed endless bizarre methods and absolutely no moral bottom line?
When Kingpin and the others.
Did not choose to scatter and flee at the first moment.
But foolishly gathered together, riding an elevator down aggressively, intending to fight Peter to the death...
Their fate of being utterly destroyed was already sealed.
"Crack—Bang!"
The thick steel cables supporting the elevator were melted by the high temperature.
The huge metal car had its top blown off directly by the shockwave of the explosion, and then completely lost its suspension.
It plummeted towards the bottom of the shaft like a meteorite.
"CRASH!!!"
The deafening sound of scrap metal hitting the ground was ear-splitting.
Smoke billowed, and fire shot into the sky.
Peter stood at the edge of the ruins, looking at the tragic scene below through his visor, not rushing down to finish them off.
Because the beautiful chime of his system had already begun to ring like a screen refresh.
[Ding! Kill confirmation successful!]
[Mission Progress Update: Street Brawler (1/5)]
[Target Defeated: Bullseye]
[Description: As a squishy shooter with no superpowers, he shouldn't have been standing in the middle of the elevator at this moment. The shrapnel and shockwave from the pumpkin bomb instantly pierced his body. The master marksman didn't even have time to throw his toothpick before turning into a sieve.]
[Ding! Kill confirmation successful!]
[Reward Obtained: Skill Point * 1 (From Long-Term Mission: Avenger)]
Immediately followed by two more prompts.
[Target Defeated: The Jigsaw]
[Target Defeated: Black Cat]
[Reward Obtained: Skill Points * 2]
"Tsk tsk tsk, so fragile."
Peter looked at the three new skill points instantly added to his system panel, his mood greatly improved.
The long-term mission named [Avenger] was his favorite source of 'basic income'.
Unlike [Street Brawler], which required specific villains, or [Gang Warfare], which required dismantling an entire faction.
The mission objective for [Avenger] was very simple:
Defeat any famous plot villain in the Marvel Universe.
No quantity limit, no upper ceiling.
One skill point for every one defeated.
Those two bombs just now directly sent three villains to their deaths.
Bullseye, The Jigsaw, and Black Cat.
Although these three were famous in the underworld and cruel in their methods, they were ultimately just mortal flesh and blood.
In the elevator shaft with no cover and nowhere to escape.
Faced with a point-blank explosion from Green Goblintechnology, they didn't even have a chance to react and were instantly torn apart.
"3 skill points earned in one go, this efficiency is much higher than doing daily missions."
Peter secretly rejoiced in his heart.
"If the remaining few are this brittle, that would be great."
Chapter 29: Decisive Slaughter
As the smoke and dust gradually dispersed, some movement finally came from the ruins at the bottom of the elevator shaft.
"Cough, cough, cough... Damn it..."
A huge, bloody hand pushed aside the twisted steel plate pressing down on him.
Kingpin staggered to his feet.
At this moment, where was even a trace of the majesty of the underworld emperor?
His expensive white custom suit had been burned into rags hanging on his body.
His entire body was covered in burns and scratches, dripping with blood.
But he was, after all, Kingpin.
That monster whose entire body was 90% muscle, whose physical fitness reached the limits of humanity, and who could even withstand the Impact of a car.
He used a thick layer of muscle to forcefully endure the shockwave of the explosion.
Next to him, another pile of ruins was pushed open.
Hammerhead crawled out unsteadily; his condition was even worse than Kingpin's, with the clothes on half his body blown away.
But that iconic flat, large head remained completely intact.
It was an alloy skull that saved his life.
"My ears... buzzing..." Hammerhead roared loudly, clearly having been deafened.
Immediately after.
A black and white energy shield dissipated.
Mister Negative walked out with a pale face; he had protected himself with Negative Energy.
Although he hadn't died,
he had suffered a huge drain, and a trace of blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
Tombstone had taken the damage head-on, relying on his granite-hard skin.
Although his skin was slightly cracked, he appeared to be fine.
As for the powerfully built female villain, Anaconda,
her body had undergone biomechanical modification, giving her astonishing defense. She had almost no wounds and scanned the surroundings with fierce eyes.
The once crowded elevator now only had these five survivors.
"Spider-Man!!!"
Kingpin looked at the surrounding rubble, especially seeing his capable subordinate, Bullseye, already reduced to a pile of mangled flesh.
His eyes were bloodshot, letting out a Beast-like roar.
"He was too ruthless!"
Kingpin gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse from anger and inhaling dust.
"Throwing grenades directly? This guy is even more vicious than us! He's a butcher! A madman!"
He had dominated the underworld for decades and had seen countless superheroes.
Daredevil only broke criminals' bones, and while The Punisher killed people, he was essentially still a normal human.
Only this Spider-Man.
He already possessed formidable strength, and was also ruthless, immediately using weapons of mass destruction without saying a word upon meeting!
Who the hell taught him that?
However, after Kingpin and the others cautiously surveyed their surroundings, they did not see the red and blue figure.
It was empty.
Besides the piles of corpses everywhere, where was any trace of Spider-Man?
"What happened? He was just here!"
Tombstone mumbled, clutching his chest, his voice sounding like grinding stones.
"Where did he hide?"
Kingpin cautiously looked around, his muscles tense.
He knew.
The opponent definitely hadn't left; the sense of crisis, as if being targeted by a predator, constantly sent chills down Kingpin's spine.
"Come out! Spider-Man!"
Kingpin roared, trying to use sound to mask the fear in his heart.
"Aren't you supposed to be a superhero? What kind of skill is hiding around?!"
There was no reply.
Only the sound of dripping water in the distance.
"Be careful, he might be..."
Among those present, only Mister Negative vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
But before he could finish speaking, his brow suddenly furrowed deeply.
As a master of mind control and Negative Energy, Mister Negative possessed a unique ability.
He could sense the emotional fluctuations of nearby living beings.
At this very moment.
In the dead silent laboratory, within that ocean of fear, anger, and pain,
an abrupt emotion was emanating.
It was a kind of... excitement.
The amusement of a hunter watching his prey fall into a trap, a sense of pleasure from being high above.
The source of this emotion was in an empty spot less than five meters to their left!
To the naked eye.
There was nothing there, only air.
"Not good!!!"
Mister Negative's pupils constricted, and he shouted, "He's there! This guy can turn invisible!!"
Before the words even fell, Mister Negative thrust both hands forward violently.
"Zzzzzzz—"
A black and white ball of Negative Energy shot out like a cannonball toward the area that appeared empty.
This energy could not only cause physical damage but also corrode the spirit.
"Boom!"
The energy ball exploded, corroding the affected ground into a large patch of scorched black marks.
However, there was no one there.
"Oh? He can see me even when I'm invisible? This guy's ability is quite interesting, but... useless."
Seeing this, Peter felt a slight surprise in his heart:
While in the state of [Optical Invisibility], he sensed something was wrong the moment Mister Negativeattacked.
Under the warning of his Spider-Sense,
Peter immediately released a skill, and simultaneously, a portion of his stamina was drained.
"Fraud Magic — Activate!"
Just as Mister Negative's energy ball was about to brush against the corner of Peter's clothes,
his figure rippled in the air with an orange-red wave, and then completely vanished.
The next moment.
While Kingpin and the others were still staring in panic at the empty spot Mister Negative had bombarded, trying to find Spider-Man,
an invisible ghost
had silently appeared behind Kingpin.
Looking at his broad back, which resembled a wall covered in scorch marks and bloodstains.
Peter calculated internally.
"Although Kingpin didn't die, half of the crew he brought has been blown up, and the remaining few are all critically injured."
"I already know who Kingpin allied with and I'm clear on their plan."
Peter silently checked off items on his mission list.
"The [Investigate Crime Syndicate] mission commissioned by S.H.I.E.L.D. has essentially been completed."
"As long as I go back, write a report, and hand it to Teresa, I'll get the experience points and skill points."
Peter knew.
The mission to investigate Kingpin was commissioned by S.H.I.E.L.D.
It couldn't be instantly completed just by figuring out the opponent's objective, unlike the mission to investigate The Hand that was triggered directly by the system.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. mission
would still require some time to find his superior and submit it.
In the instant Peter was thinking,
at the same time, his gaze fell upon Kingpin's bald head, and he slowly raised his right arm.
"Fraud Magic · Backstab Effect (Activated)"
"Goodbye, Wilson Fisk."
Peter's eyes narrowed.
His charged right elbow, like a heavy cannon firing, carried a screech that tore the air, slamming out fiercely!
"What was that sound?!"
Kingpin only felt a chill down his back; the fear of imminent death made his scalp tingle.
He instinctively wanted to turn around, wanting to swing his cane to block.
But it was too slow.
In the face of Peter's speed that surpassed the limits of humanity, his reaction was like a slow-motion replay.
"Bang!!!"
A dull thud of shattering bone exploded in the empty underground laboratory.
That elbow
landed squarely on Kingpin's back.
The power of Peter's elbow had completely surpassed the comprehension of ordinary beings.
What dense muscle mass at the limit of humanity?
Before absolute power, everything was an illusion.
Chapter 30: Mr. Surrendered Negative
Boom—-"
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Kingpin.
This terrifying emperor of the underworld hadn't even seen the attacker's face.
His body was like a watermelon struck by a heavy cannon.
He instantly lost his human form.
The immense kinetic energy pierced through Kingpin's spine, shattering his ribcage, internal organs, and every single bone.
His entire person was sent flying backward like a cannonball.
He carved a tragic straight line through the air, slamming into a concrete wall over ten meters away.
"Splat!"
There was no rebound, no struggling to get up.
Kingpin's body exploded directly into a blurry mess of flesh and blood against the wall, resembling a squashed rotten tomato plastered there.
That scene...
It was practically the 'Blackened Version of Hundred-Ton King Colliding with Ryoko'.
A powerful figure who had dominated the criminal underworld for decades, capable of fighting evenly with Daredevil and the The Punisher...
was just eliminated with a single elbow strike, without even leaving a dying word.
"Ding—-"
Peter retracted his elbow, and a beautiful system notification sounded in his mind.
[Target Defeated: Kingpin]
[Assessment: Classic Villain]
[Mission Progress Update: Street Brawler (2/5)]
[Reward Obtained: Skill Point * 1 (From Long-Term Mission: Envoy of Justice)]
As the invisibility effect of 'Fraud Magic' faded away.
Peter's red-and-blue figure was exposed without reservation to the sight of the remaining villains.
Dead silence.
A suffocating, dead silence.
The four remaining villains—Hammerhead, Mister Negative, Tombstone, and Anaconda.
They were all frozen as if held by a paralyzing spell.
Staring blankly at the mosaic on the wall that was once called 'Kingpin'.
Their worldview had collapsed.
Don't forget that Kingpin withstood the explosion of a pumpkin bomb in the elevator just now.
But that didn't mean...
Kingpin's flesh could withstand Peter's full-power elbow strike.
Under the 'Backstab Critical Hit' effect bonus brought by 'Fraud Magic'...
The seemingly casual elbow strike Peter delivered just now...
Its instantaneous explosive destructive power probably exceeded that of a conventional ICBM!
If this were the original story...
That Spider-Man who always held back, even chatting with villains...
Kingpin might have been able to endure a few more punches and stage a desperate comeback.
But facing this Peter?
A serious strike meant equality for all beings.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
The first to break down was Tombstone; fear was almost overflowing from the eyes of this albino Black man.
"Kill him! Kill him now! Otherwise, we will all die!"
Tombstone roared.
His grayish-white skin became as hard as granite, even showing a metallic sheen.
His hands ignited with scorching flames—that was his special ability as a mutant.
"Die, Spider-Man!"
Mister Negative also snapped back to reality. Although terrified internally, his survival instinct forced him to fight desperately.
He waved his hands.
A much larger mass of black and white Negative Energysurged toward Peter like a tidal wave.
Facing the pincer attack from two superhuman villains, Peter didn't even blink.
"Boring struggle."
Peter chuckled lightly, and his figure blurred again.
"Fraud Magic!"
"Sorry, everyone."
Peter's voice drifted unpredictably in the air.
"This is my territory now. In my territory, I can't let a pack of wild dogs like you run rampant."
"Swish!"
Mister Negative's energy wave and Tombstone's flaming punch slammed fiercely into the spot where Peter had just been standing.
They blasted a large pit in the ground, but they didn't even graze the corner of Peter's clothes.
The next second...
Peter's figure appeared ghost-like behind Hammerhead.
At this time...
Hammerhead was clutching his ears, still recovering from the recent shock.
He suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.
"Your head is very hard, right? Alloy skull?"
Peter's voice sounded next to his ear, carrying a hint of curiosity: "I wonder if it can withstand my serious elbow strike?"
"What?!"
Hammerhead turned around in terror.
"Thump!!!"
Peter's right elbow, carrying irresistible kinetic energy, smashed heavily onto Hammerhead's flat, large head.
This time, it didn't explode like Kingpin's.
Hammerhead's alloy head was indeed hard; even Peter's monstrous strength couldn't shatter it.
However...
Hammerhead's neck wasn't made of Adamantium.
His spine wasn't, and neither was his body.
Under the conduction of this terrifying force, that hard metal skull acted like an indestructible cannonball.
It crushed his cervical spine directly and forced its way into his chest cavity.
Hammerhead didn't even grunt; his body instantly went limp.
Only a metallic head, still gleaming coldly, rolled onto the ground, looking like a bizarre metal ornament.
Instant kill.
[Target Defeated: Hammerhead]
[Assessment: Ordinary Villain (NPC)]
[Reward Obtained: Skill Point * 1]
"As expected."
Peter looked at the system prompt, feeling a little disappointed.
"This guy is just like The Jigsaw, a mere filler NPC, not counted as a classic villain from the Spider-Man series."
However...
Peter didn't dwell on it too much.
After all, in his eyes, these two guys were indeed just low-tier, miscellaneous NPCs there to fill space.
Fighting them...
Was no different in essence from dealing with the ubiquitous street thugs.
They were all wild dogs that could be kicked to death on the roadside.
Besides that...
Peter also confirmed one thing. He glanced at the progress bar for the 'Underworld Reign' mission.
[Underworld Reign (Progress: 0/3)]
"It seems simply killing the gang leaders won't complete this mission."
Peter thought to himself.
"The system requires 'defeating or dismantling' the entire faction."
"In other words, just killing the boss isn't enough; I still have to take over or destroy their underlings, territory, and businesses."
Just as Peter was contemplating the mission mechanism...
The remaining Tombstone and Mister Negative had already had their courage shattered by the overwhelming power Peter displayed!
The two of them...
Although both were superhumans with extraordinary abilities, they absolutely couldn't be considered top-tier.
Their physical strength wasn't much greater than Kingpin's, who had just been blown apart by one elbow.
Since Peter could so easily blow Kingpin apart directly...
Then the two of them probably couldn't last even one move!
"This guy's power is too terrifying..."
Tombstone trembled all over.
For the first time, a look of terror appeared on his stone-hard face.
He originally thought...
His invulnerable body was already formidable enough.
Even against the famously super-strong Spider-Man, Tombstone was confident he could fight him.
After all...
Previously, Spider-Man mostly just dealt with street thugs or some low-tier common criminals.
Tombstone originally felt...
That Spider-Man was just lucky, a street hero who suddenly gained superpowers by chance.
Not much stronger than Daredevil.
But now...
When he saw Spider-Man with his own eyes, Tombstoneknew how completely wrong he had been!
This guy wasn't some street hero; he was a monster wearing human skin!
Even in a World full of superhumans...
The power possessed by this Spider-Man before him could absolutely be called truly monstrous, superhuman!
Facing an opponent who could teleport and deliver a one-hit kill...
Resist?
That was just asking to die faster.
And Mister Negative's reaction was even more intense and more despicable.
"Thud!"
A crisp sound.
Mister Negative, who always wore a neat suit and appeared refined and courteous...
Unlike Tombstone...
He didn't remain frozen in place, shocked by fear.
Instead, he immediately dropped to his knees, raising both hands above his head, performing an extremely standard French surrender gesture.
"I surrender! I surrender!!"
Mister Negative shouted loudly, his face full of fawning and terror.
"Lord Spider-Man! Spare us! Don't kill me!"
Chapter 31: Underworld Chronicles 2
This scene
stunned Peter for a moment, and even Tombstone and Anaconda standing beside him were dumbfounded.
Big Brother, you are Mister Negative!
You are the only one present who can sense invisible units, possess ranged attacks, and use Negative Energy to corrode Spider-Man!
You are the only one with a chance to hurt him, yet you kneel first?
"Spider-Man My Lord!"
Mister Negative completely ignored the gazes of others, knelt on the ground, and shuffled forward a couple of steps.
He said with a sincere expression,
"Spider-Man My Lord, the few of us are all superhumans."
"Although we've done some bad things, our crimes don't warrant death! We have funds, connections, and a large group of subordinates!"
"All of this can be put to your service! We are useful!"
In the settings of the Marvel Universe,
Mister Negative, whose name is Martin Li, was originally a snakehead from Fujian, someone who specialized in smuggling.
He smuggled from China to the United States.
After abandoning his motherland, he secretly engaged in all sorts of illegal and heinous businesses in the United States.
There is a specific term for people like that—a 'Run Ren' (a term for those who flee abroad for profit).
Those who abandon their country, sneak into other countries, and stop at nothing for profit.
When facing the strong, they immediately kneel and beg for mercy—spineless cowards.
For a person like that,
so-called 'dignity' is something that can be discarded at any time.
"You truly have no shame."
Peter clicked his tongue in amazement, gaining a new understanding of this guy's level of shamelessness.
"Weren't you just attacking me? Why are you trying to become my dog now?"
"A wise man submits to circumstances!"
Mister Negative's expression did not change; he even puffed out his chest slightly.
"We gathered here precisely to form an alliance and select a Kingpin of the underworld."
"Now that Kingpin, that waste, is dead, and you! The great Spider-Man! You have displayed absolute dominance! You are clearly the true powerhouse!"
"We should support you in becoming the new Kingpin of the underworld!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Tombstone's eyes lit up beside him, as if he had grasped a lifeline.
"That's right! Exactly!"
Tombstone quickly dispersed the flames in his hand and echoed in a muffled voice.
"Spider-Man My Lord, rather than killing us, it would be better to take us in as subordinates."
"Hells Kitchen is such a mess; you can't manage it all by yourself. We need a powerful leader like you!"
Peter stroked his chin, appearing to be seriously considering the proposal.
"Is there such a good thing?"
To be honest, he was a little tempted.
Not because he wanted to be some mob boss, but because of that [Underworld Overlord] mission.
If he could subdue several ready-made gang leaders, wouldn't that complete the mission directly?
Moreover,
he wouldn't have to do any dirty or tiring work himself in the future.
Just then, Anaconda, who had not spoken or knelt the entire time, spoke up.
"Spider-Man."
Anaconda's voice was deep and hoarse.
She did not beg for mercy without dignity like Mister Negative, nor was she terrified like Tombstone.
She remained standing perfectly straight, maintaining her composure.
Anaconda's imposing figure, standing two meters and twenty centimeters tall, exuded a strong sense of pressure.
As the only person present who still had the confidence to face Peter and Mister Negative, Anaconda was not being arrogant.
She was a fully modified super-soldier.
Her arms could twist flexibly, her strength was immense, and all her bones had been replaced with the same Adamantium as Wolverine's.
Her combat power was extraordinary,
completely different from the other criminals present.
More importantly, Anaconda's background was unusual.
She came from the Serpent Society.
That was not a small-time gang in Hells Kitchen.
It was an extremely elite criminal organization whose members were almost all superhumans!
Its overall combat strength was definitely not inferior to The Hand!
Even,
the Serpent Society had the backing of super giants like the HYDRA organization and Roxxon Energy Corporation!
Their leader, Madame Viper, was rumored to possess the divine power of the ancient serpent god Set!
Therefore,
Anaconda, being from the Serpent Society, was the true big shot at Kingpin's criminal alliance summit,
far superior to the other local gangs that could not compare.
This time,
Anaconda came to participate in Kingpin's alliance
with the original intention of developing Hells Kitchen into a base for the Serpent Society, and incidentally developing some subordinate forces she could control.
But she never expected
that Kingpin and the others would die so cleanly, so easily!
And this Spider-Man,
the power he displayed was so immense!
While Anaconda was wary of Peter,
in her heart,
the idea of forming an alliance with him, or even recruiting Spider-Man, also arose.
"The Serpent Society has no enmity with you."
Anaconda stared at Peter, her tone serious: "Kingpin's alliance is already a joke."
"But if you have ambitions and want to unify the underground forces of New York and expand your territory, we can absolutely cooperate."
In Anaconda's view,
it was better to ally with the unfathomable powerhouse before her than to cooperate with a muscle-brained fat man like Kingpin.
The means Peter displayed clearly surpassed the sum total of all the other mob bosses.
If she could win him over to join the Serpent Society...
The moment Anaconda extended an olive branch,
a new mission prompt popped up on Peter's system panel again.
"Ding! Advanced Mission Triggered: Underworld Overlord 2 - The Birth of the Underground Emperor"
"Mission Description: You have conquered the villains present with absolute force. Now, an opportunity lies before you. Not just eliminating evil, but controlling evil."
"Mission Objective: Accept the surrender of the villains, or subdue them with absolute force, and establish your own underground force."
"Mission Reward:??? (Depends on the scale of the force), Unlock "Force Management" module."
"Interesting."
Peter looked at the system panel, then at the three villains with different expressions before him.
A 'Run Ren' kneeling and begging for mercy, a turncoat thug, and a mercenary woman trying to recruit him.
He suddenly smiled.
That smile was neither the noble righteousness of a superhero nor the sinister gloom of a supervillain.
It was the excitement of a player seeing new gameplay.
A mischievous desire to find some fun welled up in his heart.
Peter stroked his chin: "I know your Serpent Society."
His tone suddenly became somewhat profound: "Perhaps, we can really cooperate for a while."
Just then,
Peter flipped his wrist, and a small, black badge appeared out of thin air in his hand.
It was a specially made metal badge, engraved with an eagle with wings spread as if ready to fly, clutching a shield under its talons.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Identity Verification Card"
This was given to him by Teresa earlier; it was his identification within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Seeing this badge,
Tombstone and Mister Negative, who were kneeling on the ground, were completely confused and didn't understand the situation.
S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Is Spider-Man one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s people?
But how did that become the basis for cooperating with villains?
However, Anaconda's reaction was completely different.
Her pupils suddenly dilated, and then, as if she realized something, the look of vigilance on her face instantly vanished.
It was replaced by a look of shocked realization.
"Could it be that you..."
Anaconda pointed at the badge, her voice even changing slightly, "You are..."
Peter's lips curled up slightly, he put the badge away, stood up straight,
and recited in a solemn tone the most famous secret phrase in the Marvel Universe:
"Hail HYDRA!"
Chapter 32: Impersonating HYDRA
The air seemed to freeze for a second.
Immediately following that.
On Anaconda's perpetually cold face, a brilliant smile bloomed, as if she had seen a long-lost relative.
She also stood perfectly straight.
Her feet together, she clenched her right fist and struck her chest, responding in an even more fanatical voice:
"Hail HYDRA!"
Tombstone and Mister Negative, who were kneeling on the ground, were completely stunned.
What was going on?
HYDRA?
That legendary terrorist organization that supposedly vanished with the end of World War II, only existing in history books and conspiracy theories?
Was Spider-Man one of HYDRA's people?
And judging by the look of things, this woman from the Serpent Society was also one of HYDRA's people?
Was this World too crazy!
Actually.
Peter was not a HYDRA Agent at all.
He had only joined S.H.I.E.L.D. a few days ago and hadn't even eaten in the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria.
But why would Peter do this?
First, for the fun of it.
Second, for the mission.
As a Transmigrator who pursued 'maximum resource utilization,' Peter was very clear about the state of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Inside the seemingly glamorous Triskelion building,
at least half of the Agents were actually secretly working for HYDRA.
That organization that 'cuts off one head and grows two' had long since thoroughly corroded S.H.I.E.L.D. like a parasite.
Since his style of action was already so brutal,
not only did he like throwing grenades, but he also liked smashing people into mosaics with an elbow strike.
This clearly did not align with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s noble and righteous image of 'maintaining World peace.'
Instead, it was a much better fit for HYDRA's doctrine of 'achieving order by any means necessary.'
Therefore.
Rather than waiting for an internal S.H.I.E.L.D. review, or waiting for HYDRA to send people to test him,
it was better to be proactive and solidify this identity first. Since he was already a double Agent, what was one more identity?
As long as he could trigger the mission,
he didn't care what faction he joined.
And for Anaconda, this was simply like 'meeting an old friend in a foreign land.'
Although the Serpent Society was an independent mercenary organization, it had always been affiliated with HYDRA and the Roxxon Corporation.
As a core member of the gang,
she clearly knew that S.H.I.E.L.D. had long become HYDRA's private garden.
The Spider-Man before her possessed immense strength, ruthless methods, killed Kingpin like slaughtering a chicken, and also held a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. identity...
What else was there to doubt?
This was clearly a killing machine cultivated internally by the organization! A comrade lurking within the ranks of the heroes!
"I'm sorry, buddy."
Peter walked forward, patted Anaconda's arm, which was thicker than his thigh, and said with an apologetic expression.
"Those two grenades I threw earlier were a bit rushed. I accidentally blew you up."
"You know how it is; sometimes, for the sake of the mission, accidental friendly fire is unavoidable."
This was completely lying with his eyes wide open.
When he threw the grenades earlier, he had wished he could send everyone in that elevator away.
But Anaconda had clearly undergone self-deification.
She waved her hand generously, clutching the still-bleeding wound on her abdomen, looking completely unconcerned.
"It's fine! Since you called me buddy, what more is there to say? This minor injury can be fixed by replacing a part when I get back."
Anaconda grinned, revealing a mouthful of metallic teeth glinting coldly.
Then.
Anaconda seemed to remember something and added a bit sheepishly: "Oh right, just to correct you, I'm female."
"Holy cow..."
This time, Peter was genuinely surprised. He looked Anaconda up and down, taking in her terrifying physique.
A height of 2.2 meters.
Shoulders as broad as a door panel.
And a mass of muscle where, if one didn't look closely, gender was completely indistinguishable.
"That's hardcore,"
Peter blurted out involuntarily.
"To be honest, if you hadn't said so, I really wouldn't have recognized you as female."
Anaconda wasn't angry; instead, she proudly puffed out her chest armor:
"To pursue strength, things like gender can be discarded. You can keep calling me buddy; I like that term, it sounds friendly."
"Very spirited,"
Peter gave her a thumbs-up.
The temporary alliance between the two of them
was established in a bizarre yet firm manner through a few lines of dialogue filled with contrasting cuteness.
"Originally, the organization sent me here wanting to assess Kingpin's capacity to see if he was worth absorbing into HYDRA."
Anaconda pointed to the splatter that was Kingpin's remains on the wall, her tone full of disdain.
"Turns out he was just an ordinary person who couldn't even withstand one move from you. Such trash is completely unqualified to join the great cause."
Saying this,
she turned her head, looking intently at Peter:
"But fortunately, I met you. I didn't expect to find such a powerful colleague in a place like New York."
"Your strength and methods fully qualify you to become the new Kingpin of the underworld."
"Even... if you are willing, I can recommend you to my superiors and help your status within the organization advance further."
She had completely accepted Peter as one of their own, 'one who believes in the HYDRA creed and lurks in the bright World.'
Peter nodded.
He accepted the high praise without modesty.
"Naturally. I am certainly more suited to be the Kingpin of the underworld than that fellow Kingpin."
Peter snorted coldly, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding ruins.
"Someone like Kingpin, who constantly stirs up trouble and is fundamentally just an ordinary person, should have made way a long time ago."
He always felt that the original Spider-Man was too merciful.
A villain like Kingpin, with countless innocent lives on his hands, would only cause more harm if left alive.
Killing him with one punch was true justice.
What's more,
the System had already triggered the [Underworld Storm 2] mission.
Since Kingpin was dead, Hells Kitchen was leaderless, so this massive territory and its resources,
rather than letting other small gangs turn the city into a mess fighting over it, it was better for him, Peter Parker, to take over.
Whether as capital accumulation for Osborn,
or as performance credit for S.H.I.E.L.D.,
or as a covert base for HYDRA...
Regardless of the identity, taking over Hells Kitchen was entirely beneficial.
"Lord Spider-Man!"
Hearing that Peter intended to take over the territory, the eyes of Mister Negative and Tombstone, who were kneeling on the ground, instantly lit up.
This was absolutely fantastic news!
"We are willing!" Tombstone exclaimed first.
"We are willing to be your underlings! To manage Hells Kitchen for you! As long as you don't kill us, we'll do anything!"
"Yes, yes!"
Mister Negative quickly pledged his loyalty as well.
"I still have a few smuggling routes, and a relief center... oh no, a money laundering center. They can all be handed over to you!"
The two were overjoyed.
They thought that by virtue of'still having value,' they had earned Spider-Man's approval.
Not only could they escape death, but they could even latch onto a much stronger backer.
Peter looked at these two shameless surrendering fellows, a benign smile appearing on his face.
"Very good. You have good awareness."
Peter nodded.
"It just so happens I want to establish my own underworld faction, and I do need some experienced manpower."
Mister Negative and Tombstone were ecstatic and were just about to stand up to express their gratitude.
However.
Peter's next sentence was like a blast of liquid nitrogen, instantly freezing their hope into ice shards.
"But..."
Peter changed his tone, his eyes turning icy, "Neither of you is qualified to join."
This lightly spoken phrase echoed in the empty laboratory, carrying the weight of an undeniable death sentence.
Mister Negative and Tombstone's faces turned deathly pale.
The sense of falling from the clouds into hell left their minds blank.
"W-why?" Tombstone asked, his voice trembling, "We are very useful..."
Chapter 33: Flowing Water Rock Shattering Elbow
"Why?"
"Because I hate runren the most."
Peter said coldly.
"Martin Li, you betrayed your own country, smuggled yourself here, and used your compatriots' trust to engage in human trafficking and smuggling."
"Trash without a spine like you is just wasting air by living."
Moreover, a more important point is——
System judgment.
[Mister Negative] and [Tombstone], these two names in the Spider-Man series are highlighted in red as "classic villains".
The [street fighter] quest requires defeating five classic villains.
Only two have been completed so far (Bullseye, Kingpin).
How could Peter possibly let these two self-delivered experience packs go?
What's more.
Just now after the elevator shaft explosion, these two guys attacked him without the slightest hesitation.
Now.
Seeing that they couldn't win, they immediately knelt down to beg for mercy, and even wanted to become his subordinates?
How ridiculous!
In Peter's heart, these two guys had long been included in the must-kill list just like Kingpin and the others!
"You... you tricked us!"
Mister Negative finally reacted, and the fear in his eyes turned into madness after despair.
He knew.
Peter truly had the intent to kill, and there was no room for maneuver whatsoever.
"Since you insist on forcing me, let's perish together!"
Mister Negative roared, his originally black-and-white eyes turning into pure negative black.
He abruptly stood up, his hands gripping empty air as the massive negative energy within his body surged frantically.
"Hum——"
A three-meter-long saber entirely composed of black and white energy condensed and formed in his hands.
The blade emitted a heart-palpitating corrosive aura, as if it could cut through space.
"I will make you pay a bloody price! Go to hell!"
Mister Negative let out a shrill roar, holding the saber with both hands and hacking down directly at Peter's head.
This strike.
Gathered his lifelong skill, carrying a desperate resolve to perish together.
Facing this energy slash sufficient to split a tank, Peter's expression remained calm.
"The fish will die, but the net... will not break."
Peter took a deep breath, slightly separating his feet, and assumed an ancient and elegant martial arts stance.
That was a reward he obtained from the system, originating from the ultimate technique of Bang, the martial arts grandmaster from the one-punch man World.
[Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist].
However, this time he did not use his fists.
He perfectly integrated the soft fist concept used for defense and counterattack into his most proficient attack method.
[Self-Created Secret Skill · Flowing Water Rock Shattering Elbow]
"Fraud Magic."
Peter chanted silently in his heart.
The moment the huge energy saber was about to touch the top of his head, his figure vanished into thin air once again.
Mister Negative's slash struck empty space.
The huge inertia caused his body to lean forward, exposing a large, completely undefended back.
"Oh no!"
Mister Negative was terrified in his heart, a chill of death rushing straight from his tailbone to his forehead.
The next second.
Peter's figure appeared behind him like the God of Death.
[Backstab Effect · Double Critical Hit]
[Flowing Water Rock Shattering Elbow]
The three combined into one.
Peter's right arm was like a hidden dragon emerging from the water.
His elbow carried a visible white wave of air, moving along a trajectory that looked slow but was actually as fast as lightning.
Imprinted on the center of Mister Negative's back.
"Boom!!!"
This time the sound was not as dull as before, but instead carried a penetrating sense of vibration.
The essence of Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist lay in "penetrating force".
The power of this Elbow Strike.
Did not send Mister Negative flying, but instead like flowing water.
Instantly penetrated his skin and muscles, acting directly on his internal organs and every single bone inside his body.
"Puff——"
Mister Negative's body suddenly stiffened, his eyes bulging out.
The energy saber in his hands instantly shattered into countless points of light.
Immediately following.
Black blood sprayed simultaneously from Mister Negative's seven orifices.
His whole body collapsed slowly to the ground like a mollusk whose skeleton had been sucked out.
His appearance looked completely unharmed, but his internal organs inside had all been shaken into meat paste.
One-hit kill.
[Defeated Target: Mister Negative]
[Judgment: Classic Villain]
[Quest Progress Update: street fighter (3/5)]
[Reward Obtained: skill point * 1]
"The third one."
Peter retracted his elbow, let out a long breath of foul air, and looked at the puddle of mush on the ground without a trace of pity in his eyes.
His movements were elegant and composed.
Completely unlike an assassin who ended a life through brutal means.
Instead, he looked like an artist who had just finished a piece of wild cursive calligraphy.
Elbow Strike.
In the stereotypes of many people, this was a move that could not be presented in polite society.
It often appeared in street thugs' brawls or in despicable sneak attacks.
Carrying a label of "shameless" and "vulgar".
After all.
Compared to the fierce rigidity of a straight punch or the sharp severity of a kick, using one's elbow to strike others always seemed somewhat lacking in uprightness.
But in reality, that was not the case.
In Earth's vast treasury of martial arts, Elbow Strike was actually a profound martial art with a long history and extreme lethality.
In Muay Thai rings, it was called "Sok".
That was one of the hardest bones in the human body, and when it erupted at close range, it was like a sharp dagger.
It had countless times cut open opponents' brow bones in the boxing ring or directly caused opponents to go into shock.
And in the ancient East with its long history.
In the martial arts holy land named China, there was an even more fierce and peerless kung fu——Bajiquan.
Among them was a core fatal move named "Ding Xin Zhou".
The so-called "Literature has Tai Chi to pacify the World, martial arts has Baji to settle the universe."
The Ding Xin Zhou emphasized the explosion of inch-power, colliding hard against hard.
Grandmasters who practiced it to a high depth could thrust out an elbow at the exact moment of close-quarters combat.
That penetrating force was enough to instantly shatter the enemy's sternum, or even directly cause cardiac arrest, causing irreversible fatal injuries.
Peter was precisely combining the concept of this "inch-power".
With the pervasive "penetrating force" like flowing water from the Flowing Water Rock Smashing Fist to achieve a seamless fusion.
Plus the "backstab critical hit" bestowed by [Fraud Magic].
This Elbow Strike.
Was no longer a simple physical impact; it was an armor-piercing shell detonated at close range.
In this World.
The vast majority of mortal superhumans, even powerhouses like Mister Negative.
As long as they didn't have Adamantium protecting their bodies, or Wolverine's perverted self-healing ability, facing this strike, their end would be only one:
One-hit kill.
"Truly, breathtaking."
Anaconda, who had been watching the whole process from the side, couldn't help but gasp a breath of cold air at this moment.
As the top thug of the Serpent Society and a high-tech modified warrior, she considered herself well-traveled and knowledgeable.
But the explosive force demonstrated by Peter's Elbow Strike just now made even her, a cyborg, feel a phantom pain.
"That kind of power..."
Anaconda looked at Peter's not-so-exaggerated arm lines, inwardly terrified.
"If this Elbow Strike hit my Adamantium skeleton, I'm afraid it would directly be beaten out of shape, right?"
Just when Anaconda was still shocked by Peter's martial prowess.
"Ahhhhhhh!!"
A roar filled with despair and madness broke the brief silence.
It was Tombstone.
As the only surviving villain at the scene (if Anacondawasn't counted as an ally).
Tombstone at this moment had completely broken down.
He watched with his own eyes as Kingpin turned into a hanging painting on the wall, Hammerhead turned into a headless corpse, and Mister Negative turned into fragments.
Where was this an underworld summit? This was clearly a one-sided slaughterhouse!
"I'm not playing anymore! I'm going to explode with you!!"
Tombstone roared hysterically.
Chapter 34: Exploding With You
Tombstone knew he couldn't escape.
Peter's speed was too fast; he could even teleport. Mister Negative couldn't get away, let alone this clumsy big guy.
Since death was certain, he would drag this demon to hell with him!
"Voom--"
Tombstone's body began to undergo drastic changes.
His originally grayish-white skin revealed a dangerous red glow.
That was extreme heat, the ultimate high temperature.
Tombstone not only possessed indestructible skin, but his cells could also generate terrifying thermal energy under high pressure.
At this moment,
he pushed this ability to its limit, completely disregarding his body's tolerance.
In the blink of an eye,
Tombstone looked like a piece of glowing red-hot iron.
His entire body emitted a dazzling red-white light, and the surrounding air violently distorted due to the high temperature.
The alloy floor beneath his feet even began to melt.
This scene
was very similar to those Extremis soldiers in "Iron Man 3" who were about to self-destruct because the Extremisvirus went out of control.
Except,
the yield of Tombstone's "human bomb" was several times greater than those Extremis soldiers!
"Spider-Man!! Die with me!!"
Tombstone roared,
carrying an aura that threatened to melt the entire underground Base, he strode forward heavily.
Like a runaway fireball, he charged wildly toward Peter.
It had to be said,
Tombstone's move, this "suicide attack," did pose some threat to Peter.
Although Peter possessed physical quality far surpassing ordinary people, he was not a tank-type hero with maxed-out defense.
According to RPG game settings,
Spider-Man was more like a "high attack, low defense" character, or what is commonly called a "glass cannon."
Can you imagine?
A superhuman capable of flipping a truck barehanded or stopping a train, whose physical strength actually couldn't withstand bullets?
Although his muscle density was high, it hadn't reached the level of being invulnerable to blades and guns.
If he faced blunt force trauma, Peter might be able to tank it.
But facing bullets, sharp blades, especially this kind of explosion with temperatures reaching thousands of degrees, his flesh was still fragile.
This was also why, in Peter's four-dimensional attribute panel,
"Constitution" had always been a relatively weak link, and it was the reason he prioritized adding points to Constitution every time he leveled up.
Constitution determined the thickness of the health bar, defense, and recovery speed.
Although he had already added it up to 170 points,
his toughness far exceeded that of ordinary people, but if he were truly caught by this big fireball and self-destructed point-blank...
Even if he didn't die, he would probably lose a layer of skin, or even suffer severe burns.
Peter didn't want to gamble his handsome face.
Looking at Tombstone charging over like a mad dog, Peterwasn't nervous in the slightest; instead, he raised an eyebrow.
He looked at him with the expression one reserves for an idiot.
"You're just running straight toward me?"
Peter stood his ground, not even adopting a defensive posture.
"Do you think I only know close-combat elbow strikes? Or do you think I have no ranged attack methods?"
"Too naive."
Peter flicked his wrist lightly.
"Zzz--"
Two streams of white Web fluid instantly shot out.
Although the temperature surrounding Tombstone was terrifyingly high, causing ordinary objects to spontaneously combust upon approach,
the organic Web fluid synthesized by Peter's biological glands had a toughness comparable to aerospace-grade insulation materials.
"Thwack!"
The Web fluid accurately stuck to Tombstone's charging feet.
"What?!"
Tombstone only felt his feet tighten.
Although the Web fluid was slowly melting under the high temperature, making a "hissing" sound,
this brief moment of resistance was enough.
The huge inertia made him lose his balance, and he stumbled forward, nearly falling flat on his face.
In that split second,
Peter didn't rush forward for a close-range elbow strike, which would turn him into charcoal. Instead, he adopted a strategy consistent with modern warfare concepts.
His right hand grabbed at the empty air.
A flash of light appeared.
A sci-fi-styled rifle, entirely silver-gray, with a long barrel covered in energy coils, appeared out of nowhere in his hand.
"Weapon: Osborn-G1 Single-Soldier Gauss Rifle(Prototype)"
"Source: Osborn Industries High-Tech Weapon Laboratory"
"Description: Utilizes the principle of electromagnetic coil acceleration to propel specially made tungsten alloy needle bullets up to Mach 8. No gunpowder, no recoil, only extreme kinetic penetration power. One shot to the soul, a tank killer."
With the wealth comparable to a nation that Osborn Industries possessed, coupled with Peter, this transmigrator with a super brain,
it wasn't difficult to develop some single-soldier weapons that surpassed the era.
This gun
was something Peter specifically prepared to compensate for his lack of ranged attacks. (Mainly because he didn't want to throw grenades every time.)
"Times have changed."
Peter raised the Gauss Rifle, locking onto Tombstone's crimson chest.
No nonsense.
"Zzz--Bang!"
There wasn't even the deafening gunpowder explosion sound of traditional firearms.
Only a sharp, piercing electrical sound was heard.
Immediately following that,
was a sonic boom that tore through the air, leaving a faint blue afterimage in the atmosphere.
That slender tungsten alloy projectile, propelled by electromagnetic force, instantly accelerated to a terrifying speed of several thousand meters per second.
Tombstone's rock-solid skin,
was like a thin sheet of A4 paper in front of this bullet with astonishing kinetic energy.
"Pfft!"
Without any resistance, the bullet instantly pierced Tombstone's chest, leaving a bowl-sized hole on him.
Heart, lungs, spine.
The moment of contact, they were instantly pulverized by the terrifying kinetic energy.
Moreover, because the bullet's speed was too fast, the massive cavity effect directly shattered the surrounding bones.
"Uh..."
Tombstone's forward momentum instantly froze.
He lowered his head, looking in disbelief at the transparent hole in his chest. The red light in his eyes began to dim rapidly.
"This... what is this..."
Before he could finish speaking,
because his core was destroyed, the out-of-control high-temperature energy inside his body instantly lost its restraint.
"Boom!!!"
Tombstone's corpse underwent a small-scale, violent explosion the moment it fell.
The scorching shockwave swept around, blasting the surrounding ruins to dust, leaving a patch of scorched black marks on the ground.
Peter calmly put away the Gauss Rifle.
He raised his left hand to block his eyes, shielding himself slightly from the intense light and dust generated by the explosion.
"Done."
Simultaneously, the pleasant system prompt sounded again.
"Target Defeated: Tombstone"
"Judgment: Classic Villain"
"Mission Progress Update: Street Brawler (4 / 5)"
"Reward Obtained: Skill Point * 1"
"Only one slot left."
Peter looked at the mission progress bar, feeling slightly unsatisfied.
"What a pity. If Anaconda was also a Classic Villain, and I took care of her too, wouldn't this mission be complete?"
However, one shouldn't be too greedy.
Sometimes, one cannot rush success; opportunities will always arise.
Up to this point,
the secret underground Base, which Kingpin had spent hundreds of millions of US dollars and painstakingly managed to build, was already ruined beyond recognition.
Floors collapsed, ceilings perforated, equipment scrapped, personnel annihilated.
Nothing remained except corpses and ruins everywhere.
"Tonight has been quite fruitful."
Peter looked around and nodded with satisfaction.
Not only did he gain a large amount of mission progress, acquiring several skill points and attribute points,
but he also conveniently eliminated a batch of potential threats and saved a group of homeless people.
This efficiency was simply top-notch.