"What the hell—?!" Renzo stared at the dark, tentacled monster rampaging through the street, momentarily stunned.
"Did I end up in some fake Spider-Man world?" The creature in front of him had nothing to do with anything he knew. Its very presence felt out of place, as if something straight out of a nightmare had invaded reality.
There was no time to think. Peter was busy on a date a few streets away, and Otto rarely left the lab. Right now, Renzo was the only one who could stop this.
"Ah—!"
"Wendy!"
A little girl was knocked down in the chaos, separated from the fleeing crowd. As the monster drew closer, she screamed in terror, frozen in place.
The creature lashed out with its grotesque tentacles, smashing a parked car to pieces. Then it noticed her.
The girl could only scream helplessly. Her mother lay nearby—already dead, her body torn apart, blood pooling beneath her. Even in death, her eyes were fixed on her daughter, her half-open mouth as if still urging her to run.
The monster struck without hesitation—then moved on, not even looking back.
"Hey. You hit someone and you're just leaving? Keep that up and the cops will come for you."
Renzo stood behind it. At his feet lay the unconscious girl.
"Didn't you hear me?" he said, irritation creeping into his voice. He quickly carried the girl into a nearby shop that was still mostly intact, then turned and charged toward the creature.
A beam of energy shot from his forehead, striking the monster directly. Black-red fluid burst out, sizzling as it hit the ground, corroding the surface.
"Hah." Renzo hovered in the air. "Not so tough after all."
But in the next second, his expression froze.
The creature's flesh rippled like molten wax, pushing out the damaged tissue and regenerating instantly. The entire process was grotesque—like something rotten being reshaped and forced back into form.
"…Is this thing related to Deadpool or something?" Renzo muttered.
"We can't let it keep destroying everything."
He shot forward, curling his body into a compact form and slamming into the monster, sending it crashing into a nearby shop.
"Sorry! I'll pay for that!" he called out reflexively.
Another blast followed—but it still did nothing.
Renzo landed in front of the creature, his gaze sharp.
The monster went still.
Yet Renzo felt it—an unmistakable sensation. It was watching him. Studying him. Like a predator sizing up its prey.
A chill ran through him.
"What is this…?" His head suddenly felt heavy, as if something foul had seeped into his mind. The sensation passed quickly—but it left him shaken.
The Mind Stone flared to life, golden light enveloping his body and instantly clearing the disturbance.
His thoughts sharpened.
"…Magic?" Renzo's eyes narrowed. "There shouldn't be magic in this world."
Then he understood.
"That feeling… there's no mistake. Black magic."
He had felt something similar before—something deeply wrong.
Despite the shock, he didn't hesitate. He circled the creature, searching for an opening.
By now, the streets were empty. Those who hadn't escaped were gone—reduced to lifeless remains.
Renzo stopped holding back.
They clashed again and again, darting through the ruined street. Renzo avoided every attack with precision, countering whenever he could—but it wasn't enough.
The creature's regeneration was absurd.
Even when he unleashed his full power and tore away half its body, it reformed within seconds.
"This won't work…"
Renzo's expression hardened.
In a sudden move, he charged straight into the creature, grabbed hold of it, and blasted upward—dragging it away from the city.
Below, the destroyed streets lay in ruin, the survivors staring in stunned silence.
Boom!
They crashed into a sparse forest, carving out a massive crater. A figure shot out from the impact, smashing through several trees before hitting the ground hard.
Black tentacles slowly rose from the crater, thick fluid dripping like saliva, staining the soil dark red.
A monstrous shape emerged.
Roughly two meters tall, it resembled a wolf—but its body writhed with octopus-like tendrils. Three uneven eyes were scattered across its head—if that misshapen mass could even be called a head.
A sudden burst erupted from its back. White bone pierced through flesh, quickly covered in black matter, forming crude, underdeveloped wings.
Renzo stood up slowly, analyzing the creature.
In his hand was a piece of black flesh he had torn off during the fight.
Strangely, the mass—so active moments ago—now lay completely still, as if dead.
"It evolves…" Renzo muttered. "What is this, some kind of crossover? That's way too dark."
The creature let out a low, distorted growl. It couldn't form words yet—but the sounds were becoming more structured.
"That's not good…"
Renzo's eyes flickered with unease. For the first time, he felt reluctant to engage.
The creature lunged.
Renzo vanished instantly. The beast slammed into empty space, crashing through trees before curling up on the ground, eerily still.
Hovering above, Renzo observed carefully.
"Its body temperature is rising… already past 100 degrees. That's enough to cause spontaneous combustion in a human body…"
He paused.
"It's still climbing… 120… 130…"
His eyes narrowed.
"…150 degrees. And stabilizing."
Renzo kept his distance, watching intently.
"What is it planning to do?"
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