Renzo floated in the air, his eyes fixed on the monster, confusion etched across his face.
"Is it possible that he caused some uncontrollable changes in this world?" The idea didn't seem far-fetched. The explosion of the Infinity Stones had brought him into this universe—there was no reason it couldn't have dragged other anomalies in as well.
At that moment, multiple universes had overlapped in space. If a creature from another universe had occupied the same position as Renzo during that overlap, it wasn't impossible for it to be pulled in.
The Infinity Stones governed time and space.
Renzo's expression turned solemn as he considered how to deal with the creature. Suddenly, he felt a disturbance beneath him. Looking down, he saw a red arm—veined and grotesque—shoot up from below and seize his calf.
"What—?!"
Before he could react, the monster yanked him down and slammed him into the ground. Once. Twice. Then again and again—left, right, relentless. It lifted him briefly, as if inspecting him, before smashing him back down. Its heavy fists rained blows across his face until he lost consciousness.
In that instant, Renzo understood. The creature had used its own biological mechanism to shed its outer layer. The charred remains exposed to the high temperature had been nothing but empty husks—the real body had already burrowed beneath the surface, waiting for an opportunity.
Whoosh!
A thin strand of webbing shot forward, sticking to the monster's raised fist and yanking it back with force.
"Mr. Renzo! I'm here!"
Peter arrived in his Spider-Man suit. He had been having dinner with Mary Jane at a Mexican barbecue restaurant when he heard reports of a monster rampaging through the streets—right before Renzo disappeared.
After hearing that, Peter left immediately and rushed over, arriving just in time to see Renzo being beaten.
He lunged forward, delivering a flying kick that sent the creature crashing ten meters away.
"Renzo, are you okay?"
"I've had worse." Renzo rubbed his head, still dazed. "This thing has developed intelligence—and its evolution speed is insane. Do you realize it was just an egg with tentacles less than ten minutes ago?"
"That thing has nothing to do with eggs," Peter said, his voice trembling as he stared at the intact monstrosity before them.
The creature rose to its feet. Its two thick arms were nearly two-thirds the length of its body, and it stood more than half a head taller than Peter. Its head had shifted from a spherical shape to something more canine. Its elongated mouth lacked fangs—instead, scarlet eyes lined its surface, all staring at the two of them.
"Renzo… why do I feel like… it wants to eat us?" Peter muttered, unease creeping into his voice. The creature fascinated him, but its grotesque appearance and predatory aura made it impossible to ignore the fear.
"Don't look away!" Renzo snapped. "Its intelligence is at least on par with a human's."
A sense of urgency surged within him. The monster had already evolved three times in such a short period. If more creatures like this existed, Earth would be facing an unprecedented catastrophe.
"We have to take it down!"
Renzo's eyes sharpened as he charged forward, firing lasers into the creature's hardened torso. Peter moved with agility from the flanks, his punches and kicks leaving visible dents in its flesh—but the damage healed almost instantly.
The creature's regeneration was absurd. Their combined assault only seemed to enrage it further.
"Renzo! Have you noticed? Its body's getting smaller!" Peter wrapped it in layers of webbing, forming a cocoon. The creature struggled violently, roaring, but couldn't break free immediately.
"And its body temperature is dropping," Renzo observed. "Every time it regenerates, it consumes its own energy. That process doesn't seem reversible."
"It's reached a limit," he added. "There's no more room for further evolution."
"ROAR!"
The monster tore through the webbing. All of its scarlet eyes locked onto Peter as it lunged forward. Its claws slashed toward him in an instant, intent on tearing him apart.
Bang!
Renzo intercepted the attack, taking the blow head-on without a scratch.
"Once you understand its abilities, it becomes manageable." Renzo drove a punch into the creature's jaw. "Sever its limbs. Once separated from the main body, they lose activity."
"To be honest, I've never dealt with anything this disgusting," Peter muttered, swinging through the trees and firing webs to disrupt the creature's movements.
Renzo increased his output, carving a deep gash into its arm—bone visible beneath the torn flesh.
"Peter!"
"Got it!"
Peter dropped from above, grabbing the arm. At the same time, Renzo restrained the monster's body, forcing its jaws open even as it tried to bite him.
"Ahh!"
With a powerful pull, Peter tore the creature's left arm clean off, nearly losing his balance in the process.
"ROAR!"
The monster howled in agony.
Seizing the moment, Renzo phased forward, driving his head into its body—
A burst of golden light erupted.
The Mind Stone's energy detonated from within, blasting red-and-black flesh in every direction. Chunks splattered across Peter, making him gag. He pinched his nose, frozen in place.
"That's it. Aunt May is definitely going to have a talk with me after this."
Renzo, lacking a sense of smell, remained unaffected. His metallic body was spotless after a simple wipe.
He looked at the shattered remains. Though the creature had been torn apart, most of the fragments were still writhing. Tiny tendrils sprouted from the scattered pieces, reaching toward one another in an attempt to reconnect.
Renzo kicked the fragments aside. The creature's wails grew weaker. The once three-meter-tall monster had shrunk to under two meters. Half its body was gone, and several of its scarlet eyes had burst.
Gradually, the scattered flesh fell still. Even the main body's movements slowed to a near stop.
"As expected," Renzo said quietly. "Its regeneration is fueled by its own life force. The stronger the recovery, the greater the loss."
He stepped on the creature's head. A faint smile crossed his face, but his eyes held a deeper intensity—something bordering on hope.
A way home.
"Peter! Let's move. We'll take it to Otto for analysis."
Without any storage equipment—or magic—they had no choice but to carry the remains themselves as they flew across the city.
"I don't remember this street being attacked…" Peter crouched atop a building, staring down at the ruined streets below, confusion evident in his voice.
Renzo stopped as well. He was certain this area had been untouched. Then how—
Unless Sandman had appeared earlier than expected.
"Renzo, look! It's Dr. Otto!"
Renzo followed Peter's gaze. Four metallic tentacles suddenly extended from behind a wall. A moment later, Dr. Otto stepped into view. His body was covered in wounds, his sunglasses gone. Blood mixed with blackened flesh stained his clothes.
"Dr. Otto!" Peter leapt down, concern clear in his voice. "What happened here?!"
"A monster." Otto took a deep breath, wincing slightly. Bruises covered his face, and blood seeped through his chest—clear signs of a brutal fight.
"It appeared out of nowhere and started rampaging. I wouldn't have interfered, but it got too close to my lab."
Only then did Peter and Renzo notice the corpse tangled among Otto's mechanical arms.
It was a grotesque sight—skinless, with red veins covering its entire body, resembling a flayed dog.
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