Restart, Spider-Man!

Xia Luo gazed silently at the Spider-Men before him, not saying a single word.

He motioned with his hand, and Harry jogged over.

"Are we leaving?"

"Yes."

A golden portal opened, and the two figures disappeared into it.

At that moment, the golden portal, like a sunrise, framed their departing silhouettes.

All the Spider-Men stared at the scene, momentarily stunned.

"Why? Why didn't Harry ask him about Spider-Man's secrets?"

"Yeah, why? I'm curious too."

"Unquestioning trust in a friend—that's a beautiful memory we once shared."

"Too bad… we don't have that anymore."

"He'll live happily with Harry from now on, right?"

"No, he should live with Mary Jane. Harry shouldn't interfere."

"No, it should be Gwen."

"No, no, I think he'll end up with Felicia."

"Your choice is so niche."

"Really? That's kind of awkward for me now."

"I think you're all wrong—he'll definitely end up with Dr. Otto."

The moment that was said, the crowd of Spider-Men turned their astonished gazes toward an older Spider-Man in the group.

"Are you serious?"

Everyone gave him looks of disdain.

The older Spider-Man looked puzzled. "In your worlds, isn't Dr. Otto a cute girl?"

The group of Spider-Men slowly shook their heads.

"He's a fat slob."

"He's an old geezer."

"She's a cranky middle-aged woman."

"Oh, crap, I'm the weirdo now."

At that moment, Scruffy Peter stood with his hands on his hips and laughed.

"If you want the scoop on Xia Luo Parker's love life, you should ask me."

"You?"

The Spider-Men's gossip instincts flared to life, and they crowded around Scruffy Peter.

"Quick, tell us! Who will he end up with?"

"I'm dying of curiosity."

"Someone as unique as him must have a love life that's hard to guess."

"Of course."

Scruffy Peter leaned in close to the crowd, whispering, "I've heard—just heard, mind you—so don't take this too seriously. And definitely don't spread it."

"Why?" The crowd looked confused.

Scruffy Peter gave a mysterious smirk. "Because it's probably Captain Carter."

"Carter?"

In an instant, the crowd exploded.

"Oh my god, that jerk actually stole the Captain's girl? That's insane!"

"No!! It's the Captain? That woman's terrifying!"

"Oh my gosh, this is so juicy."

"I'm so jealous! In my world, Carter is New York's richest tycoon."

"I'm so envious!"

"I'm so mad!!"

At that moment, the Spider Society sank into a profound sense of despair.

---

In the Spider-Central Universe, Xia Luo and Harry stepped out of the portal.

"Where are we?" Harry asked, staring at the strange building ahead in confusion.

Xia Luo walked toward an elegant loft. "Kamar-Taj."

"Massage parlor?"

"Kamar-Taj."

"Oh, perfect! Time for a good massage."

"This is Kamar-Taj!"

At the entrance, Master Wong stepped forward, his face dark as he blocked Harry. "The Sorcerer Supreme doesn't give massages."

Harry blinked. "Then can you give me one?"

Wong snorted. "Impossible. I am a noble sorcerer."

"I have money." Harry pulled out a card from his pocket.

"If you can satisfy me, feel free to swipe it as much as you want."

"Anything?"

Wong's eyes lit up, and he took the card with both hands.

"It would be my pleasure to serve you."

He put on a professional smile.

Yes, he had never expected to start a side hustle here.

---

Ignoring the banter between Harry and Wong, Xia Luo headed straight to the Ancient One.

"You're here," the Ancient One said, her eyes closed as if in meditation.

Xia Luo nodded. "How is Mary Jane?"

The Ancient One opened her eyes slightly, smiling. "I've kept her safe."

"I mean, how can I bring her back?" Xia Luo asked.

The Ancient One gazed directly at him. "You have a way, don't you?"

Xia Luo thought for a moment. "She's vain. She wouldn't agree to become a cyborg."

The Ancient One maintained her smile. "Her body has decayed, but you could clone another one."

Xia Luo took a deep breath. "Then there would be two souls in one body."

"Don't you like the idea of two of her at once?" the Ancient One asked.

Xia Luo's face darkened. "I'll pay you. Just tell me what to do."

The Ancient One didn't answer directly.

She spoke slowly, "If you encounter an unsolvable problem, it will help you."

"It?" Xia Luo frowned, seemingly understanding who she meant.

"The probability is too low, and I don't like gambling," he said, shaking his head.

"What about him?" the Ancient One asked again.

Xia Luo narrowed his eyes. "I'm not interested in making deals with Mephisto for now. It wouldn't end well—he won't let me succeed this time."

"Then you'll have to rely on it."

The Ancient One closed her eyes again.

"Until you succeed, I'll protect her soul."

"Thank you."

Without another word, Xia Luo turned and left the loft.

"Harry, we're leaving."

He found Harry in Wong's room, just as Harry was taking off his shirt. Xia Luo paused, speechless.

"If this is your choice, I respect it," Xia Luo said, opening another portal.

"Wait, let me explain!!"

Seeing Xia Luo walk through the portal, Harry quickly grabbed his clothes and followed.

Wong stared blankly at the two disappearing through the portal, scratching his head.

"Their relationship is so complicated. Spider-Man must be under too much pressure to resort to this."

Yes, that must be it.

He quietly packed up his tools, unable to hold back his laughter.

"Haha, that guy forgot to take his card."

"I've struck gold!!"

"Sorcerer Supreme, fried chicken's on me tonight."

---

New York, S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters

"How long have I been gone?"

In the office, Xia Luo casually retrieved a juice box from a mini-fridge.

He took a sip and raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Fresh? Looks like I haven't been gone too long."

Carter, engrossed in her work, didn't even look up. "I just restocked it. You've been gone for three months."

"What?"

Xia Luo frowned. Traveling across the multiverse seemed to have caused a time-flow discrepancy in the main world.

"What about that matter?" he asked.

Carter continued flipping through documents. "Per your instructions, all agents have been occupied. The escalating tension between the Brotherhood of Mutants and the Skrulls has made it impossible to investigate how many high-ranking humans have been replaced by Skrulls."

She paused before adding, "The leader of the Skrull defectors has emerged. His name is Gravik. Dissatisfied with Nick Fury's unfulfilled promises, he decided to strike first."

"He's rallied a faction of Skrulls, aiming to overthrow this world and turn Earth into their territory."

"G'iah has fought him several times but has yet to defeat him. The internal issues within the Skrulls are just as severe."

Hearing this, Xia Luo seemed thoughtful.

"It's time to put an end to this secret invasion," he said with a smile.

Carter finally looked up at him.

"Are you sure? The moment you show your hand and align yourself with humanity, both Apocalypse and Gravik will turn their sights on you."

"If you die, it's not just about you. During your absence, we might not be able to hold the line."

Xia Luo shrugged. "That's why you need to pick a side now."

Carter considered this. "I see. So what's your plan?"

"Of course, to once again become the man who saves the world. Spider-Man—" He stopped himself mid-sentence, grumbling under his breath. "Damn, I sound like that guy."

Shaking his head, Xia Luo disappeared into a glowing portal.

---

That night, the Invincible Spider-Man infiltrated the White House and publicly "exposed" Skrulls disguised as high-ranking officials.

Only through death could a Skrull revert to their original form.

At the same time, J. Jonah Jameson received a list of suspected Skrulls.

This list was both a tremendous risk and a golden ticket to unimaginable fame.

It could make him the most talked-about figure in the world.

Staring at the spider emblem in the corner of the document, Jameson, cigar in hand, burst into laughter.

"Ha! I knew it! Spider-Man loves me best. Fantastic!"

Watching his boss get carried away, Betty sighed in exasperation.

"If this leaks and you haven't exposed them first, we'll probably end up dead in some 'accidental' fire or car crash."

Jameson dismissed her concerns with a wave of his hand. "Spider-Man won't let anything happen to us."

"He can't protect us all the time."

"Of course he can! Spider-Man is omnipotent."

As if to prove his point, Jameson walked out onto the balcony and, without hesitation, jumped off the skyscraper.

"Jonah!"

"Dammit, don't let anyone know we're related!"

Jameson's scream echoed as he plummeted—only to be caught in a warm embrace.

"Hey, that was a stupid move," Xia Luo said, setting him down on a nearby rooftop with an exasperated tone. "I'm really busy."

Jameson laughed heartily. "Got it. Thanks for saving me again. I'll get back to work."

He pulled out his phone.

"Hello, it's me, the great J. Jonah Jameson. Clear out the print factory staff. I'm personally crafting an earth-shattering exclusive tonight."

Xia Luo couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks for keeping this under wraps. I owe you one."

"It's my duty."

Smiling slyly, Jameson snapped a few photos of Xia Luo before tucking his phone away with satisfaction.

"Alright, take me back down."

---

The next morning, a shocking revelation rocked New York.

"My god, it can't be true! Senator Smith is a Skrull?"

"And Senator Andrew too?"

"Three-quarters of the Senate are Skrulls? What a terrifying alien race!"

"We must expose them!"

"Those trying to dominate humanity will pay the price."

"Unbelievable… how many others around us are Skrulls in disguise?"

The news sent the city into chaos. General Ross, reading the list in the morning paper, was overjoyed.

"Hahaha! Our opportunity has come!"

He immediately summoned his troops, preparing to march on a larger military base.

After all, his long-time rival had turned out to be a Skrull—nothing could be more thrilling.

"General, could this be fake news?" his adjutant asked hesitantly.

Ross sneered. "It doesn't matter if it's true or not. If those bastards can't prove they're human, then they're Skrulls."

"And this list was personally verified by Spider-Man. That bug might be annoying, but he'd never lie about something like this."

At the mention of Spider-Man, the adjutant fell silent, discreetly tucking a Spider-Man figurine into his pocket.

The revelation caused upheaval across military bases and government systems.

Had it not been for the looming mutant threat, such news might have been quietly buried. But with the Skrull list made public, mutants launched immediate attacks.

Led by Erik, the Brotherhood of Mutants stormed government buildings, and Skrull corpses soon became undeniable evidence. Doubts about the list's authenticity evaporated.

With public support waning, the Skrulls disguised as humans had no choice but to reveal their powers to fight back.

---

In a dimly lit, crumbling underground bunker, rubble and dust rained down from the ceiling.

The chaos above was unstoppable, and the Skrulls gathered below whispered nervously.

"The Skrulls are finished. Gravik has doomed us all."

"Damn Gravik. I can't believe he took things this far."

"This is madness. Without Spider-Man, he might have succeeded."

They looked to Talos and G'iah, their faces filled with worry for the future.

"Leader, Gravik's exposure has made us enemies of humanity. They'll never spare us now."

"Yes, they won't believe we're innocent."

"I suggest we reach out to Gravik and fight humanity and the mutants together."

"No."

Talos's refusal was firm, his expression grave. "That would mean there's no turning back."

"But we have no way out."

Under the intense gazes of his people, Talos hesitated.

The Skrulls were now fully exposed. Neither mutants nor humans would spare those who sought to invade Earth.

To everyone else, being a Skrull meant being guilty.

They had no other options.

At that moment, Nick Fury pushed through the crowd.

"Talos, we still have a chance. Don't make any rash decisions."

Fury's appearance stirred a wave of anger among the Skrulls.

"This is all your fault! Your incompetence has put us in danger!"

"Damn humans! We should never have trusted you!"

"Get out of here! We don't want to see you!"

"No, if he spills our secrets to humanity, we're doomed."

"Kill him now!"

"Kill him!"

The enraged Skrulls surged toward Fury, and not even Talos could stop his terrified people.

"G'iah, help me hold them back!"

G'iah watched coldly.

She didn't support joining Gravik, but she had no intention of protecting this man who should be stuffing cotton somewhere.

It would be better if he died.

But suddenly, a brilliant light swept through the room.

The terrifying energy made even G'iah shiver.

Her wish went unfulfilled.

Now, no one could harm Nick Fury.

Because of a woman.

A very powerful woman.

She was Fury's friend and the god who had once saved the Skrulls.

She had returned!

Dressed in a magnificent battle suit, the "god" descended gracefully, her body radiating divine brilliance.

Under the oppressive force of her overwhelming cosmic energy, the Skrulls instantly fell silent.

Her sharp gaze swept over the crowd, and not a single Skrull dared meet her eyes.

In her arms was a lazy orange cat.

She was Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers!

---

Ahem! Gather close, esteemed audience! Do you comprehend the privilege of basking in my radiance? Truly, you're witnessing history in the making—a performance unparalleled in the annals of Fontaine!

Ah, but don't get distracted! Let me be clear: this brilliance isn't conjured from thin air. No, no, no! It requires effort, dedication, and… well, a touch of your generosity. If you fancy being part of something truly extraordinary, do step forward here: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Oh, but wait! You're probably wondering, "Furina, how can someone as magnificent as you need assistance?" To that, I say: why deny mortals the honor of contributing to such greatness? Supporting me is supporting art, and who doesn't want to say they were instrumental in a legend's rise?

Now, off you go. Make your offerings, and perhaps, perhaps, I'll acknowledge you in my next soliloquy!

— Furina ✨