[You have been eliminated. No resurrection slot awarded. Strength +0.1 tons.]
[3 retries remaining. Would you like to restart?]
On the massive web, Charlie scratched his head, feeling that Gwen's death this time was too abrupt.
But, thinking it over, it made sense. The battle on the scene was so intense, with explosion after explosion, that any ordinary person hit by the debris would have a hard time surviving.
Even he died in such a chaotic setting.
But this time, he was so close.
One more try!
On the eighth resurrection match, Charlie encountered Lizard Parker as he reached the clock tower.
The two figures leaped from building to building, leaving destruction in their wake.
"I'll tear you apart."
"Calm down, Lizard buddy. Our goal is to save Gwen."
"I'll save her! I don't need a fake like you to worry about it."
Bang!!
With a loud crash, Lizard Parker pounced on Charlie, flashing a cruel smile at the Spider-Man in front of him.
"I'll tear you apart."
"As expected, you're just a monster."
Charlie's words made Lizard Parker freeze.
"What did you say?" He began to roar in anger.
Charlie smirked. "I said, she's about to die."
As he spoke, he tilted his head, dodging a flying gear, remaining calm.
His Spider-Sense was still unreliable—he dodged the gear thanks to the experience he gained from restarting multiple times.
Seeing Lizard Parker growing more enraged, Charlie pointed out the window. "In two seconds, she'll appear right there."
"What?"
Lizard Parker was stunned. As Charlie raised two fingers, Gwen's figure flashed past the window.
"Gwen!"
At that moment, Lizard Parker forgot everything else and dove through the window, heading straight for Gwen.
Charlie dusted himself off and stood up, carefully observing the chaos in the clock tower without joining the fight.
He had already reaped enough rewards.
[You have been eliminated. No resurrection slot awarded. Strength +0.1 tons.]
[2 retries remaining. Would you like to restart?]
Restart!
On the ninth resurrection match, Charlie once again avoided taking part in Gwen's rescue, relying on his "predictions" to dodge the hail of energy blasts as he swung toward the rooftop.
If it weren't for the experience from the restarts, he would never have been able to do it.
"Mr. Stark."
His call made Tony flinch.
"Peter..."
Looking between the two Spider-Men on the battlefield, Tony eyed Charlie with a complex expression.
Only this Spider-Man knew his name.
The next moment, Charlie slipped into the clock tower.
Tony snapped back to attention and immediately cranked his suit's power to the max, launching a full-scale attack on the Chitauri soldiers.
Without looking back at the explosions, Tony rushed into the clock tower.
Boom!
Explosions continued inside the clock tower, with gears flying everywhere.
Standing atop one of the giant gears, Tony locked his gaze on one of the Spider-Men.
Amid the falling debris, Charlie cheerfully whistled as he calmly sidestepped flying gears, walking leisurely through the chaotic battlefield.
"Gahaha, Peter!"
Harry, riding his glider, swooped down but crashed straight into a web Charlie had set in advance.
"Shit."
Bang!
Harry bounced off the web and crashed into the wreckage of the clock tower, while the real Peter Parker and Lizard Parker both leapt toward Gwen. After a brief struggle, they watched as Gwen was scooped up by Charlie's webs.
It was as if everything had been rehearsed beforehand, all going according to plan.
After so many restarts, Charlie had figured out the true method for using his cheat.
"What?"
Peter Parker stared at this other Spider-Man in disbelief.
This guy's Spider-Sense was off the charts!
In such a complicated situation, he could predict every gear's trajectory.
Who was this guy, really?
Lizard Parker, on the other hand, grew even more enraged, too blinded by rage to think clearly.
"Damn it, there's another imposter! You're not taking Gwen from me!"
The monster leapt through the wreckage like a wild beast, sharp gears slicing through his scales and drawing blood, but nothing could stop him.
A gust of wind blew, but Charlie didn't care. He calmly swung away with Gwen using his webs.
Because he had "backup."
Boom!!
Just as Lizard Parker was about to tear Charlie apart, an electric arc pulse struck him from above, blasting him into the wreckage.
"Gross creature! Stay away from him!" Tony barked coldly.
"Damn you, Iron Man!!"
Lizard Parker roared as he crawled out of the debris to continue his chase, barely slowed by the attack.
Tony tried to stop him again but was pinned down by surviving Chitauri soldiers.
"Hand her over to me!!"
Gears rained down like a storm as Lizard Parker rampaged through the clock tower like a berserk beast.
Peter Parker dove down, trying to intercept him, but Harry swooped in, knocking him away.
"Gahaha, your fight is with me."
"Peter, I told you, I'm going to make you feel the pain of losing someone you love." Harry grinned, his mouth filled with rotting teeth, his family's genetic disease having driven him completely insane.
He hated himself, hated his father, hated Peter Parker, hated the world, and hated everything beautiful.
"Let's destroy it all together!!"
"Harry, stop!"
The battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin became even more intense, while Lizard Parker, plummeting at full speed, was closing in on Charlie.
With greedy eyes, he reached out his claws toward Charlie.
Just a little closer, and he could rip this guy apart.
Sharp gears occasionally tore through Charlie's suit, and the scent of blood clouded Lizard Parker's mind.
"Peter!!"
Suddenly, Gwen's voice, filled with fear, was like a spring of fresh water that rushed into Lizard Parker's heart, extinguishing his rage and bloodlust.
"Gwen..."
His pupils shrank as he stared at Gwen in Charlie's arms, her face full of panic and worry.
He had never seen Gwen so helpless.
In his heart, Gwen was Spider-Man—a hero. No matter what challenges came her way, she faced them with calm, protecting everyone and defeating all her enemies.
But...
Lizard Parker snapped back to reality, his grotesque features gradually softening.
Though he knew the Peter Gwen worried about wasn't him, he still made his choice.
"You're not her..." he muttered softly, as if bidding farewell.
In his eyes, Gwen's face blurred.
But he saw clearly now.
She was Gwen, not Spider-Man.
"Imposter, you win!!"
The next moment, a heart-wrenching roar echoed through the clock tower as Lizard Parker shoved Charlie and Gwen out of the way, only to be crushed by a massive falling gear.
Boom!!
With a deafening crash, the giant gear slammed into the wreckage, burying Lizard Parker completely.
Amid the dust, Charlie swung to the ground using his webs, with Gwen looking back at the ruins in confusion and sorrow.
"He saved us."
Charlie exhaled. "Yes, he was going to save you." He spoke with certainty.
After so many restarts, Charlie was sure that Lizard Parker truly wanted Gwen to survive—it had nothing to do with the resurrection match.
But this unfamiliar voice suddenly made Gwen realize something was wrong.