You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 3
Restart?
[Yes]
Back upon the enormous cosmic web, Charlie scratched his head.
This time…
Gwen’s death had felt almost absurdly random.
Then again…
It made sense.
The battle at the clock tower had become complete chaos.
With explosions going off one after another, an ordinary person only needed to be grazed by a piece of shrapnel to lose their life.
Even Charlie himself had died in that mess.
Still…
He’d been incredibly close.
One more try.
Eighth Resurrection Match
Charlie arrived at the clock tower and immediately encountered Lizard Parker.
The two figures raced one after another through the tower, leaving destruction everywhere they passed.
“I’m going to tear you apart.”
“My hot-tempered lizard friend…”
Charlie replied while climbing.
“We’re both trying to save Gwen.”
“I’ll save her.”
“I don’t need a fake Spider-Man sticking his nose in.”
BOOM!
With a thunderous crash, Lizard Parker tackled Charlie to the floor.
A cruel grin spread across his monstrous face.
“I’m going to rip you apart.”
Charlie calmly looked back at him.
“So…”
“You’re nothing more than a monster after all.”
Lizard Parker froze.
“…What did you say?”
His voice rose into an enraged roar.
Charlie smiled.
“I said…”
“She’s about to die.”
As he spoke, he casually tilted his head.
A massive gear flew past exactly where his head had been.
His Spider-Sense still wasn’t reliable.
The only reason he’d dodged it…
Was because he’d already experienced this exact scene over and over through countless restarts.
Seeing the Lizard becoming even more agitated, Charlie pointed toward the broken window.
“In two seconds…”
“She’ll appear right there.”
“…What?”
Lizard Parker hesitated.
Charlie silently raised two fingers.
One…
Two…
Sure enough—
Gwen flashed past the window outside.
“GWEN!”
Without another thought, Lizard Parker smashed through the glass and dove after her.
Charlie simply stood up, dusted himself off, and quietly observed the battle unfolding throughout the clock tower.
He didn’t interfere at all.
You have been eliminated.
Unable to obtain a Resurrection Token.
Reward: +0.1 Tons Strength
Remaining Restarts: 2
Restart?
[Yes]
Restart.
Ninth Resurrection Match
This time…
Charlie never joined the rescue attempt directly.
Instead…
Relying entirely on the knowledge gained from repeated restarts, he perfectly predicted every incoming energy blast, weaving effortlessly through the battlefield before swinging to the top floor.
Without those previous attempts…
There was no way he could have done it.
“Mr.
Stark!”
Charlie shouted.
Tony’s body visibly stiffened.
“…Peter?”
His gaze shifted repeatedly between the two Spider-Men before finally settling on Charlie.
His emotions grew complicated.
Only this Spider-Man…
Knew his name.
The next second…
Charlie disappeared into the clock tower.
Tony snapped back to reality.
Without hesitation, he pushed the nanotech armor to maximum output and unleashed overwhelming firepower on the Chitauri.
Without even looking back at the explosions…
He flew straight into the tower.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions echoed endlessly inside.
Broken gears rained through the air.
Standing atop one of the massive rotating gears, Tony locked onto one particular Spider-Man.
Charlie.
Chunks of concrete crashed around him.
Yet Charlie casually whistled an upbeat tune as he walked through the battlefield.
Every falling gear.
Every collapsing beam.
Every explosion.
He avoided them all with effortless precision, strolling through the chaos as though taking a leisurely walk.
“Hehehe…”
“Peter!”
Harry suddenly swooped downward on his Goblin Glider—
Only to smash headfirst into a web trap Charlie had already prepared.
“Oh, shi—”
BANG!
Harry bounced wildly between strands of web before crashing deep into the tower ruins.
Meanwhile…
The real Peter Parker and Lizard Parker both lunged toward Gwen.
After briefly clashing with one another…
They could only watch helplessly as Gwen was snatched away by another web…
Straight into Charlie’s waiting arms.
Everything…
Looked as though it had already been rehearsed.
Every movement.
Every step.
Every decision.
All completely under Charlie’s control.
After countless restarts…
He had finally discovered the true way to use his cheat.
“…What?”
Peter stared at Charlie in complete disbelief.
His mind reeled.
How is his Spider-Sense this ridiculous?
In a battlefield this chaotic…
Charlie had somehow predicted every falling gear.
Who exactly is he?
Lizard Parker, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking about any of that.
His fury only intensified.
“Damn you!”
“There’s another fake Spider-Man!”
“Don’t you dare steal Gwen from me!”
The gigantic reptilian monster bounded across the collapsing ruins.
Sharp gears sliced countless bloody cuts across his scales.
He ignored every single wound.
A violent gust rushed toward Charlie.
He didn’t even look back.
He simply continued swinging toward the ground.
Because…
He had backup.
BOOM!!
Just as Lizard Parker’s claws were about to reach him—
A powerful arc-pulse blast crashed down from above.
The explosion blasted the Lizard back into the rubble.
“Stay away from him.”
Tony’s cold voice echoed through the tower.
“You disgusting freak.”
“Damn you, Iron Man!!”
Lizard Parker roared as he climbed back out of the debris.
The blast hadn’t been enough to stop him.
Tony moved to intervene again—
Only for the surviving Chitauri soldiers to swarm him.
“Give her back!!”
Huge gears continued raining from above.
Lizard Parker rampaged through the collapsing tower like an unstoppable beast.
Peter dove after him, trying desperately to stop the monster.
But Harry slammed into him from behind.
“Hahaha!”
“Your opponent…”
“Is me!”
“Peter!”
“I told you before!”
“I’m going to make you experience the pain of losing someone you love!”
Harry laughed through his rotten, decaying teeth.
The Osborn family disease had completely driven him insane.
He hated himself.
He hated his father.
He hated Peter Parker.
He hated the entire world.
He hated everything beautiful.
“Let’s all die together!!”
“Harry!”
“Stop!”
The battle between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin grew increasingly brutal.
Below them…
Lizard Parker rapidly closed the gap with Charlie.
His greedy eyes remained locked on the fleeing Spider-Man.
Slowly…
He extended his claws.
Just a little closer…
Just a little more…
And he’d finally tear this fake apart.
Several spinning gears sliced open Charlie’s suit.
The scent of fresh blood instantly overwhelmed what little reason Lizard Parker had left.
“Peter!!”
Suddenly…
Gwen’s voice echoed through the air.
Like a stream of clear water pouring across a barren desert…
It extinguished the monster’s rage.
“…Gwen.”
His pupils trembled.
He stared blankly at the frightened young woman cradled in Charlie’s arms.
Her face was filled with panic.
With worry.
He had never seen Gwen look so helpless.
In his heart…
Gwen had always been Spider-Man.
A hero.
Someone who remained calm no matter what happened.
Someone who protected everyone.
Someone who defeated every powerful enemy.
But now…
Lizard Parker finally understood.
The savage expression on his face gradually softened.
Even though he knew…
The Peter Gwen was worried about…
Wasn’t him.
He still made his choice.
“…You’re not her.”
He murmured quietly.
It sounded almost like a farewell.
Gwen’s face slowly blurred within his vision.
But…
For the first time…
He truly saw her.
She wasn’t Spider-Man.
She was…
Gwen.
“Fake Spider-Man…”
“You win!!”
The heart-wrenching roar shook the entire clock tower.
Lizard Parker suddenly shoved Charlie and Gwen away.
The next instant—
An enormous gear crashed down onto his body.
RUMBLE!!
The giant gear slammed deep into the rubble.
Lizard Parker disappeared beneath the ruins forever.
Dust filled the air.
Charlie swung safely to the ground with Gwen in his arms.
Still shaken, Gwen stared silently at the collapsed ruins.
A trace of sadness crossed her face.
“…He saved us.”
Charlie slowly let out a breath.
“…Yeah.”
“He would’ve saved you.”
His voice carried absolute certainty.
After so many restarts…
He no longer had any doubt.
Lizard Parker had wanted Gwen to survive from the very beginning.
It had never been about the Resurrection Match.
However…
The unfamiliar voice finally made Gwen realize something was wrong.
(End of Chapter)