Restart, Spider-Man!

This bonus chapter is a small gift—may it bring you a touch of tranquility.

---

At Xia Luo's firm insistence, Carter finally agreed to the battle.

"Dr. Banner, please prepare yourself."

"Understood."

Dr. Banner watched Carter and Spider-Man leave before starting to prepare the Hulk serum for the upcoming fight.

Meanwhile, Xia Luo and Carter strolled leisurely through the recreational park on the floating island.

"There's something off about you," Carter remarked.

Xia Luo smiled faintly. "You noticed."

"Of course."

Carter looked ahead, her gaze steady. "Competing like this isn't your style. What do you hope to gain from this fight?"

"He's not Banner."

Xia Luo's blunt statement froze Carter in place.

It didn't take long for her to recover, her expression calm as usual.

"I didn't expect the infiltration to run this deep."

Xia Luo nodded. "Exactly. That's why Reed must keep soul magic a secret—it's our ace in the hole."

"No problem. If he leaks it, he might as well join the Thunderbolts."

Neither Carter nor Xia Luo had much faith in the Fantastic Four. Instead of dismissing them, it was safer to keep them under close watch.

"So, do you plan to take out the fake Banner directly?" Carter asked.

Xia Luo shook his head. "No, I need him around to distinguish the real Tony from the fake."

Hearing this, Carter immediately understood Xia Luo's intentions.

"I think I could go undercover as a Skrull too," she joked.

Xia Luo stared at her in surprise. "You can read minds?"

"So, that's what you were thinking?"

"Yes, but it would make things too easy for us."

"Then let's see how things play out."

"Alright."

Soon, they arrived at the island.

A portal unfolded, and Xia Luo stepped into an open area first, followed closely by Banner and Carter.

Seeing the familiar surroundings, Banner's expression became uneasy.

"This is the island where you were before," Carter noted with a smile. "Spider-Man must've chosen this place on purpose. It must hold a lot of memories for you."

Banner cursed inwardly but kept a nostalgic look on his face.

"Yes, it was here that I finally broke free of the Hulk's control."

Xia Luo turned and smiled. "You seem pleased with my choice. Let's begin."

Banner opened his mouth to speak, but Carter helpfully shoved the serum into his mouth.

Banner: "…"

The moment the serum hit his stomach, a green hue spread rapidly across his skin, and his muscles began to expand.

As his body grew taller and stronger, nearly limitless power surged through him, and he couldn't help but roar.

"Raaagh!!"

The feral cry echoed through the air, shaking the surroundings. Carter quickly stepped back to observe.

Before long, Banner's clothing predictably shredded under his bulging muscles.

Unlike last time, however, this Hulk was sporting an exceptionally stretchy pair of shorts.

More importantly, Banner had not succumbed to rage.

Xia Luo didn't hold high expectations for the fake Banner's combat abilities. Without anger, the Hulk was far from his peak strength.

Without hesitation, Xia Luo raised the small spider in his hand.

"Dr. Banner, for you, this little guy will do."

"Chomp!"

As the tiny spider bit into Xia Luo's hand, a burst of radiant magical energy erupted.

"Boom!"

Surrounded by swirling magic, Xia Luo lunged forward, closing the distance between himself and Banner in an instant. Banner retaliated with a fierce punch.

"Bang!"

"Crash!!"

When their fists collided, the resulting shockwave was deafening. The jungle behind them was obliterated by the violent impact, and the powerful gust forced Carter to retreat.

The ground beneath them trembled, sending ripples of force into the underground base, where the Skrulls' faces turned pale.

"What's happening?"

"Look! It's Spider-Man!"

On the surveillance feed, a green giant and a red-and-blue figure were locked in combat. Each clash tore through the earth, with the surrounding trees pulverized by the devastating shockwaves. The destruction spread rapidly across the island.

"Damn it! Why weren't we warned? Is that idiot trying to ruin everything?"

"There's no time! If Spider-Man finds us, we'll have to evacuate."

"Let's hope our people can stall him; otherwise, we're finished."

As the Skrulls watched in horror, the magical energy surrounding Xia Luo erupted, sending the green giant hurtling into a nearby hill.

"Boom!"

As rubble cascaded down to bury Banner, Xia Luo stood a hundred meters away, calmly lowering his fists.

"You're too weak, Dr. Banner. This is disappointing." His tone was laced with disdain.

A hundred tons of power, and it was still temporary—hardly worth his time.

Banner, pulling himself from the debris, caught sight of Carter's disappointed expression. Fury welled up inside him.

No, I can't lose this badly. If Carter thinks I'm just a supporting player despite having the Hulk's strength, my mission will be impossible.

I have to give it my all!

Determined, he gulped down another dose of the Hulk serum. His muscles swelled even further.

"Raaagh!!"

"Boom!"

The green giant charged forward, each step shaking the ground and leaving devastation in his wake, as if to prove he wasn't weak.

But even with his enhanced strength, he was no match for Xia Luo.

"Bang!"

"Bam, bam, bam!!"

Xia Luo effortlessly blocked Banner's punches, countering with brutal strikes from his elbows and knees. Under the relentless onslaught of the military-style combat moves Xia Luo had mastered, Banner's massive frame wavered like a ship in a storm.

Finally, a straightforward combo left Banner vomiting bile.

"Crash!"

Xia Luo nonchalantly kicked Banner across the beach, clapping his hands with a smile.

"Thanos' military techniques work wonders, especially against green giants."

With that, he leapt high into the air.

"Friendly Neighborhood Nuke Kick!!"

"What?!"

Watching the dazzling figure plummet toward him like a meteor, Banner panicked, his body screaming in pain as he desperately waved his arms.

"I surrender! I give up! I won't fight anymore!"

"What was that? The wind's too loud; I can't hear you!" Xia Luo's shout echoed above.

Despair filled Banner's heart.

He's trying to kill me.

Did he figure it out?

Impossible.

"Boom!"

The radiant meteor struck the coast, sending up a massive cloud of sand.

Centered on Banner, shockwaves rippled outward, shattering rocks and stirring the sea into a frenzy. The forest at the shore was flattened by the cascading magical energy.

At the same time, the underground base began to collapse, severely disrupting the production lines beneath the seabed.

"Sizzle!"

"Boom!!"

Sparks flew as machinery malfunctioned, smoke billowed from broken circuits, and flames spread. The entire base descended into chaos.

"Shut down the power!"

"Hurry!"

"Damn that Spider-Man…"

While the Skrulls scrambled to cover their tracks, the giant crater on the beach held a trembling Banner. He stared at the red-and-blue figure nearby, his face pale with terror.

If that had hit me, I wouldn't have survived.

"You—"

"Just kidding."

Before Banner could finish, Xia Luo reached out and pulled him up.

"We're friends, aren't we? I'd never hurt you. Your face was priceless."

He playfully pinched Banner's green cheek and turned to Carter.

"I'm satisfied with this fight. Let's head back."

Carter, however, couldn't take her eyes off the enormous crater. The sheer power of the attack had left her stunned.

Though Xia Luo's raw strength barely exceeded 300 tons, the destructive potential of his magical energy was unimaginable.

This is absurd.

But then she noticed Xia Luo's unsteady steps, and a wave of exasperation washed over her.

Was it really necessary to go all out for a performance?

Especially with just me as the audience.

Well, not just me—there were plenty of others watching from below.

---

The three of them soon returned to S.H.I.E.L.D.

As the portal slowly closed behind them, Banner quickly made up an excuse and disappeared into his room.

Watching his hurried retreat, Carter chuckled.

"This might leave him with some psychological scars."

Xia Luo shrugged. "Can't be helped. The imposter was too weak. If it were the real Hulk, his rage meter would've maxed out by now, and I'd be the one getting pounded."

"Hulk isn't that over-the-top."

"You never know. After all, this is the Spider-Man Central Universe, not Universe 199999."

"Which universe?" Carter blinked in confusion.

Xia Luo explained, "It's a universe designation. Something I learned while in Mephisto's Hell."

"A universe designation?" Carter mused aloud. "The multiverse is fascinating. I wonder if other versions of you are this strong."

"Speaking of," she added, "Steve and the others all have multiverse variants. But as far as I know, Spider-Man variants are all Peter Parkers. I've never heard of anyone knowing a Xia Luo Parker."

"Is that so strange?"

Xia Luo grabbed a juice from the fridge. "Some people don't have multiverse variants. Like me—an unbeatable Spider-Man destined to surpass multiverse-level powerhouses. Stick with me, and you're set for life." He gave her a thumbs-up.

Carter nodded mock-seriously. "Sure, sure, I'll stick with you. Oh, by the way, your paycheck will be late by two days next month. Budget's tight at the agency."

"No!! How am I supposed to survive without my salary?!" Xia Luo wailed dramatically.

Carter smirked. "A multiverse-level bigshot worried about money?"

"The stronger Spider-Man gets, the poorer he becomes."

"That can't be true. I'm sure some Spider-Men in other universes are filthy rich."

"Don't even mention those guys."

"So, I was right?"

"Right, right, you're so clever."

Their bickering was interrupted by a notification on Xia Luo's phone.

He read it and immediately laughed out loud, hands on his hips.

"Hahaha! My investment finally paid off! Quentin Beck managed to secure additional funding. I'm finally buying that villa!"

Carter rolled her eyes.

"How do you know that's the real Quentin Beck and not a Skrull impersonating your Mysterio?"

Xia Luo: "…"

"Does it matter? As long as there's money involved, who cares if he's a Skrull?"

With that, he spun his hand, conjuring a portal, and stepped through.

---

At a VFX studio.

In the conference room, Xia Luo emerged from the portal just as Quentin Beck was seeing off some supposed investors.

Seeing Xia Luo, Beck closed the door with practiced ease, then pumped his fist in excitement.

"Spider-Man! I did it!" He gave Xia Luo a big hug.

Xia Luo patted him on the shoulder. "Congratulations. But honestly, you seem more into being a movie star."

"Absolutely. I'm planning to produce my own movie and star in it."

"Wow, great idea. Self-promotion at its finest."

"Of course."

They chatted for a while until Beck suddenly shared some news.

"The task you gave me is complete. William's daughter is stable now, and she's ready for the nano-heart surgery. I informed William in prison, and he's very grateful to you."

"That's good to hear."

Xia Luo then reached out to contact Helen Zhao, as part of a deal they'd previously arranged.

After a moment's thought, Xia Luo said abruptly, "Actually, I'm broke."

Quentin Beck: "…"

"No problem. The company made a bit of money recently; you can use some of it for now."

Beck didn't hesitate, which made Xia Luo appreciate how many good people there still were.

"Spider-Man, who are you planning to help with this money? Maybe I can assist." Beck asked politely.

Xia Luo replied with utmost seriousness, "I'm going to squander it."

Beck: "…"

---

After leaving the VFX studio, Xia Luo shed his nanotech suit.

"Hey, Harry, dinner's on me tonight."

---

Three days later, Dr. Banner successfully completed a device to identify Skrulls.

Of course, Carter wasn't about to trust it entirely.

Soon after, in front of an audience, the "fake" Tony Stark was exposed.

"I'm the real one," Tony insisted, staring at Banner with a blank expression.

Before he could say more, Carter ordered him taken away.

"Thanks for your help, Dr. Banner. I'll interrogate this imposter myself."

She gave a nod to the real Tony, who had just stepped out of a holding cell. "Take a break for now. I'll find you later."

But Banner stepped forward. "Captain Carter, I'd like to speak with Tony."

"There's no rush. You have other tasks to focus on."

With that, Carter dismissed Banner and glanced at Xia Luo.

Xia Luo made a subtle gesture, and "Tony" immediately sensed something was wrong.

Three seconds later, Tony collapsed to the floor, reverting to his true Skrull form.

The real Tony returned to the scene shortly afterward.

"You really want me to go undercover?" He raised an eyebrow.

Xia Luo patted him on the shoulder. "Yes. This is your one chance to get revenge on that guy."

Hearing this, Tony clenched his teeth.

"Yeah. I'll make him pay."

Xia Luo laid out some details before Tony headed off to Banner's lab.

As Tony's figure disappeared down the corridor, Carter watched with an expression of mild disdain.

"He's not looking for revenge; he just wants the thrill."

Xia Luo crossed his arms with a smirk. "Let's not call him out. We're all still friends, right?"

Carter shook her head. "He's going to end up in trouble over a woman someday."

"Maybe," Xia Luo replied, dropping the subject.

He mentally calculated the timeline. Tony had likely already realized the effects of palladium on his body.

If he was interested in the Skrulls, his intentions were obvious.

Whether alien medicine could cure him was uncertain.

But new elements could definitely save him.

Xia Luo needed to confirm whether such elements existed here.

After all, this wasn't the movie universe. If Howard Stark hadn't left the new element behind for Tony, he'd have to figure things out on his own.

Just then, Carter received a message.

"A new Spider-Man? A woman?" She put down her communicator, her expression turning odd.

"Xia Luo, your friendly neighbor Mary Jane has become Spider-Man. I think you should check it out."

"Mary Jane?"

Hearing the name, Xia Luo looked baffled.

"No way. Has she really become my friendly neighbor?"

---

Ah, Reader. You've stayed for the bonus chapter—how delightful.

Even amidst the quiet of eternity, there's joy to be found in shared moments like this.

If you wish to offer your strength, step forward: [patreon.com/WiseTL].

Each effort helps to shape a world where such moments can thrive.

Our time together may be brief, but it is not without meaning. The Shogun and I will continue to watch over this journey, steadfast and unwavering. Until we meet again, may your steps remain steady on the path you walk.

— Ei