Restart, Spider-Man!

Queens, Blake Street.

Buzz~

A spark of magic flared, and Xia Luo stepped out from the shimmering portal.

By the chimney on the rooftop, Erik had been waiting for quite some time.

"You're here," he said.

"I'm here," Xia Luo nodded, glancing at the sky. "But it seems I've come at the wrong time."

Erik: "???"

"What?"

"It's not lunchtime yet, so I can't mooch a meal off you."

Erik: "…"

"Let's get to the point."

He straightened up, his expression serious. "You should be able to fulfill your promise now."

Leaning casually against the chimney, Xia Luo smirked. "Alright, even though you're a fickle fence-sitter, you didn't cause me too much trouble. So, my promise still stands. Now, you have two choices."

"First, I'll take you to a universe where Erik is already dead. You can take his place, becoming a proper husband and father to make up for your regrets."

"Second, I'll give you a chance to go to hell and search for your deceased wife and daughter. However, I won't interfere with how you revive them. You'll likely encounter terrifying enemies, and your chances of failure are high."

As soon as Xia Luo finished, Erik chose the second option without hesitation.

"I'll go to hell. Even if I can't bring them back, I can be with them. At least we'll still be a family," he said, his gaze resolute.

"Oh, such noble fatherly love."

Xia Luo shrugged. "As your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, I suppose I should help you out a bit more."

With that, he waved his hand in a circular motion. A motorcycle burst through the portal, driven by Johnny Blaze, who was still racing on a speedway.

"Oh! What the f***!" Johnny screeched to a halt, turning around to curse Erik.

"I was in the middle of a race! Send me back!"

Erik: "…"

Pointing silently at Xia Luo, he said, "He brought you here. You should be cursing at him."

Johnny took off his helmet, glaring. "The news about Spider-Man defeating the Mutant God is everywhere. If I want to avoid getting beaten up, I can only curse at you."

Erik fell silent.

Fair enough. But he still decided to beat this guy up.

Before he could make a move, Xia Luo spoke to Johnny Blaze. "I need to meet Mephisto."

"Mephisto?"

Hearing this, Erik's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped himself from pummeling Johnny.

The demon Mephisto? he thought, realizing that Johnny must be the Ghost Rider. Spider-Man really has a wide network of connections.

He couldn't help but feel envious.

Under Erik's expectant gaze, Johnny Blaze reluctantly spread his hands.

"Mr. Spider-Man, you're putting me in a tough spot. If I contact that guy too often, he might think I'm working with you."

Xia Luo ignored Johnny and turned to Erik. "How much savings do you have?"

"Savings?"

Erik was momentarily stunned but answered honestly. "I don't have a bank account because I'm off the grid."

"But I have this."

He raised his hand slightly, and the ground below them began to shift. Black metal seeped through the surface, forming a fist-sized lump of pure gold.

Johnny Blaze's eyes widened in shock.

"Financial superpowers!!"

Xia Luo couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Tossing the gold to Johnny, he said, "Now it's a fair trade."

"Thanks to Spider-Man and this financial big shot," Johnny muttered, carefully tucking the gold into his pants to avoid anyone discovering his newfound fortune.

"Who taught you that?" Xia Luo asked, baffled by the habit of stuffing valuables into one's pants.

Johnny thought for a moment, then stared at Xia Luo without answering.

Xia Luo fell silent before changing the subject.

"Can we start now?"

"Of course."

Johnny's eyes glowed faintly with hellfire as he reached out mentally to contact the Lord of Hell.

Boom~

In the next moment, a wisp of hellfire ignited in front of Xia Luo. An elderly man with white hair, dressed in a tailcoat, appeared.

"The ever-growing bug," Mephisto said with a sly smile. "Congratulations on defeating the Mutant God. You're now worthy of being called a god yourself."

Knowing that Spider-Man had summoned him, Mephisto had come immediately.

"A god?"

Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "That guy Apocalypse is actually a god?"

"Not entirely."

Mephisto explained, "As Earth's first mutant, he can be considered a god within his own independent universe. But in the multiverse, gods like him are a dime a dozen.

"Well… let's say he barely qualifies as a god. He doesn't have divine power, but his potential is immense. If he grows stronger, he could crush some so-called gods."

Xia Luo seemed thoughtful. "So, killing a god means I can take their place as one?"

"Of course not."

Mephisto maintained his sly grin. "I was just teasing you."

Xia Luo: "…"

At this point, Erik had run out of patience.

"I need to know where my wife and daughter's souls are. I'll do whatever you ask," he blurted out.

Xia Luo immediately covered his face with a hand.

"You fool. Negotiating like that only puts you at a disadvantage."

Hearing this, Mephisto finally turned his attention to Erik.

"Your friend?" he asked Xia Luo.

"No," Xia Luo replied, shaking his head.

"Yes," Erik countered. "I'd like to be."

Xia Luo: "…"

Seeing Mephisto's amused expression, Xia Luo felt a sense of foreboding.

The more someone was associated with Spider-Man, the harsher Mephisto's terms became.

As expected, Mephisto's eyes flickered with hellfire as he began probing Erik's soul, uncovering a wealth of secrets.

"I see. I know who your wife and daughter are, and it just so happens, I know where they are," Mephisto said with a sly grin.

Hearing this, Erik's face lit up with emotion.

"Tell me! Quickly!"

"No rush. Let's talk about the price first."

"How much do you want? I'll give you everything."

"Demons don't deal in money; we trade in equivalent souls."

"You want my soul?"

Erik instinctively clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. "I'll give it to you."

Xia Luo's face darkened, while Mephisto's grin grew wider.

That familiar feeling is back.

The last time he struck a deal with Spider-Man, being outsmarted had left Mephisto questioning his own cunning. But now, Erik's response mirrored those of countless others Mephisto had dealt with.

It reaffirmed that the great Mephisto was still the most devious demon of all.

His smile broadened further.

"Excellent. Sign this contract, and the deal will be finalized…"

"Wait a second. Let me take a look at that contract—it's a professional habit of mine," Xia Luo interjected, his eyes fixed on the parchment in Mephisto's hand.

Mephisto remained silent, feigning an intent to withdraw the contract.

Seeing this, Erik quickly turned to Xia Luo. "This is my own business. Please give me the chance to make my own choice."

Staring into Erik's resolute eyes, Xia Luo seemed to understand.

"Fine. I respect your decision."

He took a step back, watching as Erik signed the demonic contract with Mephisto.

The contract took effect, and a faint smile appeared on Erik's face.

Mephisto turned to Xia Luo, his grin brimming with triumph.

"Spider-Man's friend, come with me!"

He stepped into the hellfire, his figure vanishing into the flames. Erik turned back to look at Xia Luo one last time.

With a smile, he said, "Spider-Man, thank you."

With that, the hellfire engulfed him completely, and Erik disappeared from this world.

Johnny Blaze, who had been observing, couldn't stop himself from shaking his head. "He's doomed. A demon's promises are tempting, but they're always dangerous. Almost no one ever truly gets what they want from Mephisto," he said with a sigh.

Xia Luo stared intently at the spot where Erik had vanished. "He probably knows that. But this was his choice.

"He missed his chance once. No matter how dangerous it is, he'd still make the same decision.

"Because this is what matters most to him. He has nothing left to lose."

Johnny Blaze looked regretful. "I'd love to have a friend like him. Then I wouldn't have to go to work anymore."

Xia Luo's lips twitched. "I didn't realize you were that kind of person."

Johnny exhaled and turned to mount his motorcycle.

"Unlike you, I don't have rich friends. I have to rely on myself."

Xia Luo rolled his eyes. "Stop pretending to be poor. After you wiped out those gangs, their cash disappeared too. You're richer than me now."

Caught red-handed, Johnny hurriedly put on his helmet, hiding his embarrassed expression.

"I've got a race to get back to. Send me back, will you?"

"Want me to drop you off right at the finish line?"

"That would be perfect."

"You're cheating. I'm going to report you."

"Ha! Using your Spider-Man identity, or your Xia Luo Parker identity?"

"How about my S.H.I.E.L.D. senior agent identity?"

"Fine, you win!"

---

After dinner, the family gathered to watch some TV.

Aunt May and Ben Parker, as usual, retired early.

Once they disappeared into their bedroom, Xia Luo placed Baby Fisk in front of the television.

"All right, spill it. How did you get back, and where have you been this whole time?" He pressed a neural interface device to Baby Fisk's head.

Instantly, Baby Fisk launched into an animated tirade.

"That wretched man took me to hell! My God, it was hell! If I end up there when I die, you have to kill me first!"

Xia Luo's mouth twitched. "Got it. You've picked up a lot of useless chatter from him. Get to the point."

"Fine," Baby Fisk replied with a pout. "He dragged me all over the place. Anywhere dangerous or exciting, he'd bring me there. But then… he went too far."

Looking up at Xia Luo, his eyes brimmed with terror.

His small body trembled. "It was a place filled with death. I can't even put into words how horrifying it was. I just know that guy is fearless—he managed to anger a terrifying god."

"He must've realized how mad that god was because he sent me back ahead of time. What happened after that, I don't know."

With that, Xia Luo removed the neural device.

"All right. Thanks for your report. Double the milk for you tonight."

"Yay~" Baby Fisk squeaked. But when he tried to speak further, only odd sounds escaped his mouth.

He wanted to tell Xia Luo he'd grown up a bit. He didn't need milk anymore.

He wanted meat!

But Xia Luo ignored him, checked the time, and stepped through a shimmering portal.

Buzz~

---

Stark Tower, Rooftop.

By the pool, Tony Stark was adjusting various instruments.

When Xia Luo appeared, Tony glanced over. "Everything's ready. Shall we start?"

Xia Luo didn't activate his nano-suit. Instead, his limbs were strapped with various monitoring devices.

"Let's do it. And this time, no imperial units—use kilometers."

"Understood."

With the equipment primed, Xia Luo waved his hand, opening a portal and stepping through.

The battle with Apocalypse hadn't pushed his body to its limits. He needed to understand how much energy his solar absorption truly added to his physical capabilities.

Buzz~

The portal opened high in the troposphere, and Xia Luo swung through the clouds on strands of spatial spider silk.

Tony's voice crackled through the earpiece.

"You're 10 kilometers up in the troposphere. No pressure on your body at all. You've barely tapped 0.1% of the energy stored within you. With this reserve, you no longer need oxygen to survive on Earth."

Hearing this, Xia Luo opened another portal.

Buzz~

Emerging above the clouds, his body hovered as the portal dissipated.

"You're at 12 kilometers… 20 kilometers… 40 kilometers in the stratosphere. The temperature is rising gradually. Your energy consumption has increased by 3%. Without solar energy absorption, you'd burn through your reserves in about a day."

"Familiar lines. Keep going."

With a wave, Xia Luo's portal transported him to the mesosphere at 50 kilometers.

"At 55 kilometers, the temperature drops sharply to between -83°C and -113°C. Your energy consumption is up by 50%. However, the ozone content here is minimal, allowing you to absorb massive amounts of solar energy. Energy consumption and absorption are effectively balanced."

"Good. Next."

The portal opened again, this time delivering Xia Luo to the thermosphere at 300 kilometers.

"Warning: Temperatures exceed 1,000°C. Wait—energy absorption efficiency has increased by at least tenfold!" Tony exclaimed.

The thinner the atmosphere, the more solar energy he could absorb.

At that moment, Xia Luo's skin began to glow with golden light, radiating an aura of divinity.

As he continued ascending, the scene before him was one few ever witnessed outside of screens.

The vast Earth loomed below, and a golden star bathed him in boundless light. Its immense energy poured into Xia Luo, turning his body into a miniature golden sun.

Spider-Man's form greedily absorbed the energy of the star.

Beep, beep~

The device strapped to his arm sounded an alarm.

Snapping out of his trance, Xia Luo felt the immense energy coursing through him, realizing his body had stopped absorbing further energy.

"Have I reached my limit?"

Frowning slightly, he turned and stepped back through the portal.

---

When Xia Luo reappeared, the warmth radiating from his body caused Tony to shiver slightly.

"Oh, what a cozy Spider-Man," Tony quipped.

His skin shimmered faintly, reflecting the solar energy leaking from Xia Luo. Slowly, Tony began to absorb it.

Seeing this, Xia Luo raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

Tony grinned. "The Kryptonian Codex we salvaged stored genetic information. Our bodies absorbed it, so we're essentially half-Kryptonians. Absorbing solar energy is just standard practice."

Hearing this, Xia Luo's expression turned curious.

"This was part of your mission reward?" he asked.

Tony nodded. "Exactly. Earth physiology combined with Kryptonian traits. My body is evolving, so palladium poisoning isn't an issue anymore."

"Unfortunately, the Codex data is incomplete. This slows the evolution process and limits our potential. We're far from being actual Kryptonians."

"But with the boost from golden solar energy, I've surpassed human limits."

"Any other powers?" Xia Luo asked.

Tony shook his head. "Aside from enhanced strength, speed, defense, and basic energy projection? No."

Xia Luo pondered for a moment. "The Codex split its genetic data among your bodies. If you could extract the other fragments and reassemble the complete Codex…"

"Then I could surpass Kryptonians in potential."

Tony's face lit up with anticipation. "I don't know how strong gods are, but with that kind of power, I could crush Apocalypse effortlessly."

Then, his expression turned wistful.

"It's almost impossible to extract the genetic data," Tony explained, his tone somber. "Even with 31st-century technology, it would be a monumental challenge.

"And even if it could be done, Carter and the others wouldn't survive the process."

Hearing this, Xia Luo abandoned the idea.

"My body has absorbed enough solar energy to reach its limit. I'm ready for the next phase," he said to Tony.

"I've got it all set up."

Tony pointed to a satellite glinting in the night sky. "Go all out. It'll give us the final power metrics."

"Isn't this a bit extravagant?" Xia Luo asked, his anticipation visible.

"Shall we call it off, then?" Tony teased.

"No way. I've been itching for this."

Without another word, Xia Luo disappeared into a portal.

The next moment, the night sky exploded with a spectacular burst of fireworks.

Tony's eyes widened as he stared at the virtual display. His expression shifted to one of astonishment.

"999 tons!"

"Not even a thousand?"

Xia Luo reappeared beside Tony, shaking his hand as though he were loosening up. Staring at the displayed figure, he frowned.

"Still, the destructive force I just unleashed was pretty insane."

It wasn't quite what he had expected.

He understood that his power couldn't compare to comic book versions of Superman with their multimillion-ton strength, but movie Superman's strength was at least 3,000 tons—still significantly ahead of him.

Tony rolled his eyes in response.

"Calculating strength isn't that simple. Body durability, acceleration, and impact distance all influence the force output.

"With the solar energy augmenting you, your body ignores the backlash from explosive power. You also seem to possess a unique biological force field or magnetic field enhancement. That's why you punched the satellite to bits instead of punching through it."

"By the way, besides your peculiar webbing and solar energy absorption, did you gain any other powers?"

Xia Luo shook his head. "Nope."

Tony tapped his chin in thought. "It seems that special force field is an incidental ability."

"In theory, a biological force field like yours should allow for flight. But based on your performance, your field appears to operate as a magnetic variant. If your energy absorption improved further, maybe you could fly."

He pointed to his Mark suit with a smirk.

"Of course, you could always attach external flight units. With the energy reserves in your body, you could easily sustain long-distance flight."

Xia Luo waved him off. "I know magic."

Tony: "…"

What a show-off.

The subsequent tests covered a range of parameters.

Xia Luo's durability proved sufficient to withstand most missiles. Short of a nuclear strike, Earth's technological weapons posed little threat to him.

Little threat, but not zero.

Technology was always advancing, and there was no telling when some bizarre new weapon might emerge to challenge him.

Xia Luo wasn't about to let Tony test a nuke on him, though. Even if Tony could procure one, it wasn't worth the risk.

After roughly gauging his physical limits, Xia Luo was about to leave when Tony called him back.

"You're done, but it's my turn now."

Tony tapped on his virtual interface, and a miniature artificial sun appeared in the underground facilities of Stark Industries.

"I've discovered that our bodies can absorb the energy of an artificial sun. It's not bad—at least enough to be practical," he said with a grin.

Xia Luo blinked in realization. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Of course you didn't."

Tony's gaze turned slightly envious. "Your energy absorption efficiency is over ten times ours. Plus, you can just head to the upper atmosphere anytime to soak up all the energy you need. An artificial sun is entirely unnecessary for you."

By the end of the night, Tony had fully accepted the reality of Xia Luo's nigh-invincible status.

Nearly 1,000 tons of raw strength, bolstered by magic, solar energy absorption for endless stamina and amplification—it was well beyond Tony's understanding of human capabilities.

Practically a god among men.

While Tony couldn't truly grasp what it meant to be a god, he figured this was close.

Still, Tony knew the difference between gods wasn't as simple as raw strength. Some gods viewed even millions of tons of strength as trivial.

At a certain level, power wasn't measured in strength alone. Control over universes and mastery of primordial forces became the defining metrics.

As Tony conducted his own tests, his data surfaced.

"Fifty tons of raw strength—pretty good, if I do say so myself," Tony noted with satisfaction.

For him, physical strength was secondary. It only needed to be serviceable.

Combining 31st-century tech and nanometal advancements, he was confident he could develop armor leagues beyond his current Mark series.

Tony preferred overwhelming firepower to close combat. Grappling just wasn't elegant.

When the tests concluded, Tony began packing up the equipment.

"By the way, remember the Ten Rings?" he asked suddenly.

Xia Luo pulled a juice carton from the fridge and took a sip. "Yeah. What about them?"

"They're back," Tony said grimly. "They're leading the opposition against the World Peace Treaty and stirring up conflict. We need to put an end to this."

"Back from the ashes?"

Xia Luo shook his head. "For some people, stopping war is a nightmare. Without endless streams of wealth, they'll rebel.

"Carter may have political clout on the surface, but she can't actually control their actions."

"Then we fight—beat them until they're begging for mercy."

Tony's confidence radiated. "As superheroes, we can't limit ourselves to just protecting a single city. We need to think globally."

Xia Luo shot him a sidelong glance. "Your ideals sound great, but don't mess things up by doing something reckless. That scares me."

"Scared? Of what?" Tony asked, puzzled.

Xia Luo didn't respond.

Because I don't even know how to answer that, he thought.

Tony's enemies often stemmed from his own reckless actions.

If Tony ever created something like Ultron, Xia Luo would really have his work cut out for him.

Deciding to keep a closer eye on Tony, he asked, "When do you plan to act?"

"Tomorrow."

"Fine. I'll go with you."

"Great! I've already alerted the press. Let's make some headlines together."

"…Are you running for office or something?" Xia Luo asked, skeptical.

"Nope, not interested."

"Good. Then I won't worry. You're not that guy."

"Who?"

"Some rich guy who throws money everywhere."

---

The Next Day.

In the middle of an arid desert, a flicker of magical sparks signaled the arrival of Jonah and his crew. Their faces lit up with excitement.

"This is fantastic! I never imagined Spider-Man would invite us to play war correspondents," Jonah exclaimed, barely able to contain his enthusiasm.

Betty tilted her head, confused. "I thought it was Mr. Stark who invited us."

Jonah waved her off. "That's not important. What's important is capturing every cool and heroic moment of Spider-Man in action."

As he spoke, a red-and-blue figure streaked above them, followed closely by the golden-red flash of Iron Man's armor disappearing into the horizon.

"Hey, up ahead is the Ten Rings' base. Find yourselves a safe spot to film," Xia Luo called out, gesturing for Harry and the others to protect the reporters. Then, with a swift leap, he dove through a portal.

He understood Tony's intentions clearly.

By letting the press document their fight against evil, they could show the world that global peace wasn't just an empty promise.

But Xia Luo also knew one simple truth—war never truly ends.

The world was a broken patchwork, and Spider-Man's role was to stitch it back together, one piece at a time.

Yet now, he was beginning to understand something deeper.

The essence of the world? More power, more money, prettier women.

But only Spider-Man believed in this: With great power comes great responsibility.

Maybe it was naive. Maybe it was laughable.

But undeniably, that belief was what made Spider-Man who he was.

Wait, where am I?

The moment Xia Luo stepped into the portal, he realized something was off. He seemed to have fallen into a strange, twisting time-space tunnel.

In a blink, he found himself in a pitch-black alley.

"Looks like I've landed in another universe," Xia Luo muttered, swinging onto a low rooftop. He scanned the surrounding buildings.

Still New York.

"Was this the old man summoning me? Or…"

Before he could finish his thought, a voice called out from behind him.

"Peter Parker… Peter Parker…"

The voice was filled with nervous urgency, repeating the name over and over.

Turning around, Xia Luo saw a golden portal slowly open, and a familiar round face emerged through the glowing ring.

It wasn't Wong.

It was the future Sorcerer Supreme—Ned!

Xia Luo's eyes flickered with intrigue before he leapt through the portal.

"Peter!"

Ned's chubby face beamed with delight. However, Xia Luo pulled back his mask, revealing his face.

"I'm not Peter. My name is Xia Luo. Xia Luo Parker."

Xia Luo smiled, shifting his gaze to the slightly disheveled girl standing beside Ned.

This universe's MJ. She's no Mary Jane, that's for sure.

Seeing Xia Luo's face, both Ned and MJ grew even more excited.

"Peter told us about you! Xia Luo Parker is the most powerful Spider-Man!" Ned exclaimed, practically bouncing on his heels.

Hearing this, Xia Luo was even more certain.

The movie universe. The "three Spider-Men" crossover storyline has officially begun.

It wasn't old Steve Rogers who summoned him, but Spider-Man's ever-loyal buddy, Ned, who had successfully brought a Spider-Man into this universe.

Besides Ned's exceptional talent, there could only be one explanation:

This universe was experiencing multiversal fractures, and characters closely tied to Spider-Man were highly likely to slip through these cracks.

And Xia Luo just happened to be one of the lucky ones.

If his guess was correct, he'd soon meet someone he'd call an old friend—though not exactly a friend.

The Amazing Spider-Man!

---

T/N: I love cliffhangers :3c