Seeing Richard Parker's actions, Pietro's pupils slightly contracted. He watched Richard warily, reluctant to rush in because, from his experience, Richard appeared to be entering a bizarre and potentially unstoppable state.
With a low hum, Richard Parker made a small gesture, and a spatial ripple materialized in the underground space!
"What is this?" Tony Stark and the others, blocked by the giant spider, noticed the disturbance caused by the spatial ripple. The underground space began to tremble slightly, alerting them to the possible arrival of a formidable enemy.
While the Avengers didn't fully understand Richard Parker's history, they had heard enough to deduce that this looming threat was deeply connected to spiders. It was likely that Peter Parker's spider abilities originated from this powerful entity.
"JARVIS, contact the Saiyan and ask for backup!" Tony Stark quickly ordered. Despite the Avengers' past victories against numerous hellish foes, Tony couldn't guarantee that this long-anticipated enemy wouldn't be of an overwhelmingly high caliber, potentially as formidable as a Hell Lord. Such an adversary could spell disaster for the Avengers present.
Thus, Tony decisively called in Robert for reinforcement. If the enemy turned out to be weaker, Robert might not even bother. However, if the enemy's strength was immense, Robert could step in and prevent a larger crisis.
Robert hadn't joined them initially because he was tracking the whereabouts of Constantine and Serdel. Robert had expected Constantine's collaboration with the Hell Baron to lead quickly to Serdel's location. To Robert's surprise, Constantine claimed to have lost the trail.
When Robert heard this, he was flabbergasted. Knowing Constantine well, he understood that Constantine, who possessed tracking magic and had previously encountered Serdel, couldn't possibly have lost him. After all, Serdel was just a Hell King, not a Hell Lord or an even more powerful entity.
So, Robert went off to find Constantine, curious to hear what excuse he might concoct. When Robert left, Peter Parker hadn't yet been captured, and Tony hadn't shared Peter's situation. Shortly after Robert's departure, Peter was controlled.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Richard Parker's maniacal laughter echoed through the space. He seemed extremely pleased, and as he laughed, a terrifying presence emerged, causing everyone to feel a shiver of dread.
"What a terrifying aura. It far surpasses that of a Hell King!" Lorna whispered with a mix of alarm and caution, quickly warning her teammates.
"Your plan failed. Why did you summon me?" A chilling voice reverberated through the underground space, sending a wave of coldness that made the Avengers uneasy. This discomfort was a natural reaction to a higher life form.
Even Richard Parker, the orchestrator of the current situation, felt uneasy. His heart trembled upon hearing the voice of the being he had summoned. Ideally, Richard wouldn't have summoned this powerful entity prematurely, especially without completing the given task. However, facing the Avengers without this being's aid left him with no hope of survival.
Richard gambled that the being wouldn't immediately recall his failure. But Richard was unaware of the strict conditions required for this dimensional entity to fully manifest. If Richard had succeeded in his plan, the being could have descended in full power. However, with the plan incomplete, the being's arrival was limited to a mere consciousness.
This limitation explained the entity's immediate questioning of Richard. After all, Richard's failure had disrupted his master's plan.
"Please, my lord, let me explain!" Richard quickly regained his composure and pleaded with the being, "It's not my fault. I was close to succeeding, but these damned Avengers interfered. I had no choice but to summon you…"
"Avengers? This universe has Avengers too?" The dimensional being paused, seeming to study the universe. "Wait! What's going on with this universe? Is it a product of two universes intertwined? Fascinating. I must explore this further. Unfortunately, I can't fully manifest yet. I'm already being blocked…"
The being had never encountered this universe before. His targets extended beyond a single Earth's universe. Richard Parker had merely been a beacon found by chance. Most of the beings this entity targeted were either Spider-Men or related to them. He had never encountered a Spider-Man from a composite universe involving Avengers.
Realizing this, the being grew excited. A composite universe implied greater power. If he could claim it as his own, his strength would significantly increase. Such an opportunity could drive any dimensional entity to madness.
"Why isn't my lord responding? Did I anger him? Is he truly enraged?" While the being contemplated, Richard Parker grew increasingly anxious, fearing his actions had irreparably angered his master. Despair began to creep into his heart.
On the other side, the Avengers frowned but didn't retreat, especially knowing that Robert was on his way. They hadn't even seen their enemy yet, only felt its presence and heard its voice, so leaving wasn't an option.
Meanwhile, Pietro made progress. With Richard summoning the dimensional being, Peter Parker had stopped moving, like a puppet whose strings were cut. Although Peter still couldn't control his body, he was no longer resisting. Seizing the opportunity, Pietro knocked him unconscious and swiftly returned to the Avengers, dodging the giant spider.
As for the remaining giant spider under Richard's control, it had sustained severe injuries from the Avengers but hadn't retreated. However, with the dimensional being's arrival, the spider grew fanatically frenzied, its aura intensifying as it seemed to evolve into a higher life form.
In moments, a massive cocoon enveloped the spider. Seeing this, the Avengers readied to destroy it.
But to their surprise, the cocoon was far stronger than the spider had been. Without Tony Stark unleashing his full power, the cocoon remained unscathed.
"What now? Is that creature not going to manifest?" The Avengers turned to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, seeking their next move. Despite their uncertainty, they felt relieved knowing Peter was safe, albeit unconscious. They no longer had to worry about Richard abducting him or about the collapse of the underground space.
"Let's break open this cocoon first. Better to have one less enemy," Tony Stark suggested. He and Steve quickly agreed. Tony then charged up his suit's full power, and the Avengers retreated to a safe distance.
Tony wasn't concerned about the potential collapse affecting the surrounding streets, as he had already purchased the area and relocated the residents. The site was ready for demolition and reconstruction.
"Hum!"
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion erupted in the underground space. The concentrated energy from Tony's suit could threaten even a Hell King, and the evolving giant spider couldn't withstand such an attack.
With a resounding crack, the once impervious cocoon was shattered by Tony's repulsor blast, which continued towards Richard Parker's location.
Since the dimensional being had appeared, it was better to eliminate Richard as well. Letting him escape would only create more trouble.
However, Richard Parker wasn't easily defeated. Sensing imminent danger, alarms went off in his head, and he cried out, "My lord! Save me!"
Richard knew he couldn't evade the beam, given its expansive range. His best hope lay in his master intervening.
Despite Richard's failure, the dimensional being didn't let him down. Although Richard had disrupted the plan, he had still summoned the being and discovered this unique universe, earning some merit.
More importantly, in this universe, Richard was the sole beacon for the being. If Richard died, the beacon would vanish, making it nearly impossible for the being's consciousness to remain in this universe. He would soon be expelled by the rules governing it.
Moreover, the being needed a physical host to partially manifest his power. The options were limited to Richard Parker, the giant spider, Peter Parker, or the half-complete Harry Osborn. With Peter and Harry removed and the giant spider's cocoon pierced, the being couldn't afford to let Richard die.
"Shh!" In response to Richard's call, the dimensional being intervened. Even without fully descending or fully materializing his consciousness, a mere hint of his presence snuffed out Tony Stark's energy beam as if it had never existed.
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