Chapter 63: Hammer Peter, Join Hydra

Ethan Hayes moved swiftly. Facing the webbing that Peter Parker had shot at him, he took a sudden step. The ground beneath him trembled, and with a powerful Iron Mountain Lean—a classic move from Bajiquan—he collided with Peter Parker, who had transformed into a monstrous spider-like creature.

Bang!

Ethan's shoulder rammed into Peter's chest, and though Peter's body was as tough as iron, his chest caved in under the force. He flew through the air like a cannonball, smashing through Connery's furniture and equipment before crashing through a wall and into the yard outside.

Desire value +300 points!

Desire value +5300 points!

Two notifications flashed before Ethan's eyes, but he ignored them. His muscles bulged as he tore through the webbing wrapped around him, shredding the spider silk that was as strong and tough as steel cables like it was mere paper.

"You've got strength, but you've turned yourself into a mindless beast, relying on animal instincts to fight. Your monstrous instincts give you power, sure, but in my eyes, you're full of openings."

Ethan stepped out through the hole in the wall, approaching Peter, who was rapidly healing. The dents in Peter's chest were already correcting themselves, the regenerative abilities granted by his mutated genes working overtime.

"Such powerful genetic abilities," Ethan mused, admiring Peter's recovery. "Too bad it's wasted on a monster like you. You've become so ugly it's hard to look at you without disgust."

Ethan sneered as he towered over his high school classmate, now reduced to a grotesque spider-lizard hybrid. "You really thought you could compete with me for Gwen? Stay in your lane, Peter. If you'd kept to yourself, maybe I'd have taken it easy on you for old times' sake. But you had to act out."

Peter's humiliation boiled over into rage. He roared like a wild beast, fury amplifying his strength. His body swelled as his clothes ripped apart, revealing scaled lizard-like legs and a hammer-like tail, in addition to the eight spider legs sprouting from his back.

"Do you think you're some kind of Tang San with spirit bones attached to your back?" Ethan taunted, smirking at Peter's monstrous form.

With a whoosh, Peter's eight spider legs lashed out like bone spears, slicing through the air with incredible speed. Ethan's movements were fluid and rhythmic, his body weaving through the onslaught with ease. He was using Phantom Fist, renowned for its agility, and his physical skills allowed him to outmaneuver Peter effortlessly.

Despite the relentless speed of Peter's attacks, Ethan's reflexes were superior. To onlookers, it seemed as though Ethan was a lone boat navigating a storm, evading the crashing waves with precision. His smile never faded, even as Peter's monstrous claws sliced through the air.

Desire value +1200 points!

Desire value +3500 points!

Desire value +5400 points!

Ethan continued to goad Peter, knowing that every insult drove his rage higher. Each time Peter's anger peaked, Ethan harvested more desire points, milking Peter's fury for all it was worth. Within moments, their battle had spilled out from Connery's home and onto the street. Peter's spider legs stabbed into the pavement, leaving craters like bullet holes, but Ethan deftly avoided every attack, retreating only when necessary.

After a while, Ethan noticed Peter's frenzied attacks starting to slow. His monstrous body was tiring.

"You ugly monster," Ethan sneered. "You've spent this whole time trying to hit me, but all you've done is give me a warm-up. Now, it's my turn."

Ethan grabbed two of Peter's spider legs and yanked hard, pulling Peter off his feet and slamming him into the ground. With a loud crack, two of Peter's spider legs were torn off.

Peter let out a howl of pain, but Ethan wasn't finished. He grabbed Peter by the head and swung him around, smashing him into the ground repeatedly. Dust and debris filled the air as Peter's body was pummeled into the concrete.

"You've got strength, sure. But you're slow. Predictable. All your attacks were easy to read. Compared to me, you're nothing."

Ethan's words stung Peter deeper than any physical blow. As Peter struggled to recover, his monstrous body regenerated at a remarkable pace, but the damage Ethan inflicted was overwhelming.

"You thought you could compete with me?" Ethan laughed as he twisted his neck, loosening up his muscles. "Let me show you what real martial arts can do."

Peter, battered and exhausted, tried to defend himself. But each of his spider legs was broken by Ethan's crushing blows. With each strike, Peter's monstrous body crumpled further, his limbs shattered, his scales cracked, and his spirit crushed.

"You're too weak, Peter. Who gave you the courage to challenge me?"

Peter's hatred for Ethan burned hotter than ever. "Hao Longtao—" Peter coughed, reverting to his human form, his voice hoarse from the beating. "Is this your martial art? This is what you call power?"

Ethan grinned. "You got it. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?"

Peter snarled, his face twisted in pain and rage. "You think you're invincible, but I know your weakness. You're strong, sure, but you've reached your limit. Your martial arts give you an edge, but your body won't last forever."

With a quick movement, Peter shot out a web from his wrist and swung away into the distance, escaping just before Ethan could land another blow.

"I'll make you pay for this, Ethan! You'll regret this!" Peter shouted as he fled.

Ethan chuckled as he watched Peter retreat. He could have killed Peter if he wanted to, but where was the fun in that? Peter was nothing more than a walking source of desire points.

560,000 desire points!

Ethan had racked up an enormous amount of points during the fight, all while barely lifting a finger. As long as Peter hated him, Ethan could keep milking him for points.

"Turns out you don't need to kill villains or heroes to gain desire points," Ethan mused. "I'll let Peter be my little charging station."

With a smirk, Ethan whispered to himself, "System, has the task been completed?"

[Temporary task (non-scrollable): Martial Arts Yang Wei. In the name of a martial artist, hammer Peter Parker and ensure that Connery escapes unharmed. Task restrictions: Do not use Frozen Fruit or Water Control Magic in the fight, and do not kill Peter Parker. Task reward: Red Blind Box.]

[Task completed. Reward: Red Blind Box.]

Ethan sighed in satisfaction as the system confirmed the task's completion.

Meanwhile, deep underground in an abandoned train station, Peter Parker lay writhing in agony. His monstrous form had left him with muscles torn and bones shattered, despite his body's regenerative abilities.

"That bastard," Peter growled, his voice thick with hatred.

Dr. Connors, standing over him, watched with detached interest. "You survived, thanks to the lizard genes. Otherwise, you'd be dead by now."

Peter's face twisted with anger and pain as he spat, "Ethan was just lucky. Next time, I'll kill him."

Connors shook his head. "You were outmatched, Peter. Ethan Hayes is not someone you can take lightly."

"I'll find a way," Peter muttered. "He's taken over parts of the Osborn Group. He's got connections. But we need to move faster, Doc. If we don't, he'll ruin everything."

Connors nodded, deep in thought. "Then it's time we expand our reach. There's a group that contacted me recently—Hydra. They have the resources we need to push our research to the next level."

Peter's eyes gleamed. "Hydra? That sounds like exactly what we need. Let's do it."

Connors smiled darkly. "Then it's settled. We'll join Hydra and finally complete the genetic god plan."

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