Chapter 38: Frozen Lizardmen, Reaching Absolute Zero

Ethan Hayes threw his phone aside with a disappointed expression. Did Gwen really think he was only interested in her body? Well, perhaps he was, but there was more to it than that. Glancing at the system, Ethan reminded himself that life was too short to make things difficult for others.

Late into the night, the streets were bustling with activity. Ethan enjoyed Mrs. Tracy's lemon sea bass, a dish he had grown fond of. Meanwhile, Gwen quietly left the room. Ethan, now wearing his hooded costume and mask, jumped up, summoning ice to form wings and took off into the sky.

Many of the moves from General Aokiji's arsenal were far too destructive for an urban environment, so Ethan had to improvise. His self-developed skill, Ice Phoenix Wings, allowed him to soar through the night sky of New York.

Below him, the NYPD was in chaos. Helicopters patrolled the skies, and police cars honked their horns. Screams echoed from the streets as lizardmen wreaked havoc. Dr. Connors had truly lost control, and now his creations were spreading terror across the city.

Ethan shook his head, disappointed. "So, this is Dr. Connors' plan? Use Osborn's technology to spread the lizard serum across New York, turning the entire population into cold-blooded monsters?"

He realized that if Dr. Connors succeeded, it would be catastrophic. New York would become a city of lizardmen, and they would soon spread across the globe. But even more pressing for Ethan was that if New York fell, his wealth would go down with it—stocks, properties, and financial investments would all be wiped out. And let's not forget Stark Industries…

"Osborn Mansion," Ethan muttered to himself as he flew over the city. Below, he saw Spider-Man swinging through the skyline, likely heading to the Osborn building. Gwen had lied to him about her involvement in the genetic modification research, but Ethan didn't care. Even if Gwen was his girlfriend, it didn't matter to him on a deep emotional level. He liked her, sure, but his heart had long been locked away.

The cold lessons learned from living in Hell's Kitchen had taught him the importance of self-preservation. Everyone in this world was just passing by, and getting too attached only led to pain.

As he spotted one of the rampaging lizardmen, Ethan descended swiftly. The massive creature's movements were erratic as it tore through the streets, its monstrous body causing widespread panic. Ethan smiled coldly.

"Got you," he muttered before launching himself from the sky, landing gracefully in front of the creature. The lizardman stopped in its tracks, staring at him with its animalistic, amber eyes.

Dr. Connors, now transformed into the Lizard, hesitated. Instinctively, he sensed the danger radiating from Ethan. A primal fear urged him to flee, but the madness in his mind kept him rooted in place.

"Dr. Connors, stand down. I promised someone I'd spare your life," Ethan said, his voice low but filled with authority. His icy breath fogged the air as he spoke, the temperature around him dropping rapidly.

The panicked crowd nearby paused to watch the confrontation. As Ethan stood there, covered in frost, the temperature continued to fall, and the spectators began to shiver uncontrollably.

Realizing the growing danger, the onlookers finally scrambled to escape.

The lizardman, still wary, started to back away. But as he moved, his body stiffened. The moisture in his muscles began to freeze under Ethan's control. Within seconds, Connors was encased in ice, frozen solid.

The street became a frozen wasteland, and a massive iceberg formed around the lizardman.

Satisfied, Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Natasha, the 'goods' you wanted are frozen at Third Street in Manhattan," he said before hanging up.

Sirens wailed as a fleet of police cars arrived, surrounding Ethan. He frowned as he noticed the NYPD officers drawing their weapons.

"If you don't want to become ice sculptures, leave now," Ethan warned, his voice icy and distorted as he altered it. The frost spread further across the street, and though the police couldn't fully grasp the danger, they felt the growing cold biting at their bones.

Chief George Stacy stepped forward with a megaphone. "Surrender now, or we will open fire!" he shouted, though the fear in his voice was palpable. He recognized the frozen lizardman and couldn't shake the memory of the icy carnage that had taken place in Hell's Kitchen.

Ethan's cold, indifferent gaze fixed on George, making him shiver. Despite every instinct telling him to run, George stood his ground—he was the protector of New York, and if he fled, the city would fall.

"Fire!" George shouted, and the sound of gunfire erupted. Bullets poured toward Ethan, but he stood there, unmoved. His body shifted into a misty, ice-like state, the bullets freezing and losing their momentum before they could reach him.

In the absolute zero field surrounding Ethan, all molecular motion ceased. The bullets, frozen mid-air, fell harmlessly to the ground.

"He's… unstoppable," one of the officers whispered in horror.

"That's the Ice Demon from Hell's Kitchen!" another screamed.

Cameras flashed, and reporters sent live feeds of the event worldwide. As fear and awe gripped the crowd, Ethan felt the desire points from their emotions flood into him, spiking his system.

He smiled beneath his mask. So this is the power of desire… No wonder demons thrived on collecting it. Ethan liked this feeling.

Suddenly, a figure dropped from above, landing a powerful kick that sent Ethan flying into a nearby shop. He crashed through the wall but quickly regained his footing.

Standing before him was Gwen Stacy, now fully donned in her black-and-white Ghost Spider suit.

"Hey, Ethan," she said teasingly. "Time's up. Let's go home."

Ethan chuckled under his breath. Well, this is going to be interesting.

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