On a chaotic street, several vehicles were engulfed in flames, sporadically releasing the sounds of burning material exploding. The acrid black smoke and dust swirled in the air, and aside from these sounds, the nearly deserted street was eerily silent.

A tall figure smirked slightly, his expression calm, as he grasped the car door.

Gwen Stacy, lying on the ground, stared wide-eyed at this figure. Who was he? She had never seen him before; he didn't seem to be a member of the superheroes! Yet he could easily withstand the enormous strength of the Lizard Man.

"This... how is this possible?"

The Lizard Connor's pupils suddenly constricted to the size of pinpoints. The superpower he had worked so hard to obtain appeared utterly useless in front of this unfamiliar man!

He had clearly used all his strength to deal with the Ghost Spider just moments ago. Yet this person had blocked him effortlessly with just one hand, and his left hand was casually tucked into his pocket, exuding an air of ease.

"Hey."

Hode winked with a teasing smile, "You're so weak. Isn't it better to stay in the sewer? Why are you wandering around aimlessly?"

As he spoke, a blue glow emerged around his wrist. If one looked closely, they would see a distinct pattern of a bull's head. This was clearly the power of the Bull Talismans!

With the Bull Talismans, one would gain extraordinary strength and immense physical power. The powerful magic of the bull grants the bearer immense strength, greatly increases overall stamina, and significantly boosts brute force. Simultaneously, striking force, impact power, and the destructive power of physical attacks are all greatly enhanced.

Although it might be somewhat inadequate against cosmic-level beings, it was more than enough for enemies on the surface.

"You!"

"You damned bastard!"

The Lizard Connor roared in fury; this humiliation was unbearable for him. His enormous tail swung violently, aiming to strike Gwen down on the ground.

Seeing the powerful strike coming her way, Gwen instinctively braced her hands on either side of her head, preparing to dodge.

In a split second, Hode lifted his foot and kicked at the Lizard, creating a tremendous gust of wind!

Boom!

The Lizard was sent crashing into the wall of a nearby street, like a kite with its strings cut. The crumbling wall collapsed with a deafening roar, leaving behind a massive hole.

"This strength! Is this a carbon-based life form?!"

Gwen was stunned. She had sensed the terrifying power of the Lizard in their earlier confrontation, which could tear a car apart. But in front of this young man, the Lizard was dealt with effortlessly?!

She even detected a hint of amusement in the young man's expression, as if he had just swatted away a fly.

Gwen began to doubt whether she was dreaming; this was an entirely different level of power.

"How long are you going to lie there?"

Hode withdrew his leg and looked down at Gwen with a calm expression.

"Huh?"

Gwen was momentarily taken aback. "Oh... I'm sorry..."

It dawned on her that she was still lying on the ground. Just as she prepared to leap up, she suddenly felt an overwhelming rush of hormones.

To her astonishment, this mysterious man was now kneeling on one knee, lifting her effortlessly into his arms.

The sudden princess carry made Gwen's mind go blank. Her thoughts scrambled, and the face under her mask burned with embarrassment. She never expected this man would do such a thing!

This was the first time she had ever been lifted like that.

"Um... I'm fine! I can get up by myself!"

After a moment, she stammered, her body involuntarily squirming.

Whether intentional or not, her every motion seemed to radiate ambiguity. Through the thin fabric of her Ghost Spider suit, she could even feel the warmth of his palms.

This only accelerated her heartbeat as her large eyes widened under the mask.

"Mm."

Hode nodded slightly, his expression unfazed as he gently released Gwen.

"Are you alright?"

Not far away, Wanda shot Hode an irritated glare before shifting her gaze to Gwen. Even though Hode appeared serious, she sensed that he was not so kind-hearted.

"I'm fine."

Gwen's attention turned to the approaching woman. Upon seeing her, her eyes widened with disbelief.

"You... you're the Scarlet Witch?! I actually ran into an Avenger!"

"I'm your biggest fan; I've always admired you!"

"Don't pay attention to what those guys outside are saying; I know that's not how it is!"

"And by the way... you're absolutely beautiful!"

After seeing Wanda, Gwen cast aside everything that had just happened and excitedly ran up to her idol, babbling enthusiastically.

"Thank you!"

Wanda smiled and nodded at the lively Gwen.

"By the way, are you a superhero too?"

Gwen tilted her head to look at Hode, frowning in thought; she had no recollection of him. "But I don't think I've ever seen you before?"

She followed the news about the Avengers closely; if he had been on television, she would have remembered. Yet this young man had never appeared, as far as she could tell.

"I'm not a superhero."

Hode shrugged his shoulders, his expression still indifferent, with his eyes inadvertently scanning Gwen's figure.

85, 56, 90.

Wow!

For her age, her figure was quite impressive!

Although Gwen did not have as good a height and body as Wanda, she exuded a distinctly different charm.

If Wanda was melancholic and alluring, Gwen radiated an energetic youthfulness—like an 18-year-old college student.

As Hode admired the beauty, a sudden noise of gravel crunching behind him caught his attention.

The Lizard emerged slowly from the hole, gasping as he glared at the three of them. Seeing them standing there chatting irritated him to no end, making his whole body tremble with rage.

They clearly didn't take him seriously at all!

"I almost forgot you were still here."

Hode redirected his gaze, now displeased as he looked at the Lizard.

He was reminiscing about youthful beauty, yet this pesky Lizard kept interrupting.

This was seriously dampening his spirits.

"Die!"

The lizardman, Connor, was seething with rage, his fury ignited by Hode's disdain. He charged at Hode like a madman.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

With each furious step the lizardman took, the ground trembled slightly beneath him. The surface he ran over cracked under his weight.

"Watch out, Hode!" Wanda exclaimed, unable to contain her concern as she witnessed the furious scene unfolding. This monster looked ready to fight to the death.

"He's incredibly strong; you need to be careful…" Gwen, standing nearby, also took a combat stance, prepared to provide support.

But before she could finish her sentence, a searing beam shot from Hode's eyes. This terrifying ray seemed capable of piercing anything in existence, and with immense force, it struck directly through the lizardman's chest.

In that instant, green blood erupted out, and the lizardman looked down in disbelief, his pupils trembling uncontrollably. A huge gaping wound marred his abdomen, revealing the scene behind him through the hole.

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