The moment a star, compressed to a size smaller than a human, hurtled toward Peter, he felt the physical sensation of space-time warping. If not for the fact that this star's mass wasn't quite large enough, the King in Black likely would have just hurled a black hole at him.
Regardless, it was terrifying.
Peter pushed the Uni-Power to its absolute limit, breaking free from the gravitational tether. The King in Black, as if anticipating exactly where he would emerge, moved to block his path and delivered a kick—only to strike a phantom.
"Magic again... you certainly have a diverse repertoire."
"I don't get it. Why is my Spider-Sense barely reacting?" Peter asked, perplexed, as he traded blows with the King in Black. "Is it because you aren't trying to win, or is there some other reason?"
"There is no 'why.' I made myself clear: what you are doing now makes me wary, so I've come to advise you against it. That is all."
As Peter dodged, he recalled the King in Black's words and began to piece it together. The King in Black had discovered Peter was researching how to dismantle the symbiote hive mind, and thus intervened. Ultimately, this was all Knull's fault. If Knull hadn't created that special version of Carnage, why would Peter be researching this in the first place? And without that research, why would he have encountered the King in Black?
Yet, Peter still found the logic fuzzy: "According to you, you've already supplanted the Klyntar of countless universes where Spider-Men were controlled by symbiotes. And yet, you're wary of my actions?"
"You don't know? I assumed your universe had its own guide."
The King in Black's tone remained flat. He casually pulled the sphere back and slammed it toward Peter again. Peter scrambled out of the way, chatting to keep the enemy talking while he strategized: "What guide? Uh... you mean Madame Web?"
"It seems you are ignorant of the Totems—specifically the significance of unique Totems like yours."
Peter witnessed a horrifying sight: the King in Black shot a web into the starry void. For a split second, Peter thought the man was going to pull a literal star down onto his head, but the reality was worse. Space itself was torn asunder. Reality was ripped open by sheer brute force, and the King in Black lunged forward with speed Peter almost failed to track, landing a heavy punch.
In an instant, the two of them went flying to a destination unknown.
"The purpose of the Scion is not to serve the other Totems or to act as their laborer. The significance of the Scion lies in the fact that he possesses all possibilities—just as you now study magic, interact with symbiotes, and have become Captain Universe!"
Peter didn't even know where the King in Black had sent him. He only knew he seemed to have crashed through a planet. Instinctively, he fired a web, anchoring himself to the surface of the world he had just perforated to bring himself to a halt.
The King in Black was already standing behind him.
"Therefore, you too could become the King in Black."
Because Peter could become the King in Black—supplanting Knull in a certain future of Earth-616—the current King in Black was vigilant. He could not guarantee that the Scion, upon obtaining such vast power, would make the same choices he had. Furthermore, Peter currently possessed Anti-Venom and was actively researching how to collapse the symbiote hive mind network.
He might actually possess the future capability to dismantle the symbiote consciousness across the entire multiverse. That was why the King in Black had come to see for himself.
"So you really are just here to check on me?"
"I require a guarantee. A guarantee that you will not do it."
"Why?!" Peter started to argue but then caught himself. "Oh, you're not going to say, are you? Because you're a 'riddle-man.' You've got some grand plan you can't tell me about, right?"
Though the King in Black was entirely covered by the symbiote, Peter could still sense a... disapproving gaze.
But that meant Peter had guessed correctly.
The King in Black—or perhaps the Spider-Geddon collective—had a plan even more monumental than what Anansi had told him. In an infinite multiverse, anything was possible. Theoretically, there should be more than just a few god-tier Spider Totems. So why did Anansi seek out these specific individuals to form the Spider-Army?
"So, you really aren't going to talk?!"
Peter fashioned webs out of pure light, tethering two stars together across a span of several light-years. Using gravity to create a makeshift slingshot, he turned himself into the projectile and launched at full speed toward the King in Black. The latter didn't even flinch, simply stating a single sentence.
"We are in the Negative Zone."
The Negative Zone?
In a flash, Peter realized the danger and frantically tried to maneuver away. The Negative Zone was a unique dimension in the Marvel Universe, defined by one major characteristic: it was filled with anti-matter.
What happens when a person enters a space filled with anti-matter?
The King in Black did nothing, quietly watching as Peter was bombarded by anti-matter for several seconds. With the Uni-Power protecting him, Peter wasn't obliterated, and he was able to quickly adjust his biological state. In fact, before he realized he was in the Negative Zone, the anti-matter hadn't even reacted to him.
It was only after the King in Black mentioned it that the bombardment truly intensified.
"Your combat experience is lacking. It may be sufficient for your age, but it is not enough for your enemies. I have witnessed the decline of all my foes; they tried to resist me even in their twilight years. I have fought for countless eons, and that is what you lack."
"Believe me, I've only been Spider-Man for a year, and I've been through way more than the rest of you."
Amidst the surrounding explosions, Peter appeared behind the King in Black and swung his sword. The King in Black remained still, returning to the previous topic: "Then there is the Bride. To be clear, this does not mean a bride for the Scion. The Bride governs the randomness and the magical nature of the Great Web."
"Simply put, if the Web of Destiny were ever altered so that conventional Spider Totems no longer appeared, the Web could still 'accidentally' birth a Spider Totem so long as the Bride exists. Furthermore, if the Web is damaged and the Master Weaver is dead, the Bride is the only one capable of weaving—excluding Neith, though I have never sensed her."
"Fine, thanks for the lesson," Peter said as his Dragonfang blade pierced the other's body. "Why didn't you dodge?"
"This body belongs to Knull, child." The King in Black looked at Peter. "Knull is the manifestation of the Living Abyss. Which is to say, Knull himself can be a symbiote."
In the next heartbeat, Peter saw the Living Abyss rushing toward him like a tidal wave.
"...Right. Combat experience."
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