"If you really want to do something, go get the case from my car." Merlin tossed her the keys to his motorcycle.
"OK!"
Hannah cast Merlin a worried glance, but she knew she could not help here at all and would only hold him back. She could only grip the keys tightly and head toward the garage.
"Merlin!" Accompanied by a hoarse, low voice, the Lizardman appeared before Merlin. Its massive claws reached for him, but it did not seem to intend to hurt him—only capture him.
"Buzz!" But just as those vicious claws were about to touch him, a powerful wave of electric arcs suddenly shot out.
The immense impact made the Lizardman's towering body stumble, forcing it to take several steps back.
However, just as the Lizardman staggered back and was about to regain its balance, two strands of webbing suddenly shot out from behind it and stuck to its shoulders.
Wearing a black-and-white skintight suit that perfectly showcased her graceful figure, Gwen Spider-Man had somehow landed behind it. She grabbed the webbing with both hands and yanked hard.
Bang! The off-balance Lizardman immediately sprawled flat on the ground with a dull thud.
"Woohoo, beautiful teamwork, buddy. Nice job." Gwen cheered and gave Merlin a thumbs-up over the Lizardman lying between them.
"I think you'd better use your webs to tie him up." Merlin pointed at the Lizardman, which was struggling to get up.
"Oh, sorry. It's my first time encountering a monster like this. I got a little excited." Gwen smacked her forehead, then held out both hands. White, sticky webs shot out in succession, sticking to the Lizardman's foreclaws and feet as it pushed itself up.
"Spider-Man!" Peter looked up at Gwen across from him, a trace of longing flashing through his eyes.
But when he thought of the savage Lizard reflection in the mirror, he instantly became grief-stricken and crazed.
Roar!!! With a howl, he broke free of the webs in an instant and charged after Merlin again without looking back.
"Damn it!" Merlin was speechless. He remembered having no grudge against Peter. They were even good friends, so why was Peter so fixated on him after becoming a Lizardman?
Thinking of Peter's strange behavior just now, he more or less guessed the identity of the Lizardman before him.
Merlin pulled the trigger at the charging Lizardman, sending another atomic energy arc wave straight at its head.
But because the Atomic Gun in his hand was not yet perfected, its power was not very great. Prepared this time, the Lizardman raised an arm to block it and continued toward him as if nothing had happened.
Gwen also fired webs from behind in an attempt to stop it, but just like the atomic energy arc wave, they only slowed it slightly before its tremendous strength tore them apart.
"No, no, no, you can't keep moving forward." Gwen grew anxious. Her hands moved rapidly, and dense webbing shot from her wrists, all of it wrapping around the creature's tail.
She gripped the thick webbing, braced her feet firmly against the ground, leaned back, and pulled against the Lizardman with all her strength.
But the next moment, she suddenly lost her footing and was flung backward. A thick green severed tail wrapped in webbing landed beside her, its tip even twitching twice.
"So gross..." Looking at the Lizard's severed tail, which resembled a tentacle, she muttered before quickly getting up. She shot a web toward the ceiling, stuck it to the exhibition hall's roof, and swung away.
Peter glanced back at his severed tail and snorted. A new tail grew back at a visible speed.
Bang! Seizing that moment, an atomic blast struck his head, instantly leaving him dazed.
But whether it affected some nerve, the hit instead stirred the madness within him. He bared his vicious fangs at Merlin with a low growl and charged at him like a car.
Merlin pulled the trigger again, only to discover that the weapon's stored energy had been depleted.
"Merlin!" At that moment, an anxious shout came from the entrance. Hannah rushed back into the exhibition hall, panting and carrying a silver case.
Merlin's eyes lit up. Facing the charging Lizardman, he did not hesitate at all. He tossed the Atomic Gun aside and, instead of retreating, charged straight at it.
"Merlin!" Seeing him rush forward, Gwen, still in the air, could not help crying out.
With the Lizardman between them, Hannah seemed to guess Merlin's plan. In perfect coordination, she hurled the case in her hands with all her strength.
Under Gwen and Hannah's worried gazes, Merlin and the Lizardman drew closer and closer. Despite the enormous difference in their sizes, Merlin showed no sign of slowing down. Instead, he grew faster and faster.
He could even smell the foul stench coming off the creature's body.
Seeing Merlin within reach, the Lizardman suddenly swung its claws at him.
As the giant claws closed in, Merlin suddenly leaned back, dropped to his knees, and slid beneath them, passing by the creature.
Bang! The weapon case Hannah had thrown landed perfectly in his arms.
Open the case, take the gun, load the magazine, release the safety, grip it, turn, tilt his head, aim... the entire sequence flowed without a hitch.
When the Lizardman turned around, it faced a dark, hollow muzzle.
Rat-a-tat-tat... The MK2 Bullpup Rifle spat dazzling muzzle flashes as a barrage of bullets screamed forth.
But although the dense bullets struck the creature, they did not cause much damage.
"Useless!" Peter raised an arm to shield his more vulnerable eyes and continued charging at Merlin through the barrage.
The bullets embedded in his body were quickly squeezed out, and his wounds healed rapidly.
Yet the next moment, his expression suddenly changed. He stared at his arm in panic. "What is this?"
The bullets embedded in his body had suddenly ignited, blazing flames spreading from his arm across his entire body.
Roar!!!! Like a giant setting himself ablaze, he threw back his head and roared in agony.
Merlin's ammunition happened to run out as well. Just as he was about to grab a new magazine, Peter suddenly sprinted madly toward the restroom, his body engulfed in flames.
Merlin quickly inserted another magazine, then raised the rifle and cautiously gave chase.
Gwen, who had just landed, snapped out of her shock and hurried after him along the ceiling.
"Drip! Drip!..." The men's restroom was a mess. The mirrors were covered in cracks, as though someone had smashed them with a hard punch.
Everything was silent except for the dripping water and the crackling sparks from the lights.
Holding his rifle up, Merlin approached a destroyed toilet stall. The wooden partitions around it had been completely shattered, leaving behind patches of black scorch marks.
The toilet inside had been completely smashed apart, exposing the sewer opening below.
Before you continue