[Item: Red Mushroom (eating it makes you grow)]
This was an item Du Mu had obtained a while ago.
Seeing that Peter was about to lose, Du Mu decisively ate the Red Mushroom. His body instantly doubled in size, growing even a head taller than Hulk!
At the same time, all his stats skyrocketed, allowing him to easily block Hulk's punch.
Not only that, Du Mu's clothes grew along with him, unlike Hulk's, which had burst apart along with his pants and shoes, leaving him wearing only a pair of underwear.
But it had to be said, Hulk's underwear was impressively durable. After such an intense battle, it didn't show a single sign of damage.
Looking at Du Mu, who was even larger than himself, a flicker of surprise crossed Hulk's eyes.
But that surprise vanished in an instant, swallowed up by a surging fury!
"Roar!!"
Hulk let out a furious roar and swung his enormous fist, bigger than a cooking pot, viciously at Du Mu!
Du Mu didn't dodge. He swung his own fist to meet it!
Boom!!!
Two colossal fists packed with terrifying force collided head-on!
A violent shock wave burst out, instantly toppling Peter and the nearby bookshelves!
Taking advantage of the brief stalemate after their fists collided, Du Mu tried to reason with him. "Calm down, Hulk. I'm here to help you!"
"Roar!!"
But Hulk wouldn't listen. He roared and prepared to swing again.
However, Du Mu was faster!
"Muay Thai Warning!"
Du Mu stepped forward sharply and slammed an elbow into Hulk's face!
Thud!!
A deep, thunderous impact rang out!
Hulk was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into a row of heavy bookshelves in the distance. Splintered wood and books flew everywhere, burying him in an instant.
Peter struggled out from under a pile of scattered books, coughing as he brushed the dust off himself. He stared at Du Mu's towering figure and the collapsed bookshelves in the distance, completely stunned.
Were student athletes really this strong these days?
"Roar!!!"
An enraged roar exploded from the rubble of books!
Hulk flung the books and shelves off himself and glared at Du Mu, his eyes burning with pure fury.
Clearly, Du Mu had managed to enrage the beast!
With another roar, Hulk's massive body surged forward again, charging at Du Mu without a care.
Du Mu deftly sidestepped the charge and swiftly swept his right leg into the back of Hulk's supporting knee!
Thud!
Hulk's charge abruptly faltered, and he stumbled.
Taking advantage of Hulk's momentary imbalance, Du Mu followed up with a knee strike, driving it hard into Hulk's chest and abdomen!
"Ow!"
Hulk grunted as the blow sent his body arching upward.
Du Mu didn't let up. He bent his left arm and brought his elbow down on Hulk's back like a heavy axe, accompanied by a rush of wind!
Smack!
The heavy blow sent Hulk sprawling face-first onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust!
Hulk's strength was indeed terrifying, but he had almost no combat skills.
At the same size, Hulk was no match for Du Mu.
Hulk struggled to get back up, but Du Mu forced him down and looped an arm around his thick neck, squeezing harder and harder.
"Roar! Roar!"
Hulk struggled with all his might, his limbs pounding wildly against the ground and smashing deep holes into the floor. But Du Mu used leverage to lock down his key points, and for the moment, Hulk couldn't break free.
Watching Hulk struggle, Du Mu reassured him. "It's okay, Hulk. Feeling dizzy is normal!"
Peter hurried over to help, putting all his strength into holding Hulk down.
With the two of them working together, the fury in Hulk's eyes gradually gave way to a clear, bewildered look, and his body visibly began to shrink.
Before long, Hulk had turned back into his human form, Bruce Banner.
"Just in time."
As Du Mu spoke, his body shrank back to its normal size as well.
The Red Mushroom only lasted for a limited time.
If they'd taken any longer, or if Hulk's anger had continued to build, the situation might have completely turned against them.
"Cool, is that your superpower?" Peter asked enviously.
"No, I just took a drug that temporarily made me bigger."
Noticing Peter's gaze, Du Mu grinned. "You want one? I've got another piece here. It works about the same. If you like it, you can have it."
"Really? Are you sure that's okay?" Peter said, looking a little embarrassed.
"It's fine. I don't need it anyway."
Du Mu pulled a blue pill from his Game Inventory and tossed it to Peter. "Remember, when you're feeling listless and weak, take this pill. I guarantee you'll be back to full strength in an instant!"
Peter caught the Blue Pill and carefully tucked it into his shirt. "Got it. This is a trump card to use only when it really matters."
"Yeah, looks like you understand perfectly."
While they were talking, Bruce had already come to. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around in confusion.
"You're awake?"
Du Mu suddenly leaned in close to Bruce.
Bruce jumped and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Du Mu. I'm here to help you escape."
"Help me escape?"
Bruce didn't remember what happened while he was transformed into Hulk. Noticing that he was still inside Midtown High School, he asked in surprise, "Hulk didn't get out? Did General Ross manage to take it down?"
"Oh no, I took it down."
"..."
Bruce was speechless for a moment, hardly able to believe it.
He knew all too well how destructive Hulk was. Even General Ross's army would have little chance of doing any real damage to Hulk.
And this man in front of him had beaten Hulk!?
But with the evidence right before him, Bruce had no choice but to believe it.
"Thank you for stopping Hulk."
Bruce didn't blame Du Mu for preventing him from escaping. He was filled with gratitude instead.
If they left Hulk unchecked, who knew how much destruction he might cause, or how many people might die? Bruce couldn't accept that. It was why he'd tried everything he could to get rid of Hulk.
Du Mu waved a hand. "It's no big deal. Let's get out of here before we talk."
"Guys, I should warn you: the military has surrounded the school. Getting out might be a little difficult."
Peter had decided Bruce didn't seem like a bad person, so he kindly warned them.
Du Mu chuckled. "No worries. I've got a shortcut out of here."
A little over ten minutes later.
More than a thousand meters from Midtown High School, Du Mu and Bruce emerged from underground.
"That pickaxe of yours is incredible."
Bruce stared at the Diamond Pickaxe in Du Mu's hand, his face full of shock.
"No, no. Your Hulk is even more incredible."
Du Mu had no idea where the extra weight that appeared out of nowhere when Bruce transformed into Hulk came from.
Was it photosynthesis?
After all, Hulk was so green.