Meanwhile, at Curt Connors's laboratory.
Peter changed into a white protective suit and entered the sterilization chamber.
As white disinfectant sprayed down, Peter entered the laboratory and immediately spotted Curt Connors waiting by the door.
He took a deep breath. "You wanted to see me."
"Peter, you're finally here."
With a kindly smile on his face, Curt Connors instructed his assistant to leave the laboratory.
Only he and Peter remained.
Once the assistant was gone, Peter's expression darkened.
"I told you I'd think about it. You don't need to send other people to remind me." He clenched his fist instinctively.
A month ago, Curt Connors had still been one of the scientists he respected most.
But then he had discovered the man's true colors.
He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
He had become a monster through and through.
This man was no longer the scientist Peter respected.
Professor Connors also knew that Peter hated him now.
But he had no choice, and he no longer cared.
He raised his empty left sleeve, then glanced at the stump of Peter's arm.
"Peter, time's up. I need your answer now."
"There's still one day left!" Peter struggled to contain his anger.
Curt Connors did not answer. Instead, he smiled and looked out at the park's lake.
Sunlight danced across its shimmering surface.
Everything was so beautiful.
He spoke slowly. "Peter, you know I'm the one who makes the rules.
"I'm out of patience now, and your brother happens to be here too. That makes certain things much easier for me.
"For example..."
Curt turned his gaze on Peter, his smile growing increasingly deranged.
"Killing your brother right here."
"You can't!"
Peter cried out, "If you do that, I'll never agree to help you."
"I don't care. You still have Ben Parker and May. There are plenty of people I can use to threaten you."
"You're a bastard!"
"That I am."
Peter lost control, and Professor Connors seemed to have achieved his goal. He regarded Peter mockingly.
"Either give me your answer now, or I'll give you Mark's corpse."
"No. You win. I'll do it."
Left with no choice, Peter finally made his decision.
He could not stall any longer.
He could only take things one step at a time.
His gaze grew resolute. "But I don't know much about biology. I might not be able to help you fix the flaws in the Regeneration Serum technology."
That was the truth.
Professor Connors shook his head. "No, Peter. You can."
He turned and switched on the computer. Complex genetic sequences overlapped countless times, finally forming a new genetic code.
"Your father Richard and I started researching this while he was still alive.
"Now, Peter, you're the only one who can help me."
There was a hint of pleading in Curt Connors's eyes, with no trace of a threat.
"But I can't understand any of this." Peter stared at the computer screen, his brow furrowed.
Professor Connors did not need him to understand it.
He said, "While your father was alive, he must have left something crucial behind. I need you to go back to your house and find it for me."
"My house?"
Peter breathed a sigh of relief. "The bank repossessed it after my father died."
"That's all right. I've already bought it," Professor Connors said with a smile.
Peter: "????"
He spent money buying a house? No wonder he kept complaining about insufficient research funding.
"Then you can look for it yourself," he said.
Curt shook his head. "I can't find it. He must have hidden it somewhere secret."
"My father never told me anything about this."
"Impossible. Richard was always meticulous. He would definitely have kept a backup of something this important."
"But..."
"No buts!"
As Peter continued to refuse, Professor Connors grew increasingly irritable.
He had no patience for Peter's nonsense.
As his emotions surged, green lizard scales inexplicably appeared on one side of his face, making him look hideous.
"You must do as I say!" He slammed his fist onto the keyboard.
Startled by the sight, Peter instinctively stepped back, his face turning pale.
The commotion also drew attention from outside.
"Professor Connors, what's happening in there?"
At the sound of Gwen Stacy's voice, Professor Connors hastily roared.
"Stay away!"
"Gwen Stacy, don't go in..."
"No, something must have happened. The professor and Peter are still inside..."
Ignoring the assistant's attempts to stop her, Gwen Stacy rushed into the laboratory.
Professor Connors had no time to react.
Gwen Stacy spotted the strange changes on Professor Connors's face, and her worried expression instantly turned to shock.
She pointed at Professor Connors in disbelief.
"Professor, you..."
"Damn it. I've been discovered."
Professor Connors's expression darkened. Then he exhaled, his face twisting viciously.
"Sorry, Peter. Other than you, I can't allow anyone to discover my secret."
The moment he said that, Peter understood what he intended to do.
"Gwen Stacy, run!"
As he shouted, he lunged at Curt Connors.
"Don't do this!"
BOOM!
The next instant, the laboratory shook violently. Professor Connors's muscles rapidly swelled, and green scales gleaming coldly emerged across his body.
In a mere instant, Professor Connors transformed into a green Lizard Man and reached out to hoist the charging Peter Parker into the air.
"Stay out of this, unless you can bear the consequences of angering me!"
Professor Connors glared viciously at Peter, tossed him aside, and charged at Gwen Stacy.
"Gwen Stacy, you have only yourself to blame for seeing something you shouldn't have."
The Regeneration Serum's side effects gradually replaced Professor Connors's reason with animal instinct.
With a savage grin, he lunged at Gwen Stacy. His long tail swept her up as he smashed through the wall and headed straight for the rooftop.
If possible, he did not want to kill this outstanding student with his own hands.
So he decided to kill her in a different
way.
At the same time.
"Holy shit!"
The chubby boy, who had been about to enjoy his lunch on the Emerald Lawn, suddenly swore. He clutched the top of his head and instinctively turned around.
A figure in red and blue was holding one of his hairs and cheering excitedly.
"Wisdom Flower, I'm going to plant the hell out of you!"
"What the fuck?"
Ned Leeds froze for a moment, then his expression changed.
"Oh no, it's the Unknown Evil Entity!"
He was a loyal reader of the Daily Bugle, so he knew very well how evil the Unknown Evil Entity Mr. Jameson spoke of was.
Only yesterday, this guy had stolen a dollar from an ordinary citizen.
Now he had plucked out Ned's hair as a prank.
Absolutely unforgivable!
"Hey, you damn jerk! That's rude!"
He stood up, planted his hands on his hips, and shouted angrily.
Meanwhile, Mark had discovered the ordinary beast guarding the Wisdom Flower.
"Hey, so it's a porcupine."
He casually held the angry porcupine in place, letting it roar furiously against his palm.
"You bastard, get your hand off me!"
With Mark's hand pressed against his face, Ned Leeds roared and flailed his arms, but his short limbs could never break free of the Unknown Evil Entity's restraint.
As Ned shouted abuse, more and more students gathered around.
"Oh my God! Look, it's Spider-Man, the Unknown Evil Entity!"
"It's him! I saw the news. He ditched the bedsheet and broom and got a new suit. That's the one."
"Stop it, you damn Unknown Evil Entity..."
Everyone around him condemned him, but Mark ignored the growing crowd of ordinary porcupines.
He put away the Wisdom Flower seed and considered the situation.
So many wild beasts have appeared nearby. Looks like I'll have to reinforce the cabin.
BOOM!
Suddenly, an explosion erupted in the distant forest, and another notification appeared before his eyes.
[Bruce has discovered traces of the Demon. Please go to his aid immediately!!!]