"But... I still don't quite understand."
Gwen couldn't help but raise a new question:
"If none of this is related to the Web Event, then what's the deal with it? And what caused the collapse of the Universe Miguel went to?"
"If you can go to the year 2099 and replace the future Miguel of your Universe without any repercussions..."
"Then why couldn't he do the same?"
Facing Gwen's skepticism, Otto Parker subconsciously frowned, his expression seemingly saying, 'What level are you even at to be asking me questions?'
But before he could speak, Peter glanced at him sideways, a ball of blinding electricity quietly dancing at his fingertips.
Noticing that blinding flash of electricity, Otto Parker immediately behaved himself and spoke properly:
"This involves an abstract concept I discovered during my travels across dimensions."
"I call it the 'Totem'."
"To put it simply, the reason we became Spider-Men is all because of this Totem."
"The Totem chose us, granting us extraordinary power, but also causing us to fall into misfortune time and time again."
"If we, the chosen ones, die, the Totem will transfer this power to another person."
"For example, the Otto Parker of 2099 died, which is why Miguel became Spider-Man 2099. It's a form of succession."
Hearing'succession,' Number One couldn't help but make a quip:
"Hey, that makes it sound like he's your son..."
Number One had only meant to lighten the mood, but as soon as he finished speaking, he found Otto Parker staring coldly at him, the four spider-limbs on his back glinting with a chilling light.
This made him subconsciously swallow his saliva, and just as he was about to lower his head and play dead...
Pfft—hahahahaha!
The Spider-Men present suddenly burst into laughter:
"Oh man, you and I are on the same page."
"In fact, I was thinking the exact same thing, but you beat me to it!"
The tick mark on Otto Parker's forehead visibly darkened and thickened. He couldn't help but look at Peter and ask:
"How on earth do you have the patience to work with these idiots?"
"Uh... you know, patience is key in life." Peter couldn't resist throwing in a bad pun as well.
Otto Parker rolled his eyes. He felt like skewering Peter, but considering the other's combat power—which was still a bit away from a god's but far beyond a human's...
He ultimately gave up on that suicidal idea and spoke with a face full of annoyance:
"Anyway, I suspect the reason those Predators hunt us is because they value the power of the Totem within us."
"Our relationship with the Totem is like the paper and the frame of a kite."
"If the paper is damaged, you can replace it and keep using it."
"But if the frame is broken, even if you hastily paste on a new layer of paper, it won't be able to fly for long."
Otto Parker's kite theory was very easy to understand, allowing all the Little Spiders present to grasp the logic.
"So, that's why you had Miguel establish the Spider Alliance?" Peter's gaze turned playful as he vaguely guessed something.
"Exactly!" Otto Parker admitted without hesitation. "That was the second part of my plan!"
"After realizing the gravity of the situation, I knew I couldn't face those unknown monsters alone."
"I needed helpers, and even more, I needed cannon fodder!"
"So I had that fool Miguel form the Spider Alliance, gathering numerous Spider-Men from across the multiverse under the guise of 'protecting the Web Event'."
"It was a large-scale intelligence test that killed two birds with one stone."
At this point, Otto Parker couldn't help but smile smugly:
"Those who can see through the trickery are at least intelligent enough not to hold me back and are qualified to be my partners."
"As for those of you who couldn't see through such obvious traps..."
He tilted his head to look at the Little Spiders, a cold and dangerous light flickering in his eyes.
"You're perfect for being gathered together to serve as a distraction, aren't you?"
Otto Parker's words were subtle, but the Little Spiders still understood.
No wonder Otto Parker had called them cannon fodder right from the start!
In fact, this guy had planned from the beginning to use their grouping to attract the attention of those Predators.
On one hand, gathering in large numbers would definitely catch the eyes of the Predators.
This way, as the Predators hunted them on a large scale, it would naturally buy time for Otto Parker, who remained hidden beneath the surface.
On the other hand, Otto Parker could also gather more intelligence by observing their deaths!
At the thought that they were essentially 'lab rats' for Otto Parker's experiments, the Little Spiders were beyond furious!
Number Three could no longer contain himself. With bloodshot eyes, he rushed forward, grabbed Otto Parker by the collar, and roared:
"Do you have any idea how many people will die, how many Universes will be destroyed?! We are all Spider-Men! We are all equal individuals; what right do you have to do this?!"
"Let go, you fool!"
A cold light flashed from the spider-limbs on Otto Parker's back. They lunged out like vipers, instantly piercing through Number Three's palm.
"What do you think we're facing? A game of playing house?!"
"If you don't act as cannon fodder to collect data for me, where else is this intelligence supposed to come from?"
"Without the intelligence I've painstakingly gathered, you wouldn't even be qualified to be cannon fodder; you'd just be picked off one by one by those Predators."
"Would that outcome be any better than this?!"
"Don't be naive; this World has always been about the survival of the fittest."
"Sacrificing the Universes of you weaklings to ensure the survival of the Universes of us strong ones—isn't that much better than all of us going down together?!"
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of the indignant Little Spiders.
They... were speechless.
Yes, Otto Parker was right.
Although his methods were despicable, cold, and even inhumane...
From an absolutely rational perspective, this truly seemed to be the only way to break the deadlock.
Using the sacrifice of a few to gain the chance to find the enemy's weakness, thereby preserving more people and Universes.
And... hadn't they accepted this theory from the very beginning?
If they hadn't accepted it, they never would have joined the Spider Alliance because of the 'Web Event' in the first place.
So, in the end, all of this... was essentially their own choice.
Just as everyone fell into silence because of Otto Parker's words...
Boom!
A muffled explosion suddenly erupted in the area.
Everyone instinctively looked up, only to see Otto Parker flying backward, his body slamming heavily against the cold steel wall.
And Peter was now standing where Otto Parker had been, a soft white light glowing in his hand as he healed Number Three's pierced palm.
After finishing the healing, Peter, under Otto Parker's incredulous gaze, flickered and appeared beside him, lifting him up by the neck with one hand:
"Since, according to your theory, the weak deserve to die..."
"...then it would be perfectly reasonable for me to kill you right now, wouldn't it?"