NOVEL WEB Chapter 637: New Rules
When the new round of the Quiz game began, light screens suddenly appeared across all the multiverse worlds. For ordinary people, it felt like a grand spectacle was about to unfold!
However, most of the audience was still reeling from the previous round, their hearts pounding with unease. The public trial conducted during the Quiz game had been downright terrifying.
The image of that enormous, menacing eye had left an indelible impression on everyone, making some wonder if this so-called game was the work of some devil or demon.
After all, the sheer malevolence and dread evoked by that giant eyeball were hard to ignore. And now, seeing the game forcibly drag an innocent, naive little boy into its clutches made it even more horrifying. It was hard to believe that even a child as young as this wouldn't be spared.
Of course, for some people, this outcome wasn't entirely unexpected.
Take the Avengers and the veteran players, for example. They'd already suspected this boy would eventually be chosen to participate. After all, his name was Peter Parker, the future Spider-Man himself. His fate was almost written in stone.
"Honestly, I didn't believe it at first. But now, I have to admit—kid, no, I should say Spider-Man—you're clearly the star of this game. Three versions of you from different parallel worlds have been chosen already!"
Tony Stark sighed as he clapped a hand on the young Peter's shoulder, his tone full of regret.
When the golden pillar of light descended moments ago, Tony had thought he was being chosen again. But instead, the beam fell on Queens. He rushed over immediately, only to witness a very young Peter being transported by the golden light.
Not long after, the others arrived as well. The first Spider-Man (the Tobey Maguire version) was now comforting Aunt May, trying to ease her worries.
Tony also chimed in, reassuring her: "Don't worry too much. We've all participated in these games before. Peter… Well, he's young, but there will be people to look out for him. Stephen and Pietro are on the same team. I'm confident they'll take care of him."
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Meanwhile, in the Eternal Space, the game hadn't officially started yet.
Doctor Strange let out a helpless sigh as he glanced at the player lineup. Judging by the distribution, it seemed likely this round would involve team competition, just like the previous one.
And based on appearances, it looked like the game had already divided them into teams: one team comprised three players from the X-Men universe, while the other had three players from the Marvel universe.
Stephen Strange wasn't a fan of team competition. It brought too many variables. And if his hunch about the team distribution was correct, their side was already at a disadvantage. After all, they had a little kid on their team—barely more than a baby—who would be lucky not to drag them down, let alone contribute anything meaningful.
"Waaah…"
Little Peter blinked his wide eyes, looking around the unfamiliar space in a daze. Without his aunt or uncle by his side, fear and panic quickly overwhelmed him. His eyes welled up, and before long, he burst into tears.
Once he started crying, he couldn't stop, sobbing uncontrollably as tears streamed down his face.
Pietro, looking exasperated, crouched down to try and console the child. "Hey, hey, stop crying. It's safe here. No one's going to hurt you… Geez, Spider-Man was this timid as a kid? Listen, it's just like a school test, okay? There'll be questions later, and if you answer them correctly, you'll get a reward. Be good…"
Having been an older brother before, Pietro's skills at handling children weren't perfect, but they were leagues ahead of Stephen, who stood awkwardly to the side, clearly out of his depth.
Stephen, lacking both experience and patience, chuckled dryly. "Wow, Pietro, I'm starting to believe you really are a good big brother. Is this how you used to handle Wanda when she was little?"
Pietro rolled his eyes. "Give me a break. Wanda was way better behaved than this kid."
He couldn't help but reflect on his and Wanda's difficult childhood. After war destroyed their once-happy family, the siblings had to rely on each other, enduring countless hardships and dangers. Through it all, they remained strong.
Compared to that, Little Peter's life seemed far more fortunate. Even without his biological parents, he still had loving guardians who cared deeply for him.
Still, Pietro gritted his teeth and managed to calm Peter down. The boy, his face streaked with tears, finally stopped crying.
Just then, a booming voice echoed from above:
[This round of the Quiz game is a team competition. Player Erik Lehnsherr, Player Charles Xavier, and Player Logan Howlett are Team A. Player Pietro Maximoff, Player Peter Parker, and Player Stephen Strange are Team B.]
Stephen sighed, his suspicions confirmed. He turned to glance at Peter, whose big, tear-swollen eyes made him look even more pitiful, and shook his head. "This hardly seems fair. They've got three proper players, and we've got… two and a half at best."
Pietro gave another eye roll. "Not like we can change the rules, can we?"
He crouched down again to speak gently to Peter. "Listen, kiddo, we're friends with your aunt and uncle. We won't hurt you, okay? Just think of this as a classroom test. Stay calm, answer the questions, and we'll all go home safely in no time."
Peter wiped his eyes with his sleeve and sniffled. Then, in his small, childlike voice, he said, "Okay… I'll listen to you, big brother. I know you! You're the wizard, right? The one who draws circles and defeats bad guys!"
Hearing this, Pietro couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration. Despite all his effort in calming the kid down, Peter seemed far more impressed by Stephen.
Scratching his head, Pietro thought to himself, I was the one consoling you! That guy didn't even lift a finger, and you're already running to him? Ugh, compared to Strange, I guess I really am just a background character.
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The Quiz game's successive rounds and revelations of future events had sent shockwaves through the multiverse. Names like Iron Man, Batman, Captain America, Thor, Superman, and Spider-Man were now known far and wide.
Of all the heroes, Tony, Bruce, Steve, Clark, and Peter stood out the most. Their frequent appearances in future videos had cemented their status as household names across the multiverse.
Others, like Thor, Strange, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Scarlet Witch, also left lasting impressions thanks to their iconic moments.
For Strange, it was his mastery of time, his face-off against Dormammu of the Dark Dimension, and his pivotal role in the fight against Thanos that had solidified his fame.
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