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*****
Staring at the card in his hand, Mike's face was a mask of utter bewilderment. A moment later, his facial muscles began to twitch uncontrollably, and he tossed the card aside in disgust.
On the face of the card was a person—or rather, two people—inexplicably "entwined" together. They looked like two vines, their limbs and body parts twisted around each other in a chaotic mess.
Mike reached out with his senses to gauge the power dwelling within the card and let out a helpless, heavy sigh.
It was a failure. A total dud.
While the raw power level wasn't terrible—it reached the level of a Rank 3 Enhancement—this card had been the result of a fusion using two Rank 3 cards as the primary materials, supported by several auxiliary cards. To end up with this could only be described as a disaster.
Mike tucked it away with a flick of his wrist.
"Just an accident. Just a statistical anomaly..." Mike muttered to himself, pulling out several more cards to begin the fusion process once again.
Success! Success!
Then, when he attempted another fusion using two high-level enhanced cards as the core...
Failure!
Looking at the resulting card, Mike's face went dark.
Unbelievable. You've got to be kidding me!
Give him a little taste of success just to stab him in the back right after? Mike let out a cold, cynical "Heh." This system had clearly learned its tricks from a certain legendary shady merchant.
Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Mike brought out another pile of cards and resumed the cycle of fusion and enhancement.
Half an hour later, Mike looked like he had aged several years. His expression was grim. He had suffered heavy losses today...
He rubbed his temples, feeling a dull ache throbbing in his brain. It wasn't until he looked at the sole remaining card sitting on the table that he felt a small modicum of comfort.
On that card, a man stood with a gaze of cold disdain, looking down upon the world. Floating behind him were countless longswords, shimmering like a river of stars. He looked absolutely peerless.
This was a fused Ability Card, and Mike was deeply satisfied with it. However, when he thought about the mountain of cards he had just incinerated to produce it, he sucked in a breath of cold air, his teeth aching at the memory of the cost. He tucked it away safely.
Checking the time, Mike stood up and leisurely strolled out of the house toward a nearby supermarket. It was getting late; it was the perfect time to pick up ingredients for dinner.
Queens, New York. The Parker Residence.
"Gwen, the prom... has anyone asked you yet?"
"Ugh! What a stupid question! Of course someone has already asked Gwen!"
Peter Parker covered his face with his hands, his palms slowly sliding down his skin in despair.
After a few seconds of silence, Peter slapped his cheeks with both hands to psych himself up. "Come on! You can do this, Peter Parker!"
"You can't give up! This is your last chance!"
They were about to graduate from middle school. In their world, a prom date often had a very high probability of becoming a boyfriend or girlfriend. Many students chose to confess their feelings right after the dance, and according to Peter's research, the success rate for those post-prom confessions was a staggering eighty percent.
In other words, if Gwen accepted someone else's invitation, there was a huge chance she would become that person's girlfriend.
Someone else's girlfriend...
Just the thought of that title made Peter's heart twist into a painful knot. He felt like he was suffocating.
"No, no!" Peter shook his head violently.
He absolutely could not allow that to happen! Faced with such a dire possibility, Peter had managed to find the courage to confess for the first time in his life. But every time he imagined actually standing before Gwen—the girl he had carried a torch for throughout the years—his face turned a shade of red that rivaled a ripe tomato.
After all, this was Gwen. She was perfect.
Slapping his face again, Peter whispered to himself, trying to find the right "vibe."
"Gwen, the graduation prom... may I have the honor of taking you?"
"No, no, that sounds too weak! I should be more dominant. Girls like the 'alpha' type..."
Peter cleared his throat, gave a soft cough, and intentionally lowered his voice to a deep, gravelly tone. "Gwen, you should feel honored—because I've decided you're going to be my date!"
As soon as the words left his lips, Peter's brow furrowed. He imagined Gwen's likely reaction and instinctively shrunk his neck back. In Gwen's presence, there weren't many people in the world who could make her feel "honored." For him to say that was simply delusional. Besides, Gwen hated arrogant people.
Peter pursed his lips and murmured, "Well, I can keep the deep voice, but maybe change the words..."
"Ahem. Beautiful Miss Gwen, care to spend a lovely evening together?"
Slap!
Peter hit his own forehead hard. Saying it like that made him feel like a common thug!
"Gwen, do you have a date for the prom yet? If not, I can help out, you know!"
He paused, then sighed in frustration. "That makes it sound like she can't find a date. But... how is that even possible?"
Shaking his head, Peter flashed a bright, practiced smile at the mirror and continued his rehearsal. "Gwen..."
BANG!
The door suddenly swung open. Peter jumped nearly a foot into the air, spinning around with a look of pure mortification. "Aunt May! Why didn't you knock?!"
May Parker let out a long, weary sigh. "Peter, I honestly just couldn't listen to it anymore."
Peter: (Д)ノ
She heard everything. Every. Single. Word.
Peter's toes curled against the floorboards, making a faint scratching sound as he tried to disappear into himself.
Seeing her nephew's state, May couldn't help but chuckle. Ignoring Peter's "I-want-to-sink-through-the-floor" expression, she said softly, "Don't worry, Peter! You're a wonderful young man. You're more than good enough for any girl."
Peter froze, letting out a silent sigh in his heart. No, Aunt May, you don't know who Gwen really is...
May walked over and patted Peter's head, her voice gentle and encouraging. "If you really like Gwen, then just be bold and tell her. Say what's truly in your heart."
"But..."
"Don't be afraid of being rejected. If you never speak up, you'll live with a much greater regret."
Peter paused, then nodded slowly. "I... I understand."
May smiled, gave his nose a playful flick, and said, "Have a little confidence in yourself! She'll feel the sincerity of your feelings."
At those words, Peter's face flushed red again.
May smiled secretly to herself and turned to leave. Once she was out in the hallway, she pumped her fist in a quiet celebration. Even if things hadn't worked out between her and Mike, if her nephew and Mike's daughter ended up together, then...
"That counts as a victory!" May Parker giggled to herself.
Gwen's graduation prom was fast approaching, and before she could attend, she needed to prepare a dress.
Gwen looked at Raven, finally putting down her book with a look of utter helplessness.
"My dear Aunt Raven, I haven't even decided if I'm going yet."
"You're going! You absolutely must go!" Raven looked at Gwen with a serious expression. "This is a major turning point in your life! You're stepping into a new stage of existence!"
"But I don't even have a date."
"No date?" Raven looked Gwen up and down. "With your looks and personality, there should be a mountain of boys sending you invitations. If you don't have a date yet, are you just waiting for someone specific to ask?"
Gwen shook her head. "I just genuinely don't feel like going."
"That's not an option!" Raven declared firmly. "Finding a date is the easy part—picking the right dress is the real challenge! Now, you're coming with me to pick one out right now!"
Without giving Gwen a chance to refuse, Raven grabbed her arm and practically dragged her out of the room.
(End of Chapter)