In the Wasteland Universe, at the Spider-Society Headquarters, Peter brought two newcomers, Gwen and Jessica, to register and unwind for a while.
"So, every Spider-powered individual in the entire multiverse is actually part of a much larger force, and everyone can come here?"
Having arrived at the headquarters for the first time, Jessica looked on with considerable astonishment at the Spider-Men of all shapes and sizes swinging back and forth on webs. She was experiencing a massive shock to her worldview for the first time. Even more surprising was the fact that the majority of them were still various versions of Peter Parker, while other types of Spider-beings were relatively rare.
The Spider-Society Headquarters had expanded significantly since its early development. High-tech buildings in the style of 2099 had rapidly constructed a city with a powerful futuristic aesthetic. There was almost no concept of streets—since the city was essentially designed for Spider-Men, there were no walkways between the skyscrapers. Everyone moved back and forth almost exclusively by swinging on webs, and at any given moment, one could see dozens of Spider-Men in motion simultaneously.
Naturally, they saw a version of J. Jonah Jameson as the Spider-Man "Headline" broadcasting the news, and another Spider-Man shouting "Pizza time!" while delivering takeout.
On the way to the Headquarters Tower, Jessica witnessed a sight she would likely never forget in her lifetime.
"Wait, is that a cat? A Spider-Cat?!"
Seeing a cat wearing a Spider-Man suit scurrying around the headquarters, Jessica showed an excited expression. Gwen, glancing at the cat from the side, said with uncertainty, "I don't think so. That's probably just a cat wearing a Spider-Man suit..."
Then, she saw the cat leap into the air and swing away on a web.
"Alright, that really is a Spider-Cat."
Hearing this, Jessica couldn't help but complain: "I can't even shoot webs, yet I'm Spider-Woman."
"Why would a spider fly?"
Upon hearing Gwen's counter-question, Jessica instinctively retorted: "Because some spiders actually do fly."
"Actually, we don't just have Spider-Cats; we also have a Spider-T-Rex and Spider-Ham."
Miguel, knowing Peter had arrived, made a point of coming over to greet them. He didn't pay much mind to the two newcomers Peter had brought along. "Your universe experienced severe vibrations a month ago. What happened?"
"A guy named Kang the Conqueror modified the reality of our universe, so we had to spend time dealing with him. Is there any news?"
Miguel unexpectedly replied with a "Yes." Not anticipating that answer, Peter looked at the girls behind him, gave a helpless wave to signal them to go get their Multiversal Traveling Watches and explore on their own, and then followed Miguel into the central hub of the headquarters.
While taking the elevator to the top floor, Peter added with a touch of weariness.
"I thought that once we had the T-Rex and Leopardon, there wouldn't be much left for me to do."
The Web of Destiny had not issued any warnings, which meant there were no new universes requiring Peter to "unclog the toilet." Furthermore, the continuous expansion of the Spider-Society didn't require much from Peter; whenever people had free time, they would go out and explore other universes. Consequently, the scale of the entire Spider-Society had been expanding in an orderly fashion.
Unless...
Peter thought of a possibility.
"Did you encounter a universe blockaded by the Web-Warriors?"
"It's a bit more troublesome than that. If we encountered a universe that was already blockaded, we could at least mark it and bypass it. The problem is, sometimes we run directly into the Web-Warriors."
The Web-Warriors were the organization formed by Anansi and others, consisting of non-heroic Spider-Totems. It was an organization established out of fear and loathing for Shathra. Peter wasn't entirely sure about the ultimate effectiveness of this legion, and both sides were prone to fighting due to differing worldviews. However, the Spider-Society had developed contingency plans, such as emergency teleportation devices to ensure the safety of its members.
"Many people were injured, but no one has died yet. Generally speaking, we choose to retreat. In terms of risking our lives, we probably can't compete with those fanatics. But as I said, the problem doesn't lie there."
After bringing Peter into the inner sanctum, Miguel had his AI assistant, Lyla, display the multiversal map they had currently charted—though this was actually somewhat meaningless, as the multiverse was "infinite" in number.
Moreover, not every universe had a Spider-Man, nor was every universe safe. High-risk universes like the Wasteland Universe, or even dangerous ones like the Zombie Universe, existed. The Spider-Society had built numerous observation stations to monitor these hazardous worlds to prevent the danger from spreading, marking them as restricted areas.
The focus was on several specifically highlighted worlds.
"What are these?"
Looking at the universes that were prominently marked, Peter asked curiously. Miguel naturally provided the answer: "Our current multiversal travel relies on the Web of Destiny. Although I don't use magic, I can still use science to follow the spider-power signature and create corresponding travel bracelets. The Web of Destiny connects all universes in the multiverse, even those without a Spider-Totem."
"These are universes blockaded by the Web-Warriors found during exploration; these are universes with high danger coefficients; these are universes that have established contact with us; and these are universes without a Spider-Totem."
As Miguel spoke, he swiped away the corresponding categories of universes on the map. Finally, there remained dozens of individual universes that appeared alone, without any classification.
Peter looked at these universes, feeling somewhat confused. "And what are these?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Universes that the Web of Destiny forbids entry into. We don't know what is inside them, only that the Web of Destiny rejects our entry." Miguel shrugged. "And since I don't use magic, I have to ask a magic expert who travels the multiverse about the situation."
Peter carefully examined the designations of those universes, confirming that he didn't recognize any of them.
"I don't know either. Perhaps someone does; I'll ask when the time comes." Peter roughly understood Miguel's point. "I can't get in either. Unless the Web of Destiny calls for me, I can't travel directly to a universe I haven't visited before. By the way, do you have any theories regarding these universes?"
"Actually, I do have one. I feel like these universes might be reserved for you, which is why we aren't allowed in."
Peter looked at the blank universes on the map in silence for a while, then sighed helplessly.
"I think I'll just go see what Gwen and the others are up to."