Gwen noticed that Peter seemed a bit distracted. She leaned in closer, her face hovering just inches from his.
"Peter? Still daydreaming?" she teased, her eyes sparkling. "Am I really that pretty today?"
Gwen's voice finally snapped Peter out of his thoughts. But as he looked at her—close enough to see the detail in her eyes and smell the faint scent of her shampoo—his heart skipped a beat. Being this close to a girl like Gwen so early in the morning was dangerous for a teenage boy's heart.
Peter cleared his throat and took a half-step back, trying to hide how flustered he felt.
"Ahem! Miss Stacy, please keep your distance," he said with a playful smirk. "If your father sees us like this, he might invite me down to the police station for a very long 'coffee break.'"
Gwen realized then just how close they were standing. There was less than a foot between them. Even for childhood best friends, it was a very intimate distance. Her face turned a bright shade of red, and she quickly stepped back to give him some space.
Her heart was thumping against her ribs, but she tried to play it cool. "My dad isn't that scary, Peter! At most, he'd just ask you to have a 'chat' in the back of his patrol car."
Peter shrugged. "I think I'll pass on the chat, thanks."
Gwen's father, George Stacy, was the Director of the New York City Police Department. He was a good friend of Uncle Ben and had watched Peter grow up. He was a good man, but he was still a high-ranking cop who was very protective of his daughter.
"Anyway, my dear Miss Gwen," Peter continued, "if we keep standing here talking, we're going to be late. It's our turn to visit the Stark Industries Tech Expo today. You don't want to miss that, do you?"
As soon as he mentioned the expo, Gwen's expression turned serious. Like Peter, Gwen was a top-tier student. She wasn't just "good" at school; she was an academic legend. She had straight A's in every subject, including gym. She was even a professional-level ballet dancer who had passed exams to perform on Broadway.
She was the "Goddess of Learning" at Midtown High. Even without superpowers, she was destined to be a success.
"You're right, we can't be late!" Gwen said excitedly. "I heard today's expo has a special exhibit on how nuclear radiation affects living things. I'm also really interested in Stark's nuclear fusion lab. If I get the chance, I'd love to intern there one day!"
As she talked enthusiastically about science, they walked together toward the bus stop. Despite her father's high position, Gwen still preferred taking the bus. Peter liked that about her; she was humble and didn't care about money or status.
They arrived at Midtown High just as the second-period bell was about to ring.
As they walked into the classroom, the noisy room suddenly went quiet. Seeing the unpopular, "nerdy" Peter Parker walking in with the school's most beautiful girl made several of the athletic "bullies" in the back look over with jealousy. To them, Peter was a nobody, and it bothered them to see him so close to Gwen.
Before anyone could say anything, the teacher walked in and broke the tension.
"Alright, everyone, listen up! Pack your bags. In five minutes, we are boarding the school bus at the front gate. The Stark Industries Technology Expo is waiting for us!"
The room erupted in cheers. Gwen looked over at Peter's seat with a bright smile, but Peter was staring into thin air. A strange light flickered in his eyes.
The moment was finally here. There was only half an hour left on his countdown.
Thirty minutes later, the school bus pulled up in front of Stark Tower, a massive landmark in the New York skyline.
As the students piled out, Gwen stared up at the giant building in awe. But Peter wasn't looking at the tower. His eyes were fixed on the timer in the corner of his vision as it entered the final ten seconds.
[Time remaining until system loading: 00:00:10]
[3... 2... 1...]
[Celestial Tech System Successfully Loaded!]
Buzz!
A blue light screen suddenly expanded in Peter's mind, growing until it covered his entire field of vision. Most of the screen was filled with question marks and locked sections, but three options in the center glowed with a bright blue light.
The three options were: [Talent], [Status], and [Exchange].
By simply focusing his mind, Peter realized he could select them. He immediately opened the [Talent] menu. Three skills appeared before him:
1. Mechanical Limit Breaker
Level: C
Effect: Your hands possess a magical touch. You can ignore technical limits and easily build various small mechanical devices.
Note: Can be upgraded by practicing or using skill points.
2. Mechanical Wisdom
Level: C-
Effect: This is the highest form of Celestial Tech. You can give "life" and intelligence to the machines you build, allowing them to think for themselves.
Note: Can be upgraded with skill points.
3. High Efficiency and Energy Saving
Level: C+
Effect: Born from an energy crisis in a distant civilization, this allows you to create machines that use 50% less energy than normal.
Note: Can be upgraded with skill points.
As Peter read through the descriptions, he knew his life was about to take a very different path.
This "Celestial Tech" didn't come from Earth. It was the technology of a super-advanced civilization—the same tech that could build the world-destroying giant robot Gaebolg or spaceships that could travel between dimensions.
Even in a world full of high-tech heroes like Iron Man, this Celestial Technology was on a completely different level. Peter smiled. He wasn't just going to be a hero; he was going to be a genius the likes of which this world had never seen.