Eight o'clock in the evening.
It was time for the nightly news. Tony Stark, the billionaire and famous hero Iron Man, was being interviewed live on a financial program.
Behind him, the screen showed shaky video footage of the bank robbery from earlier that day. Passersby had filmed the entire fight on their phones and uploaded it to the internet. The video had already gone viral, getting millions of views and shares in just a few hours.
The internet was buzzing. Insiders had already leaked the names of the two mysterious newcomers: Spider-Woman and Batman. Their fame was rising faster than a rocket.
The news footage paused on a clear shot of Peter launching his high-speed metal gauntlet at the Rhino.
"Mr. Stark," the beautiful host asked with a charming smile, "what is your opinion on this new hero, Batman? Do you think Stark Industries will be interested in the high-tech armor he's using?"
Tony Stark didn't seem interested in the question at all. Instead, he was busy looking at the host, flashing his signature playboy grin. It wasn't until his assistant, Pepper Potts, gave a loud, pointed cough from off-camera that Tony snapped back to reality.
"Sorry!" Tony said, his dashing smile returning. "As for that 'armor'... well, calling it high-tech is a bit of a stretch. It looks like crude, low-tech scrap metal to me. It's definitely not something I'd lose sleep over."
The arrogant billionaire completely dismissed the Parker One armor.
The host tried to flirt a little more, hoping to get the billionaire's attention, but under Pepper's watchful eye, Tony acted like a perfect gentleman. Seeing she was getting nowhere, the host moved on.
"I see. Well, let's talk about Hammer Industries. Their new defense robots are selling well, and their stock price is almost as high as yours. Do you have any thoughts on your rival, Justin Hammer?"
Tony snorted. "If Hammer's products were half as tough as his mouth, I might be worried. But they aren't. Hammer Industries will never catch up to Stark Industries. Period."
Click.
Peter pressed the power button on his remote, turning off the TV. Beside him, Gwen looked frustrated.
"Unbelievable!" she huffed. "I can't believe Tony Stark is such a jerk. I used to want to intern for him! He's probably just jealous of your invention, Peter. That's why he's talking trash."
Peter, however, was completely calm. "It's okay, Gwen. He's right, in a way. The Parker One is just a prototype. It's not perfect yet."
He looked at his hands, his eyes full of confidence. "But once I upgrade it a few more times, he won't be laughing. I'm going to make him speechless."
Peter wasn't just bragging. He had the entire technology tree of the "Heavenly Realm" in his mind. Given enough time, he wouldn't just beat Stark; he could build a whole new civilization.
"Anyway, it's late," Peter said, checking the clock. "You should get home before your dad starts asking questions. Remember, don't let him suspect anything!"
Gwen stood up, stretching her tired muscles. "You're right. See you tomorrow, Peter! And don't oversleep, or I'll come over and wake you up myself!"
Gwen said a polite goodbye to Uncle Ben and Aunt May downstairs before skipping back to her house next door. Peter watched her from his window until she was safely inside. Then, he drew the curtains. It was time for work.
The Exchange Shop
Peter pulled up the system screen on his retina. He went straight to the [Exchange] module. Before today, this section had been grayed out because he had zero points. But after completing two missions, he now had 4,000 points to spend.
As he opened the shop, thousands of items from the Heavenly Realm appeared.
Basic Life Potion (10 Points): Heals wounds and helps cells regrow.
Basic Mana Potion (10 Points): Restores mental energy and focus.
Ice Attribute Bullet Blueprint (200 Points): Instructions on how to make bullets that freeze targets on impact.
Peter searched through the list until he found exactly what he needed for his next armor upgrade.
[Item: G-1 Korona Blueprint]
Price: 1,000 Points
Effect: An intelligent combat robot that hovers and fires energy blasts.
[Item: G-2 Whirlwind Blueprint]
Price: 1,000 Points
Effect: A transformation module that turns the robots into a spinning defensive or offensive shield.
"I'll take those two blueprints," Peter whispered. "And the Ice Attribute bullets too."
With these, Peter was no longer just a guy in a metal suit. He was becoming a Mechanic. The G-1 and G-2 modules would be built directly into his armor, giving him automatic fire and better defense. The attribute bullets would give his handguns the power to stop even the toughest villains.
Peter looked at the blueprints glowing in his mind. The path to becoming the world's greatest engineer was finally clear.