"Yeah—woohoo!"
Gripping a rusted iron chain, Peter swung through the air with movements so fluid and precise they looked like something out of a professional acrobatics show.
At the peak of his arc, he released one hand—
Then instantly caught another chain mid-swing, continuing his momentum as he soared across the factory rooftop like a human pendulum.
"This level of dynamic vision, reaction speed, and agility… if I competed in the Olympics, what would even be left for anyone else? Gymnastics, track and field—I'd sweep all the gold medals!"
If not for the fact that his mutated body would definitely fail any medical examination, Peter might have seriously considered it.
After all, Olympic medals carried a considerable amount of faith—and apparently, each gold medal even came with a hefty cash reward.
Not a bad deal.
After playing around in the abandoned factory for quite some time, Peter was still brimming with excitement. But the fading light outside forced him to stop.
This place had no electricity.
As darkness swallowed the surroundings, he packed up and prepared to head home.
Walking along the Hudson River, the cool evening breeze brushing against his face, Peter couldn't help but reflect on everything that had happened.
Transmigration.
Becoming Peter Parker—Spider-Man.
And now, a system that could grant him anything.
It all felt like something straight out of a novel.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly—
Every hair on his body stood on end.
A chill crawled up his spine.
It felt as if some massive, ruthless predator had locked its gaze onto him.
Peter's head snapped toward the source.
Under the warning of his spider-sense, a certain location across the river became… unnaturally vivid.
"The Statue of Liberty?"
Night had fallen, and the torch atop the statue glowed brightly.
Yet even from across the river, Peter could sense it—
Something was very, very wrong.
Then, his gaze shifted again.
Not far from him, diagonally across the riverbank, in front of the Statue of Liberty, a dazzling scene unfolded.
Bright lights.
Crowds surging like waves.
Countless reporters, politicians, and global figures gathered together for a grand event.
"…What the hell?"
Peter hurriedly pulled out his phone and searched.
As expected—
The G20 Summit.
In 2008, after eight long years, the summit was once again being held in New York City—right here, right now.
And in that instant—
Peter understood the source of that terrifying presence.
Even from this distance, only one man could give off such an overwhelming aura.
The world's most feared terrorist.
The King of Mutants.
A man whose name made world leaders pale—and even made the President of the United States want to lash out.
Magneto. Erik Lehnsherr.
But instead of fear—
A grin spread across Peter's face.
"...The Statue of Liberty."
His gaze burned with excitement.
At this stage, obtaining items rich in faith wasn't easy. Most of them were either locked away in national museums or hidden in the private collections of powerful elites.
Trying to get them meant risking confrontation with entire nations.
Which created a paradox—
He needed those items to grow stronger.
But without strength, he had no way to obtain them.
That was exactly why he had considered becoming Spider-Man again—
He needed primitive capital accumulation.
But now—
Right in front of him—
Was the perfect opportunity.
Magneto was already there.
The X-Men would arrive soon—if they weren't already on their way.
Once they clashed, chaos was inevitable.
And if Peter nudged things just a little…
The conflict would escalate even further.
When Magneto unleashed his power—
Would the Statue of Liberty, made almost entirely of copper, remain intact?
Not a chance. Against the X-Men, Peter couldn't win. Not while protecting the statue.
Which meant—
Even if Peter secretly sacrificed it…
Who would know?
And even if someone did—
Peter knew exactly what Magneto was planning.
When the time came, he could simply claim:
He did it to save the world.
To protect the world leaders gathered along the river.
Who could argue with that?
"Damn… this is a gift from skies."
Peter's eyes gleamed.
"Refuse a gift like this, and you'll be punished for it."
The Statue of Liberty—
A symbol of freedom.
Carrying centuries of belief and hope from the American people.
It might not rival ancient relics with thousands of years of history…
But its value?
Absolutely enormous.
"Worth it. It has to be worth it."
By now, both sides of the river were lit up brilliantly. With the G20 Summit in full swing, the entire world's attention was focused on this very place.
And as Peter stood there, lost in thought—
A faint, unusual sound echoed through the sky.
"…Jet engines."
He looked up.
Though invisible to the naked eye, his heightened senses told him everything.
A stealth aircraft had arrived.
"The X-Men are here."
Without hesitation, Peter broke into a sprint.
Then—
He leapt.
Straight toward the heart of the Hudson River.
His immense strength exploded beneath his feet, blasting a crater into the sand behind him as he shot forward like a cannonball toward Liberty Island.
Splash!
After tracing a perfect arc through the air, he plunged into the water.
Of course, he couldn't clear the entire river in a single jump—
But he had already covered most of the distance.
Underwater, a white streak tore forward at incredible speed.
Moments later—
Peter emerged and climbed onto the shore of Liberty Island.
His clothes were soaked, clinging uncomfortably to his skin, but his enhanced physique shrugged off the cold with ease.
At the same time, his sharpened vision caught sight of something nearby—
A stealth jet, slowly descending onto the water's surface.
Above—
At the very top of the Statue of Liberty—
A man floated in midair.
Clad in a sleek black suit, a crimson cape billowing behind him in the wind.
A strange helmet concealed his face.
And at this moment—
With invisible magnetic force, he was installing a massive device onto the statue's torch.
"They're here."
His voice was calm, yet carried undeniable authority.
"It seems… they still haven't learned what it means to give up."
The man spoke.
And around him—
Several figures exchanged glances—
Before moving toward the ground below.
The battle…
Was about to begin.
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T/N:
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