“Peter…
you…”
Gwen’s expression changed.
“No…
you’re not Peter.”
Charlie reached up and pulled off his mask, revealing a youthful face.
“My name’s Charlie.”
“Charlie Parker.”
“I’m a very action-oriented Spider-Man.”
“I’ve run into a bit of trouble lately, which is why you’re able to meet me.”
“Oh, and don’t look so shocked.”
“By the way, what did you have for dinner?”
“I can smell beef pizza on you.”
“That’s my favorite.”
“But you know how it is…”
“Spider-Man suits don’t have pockets.”
“So I didn’t bring any money.”
“If you’re feeling generous…”
“You could buy me a slice.”
“Wait.”
Gwen pressed a hand to her forehead.
“My head’s already hurting.”
“Mr.
Spider-Man…”
“Can you tell me why you saved me?”
Charlie wiped the blood from his forehead.
A stubborn determination filled his eyes.
“For myself.”
“And also…”
“To break Spider-Man’s lonely fate.”
“…A lonely fate?”
Gwen fell silent.
She thought about Peter’s dead relatives.
About Harry, who had become his enemy.
She understood immediately.
Spider-Man…
Was destined to be alone.
It wasn’t just fate.
It was more like a curse.
At that moment…
The roar of approaching engines echoed overhead.
Tony’s armor was arriving.
Charlie knew it was time to leave.
“Well then, Gwen.”
“Time to say goodbye.”
“And don’t forget…”
“You still owe me pizza.”
As soon as the words left his mouth…
The void swallowed him whole.
He had taken advantage of Tony.
Even if Tony hadn’t treated the Resurrection Match seriously…
The billionaire could be surprisingly petty.
Who knew?
Maybe he’d blast Charlie at the last second just for tricking him.
Better to leave first.
Moments later…
Iron Man landed.
The nanotech helmet folded away, revealing Tony’s slightly resentful face.
“Where’d that guy go?”
he asked Gwen.
She blinked.
“He…”
“He disappeared.”
“Just…
vanished.”
Tony rubbed his forehead.
“…Right.”
“I got played.”
A familiar system notification appeared before his eyes.
You did not win this Resurrection Match.
You will now leave this world.
Please try harder next time.
Tony chuckled.
“…There’s a next time?”
In his mind…
This had to be another prank caused by the Infinity Stones.
Right before Gwen’s astonished eyes…
Tony disappeared as well.
Meanwhile…
Spider-Man and the Green Goblin continued their battle.
Charlie’s Universe.
Empire State Building.
Antenna Tower.
Whoosh—
Cold night winds howled across the rooftop.
A tattered red-and-blue Spider-Man suit drifted through the air.
Ash scattered across the night sky began gathering together.
Beneath the moonlight…
The shriveled suit slowly regained its form.
Charlie opened his eyes once again.
He found himself beneath the same antenna tower where he’d died.
Then…
A series of notifications appeared before him.
Charlie couldn’t help smiling.
Congratulations!
You have successfully won this Resurrection Match!
Reward 1: Resurrection Token ×1 (Automatically Used)
Reward 2: +10 Tons Strength
First Resurrection Match Victory Bonus: Battle-Damaged Nano Spider Suit
First Resurrection Match Victory Bonus: Spider Totem Power ×1
Remaining Restarts: 1 (Carried over to the next Resurrection Match)
Charlie clenched his fist.
Power surged through every muscle in his body.
After eight restarts…
His base strength had increased from one ton to nearly two.
Combined with the Resurrection Match reward…
He now possessed twelve tons of strength.
Among Spider-Men…
Twelve tons wasn’t particularly impressive.
In fact…
It was still near the bottom.
But for Charlie…
It was enough to drastically improve his chances against the Green Goblin.
As his strength increased…
So did every aspect of his physical abilities.
Then he turned his attention to the bonus rewards.
Battle-Damaged Nano Spider Suit
A damaged nanometal suit with limited functionality.
Remaining features include:
Basic AI AssistantWeb WingsTemperature RegulationUrine Filtration SystemOxygen Supply System
“…”
Charlie paused.
Of course the pee filter survived…
The next notification appeared.
Spider Totem Power
The true source of Spider-Man’s power.
The ultimate force tied to destiny itself.
Contains mysterious and immeasurable potential.
Please explore its abilities on your own.
A mysterious energy entered his body…
Then disappeared completely.
As though it had never existed.
Charlie blinked.
“…Huh?”
Spider Totem Power…
He vaguely remembered it appearing somewhere in the Spider-Man comics.
But…
He honestly had no idea what it actually did.
As for the Nano Spider Suit…
Charlie focused his thoughts.
A palm-sized Spider emblem appeared in his hand.
He pressed it against his chest.
Immediately…
Liquid nanometal spread across his body.
Within moments, it completely covered him, shielding him from the freezing wind while perfectly molding itself to his physique.
Sliding down the side of the Empire State Building on a web…
Charlie caught his reflection in the glass.
Calling it a suit…
Didn’t really do it justice.
It looked more like armor.
Under the moonlight…
Its metallic surface shimmered with a cold gleam.
Elegant golden lines traced across the armor.
Its eye lenses glowed with a soft blue light, making the suit incredibly eye-catching against the night sky.
Charlie stretched his arms and legs.
He was extremely satisfied.
Unfortunately…
It was only the battle-damaged version.
No mechanical spider legs.
No enhanced web systems.
Certainly no red-eye One-Hit Kill Mode.
Even the AI couldn’t compare to JARVIS.
Its primary purpose was simply helping him operate the armor naturally.
It wouldn’t interfere with his wrist web-shooters.
Nor would the nanometal block his wall-crawling abilities.
Everything…
Was adaptive.
A Nano Suit designed specifically for Spider-Man.
After reviewing all his rewards…
Charlie leaped off the skyscraper.
Whoosh—
The wind howled around him.
As he spread his arms…
Thin web wings extended beneath them.
Almost transparent.
His falling speed instantly dropped.
With the aid of the gliding wings…
Charlie soared over several skyscrapers before descending into the glowing streets below.
Traffic bustled through the vibrant city.
It was the same old New York.
“Oh my God!”
“What is that?”
“Spider-Man?”
“He’s alive!”
“Wait…”
“His suit looks different!”
“It’s made of metal!”
“Spider-Man upgraded his suit!”
“That’s incredible!”
Pedestrians pointed excitedly.
Charlie had already grown used to reactions like these.
Although he hadn’t been Spider-Man for very long…
He certainly hadn’t kept a low profile.
The public paid close attention to anyone with superpowers.
Countless New Yorkers already recognized him.
What confused Charlie, however…
Was something else.
Other than Norman…
No one should’ve known he’d died.
So…
How did everyone know?
The answer came after he returned to Queens.
117A Blake Street.
Outside the window…
The red-and-blue figure slowly climbed the wall.
Inside the house…
Uncle Ben and Aunt May sat together comfortably on the couch, smiling as they watched an entertainment show.
Charlie peeked through the window.
His glowing blue eyes softened.
Looks like they’re doing just fine…
He quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then…
The program ended.
Uncle Ben, still wanting more, picked up the remote and changed the channel.
A sharply dressed news anchor appeared on screen.
“Good evening, everyone.”
“You’re watching Global News.”
“Regarding reports of Spider-Man’s death…”
“We’re honored to have invited a leading Spider-Man expert to provide us with the latest information.”
The microphone was handed to the guest beside him.
“Hahaha!”
“Hello, everyone!”
“I’m J.
Jonah Jameson from the Daily Bugle.”
“According to information provided by the Green Goblin…”
“We can now say with reasonable certainty…”
“Spider-Man is dead.”
“After all…”
“He hasn’t appeared for an entire week.”
(End of Chapter)