Template: Street Thug

Jack Frank, Charlie Hunters, Billy Parbol.

Two Black men and one white man. None of them were particularly skinny, and all three had bright green names floating above their heads. They were obviously players.

Name: Jack Frank

Strength: 1

Constitution: 9

Intelligence: 0

Spirit: 8

[Template]:

Commoner (Basic) lv2/Student (Common)/Street Thug (Common) [Identity Locked]

Others: Omitted.

Lee Si casually cast a scouting spell at the three men, revealing their stats.

They were all more or less the same: level-two Basic Commoner templates, with an additional Common-quality Street Thug template.

After seeing their stats, Lee couldn't be bothered to ask why they'd attacked him. It was obviously just a daily quest or a minor side quest.

"Watch where you're going next time."

After all, he couldn't kill anyone in broad daylight. Lee glared coldly at the three men and kicked them once more, then glanced at the silent crowd of onlookers before helping Peter Parker toward the infirmary with Gwen.

"Oh my God, that really was Chinese kung fu!"

"I remember his name's Lee Stein. I thought he was a bookworm, but he's actually incredible!"

"I really want him to teach me kung fu. I heard you have to take someone as your master—is that right?"

"I bet what he used just now was the legendary Monk's Shadowless Kick!"

"He's so handsome. Do you think he'd say yes if I chased after him?"

"..."

As soon as Lee left, the crowd—who had been so intimidated by the atmosphere that they'd hardly dared breathe—burst into exclamations. The whole schoolyard grew noisy again, drawing even more people over.

Those who hadn't seen what happened asked questions out of curiosity, while those who had watched it excitedly gestured as they described the scene. Some even tried to reenact it, only to end up sprawled on the ground. The area became so bustling that it was practically like a marketplace.

"Thanks, Lee. I'd have been in real trouble today if you hadn't stepped in!"

Peter Parker clutched his stomach with one hand and his face with the other, sucking in breaths from the pain as he forced himself to thank Lee.

"Don't mention it. I'm not the kind of person who'd watch a friend get beaten up."

Lee seemed distracted, but he still smiled.

"Lee, was that Chinese kung fu? My God, is there anything you can't do?"

Gwen looked eager to try it herself. She was clearly fascinated by the legendary Chinese kung fu.

Peter Parker was just as curious, staring intently at Lee as if he'd stopped feeling any pain.

"It wasn't just Chinese kung fu. I was using a few simple force-generating techniques. The main thing was mixed martial arts. If you want to learn, I can teach you sometime."

Lee's mind was full of thoughts about the Spider-Man storyline. He only shook his head before giving them a casual reply.

Gwen and Parker could both tell he was distracted, so they said no more. In silence, they took Peter Parker to the infirmary.

After making sure Peter Parker was settled, Gwen stepped outside and grabbed Lee, staring straight at him. "Lee, did something happen?"

"Nothing. I just suddenly have a bad feeling that something big is about to happen. Though I might be imagining it."

Lee shook his head, but his brow remained furrowed.

"If anything's wrong, you have to tell me!"

Gwen could see that he didn't want to say more, so she didn't press him. She simply spoke with firm concern.

"Don't worry. I've just been a little on edge lately."

At Gwen's words, a smile returned to Lee's face.

The bell rang just then, so they didn't linger outside the school infirmary. They both went back to the classroom and took their seats.

Only then did Lee have time to look at the system notifications that had appeared earlier.

[Notice: You participated in a small street brawl and emerged victorious. You obtained a clue for acquiring [Template: Street Thug].]

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[Template]: Street Thug (Common)

Attribute Bonus: Strength +1

Special Effect Bonus: Intimidation success rate +5%

Template Skill: None

Evaluation: Always remember that you're just a green kid, not the kingpin Kingpin. Intimidation and threats are more effective—and safer—than fighting for you.

Acquisition Requirements:

1. Participate in a street brawl and emerge victorious. (Completed)

2. Join a street gang. (Incomplete)

3. Receive your first protection money payment. (Incomplete)

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"White Common templates really don't offer much!"

Lee shook his head after one glance.

The only thing the Street Thug template had going for it was probably the one extra point of Strength. He wasn't interested in this kind of thing.

The attributes granted by templates could stack, but there was a price. This wasn't just a matter of what appeared on a status screen; it affected the impression you left on other NPCs.

Take this Thug template, for instance. Even if you didn't lock it in as your current identity, other NPCs would still see you as a bit of a hoodlum. Decent people would find you repulsive, while gangsters and other criminals wouldn't take you seriously. It was a negative template that left you in bad standing with both sides.

"Ugh, I need to pick up the pace. I hope I still have time!"

Putting the Thug template out of his mind, Lee anxiously scratched his head again.

If he remembered correctly, the events of the first Spider-Man movie unfolded over a very short period—no more than eight or nine days.

Tomorrow, Peter Parker was supposed to visit Osborn, get bitten by a spider, and become Spider-Man. A few days later, the Lizard would appear. He would attack the school and turn many people in New York into giant lizards.

In his current out-of-shape state, Lee could handle ordinary people, but he had no confidence at all when it came to fighting the Lizard.

And Spider-Man wasn't exactly reliable, either. Although the game's Spider-Man storyline blended the newer and older versions, it focused on The Amazing Spider-Man, with the older version's story serving only as supplementary material.

The older Spider-Man was pretty strong, but the Amazing Spider-Man's combat ability was worrying. He hadn't grown into his powers yet, and spent the entire movie getting beaten up by the Lizard. It was only by relying on his webbing that he managed to turn the tables a little.

"The most urgent thing is to build Bumblebee first. I hope there's still time."

Lee sighed and called the various parts suppliers one by one to urge them to hurry up.