A Windfall and a Super Suit

10:30 p.m.

For a high school student, that was neither early nor so late that it would make the adults worry too much.

Peter pushed open the front door, carrying not the faintest trace of gunpowder or blood.

The Horse Talisman's power had long since erased every trace. Even the hoodie that had been torn to shreds during the fight had been restored to factory condition, clean as if its tag had just been removed.

As for the two cases of cash and Daredevil's full set of gear, he had already slipped them through the window into his bedroom...

"Peter, you're back."

In the living room, May and Ben were sitting on the couch watching TV. When they saw Peter return, warm smiles appeared on their faces.

"Yeah. Sorry I got back late."

Without changing expression, Peter smoothly lied, pinning the blame for his late return entirely on Gwen Stacy:

"Today's lessons were obviously pretty easy, but for some reason, no matter how many times I explained them, Gwen kept saying there were still parts she didn't understand..."

Sure enough, upon hearing his "innocent" explanation, Ben and May's attention was immediately diverted:

"It's not late, it's not late. Isn't Gwen just trying to keep up with her studies?"

"Peter, you have to understand her. You need to be more gentlemanly and patient with girls."

The elderly couple patiently lectured Peter, exchanging glances as they spoke. Each could see a hint of helplessness in the other's eyes.

Who knew when their silly nephew would finally get a clue...

After fooling Ben and May, Peter quietly returned to his room and immediately opened the two briefcases.

The fragrance of fresh ink, mixed with the uniquely corrupt scent of money, filled the air.

After a quick count, an exact figure surfaced in his mind.

Four million dollars.

At his current stage, that was unquestionably an enormous sum.

It could not see the light of day and could not be deposited in a bank.

But if he broke it up and used it to buy precision instruments, acquire necessary equipment and tools, or even quietly improve his family's living conditions, it would be more than enough.

After taking out a stack of bills, slipping more than a dozen into his wallet, and stuffing the two briefcases beneath his bed, Peter turned his attention to Daredevil's gear.

He reached out and picked up Daredevil's baton. The moment it landed in his hand, a system notification appeared in his mind:

[Detected a sacrificial blue-grade item: Daredevil's multifunctional baton]

[Daredevil's signature weapon, forged from aerospace-grade aluminum alloy and containing a high-strength cable. Daredevil used it to deal with numerous troublesome enemies, and this baton witnessed his entire journey from a newcomer to Kingpin's greatest threat]

[Sacrifice reward: 1,000 points. Sacrifice?]

"Only blue-grade?"

Peter's brow faintly furrowed.

He felt the system was giving him too little.

But on second thought, he understood.

Based on the information he had researched since arriving in this world, Daredevil had only been active for a year or two. He was still far from his future peak.

The baton itself was not made from rare metals like Vibranium or Adamantium, so its value was indeed limited.

Moreover, in the original comics, Daredevil's weapon had undergone several iterations and upgrades. Unlike Captain America's shield, it had not remained unchanged from beginning to end.

For this transitional piece of equipment to be rated at 1,000 points was already thanks to Daredevil himself.

"Every little bit counts."

With that thought in mind, Peter still chose to sacrifice it.

After all, with his current genius intellect and four million dollars, he could make similar equipment whenever he wanted.

But a blue item worth a thousand Sacrifice Points was not something he could come across whenever he pleased.

[Current Sacrifice Points: 3000]

After glancing at the system balance with satisfaction, Peter's gaze finally settled on the dark red bodysuit.

Because related items from the same character had a cooldown period of up to half a year before they could be sacrificed again, this suit did not trigger a Sacrifice Points notification.

(The spider corpse belonged to Spider-Man, while the decay-rate savings belonged to Peter's parents, so this was not a setting conflict.)

His fingertips lightly brushed across the suit. It felt tough and elastic.

It was a special material primarily made from Kevlar fiber. Not only did it offer top-tier resistance to abrasion and punctures, it also balanced breathability and flexibility.

For Peter at this moment, it was simply the most ideal material for a first-generation suit.

"Kevlar fiber..."

Looking at the thousand-plus dollars in his wallet, Peter did not hesitate. After pulling up his hood, he opened the window, jumped down from the second floor, and headed straight for a nearby industrial supply store.

Before long, Peter returned carrying a large shopping bag.

Inside were rolls of finished Kevlar fabric, along with a tactical belt and a pair of black combat boots.

With that, all the materials for the suit were ready, and Peter immediately got to work.

During a break, Peter turned on his computer and checked the local New York online forums.

Before long, he found a post that had been pushed to the trending list:

[A MASKED FEMALE HERO APPEARS IN QUEENS LATE AT NIGHT, DISPENSING JUSTICE!]

A photo was attached beneath the post.

The image quality was poor, and the angle was awkward. The picture was blurry and unclear, evidently a hurried phone snapshot taken by an ordinary citizen amid panic.

Though the photo was blurry, Peter recognized the iconic suit at a glance.

That signature black-and-white bodysuit, along with... those hideously tacky emerald-green ballet shoes.

It was Gwen Stacy's Ghost-Spider suit!

Looking at the blurry photo, the corners of Peter's mouth rose uncontrollably into a smile tinged with amusement and appreciation.

Gwen had moved even faster than he expected.

She had actually completed an entire set of equipment, including web-shooters, in just one day.

"If that's the case, then I can't slack off either!"

With that thought, Peter's hands sped up slightly.

By the time the morning sunlight streamed through the window into his bedroom, Peter's suit was complete.

In Peter's original design, the suit was supposed to be primarily black and gold. But because he had used some material from Daredevil's suit, the original black-and-gold design had to be changed to black and red.

After putting it on and testing it out, he found the fit just right and the coverage excellent. More importantly... it was far more stylish than Gwen's ballet outfit!

After stuffing the suit into his backpack in case he needed it, Peter ate breakfast and boarded the school bus as usual.

Gwen had not taken the day off this time, but she still sat in her seat looking glum, holding a classic issue of the Daily Bugle.

Peter plopped down beside Gwen and instinctively glanced at the newspaper. He nearly burst out laughing on the spot.

The Daily Bugle's front-page headline today read—

[SHOCKING: A DOG-EAT-DOG MASSACRE AT PIER 9! MORE THAN A DOZEN GANG MEMBERS BLEED OUT AT THE DOCKS, DYING HORRIFIC DEATHS!]