Spider Peter

The next morning, when Peter's alarm went off, he groggily slapped down at it—

Bang! The alarm clock shattered.

"What... happened?" It took Peter ten seconds after smashing the alarm to realize what he had done. He sat up and stared blankly at his hand.

Over the next half hour, he pulled off the bathroom doorknob, squeezed an entire tube of toothpaste flying, and twisted the faucet apart.

"I... mutated?" Peter trembled as he turned on his computer and frantically searched for "symptoms after being bitten by a spider," but aside from ordinary cases, he found no records resembling his own.

Then he remembered his father's notes. "Could that spider's genes have fused with mine?"

"Right, Professor Connors. Maybe he knows more!"

Peter went to see Professor Connors again, this time at his home.

"Professor, did my father's research succeed in the end?" Peter asked directly.

Connors froze. "Why would you think that?"

Peter hesitated, but ultimately did not mention being bitten. Instead, he handed over his father's formula. "Because of this formula. I found it in the notes my father left behind, so I thought he must have succeeded?"

Connors took the paper, his eyes widening further and further.

"My God," he murmured. "Richard had actually already derived the Gene-Chain Compatibility Algorithm..."

He suddenly looked up, fervor gleaming in his one eye. "Peter, your father may really have found a way to perfectly fuse animal genes with humans!"

Peter watched the excited Professor Connors, and his heart sank. Clearly, Connors knew nothing about the spider.

But Peter seemed to have found the key to his own research.

"If this formula is correct," Connors said softly, "then my Lizard Serum may truly be able to regenerate severed limbs."

Peter forced a smile. Having failed to get the answer he wanted, he had no interest in anything else at the moment.

After leaving Connors's home, Peter headed straight for the Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic.

Lin Hai was sorting medicinal herbs in the backyard. When he saw Peter rushing in in a panic, he raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you've discovered the changes in yourself?"

Peter's eyes widened. "You already knew?"

"I guessed a little." Lin Hai set down the herbs in his hands. "That spider wasn't ordinary, right? I sensed that its Life Energy fluctuations clearly didn't belong in a spider. And the Life Energy fluctuations you're giving off now shouldn't belong to an ordinary person either."

Peter took a deep breath and told him everything that had changed since he was bitten.

After listening, Lin Hai understood. He pondered for a moment, then said, "Your situation is different from mine. My abilities come from Life Energy, while yours are more like genetic modification."

"What should I do?" Peter scratched his hair. "I can hear sounds from several blocks away now. It feels like I'm strong enough to flip a car over, and I can climb walls like a spider!"

Lin Hai smiled. "That's simple. First, learn control. Second..."

He performed a Cloud Hands movement. "Master Chen's Tai Chi can help you regain your body's balance."

Peter nodded. Since Lin Hai said he would not have any serious problems and could help him regain control over his body, the weight on his heart finally lifted.

But after relaxing, he thought of something else. "Wait, after Professor Connors gets that formula, will he...?"

Lin Hai's expression turned serious. "If he is eager to experiment, something could go wrong."

The two exchanged a glance. Peter clenched his fists. "I need to keep an eye on him."

Lin Hai nodded. "If you need help, come find me anytime. But for now, focus on the strength you can't control." As he spoke, he led Peter into the backyard.

Lin Hai had Peter stand in the middle of the courtyard and begin practicing the basic martial arts techniques he had learned during the previous summer vacation.

Soon, fine beads of sweat appeared on Peter's forehead. His hands trembled slightly, and his knuckles turned white from exerting too much force.

"Relax~" Lin Hai stood to the side, his voice steady. "Your strength isn't controlled by tensing your muscles. It needs to flow."

Lin Hai walked over to a wooden post. "Do you remember some of the Tai Chi techniques I taught you before? Try Cloud Hands. Feel the flow of strength."

Peter took a deep breath and tried to adjust his breathing. Ever since he had been bitten by that spider, his body felt as if it had been fitted with a high-performance engine, while his brain was still operating at a bicycle's level. With a light squeeze, he could crush a cup; with a small jump, he could hit the ceiling.

Peter nodded, assumed the stance, and slowly traced an arc. This time, he deliberately slowed his movements, letting his body adapt to that subtle balance of power. Gradually, his movements became fluid, no longer as stiff and clumsy as before.

"Very good." Lin Hai nodded in satisfaction. "Your bodily coordination is already far beyond that of an ordinary person. You just need to recalibrate your understanding of your own strength."

"I feel like... I can control it a little now." Peter looked at his palm, delight appearing on his face.

"This is only the beginning." Lin Hai patted his shoulder.

As Peter gradually relaxed, repeated practice quickly allowed him to slowly become familiar with his strength.

"Come, try this~" Lin Hai picked up an ordinary ceramic teacup and handed it to Peter. "Try holding it with the strength of a normal person."

Peter carefully took it, his fingertips lightly touching the cup's surface—Crack!

A fissure still appeared in the teacup.

"Oh! No!" Peter grabbed his hair in frustration. "Uh, this isn't an antique, right? I can't afford to pay for an antique."

Lin Hai smiled. "Don't worry, it's just an ordinary teacup. Keep trying. Once you crush a few more, you should be about there."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Thanks for the encouragement."

Then Peter saw Lin Hai suddenly grab a handful of small stones and fling them at him!

"Lin, you!" Peter's pupils contracted. Then, from his perspective, the world seemed to be put into slow motion. The stones' trajectories became perfectly clear, and his body instinctively darted aside, easily dodging the attack.

"Oh my God!" Peter froze. "That felt incredible!"

It seemed Peter's Spider-Sense had begun to awaken as well.

That afternoon, the group of four gathered in Harry's private laboratory.

"So..." Gwen crossed her arms and examined Peter. "You can climb walls now, have incredible strength, and can predict danger?"

Peter scratched his head. "More or less. I'm just not very skilled at it yet."

"That's so cool!" Harry slammed the table, his eyes shining. "Doesn't that make you a superpowered person?!"

Lin Hai leaned against the lab bench and added with a smile, "And his strength is still growing. The current tested limit is that he can easily lift an object weighing one ton."

Harry suddenly sighed. "Sigh, now I'm the only ordinary person left."

Peter hurriedly comforted him. "Hey, with your intelligence and the Osborn family's assets, how are you ordinary?"

"Exactly. No matter how strong Peter's superpowers are, they can't compare to your money powers," Lin Hai teased.

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere was light and cheerful.