The next morning, Mark got up, washed, and went to the living room for breakfast.
Ben Parker and May had already left. Only Peter remained.
"They still seem pretty busy with work."
Mark asked Peter curiously, "They don't have to cover the Mental Hospital's fees anymore. Do they still need to work overtime?"
Peter set a plate in front of Mark and explained:
"Although you've been discharged and they no longer have to pay the Mental Hospital's fees, your upcoming tuition won't be cheap either. They need the money."
"Tuition?"
Mark frowned. "I'm not going to school right now."
"But you need to."
Peter said, "Uncle Ben has already contacted Doctor Octavius. He's a friend of Richard's-my father-and a friend of Uncle Ben's too.
Doctor Octavius agreed to write you a recommendation letter. Once you pay the tuition, you can become a student at Empire State University, just like me."
"That actually works?" Mark asked in surprise.
Peter looked puzzled. "Is that strange?"
Mark thought for a moment. "Okay, no, it isn't strange."
In the Marvel Universe, Empire State University ranked among the best universities in the world.
For ordinary people, Empire State University was far beyond their reach.
Only talent and relentless effort gave them even the slightest chance of getting into that institution.
Peter was a genius, so it was no surprise that he had gotten into Empire State University.
Mark wasn't. There was no way he could pass the entrance requirements.
But Peter's father was Richard Parker.
Among Richard's classmates were Professor Connors, who had already fallen, and Doctor Octavius, who might turn evil in the future.
Quite a few of his other classmates were famous scientists too.
With connections like those, getting a recommendation letter wasn't difficult.
Unfortunately, Richard was already dead.
If Richard were still alive, Peter would have been a bona fide rich kid.
That thought gave Mark another headache.
Tuition wasn't cheap. He had to find a way to make money himself.
Ben Parker and May were already getting old.
"Ding-dong!"
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Peter opened the door and received a package.
"Mark, your package."
He handed it to Mark.
Mark opened the package, his face full of smiles.
"Great, it's the three thousand dollars for taking down the Green Goblin.
If it had come any later, I might not have gotten it."
Hearing that, Peter asked curiously:
"Why?"
"Because..."
Before Mark could finish, the phone in Peter's pocket vibrated.
He answered it.
"Peter, turn on the TV, quick," Harry said.
"Why?"
Although Peter didn't understand what he meant, he turned on the TV anyway.
"Breaking news: at eleven thirty-five last night, the Green Goblin attacked Kölly Apartments..."
"Harry, I see you. You look pretty rough."
Peter spotted Harry on-screen, along with Gwen Stacy and the others.
Harry sounded anxious. "Not that. Switch to the Washington Channel."
"Oh."
Peter pressed a button on the remote, and the news report left him horrified.
"Holy shit, it's the Green Goblin! He's not dead!"
On the television, the evil Green Goblin stood on his Glider, dropping Pumpkin Bomb after Pumpkin Bomb and destroying the Stark Industries Industrial Park.
Then the picture cut to J. Jonah Jameson in the studio.
"Everyone, I regret to inform you that there is more than one Green Goblin. Demons do not die. We must prepare ourselves to face their most terrifying retaliation..."
J. Jonah Jameson wore a grave expression.
Peter's expression was just as grim.
There was more than one Green Goblin.
He still remembered that last night's Green Goblin had only one target.
Him, Peter Parker!
"This is bad, Mark. I'm in trouble." He looked at Mark apprehensively.
Only Spider-Man could save him now.
Mark gave Peter a sidelong look. "Yes, I'm in trouble."
Only Spider-Man could save him now.
After all, before that happened, he might get caught up in Spider-Man's cursed fate and die at the Green Goblin's hands in some accident.
He turned off the television and let out a deep sigh.
The Marvel villains in this universe seemed to have gotten smarter.
Mark's guess had been right.
With Norman's financial resources, he could easily build a Green Goblin Army.
Spider-Man could take down one Green Goblin, but against a whole group of them, even he would be helpless.
With his current strength as a Beginner Demon Hunter, Mark could take on no more than three ordinary Green Goblins.
If he ran into Norman, who possessed the Green Goblin Gene, he would barely be able to protect himself.
Things were getting tricky.
He had to enter the game and gain more power.
With that thought, he left the worried Peter behind and went into his room to start the game.
He had to forge the Dragon-Slaying Sword as soon as possible.
Watching Mark leave, Peter felt a little reassured.
Over the past while, he had learned to guess what Mark would do next.
With Mark's strength, he would definitely be able to take down every Green Goblin!
Yes, definitely.
"Click!"
The next second, the bedroom door opened, and Spider-Man adjusted his mask.
"Hey, Bruce, I'm going to find the Princess to get pure magic power, then forge the Dragon-Slaying Sword. Want to come?"
Peter shook his head. "No, I... I'll stand guard here." He pointed toward the vase.
Mark nodded. "Okay, Bruce, guard the Wisdom Flower.
Oh, and you're not allowed to see that Red-Haired Bitch. I strongly suspect she's a demon."
Only after saying that did he leap out of the window, satisfied.
"Red-Haired Bitch?"
Peter scratched his head. "What's that?"
"Hey, Peter! Good morning!"
Hearing the voice, Peter poked his head out of the window and saw Mary Jane, with her long burgundy hair, calling to him.
Peter: "..."
Red-Haired Bitch?
Mark was being way too disrespectful.
Meanwhile, Mark sped toward the Kingdom of Ake.
Along the way, he encountered another demon.
Boom!!
Explosions flared at the Demon Hunters' guild.
A green Demon Dragon was spewing dragon breath with reckless abandon.
"Despicable Demon Hunters, die!!"
The Demon Dragon threw back his head and roared. His wings blotted out the sky as they unleashed surging magic power, tearing one Demon Hunter after another to pieces.
Seeing this, Mark's gaze turned odd.
"The guild where the Demon Hunters gather has been overrun by a Demon Dragon?"
He guessed that he must have triggered a hidden storyline!
With that thought, Mark sprang into action without hesitation.
"Nini, I'm coming to save you!"
The red-and-blue figure shot out webs and swung onward, soon scaling the highest floor of Stark Tower.
By then, a hole had been blasted in the infinity pool, and its water cascaded down from the top of the tower like a waterfall.
Amid the drifting mist, the Green Goblin appeared in a rainbow, standing on his Glider.
Among the wreckage, Happy and a group of bodyguards sheltered Pepper Potts in a corner, unable to find an opportunity to escape.
But as the red-and-blue figure swung down and landed, Happy shouted excitedly:
"Spider-Man, over here!"
"Hey, NPCs, I'm looking for Nini," Mark said.
"Nini?" Pepper Potts looked at Happy. "Who's Nini?"
Happy said quietly, "Tony."
Pepper Potts: "..."
She told Mark, "You're too late. Tony has already gone to the Middle East."
"Nini was abducted by another Demon Dragon?"
Mark grew excited.
If his guess was right, the next quest would be to rescue Nini from the Demon Dragon that had abducted her!
That had to be it.