Bully Maguire!

[Bounty: Can someone help me save Mary Jane? (Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man) Reward: 4,450 points!]

"Oh~ So this is Bully Maguire's timeline!"

Lu Wen looked at the young man before him, whose eyes were so clear and so utterly clueless, and immediately recognized which Spider-Man he was.

"Tell me, how did a guy so broke he has to patch his underwear earn four thousand points? Did you rob a bank?"

"Huh? No! I saved them up bit by bit fighting criminals!"

"Well, you certainly work hard." Lu Wen gave Peter his approval.

The routine missions issued by the system, whether his main system or its subsystems, were basically designed around their hosts' circumstances. Most identified enemy units from the host's perspective and awarded points for subduing those units.

And they paid very little!

Only a small number of peaceful worlds used other measures to award points. In a farming world, for example, the system would set a series of harvest targets as missions to help the host earn points.

It was easy to imagine how many thieves and robbers this hardworking Spider-Man must have caught to save up so many points.

He had even saved up the odd change.

"Wait, um~ Are you the hired muscle who took my request on that thing called the Void Market System? Can you really help me get Mary Jane back?"

Peter looked Lu Wen up and down dubiously. Forgive him, but he really could not see any sign of strength about Lu Wen.

"How about now?"

Without another word, orange light lit up on Lu Wen's chest.

"Hey, hey! Stop! Stop, okay, I believe you!"

The Spider-Sense in his head screamed warnings! Although he felt certain he could dodge it, once that light fired, the consequences would definitely be serious!

"Then quit wasting words. Hurry up and save your girlfriend."

"Okay, come here. I'll take you."

As he spoke, Peter shot a strand of webbing from one hand onto a distant high-rise and held the other out to Lu Wen.

"Wait! You're not planning to carry me while you swing over there, are you?"

"What else? You don't look like you can fly. How else am I supposed to take you?"

"No! Don't even think about it! I am absolutely not going to be tucked under some cumin-scented mutant hulk's armpit like a coy little girl and swung all over the city!"

Lu Wen took a big step back, disgust written on his face.

"Oh~ Come on, man! This isn't the time to fuss over that. Someone's waiting for us to save her."

Peter was at a loss for words. Was this guy reliable at all?

Half a year ago, something calling itself a system had suddenly appeared in his head, telling him to fight criminals in exchange for points. Then, at a critical moment, it told him to use those points to find help. No matter what he tried, he could not figure out what form this system existed in. All of this made it very hard to trust.

"Tell me where it is. I... Never mind, I already know." Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Wen spotted the billboard diagonally across from them, which was showing local New York news.

"You go ahead. I'll be there soon." Lu Wen waved, signaling for Peter to leave first.

"All right. I hope you keep your word." Helpless, Peter could only swing away first.

No matter what, he was going to save Mary Jane. Having help would be best. If not... so be it. He had not held out much hope to begin with.

Watching Peter hurry away, Lu Wen unhurriedly jumped off the rooftop, crossed the street, and hailed a taxi.

What a joke. He was not going to run there on his own two feet, even if his laughable movement speed had already been fixed by an attribute.

Outside the skyscraper construction site~

Reporters, firefighters, and citizens packed the intersection beyond the police cordon. The scene was so quiet that a pin dropping could have been heard.

Everyone was waiting, waiting to see whether that hero would appear.

When a little girl in her parent's arms pointed at the night sky behind them and said, "Look!" everyone turned.

The moment they saw that red-and-blue figure swing out of the darkness, cheers and enthusiastic applause erupted.

Even the reporter had tears of excitement in her eyes as she recorded this inspiring moment before the camera.

No one disliked heroes! Unless the hero was on the opposing side...

Yet this hero, in whom the citizens had placed such high hopes, failed to bring the situation under control right away. Instead, he was bound to a pitch-black web, unable to move~

"Oh my God~ Eddie."

Peter stared in shock at his former colleague, at the living alien suit on him-the very suit Peter had peeled off and thrown away.

Looking at his former colleague's crazed expression, Peter knew this probably could not be settled with a few words.

No one knew better than he did just how insane the thoughts in your head became after putting on that suit.

"Thanks. Keep the change."

Stepping out of the taxi, Lu Wen happened to see Eddie, bonded with Venom, holding Peter against a steel framework while Sandman, transformed into a giant of sand and stone, hammered him with booming blows.

The sight was so brutal that the crowd could barely stand to watch.

"This is so brutal. So terribly brutal. I don't know if he can hold on."

The female reporter behind him was even trembling as she spoke.

"It is pretty brutal."

Lu Wen silently added that remark to himself and squeezed toward the center of the crowd.

Just as he was about to charge his chest cannon and give Sandman a shot to spare Peter some suffering, a streak of light whizzed onto Sandman's neck, bringing him to a halt.

"Huh?"

As Sandman wondered, the beeping Pumpkin Bomb blew away half his head with a bang.

Seeing this, Lu Wen stopped charging his chest cannon.

Harry, the young Green Goblin, had arrived just in time to save Peter, who was being beaten until he spat.

Harry held out his hand to Peter, and Peter took it and stood up. With that, the two friends put their differences behind them.

They had barely exchanged a few words before the enemies' pincer attack forced them straight into battle.

As Harry used the flames from his glider to bake Sandman's enormous arm into glass and then smashed straight through it, the onlookers gasped and repeatedly pressed their shutters to capture the moment.

This left Mr. Jameson, the owner of the Daily Bugle, frantic! This was huge news!

"Parker! Parker! Where are you~"

Frantic, Jameson shouted in every direction for Parker. But Parker was fighting for his life dozens of floors above and had no time to pay him any attention.

"Hey, kid, want a job?"

With no other choice, Jameson set his sights on the little girl beside him.

After the little girl fleeced him twice by selling the camera and film separately, Jameson finally bought a cheap camera for three hundred dollars.

"You little profiteer!!!"

Jameson spat out the complaint viciously. Just as he was loading the film, preparing to shoot tomorrow's front-page headline himself, he came face-to-face with Lu Wen's smile.

"She has real capitalist potential, doesn't she, Mr. Jameson?"

"Yes, she's a fine young capitalist in the making, sir." Out of politeness, and irritation at being fleeced, Jameson gave Lu Wen a curt reply.

The two of them earned an eye roll from the little girl, who was busy counting her money.

"Hey, hey! Sir, where are you going! Oh~ God..."

Jameson had only taken a couple of photos when he felt a gust sweep past him. He instinctively looked over and saw Lu Wen running straight toward the center of the battle between heroes and villains.

He was about to warn him not to go into that danger, but a second later, seeing Lu Wen's inhuman speed, he decisively pressed the shutter at Lu Wen's retreating back.

Overhead!

The web beneath Mary Jane began to dissolve. Finally unable to hold her, it let her fall.

Harry and Peter noticed and immediately broke away from the fight, standing together on the glider as they flew over.

"Go! Buddy! Catch her!"

"Watch me!!!"

Peter roared and was about to leap out to catch Mary Jane!

But...

Someone was faster than him!

Like a cannonball fired from its barrel, Lu Wen leaped out of the building, caught Mary Jane in midair, and landed steadily on the floor ahead.