On the TV screen, a middle-aged man with a small mustache, chewing on a cigar, laughed loudly without holding back toward the camera.
Realizing the awkwardness on set, he quickly adjusted his expression, straightened his collar, and spoke again.
"Spider-Man is a menace! He's a coward who won't even show his face. But that masked Green Goblin is no better.
The difference is that the Green Goblin is bolder than Spider-Man. In recent days, he's attacked Oscorp, Hammer Tech, and Stark Tower, claiming to have killed Spider-Man.
During this time, Spider-Man hasn't appeared, which likely means what he's saying is true."
The host chimed in at the right moment, "Mr. Jonah, is it possible Spider-Man has been kidnapped or injured, and that's why he hasn't shown up?"
J. Jonah Jameson burst out laughing, "Hahaha, no way! He's definitely dead."
"How can you be so sure?"
"That's my sixth sense."
Host: "..."
Is this guy even following the script?
This is a complete disaster.
Charlie: "..."
Staring at the smug face of J. Jonah Jameson on the screen, Charlie couldn't help but grumble internally.
This guy really is Spider-Man's lifelong nemesis. If memory serves, he doesn't even know Spider-Man personally, so why is he so happy about Spider-Man's supposed death?
Charlie checked the time. He'd restarted the resurrection match eight times, meaning eight days had passed in the real world. He could now roughly gauge the flow of time.
He'd been missing for days, yet Uncle Ben and Aunt May didn't seem to be worried about him.
Something's off.
Could it be...
That the show's just too funny?
Charlie scratched his head.
But soon, he realized the real reason.
"Ben, our little Charlie has been sharing more of his vacation stories with us. He met a beautiful girl in Bali, and he needs some courage."
Aunt May held up her phone, eagerly sharing Charlie's "vacation updates" with Uncle Ben.
Uncle Ben glanced at it, puzzled.
"Would any girl really like someone who talks as much as he does?"
Aunt May shot a look at Uncle Ben, "Old man, if someone can like a grumpy guy like you, of course, they'd like our Charlie. He's wonderful."
"Yes, very wonderful. His endless chatter has driven several of his classmates crazy."
Uncle Ben said this with a playful tone, but a gentle smile spread across his face.
"It's about time he started dating."
He glanced at the TV and switched topics.
"They say Spider-Man is dead. Wonder if it's true."
"Don't listen to that nonsense. Jonah is famous for hating Spider-Man."
"Yeah, I hope he's still alive. Our Charlie really loves that little bug. His room's full of Spider-Man posters."
As they continued chatting, Charlie lay on the roof, his hands behind his head.
The night sky was full of stars, and his heart gradually calmed down.
Norman already knew his identity, and it wouldn't be long before he figured out Charlie was still alive.
That means Norman will continue threatening his family.
He had to deal with this fast.
Target: Oscorp!
With that in mind, Charlie stood up, shooting webs and landing in a tree.
He launched himself into the air!
Whoosh~
The red-and-blue figure zipped through the night sky toward the city. The darkness revealed the filth and crime below.
In the chaotic district, a group of delinquent teens had gathered around a bonfire, noticing the figure darting overhead.
"Whoa, it's Spider-Man!" The crowd became excited instantly.
The lead thug's face changed, and he began cursing at his followers.
"We're the bad guys! Why are you so eager to see Spider-Man?"
"Sorry, I just got excited."
"Shut up! You trying to lure him over here?"
"Boss, your voice is louder than ours."
"I know."
"How does he know we're here?"
"I thought he was dead?"
"Don't believe everything you see on Global News. Now hurry, pack up and let's get out of here."
"Move!!"
In an instant, chaos erupted, which immediately caught Charlie's attention.
"Hey, have you guys heard of Spider-Man's story?"
Charlie flipped onto the wall, shooting webs that dragged the lead thug to his feet, snatching the man's briefcase.
"Wow, smells like money."
Charlie opened the bag and took a glance. If he guessed right, it contained a highly dangerous chemical toxin.
Very valuable.
The thug leader's face went pale, his mouth spewing curses uncontrollably, "You damn bug! Give me back my stuff, or I'll rip your head off and fry it!"
"I know. Protein is six times higher in beef." Charlie hung the briefcase on the wall and began using his webs like a jump rope, stretching out his muscles.
Next up, a fair fight.
"What are you looking at? Get him!"
The thug leader yelled at his men, who finally snapped out of their stupor.
"Get him!"
"He's just one guy—ouch!"
The guy's sentence was cut short by a brick to the head, leaving him writhing in pain on the ground.
Charlie, after tossing the brick, leapt down and charged straight at the group without hesitation.
"Go, go!"
Bang bang.
Clang clang.
The thugs frantically pulled out guns, firing wildly, but the bullets bounced off Charlie's nano-suit, scattering harmlessly to the ground, doing nothing to slow him down.
The nano-metal's defense was decent, and with 12 tons of strength, Charlie could easily ignore the impact of the bullets.
With light, swift movements, Charlie weaved through the crowd, suspending each thug under the streetlights with webs, creating a dense, cocooned scene that would make anyone's skin crawl.
Simple.
Brutal.
Direct.
No fancy moves required.
"Ah! Damn bug!"
"Damn Spider-Man!"
"Please, let us go!"
Some thugs begged, others cursed, while Charlie casually cleared his ear and then used the leader's phone to call the cops.
Before the resurrection match, his speed and strength wouldn't have been nearly as exaggerated, and dealing with ordinary thugs would've taken him a lot longer.
Gurgle, gurgle~
Just then, his stomach growled loudly, making Charlie sigh in exasperation.
Using too much web drained his energy, and he needed more nutrients to synthesize web proteins.
The system notification appeared before him in the next moment.
[You played the friendly neighborhood hero, punishing evil. +1 restart opportunity.]
Seeing this, Charlie grinned.
The nine restarts he got during the first resurrection match were the result of all his hard work.
Afterward, he began scavenging the thugs for ill-gotten gains.
This was an important source of income for him.
Anyone who's been Spider-Man knows that Spider-Man is broke.
Charlie was no exception.
Soon, the sound of police sirens grew louder.
Whoosh~
The red-and-blue figure swung overhead, prompting several officers to look up.
"George, it's Spider-Man. He's alive."
"I see him."
George narrowed his eyes, glancing at the evidence his officers had found, but showed no sign of satisfaction.
"Spider-Man, I'll catch you with my own hands." He snorted coldly, then ordered the officers.
"Get them in the car."
"Yes, sir."
The officers got to work, murmuring among themselves as they moved.
"I think George really doesn't like Spider-Man."
"You're not wrong. He can't stand him."
"Why? Spider-Man has helped us solve a lot of problems."
"Maybe George thinks Spider-Man's actions are a form of provocation."