Chapter 2: The Weight of Choice
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Three days.
That's all the time I had.
I stared at the glowing countdown hovering in my vision, the soft threads of light slowly fading after imprinting the message deep into my mind.
Three days until Uncle Ben's death.
I rubbed my face, trying to calm my racing heart, but it was no use. My palms were sweating, and my legs still felt weak beneath me.
How did everything spiral so far out of control, so fast?
I wasn't just some bystander anymore. I wasn't even the Peter Parker from the comics.
I was Ark—a completely different person—reincarnated into this world with Peter's body and powers. And now, thanks to this mysterious Trait Copy System, I had the ability to copy powers from others… if I completed its missions.
But this wasn't just some game.
This was Uncle Ben's life.
I walked to the window, staring out at the quiet streets below. People went about their lives, unaware of the chaos brewing beneath the surface of this city—this world.
I could already feel it in my bones.
This world wasn't normal.
It was too vibrant, too… alive.
The air itself seemed to hum with power.
And I was standing in the middle of it all.
I leaned against the window frame, letting out a shaky breath.
"Get it together," I muttered under my breath.
Panicking wouldn't help. I needed answers. I needed control.
And right now, the only thing that could give me that was the system.
I focused on it, willing it to activate again. Almost instantly, those shimmering silk threads appeared in my mind's eye, weaving themselves into words once more.
[Trait Copy System Interface]
[Current Trait Tokens: 0]
Available Functions:
1. Trait Copy (Requires Trait Token)
2. Trait List]
3. Mission Log
My eyes narrowed.
Trait Copy. Trait List. Mission Log.
Simple enough.
I selected the Mission Log option by instinct, and another screen appeared, glowing faintly.
[Mission Log]
[Active Mission:
— Prevent Uncle Ben's Death
Reward: +1 Trait Token
Time Remaining: 2 Days, 23 Hours, 47 Minutes]
Mission Description:
Prevent the fatal incident involving Uncle Ben.
Warning: Success will significantly alter future events.
I bit my lip.
Less than three days now.
And the system wasn't pulling punches either. The warning was clear—saving him wouldn't just be a minor change. It would ripple through everything.
Still… how could I not try?
It was Uncle Ben.
Peter's uncle.
My uncle, now.
I couldn't just sit back and watch him die.
I closed the Mission Log and focused on calming myself down.
One step at a time.
I had two main problems:
1. Uncle Ben's looming death.
2. Understanding my powers—and this Trait Copy System.
I needed both if I was going to survive here.
Especially in a world filled with gods, monsters, and madmen.
---
I decided to test my body first.
I carefully locked the bedroom door, making sure Aunt May wasn't nearby. Then I moved to the center of the room, flexing my hands.
I could still feel that strange tingling under my skin—subtle, but always there, like a coiled spring ready to explode.
I aimed my wrist toward the wall, mimicking the motion I'd seen Spider-Man do in comics and movies.
Deep breath.
Focus.
Thwip!
A thick strand of white webbing shot out from my wrist, slamming into the wall with a wet smack. It wasn't smooth or elegant like in the movies—it was messy, slightly sticky, and surprisingly warm.
I gave the web a gentle tug, and to my shock, it held firm.
I pulled harder, and before I knew it, my body was yanked off the ground.
I nearly crashed into the wall but twisted midair, flipping over and landing—barely—on my feet.
I panted, my heart racing from the sudden rush.
"…Holy crap."
This wasn't just some convenient power. This was real.
The strength, the reflexes, the webbing—it was all mine now.
And it felt good.
I couldn't help but grin.
Then, as if responding to my excitement, the system pulsed softly in the back of my mind.
[System Tip: Physical mutation detected. Organic Webbing Integrated.]
[New Passive Trait Unlocked:
— Organic Webbing (Spider Mutation)
Description: Produces high-tensile webbing naturally through specialized glands in the wrists. Regenerates over time.]
I blinked.
So the system automatically logged my abilities too.
That could come in handy.
But I couldn't get distracted. This was just step one.
I needed to figure out my next move.
---
I spent the next few hours quietly testing my powers—lifting furniture, sticking to walls, even testing my agility. Everything pointed toward one clear fact:
I wasn't just Peter Parker.
I was something else entirely.
Peter's powers were fully integrated into my body, but I still had my original mind. My memories, my knowledge.
And on top of that… the Trait Copy System.
This world wasn't ready for me.
But none of it would matter if I failed my first mission.
---
As the sky darkened outside, I finally sat back down, exhausted but exhilarated.
I opened the system interface again, this time focusing on the Trait List.
[Trait List]
Active Traits:
— Organic Webbing (Spider Mutation)
— Wall-Crawling (Spider Mutation)
— Enhanced Strength (Spider Mutation)
— Enhanced Reflexes (Spider Mutation)
— Spider-Sense (Spider Mutation)
Spider-Sense too? That explained the tingling whenever something felt off.
I was already stacked compared to a normal human, but this was just the beginning.
The system would allow me to copy even more abilities—powers from anyone in this world.
Heroes.
Villains.
Anyone.
All I needed were Trait Tokens.
And the first one was tied to Uncle Ben's fate.
I glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.
The house was quiet, the only sounds coming from the faint hum of the fridge downstairs and the ticking of the old clock in the hallway.
Somewhere down there, Uncle Ben and Aunt May were fast asleep, completely unaware of the storm that was about to crash down on us.
I knew how the original story went.
Ben would die soon, shot by a criminal I'd let slip through my fingers. His death would become the catalyst that pushed Peter into becoming Spider-Man.
But this wasn't just Peter's story anymore.
It was mine.
I had the power to stop it.
But at what cost?
If I saved him, would I lose my chance to become stronger? Would it change the timeline so drastically that I'd regret it later?
Or worse… would something even worse happen because I interfered?
The system's warning echoed in my mind.
"Altering fate may cause unpredictable world changes."
I hated it.
I hated the weight of this choice.
But deep down, I already knew my answer.
I wasn't going to let Uncle Ben die.
Not this time.
No matter what the consequences were.
I clenched my fists, feeling the slight burn of the organic webbing beneath my skin as my resolve hardened.
Three days.
That was all the time I had.
And I wasn't going to waste a single second.
This world wanted a hero?
Then I'd become something else entirely.
I wasn't just Spider-Man.
I was the Weaver of Traits.
And this city?
It had no idea what was coming.
---
[To Be Continued