Peter sat on Uncle Ben's lap. Three candles burned on the chocolate cake. Aunt May smiled from across the small dining table. Her eyes were warm and kind.
"Make a wish, sweetie," she said.
Peter closed his eyes. 'I wish I could protect them,' he thought. 'Both of them. No matter what.'
In these three years he had developed affection for them and loved them as much as they loved him.
He blew out the candles. Uncle Ben laughed and ruffled his hair. "Good job, little man. You got all three in one breath."
Aunt May cut the cake. The knife sliced through layers of chocolate and cream. Peter watched her hands move. She was careful and gentle. Everything she did was like that.
"Here you go," she said. She placed a big slice in front of him.
Peter picked up his fork. The cake was sweet and rich. Uncle Ben and Aunt May talked about grown-up things. Work and bills and fixing the leaky sink. Normal stuff. Safe stuff.
'This is nice,' Peter thought. 'I could get used to this.'
Then something changed.
A bright light flashed in front of his eyes. Only his eyes. Uncle Ben and Aunt May didn't react. They kept talking and eating cake like nothing happened.
Words appeared in the air. Floating. Glowing. Only Peter could see them.
[SYSTEM AWAKENING IN PROGRESS...]
[10%... 25%... 50%... 75%... 100%]
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[Welcome, Peter Parker]
[Age Requirement Met: 3 Years Old]
[Initializing Core Functions...]
Peter's fork stopped halfway to his mouth. His heart beat faster. 'Okay. This is actually happening. The system is real.'
More words appeared.
[TEMPORAL ACCELERATION UNLOCKED]
[PROFICIENCY PANEL UNLOCKED]
[Tutorial Beginning...]
Uncle Ben's voice seemed far away. "Peter? You okay, buddy? You look pale."
Peter blinked. He looked at his uncle. "I'm fine. Just... tired."
"Too much excitement for one day?" Aunt May asked. She reached over and felt his forehead. "No fever. Maybe you should rest after cake."
Peter nodded. He forced himself to eat. The cake didn't taste as good anymore. His mind was racing. The system was real. It had functions. Powers. Things he could use.
'But what exactly can it do?' he wondered.
After cake, Aunt May carried him to his small bedroom. She tucked him into bed. She kissed his forehead. "Happy birthday, Peter. We love you so much."
"Love you too," Peter said.
She turned off the light and closed the door. Peter lay in the dark. He stared at the ceiling. His mind wouldn't stop working.
'Okay, system. Let's see what you can do.'
New words appeared.
[SYSTEM FUNCTIONS]
[1. TEMPORAL ACCELERATION - Grants user an additional 24 hours per day]
[Description: User enters a personal dimension where time flows differently. 24 hours pass inside while only 1 second passes outside. User cannot feel fatigue or hunger inside this space. Current dimension size: 50 square meters (based on user's Spirit stat)]
[2. PROFICIENCY PANEL - Tracks and enhances all user abilities]
[Description: All skills, stats, and traits are quantified. Effort equals growth. No talent required. No limits exist. Progress may be slow but is always guaranteed.]
[Note: Hard work is the only requirement. Natural talent only affects starting point, not ceiling.]
Peter's eyes went wide. 'Wait. An extra 24 hours every day? And a system that guarantees growth if I put in effort?'
This was huge. This was game-changing. This meant he could train while everyone else slept. He could learn. Get stronger. Prepare for everything he knew was coming.
'Uncle Ben won't have to die,' Peter thought. 'I can change things. I just need to get strong enough first.'
But he had to be smart about this. The system said growth would happen but didn't promise it would be fast. He couldn't expect to become Superman overnight. This would take time. Years probably.
'I'm only three,' Peter reminded himself. 'I have time. Lots of time.'
He focused on the system again.
[Would you like to enter Temporal Acceleration now?]
[Yes / No]
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