Chapter 1: “The Bug in the System”
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
[Welcome, New User.]
[Syncing Host: Peter Benjamin Parker.]
[ERROR: Foreign Consciousness Detected.]
[Rebooting…]
[Progress: 1%… 5%… 100%]
[System Activated.]
Darkness.
That was the first thing Ethan Grey felt—not saw—just pure, suffocating darkness. No pain. No sound. Just an endless void, like his consciousness was floating in an abyss.
Then, like a corrupted file suddenly playing back at double speed, everything rushed in: memories of bright headlights, the screech of tires, the bone-crushing impact, and—nothingness.
Am I dead?
No answer.
But then—pain.
Sharp, searing pain shot through his wrist, jolting him awake like someone had plugged his brain into a faulty power socket. His eyes snapped open, greeted by the blurry image of a cracked ceiling, its paint peeling in faded flakes. A ceiling he'd never seen before.
Where the hell—?
Ethan sat up abruptly, his breath ragged. The bed beneath him felt too small, the sheets unfamiliar. His heart hammered in his chest—not from fear, but from pure adrenaline.
His body felt wrong. His arms were lean but toned. His skin smoother. His perspective… shorter?
Staggering to the nearest mirror, Ethan froze.
Staring back wasn't the face of a 27-year-old programmer who spent too much time in front of screens. No tired eyes, no messy stubble. Instead, a young face with sharp cheekbones, brown eyes, and messy hair stared back—familiar, but impossible.
Peter Parker.
[SYSTEM ALERT: New Quest Available]
Quest: "With Great Power…"
Objective: Accept your new reality.
Reward: Access to System Functions.
Penalty for Failure: Cognitive Desynchronization (a.k.a. existential meltdown).
Ethan stumbled backward, nearly tripping over the cluttered floor. A holographic interface hovered in the air, faint and translucent like an augmented reality overlay.
"What… the actual hell?" he whispered, reaching out instinctively. His fingers passed right through it.
A system. Like an RPG. But real.
Okay, okay, think. He was in Peter Parker's body. There was a system assigning him quests. His brain screamed for logic, but the burning ache in his wrist pulled his attention back to reality.
The spider bite.
Rolling up his sleeve, he saw the small red mark. The origin of Spider-Man.
This can't be real.
But the sting, the racing heartbeat, the surreal clarity of his senses—it felt real. Too real.
Step 1: Don't panic.
Ethan forced himself to breathe, dragging in shaky gulps of air. His mind raced, connecting dots faster than it ever had before.
• Reincarnation? Check.
• System with RPG mechanics? Check.
• Stuck in a superhero's body? Check.
It was every Webnovel cliché rolled into one—except it was happening to him.
Powers. I need to check for powers.
Without thinking, he reached for the cracked ceiling—and his hand stuck. His palm clung to the plaster like glue.
"No freaking way—" Before he could process it, his body yanked upward with unnatural force. His head collided with the ceiling, sending dust and paint chips raining down.
[Achievement Unlocked: "First Steps… or Sticks?"]
Reward: +1 Agility
Ethan groaned, detaching himself from the ceiling and landing gracelessly on the floor with a dull thud.
Superpowers? Check.
After several awkward minutes of testing (and more faceplants), Ethan confirmed the obvious: enhanced strength, reflexes, wall-crawling, and heightened senses. It was exhilarating—and terrifying.
But then the system chimed again.
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: "The Catalyst"]
Objective: Prevent Uncle Ben's death.
Reward: Unique Skill – Spider's Resolve
Failure Penalty: Permanent Debuff – Guilt of Loss (-10% to all mental stats)
Ethan froze.
Uncle Ben.
He knew what this meant. In every version of Spider-Man's story, Uncle Ben's death was inevitable—a tragic event that shaped Peter Parker into a hero.
But now, the system wanted him to change it.
His hands trembled slightly as the weight of that realization settled in. This wasn't just about surviving. This was about rewriting destiny.
Could he do it?
Would he?
Later That Day
Ethan trailed Uncle Ben through the bustling streets of Queens, heart pounding harder than it ever had in his old life. The sun dipped low, casting long shadows between buildings. Every instinct screamed that this was the moment.
He didn't know the exact details of how it would happen. A robbery gone wrong? A stray bullet?
Not today.
As they turned down a dimly lit alley—Ethan's senses flared.
Danger.
He felt it before he saw it. A figure emerged from the shadows—a man with a desperate look, clutching a gun.
"Your wallet. Now!" the mugger barked, his hands shaking.
Uncle Ben instinctively stepped forward. "Hey, no need for violence—"
This is it.
Ethan moved without thinking.
[QUEST OBJECTIVE UPDATED: Intervene Successfully.]
Time seemed to slow as adrenaline surged. Ethan's body reacted faster than his mind could keep up. He lunged, grabbing the mugger's wrist just as the trigger was pulled.
BANG!
The shot rang out, deafening in the confined space—but it missed.
With newfound strength, Ethan disarmed the man effortlessly, sending the gun skidding across the pavement. A punch—fueled by panic and power—knocked the mugger unconscious.
Breathing heavily, Ethan turned to Uncle Ben, who stared at him with wide eyes.
"You okay?" Ethan managed to ask, his voice trembling.
Uncle Ben blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yeah… thanks to you."
[QUEST COMPLETE: "The Catalyst"]
Reward Unlocked: Unique Skill – Spider's Resolve (Boosts Willpower & Combat Reflexes in Critical Situations)
Later, alone in his room, Ethan stared at his reflection again.
He had changed the story. Uncle Ben was alive.
But at what cost?
If he could alter this event, what else could he change? What should he change?
For better or worse, he wasn't just living Peter Parker's life.
He was rewriting it.
[End of Chapter 1]