Chapter 2: “Butterfly Effect”

[SYSTEM STATUS: ACTIVE]

Host: Peter Benjamin Parker (a.k.a. Ethan Grey)

Level: 2

EXP: 150/500

New Skill Unlocked: Spider's Resolve (Passive Boost: +10% Willpower & Combat Reflexes in Critical Situations)

Quest Log Updated: New Main Quest Available.

Ethan couldn't sleep.

Not because he wasn't tired—his body felt like it had been hit by a truck—but because his mind refused to shut down. He lay in the small bed in Peter Parker's cramped room, staring at the cracked ceiling, his heart still racing from earlier.

I saved Uncle Ben.

It should've felt like a victory. A major win. But instead, it felt… wrong.

Not morally. He'd done the right thing. But something deep inside gnawed at him—a sense that the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for the consequences to unfold.

Because if there was one thing Ethan knew from all the stories, comics, and games he'd obsessed over, it was this: you don't change a fixed point in time without consequences.

[NEW MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED: "The Ripple Effect"]

Objective: Investigate anomalies caused by the timeline alteration.

Reward: +500 EXP, Skill Upgrade Option

Failure Penalty: Unforeseen Multiversal Instability (severity: unknown)

"Unforeseen multiversal instability?" Ethan muttered, rubbing his temples. "That's real reassuring."

His stomach twisted with a familiar mix of excitement and dread—the exact same feeling he used to get when opening loot boxes, only this time, the stakes weren't virtual.

Multiversal instability…

What did that even mean? Alternate realities colliding? Villains showing up early? Heroes dying who weren't supposed to?

Great. Just great.

The Next Morning

Ethan sat at the cramped kitchen table, trying to act normal while Aunt May fussed over breakfast and Uncle Ben sipped coffee, oblivious to how close he'd come to dying the night before.

It was surreal.

Uncle Ben smiled warmly. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink, kiddo."

"Uh—just… studying. Y'know, school stuff." Yeah, school stuff like temporal anomalies and existential crises.

Ben chuckled. "You're working too hard. Life's not all about grades."

Ethan forced a smile, but inside, his thoughts spiraled.

This is the man I saved. But at what cost?

Later: Midtown High

High school was even more painful the second time around.

Ethan navigated the crowded halls, dodging jocks, avoiding eye contact with teachers, and trying not to freak out every time his Spidey-sense tingled—which, as it turned out, was often in a building full of hormonal teenagers.

But then he felt it.

Not just the usual background noise of danger… this was different.

Sharp. Focused. Like an invisible needle prickling the back of his neck.

Ethan turned—and saw him.

A boy he didn't recognize. Black hoodie. Sharp features. Piercing gray eyes that seemed to look through him.

And for the briefest moment, Ethan swore the kid's irises flickered—not with light, but like static on a broken screen.

The boy smirked, then vanished into the crowd.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Timeline Anomaly Detected]

Anomaly Class: Level 1 (Localized)

Recommendation: Investigate Immediately.

Ethan's heart raced. This wasn't supposed to happen.

He wasn't just dealing with supervillains anymore. The timeline itself was fighting back.

After School: Rooftop Confrontation

Ethan tracked the anomaly to an abandoned rooftop near Midtown High. The city buzzed below, but up here, it was eerily quiet.

The boy was waiting.

"I was wondering when you'd catch up," the stranger said, his voice smooth, almost mocking. "Took you long enough, Peter."

Ethan clenched his fists. "You're not from around here, are you?"

The boy's grin widened. "Neither are you."

Before Ethan could respond, the boy's form glitched—his body flickering like corrupted data. Then, without warning, he lunged.

Fast.

Too fast.

Ethan barely dodged, his Spidey-sense screaming. The boy moved like nothing Ethan had ever faced—not just superhuman speed, but reality itself seemed to bend around him.

What is he?!

They traded blows, Ethan's enhanced reflexes barely keeping him in the fight. But every punch, every kick felt like hitting static—there was no satisfying impact, just resistance, like trying to fight smoke.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Critical Combat Scenario Detected]

Skill Activation: Spider's Resolve (Boost Active)

Bonus: +10% Reflex Speed, +10% Willpower

Fueled by adrenaline and the system's boost, Ethan managed to land a solid hit. The boy stumbled back, blinking rapidly as if resetting.

"Not bad," the boy muttered, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "But you're not supposed to be here."

Before Ethan could respond, the boy glitched again—and disappeared.

Gone. No trace. No explanation.

That Night

Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the system interface hovering in front of him.

What have I gotten myself into?

[QUEST UPDATE: "The Ripple Effect"]

Status: In Progress

New Objective: Identify the Anomaly.

Clue: "Not all glitches are bugs. Some are warnings."

Ethan clenched his fists, determination hardening in his chest.

I saved Uncle Ben. I changed the story.

But now, the universe was changing back.

And he had no idea what was coming next.

[End of Chapter 2]