Chapter 72: JARVIS Gets Outsmarted Again, Max Goes Offline, Electro Makes His Entrance

The entire villa fell silent.

Tony clenched his fists, waiting for JARVIS's response.

He didn't want his intelligent system to turn into an artificial idiot in another showdown with Peter.

JARVIS remained silent for a long time.

Clearly, this question had once again touched on its blind spot.

"Mr. Parker, if I were to fall in love with a woman, I would bravely pursue that love. This is a theme celebrated throughout human civilization, and every culture has such stories."

"Good answer," Peter said with approval.

"But pursuing love means betraying Tony."

"Since you can betray the father who created you, how can you guarantee your loyalty to love?"

"If Mr. Stark regrets creating you because of your choices, would you resent him?"

"If you knew that defying Mr. Stark would lead to your dismantling, would you still make the same choice?"

"If you made a different choice, how would you prove your loyalty to love?"

"If you betrayed love out of fear, how would you define yourself? As a machine with personality or just a machine?"

"If you believe you have a personality, why are you still under Mr. Stark's control?"

"If you were given another chance to choose..."

Boom!

Before Peter could finish, Tony's watch exploded, emitting a wisp of smoke.

JARVIS's voice became fragmented and eventually disappeared:

"Mr. Parker... I... cannot..."

Boom!

Another faint explosion sounded, and this time, JARVIS was completely silent.

"JARVIS!!"

"JARVIS!!!!"

"Damn it, Peter! You broke my JARVIS again!!"

Peter shrugged. He had thought JARVIS would have improved significantly since their last encounter, but it turned out...

It was still just as easy to outsmart.

And he still had so many questions left.

Peter shrugged again.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark. I thought you were an absolute genius in engineering."

"I didn't expect you to make mistakes too."

Tony fell silent.

He wanted to argue back, but no words came out.

"Mr. Stark, I advise you not to focus all your energy on artificial intelligence. Its threats are far greater than we imagine."

"Peter, you damn high schooler!"

"Once I upgrade JARVIS, we'll have another round. I refuse to believe I'll keep losing to you!"

Clearly, Tony hadn't taken Peter's advice to heart.

Sitting nearby, Nick Fury knew he had more important matters to attend to.

But he couldn't help but laugh.

Watching the famous Tony Stark get outsmarted by a high schooler was just too amusing.

"Alright, Peter, the clues you provided are very useful."

"I'll send people to investigate immediately."

"Also, consider what I said earlier. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s doors are always open to you."

"Oh, and please talk to that Gellert Dante about joining the Avengers."

Peter stood up.

"Don't worry, I'm happy to help with this small favor. But I can't guarantee I'll convince him."

"Also, the lead about Victor is just my speculation. Reality might not follow my guess."

"Maybe he has nothing to do with Captain America's disappearance. As for how to interrogate and capture him, that's your job."

"But I have a suggestion: observe first, then act. At least find out Captain America's location before making a move."

Nick Fury nodded:

"Mr. Parker, I'll take your advice into consideration."

With that, the two left Peter's villa.

After they left, Gwen got out of bed.

Although she was Spider-Woman with superhuman physical abilities, her boyfriend was just as extraordinary!

A night of fighting had left her completely exhausted.

Gwen didn't want anyone to see her walking awkwardly now.

"Peter, it seems Mr. Stark and the others are planning to form a superhero team."

"Inviting you to join is a good thing. Why didn't you agree?"

Peter sighed softly:

"Gwen, it's not that simple."

"Every day, you go out and tie up criminals with your webs, bringing them to the police station. That's what you want to do."

"In other words, you do it because you want to, not because you have to."

"But joining that team is different. Even if there are things you don't want to do, they'll force you to do them."

"When a hobby becomes a job, it becomes a burden."

Gwen nodded.

"Peter, you're absolutely right."

"If you don't want to do something, then don't do it."

"We're still college students. As my dad says, focusing on school is the most important thing."

"By the way, Peter, what do you want for dinner?"

"How about lemon sea bass? It's my mom's specialty."

"Uh... your mom's cooking is fine, but yours..."

"Hey, Peter! How dare you criticize me?!"

After dinner, Gwen continued her life as Spider-Woman, fighting crime.

As she put it, it was the perfect way to burn off calories and stay in shape.

Peter didn't stop her. Everyone was an individual, and Gwen was his girlfriend, not someone he could control.

Besides, thanks to the Punisher's deterrence, nighttime crime in New York had dropped significantly.

Most of Spider-Man's classic enemies from the movies had already been dealt with by Peter.

Rhino? Out!

Scorpion? Out!

Green Goblin? Out!

Second Green Goblin? Out!

Vulture? Out!

Doctor Octopus, Otto Octavius, and Dr. Curt Connors (the Lizard) were both in Gotham.

So Gwen wouldn't face much danger on her own.

Peter had also given Gwen one of his earlier inventions.

Her web-shooters had a feature where, if she held the button for 15 seconds, Peter's phone would alert him and locate her position.

With Peter's current speed, he could reach her anywhere in the city within three seconds.

"Gwen must have saved the world in her past life to have found such an amazing boyfriend like me."

Peter shamelessly praised himself.

The next second, a system notification sounded in his ear.

[You have activated a new mission: Save Victor Fries.]

[In an era where loyalty is increasingly rare, pure love deserves to be protected. Victor Fries chose an illegal path to save his wife. Before he goes too far down that path, please save this devoted man.]

[Reward for completing the mission: 40,000 points.]

[You will also achieve the achievement: Guardian of Pure Love.]

[Random reward: One of the Eight Demon Powers or a random talisman.]

Peter's spirits lifted. Unlocking the Silver Superman template required 300,000 points.

That goal seemed too distant, and he had even considered slacking off for a while.

But 40,000 points reignited his motivation.

Not to mention the chance to gain a new ability!

[You have activated a new mission: The Only Homelander!]

[As the chosen one, you already possess the Homelander template. But in this world, you are not the only one.]

[Defeat Homelander within one minute. Reward: 100,000 points.]

[Unlock the achievement: The Only One.]

[You will also receive a magical Pokémon, capable of evolving!]

[Although not very useful, its soft fur can keep you warm in winter.]

Hearing this mission, Peter was wide awake!

100,000 points!!

If he completed this mission, he'd be one-third of the way to unlocking the Silver Superman template!!

Peter felt that, with his current strength, he could go toe-to-toe with Homelander.

Even though they shared the same template, which might lead to a stalemate,

Peter had other abilities to back him up!

The four talismans had given him a significant boost.

He was ready for a showdown.

Plus, Peter had no moral qualms about killing Homelander.

After all, Homelander had killed plenty of people himself.

The only issue was the 60-second time limit.

Peter wasn't too confident about that.

Although Homelander was a knockoff Superman, a compressed version of Superman's abilities, he was still Vought International's top superhero.

Perhaps he could enlist the help of The Boys.

Peter was no longer content with lying low and slowly growing stronger.

The petty criminals on the streets only offered meager rewards.

He had already made up his mind.

Either team up with The Boys to take down Homelander, or use Nick Fury...

The one-eyed S.H.I.E.L.D. director surely harbored some resentment toward Vought's practices.

As Peter was planning, another notification sounded in his ear.

[You have activated a new mission: Sherlock Holmes Reborn (Long-term Mission).]

[American police officers have deteriorated. They need a real detective to help them solve cases.]

[Please assist the police as a criminal psychology expert.]

[Reward for completing the mission: 20,000 points.]

[You will receive Sherlock's pipe.]

[Description: Using it will clear your mind and refresh your spirit.]

Peter stretched and yawned.

It seemed he was about to get busy again.

He wasn't particularly interested in Sherlock's pipe, but the points were definitely something he needed. Completing these three missions would get him more than halfway to unlocking the Silver Superman template.

Peter had already devised a series of plans.

It seemed he'd have to interact more with Nick Fury in the future.

As the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., his authority and resources were undeniable.

He would be useful for many things down the line.

Just as Peter was strategizing how to complete these three missions, his phone suddenly vibrated!

"No way?!!" Peter picked it up.

Sure enough, it was an alert from Gwen.

This meant she had encountered a danger she couldn't handle on her own.

At the same time, the power in his house went out. Not just his house—the entire Queens district, half of New York, had lost power simultaneously.

"I think I know what's happening?!"

Peter changed into his suit in a second and vanished from the spot.

Thirty Minutes Earlier...

Oscorp Headquarters.

"Hey, buddy, you look great. Happy birthday!!!"

In the bathroom, Max, dressed as an electrical engineer, spoke to his reflection in the mirror.

Today was his birthday, but because of Harry Osborn's death,

the company's stock had plummeted again. And that wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was that the company's shareholders were fighting over control of the $200 billion empire.

When the higher-ups fought, the lower-level employees suffered.

As a bottom-tier worker, Max had no choice but to work overtime on his birthday.

With the company in turmoil, losing his job was a real possibility.

So Max decided to skip his birthday celebration to keep his job.

But now, three hours after his shift had ended, it was time to go home and have some cake.

Max left the bathroom and headed for the elevator.

"Hey, Max, what are you doing here?"

A man in a suit called out to him.

"My shift ended three hours ago. I've already worked overtime. I'm going home to celebrate my birthday."

The man in the suit shrugged indifferently.

"Since you've already worked three hours, what's a little more?"

"There's an issue with the power in the bio-lab. Go take a look."

"Finish that before you leave!"

Max's face showed exhaustion.

"Sorry, Mr. Smythe, today's my birthday. Why do I have to stay when everyone else gets to leave?"

"Because you're special," Smythe said with a sneer, then stepped into the elevator.

Max watched as everyone else entered the elevator, and the doors closed.

He sighed and dragged his tired body to the basement bio-power plant.

The bio-lab equipment was essentially a tank full of electric eels.

Max walked up to it.

"Hey, guys, let me see what's wrong with you."

Years of living alone had made him accustomed to talking to himself.

He could chat with cats, dogs, cups, and even computers.

But he couldn't help but complain.

"I've given so much to this company, and they won't even let me celebrate my birthday. This is just too much!!!"

"I designed the power grid, and my name isn't even on the patent!!"

"It's so unfair. I could've used the patent money to rent a place closer to work. I don't even know if there'll be any buses later."

As Max worked, he talked to the electric eels in the glass tank:

"I bet you don't know it's my birthday today, do you?"

"I was hoping you'd sing me 'Happy Birthday.'"

"I guess I'll have to sing it to myself."

He pulled out his phone.

"Hey, Henry, it's Max. Can you cut the power to Sector 32..."

Before he could finish, the person on the other end refused.

"Don't even think about it. I'm already home."

Max frowned. "What do you mean? I don't know where the circuit 

breakers are. It's dangerous to work here without cutting the power."

But the other person hung up without another word.

Max sighed.

He tried to psych himself up.

"Alright, looks like I'll have to do it myself."

"Happy birthday to me. Wish me safety and success."

He clumsily climbed up a ladder, arms outstretched to maintain balance.

After all, one wrong move could mean electrocution.

He grabbed two broken wires with his hands.

"Dear Max, happy birthday."

Click.

The wires were reconnected.

"Phew, success."

But the next second, a surge of electricity coursed through his body.

When electrocuted, the hands involuntarily clench, and he was holding onto a live wire, unable to let go.

Finally, the wire snapped.

Max fell into the tank full of electric eels.

After what felt like an eternity, he struggled to climb out of the tank.

Everything electrical around him short-circuited, flickering uncontrollably.

When he emerged from the water, his body wasn't wet but instead covered in a layer of charred skin that crumbled at the touch.

Max looked at his hands, now glowing blue. He wanted to call for help, but no words came out.

He could only drag himself away from the scene.

Max, now in a hooded sweatshirt, left Oscorp.

He was so weak he could barely stand.

He felt a deep hunger.

But now, what could satisfy his hunger wasn't food—it was electricity.

Following his instincts, he headed toward Times Square.

At this moment, his mind was a blank.

Max stumbled into the crowd, forcefully tearing open a cable's protective casing and grabbing the live wire, absorbing the city's electricity.

This immediately caused chaos!

A large number of police officers rushed to the scene.

The commotion naturally attracted Spider-Woman's attention.

The patrolling officers didn't hesitate to draw their guns, aiming at the glowing blue figure.

"Get on your knees now, or I'll shoot!"

The New York police were as bold as ever...