'Half price?!'
The moment Peter registered those two magical words, excitement exploded inside him.
Without the slightest hesitation, he shouted a command in his mind.
'Purchase Random Talisman — Choose One of Three!'
[Purchase Successful!]
[Beginning Talisman Selection...]
As the system notification faded, the virtual interface before Peter underwent a sudden transformation.
Three ancient-looking, octagonal stone talismans slowly materialized, their indistinct silhouettes suspended in midair.
They hung motionlessly before him, resembling three mysterious stone gateways leading toward unknown destinies.
Peter felt as though an invisible hand had closed around his heart. Every beat seemed to thunder against his ribs.
With trembling anticipation, he manipulated the interface using his thoughts and revealed the first talisman.
A glowing emerald-green serpent appeared on its surface.
[Snake Talisman: Allows the wielder to become invisible, along with nearby people and objects.]
"Tch..."
Peter's eye twitched.
'Of course. A terrible first draw.'
Invisibility.
In a universe filled with absurdly powerful individuals, this ability was practically a toy. Supervillains like Chameleon and Mysterio could already achieve similar effects through more sophisticated means.
Even among the Twelve Talismans, the Snake Talisman felt like a thoroughly mediocre option.
Taking a deep breath, Peter suppressed his disappointment and mentally flipped over the second talisman.
This time, its surface displayed two white tigers positioned opposite one another.
[Tiger Talisman: Grants the magic of spiritual balance, allowing the wielder to harmonize all powers within their body. If the talisman is split, however, the wielder will also separate into good and evil halves.]
'Fuck!'
Peter's vision nearly went dark.
He was so frustrated that he wanted to find a rope and hang himself like one of those little Japanese weather dolls.
The Tiger Talisman would undoubtedly be god-tier in the later stages of his development.
But right now?
It was practically useless!
Its primary function was maintaining balance between different supernatural powers. Without other talismans or power systems to harmonize, owning the Tiger Talisman alone offered virtually no immediate benefit.
It could help reconcile conflicting energies, certainly, but it couldn't magically grant him those energies in the first place.
And with his current scrawny body, acquiring powers that actually needed balancing would be difficult enough.
'Damn it! Am I seriously about to waste all five thousand points and my one-time discount?'
'No! Anything but that!'
Peter hesitated before revealing the third talisman.
His eyes wandered around the gently swaying bus, searching for something that might calm his nerves.
After glancing around, his attention eventually settled on Gwen.
She was still resting quietly against his shoulder. The delicate brows that had been tightly drawn together in pain had relaxed a little.
It was almost as though simply being near him gave her a small measure of peace.
Looking at her pale face, now covered in fine beads of cold sweat, Peter felt his agitation gradually subside.
He remembered Spider-Gwen's fate from his previous life.
Gaining Spider-Man's powers hadn't brought Gwen happiness.
She'd lost the person she loved, then her father, and had been forced to shoulder the crushing burden of great power and great responsibility, tending to her wounds alone in the darkness.
Her future was filled with suffering and sacrifice.
As someone who knew how her story was supposed to unfold, Peter had no intention of allowing the girl beside him to follow that miserable path.
'Maybe I can't become the happiest Spider-Man in existence, but I can at least make sure Gwen does!'
'Come on! There's no way my luck can be terrible three times in a row!'
'Today's the day my luck finally turns around!'
Peter drew another deep breath and, without hesitating any further, revealed the final talisman.
This time, he didn't close his eyes.
Instead, he stared intently at the empty space until a faint violet glow emerged.
Within the light, the majestic image of a horse's head slowly appeared.
[Horse Talisman: The noble horse drives away all harmful external influences!]
[The Horse Talisman allows its wielder to eliminate abnormal conditions caused by outside forces and repair any damaged object!]
'The Horse Talisman?!'
Peter stared at the image, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.
Joy and disappointment mingled together, leaving him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
On the positive side, the Horse Talisman's healing power was undoubtedly among the very best of the Twelve Talismans.
Even if it wasn't the single most outrageously powerful option, it was still firmly in the upper tier!
It could heal injuries, cure diseases, and repair damaged objects.
In a universe as dangerous as Marvel, possessing the Horse Talisman was practically equivalent to having unlimited access to a resurrection item.
As long as Peter had even a breath of life remaining, the talisman could drag him back from death's doorstep.
The disappointing part was that it did nothing to directly improve his combat ability.
Compared to the Dragon Talisman's destructive energy, the Rabbit Talisman's incredible speed, or the Ox Talisman's immense strength, the Horse Talisman was more like the ultimate support ability.
And for someone desperate to acquire enough power to escape his predetermined death, that wasn't exactly what Peter had been hoping for.
"Well, a god-tier support ability is still god-tier..."
"Besides, getting one of the strongest talismans for just five thousand points is already ridiculously lucky!"
Despite his mixed feelings, Peter made his decision almost immediately.
The Snake Talisman's ceiling was too low, while the Tiger Talisman was essentially useless in his present circumstances.
The Horse Talisman was unquestionably his best option.
Besides...
His gaze drifted toward the girl leaning against him.
As Gwen's genetic transformation continued, an unnatural flush had spread across her cheeks. Her breathing was rapid and feverish, and tiny droplets of sweat covered her forehead.
She was clearly suffering.
Worse, there was no guarantee the transformation would proceed safely.
In one of the animated Spider-Man adaptations, Peter himself had undergone a genetic mutation that transformed him into a monstrous spider creature.
Who could say for certain that Gwen wouldn't suffer some similarly horrifying complication?
Fortunately, the Horse Talisman offered an answer to that problem.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Horse Talisman!]
The moment the system notification appeared, Peter felt a powerful connection form between himself and the talisman.
That connection was even stronger than the one Shendu, the Demon Sorcerer, had possessed with his own talismans!
Peter now had absolute control over the Horse Talisman.
Its magic had integrated directly into his body, meaning he didn't even need to carry the physical stone.
After briefly familiarizing himself with the new power, Peter lowered his head and looked at Gwen, whose body was still trembling from pain.
Without hesitation, he placed his hand against her forehead.
"Don't be afraid, Gwen."
He leaned toward her ear and spoke quietly enough that only the two of them could hear.
"I'm here. I've got you."
The next moment, a gentle magical energy surrounded by a hazy white glow flowed from Peter's palm and slowly entered Gwen's body.
As the Horse Talisman's power took effect, the painful expression on Gwen's face gradually disappeared.
She settled more comfortably against his shoulder and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
...
The bus eventually came to a stop outside Peter's house.
After a moment's hesitation, Peter decided to take Gwen home first so she could rest properly.
He initially considered carrying her in his arms like a princess, which would have been wonderfully romantic.
Unfortunately, he'd seriously overestimated his own physical strength.
Gwen didn't even weigh a hundred pounds, yet Peter was already gasping for breath after carrying her less than ten meters.
With no other choice, he shifted her onto his back.
The girl's soft body rested closely against him, but Peter couldn't summon even the slightest romantic thought.
All he felt was mounting frustration and dissatisfaction.
'Damn it! I can't stand being this freaking weak for another second!'