The moment the system finished its announcement, Peter sensed an entirely new kind of energy quietly awakening within his body.
It wasn't like the overwhelming physical power he'd gained from the Lizard Serum, which originated in his enhanced muscles and bones.
This was something more internal, more concentrated.
The energy seemed intimately connected to his mind and spirit.
When Peter focused his thoughts, he could guide it slowly through the pathways inside his body.
Wherever it flowed, it brought a gentle, comforting warmth.
'So this is chakra!'
The energy produced by combining physical and spiritual power!
"Just as I thought. My chakra reserves are enormous!"
"And this stuff isn't nearly as useless on its own as I expected. Even without using proper ninjutsu, simply concentrating chakra around my fists should increase the power of my punches considerably."
"I'm not sure exactly how much chakra ordinary ninjutsu consumes, but with the amount I've got right now, making a Rasengan should be well within my capabilities."
Having reached that conclusion, Peter immediately decided to try it.
He recalled every detail he knew about Naruto's use of the Rasengan.
Shape transformation.
Extreme rotation.
Overwhelming destructive force.
To maximize his chances of success, Peter even chose the basic training method that involved using both hands.
He extended his right arm and opened his palm.
Then he began gathering chakra into the center of his hand, attempting to concentrate and compress the energy into a small sphere.
At the same time, the fingers of his left hand moved rapidly around his right palm, injecting additional chakra into the developing sphere and forcing it into chaotic, high-speed rotation.
BANG!
An explosion suddenly shook the room.
The unfinished Rasengan lost its balance and burst apart, releasing a violent current of air comparable to a small tornado.
Peter was thrown backward.
His muscular body crashed into the old wardrobe behind him, smashing the already fragile piece of furniture to pieces.
'Holy shit!'
With his enhanced hearing, Peter immediately detected hurried footsteps coming from downstairs.
He didn't dare waste a second.
Reaching out, he pressed his palm against the bedroom floor and activated the Horse Talisman.
A flash of white light spread through the room.
The wrecked wardrobe, torn furnishings, and other signs of destruction instantly returned to their original condition.
"Peter? Are you all right?"
About a dozen seconds later, Uncle Ben's worried voice came through the bedroom door.
"I'm fine."
Peter opened the door with a perfectly calm expression.
He even stepped aside so Uncle Ben could look inside.
"I was just exercising and accidentally bumped into the floor."
"Be careful, son. You have to take things gradually when you're training."
Uncle Ben glanced around the bedroom, then examined Peter.
After confirming that the room looked normal and his nephew didn't appear to be injured, he finally relaxed and went back downstairs.
Only after Ben had left did Peter release a long breath of relief.
His very first attempt at manipulating chakra had been enough to produce something resembling the basic shape of a Rasengan.
That alone proved that his chakra control was considerably better than Naruto's had been in the original story, when the Nine-Tails' influence made controlling his energy particularly difficult.
Furthermore, although this had been Peter's first attempt at forming the technique, he'd already gained a basic understanding of its rotational speed, chakra output frequency, and structural stability.
With his brilliant intellect, he only needed a few additional experiments to calculate the approximate range of values required to maintain a stable Rasengan.
Once he'd established those parameters, mastering the technique would no longer seem unrealistic.
That was far more efficient than simply repeating the same exercise over and over, the way Naruto had during his training.
If Naruto had needed a week of nearly nonstop practice to learn the Rasengan, Peter estimated that he might only need...
Half a day?
Unfortunately, he definitely couldn't continue practicing tonight.
The consequences of a failed attempt were far too destructive.
If another explosion shook the house, Uncle Ben and Aunt May would inevitably start getting suspicious.
It would be better to find an isolated place after school tomorrow and continue practicing there.
For now, he had other problems to consider.
Peter began by examining his System Shop.
There were five items remaining, and his balance stood at 2,000 Sacrifice Points.
However, he no longer felt any particular urge to spend them.
The remaining merchandise, including items such as the Nichirin Sword and the random kagune, either lacked the necessary complementary techniques or possessed relatively limited potential.
Their value for the price was hardly impressive.
Rather than wasting Sacrifice Points, which weren't particularly easy to obtain, on items of questionable usefulness, he'd be better off saving them for next month's shop refresh.
"Right now, the most important thing is solving the costume problem!"
A proper costume that could conceal his identity without restricting his movements was essential if he intended to operate at night.
Peter picked up a pencil and some paper.
Drawing on his extraordinary memory and an intellect comparable to a supercomputer, he quickly sketched a costume unlike anything worn by the other Spider-Men.
The base layer was a tight-fitting black-and-gold suit.
Over it, he designed a hooded long coat inspired by the distinctive clothing worn by assassins in Assassin's Creed.
As for the mask, he chose a skull-like design modeled after Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollow mask.
The finished outfit combined a sleek, flowing silhouette with an undeniably striking appearance.
It looked incredibly cool!
"There's no way I won't turn heads wearing this!"
Peter could practically imagine how many fans—especially enthusiastic female admirers—he would attract when he started performing heroic deeds in such an impressive costume.
He was certain he'd be more popular than a certain little spider who ran around wearing a black-and-white ballerina-like bodysuit.
The thought brought a mischievous grin to his face.
Unfortunately, once the excitement of finishing the design wore off, Peter encountered a rather embarrassing problem.
He had the blueprints.
But where was he supposed to obtain the materials?
And what about the tools?
Aunt May owned an old sewing machine that might prove useful, but even the most talented craftsman couldn't produce something out of nothing.
At the moment, Peter could empty every pocket he owned and still have less than thirty dollars to his name.
That amount probably wouldn't even buy a leftover scrap of the specialized fibers he wanted to use.
Asking Uncle Ben and Aunt May for money?
The thought barely entered his mind before he dismissed it.
Both of his guardians were kindhearted people struggling to survive on the wages they earned from odd jobs.
They belonged to the lower end of the economic ladder and were already doing everything they could to cover his school expenses.
How could Peter bring himself to add another financial burden to their lives?
With that thought weighing on him, he fell backward onto his narrow bed in frustration.
He had power.
He had fighting techniques.
He even possessed a god-tier magical artifact.
Practically everything he needed to become a superhero was already within reach.
And yet, he'd somehow found himself stuck on the humiliating problem of raising enough money to make a costume.
The irony was almost unbearable!
Peter eventually sat up on the edge of his bed and gazed through the window at the glittering lights of New York City.
There was no telling how much crime and darkness lurked beneath that beautiful, prosperous skyline.
He remained silent for a long time.
Then, gradually, the smile on his face changed.
It became colder.
Sharper.
If he wanted to provide Uncle Ben and Aunt May with a better life, he'd naturally need to earn money through legitimate means.
However...
If he was merely trying to raise the initial capital required for his superhero career, perhaps he didn't need to follow every conventional rule.
After all, extraordinary circumstances sometimes called for extraordinary measures.
'I'm planning to become an antihero, aren't I?'
'So there's nothing unreasonable about taking money from criminals to fund my own activities.'
...
The following morning, Peter opened his eyes just as the first rays of sunlight slipped through the gaps in his curtains.
He felt no desire to stay in bed.
The combined benefits of the Lizard Serum, the Horse Talisman, and chakra had left him bursting with energy.
During the night, his body had also undergone further adaptation to his newly acquired abilities.
Peter could clearly sense subtle improvements in his strength, speed, senses, and neural reaction time.
The feeling of growing stronger with every passing moment was almost intoxicating.
He deliberately changed into looser clothes, making it harder for anyone to notice the dramatic changes in his physique.
Then he left his bedroom and joined Uncle Ben and Aunt May for breakfast.
He chatted and laughed with them as usual.
But behind his relaxed expression, Peter was already thinking about the two objectives he'd set for himself that day.
'First, master the Rasengan.'
'Second, get my hands on the money I need to make my costume!'