Marvel: I became an ancestor by sacrificing offerings.

Tatata!

With Kyogoku Makoto's combat experience and his hearing enhanced by the lizard serum, Peter instantly recognized the newcomer as Gwen.

Peter was not surprised by Gwen's sudden arrival.

This was something he had expected.

For Gwen, after experiencing setbacks, it seems that she can only confide in her childhood friend.

With this thought in mind, Peter immediately left his bedroom and went downstairs, pretending to be looking for a late-night snack.

Just then, the doorbell rang at the perfect moment.

Peter turned around and opened the door.

"Gwen?!"

His face showed just the right amount of surprise, and his voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the two elders in the living room who were listening intently to hear him.

Almost the instant he called out the name, Peter keenly noticed that the volume of the television in the living room had been quietly turned down several decibels.

This made him unconsciously roll his eyes.

Uncle Ben, Aunt Mei, you two are both so old, why are you still so gossipy!

Just as Peter was inwardly grumbling, Gwen outside the door first let out a long sigh of relief, then leaned close to Peter's ear and whispered:

"Take me to your bedroom, and don't let Uncle Ben and Aunt May come along."

Peter nodded knowingly, his deep gaze sweeping over Gwen's wound on her abdomen before turning to the two elders and calling out:

"Aunt May, Uncle Ben! It's Gwen. She has a few homework questions she doesn't understand and wants to ask me for help. I'll take her upstairs now!"

"Oh, right, she said she's on a diet, so don't prepare any late-night snacks for her, or she'll get angry!"

In the living room, Uncle Ben and Aunt Mei exchanged a knowing smile, their eyes filled with a tacit understanding.

"Alright, alright, you young people should study hard, we won't disturb you." Uncle Ben grinned mischievously and raised an eyebrow at Peter, even turning up the TV volume a bit.

……

"Click".

Only after the door was locked from the inside did Gwen finally relax completely, almost collapsing into Peter's arms.

She rushed all the way from the Manhattan Bridge; God knows how much blood she lost.

An ordinary person would have gone into shock by now.

Seeing her pale face, Peter didn't waste any words and simply pulled out a pre-prepared first-aid kit from under the bed.

He gestured for Gwen to sit down on the edge of the bed, and then carefully lifted her shirt.

On her smooth, fair abdomen, three horrifying claw marks were a shocking sight.

This was the first time the two had been so close, so close that Gwen could clearly feel Peter's warm breath on her lower abdomen.

A strange tingling sensation came from around the wound, making Gwen's face involuntarily flush.

"How did this happen?" Peter asked casually as he cleaned her wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.

The stinging sensation from the alcohol made Gwen hiss softly, dispelling the lingering romantic feelings in her heart.

She organized her thoughts and then delivered the speech she had prepared beforehand:

Have you seen any reports about the Manhattan Bridge?

"I...I happened to be on the Manhattan Bridge earlier, and that's when I encountered that lizard monster..."

"I saw it with my own eyes... I saw him about to kill Ms. Sagi, the secretary from the Osborn Group we met before. I tried to help, and then I was accidentally injured..."

Her voice trailed off, filled with deep self-reproach and distress:

"Later... it was the Ghost Spider who saved me... She was very powerful and drove away the lizard monster, but Ms. Sagi still died."

"Peter, do you think I was useless? If I had been braver, I might have been able to save Ms. Sagi..."

As Peter listened to Gwen's story, he couldn't help but silently criticize her in his mind.

This silly girl really never forgets to protect your superhero image, huh?

Aren't you afraid that one day I'll tell you I've fallen in love with that elusive ghost spider?

Despite his complaints, after treating Gwen's wounds, Peter spoke earnestly:

"Gwen, this is not your fault."

"You've done everything you could, and even got hurt in the process... There's no need to be too hard on yourself."

As Peter wrapped the bandage around her neck, he analyzed the situation in a guiding tone, almost as if he were talking to someone:

"Think about it, in such a chaotic scene, that lizard monster clearly targeted and killed Ms. Sagi. What does that tell you?"

This suggests that it was likely a revenge killing.

"Since his goal from the beginning was to kill Sagi, even if you or the Ghost Spider can temporarily save her..."

The monster might try to distract you by harming other people on the bridge before returning to carry out its assassination.

"So, in this situation, you really don't need to blame yourself too much. As long as you can be sure that you have a clear conscience, that's enough."

After Peter's words of comfort, Gwen did feel much better.

At the same time, Peter's reminder made Gwen realize many details that she had previously overlooked.

Then, a name suddenly popped into her mind—Dr. Connors!

If things are really as I suspect, wouldn't that mean... there's still danger at the Osborn Group?

"I understand, Peter, thank you!"

Seeing that Peter had bandaged her wound, Gwen didn't dare to linger. She thanked Peter gratefully and then hurriedly returned home, making an excuse that she was worried about her father finding out that she had sneaked out.

Watching Gwen's figure disappear into the night, Peter knew very well that Gwen must have gone to the Osborn Group to verify something.

After hesitating for a moment, he chose to silently follow behind.

Although he knew in his heart that so much time had passed, Dr. Connors had probably already left with the serum, and Gwen would only be empty-handed if she rushed there immediately.

But Gwen was injured at the time, and Dr. Lizard, who had been replenished with serum, was in a state of complete apathy. It would be bad if something unexpected happened.

As Peter had predicted, Gwen's trip to Osborne ended in disappointment, and she had to leave dejectedly.

However, neither Gwen nor Peter anticipated this.

As Gwen swung away on her spiderwebs, two pairs of eyes silently watched her departing figure from the darkness of the CEO's office on the top floor of the Osborne Building:

"Huh? There really are other people like us."

Beneath the Green Goblin helmet, the corners of his mouth kept twitching upwards as he stared at Gwen's retreating figure, his eyes filled with greed.

He was certain that the girl who called herself "Ghost Spider" was a perfect creation.

"You should have let me keep her here," came Connors' disgruntled voice from beside him.

"No, acting now would be too risky and alert the enemy!"

A calculating glint flashed in Green Goblin's eyes, and a plan to kill two birds with one stone instantly took shape in his mind:

"Instead of acting now and alerting them, why don't we go to Midtown High School, where Peter Parker studies, tomorrow and stage a well-planned ambush!"