Chapter 43: Max's Fury! A Clever Use of System Rules!
Max's eyes widened in recognition. "It was you! You—the bastard who touched Spider-Woman!"
He was referring to Cindy. That day, Ethan Lee had placed his hand on Cindy's chest, and Max had held a grudge ever since.
After that incident, Max searched the internet for any trace of Cindy but found nothing. Frustrated, he tried to look up Ethan Lee instead, hoping to find Cindy through him.
Unfortunately for Max, Ethan had since acquired hacking skills and meticulously monitored his online footprint. Any attempt to search for him was instantly flagged. By blocking Max's accounts, devices, and IP addresses, Ethan made sure that Max would never find any information about him.
Realization dawned on Max. "So, you're the Black Spider!"
Ethan smirked. His super spider-sense allowed him to read Max's emotions effortlessly. He taunted, "You don't even know her name. How pathetic."
"Bastard!!!"
Max trembled with rage. The electricity composing his body crackled violently, threatening to tear itself apart.
Ethan tilted his head slightly, pushing further. "Oh, and by the way, the one who pushed you from behind that day? That was me."
BANG!!
Max's body exploded in a burst of electricity.
He was furious.
[You have defeated Gwen Stacy's fated enemy. Choose one of the following rewards:]
[1. Monetary Reward: $1,000,000]
[2. Random Reward: Electrician's Wrench]
[3. Servant Reward: Transform Maxwell 'Max' Dillon (Electro) into a subordinate]
A system prompt appeared before Ethan.
Max wasn't dead yet.
He was reassembling, his form flickering in and out of existence. He muttered deliriously, "I am immortal… I am immortal…"
Ethan could have kept breaking him apart, eventually erasing him completely.
But he didn't have the patience.
"Option [3]," he selected.
Max's body gradually began to dissolve.
"You… what did you do?!" Max gasped.
Ethan smiled. "You're my puppet now."
The system was absolute.
---
The Club
Inside the training area of the club, in a private yoga room, Barbara stretched gracefully. She was dressed in loose black tulle, her golden hair cascading down her back.
She appeared to be practicing yoga, but in reality, she was using the opportunity to observe the training grounds.
At the moment, she was the only one there.
Officially, the Ghost Spider Club was just a fan gathering, so very few people actually used the yoga room.
Just as Barbara was switching poses, Skye entered, clutching her laptop. "Sorry to bother you so soon after you joined the club."
Barbara maintained her stance, offering a polite smile. "It's fine. Your club is impressive. A dedicated yoga room? I love it."
In her mind, however, she was thinking: There's something off about this place.
Skye hesitated before speaking. "There's something I wanted to ask you."
Barbara responded cautiously, "I'll do my best to help. After all, you've treated me well, even assigning me a private room."
"Then I'll be direct," Skye said. "There are supernatural disturbances across New York City. Jessica and Ghost Spider went to handle it."
She glanced away briefly before continuing, "Ethan put me in charge of the club while he's away. I'd like your input when you have time."
Barbara raised an eyebrow. Input? Why me?
She never claimed to be an expert in tactical command. How did Ethan even know?
Before she could respond, Ethan walked in casually.
"So, here you are."
Barbara remained in her pose, legs draped over her shoulders in an impressive display of flexibility.
Tsk. Ethan took note. Not bad… but still not as good as Gwen.
Barbara didn't miss his glance, but she kept her expression neutral. Instead of stopping, she transitioned into another stretch, her movements fluid and controlled.
"You've been in the bathroom a long time," Skye quipped.
Ethan ignored her.
"Jessica and Gwen have arrived at the site," Skye reported. "They're probably fighting the Lizardmen by now."
Ethan considered for a moment.
With Electro taken care of, the remaining creatures weren't a serious threat.
"Let them handle it," he decided. "They need the experience."
Sitting back, he added, "We'll just observe."
---
The Battlefield
Atop a building where the battle raged on, Jessica examined the glowing blue lightsaber in her hands.
"Ethan has got some impressive friends," she remarked.
Nearby, Gwen reinforced Dr. Connors' restraints, cocooning him in thick layers of spider silk.
Thanks to Ethan's upgrades, her web shooters had a significantly larger supply, allowing her to use them without worry.
In the past, she would have run out by now.