[Sacrifice Successful!]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining 3,000 Points!]
The cold notification sounded, and on the virtual panel on Peter's retina, his point balance instantly jumped from 0 to 3,000.
Seeing the cold relic transform into warm sacrifice points, Peter's mood couldn't help but brighten considerably.
He didn't immediately rush into a shopping spree.
The items in the system mall only refreshed once a month; they wouldn't just run away.
He could completely wait until after he attempted to come into contact with the lizard serum, then create a more rational purchasing plan based on the final results.
These 3,000 sacrifice points were both his savings and his confidence and trump card when facing the unknown.
With that thought, Peter looked at the transcribed algorithm manuscript in his hand and began a new round of sailing through the sea of knowledge with satisfaction... Early morning, two days later.
Peter stood before the mirror, examining his reflection.
Despite having spent a full day and two nights without sleep or rest to conquer the Decay Rate Algorithm, he was still full of vigor, his spirit frighteningly high.
His eyes were clear without a single bloodshot vein, and his skin condition was even better than before he stayed up late.
Don't ask!
If you ask, it's the noble horse that healed all fatigue.
The power of the horse talisman was like the top-tier body butler, silently repairing the wear and tear caused by his high-intensity mental labor, keeping him in peak condition at all times.
"Truly a good treasure."
Peter smiled with satisfaction, then grabbed his backpack and strode out of the house.
He boarded the school bus, and the cabin was as noisy as ever.
His gaze swept across the bus and quickly found Gwen's location.
Gwen was currently curled up alone in a corner by the window, her head down, looking completely withdrawn, as if saying 'do not approach'.
Under her beautiful eyes hung a pair of large dark circles; clearly, she hadn't rested well all weekend.
Peter could guess with his toes that Gwen must have been busy trying to familiarize herself with the newly acquired and difficult-to-control Spider-Man abilities.
Judging by her current dejected appearance, the results were clearly not ideal.
At this thought, Peter didn't hesitate and sat down right next to Gwen.
In the memories of his Previous Incarnation, although he and Gwen were childhood friends, they always deliberately avoided each other at school.
When taking the school bus, he would never take the initiative to sit next to Gwen.
The seat next to Gwen was usually reserved for Gwen's best friend, Betty Brant.
But the Peter of now had long since been replaced by a soul from the Great Celestial Empire of another World.
He didn't have that peculiar, inexplicable affectation typical of adolescent boys.
"Morning, Gwen."
Peter looked at Gwen beside him, his voice carrying a hint of subtle, knowing teasing.
"You look like... you didn't get much rest."
The sudden voice and the seat sinking beside her made Gwen's body stiffen involuntarily.
She jerked her head up and saw Peter's face right next to hers. Instinctively, like a startled rabbit, she desperately tried to shrink her body toward the window.
She was afraid!
She was afraid that if she didn't control herself well, the countless tiny barbs on her body would firmly stick to Peter!
If she actually got close to Peter... the jeering of the surrounding classmates and the teasing look from her best friend Betty would definitely cause her social death on the spot!
If she got nervous then and her strength went out of control, directly tearing Peter's clothes... the situation would be even worse!
However, the countless layers of worry and panic in Gwen's heart appeared as a completely different scene to Peter.
This guy acted as if he could hear her inner thoughts; not only did he not distance himself from her, he intentionally leaned a few inches closer to her.
He lowered his voice and asked in a slightly aggrieved and hurt tone:
"Do you dislike me? Then should I leave?"
"I—I don't!"
Hearing this, Gwen panicked instantly and retorted without thinking:
"How could I possibly dislike you!"
She was so anxious her cheeks flushed red, and she was at a loss for what to do. She wanted to reach out and grab Peter to prove she didn't dislike him, but her hand froze in mid-air, not daring to move further.
This extreme conflict almost drove her crazy, making her look incredibly aggrieved.
However, that pitiful appearance, in the eyes of the somewhat mischievous Peter, was... quite cute~
So instead of backing away, he leaned his body even closer.
Their faces were almost touching.
"Really don't dislike me?"
His voice was very low, and the warm breath from his mouth as he spoke tickled Gwen's ear like a feather, causing her smooth earlobe to be stained with a faint blush.
"Then why are you hiding so far away? There's almost enough room for another person between us."
Feeling Peter so close, Gwen felt her mind go blank, her heart beating so fast it seemed it would jump out of her throat.
Peter... what was wrong with him today?!
Why had he suddenly become so... so strange!
"I... I just..."
Gwen stammered for a long time but simply couldn't say the truth.
She couldn't exactly say she had suddenly gained the superpowers of a spider!
Something so absurd, Peter definitely wouldn't believe it!
He might even suspect she was playing a prank on him!
Seeing Gwen's various attempts to find an excuse, to the point of being almost driven to tears by her own cuteness, Peter finally found his conscience and decided to stop while he was ahead.
If he teased her any further, this future Spider-Gwen might actually explode on the spot.
He gave a light chuckle and suddenly sat up straight, returning to a normal social distance, and began to talk to her about serious business:
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."
His tone suddenly became very serious, as if that mischievous jerk from a moment ago wasn't him at all.
"I remember you're an intern assistant at Oscorp, right? Working on the Cross-Species Genetics Project. The head of that project is... Cur..."
He deliberately pretended to be unable to recall the name.
"Curt Connors."
Gwen blurted it out, finishing his sentence.
At the same time, her eyes brightened a bit; Peter had reminded her!
Dr. Connors was an expert in the field of genetics; perhaps he could give her some advice to help her quickly master this newly acquired power.
But... why would Peter suddenly bring this up?
"Oh right, that's the name."
Peter snapped his fingers, a matter-of-fact expression on his face.
"The tour the day before yesterday suddenly gave me a strong interest in biology.
I thought about it and felt this field seems very promising, so... could you take me to meet Dr. Connors?"
He made up a reasonably plausible excuse.
"Biology?"
Gwen's expression was a bit odd.
"Didn't you prefer physics before? You even said physics is the ultimate romance of the Universe."
"But both my parents were biological researchers."
Peter gave a little shrug, and then his face overflowed with a nearly arrogant confidence:
"Besides, I feel that with my intelligence, with just a slight effort, I should be able to get dual PhDs in both biology and physics at the same time."
These words were spoken with extreme flamboyance, yet they carried a persuasiveness that made it impossible to refute.
Gwen could clearly feel that Peter really seemed to have changed.
He was no longer that slightly introverted, somewhat nerdy science guy; he had become confident, cheerful, and even a bit... charismatic.