Once everyone understood the reason for Caesar's scream, Itsy smiled, gathered her things, and headed toward her room, probably intending to visit the training room afterward.
Peter then picked up several more gifts and distributed them among the women.
"They are beautiful," Yuri said, taking two pistols from her box along with gloves similar to those worn by Batman in the Arkham games, though without the spikes along the sides.
"Those are Luce and Ombra, pistols reinforced with a small amount of Carbunadium. They are extremely durable, and their firing rate exceeds most conventional weapons. The gloves can also produce electrical discharges similar to my bioelectricity."
Yuri's smile widened.
"And you also have a copy of God of War."
Yuri immediately stood, gave him a scorching kiss, grabbed her gifts, and hurried away with a delighted smile, most likely toward the training room or her bedroom to play the game.
'I hope she listens to my warning and finishes normal mode before attempting hard or god mode.'
May received a cookbook containing recipes inspired by an anime Peter remembered from his previous world, along with a completely black dress decorated with subtle spider-web patterns.
Peter had originally experimented with the material by making a shirt, only to discover that it was extraordinarily soft and lightweight. Knowing May would appreciate it more than anyone else, he had used the material to create a dress specifically for her.
"Thank you for the dress and the cookbook. I can see some strange recipes, but others seem completely simple."
Upon hearing that, Peter took the book from her and lightly tapped her on the head with it.
"This is not just a simple cookbook filled with simple recipes. Even the simplest food can become incredibly complex. Give me these four ingredients and wait here."
He took the book and headed toward the kitchen.
The girls exchanged strange looks, but they already knew what Peter was like, so none of them were particularly surprised.
After a while, he returned carrying a tray with spoons and two bowls. One contained scrambled eggs, while the other held plain rice.
Missy looked at the eggs.
"That does not look like scrambled eggs. It looks like golden nuggets."
The others agreed.
Peter poured the eggs over the rice. A chicken-broth gelatin hidden beneath them slowly melted, transforming what had initially appeared to be simple white rice into something far more appetizing.
The girls each took a spoonful.
Their expressions changed almost immediately.
Peter maintained a perfect poker face while watching them rapidly finish the food.
"These are recipes from the Soma book," Peter said, handing the cookbook back to May.
[Reference from: Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma]
May took the book and stared at it with the same possessive intensity Gollum showed toward the One Ring.
'That is one of the three most dangerous cookbooks in existence. I hope May uses it responsibly. It is a good thing I did not give her the first one. Number one belongs to Mama Emiya.'
Leaving May to study the cookbook as though it contained the secrets of human existence, Peter approached Susan and handed her another, smaller book along with a light-blue marble.
"What is it—"
"Swallow it."
Peter's expression became completely serious.
Susan swallowed the marble without hesitation.
"What you swallowed was a capsule containing a modified sample derived from your own blood. If my calculations are correct, it should gradually increase the density and stability of your powers. If you reach the level I estimate, your force fields may eventually withstand something comparable to a Hulk-level strike."
The idea had come from Peter's memories of characters with magical and supernatural abilities. The denser and more stable the energy, the more effective and powerful its application became. A fragile barrier might shatter against a blast, while a sufficiently dense one could behave like a solid wall.
He hoped the theory worked for Susan and, more importantly, that she would not suffer the same limitations as some versions of herself, where excessive damage to her force fields caused severe physical backlash.
Susan gave him a happy smile, stood up, and kissed him affectionately before leaving to rest, train, or do whatever she wanted.
Peter then sat beside Missy and handed her a gift.
When she opened it, she found two things: a red ring and an envelope.
"This is no ordinary ring, my dear."
Taking her hand, Peter placed it on her middle finger.
"It is made from solid Zynothium and engraved with several small runes. Its function is similar to the weapons conjured by sorcerers."
He took a drawing from the envelope and showed it to her.
"Imagine that you are holding this weapon."
Peter illuminated the tips of his fingers and traced several runes beside her head.
When Missy focused on the image, the ring glowed faintly red. A crimson spear materialized in her hand, appearing almost as though it had been formed from solidified blood.
"This is Gáe Bolg. It will help protect you when I am not around. Go to Cogman and train with it alongside Caesar."
Peter then handed her the envelope.
Missy opened it, and her eyes widened.
Inside were two premium tickets to an Imagine Dragons concert scheduled for several weeks later.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are the best boyfriend in the world!"
She stopped focusing on the spear, causing it to disappear, then jumped onto Peter and showered him with kisses.
"I will bring MJ along so we can get to know each other better and maybe talk about our relationship so she can join in."
After letting go of him, Missy hurried out of the room.
At times like these, Peter genuinely wondered whether she was an alternate version of himself from another universe. Her determination to add more women to what was technically his harem was becoming increasingly suspicious.
"Well, I already gave you your present," Peter said, looking toward Cortana.
Cortana stood from the armchair and walked over before sitting directly on his lap.
"Are you planning to sit there all day?"
"Probably."
They leaned back against the sofa and remained together in comfortable silence for a while before Cortana finally spoke.
"Peter?"
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"How can I help you if I no longer have a computer body?"
She shifted slightly to look him directly in the eyes while remaining on his lap.
"It is simple. Your AI abilities are changing into something else. More specifically, technopathy. In simple terms, you are becoming a technopath."
Cortana listened carefully.
"When you want to enter a device, you will be able to divide part of your consciousness without damaging your primary mind. However, if your digital manifestation is damaged, your organic body may experience pain or neurological feedback. The reverse should not happen in the same way."
"I understand. I will have to train my powers now, will I not?"
"That is right. You also need to discover exactly what enhancements your new body possesses. With technology, you could become as dangerous as Stark."
'And with enough combat training, possibly Natasha,' Peter thought, keeping that part to himself.
Cortana nodded and immediately pulled him along, insisting that she wanted to begin training. If she eventually accompanied him on patrol, she refused to become a liability.
They headed to the laboratory and spent several hours testing her abilities.
By the time they finished, Cortana could access and manipulate nearby systems through her technopathy with surprising ease. It was not particularly complicated for her because much of the process relied on instincts and functions she had already possessed as an AI. She simply had to learn how to perform them through an entirely new body.
Afterward, they moved to the training room to measure her physical abilities.
Her spider-based powers were remarkably similar to those of the Spider-Man Peter remembered from the Maguire films, though slightly stronger.
The most amusing part was watching Cortana attempt to hit him.
Despite theoretically knowing countless fighting techniques, she had almost no practical experience using her new body. Knowledge was not the same as instinct, muscle memory, timing, or experience. Because of that, Peter avoided nearly everything she threw at him with embarrassing ease.
Still, her improvement was rapid.
By the end of the session, Peter had already reached one conclusion.
Given enough time, Cortana would become extremely dangerous.