Chapter 5: Forest Hills Gardens
I sat there for a moment, trying to absorb this scene. From the bench, I could see the blue New York sky, thin white clouds drifting slowly across it, as if they too were savoring a moment of calm before the trademark Marvel chaos inevitably began.
“Pretty surprising…” I murmured softly. “I live in Forest Hills Gardens, not Northern Forest Hills—the place where the MCU version of Peter Parker lives.”
I let out a quiet laugh, still half unable to believe what was actually happening in my life. “If that’s the case, then does that mean one of my neighbors might actually be… Mary Jane Watson?”
The thought startled me and amused me at the same time—the image of casually bumping into a red-haired girl who liked to say, *‘Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot,’* made me grin foolishly to myself.
“Peter Parker’s girlfriend, huh?” I muttered while scratching the back of my neck.
But then reality slapped me in the face—metaphorically, thankfully. “Forget it. If Peter is still a kid right now, that means MJ is still a kid too!”
I nodded quickly, issuing a firm warning to myself: Don’t be a creep, Dante. You’re not some antagonist in a crime novel.
“Should I head toward the urban area—the place where the tall buildings rise—to test my abilities?” I muttered under my breath as I stared toward the city skyline. In the distance, office towers stood proudly, like steel giants guarding this city. “Alright… let’s do it.”
Without another moment of hesitation, I began walking toward the city center. The streets grew busier the farther I left the residential area behind. The honking of cars, the rumble of city buses, and the chatter of people gradually replaced the birdsong that had accompanied me earlier. The hectic rhythm of New York started to seep in, as if the city itself were saying: Welcome to the real world.
Buildings began to loom ahead of me, their glass surfaces reflecting sunlight like massive mirrors, daring anyone who looked up to feel small.
The aroma of coffee from a nearby café, mixed with the smell of exhaust fumes and heated asphalt, created the unmistakable atmosphere of a metropolis that never stopped breathing.
The distant wail of sirens and the hurried footsteps of passersby gave the impression that every second here was precious, that there was no time for daydreaming. But me? I was savoring every moment, trying to understand that this was no mere fantasy. This was my new reality.
After a few minutes of walking, I found a narrow alley tucked between two tall buildings. A slightly hidden place, its walls covered in colorful graffiti, and that distinct urban scent—faintly damp yet undeniably real—rushed into my nose.
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…
I drew in a long breath, trying to calm the pounding of my heart, which raced with curiosity and barely restrained excitement. The morning air, still fresh with the last traces of night’s coolness slowly fading, filled my lungs. The newly risen sunlight warmed my skin, making my chest swell with a light, hopeful feeling.
Slowly, I pressed my palm against the brick wall, which felt cool and rough beneath my touch. Its surface was like the aged skin of a building that had endured many seasons—hard yet sturdy, patterned with dull red tones now more visible under the morning light, softly illuminated by sunlight slipping through the shadows of rooftops and leaves.
At first—nothing happened. I simply stood there, stiff, staring at my hand stuck to the wall like someone awkwardly attempting something strange for the very first time.
Then, a few seconds later, I felt something… off. A faint vibration crept from my fingertips up to my wrist.
My palm seemed to be gently drawn toward the surface of the wall, as if an unseen force were holding it there, keeping it pressed in place.
The sensation was like a soft adhesive coating my skin, but it didn’t hurt—instead, it felt natural, as though my body had been made to do this from the very beginning.
My reflexes tensed, but I forced myself not to pull my hand away. I even held my breath for a few seconds, as if afraid that the slightest movement might shatter this moment of quiet wonder.
“Does this… really work?” I whispered, staring at my hand now firmly stuck to the brick surface. A faint disbelief churned in my mind, mixed with a thrill that almost made me laugh to myself.
Carefully, I pressed my other hand against the wall, then tried lifting one foot and placing it onto the bricks. A strange tingling—half ticklish, half tense—ran from the sole of my foot up to my knee, as if some subtle energy were clinging to my skin. The cold brick now felt like an extension of my own body.
Slowly but surely, I began to move upward. Every point of contact between my skin and the wall produced a slight pulling sensation, creating a rhythm of movement that was completely new to me.
At first my body was stiff—my hands trembled as they bore my weight, while my legs hesitated to commit fully. My mind filled with silly worries: What if I suddenly fall? What if this power just disappears?
But the longer I went on, the more natural it felt. My spine straightened, my muscles adjusted. The swing of my arms grew steadier, my fingers gripping the small bricks along the wall with increasing confidence.
Each movement became smoother, and within minutes I was truly crawling along the wall like… a spider.
Sweat began to dampen my temples, but awe and excitement kept me going. The night breeze brushed across my face, carrying the scent of wet asphalt and the leaves from a small park below.
At last, I reached the roof of the three-story building and stood at its edge with a wide grin. City lights twinkled in the distance, like stars that had fallen to earth and clung to the streets.
“Whoa! It worked!” I shouted as I looked out over the city from above. My voice echoed faintly in the height. “Spiderman System! Open status!”
Instantly, a blue holographic window appeared before me, reflecting a soft glow. The screen hovered in the air, shimmering like a digital object made real.
[Spiderman System]
[Name: Dante Arashi]
[Earth: 76]
[Strength: E+]
[Speed: E+]
[Endurance: E+]
[Agility: E++]
[Reflexes: E++]
[Intelligence: E]
[Skills: Bio-Electrostatic Adhesion: 0 (6/10). Organic Webbing: 0 (0/10). Spider-Sense: 0 (0/10). Accelerated Healing Factor: 0 (0/10). Enhanced Immunity: 0 (0/10). Superhuman Balance: 0 (0/10).]
“Huh? Why did it only go up by six points?” I stared at the numbers with a puzzled expression, frowning like someone who had studied all night only to get an average score. “Do I have to keep climbing walls to level it up? If that’s the case—fine, let’s do it!”
Without another thought, I lowered myself back down from the roof, clinging to the wall like an action-movie character.
My stomach tugged slightly under gravity as my feet slid down the vertical surface, until I finally decided to drop more quickly.
My hair fluttered in the wind, and the rush of adrenaline… wow, it couldn’t be described with ordinary words.
When I reached the ground, I immediately looked back up. My eyes sparkled like a child who had just discovered a new favorite game.
“One more time!”
I stuck to the wall again and began climbing upward, my body moving with growing agility. The muscles in my arms started to feel a bit sore, but my surging excitement overpowered everything. Then down again, up again, down again—over and over without pause.
The sound of fabric scraping against the wall, my breathing growing hurried, and the rapid thump of my pulse in my ears made everything feel intensely real. It was as if I were training to become a superhero for the first time in my life.
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My breathing grew heavy, but every movement felt steadier, more balanced. My chest rose and fell quickly, marking how hard my body was working.
Sweat dripped from my temples, sliding down and tickling the side of my face, yet a deep sense of satisfaction filled my chest. A quiet pride surfaced each time my palms clung firmly to the wall.
After nearly sixty minutes of climbing back and forth like a madman, I stopped on the rooftop and called up the Spiderman System again. A gentle breeze brushed through my hair, soothing skin that had begun to heat from the intense physical effort.