"Passive Overlap... so that's how it works."
Light Inksworth studied the System's explanation. It wasn't just about collecting random skills; it was about synergy.
[Passive Overlap] When multiple passive skill fragments of the same type (e.g., Agility, Regeneration) are obtained from different characters, they do not create separate skill slots. Instead, they merge to enhance the core attribute. However, the purity of the source matters. A Level 10 Agility skill composed entirely of Vaccine Man fragments will be stronger than a Level 10 Agility skill diluted with Armored Gorilla fragments.
"So, quantity matters, but quality matters more," Light mused. "But honestly, any boost is better than nothing."
He checked his current status.
Passive Skills: Toughness (Level 2), Monstrous Power (Level 1), Agility (Level 2), Regeneration (Level 1).
Active Skill: Energy Ball (Level 3).
The Energy Ball at Level 3 was already a formidable weapon, capable of leveling a small building.
Combined with his physical enhancements, Light was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
He practiced martial arts daily, ensuring his technique could keep up with his raw power.
Light looked at the pile of items on his floor from the lottery. He had some cleaning to do.
"This stuff... it's a mix of treasures and trash."
He grabbed a large black garbage bag and started stuffing the useless items inside: the 3D Maneuver Gear, the Pig God Hoodie, and various other junk items. He kept the Red Scarf separate.
Just as he was heading to the living room, a blur of motion intercepted him.
"Light! What are you hiding?!"
Gali, looking like a suspicious hamster with cheeks full of chips, jumped off the sofa. She eyed the garbage bag greedily.
"Did you hide snacks in there? Are you throwing away food without offering it to me first?"
"It's not food," Light said, keeping his face perfectly neutral despite the panic rising in his chest. "Just trash."
Gali narrowed her eyes, stepping closer. "It smells... interesting."
Light quickly dangled the red scarf in front of her face. "Look! A present!"
Gali froze. Her violet eyes widened. "A... present?"
"For you," Light smiled, wrapping the soft wool around her neck. "It's Mikasa's Scarf. Very rare. Very warm."
Gali touched the fabric, stunned. It was the first gift Light had ever given her. Her attention shifted instantly from the suspicious bag to the red wool.
"Hmph. It's acceptable," she muttered, hiding her smile by burying her face in the scarf.
Seizing the opportunity, Light bolted out the door with the garbage bag.
'I can't let Lorna see this stuff,' he thought, walking briskly down the street. 'If she sees high-tech gear and giant clothes appearing out of nowhere, she'll have too many questions.'
He found a large recycling bin a few blocks away. Checking over his shoulder to ensure Gali hadn't followed him, he tossed the bag inside.
Thud.
"Goodbye, useless junk," Light dusted his hands off and turned to leave.
Just as he rounded the corner, Lorna walked out of an art supply store across the street. She spotted his retreating back.
"Light?" she murmured, confused. She saw him dump a bag and run off like a criminal. Curious, she walked over to the bin, but seeing nothing unusual, she shrugged and continued on her way back to the apartment.
Five Minutes Later
A small girl with purple hair and a leather jacket skipped down the same street. She looked like an innocent elementary schooler, but the butterfly knife spinning in her pocket told a different story.
Mindy Macready, also known as Hit-Girl.
Her father, Big Daddy, had dropped her off at school earlier, but Mindy found high school painfully boring. The curriculum was too slow, and the kids were too soft.
"Hey, little girl," a voice sneered from an alleyway.
Mindy stopped. Three thugs surrounded her, blocking her path.
"You look lost," the leader grinned, revealing yellow teeth. "Why don't you come play with us?"
Mindy's eyes widened in mock fear. She trembled, stepping back. "Big brother... please be gentle. I don't have much money."
"Money?" The thug laughed, reaching out a greasy hand. "We don't want money, sweetie. We want—"
CRACK.
"AAAAH!"
The scream echoed through the alley, sharp and agonizing.
Mindy had snapped the leader's wrist like a dry twig. Before his friends could react, she spun, delivering a brutal kick to the second man's knee, shattering the cap. The third man took a fist to the throat and collapsed, gasping for air.
"Pathetic," Mindy scoffed, standing over the groaning men. "You guys are barely Level 1 mobs."
She rifled through their pockets, taking their wallets. "Consider this a tuition fee."
She kicked the leader one last time, sending him crashing into the recycling bin. He flailed, knocking the lid open and tearing a black garbage bag inside.
Clatter.
Metal parts spilled out onto the dirty pavement. Mindy glanced down, uninterested, until something caught her eye.
It was a heavy, mechanical device with gas canisters and a distinct turbine mechanism.
Mindy picked it up, her eyes lighting up with recognition. "No way..."
...
Evening: The High Line Park
The sunset painted the New York skyline in hues of gold and violet. The summer breeze was warm, carrying the sounds of the bustling city below.
Light walked along the elevated park, flanked by two girls. On his left was Gali, happily licking a lollipop. On his right was Gwen Stacy.
Light had successfully kept Lorna and Gali separated for the evening. Lorna, ever the workaholic, had refused his offer for dinner, insisting on practicing her new "artistic" skills at the apartment. Light knew it was her pride talking; she didn't want to feel like a freeloader.
He had bumped into Gwen while shopping for groceries, and she had invited herself along for a walk.
"Light, I barely see you anymore," Gwen said, flashing him a quick, crinkled-nose smile. "Dr. Connors has me practically living at the lab. I think I'm starting to dream in equations."
"I know the feeling," Light replied. "Launching the new magazine has been... intense."
Gwen looked at him, her blue eyes sharp and searching. Since the Carnival incident, the dynamic had shifted. She wasn't just his classmate anymore; there was a shared secret, a tension that hummed beneath the surface of their conversations.
"I heard you're starting two new series," Gwen said, tilting her head. "How do you manage it all? Most artists struggle with one monthly release. You're doing three weekly ones? You're either a machine or a wizard."
"I have a good assistant now," Light smiled. "She helps a lot."
"That's good," Gwen nodded, bumping her shoulder lightly against his. "I worry you'll burn out. And then who would I have to debate coffee quality with?"
They walked in comfortable silence for a moment, the atmosphere shifting from friendly banter to something more intimate. The air between them felt charged, electric.
Gwen, usually the one with the quick wit and the confident stride, slowed her pace to match his. She glanced at his hand swinging by his side, then up at his face. She bit her lip, a flicker of amusement and determination in her eyes.
She didn't hesitate. She simply reached out and took his hand.
Light felt the contact. He didn't pull away. Instead, he turned his hand and interlaced his fingers with hers, giving a gentle squeeze.
Gwen looked down at their joined hands, then up at him, a brilliant, knowing smile lighting up her face. "Finally," she whispered, half-joking.
"Hmph. So lewd," Gali muttered from the side, crunching her lollipop loudly.
Light chuckled, about to say something, when—
WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!
Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder rapidly. A convoy of police cars sped down the street below, heading toward the Queensboro Bridge.
"I thought your dad was coming to arrest me for holding your hand," Light joked.
Gwen laughed, a bright, genuine sound. "Please, he'd probably just give you a lecture on proper grip strength."
But her expression grew serious as they watched the flashing lights. "Something's happening."
"Let's go look," Light said.
They hurried toward the bridge, dragging a reluctant Gali along.
The scene was chaotic. Traffic was stopped. Police barricades were up.
Hanging off the side of the Queensboro Bridge, suspended precariously over the dark waters of the East River, was a yellow school bus. The cable holding it snapped and groaned under the strain.
And hovering above it, cackling maniacally on a glider, was a figure in green armor.
The Green Goblin.
Light raised an eyebrow. 'Him again?'
Usually, in fanfictions, the protagonist meets Tony Stark or saves the world from aliens. Light seemed destined to constantly run into Spider-Man's rogues' gallery.