I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 457 Mutual Suspicion

Peter was caught up in the lively atmosphere and, half-heartedly pushed by the other students around him, signed up as well. He also casually included Riley in the list.

Even Riley was standing on the periphery of the crowd, with a slightly excited smile on his face, just like the other students around him.

He even chimed in at just the right moment: "That sounds interesting, Mr. Masters!"

To anyone else, this is the typical reaction of a high school student to something new.

Only Riley himself knew that beneath his smiling, seemingly joyful demeanor lay a chilling undercurrent.

A nationwide physical fitness challenge?

Before today, he had not heard a single word about it.

It's not that Riley was out of touch with the world.

As Spider-Man, and a core member of District 13, Riley's information network is far broader and deeper than that of the average high school student, and even more so than that of most adults.

If such an event were truly being planned, he couldn't possibly have been completely unaware of it.

Of course, Masters' reasons for holding the challenge—"to promote students' physical health" and "to discover sports talents"—are indeed reasonable and impeccable.

But Riley didn't believe it.

It's not that Riley was inherently suspicious...

Rather, it was Riley's father in his previous life who paid the price with his life because of a moment of weakness and easy trust in others.

That lesson learned through blood and tears was deeply ingrained in Riley's bones. It made him instinctively defensive towards any newcomer whose background he didn't know.

This deep-seated vigilance did not diminish after becoming Spider-Man. On the contrary, it intensified as he made more enemies and faced increasingly bizarre and unpredictable threats.

Moreover, after living for more than fifteen years in this self-proclaimed beacon of civilization as a native free man, Riley had long seen through the cannibalistic rules hidden beneath the glamorous exterior.

When will those high-ranking decision-makers, capital controllers, and resource allocators genuinely care about the "maintenance status of Gundam parts"?

In their eyes, ordinary people are nothing more than replaceable parts in the social machine.

For the sake of the students' physical health?

Those are usually the fancy words in propaganda materials, the legitimate reasons for applying for funding, the embellishments under a grand narrative, or the pretty words that are always on one's lips when trying to win votes.

Therefore, even without the warning of his spider-sense, Riley instinctively became more alert upon hearing this.

Riley's gaze, under the cover of the students, also slipped discreetly over Masters' hand.

The new physical education teacher is currently using hand gestures to explain the details of the competition to the students.

As the wrist is turned over, the skin at the base of the thumb is clearly visible.

There, thick calluses covered the area, darker in color than the surrounding skin, with neat edges.

These aren't messy calluses from doing manual labor...

It's more like the marks left by holding a certain object of a specific shape regularly over a long period of time.

Gun? Knife? Or some other special tool?

Several possibilities flashed through Riley's mind.

After all, he was all too familiar with the distribution and texture of those cocoons…

In his past life, on those battlefields where life and death hung in the balance, in those days when he needed to grip his weapon tightly just to barely survive, he himself had left similar marks on his hands.

Those were the hands of a soldier, the hands of a seasoned trainee, but not the hands of an ordinary physical education teacher.

Of course, reason also reminded him not to be too arbitrary.

Unlike the major Eastern countries that strictly prohibit guns, it is legal to own guns in this free country.

In addition, there's that exploitative ecosystem where once someone loses their value, they're doomed to never recover...

It's actually quite normal for an ordinary veteran with no special background to choose to become a physical education teacher in order to make a living.

The teaching profession offers job stability and holidays, which may not be a bad choice for former soldiers accustomed to discipline and physical training.

Not to mention, not every veteran who returns from the battlefield can successfully reintegrate into society and find a decent job.

When Riley first became Spider-Man, weren't there many real-life cases of soldiers who were left disabled, tricked by Norman, and used as free guinea pigs, mutating into lizards and almost facing utter ruin?

Therefore, Riley did not jump to conclusions. Instead, when Masters was surrounded by a group of enthusiastic students who were asking him all sorts of questions about the details of the challenge, how to register, and the training arrangements, Riley pretended to be very curious and naturally moved his feet to "inadvertently" approach from the edge of the crowd.

In order to hear Masters' voice more clearly and to observe his body language and micro-expressions in detail, trying to find more flaws or clues.

"...The preliminary selection will be held during tomorrow's physical education class. Those who successfully pass the selection will carry the honor of Midtown High School and receive my special training."

Meanwhile, Masters, still talking animatedly, glanced around at the students as if assessing each one's potential.

"Alright, children, if there's anything you still don't understand, or anything you're curious about, you can start asking questions now."

"Me! Me! Me! Me! Me!"

Almost as soon as Masters finished speaking, a girl raised her hand expectantly and asked a question.

"Mr. Masters, what are the prizes for the challenge?"

"Haha, you're already thinking about the prizes before you've even confirmed whether you can participate? What a practical kid... but I like it."

Masters seemed amused by these words, his serious expression vanishing in an instant, replaced by a genuine smile.

"In addition to the trophy and certificate, the three students with the best performance will receive a recommendation for a university sports scholarship provided by the sponsoring company. Of course, there will also be a decent bonus, the specific amount of which is still under discussion."

The students let out a burst of excited exclamations.

bonus!

Real money!

This is an extremely attractive temptation for most families!

Not to mention these children who are still in school and have not yet come into contact with society!

But Masters' gaze inadvertently swept over Riley at that moment.

He paused for half a second, then moved away naturally.

While maintaining a smile on her face, she was secretly pondering something.

"Railley Parker, the most famous student at Midtown High School, and one of the most physically gifted. He once single-handedly defeated all the core members of a small gang to rescue a transfer student..."

"He possesses immense power and a strong sense of justice..."

"Could you be 'him'?"

"It's possible, very possible..."