I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 459 Masters: I finally had one thing to look forward to, and this is what you show me?

Masters, lost in thought, couldn't help but glance a few more times at Riley, who had already returned to the queue.

From his perspective, the boy who should have performed better was taking the water his classmate handed him and drinking it with his head tilted back. His Adam's apple bobbed, his forehead was covered in real sweat, and his breathing seemed slightly rapid.

Everything he did, from his gestures to his movements, was a normal reaction after high-intensity exercise.

Everything seemed so... normal.

No.

Perhaps this "normality" is a manifestation of "abnormality".

Masters shook his head inwardly.

It is too early to draw conclusions now.

Based on the intelligence gathered, the black Spider-Man is the most cunning of all the Spider-Men.

Therefore, Riley, who is the prime suspect, could very well be deliberately displaying the opposite traits to mislead himself, the observer.

Fortunately, he had another way to verify Riley's identity.

Thinking this, Masters turned his gaze to Peter.

At this moment, Peter was openly showing affection to Gwen under the complex gazes of a group of boys.

Logically speaking, when a man's beloved woman is wronged in public, any man with a sense of justice will do everything in his power to stand up for her and defend her.

In particular, a high school student who is in the prime of life, lacks shrewdness, and is prone to impulsive actions.

In this way, Masters only needs to observe Peter's actions to determine whether Riley's behavior just now was fake.

"Next up, Peter Parker!"

Masters decisively called out Peter's name, his voice echoing clearly throughout the stadium.

When his name was called, Peter released his arm from Gwen's.

He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and with an expression that said, "I'm going to prove myself," he strode toward the starting line.

When Peter stood in front of the starting line, he moved his wrists and ankles, did a few simple stretching exercises, and his starting posture looked very professional.

Masters' interest was immediately piqued.

This bookworm, who was "weak and helpless" just a second ago, now exudes an air of confidence that he can "do whatever he wants."

Did he guess right? This kid, who was widely regarded as "weak Peter Parker," had been deliberately hiding his true abilities.

At this moment, with his girlfriend being treated unfairly in public, he finally couldn't hold back any longer and was ready to show his true strength.

His professional instincts prompted him to quickly enter a state of heightened observation.

The tablet was already in recording mode, and my finger hovered over the analysis software's start button, ready to capture any suspicious movement patterns.

"Ready—" After everything was ready, Masters raised the whistle to his lips, his eyes fixed on Peter.

"Beep—!"

The next second, a sharp whistle rang out.

Peter rushed out.

Then--!

Masters' expectant expression froze instantly.

Because Peter's starting speed... was too slow, far below the average for students of this age.

To make matters worse, after running less than five meters, Peter's right shoelace—the one he had been squatting down to tie for so long, the one everyone thought he had tightened—suddenly came undone.

The long shoelace swung in the air before being stepped on by Peter's own left foot.

"Thump."

Peter lunged forward, and with a cry of surprise, he fell flat on his face. The meager momentum he'd built up at the start was completely gone.

Masterston felt a throbbing sensation in his temples.

After Peter scrambled to his feet, carefully tied his shoelaces, and stood up again, he took a deep breath and started walking once more.

This time, Peter's speed wasn't even "running," he could only be described as "walking briskly" to the climbing wall.

The climbing wall is four meters high and its surface is covered with colorful artificial climbing points.

Peter stopped in front of the wall, looked up at the top, and looked as serious as if he were solving a physics problem.

He then took a few steps back and, clearly and deliberately imitating Riley's movements, jumped up with force.

The first time, his hand was still thirty centimeters away from the top of the wall.

The second time, it was 20 centimeters off.

the third time……

Peter bounced around several times before he finally managed to grab onto the top edge of the climbing wall.

Only the fingertips hooked the edge; the entire palm couldn't fully grasp it.

And so, Peter hung on the four-meter-high climbing wall like a piece of dried bacon.

His feet thrashed about in vain, trying to find a foothold that didn't exist.

He pulled his arms up with all his might, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, and his face turned bright red.

After some effort, his body did rise a few centimeters. But he quickly became exhausted and slid back to his original position.

"Uh...ah...hey...!"

Peter let out a loud groan.

He tried again and again.

Rise, then slide back.

Try again, slide back again.

Ten seconds passed.

Peter is still hanging there.

His body began to tremble slightly, a sign that his muscles had reached their limit.

Twenty seconds.

Peter is still persisting—or rather, still struggling.

His arm trembled even more violently, and several times he almost let go and fell, but he held on tightly at the last moment.

The entire stadium fell silent at that moment.

Everyone was looking at the boy hanging on the wall.

Some people stared with their mouths open, some frowned, and some looked away reluctantly.

Gwen covered her mouth with both hands, but through her fingers, one could see a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.

Riley lowered his head, his shoulders shrugging slightly, as if he found Peter too embarrassing, or perhaps he was suppressing some emotion.

Masters stood there, his expression shifting from initial anticipation to confusion, then disbelief, and finally settling into an almost rigid calm.

It's like being excited and ready to enjoy a feast, only to find out upon tasting it that it's made from the five grains of the cycle of reincarnation.

But by the time he realized something was wrong, he had already taken a big bite.

Driven by these complex emotions, even Masters, who had received professional training, couldn't help but stare at Peter for a full twenty seconds. He hoped that Peter was just putting on an act, and would suddenly unleash his full potential at the crucial moment, making a stunning comeback that amazed everyone.

But what Masters got in return was the embarrassing scene of Peter collapsing heavily onto the cushion, exhausted.

He was panting heavily, his arms were still trembling, and his fingers were temporarily unable to straighten completely due to excessive force.

"I...I'm sorry..." Peter looked up at Masters, then at Gwen, his face filled with the frustration and embarrassment of a young man. "Please let me rest for a bit...I...I think I can try again, really...!"

Unfortunately, while Peter was trying his best to defend himself, Masters, who had completely lost hope in Peter, had already silently removed Peter's name from the list of suspects on his tablet.

Obviously, someone who can't even do a pull-up can't possibly have the same arm strength as Spider-Man, who can support his entire body and swing between skyscrapers for a long time.

This undeniable "weakness" gave Masters a sense of relief and helplessness, a feeling of being somewhat unfortunate.

If Riley's brute image only left him somewhat disappointed...

Peter Parker's performance was enough to make him completely abandon any further doubts.

The Parker brothers...

One is a reckless man who relies on his strength, has a completely empty mind, has no strategy or method, and only cares about charging forward headlong.

One is a bookworm who lacks physical activity, is too weak to even lift a chicken, and can't even get past the first hurdle.

None of them were the people he was looking for.

As a result, Gwen, who had already been identified by Masters as one of the Spider-Men, was naturally removed from the list of suspects because of her romantic relationship with Peter.