Marvel: Ned the Master of Mystic Arts

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of Huang Xiwen and Peter's high school graduation.

During this period, Spider-Man's frequent and effective fight against crime had made him increasingly popular with the people of New York. Meanwhile, Ned had fully recovered from his internal injuries while staying at Huang Xiwen's home. Of course, since Ned didn't have legal residency, even after recovering, he continued living there.

During this time, Huang Xiwen's parents had returned home briefly. Her father was a gentle-looking man with distinctly Eastern features, while her mother appeared to be of mixed heritage and was equally graceful.

Leading up to their visit, Huang Xiwen spent her days in constant fear. Before their arrival, she and the Cloak had moved the still-immobile Ned into her room and tidied up the guest room to avoid leaving any clues her parents might discover.

For the duration of their visit, Ned and Huang Xiwen spent every night in the same room, their hearts pounding so loudly that they could even hear each other's heartbeats in the silence of the night.

Of course, they weren't sharing a bed. Huang Xiwen slept on the floor, having given her bed to the injured Ned. That was his privilege as a patient.

Fortunately, her parents didn't stay long and left after just a few days. Relieved, Huang Xiwen promptly sent Ned back to the guest room that very day.

Even after recovering, Ned, lacking a job, continued living at Huang Xiwen's home, eating her food and using her things. However, Ned, being a man of principles, was not one to live off others. At night, he would use his magic to silently slip out of the house and fight crime, supplementing the household income with his earnings.

This gave rise to a new urban legend in New York's nighttime streets—a figure known as "Nightmare Devil."

It was said that he was a ghost draped in a cloak, so terrifying that even a single glance would leave the faint-hearted paralyzed with fear.

Compared to Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood hero active during the day and early evening, Nightmare Devil seemed like a demon. Yet, despite his devilish appearance, he acted as a vigilante. Since he only appeared in the dead of night, the nickname "Nightmare Devil" was born.

As stories of this mysterious figure spread, Huang Xiwen immediately suspected it was Ned sneaking out while she was asleep.

Concerned for his safety, Huang Xiwen confronted him. She reminded him of the dangers he might face, given his history—after all, his left arm still hadn't grown back.

Ned reassured her, promising to stay out of dangerous situations and only deal with petty thieves lurking in the shadows. Given his skills and stubbornness, Huang Xiwen reluctantly agreed.

Since she already knew, Ned started handing over half of his earnings from his nightly escapades as payment for food and rent. This led to another discussion between them.

Huang Xiwen thought he didn't need to go that far, but as usual, Ned's persistence won out in the end.

During this relatively peaceful and happy period, Ned found himself reluctant to leave. He didn't know how the Avengers or the Peter Parker of his original world were coping with his sudden disappearance, but he figured they would be fine. After all, his presence as "Mystic Sorcerer" was never supposed to exist in that world.

Still, if given the chance, Ned would return to his original world. He didn't belong to this universe, and staying too long wouldn't be good for either him or the universe itself.

Unfortunately, Ned hadn't learned the magic required to traverse the multiverse. He had been waiting for the universe to naturally reject him and expel him, but that hadn't happened yet.

As for the black-robed man he had killed, Ned had expected some sort of investigation, but none came. At least, Ned hadn't detected any magical disturbances in the nearby area during all this time.

Ned's sensory range wasn't extensive—just a few blocks—so anything beyond that was beyond his capability to detect.

Now, let's return to the present.

Today, Ned was attending Huang Xiwen's graduation ceremony as her guest. He sat in the stands.

Well…

He had actually astral-projected himself to watch a nearby basketball game. What was the point of a graduation ceremony anyway?

…

"Hmm?"

As Ned watched the game, he suddenly sensed someone repeatedly poking his physical body.

"Swish!"

With a flash of magic, Ned's astral form instantly returned to his body!

"Ned! Ned!"

"Huh?"

Ned opened his eyes in confusion, only to see Huang Xiwen, dressed in her cap and gown, looking at him angrily.

"Ned! You actually fell asleep!"

"Uh…"

Ned felt incredibly awkward. He had asked Peter to wake him up once the ceremony was over.

Turning to look at Peter, Ned saw him hiding behind a tree, gazing wistfully at Gwen and her family.

Speaking of Peter, after the incident with Dr. Connors as the Lizard, Captain Stacy had a serious talk with him. He warned Peter that continuing his career as Spider-Man would inevitably bring trouble to those around him and urged him to stay away from Gwen.

Although Peter was reluctant, he nodded in agreement after a long silence, partly for Gwen's sake and partly because he didn't dare defy Captain Stacy to his face.

However, just two days later, Peter and Gwen were back together, seemingly more affectionate than ever—possibly due to a rebellious streak.

Since Captain Stacy remained alive and well after their conversation, Peter no longer felt guilty and stopped brooding about it.

While they kept their relationship discreet, away from Captain Stacy's eyes, they were inseparable whenever he wasn't around.

Well, except for that one time when they were about to cross a certain line and were caught by Ned, who was returning home with groceries. Ned immediately sent an anonymous text to Captain Stacy.

Ned didn't know the full consequences of his actions, but that evening's news reported that Spider-Man had been chased across New York by the police, taking several hits in the process.

According to Huang Xiwen, Peter took a leave of absence for a few days after that incident, and Spider-Man disappeared for a while.

This led the media and New Yorkers to believe Spider-Man had been fatally shot by the police. Outraged, the public harshly criticized Captain Stacy.

Fortunately, Spider-Man resumed his activities a few days later, once again becoming the friendly neighborhood hero of New York.

As for the anonymous tip, Ned never mentioned it to anyone, lest Gwen transform into Spider-Girl and hunt him down to tear him apart.

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