NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: Hero in Training
*Chapter 7: Hero in Training*
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Three months had passed since Peter and Gwen started their training at Kamar-Taj. The journey had been truly incredible. Gwen, with her determination and dedication, had pushed past her limits and absorbed everything Veronica taught her.
Peter still remembered how difficult it was for Gwen initially, when she kept getting beaten in training. But now, everything had changed. Veronica had to really focus and work hard to keep up with Gwen's spider abilities. Watching her rapid progress was inspiring.
On the other hand, Veronica also experienced a profound emotional transformation. As a former soldier who lost her husband in the war, she found peace and a new purpose at Kamar-Taj. Teaching Gwen had given her a deep sense of accomplishment and pride.
Pride was often visible on Veronica's face whenever Gwen showed progress. She saw immense potential in Gwen and gave her all to ensure Gwen was ready to face the world outside.
Veronica often spoke about how helping the weak was the ultimate goal of every true hero. She gave Gwen valuable advice on the importance of maintaining integrity and courage in every action.
Being a hero wasn't just about defeating enemies, but also about giving hope and protection to those who couldn't protect themselves. These values, taught with love and dedication, formed the moral foundation for Gwen as a hero.
Over the past month, after parting ways with Veronica, Gwen had been actively operating as a hero. She saved many people using her strength and webs, whether it was fires, people nearly falling from heights, catching thieves, or rescuing a grandma's cat from a tree. Each time she saved someone, Peter could feel the excitement and anxiety within her. Gwen and Peter also managed a YouTube channel showcasing Gwen's heroic actions while swinging and saving people.
One night, there was one of the most thrilling moments ever captured on camera. Gwen was patrolling downtown when a fire alarm sounded from a high-rise apartment building. Swiftly, she swung between buildings, her webs creating beautiful patterns in the night sky.
Flames roared from the middle floors, and cries for help were clearly heard. Without hesitation, Gwen leaped into the burning building, breaking down doors and evacuating residents one by one. The thick smoke and scorching heat didn't hinder her steps. With speed and precision, she brought children, the elderly, and even pets out of danger. The video of her heroic act went viral, showcasing Gwen's bravery and dedication as a hero.
At another time, they received an emergency call about a construction worker trapped at a high altitude after his safety equipment failed. Gwen arrived quickly, swinging between large cranes and steel structures. With extraordinary calm and focus, she reached the worker, reassured him, and carefully brought him down to safety. This moment once again underscored how Gwen had grown into a reliable and compassionate figure.
It wasn't just the major emergencies that Gwen cared about. There was one incident where a grandma's cat was stuck in a tall tree. Although it seemed trivial, for Gwen, no problem was too small. She patiently approached the cat, calmed the frightened animal, and returned it to its grateful owner's arms. The wide smile and the grandma's gratitude were the greatest rewards for Gwen.
In the midst of all her actions, Gwen remained humble. She always said she was just doing what needed to be done, nothing more. For her, being a hero was about giving hope and making a real difference in people's lives. No one would have thought that the Gwen who once didn't want to be an Avenger would be here now, smiling broadly knowing her powers had helped many people.
Every time Peter saw Gwen in action, he felt proud and a bit anxious. The world out there was full of challenges and dangers, but he knew Gwen had been well-prepared by Veronica. Her spirit and determination were a source of inspiration for everyone around her, including Peter himself.
While Gwen was out there being a hero, Peter continued deepening his knowledge of the mystical arts. The learning journey felt long, but each day he noted small progress. Peter meticulously studied every page of his books, jotting down every detail, and striving to understand the essence of each spell. The theoretical lessons might not have been as quick as physical training, but he knew a strong foundation was key to mastering the mystical arts.
Over these three months, Peter had even learned Sanskrit, Latin, and various other languages. Though Arabic remained a challenge, his understanding was sufficient to study complex codes and sequences of spells.
Peter had also grasped the contents of The Book of Invisible Sun, Codex Imperium, and some aspects of The Corpus Hermeticum. There were many other books that had made their way into his mental library.
Gwen continued striving to face the world with all her abilities, while Peter kept deepening his knowledge of the mystical arts. Gwen, with all her uniqueness, had become the hero the world needed. And Peter, though still in the learning process, continued supporting her with all his capabilities, both emotionally and in providing the physical tools Gwen used.
"Are you still with us, Peter?" Mr. Dale asked, trying to get Peter's attention.
Peter snapped out of his long thoughts as his teacher called him to answer a question on the blackboard. It was a physics problem, discussing pendulums.
Peter looked at the blackboard and fully focused on the physics question Mr. Dale had posed.
"Pendulum," Peter muttered while looking at the problem on the board. "Uh… yeah, to calculate the period of the swing, we use the formula T equals 2 pi times the square root of length divided by gravity."
Mr. Dale nodded, smiling with satisfaction. "Good, Peter. Now try applying that formula to calculate the swing period of a pendulum with a length of 2 meters."
Peter quickly calculated in his head, "T equals 2 pi times the square root of 2 divided by 9.8... about 2.83 seconds."
Mr. Dale nodded again, "Exactly. Thank you, Peter. But, try to keep your feet on the ground, okay?"
Mr. Dale's words lightened the mood and made the whole class laugh at Peter. Peter felt slightly embarrassed and covered his face with a book, trying to hide his blushing face. School continued and time passed until the final bell rang.
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That afternoon, after school, Peter took some time to relax with his friends. Peter didn't have any mystical arts classes today, and it was one of the rare times they had set aside over the past three months to hang out together. Amidst their cheerfulness, the topic shifted to Gwen's latest video as Ghost-Spider on YouTube.
"Hey Peter, have you seen the latest Ghost-Spider video? Isn't she awesome!?" Ned asked Peter excitedly. Ned, who was at Peter's computer, spoke to him while Peter was playing Tekken against Gwen. He was browsing YouTube, watching the latest video of Ghost-Spider, or Gwen herself, with a sparkle in his eyes.
They were in Peter's room, planning to do their homework. However, here they were, playing around with the computer and game console. Peter's room was quite messy, with snack wrappers and cola cans scattered on the floor. If May came in, they'd definitely get scolded until morning.
"Ah, yeah Ned, I've seen it. It's the one where she stops the robber's car from crashing into the bus, right? She must be pretty strong to withstand that momentum," Peter replied while focusing on executing a combo to break through Gwen's defense.
"Right!? I wonder how she got such incredible strength!? That's so cool! Also, the spider theme fits perfectly with the webs and her wall-crawling, doesn't it? What do you think, Gwen?" Ned shared his opinion with the same enthusiasm. He was still engrossed in Peter's computer, waiting for his turn to play against one of them.
Gwen, still in her defensive position, replied, "Ah, ah... sure, yeah she's cool, she's cool. Hey, can you not talk to me right now!? I'm trying to stop Peter from landing a combo on me!" she complained. Even though she was the focus of the conversation, she wasn't paying much attention because Peter kept pressing her in a defensive stance.
"That's exactly Ned's intention. And it's only a matter of time before you get hit by my combo!" Peter grinned while expertly pressing the buttons with his fingers, waiting for Gwen to lose momentum so he could win.
"Shut up, Peter!" Gwen didn't want to lose and kept focusing on defending, waiting for Peter to lose momentum first.
Ned chuckled and shook his head, watching Gwen struggle in the midst of Peter's combo storm. He went back to browsing Peter's computer to keep himself busy looking for other interesting things.
Peter chuckled, seeing Gwen trying her best not to break the controller. With her super strength, she could easily crush it to dust. Gwen was very careful not to lose control. Though it was no longer necessary, because at that moment, Gwen lost momentum and got beaten badly by Peter's deadly combo.
"Yaaa!! Hahaha! I won! Winner don't lose!!" Peter raised his hands high, celebrating his victory, posing with a peace sign. Peter then proudly stood and posed like a winner, swinging his right hand forward and his left hand back like a maid, then bowed slightly while bending his knees politely.
On the other hand, Gwen felt extremely frustrated and annoyed seeing Peter's antics. She held back with all her might not to accidentally break the controller, but Peter took advantage of that and won unfairly. Gwen looked at Peter with hatred, vowing to herself to get back at him someday.
"Alright, my turn now!" Ned said, quickly leaving Peter's computer, taking Gwen's controller, and starting to play with Peter.
Gwen reluctantly handed the controller to him, watching Peter and Ned start selecting characters and battling each other. Gwen, still upset, grabbed a bag of potato chips from the table and ate them aggressively, venting her emotions on the innocent chips.
They spent the afternoon killing each other... in Tekken. Sometimes Peter won, sometimes Ned won, and Gwen often lost because she had to hold back not to break Peter's controller.
They laughed and joked, enjoying their youth, sharing the latest stories and gossip both in and out of school. Their fun continued until evening.
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That night, after his friends had gone home, Peter reflected on the discussion he and Gwen had before she made her debut as Ghost-Spider. He was lying comfortably on his bed, but his thoughts drifted to how they had created this heroic identity together.
Ghost-Spider was the name Gwen came up with for their YouTube channel. It seemed that Peter's earlier suggestion had caught her attention, prompting her to adopt the name. Now the world knew Ghost-Spider as the spider-themed hero from Queens, New York.
Gwen's costume was still simple and low-budget, consisting of practical and straightforward attire. She wore black athletic pants paired with a sporty hoodie that was white with pink accents. Her mask was a plain white ski mask modified by Peter, who added customized night vision goggles to the eye holes. These goggles helped limit Gwen's vision to keep her focused during intense situations.
On Peter's advice, Gwen always coated the exterior of her hoodie with her solidified white smoke. This served multiple purposes: ensuring Gwen always had a supply of webs, providing an additional layer of protection, and creating the illusion that she could shoot webs from anywhere. Despite its simplicity, Gwen's costume was functional and effective for her heroic actions.
Peter also added a small camera and voice recorder to Gwen's goggles to capture her POV while she was in action. She could press the on/off button on the side of the goggles to record whenever she wanted and turn it off when it wasn't needed. From these recordings, the public could see Gwen's actions live on their YouTube channel.
Initially, Gwen felt uncomfortable with Peter's idea of videotaping her actions. She didn't want to treat her hero work as a mere show. She believed her intentions alone were enough to prove who she was.
Peter was touched by Gwen's sincerity, and he always knew Gwen was extraordinary. However, Peter also understood that not everyone would appreciate good intentions. There were always people who would try to take advantage of someone for personal gain.
Peter argued that if someone truly wanted to do good, it wouldn't matter if their actions were publicized or not—they would continue to do good regardless. After hearing this, Gwen fell silent and thought deeply about it.
Peter enlightened Gwen that when she wore the costume, she was no longer Gwen, but Ghost-Spider. And at this moment, Ghost-Spider needed people to see her good deeds transparently.
Whether actions were good or bad, transparency and honesty were always valued by many people. No one liked feeling deceived, whether the intentions behind the deception were good or not.
Peter's approach was about balancing pure intentions with practical realities. He wanted to ensure that the good Gwen did could be recognized and appreciated by many, while still maintaining integrity and honesty in every action. In this way, Peter provided Gwen not just with moral guidance, but also effective strategies to become a better and more respected hero.
Gwen eventually agreed to Peter's idea after their first trial. She saw for herself how she saved a small child from the street from a third-person perspective. Even though she experienced it firsthand, seeing it from a spectator's viewpoint opened her eyes, and she finally agreed to try it.
And the results were quite satisfying; many people supported Ghost-Spider on YouTube. Gwen's idea of showcasing her POV while in action became a fresh breath of air among the public. It became very difficult for ill-intentioned media to tarnish Ghost-Spider's name.
Many even agreed that all heroes should do the same, so that people could know what heroes actually did. People only knew about the Avengers saving the world four years ago from unclear and random news sources. At least, it wasn't as clear and transparent as Ghost-Spider's.
The Avengers' missions in taking down Hydra were also very secretive and closed off. Of course, they wouldn't publicize their actions since they were essentially at war, and content involving killing was quite taboo among the public.
However, despite public demands towards the Avengers, Ghost-Spider's situation was quite stable. Subscribers kept increasing over the past month, and public reaction was quite positive. They just had to keep a close eye on their cyber security to avoid being tracked by people who wanted to exploit them.
Peter smiled knowing that they would be alright. Although their cyber security wasn't as good as Jarvis, his mind was filled with relief and confidence. Peter felt calm and assured that Fury and Tony would help keep Ghost-Spider's identity a secret.
Peter grinned slyly, imagining that someday, one of them would knock on his door, only to find out that Peter had already expected them. He felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that their actions in protecting Ghost-Spider's identity were already known and expected by him.
Long live the isekaiers and transmigrants! And Peter unconsciously fell asleep thinking about Fury and Tony's expressions in the future. He even chuckled in his sleep, dreaming about that silly scenario.
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The next day, after waking up feeling refreshed and full of enthusiasm, Peter finished school and immediately said goodbye to Gwen and Ned before heading to the New York Sanctum. He was excited because today was an important turning point in his journey.
Today was Peter's first lesson in casting spells, a moment he had patiently awaited. Despite the challenges, he felt this was a small step towards a deeper understanding of the power that existed in the world.
After arriving at the Sanctum, Peter was greeted by Wong, who seemed to be waiting for him. Wong, the mentor, then carefully prepared everything and brought them both to another room in the Sanctum.
Wong led Peter into a room filled with ancient books and mystical artifacts. They sat cross-legged on the floor like on tatami mats, facing each other. Peter, feeling a bit nervous, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, helping himself to relax.
Once he saw Peter was ready, Wong, with his always serious face, began their training. "It's been almost four months since you started learning here. Although that time is relatively short, your dedication to studying theory and foundational knowledge is impressive. And after the exam you took the day before yesterday, we've agreed to start practical lessons and weaving spells today."
Peter simply nodded, preparing himself, listening attentively to his mentor, something he often forgot to do at school.
Wong start to explaining the knowledge from the beginning again to Peter. "The language of the Mystique Arts is as old civilization. The Scorcerers of antiquity call the use of this language 'spells'. But in your modern language, you can call it 'program'. The source code that shapes reality."
"Understood, Master." Said Peter seriously although Peter already knowledged that, he still listening Wong's explanation.
Wong moved his hands, forming intricate patterns created from sparks of orange light. "We harness energy, drawn from other dimensions of the multiverse, to cast spells, conjured shields and weapons, to make Magic."
The magical pattern continued to move, forming complex and intricate designs between the two of them. When Wong directed it forward, the formation vibrated, astonishing Peter. Wong lowered his hands, and the formation disappeared in the same order it appeared.
"You've often seen sorcerers casting spells over the past four months. Now it's your turn to start weaving spells yourself," Wong said to Peter, who, despite still being in awe, listened attentively.
Wong then began his explanation, teaching Peter about the variations of spells. "Each spell draws energy from different dimensions. For example, the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak spell draws energy from the Crimson Cosmos Dimension; spells from the Scrolls of Watoomb draw energy from the Boreas Dimensions; and many other spells require different types of energy. Each person, each individual, has their own compatibility and skillset. Some may be suited for one spell but not for another."
Peter was enlightened and nodded enthusiastically; it seemed like a method that the practitioners at Kamar-Taj would follow. Peter then started his inner monologue and expressed it to Wong.
"So, at the beginning of the formation of Kamar-Taj, each person, each individual found their unique way of discovering a dimension and learning to draw energy from it, then created spells from it. After that, they documented their knowledge and experiences so that future generations could learn from them," he said, confident that he had uncovered the greatest mystery of the century.
Wong nodded in agreement and continued, "Many masters in the past have mapped out other dimensions in the multiverse and sought the benefits they could gain from them. However, not every experiment is safe. Many of them lost their lives, so the students continued their master's journey."
Peter nodded, understanding the danger in learning new dimensions, as if creating new spells from them. "That's why some spells are forbidden, like the spells from the Book of Cagliostro," Peter muttered in realization.
"Good analysis, Peter. Now, can we continue with your lesson?" Wong smiled slightly, impressed with Peter, and they continued with the lesson.
"Yeah, but how do I draw energy from other dimensions, Master?" Peter asked, curious.
"We'll keep seeing you try various spells, and you'll automatically draw the needed energy if you're suited for a particular type of spell or energy," Wong explained clearly, and Peter understood the concept since it was quite straightforward.
Wong then resumed the topic and began teaching Peter. "We'll start with a simple spell. This energy is drawn from the energy flowing throughout the entire universe, and you'll channel it into a shield form. The spell is called the Tao Mandalas."
Wong began performing hand movements and weaving the spell. "Tao Mandalas is a protective spell commonly used by sorcerers. They are versatile protective spells used around the fists. And today you'll focus on weaving this spell."
Wong demonstrated the hand movements needed to activate the spell. "These hand movements will help direct the energy and form the shield pattern. Do it slowly and make sure you channel the energy steadily."
Peter mimicked Wong's hand movements. He felt a bit stiff at first, but with Wong's guidance, he began to flow more naturally. He could feel the energy from another dimension flowing through his body and creating sparks of orange energy in front of him.
"Focus, Peter. Don't let your spell dissipate, and don't try to control them with force. Move with the energy and find your balance within its flow," Wong said firmly.
Peter exerted all his concentration. Minutes passed, and Peter kept trying to use all his mental capacity to draw out the energy and weave the spell.
Slowly but surely, the shadow of a shield began to form around him. Though faint, it was proof that he had successfully cast a spell for the first time. The round pattern with intricate designs formed in his palms. Peter was moved and felt proud of himself for creating his first spell.
"Good job, Peter. This is an important first step. Every spell you learn will become easier after this," Wong said with a small smile, proud of Peter but only showing minimal emotion in front of him.
The training continued for hours, with Wong teaching various basic spells and techniques to draw energy from other dimensions. Although not all were successful, Peter still learned about feeling the flow of the energy. And it was only a matter of time before he got used to it.
The following days at Kamar-Taj were filled with intense training. Peter continued learning and deepening his knowledge of the mystical arts. He studied and practiced weaving spells every minute, every hour, so his body would become accustomed to processing energy. So at the end, Peter can reduce his time, in weaving spells.
Every lesson he received from Wong brought a deeper understanding of the power he possessed.
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