The shortest monoliths were only a few meters tall, while the tallest towered nearly a hundred meters high, like a small mountain.
Peter slowly flew to the top of a monolith nearly ten meters in diameter.
He widened his eyes, glaring fiercely at the stone in front of him.
One second… ten seconds… a minute…
Peter stared at the monolith for several minutes.
It was as if the stone itself bore a deep hatred for him, and he wished he could crush it with the sheer ferocity of his gaze.
Nearly ten minutes passed. Even someone as physically strong as him felt his eyes beginning to dry from the intense focus.
Suddenly, a surge of energy welled up in his eyes.
In an instant, the pitch-black pupils flashed a bright red, like flames igniting from within.
His eyes blazed with crimson fire.
His gaze radiated a hellish intensity, like a demon risen from the underworld.
"What—!"
Peter roared. Two intense beams of red heat shot from his bloodshot eyes.
With terrifying heat and tremendous impact, the beams struck the monolith beneath him.
Crack… crack…
The force tore through the stone instantly.
The searing heat baked the monolith from the inside, glowing red-hot like molten metal.
Boom!
Seconds later, the monolith, now suffering extreme internal and external temperature imbalances, exploded with a deafening roar.
Peter instinctively turned his head, but his burning gaze didn't stop, sweeping across the ground and carving a trench several meters deep.
Where his thermal vision touched, everything was instantly cut apart. Countless monoliths were sliced in half, the edges glowing faintly red as if cleaved by a sword.
During this time, he even split a monolith tens of meters high vertically into two halves.
The fractured monoliths toppled to either side, sending plumes of dust into the air.
Peter lifted his gaze to the sky, his crimson eyes piercing the clouds above.
Finally, he managed to control the overwhelming power and closed his eyes sharply.
Even now, observers could see the faint crimson glow behind his eyelids.
The red light gradually faded.
[Congratulations, host. You have successfully awakened Thermal Vision and Cryogenic Breath.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind at the perfect moment.
…
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Chapter Fifteen: He Is Superman! (Add to Favorites and Keep Reading!)
Over the endless ocean, waves roared like raging beasts.
Suddenly, a figure streaked across the sky.
As it flew, a thick mist spewed from its mouth.
Cre-eak…
As the white mist merged with the sea, the entire ocean instantly froze into ice.
The once-turbulent, beastlike waves solidified, forming a colossal ice sculpture from the crests to the water's surface.
"The Superman I was before was just a fake."
"Now… I am the real Superman."
After casually testing his newly awakened freezing breath, Peter felt he could finally be called a true Superman.
In the next instant, his flight speed increased dramatically, heading straight for his home in New York.
Peter didn't disturb anyone and swiftly returned to his bedroom through a second-floor window.
He tossed the clothes he had grabbed from an empty room, along with a hastily made cape fashioned from a red curtain, into the trash casually.
Pretending to have just woken up, he slowly walked downstairs.
"Good morning, Uncle Ben, Aunt May."
Peter greeted them as he sat at the breakfast table, picking up his meal.
"Good morning, Peter…"
They replied without turning their heads, still watching TV.
It was then Peter noticed a familiar figure on the screen.
"Hmm… is this a report on last night's events?"
"Heh, that has nothing to do with me. Let's just eat first."
Peter ignored the broadcast entirely and leisurely ate his breakfast, as if last night's events had nothing to do with him.
Meanwhile, at the police precinct, Commissioner George Stacy, having had less than six hours of rest, was already dressed in his crisp uniform, exuding authority.
He stood solemnly at the podium.
"I deeply apologize and, on behalf of the New York Police Department, express our sincere regret for the outrageous events that occurred last night."
After saying this, George bowed deeply to all the cameras without hesitation.
"The detailed account of last night's events…"
After a long pause, he straightened and faced the many reporters who had already learned of the events. Slowly, he began explaining.
"I hereby solemnly review the past ways our department handled such matters and announce the revocation of Spider-Woman's arrest warrant."
"Furthermore, I urge Spider-Woman to cooperate with the police to maintain city order, combat criminals, apprehend those responsible for last night's chaos, and create a harmonious and free city."
…
In the Daily Bugle building, the owner's office was lavishly decorated.
"Damn it! Are these people crazy? Collaborating with a criminal who refuses to show her face—it's an embarrassment to the NYPD!"
A middle-aged man in a suit and tie, sporting a small mustache and smoking a Cuban Montecristo, heard George's statement on TV.
He sprang from his comfortable chair and threw the expensive cigar to the floor.
Thump, thump, thump…
As he fumed, someone knocked at the door.
"Come in."
He composed himself, leaned back in his chair, and said calmly:
"Mr. Jameson, here is the freshly printed newspaper. Please check if any changes are needed."
A slender secretary in professional attire handed J. Jonah Jameson the freshly printed paper.
"Rewrite all reports on Spider-Woman."
Jameson glanced at the paper casually and immediately spoke:
"But if we make all these changes, we might not meet today's print deadline."
Betty Brant, as his secretary, could not question the decision; she only offered her suggestion symbolically.
"It still needs to be changed. Tell all editors to quickly prepare articles exposing the so-called collaboration between the police and Spider-Woman. The public must understand: Spider-Woman is a criminal, not a hero protecting the city!"
"The NYPD's cooperation with her is collusion and dereliction of duty!"
"Also, have the editors come up with an eye-catching headline—something that will make people want to buy the paper at a glance."
After a moment, Jameson came up with the general direction for the revisions: for him, continuing to smear Spider-Woman was the right move.
"Okay, boss, I'll handle it immediately."
The secretary turned to leave.
"Wait, don't go!"
Jameson's attention returned to the TV, and he abruptly stopped her, a new expression on his face.
…
At the police press conference:
Commissioner George personally revoked Spider-Woman's arrest warrant, and all reporters recognized it as major news.
Yet, when a reporter raised a hand to ask a question, the room fell silent.
"Commissioner Stacy, I seem to have information that contradicts what you've told us—or, more accurately, you've withheld details from the city!"
George's calm expression vanished immediately.
"I'm sorry… I don't know how to answer that…"
Before he could stop the reporter, they continued rapidly:
"Witnesses claim there were not just two superhumans, but also one with flight and incredible strength."
"Police suspect a new Superman has appeared."
*"Possibly the famous hero from comics—Superman…"
Before the reporter could finish, George's face turned pale. He announced into the microphone:
"I'm sorry. This press conference of the NYPD is now concluded. Please exit in an orderly manner."
"Damn it… who leaked this information?"
Though George knew the news couldn't be hidden for long, he didn't expect reporters to learn about it by the next day, even questioning him during the press conference.
"Superman? Impossible! How could he exist?"
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