《Marvel’s Ultimate Connector》 Chapter 1: Ghost-Spider? I Didn’t Expect You to Be This Kind of Gwen! Chapter 1: Ghost-Spider? I Didn''t Expect You to Be This Kind of Gwen! Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City. Through the morning mist, sunlight filtered into a small attic studio. In front of an easel, a young man with an effortless charm leisurely painted the image in his mind. A war scene soon took shape on the canvas¡ªa glowing blue portal loomed atop a skyscraper, monstrous soldiers swarmed like an endless tide, and colossal warships cast shadows over the city¡­ "Ethan! Breakfast is ready! Hurry up and come down!" A voice called from downstairs. "Got it, Jessica. Just a minute." Ethan Lee responded casually, finishing the last stroke before covering the painting with a white cloth. The Battle of New York hadn''t happened yet, so it wasn''t the right time for anyone to see this particular piece. Yes, Ethan Lee was a transmigrator. From the presence of Stark Industries and Oscorp, he had already deduced that this was the Marvel Universe. And after realizing that he was just an ordinary person? He made the wisest decision possible¡ªlying low and living comfortably. Save the world? That was the superheroes'' job. But there was one thing worth mentioning¡­ While Ethan might be an ordinary person, in terms of connections, he was anything but. For example, his next-door neighbor to the left was George Stacy, the New York City Police Commissioner. George''s daughter, Gwen Stacy, was just a few years younger than Ethan, and they had been close since childhood. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Then, there was the neighbor on the right. That house belonged to Ben Parker and May Parker. And, of course, their nephew, Peter Parker. That''s right. Spider-Man. Ethan never expected that one of his favorite characters from his past life would grow up right next door to him. But that wasn''t even the craziest part. The girl who had just called him for breakfast was Jessica Ye¡ªfull name Jessica Campbell. She was Gwen''s high school friend, whose family had tragically died in a car accident. Back when they were kids, Ethan, acting on impulse, had taken her in as his adopted sister. It wasn''t until later that he realized something shocking¡ªher life story matched that of Jessica Jones. Superhero connections? Fully stacked. And as everyone knew, being a friend or relative of a superhero was not great for life expectancy. Yet somehow, Ethan had managed to survive unscathed so far. Maybe that was only because Peter and Jessica hadn''t become superheroes yet. --- Downstairs By the time Ethan came down, two girls were already seated at the dining table, casually enjoying breakfast. Jessica and Gwen. Both dressed in stylish yet comfortable casual wear, both effortlessly beautiful¡ªone with long, flowing black hair, the other with shoulder-length blonde locks. The contrast between the two, a dark-haired beauty and a radiant blonde, was stunning to say the least. "Morning, Gwen. Didn''t expect to see you here," Ethan greeted as he took his seat. Gwen shot him a playful wink. "The breakfast Jessica made using your recipe is amazing." So she was just here for the food. "Ethan, sit here." Jessica patted the chair between her and Gwen. A spot specifically reserved for him. There was no need to guess what that meant. "Jessica, it''s Lee, not Li," Ethan corrected jokingly as he sat down. He picked up a soup dumpling and placed one on each of their plates. "We''ve lived together for so long. I''ll be heartbroken if you keep saying my name wrong~" "Ugh, Chinese pronunciation is too hard," Jessica complained, curling her tongue playfully. She tried again, "Lee¡­ Lee." "Lee~" Gwen pronounced it effortlessly. Jessica turned to her in surprise. "Hey! That was really good!" Gwen smiled. "I''ve been learning Chinese lately." "Seriously? That sounds difficult." "My brother teaches me occasionally, but I still can''t get it right," Jessica admitted. Ethan chuckled. Jessica had a natural talent for cooking, but languages? Not so much. "You should start with pinyin first," Gwen suggested. "Here, I''ll show you a good website." She pulled out her phone, tapped a link, and leaned past Ethan to show it to Jessica. "This one. Try it." Without hesitation, she pressed close to Ethan, her delicate figure practically brushing against him. Jessica and Gwen started chatting excitedly, while Ethan simply got used to the close contact. It wasn''t the first time, after all. A beautiful woman by your side made breakfast taste even better. Before long, the dumplings and egg drop soup were all gone. --- Huh? Jessica, still browsing her phone, suddenly gasped. "Whoa, check this out!" She turned the screen toward Ethan. "A superhero! How cool is that?" Ethan glanced at the screen. The headline read: "Mysterious Masked Hero Appears in New York" A photo was attached. His brows furrowed. Wait¡­ Peter already debuted? Something didn''t seem right. Frowning, he enlarged the image. And then¡­ he froze. The figure in the photo had an unmistakably curvy silhouette. The suit was black and white, accented with purple. And instead of the usual Spider-Man mask, this one had a white hood. ¡­Ghost-Spider? Gwen Stacy? Ethan blinked, then looked at Gwen''s unmistakable blonde hair. Something felt off. A lot of things, actually. I didn''t expect you to be this kind of Gwen¡­! Chapter 2: Knight Spider Chapter 2: Knight Spider With mixed feelings, Ethan Lee turned to Gwen on his left, wanting to see her expression. But as soon as he turned his head, something soft pressed against his face, momentarily blinding him. It turned out that Jessica and Gwen were standing and bending over to read the news on their phones, while Ethan was the only one sitting. When he turned around to wash his face¡­ "It''s okay, Ethan." "I-I know you didn''t mean it." Gwen''s fair face flushed slightly as she placed her hands over her chest. You''re so understanding so quickly. I haven''t even said sorry yet. Ethan was momentarily speechless. Since Gwen is Spider-Woman, she must have spider-sense. So she didn''t avoid it on purpose. Still, the sight of a flustered young girl in love was quite endearing... Just as he was admiring Gwen''s reaction, a cold and indifferent voice suddenly rang in his ears. [The Extraordinary Relationship System has been loaded.] A system? Ethan kept his expression neutral, resisting the urge to react too strongly. As a time traveler, it was only a matter of time before a system showed up. Quickly processing the information given by the system, Ethan grasped its core functionality. To activate the system, he needed to achieve the status of an [Extraordinary Relationship User], after which the system would issue specific tasks. The term "Extraordinary Relationship" referred to individuals closely connected to superheroes¡ªpeople like Pepper Potts for Iron Man, Ned for Spider-Man, or even Uncle Ben, who instilled Peter Parker''s heroic ideals. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. In essence, only by forging strong bonds with superheroes could someone be considered a "relative" of one. Once a relationship was established, the system could trigger a corresponding task¡ªbluntly named "XXXX''s Relationship Task." These tasks were generally related to a superhero''s concerns. Completing these tasks would grant Ethan rewards. So, in simple terms, the system wanted him to grow stronger by deepening his connections with superheroes. Fortunately, thanks to his existing relationship with Jessica, Gwen, and the others, he already met the system''s requirements. Now, he just had to wait for a mission to trigger. "Deliberately?" Jessica glanced up. "Did you do something, Gwen?" She had been absorbed in scrolling through the news on her phone and hadn''t noticed the brief close contact between her brother and her best friend. Gwen casually put her hands down. "Ethan just bumped into me accidentally." With a vague explanation, she swiftly changed the subject. "Jessica, are you interested in Ghost Spider?" "Yeah, I think she''s cool!" Jessica grinned, holding up a striking photo of Ghost Spider and positioning it next to her face. She winked playfully at Gwen. "Don''t you think so?" Gwen stifled a laugh. "Besides being cool, my dear Jessica, is there anything else?" "Oh¡­ and she has a nice figure." Jessica stroked her chin, giving Gwen a once-over. "Honestly, she looks a little better than you, Gwen." Ethan watched Gwen''s face twitch slightly. It was clear she was struggling to hold back a reaction. It must be a strange feeling¡ªto have someone unknowingly praise you right to your face. "Ethan, what about you?" Gwen turned to him with an expectant gaze. "What do you think of Ghost Spider?" Go ahead, praise me~ That was definitely what she was thinking. Having recently become a superhero, she was eager for validation¡ªespecially from her childhood friend and neighbor. Oh wow, you really want me to compliment you? Ethan had the same thought. The two of them were in sync in more ways than one. "I think you have a better figure, Gwen." Ethan spoke with a straight face. "Ethan, what are you even saying? That''s so embarrassing¡­" Gwen''s ears turned pink. She wasn''t looking for that kind of praise¡ªthough she couldn''t deny feeling a little pleased. Ethan feigned innocence. "Didn''t you ask for my opinion?" "I meant in other ways!" Gwen pouted. [Novice Benefit Activated.] [The system will select two superheroes nearby and merge their abilities.] [After fusion, you will gain corresponding powers.] A novice benefit? Ethan, who was about to respond to Gwen, paused. Among the superheroes nearby, the closest were obviously Gwen and Jessica. Sure enough, the system continued its broadcast: [Selected: ''Knight'' Jessica Lee. Copying extraordinary template¡­] [Selected: ''Ghost Spider'' Gwen Stacy. Copying extraordinary template¡­] "Ethan?" Gwen tilted her head. "What''s wrong? Is that question really that hard to answer?" "Oh¡­" Ethan quickly snapped out of it. "Well¡­ Ghost Spider has extraordinary power and uses it to help the weak. I think that''s really admirable." How could it not be? The powerful Miss Gwen was about to grant him part of her abilities... "Admirable?" Gwen blinked in surprise. She had originally used her powers just to test them out¡ªmaybe rough up a few criminals here and there for fun. Of course, her father''s strict upbringing as a police officer had also played a role in shaping her sense of justice. But she hadn''t expected Ethan to view her actions in such a noble light. Is that how you see me, Ethan¡­? A mix of shyness and excitement bubbled up within her. Jessica, meanwhile, thoughtfully flexed her fingers. [Copying of ''Knight'' Jessica''s extraordinary template complete.] [Copying of ''Ghost Spider'' Gwen''s extraordinary template complete.] [Fusion loading: Novice Extraordinary Template¡ªKnight Spider.] [Acquired Extraordinary Ability: Knight-level physical enhancement.] [Acquired Extraordinary Ability: Spider-Man-level physical enhancement.] [Acquired Extraordinary Ability: Flight.] [Acquired Extraordinary Ability: Spider-Sense.] [Acquired Extraordinary Ability: Static Adhesion.] [Bonus Suit¡ªKnight Spider Armor: Super-strength defense, automatic repair, absolute concealment, information isolation¡­] [Research knowledge related to spider silk launchers included.] [Template Notes: Physical enhancement abilities will stack exponentially. However, the effect of a lower-tier enhancement will be reduced when combined with a significantly stronger one.] Ethan felt a surge of power coursing through his body. And just like that, his journey as an "Extraordinary Relationship User" had officially begun. Chapter 3: Gwen Checks the Body! Strange is a Chatterbox! Chapter 3: Gwen Checks the Body! Strange is a Chatterbox! Power surged through his body, an overwhelming force flooding every fiber of his being. A refreshing sensation coursed through him, leaving him feeling invigorated. Silently, a black bracelet materialized on Ethan Lee''s wrist. This was the Knight Spider suit in its dormant state. At the same time, newfound knowledge about spider silk launchers surfaced in his mind¡ªdetails of their mechanics, potential modifications, and tactical applications. Yet, Ethan found them unnecessary. After all, if he wanted to, he could simply take off from the ground at will. Just then, Gwen suddenly placed a hand on her chest. A strange tremor had just rippled through her heart, unprovoked yet undeniable. "Gwen, what''s wrong?" Jessica asked, noticing her unease. "I don''t know¡­ I just had a sudden palpitation," Gwen frowned. "Are you feeling sick?" Jessica''s concern deepened. She turned to Ethan and nudged him. "Hey, don''t just stand there like a statue. Help Gwen." Ethan sat down beside Gwen, wrapping an arm around her shoulders for support. A thought crossed his mind¡ªwas it possible that his own spider sense had triggered Gwen''s reaction? He spoke gently. "Gwen, do you need to see a doctor? I can take you to Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Strange is a friend of mine¡ªhe''ll arrange a checkup right away." "This¡­" Gwen hesitated. She thought back to the moment her abilities first manifested. It had happened not long ago, during her summer internship at Oscorp. She had entered a research lab filled with experimental spiders, one of which had bitten her. She left the lab hurriedly, but soon after, she discovered she had extraordinary powers. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Now, a lingering doubt gnawed at her. Was something wrong with her body? Ethan noticed her unease. "It wouldn''t hurt to get checked out," he reassured her. "At least for peace of mind." Before she could protest, he swept her up in his arms, carrying her princess-style. "Come on, don''t be stubborn," he said with a grin. "Ethan! I can walk, you know." Gwen didn''t know whether to laugh or be exasperated. It was a strange contrast¡ªGhost-Spider, a dignified superhero, being treated like a delicate patient. Yet, there was something oddly comforting about it. --- Presbyterian Hospital, New York City A sleek, customized car¡ªflashier than most sports cars¡ªpulled up in front of the hospital. Ethan, Gwen, and Jessica stepped out. Bringing someone here just for a routine checkup felt like overkill, but who cared? Connections had their perks. "Did we make an appointment, Ethan?" Jessica asked. "We don''t need one," he replied. Ethan led them through the hospital halls, bypassing the front desk. The staff seemed to recognize him and didn''t stop them. Inside one of the departments, a sharply dressed doctor with a neatly trimmed beard greeted him with an air of arrogance. "Well, well, the great artist graces me with his presence. What happened? Cut yourself with a paint scraper?" Dr. Stephen Strange¡ªthe brilliant surgeon and future Sorcerer Supreme¡ªsmirked at him. His arrogance rivaled that of Tony Stark''s. Ethan, unfazed, sat down casually. "Cut the nonsense, Stephen. I messaged you earlier." Strange waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. It''s all taken care of. My colleagues will handle it." He slid a document across the desk. "Here''s the test list. Just register her info, and they''ll take it from there." Ethan handed the paper to Jessica. "Take Gwen for her checkup. I''ll catch up with Strange for a bit." Jessica sighed dramatically. "Wow, Ethan. Instead of sticking with Gwen during this rare bonding opportunity, you''d rather chat with another man? You''re too straight." "Jessica!" Gwen protested, pulling her away. Ethan watched them leave, shaking his head. Of course, he wasn''t avoiding Gwen¡ªhe had another motive for staying behind. If he was lucky, talking to Strange might trigger a hidden mission or even earn him a Supreme Sorcerer template. Strange leaned back, eyeing him. "You know, Ethan, I''m at work. I don''t offer casual chatting services." "Yet here you are, chatting anyway." Strange scoffed. "Last time I swung by Sunnyvale Manor, I planned to take one of your paintings. But the place was locked up tight. Did you move out?" Ethan sipped his coffee. "Too quiet over there. I prefer the Lower East Side, so I moved back." "You? Prefer noise?" Strange arched a brow. "If you''re struggling financially, I could buy a portrait from you." Ethan rolled his eyes. "Do I look like I''m struggling? Besides, I only paint portraits of beautiful women. You don''t qualify." Strange smirked. "So, nude portraits?" "Professional art, Stephen," Ethan corrected. "I have standards." "Sure, sure." Strange slid him a cup of coffee. "So, really¡ªwhy''d you move back? Don''t tell me it''s because of those two girls." Ethan gave a nonchalant shrug. "Maybe." Strange sipped his coffee thoughtfully. "Are they even adults? Ethan, I won''t cover for you." Ethan nearly choked on his drink. "...Seriously?"