[I have to find a way to let Spider-Man kill me.]
[Cause of Death: Head bitten by radioactive roe deer]
[Death Reward: Strength +1]
[Beginning time travel…]
Seeing the familiar floating text before his eyes, Xu Wang—who had just died—let out a sigh of relief.
"Nice, looks like I was right. The cheat only activates when I die. As long as that's confirmed, everything else gets easier."
Now, all he needed to do was figure out the rules behind the death rewards.
Xu Wang already had a rough idea. The transitions between worlds were fast and silent. Before he could think too much about it, the scenery around him began to shift again.
[Time Travel Successful]
[Current World: The Amazing Spider-Man]
A grounded, realistic sensation hit him. The sound of chatting students buzzed around him. The glowing text faded, and his vision gradually cleared.
Xu Wang found himself in what looked like an American high school—spacious grounds, youthful energy everywhere. In front of him, a group of students had gathered around a circular outdoor table, shouting excitedly.
"Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!"
Suddenly—
A wave of chanting erupted from the crowd.
Xu Wang's memory was excellent. He could clearly remember everything from his previous life.
He quickly realized this was the early timeline of The Amazing Spider-Man. Peter Parker hadn't been bitten by the spider yet—meaning there was no Spider-Man, and no Lizard either.
That also meant he'd probably have to stick around for a while.
Given the rules of his system, Xu Wang guessed his death reward would only trigger if he died at the hands of someone important. So naturally, he needed to aim for Spider-Man… or maybe Dr. Lizard.
Dying randomly wouldn't cut it.
If he had to die, he'd make it count. He wanted to be killed by Spider-Man himself.
With that thought in mind, Xu Wang squeezed into the crowd ahead.
"Move, move. If you don't, I'm taking off my pants and taking a dump right here."
No one paid attention to him at first—until he said that.
Suddenly, the students around him scattered two meters away in shock.
Xu Wang nodded in satisfaction and released his grip on his waistband.
At the center of the crowd, a tall, muscular boy was holding a scrawny student upside down, shoving him toward a plate of food.
"Flash Thompson bullying again, huh?" Xu Wang thought to himself. "That skinny kid must be Gordon."
According to the plot, Peter Parker would soon appear, try to stop Flash, and get beaten up in the process.
Xu Wang furrowed his brows.
Watching Flash bully Gordon brought up some unpleasant memories from his own school days. Plus, he hadn't eaten in two days.
His stomach growled.
Xu Wang rushed forward, grabbed the bowl of pasta off the table, and started eating without hesitation.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing?!"
Flash looked stunned. He stared at Xu Wang, clearly confused by the stranger's sudden intrusion.
"You helping Gordon or something?" Flash scowled.
Xu Wang waved him off without looking up. "Nope. Just here to eat."
With that, he picked up a fork and started wolfing down the pasta like no one else was there.
For someone who hadn't eaten in two days, this was divine.
The pasta was surprisingly good. Xu Wang polished it off in seconds, then looked around.
There—an untouched burger sat nearby.
"Whose burger is this?" Xu Wang shouted. "No one claiming it?"
"3, 2, 1!"
"Alright then! Don't mind if I do!"
He picked up the burger and chomped down, biting off nearly a third in one go.
Flash looked at him like he'd found a mutant rat. "Where did this homeless guy come from?"
But Flash hadn't forgotten his original goal. He forced Gordon's face back down toward the plate.
"LICK IT! LICK IT!" the surrounding students chanted, caught up in the excitement.
Just then—
"Hey! Put him down!"
Peter Parker finally made it through the crowd.
Though he had no powers yet, Peter's sense of justice was intact. He stepped up to stop Flash.
Flash laughed. "Parker? Great, take a picture with your fancy camera!"
Peter shook his head. "No. I'm not taking any pictures."
Then louder, he called again: "I said, put him down, Thompson!"
The students groaned, disappointed.
Flash felt challenged. With everyone watching, he couldn't just back off.
He dropped Gordon like trash and stalked toward Peter.
"Hey, nerd."
Peter reached down to help Gordon, but Flash shoved him hard—and punched him straight in the face.
BANG!
Peter stumbled back, dazed, then doubled over after a second punch to the stomach.
Flash raised his fist for another blow—
Only to feel someone grab his arm.
Xu Wang.
Flash turned, confused. "You—!"
Before he could react, Xu Wang smiled, raised the metal plate… and SMACKED it across Flash's face.
CLANG!
The blow was loud and solid. Flash dropped like a stone, clutching his bleeding nose and howling.
Xu Wang twirled the bent plate like a trophy.
"This is punishment for wasting food. You may now address me as the Food Guardian."
Then, in front of everyone, he bent down and scooped up a handful of soil from the flower bed.
Without hesitation, he threw it at the gawking students.
"AHHH!!"
Dirt and weeds splattered across faces.
"Run! He's crazy!"
The crowd scattered. Xu Wang didn't stop.
The more they cursed, the more he hurled dirt.
Only when they all fled in terror did he dust off his hands and nod in satisfaction.
He didn't like bystanders. People who just watched and cheered during bullying were no better than the bullies themselves.
This wasn't a toilet. Otherwise, what he would've thrown… wouldn't have been dirt.
Satisfied, Xu Wang grabbed a bottle of soda from the table and turned to leave.
"Hey! Wait!"
Peter called out. "Thanks! I'm Peter. Peter Parker."
Xu Wang grinned. "Nice to meet you, Peter. I'm Xu Wang. One day, if you could kill me with your own hands… I'd be forever grateful! We'd be like… half-brothers!"
Peter stared at him, bewildered.
Dressed in tattered clothes, talking nonsense—he looked more like a mental patient than a savior.
"…Are you okay? Mentally, I mean."
Xu Wang gave a brilliant smile. "I'm not crazy! I just want to get beaten to death."
With a casual wave, he turned and walked away like a true legend.
Peter watched his back disappear, feeling… vaguely concerned.
But just as he was about to turn away, Xu Wang suddenly doubled back.
With a serious expression, he said, "I'm going to collect trash now. Give me your address so I can contact you. You look poor—do you need me to support you by picking up garbage?"
"…Huh?"
Peter was utterly stunned.
Something told him he'd just become the target of a very dangerous, very strange man.
(End of Chapter)