Felicia nodded in agreent. "She's right, you do look a little better without the glasses. Honestly, your eyes are really nice—it's just that no one notices because you always hide them."
"Really? You an it?!"
Peter's face lit up with surprise and delight. Who would've thought that simply taking off his glasses would earn him praise from Felicia?
Felicia gave a firm nod. "Absolutely."
Peter instantly turned, hopeful, to Mary Jane—only to find her attention locked with Gwen's. The two were completely absorbed in cooing over the Moogle's photo on the wall.
Peter's shoulders slumped. Felicia, anwhile, smirked to herself.
Lucas leaned in with a sly grin, lowering his voice. "See? I keep telling you Mary Jane's not for you, but you just won't listen. If you're gonna be a simp, at least simp for soone worthwhile. Felicia's a knockout—and honestly, she's a way better fit for you than Mary Jane. Think about it. Who knows, maybe you'll actually succeed if you try simping for her~"
Peter had heard this spiel before. Lucas always called him a "simp." He didn't exactly know what it ant, but it was clear enough it wasn't a complint.
He shot Lucas an annoyed look. "Do you have nothing better to do? Stop distracting . Unlike you, so of us actually care about our studies, you slacker."
"You—!"
Lucas bristled instantly. This guy really couldn't take good advice. He snapped back, "I'm trying to save you here! You and Mary Jane are dood, I'm telling you. Better to cut your losses and simp for soone else while you can. That's the smart move!"
Peter ignored him, stubborn as ever. His heart was set on Mary Jane—other girls didn't matter, no matter how pretty.
"Fine, don't believe . You'll see soon enough. But I'm telling you, Felicia's the better match." Lucas jerked his chin toward her.
Peter followed his gaze—and froze. Felicia was quietly organizing her notes, head bowed, her long hair cascading like silk. The soft glow of the setting sun lit her profile, every line and feature perfect. For a mont, Peter was utterly srized.
Lucas chuckled. Yep. The kid was already wavering. And why not? Felicia wasn't just gorgeous—she radiated youthful energy and warmth. Plus, thanks to her double life as the Black Cat, her body was toned and flawless. If Peter jumped ship now, it'd be a solid upgrade.
Leaving Peter to his daze, Lucas leaned back in his chair, eyes closed in mock rest.
That was when the system chid in.
[Ding~ System task released: Please complete the first commissioned case for Devil May Cry. Reward: Unknown~]
Lucas' eyes snapped open. A task? Already? The system wanted him to take Devil May Cry's first client. But they'd just opened shop! With zero reputation, who would co knocking? This was basically setting him up to fail.
"Tch. Guess I'll have to figure sothing out myself…"
If he wanted fa quickly, he'd need more than word of mouth. In the 21st century, the fastest way to spread information was online. Internet ads beat billboards any day.
His gaze shifted to Skye. Right in front of him was a top-tier hacker—and now she was on his payroll. Couldn't have asked for a better setup.
Skye was chatting happily with Gwen, while Mary Jane had her nose buried in a book. Exams were just two weeks away, after all. Only geniuses like Gwen and Peter had the luxury of staying so relaxed.
Lucas called Skye over and told Gwen to keep studying.
"Our Devil May Cry agency is officially open. What we need now is clients. Otherwise…" He shot her a look. "…your paycheck might disappear."
The ntion of losing her salary instantly sobered Skye up. She leaned in seriously.
"Your mission: post an online ad for Devil May Cry."
"Okay, boss! What services do we offer?" She pulled out a notebook from who-knew-where, ready to jot everything down.
"Simple. We're not your average detective agency. Forget catching cheating spouses or finding lost pets. We only take cases involving the supernatural or the mysterious."
Everyone around him froze, Peter included.
"What? Supernatural cases? Does stuff like that even happen nowadays?"
Mary Jane looked genuinely confused. She was a firm believer in science—this was way out of her worldview.
Lucas quickly smoothed it over. "Relax, it's just a marketing gimmick. Makes us sound more professional than the competition. Plus, it fits the na 'Devil May Cry.'"
Mary Jane accepted the explanation, nodding. But Gwen, Peter, and Felicia fell silent. None of them contradicted him. Their eyes, however, betrayed subtle emotions—each for their own reasons.
Lucas didn't notice. He was already deep into planning the site with Skye.
And Skye didn't disappoint. Within minutes, the website was ready.
At the top, a glowing neon logo: Devil May Cry. Below, a list of services, a snappy introduction, and both a phone number and online booking link.
On top of that, Skye hacked Devil May Cry's computer directly into both police and FBI systems, giving them access to classified files and citywide cara feeds at the push of a button.
Lucas silently gave her a thumbs-up. Hiring her had been a stroke of luck.
With the website done, all that was left was to wait for the first client. Lucas wasn't worried about money—he had plenty. The system hadn't set a deadline anyway.
That night, he sat on the rooftop with a soda, hoping to enjoy the stars. But when he looked up, the city skyline and neon glare blotted out the heavens, leaving only a dull gray haze.
"Damn light pollution…" he muttered, sipping.
Suddenly, sharp cracks echoed in the distance. Gunshots. Lucas recognized them instantly and glanced toward the sound.
"Ah, freedom in Arica. Poor New Yorkers, caught in the middle. As for … all I can do is drink to it!"
He downed the soda in one go and let out a loud belch.
Just then, a figure swung past the corner of his eye—red and blue, soaring toward the gunfire on a web line.
"Well, well, looks like soone's clocked in early. Wait a sec…"
A thought struck him cold. In the stories from his past life, Peter didn't beco Spider-Man until after Uncle Ben's death.
Could it be…?
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