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Chapter 19: The Rise of Spider-Man

Peter Parker had been living a contented life lately. Ever since he was bitten by that spider, he had gained unparalleled superhuman abilities. No longer was he the powerless nerd; he had transformed into a force to be reckoned with, agile and incredibly strong. For a high school student, this was a dream come true.

However, not everything in Peter's life was sunshine and rainbows. The doctor he had been chatting with online had arranged a comprehensive medical examination for his entire family, and the results were far from ideal.

Peter himself was in perfect health, and the hospital's machines couldn't detect anything unusual about him. The real concern lay with his uncle and aunt, Ben and May Parker. Given their age, it was expected that they would have some health issues, but what the doctor found was unsettling. Uncle Ben had a shadow on his lungs, which was far from good news.

Any reasonably informed person knew that the next words after hearing about a "shadow" on the lungs usually meant either cancer or a tumor. The doctor recommended a thorough examination of Ben Parker's lungs, but the cost was substantial. Considering the possibility of a later biopsy, the Parker family couldn't afford the surgery.

While medical expenses could be reimbursed, the cost of this particular examination wasn't covered, and no insurance company would take responsibility.

If the doctor Peter had met online still worked at this hospital, there might have been hope for assistance. Even if this hospital couldn't help, there were more affordable options elsewhere.

The Parker family had always lived frugally. Peter rarely had new clothes, but he knew that Uncle Ben and Aunt May had done their best to provide him with the best life possible, given their meager earnings. Uncle Ben would never accept ill-gotten gains, and with his paltry salary, supporting Peter's education left no room for savings.

Ben Parker was optimistic, assuring Peter that the lung shadow might not necessarily be cancer or a tumor. It could be a minor inflammation that would heal on its own. Ben tried to comfort Peter, suggesting that the big hospital might just be overreacting. However, Peter was deeply troubled by the news.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration. Flash Thompson, who had always bullied him at school, owned a pair of shoes worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars, while his family couldn't even afford a few hundred dollars for medical tests.

But Peter realized that his situation had changed. With his newfound superpowers, he could earn money in ways he never could before.

Peter was exceptionally bright and quickly devised a plan to make money as quickly as possible: underground boxing matches.

Although gambling at a casino might be faster, Peter knew that his spider-sense was unreliable. If he couldn't control it properly, he could not only fail to make money but also lose some.

However, underground boxing was different. His superhuman strength could easily defeat any ordinary opponent, regardless of their fierceness. With an absolute physical advantage, victory was assured.

The underground boxing scene thrived in Hell's Kitchen, New York's most prosperous district for such events.

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But as a diligent student who had always focused on his studies, Peter hesitated to approach such a chaotic place. Perhaps out of fear or caution, he wandered around Hell's Kitchen for several days without making a move.

Finally, one day, when Peter was returning home from school, he learned that his aunt had injured her back and couldn't afford medicine. She had to rest in bed with no other recourse. Overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, Peter's frustration turned into anger, and he longed to take action.

He put on the makeshift costume he had created. Although it looked somewhat comical, his spider-powers had given him a more muscular physique, no longer the frail figure he once was. So, he didn't look too shabby.

Peter dashed around Hell's Kitchen like a headless chicken, but he knew that no one could beat him. He had his Spider-Sense to dodge bullets, and eventually, he found the way in.

On Bill Street, just two blocks from Mary Street in Hell's Kitchen, there was an underground boxing arena run by a gang. After defeating the strongest black boxer there, Peter caught the attention of the manager, who recommended him to the biggest underground boxing venue at the end of the street.

And here, Peter adopted a new identity for himself: Spider-Man.

Everything went smoothly for Peter. He won consecutive matches, and hardly any opponent could withstand his wild punches. The power from his spider mutation was simply overwhelming. Within a few days, Peter had earned thousands of dollars.

Meanwhile, Daredevil had spent several days recovering in Schiller. He lacked superhuman abilities, and his wounds healed at the same rate as any normal person. Thankfully, the assassins sent after him had shown some mercy, and the bullets hadn't hit any vital organs. After a few days, Matt was feeling much better.

So, on this evening, Matt bid farewell to Schiller. He had to continue his pursuit of justice. Stopping his mission due to Kingpin's assassination attempt would go against everything he stood for. Matt not only continued his fight for justice but also sought to strike back at Kingpin.

His first target was Bill Street, where Kingpin controlled two nightclubs, a casino, an underground boxing arena, and an illegal car modification shop. This street was practically owned by Kingpin's gang, generating millions of dollars in profit each year.

Matt's initial focus was on the underground boxing arena.

Don't forget how his father died. These underground black fighting pits have no legitimate reason to exist. They're solely after the money of those rotten gamblers, with no regard for anyone's lives. Matt's father was brutally killed simply because he refused to fix a match and wanted to put on a victorious performance for his son, causing the house to lose money.

This event led to the birth of Daredevil. Therefore, Matt will never let any underground fighting pit go unnoticed. In fact, Kingpin's underground black boxing gambling industry has suffered greatly due to Matt's actions.

That's why Kingpin sent assassins after him. As long as Matt is alive, Kingpin can forget about making money through black boxing.

Of course, Matt is a seasoned hero. He doesn't charge headlong into these black fighting pits. His most common method of dismantling these underground organizations is to observe for a few days, then find a drunkard staggering out of there and extract all the information he needs from their intoxicated ramblings. Afterward, he targets key management figures and disrupts the operations repeatedly, forcing the gamblers to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

After observing for several days, Matt heard the name "Spider-Man" from several people. He learned that Spider-Man had been making a name for himself in the fighting arena lately. Matt had seen Spider-Man once before, albeit briefly, but he knew this kid's good times wouldn't last long.

One day, the owner of the underground fighting pit approached Peter. He wanted Peter to throw a fixed match. Anyone who understands the rules of gambling knows that with Peter's winning streak, his odds would be extremely low, and almost no one would bet on his opponent.

At this point, if Peter were to lose, the house would only have to pay off a few people who bet on his opponent to win, while pocketing the money from all those who bet on Peter to win. It's a lucrative business where fairness in competition doesn't exist. Everything is manipulated by the house to fleece the gamblers.

The owner of the underground gambling pit offered Peter a cut, but Peter wasn't too keen. Firstly, he felt he had already earned enough money. Tens of thousands of dollars were enough for his uncle's full medical check-up, and even if Aunt May needed major surgery, this money would suffice.

Moreover, Peter was just a high school student, and his maturity level wasn't there yet. The thrill of consecutive victories was addicting, and for a teenager, intentionally losing to his opponents was unthinkable. Peter had finally found some confidence, and he wasn't going to give it up.

The owner of the underground fighting pit didn't say much, and Peter naively believed that the owner had no recourse against him. After all, he possessed incredible strength that an ordinary person couldn't match.

All of this was being closely observed by Daredevil, Matt. He had infiltrated the place earlier, posing as a drunkard and slumping in the audience seats. His extraordinary hearing allowed him to catch every word of the conversation between the underground fighting pit owner and Peter.

The next day, during the match, Matt was present. When Peter entered the arena, there was still a thunderous applause from the audience. Peter raised both hands to acknowledge them, prepared to face his next defeated opponent.

Approaching him was a sturdy African-American boxer. Peter looked at him, his face revealing a hint of cunning. He didn't understand what was happening.

At first, when the boxing match began, Peter felt fine. He nearly sent the opponent flying with a single punch. However, the opponent didn't engage him head-on but kept evading, seemingly buying time.

Soon, Peter began to feel something was off. His stomach started to cramp, his legs weakened, and his vision blurred.

Just as his consciousness began to fade, the African-American boxer landed a punch on his cheek. Peter staggered backward, dizzy.

The opponent seized the opportunity and continued to attack. In that moment, Peter's Spider-Sense tingled, sensing something heavy, perhaps lead, concealed within the opponent's boxing gloves. If that punch landed, Peter's brain might have splattered.

Peter bent down, barely avoiding the blow. The audience below started to jeer. Spider-Man had never been one to dodge in previous matches.

Peter couldn't afford to think too much. He was in excruciating pain, almost unable to catch his breath. The opponent landed another punch, and Peter collapsed to the ground. This wasn't a regular match with a proper referee. After falling, the opponent's fists continued to rain down on him mercilessly, with no one to intervene.

Peter could only hold onto his head, but the lead-weighted gloves were causing his internal organs to feel as if they were shifting. Finally, unable to endure any longer, he vomited on the ground. The audience below erupted in a chorus of curses.

Peter had never heard such profanities in his life, but now they were all directed at Spider-Man.

Before passing out, Peter saw a figure leaping from the audience seats. With a cane cutting through the air, it struck the opponent's neck, putting an end to the brutal assault. But Peter couldn't hold on any longer and lost consciousness.