Fredy reappeared in a dark alley several blocks away from the destroyed warehouse.
The cold night air brushed against his face as his shadow slowly returned to normal.
Behind him, the shadow soldiers melted back into the darkness.
Only Shade remained standing beside him.
Fredy exhaled slowly.
"That fight was easier than expected."
The armor Rhino used was powerful, but it lacked flexibility.
Against someone with Shadow Dash, it had too many weaknesses.
Just then, the familiar blue system interface appeared before him.
[Status Window]
Host: Fredy Parker
Level: 3
Strength: 9
Speed: 8
Endurance: 7
Intelligence: 7
Available Stat Points: 5
Shadow Soldiers: 5
Fredy studied the screen carefully.
"Let's see…"
Strength increased physical attack power.
Speed improved movement and reaction.
Endurance increased durability and stamina.
Intelligence affected system efficiency and skill mastery.
Fredy thought for a moment.
"Speed is my biggest advantage."
He quickly distributed the points.
+2 Strength
+3 Speed
The system updated immediately.
Strength: 11
Speed: 11
Endurance: 7
Intelligence: 7
Fredy clenched his fists.
A surge of power flowed through his body.
He moved slightly.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared several meters away.
Even without Shadow Dash, his natural speed had improved dramatically.
Fredy smiled.
"Nice."
Then he looked at Shade.
"I wonder how many shadows I can control."
As if responding to his thought, the system displayed another notification.
[Shadow Capacity Increased]
Maximum Shadow Soldiers: 15
Current Soldiers: 5
Fredy's eyes lit up.
"So I can grow an army."
That would be extremely useful later.
Especially in a world filled with powerful enemies.
Fredy looked toward the distant skyline of New York.
"Aliens… gods… super soldiers…"
He smiled slightly.
"Guess I'll need a lot of shadows."
The Next Morning
Somewhere in Manhattan.
Inside a luxurious skyscraper office.
A massive man stood near the window overlooking the city.
His bald head reflected the morning sunlight.
His expression was cold.
Wilson Fisk.
Also known as Kingpin.
One of the most powerful crime lords in New York.
An assistant nervously entered the room.
"Sir… we received reports last night."
Fisk slowly turned around.
"What kind of reports?"
The assistant swallowed.
"Rhino was defeated."
Fisk frowned slightly.
"By Spider-Man?"
The assistant shook his head.
"No, sir."
He placed a tablet on the desk.
A paused video showed Fredy standing in the warehouse surrounded by shadow soldiers.
Fisk watched silently.
Then he replayed the moment Fredy shattered Rhino's armor.
Fisk's eyes narrowed.
"A new player."
He leaned back in his chair.
"And one with unusual abilities."
The assistant hesitated.
"What should we do, sir?"
Fisk's voice was calm.
"Observe him."
He paused.
"And if he becomes a problem…"
His expression hardened.
"Remove him."
Later That Day
Back in Queens.
Fredy sat inside a small café reading the news on his phone.
The warehouse explosion had already made headlines.
But strangely…
His involvement was barely mentioned.
Most reports credited Spider-Man.
Fredy chuckled.
"Convenient."
But as he continued reading—
He suddenly felt something.
Someone watching him.
Fredy slowly lifted his eyes.
Across the street, a woman with red hair stood leaning against a car.
She wore sunglasses and looked like an ordinary civilian.
But Fredy immediately sensed something different.
The way she stood.
The way her eyes scanned the surroundings.
Trained.
Dangerous.
A spy.
Fredy smirked slightly.
"So they finally sent someone."
The woman removed her sunglasses and looked directly at him.
Her sharp green eyes met his calmly.
She crossed the street and walked toward the café.
Fredy already knew who she was.
Black Widow.
Natasha Romanoff.
One of the most dangerous spies in the world.
She sat across from him without asking permission.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Natasha smiled slightly.
"Fredy Parker, right?"
Fredy leaned back in his chair.
"And you must be the government babysitter."
Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"You're surprisingly calm."
Fredy shrugged.
"You're surprisingly obvious."
Natasha laughed softly.
"Fair enough."
She leaned forward slightly.
"So…"
Her voice became serious.
"Tell me about the shadow monsters."