"If you don't mind, could you pass me the juice?" Silas said, sitting on the sofa next to Peter.
"Sure thing." Peter immediately handed the juice to Silas, his eyes still glued to the TV.
The news was currently broadcasting the story about the Green Goblin bombing Stark Tower.
"Hey, Silas, isn't that the guy who blew himself up before? How is he still alive?" Peter quietly asked Silas, glancing at Aunt May working in the kitchen.
Silas calmly sipped his juice. "Regardless of the reason, it seems like I'm better off staying home for now."
"That's true, but I can go! Just wait, Silas. I'm going to figure out who that is and what his connection is to the previous guy," Peter declared.
Silas nodded. He was genuinely astonished. Is Norman crazy? Challenging Stark? Does he think turning into the Green Goblin made him invincible? What Silas found hardest to believe was that Stark hadn't captured Norman and had let him escape. Given Stark's personality, there must have been a special reason why the person who bombed his tower slipped away.
"I can't believe this green thing dared to mess with Stark," Peter said, also surprised. Norman hadn't yet been dubbed the Green Goblin; Tony called him the "green caterpillar," and Peter called him the "green thing."
"Maybe he's just incredibly confident," Silas suggested. Stark's current armor wasn't that strong, but it would become truly powerful later on.
"I'm going out tonight to see if I can run into him," Peter shared his plan for the evening.
Silas put down his juice. "By the way, if you go after him, remember to attack the glider under his feet. That will stop him from flying."
"Good idea," Peter laughed.
Silas shrugged. That was Peter's fighting tactic later on; he was just giving him a heads-up.
"Oh, right, I brought your backpack back. It's in your room," Silas said, having almost forgotten.
Peter was astonished. "How did you find it?"
"I was bored, so I went to the school and just happened to spot the backpack," Silas explained. Whether Peter believed him or not, that was his story.
Peter nodded. "Thank you so much, Silas. If someone had found that bag, my identity might have been exposed." The backpack contained a spare Spider-Man suit and his student ID. Combining those two items would instantly reveal his secret.
"I have a question. Why haven't you tried to improve your web fluid?" Silas asked.
Peter looked confused. "Improve it?"
"I mean creating different kinds of web fluid for different enemies. Like with The Lizard last time, you should have shot webs that could emit electricity to paralyze him," Silas suggested. Web fluid was essential for Peter's survival, helping him subdue enemies and swing among the skyscrapers.
"I've thought about that, but I don't have the money," Peter said sheepishly. He had considered those ideas, but the cost of the required materials had stopped him.
Silas lowered his head, thinking. It was indeed difficult for poor kids like them to pursue such projects.
"What are you two chatting about?" Aunt May asked, joining them after finishing her tasks.
Peter pointed to the TV. "This guy."
Night
"The suburbs?" Silas heard Little Black calling him to the suburbs.
Silas immediately traveled via the Shadow Realm to Little Black's location.
Suburbs
"They're huge..." Silas said, staring at the two massive figures before him.
These two figures were Shadow Eaters that Little Black had been feeding. Little Black believed in quality over quantity, so he gave all the available resources to just two of the Shadow Eaters, leaving the others hungry.
These two Shadow Eaters had now grown to ten meters in height. The Hulk would look like a baby next to them. But if they fought, the Shadow Eaters would definitely be beaten into tiny pieces by the Hulk.
"Well done, Little Black," Silas praised.
Roar!
The two Shadow Eaters opened their abyssal mouths and roared fiercely, demonstrating their might.
"Quiet down, it wouldn't be good if someone found you," Silas warned. He planned to keep these two giants as secret weapons.
The Shadow Eaters closed their mouths and bowed their heads in acknowledgment.
Little Black signaled that it had taken a lot of effort to feed these two giants. Many shadows of criminals in the prison cells had been absorbed, turning the prisoners into a vegetative state.
The other Shadow Eaters bounced restlessly on the ground, having not eaten any shadows themselves, trying to show Silas that they were not weak either.
"Alright, I know. You guys head back for now. When the opportunity arises, I will take you to eat shadows, and I promise you'll be full," Silas told the Shadow Eaters.
The Shadow Eaters disappeared back into the Shadow Realm without a trace. Then, Silas and Little Black returned to his room.
Silas's Room
"Has Big Black still not revived?" Silas chuckled.
Little Black shook his head. "No. If I find out he's revived, I will definitely turn him back into black smoke again."
"Alright, alright. He's called Big Black, and he's older than you, after all," Silas said, dismissing Little Black.
Based on his current recovery speed, he needed about another week. So, he planned to be lazy for a week, leaving Norman to Peter for the time being.
One Week Later
"Finally, I'm almost fully recovered." Silas tested his leg and found he could move freely again. However, if he exerted himself too much, he would still strain the injury. Although his recovery ability was strong, the injury itself had been severe.
Silas jumped in place to re-acclimate his body, then leaped out the window and began leaping between the buildings.
"The Oscorp Group, I remember it's nearby." This was the true reason Silas came out: to collect some "interest" from Norman, and he would collect the rest later.
Arriving at the Oscorp Group building, Silas decided to try something new. Norman bombed Stark Tower, so Silas would bomb Norman's tower.
Silas summoned ten Shadowkhan, each holding two timed bombs.
Silas commanded, "Enter the Oscorp Group building and place these bombs in various corners. Remember not to be discovered."
The Shadowkhan immediately sprang into action. In less than a minute, they returned to Silas, their mission complete.
Silas looked at the clock near the entrance of the Oscorp Group building. "It's about time."
As soon as he spoke, Silas copied Stark's pose, turning his back to the Oscorp Group building and spreading his arms wide.
Boom! Bang! Boom! Bang!
The Oscorp Group building exploded instantly. The bombs, which were stolen from Stark Industries, were quite powerful. The entire street descended into chaos, but the people directly below the building were saved one by one by the Shadowkhan.
Silas did this to achieve both Sin Points and Justice Points simultaneously.
[Blew up the Oscorp Group Building, gained 600 Sin Points]
Although 600 people didn't die, the Oscorp Group had great influence, so the Sin Points gained were substantial.
"This is just the interest," Silas instructed a Shadowkhan to write those words near the explosion site, telling Norman he had come to collect.
Silas performed a tactical backflip and slipped into the Shadow Realm.
Now it was time to exchange for the next Talisman clue! Because Little Black had been busy feeding the Shadow Eaters, Silas had accumulated a significant amount of Sin Points, surpassing a thousand again, allowing him to unlock the next Talisman clue.
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