"I wish you a healthy life," Silas said to Jenny before leaving the Police Station.
At Home
Silas had just returned to his room when he saw Peter appearing at his window, climbing inside.
"What are you doing here again?" Silas asked, confused.
Peter didn't answer Silas's question but asked, "Where were you just now?"
"Returning Jenny, the infant girl, to her parents," Silas explained. Peter finally remembered that there was still an infant to be returned. After the explosion, his mind had been consumed by Stark possibly discovering his identity.
"You still haven't said why you came here," Silas said, patting the distracted Peter.
Peter snapped back. "Aunt May just came up and told me that the school has officially announced the start of summer vacation for the students."
"So, summer vacation started immediately?" Silas wasn't surprised. It was already close to summer, and they had just dealt with the Lizard and the Green Goblin. More importantly, the Green Goblin had severely damaged the school, blowing up one whole building. At the speed of construction there, the building probably wouldn't be fixed by the end of the summer break.
"So, did Aunt May come looking for me just now?" Silas guessed.
Peter shook his head. "No, she just asked me to tell you."
"Alright, message received. You can go back to your room now," Silas said, giving him the boot.
Hearing this, Peter feigned hurt, clutching his chest. "Oh no~ Silas, you're actually kicking me out."
Click!
Silas suddenly pulled a camera from behind him and snapped a picture of Peter in that posture.
"???" Peter was utterly confused by Silas's action. Wasn't that camera in his own drawer?!
Silas looked at the photo on the camera screen and smiled. "We're even now."
"That's not fair! Where did you get that?" Peter snatched the camera from Silas's hand.
Silas shrugged with a grin and opened the Shadow Realm next to them. "Did you forget about this ability?"
"Fine." Peter had almost forgotten Silas had that power. He couldn't help but feel envious of the ability.
"You are not allowed to delete it, Peter!" Silas saw Peter messing with the camera and assumed he was trying to delete the photo.
"Relax, I won't. We're even now." Peter didn't plan to delete the photo, but he definitely wouldn't print it!
Silas smiled slightly. He would just ask the Shadowkhan to print the photo that night.
Borneo, Indonesia
"Oh~ My beautiful lady, we meet again." Laufey was now dressed in exploration gear, carrying a green backpack. He never expected that the lady he'd met on the plane (in his self-deluded opinion) was also here for the expedition! Laufey had even paid extra to join the same exploration group as the Shadowkhan.
The Shadowkhan joined the expedition to expand the travel range of the Shadow Realm, a minimal effect, but better than nothing.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, you must follow me closely now. My name is Jones David, but you can just call me David the Guide." David stood atop a high rock, introducing himself.
No one responded. His tourists were all Shadowkhan, and the only normal person, Laufey, was busy trying to flirt with the Shadowkhan disguised in women's clothing.
"Oh~ Lady, you are just like this beautiful flower—lovely yet deadly," Laufey said, reaching out to pick a purple flower.
David the guide heard Laufey and jumped off the rock, walking over to him. "That's right, sir. This is a Datura Flower, and it has lethal toxins."
Hearing this, Laufey was terrified and quickly threw the Datura Flower away, wiping his hands on David. "Why didn't you warn me, Guide!"
"I apologize, sir, but you should have listened more closely when I was introducing myself earlier. That would have prevented some accidents." David continued confidently, "And sir, don't worry. The Datura Flower only touched your skin. As long as you don't swallow it directly, you'll be fine."
The cross-dressing Shadowkhan next to them looked at the Datura Flower on the ground with glittering eyes.
Soon, David gathered the team and started the day's adventure. He introduced the sights along the way, though none of the tourists paid attention. The Shadowkhan were all busy with their own things—some were taking pictures, some were reading newspapers, and some were even playing cards while walking. One would squat down to hold a makeshift table while three others played cards; whoever lost took a turn holding the table. The atmosphere was cheerful, except for the cross-dressing Shadowkhan.
"Alright everyone! It's lunchtime now. Please enjoy your meal." David led them to an open clearing.
David took off his hat to fan himself, a hint of relief on his face. Although the team ignored him, at least they didn't run around causing trouble, making them much easier to manage than the troublemakers he'd guided last time.
"I wish all my future tourists were like this," David thought, leaning against a large tree and pulling out the lunch his wife had packed.
The Shadowkhan hadn't brought food, or perhaps they didn't need it. Since there were eight of them, they naturally split into two groups and started playing mahjong. The remaining Shadowkhan, the one in women's clothing, was still being bothered by Laufey.
"My beautiful lady, don't you have lunch? Don't worry, I have an extra portion here." Laufey pulled two sandwiches out of his backpack.
The cross-dressing Shadowkhan shook its head, pointing toward a distant river.
"Oh~ You're thirsty. I have water too." Laufey took out his water bottle.
The Shadowkhan continued to shake its head and pulled out a pen and paper. After writing, it handed the note to Laufey.
Laufey took the paper and saw that it read: Get lost.
"Understood." Laufey wisely retreated. It wasn't that he gave up; he just felt it was time to give the lady some private space.
"My goodness, none of you brought lunch!?" David exclaimed, taking a bite of his sandwich. He had just stood up and noticed that everyone was playing cards except for the flower-picking gentleman, who was eating.
The Shadowkhan ignored him and continued their card game.
"They're a bit strange," David said, walking over to Laufey.
Laufey looked lovingly at the cross-dressing Shadowkhan. "Of course, but that lady is absolutely gorgeous."
"Uh..." David twitched. The lady was pretty, but couldn't Laufey see that she was completely ignoring him?
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