Chapter 211: Shadow General Orenji
A total of twenty hostages were tied up in the corner. They weren't gagged, but none of them dared to make a sound. If so much as a whimper escaped their lips, the thugs would let them taste the bite of a bullet.
"Whoo-hoo~ exactly twenty." Peter was perched in a ventilation duct directly above the hostages, watching the group below.
Gaia had already analyzed and presented three optimal rescue scenarios.
"Those plans look great, Gaia, but I've got a pretty good idea of my own," Peter said, declining the AI's suggestions. He glanced back at a large ventilation grate behind him, then unlatched the smaller vent in front of him and leaped down.
"Spider-Man!"
"Spider-Man is here to save us!"
The hostages were startled by his sudden appearance, but their fear turned to joy when they recognized him.
"Spider-Man, your new suit is so cool!" one hostage shouted.
"Thanks! I think so too," Peter replied. He shot a web line, snagged the massive vent cover on the wall, and yanked it with all his might.
CRASH! The heavy metal grate fell straight down, pinning the terrorists standing beneath it.
"Done." Peter turned and began untying the hostages.
"Ah... Spider-Man, those scumbags cut me in the stomach," one man groaned, clutching his abdomen.
Peter hurried over, looking at the blood-soaked area. He felt a bit helpless. "I'm sorry... I'm not a doctor."
"Peter, we can use the Spider-Bandage to stop the bleeding," Gaia reminded him.
"Spider-Bandage?" Peter wondered.
Suddenly, his web-shooter was modified by a secondary attachment. Peter aimed it at the man's wound and fired. Instead of a standard web, a white medical-grade bandage rapidly wrapped around the injury, providing immediate compression.
"The bandage will only stop the bleeding temporarily. He still needs a hospital," Gaia said.
Peter nodded and told the man, "You're stable for now. Get to a hospital as soon as you get out."
"Spider-Man! There are terrorists everywhere downstairs!" a panicked woman ran up to him. She had tried to escape on her own, only to nearly run into a patrol. Luckily, she was fast enough to retreat before they turned her into a pincushion.
Hearing movement in the stairwell, Peter leaped up and stuck to the wall near the door. As two thugs burst through, Peter kicked them both back down the stairs and followed up with a web-shot to pin them to the wall.
"I'm getting you out of here," Peter said. He opened a portal to the Shadow Kingdom within his own shadow. "Step through this, and you'll be safe outside."
"Thank you!"
"You're amazing, Spider-Man!"
The crowd showered him with praise as they filed into the dark portal.
Selecting the Seed
As the group passed through the Shadow Kingdom, Silas received the data.
"Not a single suitable candidate?" Silas sighed. He had a hidden motive for giving Peter access to the Shadow Kingdom portals. Every time Peter rescued someone and sent them through, Silas could screen their constitution. He was looking for individuals who could be "seeds" for the Shadow General Cultivation Project.
"Wait... oh~ here's one." Silas spotted a match.
"Which general should we cultivate, Master?" Little Black held out seven boxes, each containing a mask.
Silas's fingers danced over the masks before stopping at a yellow-orange one. It had sharp protruding fangs and long purple hair attached to the back.
General Orenji, in the original lore, this was the mask worn by Paco. The power level of the Squid Corps was on par with the Razor Shadows. With this army, Paco had once overwhelmed Jackie Chan's team and even Uncle had no counter for them. It took El Toro Fuerte removing the mask to make Paco realize that relying on outside power didn't make a true warrior.
The Squid Corps were among the most terrifying of the Shadow Khan, with faces resembling worms from hell.
"This is the one. Shadow General Orenji!" Silas picked up the mask and tossed it to Little Black.
Little Black caught it mid-air. "Understood, Master."
"Go," Silas commanded. Little Black bowed and dissolved into the floor.
The Shadow Portal
Inside the transit tunnel of the Shadow Kingdom, a scrawny, shifty-looking man was preparing to step out onto the street. Suddenly, a bolt of dark energy shot out with lightning speed, attaching to his arm and forming a dark tattoo.
The man felt a slight itch, scratched it, and kept moving without a second thought.
"It seems physical strength isn't the only criteria for a General," Silas observed, watching the man. He was weak, looked like he'd blow over in a stiff breeze, and Silas knew for a fact the man was a drug addict.
"Is it a mental trait?" Silas mused. While dark energy usually corrupted the weak into mindless monsters, a General required something more specific.
"Time to end this farce," Silas waved his hand, summoning the full Shadow Knight Corps. "Clear the building."
The Rookie's Peak
Downstairs, John was panting heavily. "Whew~ see, Captain? I told you you'd be fine."
He was still hauling his veteran Captain along. They had reached the third floor, but the resistance was heavy—too many thugs and too many booby traps. John had simply slung the Captain over his shoulder and sprinted through the explosions and gunfire, becoming the first of the police force to reach this level.
"God bless! God bless!" The veteran cop swore this was the most terrifying moment of his career. On John's back, he had seen bombs go off inches away and felt the wind of bullets whistling past his ears. It was like a roller coaster, except a roller coaster goes up and down—John only went up, up, up.
"John... I can't do it. My heart... you're on your own from here," the Captain gasped.
"What's wrong, Captain? You didn't get hit," John asked, confused.
"My body is fine, but my soul has been riddled with holes. I need to rest, John," the veteran said, clutching his chest.
John thought about it. "Alright, Captain. I'll keep moving. If there are any stragglers left behind me, I'll leave them for you to handle."
"Wait! I think I'm recovered!" The veteran stood up instantly. There was no way he was staying behind to deal with stragglers alone. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and took a deep drag. "Let's move."
"Yes, Captain!" John grinned. He was feeling energized. He knew that whoever took down the most terrorists would get the most credit. He could see the promotion and the peak of his career right in front of him.
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