Chapter 227: Destiny in Ben Parker's Eyes
"As for Destiny, he's much more low-key than Spider-Man, but his approach is a bit more mature, and he seems slightly stronger in terms of ability."
Ben Parker was stating the facts. Every time Destiny appeared, he would deploy the Shadow Corps to save hostages; with him on the scene, there were almost zero casualties. His efficiency was incredibly high, and his capture of criminals was direct and swift. The last major news regarding Destiny was during the Battle of New York.
The Oscorp incident hadn't been reported in relation to Destiny because Silas had killed people and disabled all surveillance. No one saw Destiny there, so Silas remained an anonymous hero for that event. As for the fight against the Mandarin, he was with Tony Stark. To Stark, that was a personal matter, so he hadn't detailed the process to the media or mentioned Destiny. In Stark's eyes, since Destiny never showed his face, it meant he didn't want public exposure, so Stark respected that privacy.
"What do you think, Peter?" Silas nudged Peter. It seemed he was viewed as stronger than Peter's Spider-Man in Uncle Ben's eyes.
"Spider-Man will surpass Destiny one day," Peter said defiantly. As a young man, a bit of competitiveness was normal.
"No, Peter," Ben Parker corrected him. "Being a hero isn't about competition or seeing who is stronger or who saves more people. If it becomes about that, then the nature of a superhero has been corrupted."
"Sorry, Uncle Ben," Peter apologized. If Uncle Ben knew he was Spider-Man, Peter would surely be in for a long lecture.
"It's fine. It's natural for young people to be competitive, but being competitive in this field is inadvisable." Ben Parker felt he was almost letting the secret slip. He had thought about being honest with Peter, but he wanted Peter to tell him personally.
"By the way, which schools did you two apply to?" Aunt May interrupted the superhero talk.
"Empire State University," Silas and Peter said in unison.
"Do you think you can get in?" Aunt May asked.
Peter spoke with total confidence. "Of course, Aunt May. I'm full of faith."
"Me too." Silas believed his "diligent study" wouldn't let him down—three months of cramming counted as diligent, right?
"I hope you both receive your admission letters," Aunt May blessed them sincerely.
"Of course they will. Look at them—they are children raised by me, Ben Parker. And who am I? I'm a study expert," Ben Parker boasted.
"Alright, Ben, focus on driving," Aunt May interjected, stopping Ben before he could go on.
Hell's Kitchen Precinct
"Captain, I feel..." John had been thinking for an entire night and seemed to have something to say to Mike.
Mike asked eagerly, "Is it that you can also summon the Shadow Corps?"
"I don't think so." John disappointed him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't feel that power in his heart.
"It's okay. It was just a guess; maybe it's not meant to be like that," Mike patted John's shoulder to comfort him.
John frowned, looking at his hands. Was this all the power he had?
"Don't overthink it, John. Take a look at this book." Mike pulled a book from somewhere and handed it to John.
John took it and read the title: "The Self-Cultivation of a Superhero"?
"That's right. This book details superheroes from Iron Man to Spider-Man. You should read it," Mike said. Seeing John in a daze, he added, "This is an out-of-print edition, don't lose it."
In truth, the book had been recently published, discussing the missions and methods of every hero. However, it was banned by Tony Stark on the first day for infringing on his portrait and reputation rights.
"I'll cherish it, Captain." John treated the book like a treasure.
Hell's Kitchen Abandoned Factory
"Great job, guys." Kezli stood on a high platform, looking down at the factory floor.
The abandoned factory had been transformed. It was now a boxing arena with five rings. Each ring was composed of four Squid Ninjas who used their long tentacles as the elastic ropes of the ring.
"The Shadow Boxing Arena is officially established today." Kezli planned to use this arena for gambling to rake in cash. He had no capital, but the gamblers did. He would take their losses, and if they won, he simply wouldn't pay.
Kezli wasn't afraid of a bad reputation; if he killed the winners, the word wouldn't get out. Furthermore, through this arena, he intended to master martial arts. Next time, he would beat John until the detective couldn't get up.
"Boss, everything is ready. We can open," a subordinate said. Using his ninjas, Kezli had taken over a local gang. Though the gang members were resentful, they dared not speak up against his power.
"Then let's begin." Kezli bit into a cigar. With his power as a Shadow General, he had successfully kicked his drug habit, no longer plagued by addiction.
As the doors opened, a crowd poured in. Most were there for the spectacle; only a few were there to spend.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The Shadow Boxing Arena is officially open! Those who want to bet can go to the front desk. Maximum odds are ten to one!" The announcer, backed by loud music, instantly pumped up the atmosphere.
"Now, for the rules! We have five rings, numbered one to five. The betting odds for each ring increase as you go up."
The arena was divided into five zones based on spending power. Since it was the opening night, Kezli gathered everyone at the fifth ring. The fighters entered, and the matches began. Kezli sat in a lounge chair, enjoying the taste of power.
"I really don't understand why the other Generals want to be superheroes." Kezli's understanding of his role deepened. He rubbed his arm, and the black tattoo dissolved into a mist, forming a mask in his hand—the mask of the Shadow General, Orenji!
"If I tear off the masks of the other Generals and put them on different people, what would happen?" Kezli mused on the feasibility of his idea. A tattoo could only be removed and turned into a mask once the host had absorbed at least half of the General's power.
"Since they can't be my partners, I'll find my own." Kezli had been looking for clues regarding other Shadow Generals, but since Silas had only released three masks so far, he obviously wouldn't find anything else.
Los Angeles
"Truly an incredible organism." A man with a hint of madness in his eyes stared intently at the contents of an instrument.
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