Chapter 380: Investigating Black Cat's Identity
Wanda began to carefully analyze her current situation. First, she was at a disadvantage. Misty was the one who had known Silas the longest. If that wasn't enough, there was Felicia, leaving Wanda as the last one to have met him.
Was her only advantage being slightly more powerful than the other two? Or perhaps her "peaks" were a bit higher?
"No, I need to do some research." Wanda decided to go online and search for ways to attract a man so deeply that he wouldn't be able to pull himself away.
A few minutes later, Pietro crept back into the house. Closing the door softly, he glanced toward Wanda's open bedroom door. He saw her sitting in front of the computer, seemingly studying something with great intensity.
"Phew~ No way, Silas." Pietro wiped away a cold sweat. He knew he definitely couldn't beat Silas in a fight. He could only use his speed to barely stall Silas if the latter wasn't going all out. If Silas ever exerted his full power, those countless mysterious scrolls alone would be more than anyone could handle.
"Wanda, I believe in you. You can do it!" Pietro silently cheered her on. As long as he wasn't dragged into it, he didn't care how much she stirred things up.
Misty's House
"Misty's back? Want some of Mom's homemade roast chicken?" Lydia was wearing oven mitts as she brought the chicken out of the microwave.
"Of course, that sounds delicious! But I have to go upstairs first, Mom," Misty replied with a smile.
"Go ahead," Lydia said, placing the chicken on the table.
"I want a taste." Hugh rubbed his hands together hungrily.
"Misty hasn't even come down yet, and you're already trying to snatch a bite," Lydia scolded, slapping away Hugh's reaching hand.
Hugh retracted his hand piteously. "I'm your husband. Can't I eat first?"
Upstairs, Misty tossed her backpack on the floor and sat in her swivel chair, rolling over to her computer. "Felicia..." Her nimble fingers began to tap away at the mechanical keyboard. Soon, a mountain of data regarding Felicia Hardy appeared on the screen.
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated." Misty's senior had taught her that, and she found it very useful.
"No source of income, yet she buys so many luxury items online?" Misty spotted the discrepancy. It would be one thing if Felicia came from a wealthy family, but the records showed her father had passed away. That meant Felicia was living alone. Where was the money coming from? It likely wasn't from a legitimate source.
Misty dug deeper. As the files grew, her eyes brightened.
"Cat Burglar apprehended? True identity: Walter Hardy?" Misty's eyes lit up. She understood now. Like father, like daughter. Felicia had to be in the same business; otherwise, there was no way she could afford those luxuries. As for the idea that Walter left it for her? Impossible. When Walter was caught, all the stolen goods were confiscated.
"If she can buy that much luxury, what she steals must be very valuable." Misty tapped her fingers on the desk. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit her, and the keyboard began to clatter again.
Meanwhile, Hugh was getting impatient for the chicken and went upstairs to hurry Misty along. Inside the room, a cold mechanical voice spoke from the computer: "The Big Idiot's position has shifted. Estimated arrival in ten seconds."
"Sigh~" Misty had to stop, putting the computer into sleep mode.
"Misty..." Hugh was about to knock.
Misty swung the door open. "Let's go, Dad."
"What a coincidence, I was just about to knock," Hugh chuckled.
The Great Plain
"Report, Master. The Gale Rabbit is in good condition with no adverse symptoms. Ready to start at any time!" Big Black was checking the rabbit's physical state.
"Master, the Gale Rabbit's peak speed is currently reaching roughly 298 kilometers per hour," Little Black reported, showing a comprehensive chart. On paper, it didn't seem fast enough to beat a cheetah. However, the Gale Rabbit was an animal that thrived under pressure; with a predator chasing it, it could potentially exceed its limits.
"Do you think it can win, Little Black?" Silas asked. Truthfully, he didn't have much confidence. The Gale Rabbit was a product of biological gene editing, whereas the system's cheetah was a perfectly healthy, high-performance specimen. The rabbit suffered from genetic side effects that made its body weaker than a normal rabbit's. It was only alive because of the nutrient solution Little Black developed.
But for the sake of the Rabbit Talisman, Silas had to try. Once he got the Horse Talisman, he could cure the rabbit's genetic flaws permanently.
"Meow~" The cheetah sat on the ground, making a sound like a small kitten. Cheetahs have a unique, almost cute vocalization rather than a roar. It was ready to race.
Big Black placed the rabbit next to the cheetah. The rabbit looked back at the predator and trembled. If it weren't for its enhanced intelligence, it would have bolted in terror already. The cheetah glanced disdainfully at the rabbit, looking ahead, ready to leave it in the dust.
"On your marks! Get set—GO!"
Bang! Little Black fired the starting gun.
In an instant, the two animals turned into streaks of yellow and white light. Because the cheetah is a sprinter that tires quickly, Silas had changed the win condition from 200 meters to 5 kilometers. This favored the rabbit, as its endurance—enhanced by gene editing—was far superior to a cat's.
"Who's faster right now?" Silas asked, feeling a surge of adrenaline.
"Checking now, Master!" Little Black pulled up the slow-motion footage from the aerial drones. The screen showed the cheetah leading by less than a meter.
"According to calculations, the cheetah's speed has dropped by 0.001%," Little Black reported.
"Only that much?" Big Black tilted his head.
"That's plenty," Silas said. In a race this close, every fraction of a percent mattered. "How's the rabbit's vitals?"
Little Black pulled up the data from the chip embedded in the rabbit. "Everything is normal, but wait..." Little Black frowned.
"What?"
"The Gale Rabbit's speed is slowing down too?" Little Black said, bewildered. Scientifically, it shouldn't be decelerating yet.
"What's going on?" Silas turned his gaze toward the dust cloud on the horizon.
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