Chapter 405: The Limit of the Horse Talisman
In this moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Silas activated the Rabbit Talisman. He moved slowly toward the death row inmate just as the bullet made contact with the man's forehead. He watched as the skin of the inmate's brow began to split open under the pressure.
Exactly at that instant, Silas unleashed the healing power of the Horse Talisman.
Silas's eyes widened. Unlike the slow-motion effect he was currently experiencing, what happened next looked like time being rewound. The wound that had just begun to split closed instantly, and the bullet that had started to penetrate the skull was pushed back out.
Silas glanced at the nearby Shadow Ninjas; their movements were normal, not reversed.
Clatter!
The bullet lost its momentum, fell to the floor, and rolled a few times.
"What... what just happened?" The inmate stood there, dumbstruck. He reached up with trembling hands and touched his forehead. A second ago, he had felt a sharp sting of pain, but now it was as if nothing had happened, and a spent bullet lay at his feet.
"Get out." Silas kicked the man in the back, instantly ejecting him from the Shadow Kingdom and sending him back to his prison cell.
"What just happened?" Little Black asked the same question. Silas's movements under the Rabbit Talisman's speed were a complete blur to anyone else.
"Nothing much. I just tested my theory, and the results speak for themselves," Silas said, looking at the bullet on the floor.
"I see." Little Black knelt down to pick up the projectile.
"My business here is done. Get back to work," Silas said as he stepped out of the Shadow Kingdom and returned to his room. He had almost forgotten that the Horse Talisman also possesses the power to purge any and all external forces influencing the body.
"I'm back, Silas!" Peter leaped through the window, flipped in mid-air, and landed steadily.
"How is she? Is Gwen alright?" Silas asked, leaning against his desk.
"Sigh... about the same. She's still running a fever and has passed out. The hospital reports say her vitals are stable, but they can't explain why the fever won't break." Peter pulled off his mask and sat dejectedly on the bed. He wished he knew medicine.
"Maybe she's just in shock?" Silas chuckled, not mentioning his new Horse Talisman powers yet.
"I don't know. I'm just really worried about her," Peter said listlessly. Gwen's condition made him feel helpless.
"It'll be fine, Peter. Trust me." Silas walked over and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"I hope so." Peter looked at Silas, grateful to have a brother he could talk to. After a bit more chatting, the young Spider-Man regained some spirit and headed to his room to sleep.
"Gwen..." Silas narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
The Next Morning: School
"Looks like Gwen's fever hasn't broken yet." Peter sat at his desk, staring blankly at the empty seat in front of Misty.
"Why isn't Gwen here?" Misty sat next to Silas, looking at the empty spot with confusion.
"She has a fever. It hasn't gone down yet," Felicia turned around and said with a sigh. As Gwen's best friend, Felicia had received the update immediately.
"I see. Should we go visit her after school?" Misty suggested. She saw that Gwen and Peter were close, and since she was Silas's girlfriend and Silas was Peter's brother, that made Gwen her friend by extension.
"This afternoon?" Felicia thought for a moment before asking, "Do you know which hospital she's in?"
"Uh... no." Misty had only known Gwen for a day. If Felicia hadn't told her about the fever, she wouldn't even know Gwen was sick.
"Me neither," Felicia shrugged. Gwen had likely omitted that detail on purpose to avoid being a bother.
"Sigh... wait, does Peter know?" Misty looked toward Peter.
"Him? Who knows. Why don't you ask Silas?" Felicia gestured toward the boy sitting next to Misty.
"Hey, Silas! Stop pretending to be asleep." Misty nudged Silas with her elbow.
Silas "woke up" from his astral projection state and said sluggishly, "I know which hospital she's in."
"Which one?" Misty was surprised.
"Fullus Hospital," Silas replied.
The Shadow Kingdom
Meanwhile, the battle for leadership had concluded. Rei had landed a decisive blow on Kingpin's shoulder, ending the duel.
Kingpin clutched his bleeding arm, sweat beading on his forehead. He hadn't expected Rei to become so formidable so suddenly.
"It's over, Kingpin. You lost," Rei said calmly, her breathing only slightly elevated as she sheathed her blade.
"Indeed. I lost," Kingpin chuckled. He wasn't one to harbor a grudge over a fair fight.
Below the stage:
"See that, Venom? Women are definitely scarier," Eddie whispered to the symbiote inside him.
Venom nodded solemnly. "Confirmed. Based on your human memories, 'Tigresses' are indeed superior."
"Yeah," Eddie sighed.
On the stage, Rei flourished her blade before snapping it into its scabbard. "Eddie!" she called out.
Eddie immediately snapped to attention. "Present, Boss!" He fell into the role of subordinate quite naturally.
"Go back to San Francisco. Find that flying socialite and see if he's a Shadow General," Rei commanded.
"Understood, General!" Eddie was eager to leave. He turned and exited the Shadow Kingdom immediately.
"Kingpin, continue controlling your underworld empire. I don't care what business you run, but it belongs to us now," Rei said, clenching her fist.
"As you wish, Great General," Kingpin replied as the wound on his shoulder began to slowly knit back together. Rei then proceeded to efficiently assign tasks to the rest of the Generals.
San Francisco
"Finally back." Eddie let out a long breath as he walked toward a skyscraper.
"Eddie, I'm hungry," Venom complained. He needed to restore his energy after the fight.
"Hang on, Venom. I'll get you some chocolate." Eddie didn't feel like hunting criminals right now, so he headed for a convenience store.
"No! I want brains!" Venom said petulantly, still annoyed that Eddie hadn't shared his chocolate earlier.
"Quiet, Venom. Chocolate is great too." Eddie spotted a convenience store ahead and walked in. "Look, they have new chocolate beans. Want to try them?"
"Hmph... fine. Take ten bags," Venom muttered. He was just doing Eddie a favor; it definitely wasn't because he actually wanted them.
Near the entrance, a group of rowdy thugs walked in, smelling of alcohol and looking flushed.
"Take whatever you want, boys! My treat!" the leader, Chris, shouted drunkenly. They started looting the place while the clerk stayed silent.
"Mr. Chris, does this mean we don't have to pay the protection fee next time?" the clerk asked timidly.
"Did I say that?" Chris pulled a handgun from his pocket and aimed it at the clerk. The clerk immediately raised his hands. "My mistake, Mr. Chris. Please, help yourself."
In the back aisle, Venom's appetite was whetted. "Eddie, you said bad guys are edible~"
"I did. Looks like we're having a midnight snack," Eddie replied. He couldn't stand people like this. Clutching his bags of chocolate, Eddie walked straight up to Chris.
Thump! "How much for these?" Eddie asked.
"A thousand dollars, kid. Can you afford it?" Chris sneered, turning the gun on Eddie.
"I can afford it. The question is, are you brave enough to take it?" Eddie stared him down.
Click!
"Do you want to die?" Chris chambered a round.
Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a voice rang out from the door:
"I'll pay ten thousand dollars!"
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