Chapter 335: Symbiotes and the Ten Rings
A round head rolled to a stop at Silas Parker's feet.
Silas gave it only a cursory glance before shifting his gaze to the hands of the Mandarin's corpse, where the Ten Rings remained.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two Shadow Ninjas appeared on either side of the body. They removed the rings and, kneeling with heads bowed, presented them to Silas on their upturned palms.
"The power of the Ten Rings," Silas smiled faintly. He sheathed the Shadow blade and stored the rings within the Shadow Kingdom. While the Infinity Stones couldn't be stored there, these rings faced no such restriction.
With the Mandarin's death, the artificial dark dimension collapsed, and light returned to the area.
"Blacklight, tell Peter I've finished here. The Mandarin has been 'sent to prison.' The rest is up to him with the Green Goblin."
Silas turned his back on the corpse and stepped into a shadow portal. The cleanup of the scene was left entirely to the Shadow Corps. The Mandarin had never imagined his trump card would be so easily dismantled. Within minutes, the area was restored as if nothing had happened—save for the confused civilians already calling the police.
Inside the Shadow Kingdom
"Truly beautiful." Silas sat on a lounge chair, watching the Ten Rings float in the air. He didn't plan on wearing them; while one ring was fine, wearing ten at once felt a bit tacky.
Instead, he planned to extract their power. Using magic, he could transform that energy into a form similar to the Talismans, integrating it directly into his body.
"Little Black!" Silas assigned the task to his most reliable shadow assistant. As for "Big Black"... Silas let him wander elsewhere; the clumsy fellow was better off helping with manual labor than delicate experiments.
Silas then moved to the Symbiote laboratory, where four Symbiotes were currently contained. Upon seeing him, they all went still, terrified of being picked for the next experiment. Little Black had been relentless in his research for a "Symbiote Suit," subjecting them to grueling tests of sonic frequency and extreme heat. Little Black was now their living nightmare.
"You all look like you're in good spirits," Silas joked.
The Symbiotes shook within their containers. Good spirits? We're barely holding on. Earth is terrifying; take us back to Klyntar!
Silas popped a piece of gum into his mouth. "Enough nonsense. I'm going to find some hosts for you."
The Symbiotes froze for a moment before trembling with excitement. Without a host, they were nothing. Finally, they could feed!
"Don't get too excited. I'll find you hosts, but..." Silas's tone shifted. "You must be obedient."
They nodded frantically. As long as the torture stopped, they would do anything.
"Within a week, I'll have the right hosts for you. You'd better behave," Silas said, his smile more sinister than a demon's. He didn't trust their word, especially since they knew his true identity.
To ensure control, Silas turned to magic. He had spent a vast amount of his Villain Points on learning various spells from his ancient tomes. One specifically caught his eye: the Obedience Spell. It didn't alter a creature's will, but it made it physically impossible to disobey the master's commands. Disobedience would result in severe punishment.
This spell wasn't a projectile; it was more like a potion. Silas ordered the Shadow Corps to gather materials: octopus tentacles, a strand of his own hair, and more. Soon, a cauldron of bubbling blood-red liquid was ready.
Silas wrote a list of constraints on a piece of paper: Do not harm the innocent, do not reveal my identity, and obey all commands. He tossed the paper into the pot. The red liquid leaped up like a fire snake and consumed it.
"Is it a success?" Silas frowned. He was a bit of a novice with this specific potion. "Ahem, who wants to be the first to gain their freedom?"
He didn't care if it failed; he wasn't the one being experimented on. If it failed, he had three more chances. The Symbiotes looked at each other, none brave enough to step forward.
"What's wrong? Weren't you excited just now? Relax, I'm a professional," Silas lied, conveniently forgetting the time a failed spell caused a Shadow Ninja to vanish forever.
Suddenly, a silver, metallic Symbiote tapped on his glass. He wanted out.
"I should have known it would be you," Silas smiled. "Riot."
Riot hated Silas more than any of them due to their previous encounters, which had resulted in Little Black giving him extra "attention." Riot's plan was simple: get out, bond with Silas, and devour him from the inside.
"Come on then." Silas opened the container.
Riot lunged immediately, aiming to bond with Silas. But mid-air, he froze, suspended by the power of the Rooster Talisman.
"You're quite eager, Riot. Let's get you in the bath!" Silas used telekinesis to hurl Riot into the cauldron.
"No!" Riot screamed internally as he hit the liquid.
A minute passed.
"..." The Symbiotes watched.
"..." Silas felt a bit awkward. Did it fail?
Suddenly, Riot leaped out of the potion, trembling as he looked at Silas. His eyes were filled with an alien mix of fear and reverence. Deep in his consciousness, a command was etched: Silas is your Master. Do not betray him.
Riot tried to force the thought out, but his body temperature began to spike instantly, as if he were about to spontaneously combust.
"The plan was a success." Silas tossed Riot into a spare container. "See? He's fine."
Having confirmed it wasn't lethal, Silas stopped being gentle. He used his telekinesis to scoop up the remaining Symbiotes and toss them into the Obedience Potion like dumplings.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!