"Hmm?" Silas opened the black bag and saw sparkling gems inside—diamonds!
"Diamonds, huh?" Silas tucked the bag into his clothes and headed home.
Boom! A massive light beam shot into the sky ahead, drawing everyone's attention.
"This night's gonna be wild!" Silas grinned beneath his mask.
He sprinted toward the light.
Arriving at the scene, Silas found chaos—a red figure lay motionless in the rubble.
"Well, well, Iron Man himself," Silas recognized instantly.
It was Tony Stark, unconscious in his Iron Man suit, sprawled on the ground. Nearby, a gaping hole in the rubble marked the source of the light beam.
Snap!
Silas leaped beside Tony to inspect the armor, but a voice interrupted.
"Who are you?" Pepper Potts demanded, standing with a nearly bald middle-aged man.
Following Tony's instructions, Pepper had activated a switch, rushing to the scene after the noise died down. She hadn't expected to find a strangely dressed figure.
"Hey!" Silas waved casually and dove into the rubble.
Startled, the man beside Pepper—Phil Coulson—drew his sidearm, but Silas was already gone.
"Who was that?" Coulson asked.
Pepper ignored him, rushing to Tony. "Are you okay, Tony? Talk to me!"
Coulson grabbed his radio. "We need backup. Suspicious target spotted—black outfit, weird mask."
In the Rubble
"Found it," Silas said with a smirk.
Before him lay the Iron Monger, half-buried, its chest glowing faintly.
"This is what I need!" Silas yanked the Arc Reactor from the Iron Monger's chest.
Stowing it in the Shadow Kingdom, he vanished with agile leaps. Mission accomplished—time to go!
"Ugh… cough, cough…" Tony stirred, opening his eyes.
"Oh my God, thank God!" Pepper wiped tears from her eyes.
"No, thank you," Tony said sincerely. If Pepper hadn't preserved the first Arc Reactor, he'd be dead.
"Stark, some weird guy was here. Friend of yours?" Coulson asked.
"Friend?" Tony frowned.
"Black clothes, wearing a mask," Coulson clarified.
"Where'd he go?" Tony asked urgently, a suspicion forming.
Coulson pointed to the collapsed rubble. "Jumped in there."
"Damn…" Tony's gaze fixed on the rubble, recalling that the Iron Monger was buried there. But in his condition, he could barely move.
"Forget it… I'll just lie here for now," Tony muttered, resigned.
The culprit, Silas, was long gone. To avoid being tracked, he summoned three Shadow Ninjas to scatter in different directions.
At Home
"Phew, main quest complete," Silas said, retrieving the second-generation Arc Reactor from the Shadow Kingdom.
Outside, his Shadow Ninjas collapsed into black mist, returning to the Kingdom. It was the best recall method Silas had found, though it required a cooldown.
"So, how do I activate the system?" Silas wondered, holding the Arc Reactor.
Suddenly, it vanished from his hand.
[Ding! Arc Reactor detected. Activating system…]
[*System activated! Congratulations, host, for unlocking the Talisman System!]
"My system, you're finally online!" Silas said, nearly tearing up.
It was only the second time he'd heard the system's voice since transmigrating.
"System, what can you do?" Silas asked eagerly.
[The Talisman System enables the host to acquire the powers of the Twelve Talismans.]
"Twelve Talismans!" Silas whispered, careful not to wake anyone. He knew their power—enough to keep him safe, if not unstoppable.
[The system offers twelve main quests to obtain the Talismans, activated under specific conditions.]
"More activation conditions?" Silas groaned. Activating the system alone had taken a year.
[The system includes Justice Points and Sin Points, which can be used to purchase items in the system shop.]
"Justice Points? Sin Points?" Silas asked.
[Justice Points are earned by doing good deeds. Sin Points are gained through illegal acts.]
"Got it." Silas opened the system shop.
The interface split into two stores: one for Justice Points, offering Jackie Chan Adventures' holy magic, and one for Sin Points, with dark magic and Shadow Corps enhancements. Notably, Silas saw the Eight Demons' chi, each costing a million Sin Points.
"A million, huh?" Silas mused. "Wonder how many points I get per action."
He browsed the shop, knowing he couldn't afford much yet. One item caught his eye, available in both stores: Twelve Talisman Quest Clues. For 1,000 points, the system would reveal a Talisman's location.
"Not bad," Silas considered. A clue could save him from blindly searching.
He opened his host panel.
[Host: Silas Parker
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Lifespan: 97
Items: Shadow Mask
Abilities: Shadow Corps Summoning, Spider Mutation Gene
Current Status: Healthy (Excited)]
"Pretty basic," Silas muttered. He'd hoped for detailed stats like in his past-life novels, but this was enough for now.
"First, I want the Shadow Corps' teleportation ability," Silas decided. It was perfect for quick escapes.
[To unlock Shadow Corps teleportation, activate 100 Shadow Ninjas (100 Sin Points), then unlock teleportation (1,000 Sin Points).]
"Eleven hundred total? Not too bad," Silas said, lying back on his bed.
He drifted into sleep, dreaming of his new powers.