bioinnovel Chapter 501 [3 Chapters Combined] The Confused Casillas
Chapter 501 [3 Chapters Combined] The Confused Casillas
The Sandman's eyes flickered, filled with excitement, clearly indicating that Riley had largely convinced him.
"I……"
Before the Sandman could even reply, Amora, who had been huddled in the corner, suddenly moved!
She raised her hand and unleashed a green magic beam that shot straight at Xiaoyu's face!
"Xiaoyu!"
Riley reacted extremely quickly, raising his wrist and shooting out spider silk instantly, pulling Xiaoyu to his side.
But Amora's target wasn't Xiaoyu at all!
The beam of light made a bend in mid-air and slammed into the wall of the mirror space!
"boom!"
The wall trembled, and a tiny crack appeared.
Amora's lips curled into a smug smile.
Although it requires a lot of effort...
But, as expected! This strange space was not indestructible!
She formed a hand seal, and another beam of light blasted towards the crack!
Riley's expression changed, and he was about to intervene.
But someone was faster than him.
The sandman suddenly turned around, and a sand wall rose from the ground, forcefully blocking the beam of light!
"What are you doing! You idiot! Do you really intend to surrender?!"
Amora was stunned for a moment when he saw his "ally" betray him to his face. Then he gritted his teeth and questioned him with a mixture of shock and anger.
"Shut up, I have my own plans!"
The Sandman's voice was deep, and the sand wall, which had been breached by magic, quickly recovered and continued to block Amora's way, preventing her from destroying the Mirror Space.
"Are you crazy? That's Spider-Man! The enemy who prevented you from saving your daughter!"
Amora's eyes widened, her gaze filled with disbelief.
The Sandman who just moments ago wanted to kill Spider-Man is now protecting him?!
"Maybe so, but he's right, this is all the result of my own wrong choice."
As the sandman spoke, he conjured a giant hand, which directly grasped Amora in his palm.
"I will pay the price for my choices, and right now, all I want to know is... is there any chance my daughter is still alive?"
He turned to look at Riley.
"What you just mentioned...the welfare home, the community clinic...is that true?"
"I assure you in the name of Spider-Man, it's all true."
Riley nodded without hesitation and provided detailed data.
"There are three in Queens, two in Brooklyn, and one in Manhattan. While it doesn't reach the level of 'free healthcare,' the prices are far lower than other medical institutions. Furthermore, if our staff investigates and confirms that the applicant is genuinely experiencing financial hardship and urgently needs assistance, the treatment costs can be even lower."
"Of course, if that price still leaves the person seeking help feeling strapped for cash and without a source of funds, we will provide you with a job doing odd jobs at the hospital—for example, accompanying ambulances, carrying stretchers up and down stairs, and performing physically demanding tasks like moving patients—with room and board provided. Half of your monthly salary will then be used to repay the treatment costs. Also, rest assured that these recorded treatment costs will not accrue interest."
"Once you have paid off your medical expenses, you can choose whether or not to stay and continue working. If you have other ideas, you can simply submit your resignation and leave."
Upon hearing this, the sandman fell silent once more.
His body, made of yellow sand, began to tremble slightly.
"No...no interest? Treatment costs can be billed, and they even offer jobs? Room and board included?" His voice was hoarse. "Does such a place really exist? In New York City? Are you serious?"
Do I look like I'm joking?
Riley looked directly at the Sandman and replied in a serious tone.
"And that's not all. We are gradually opening vocational training centers, legal aid stations... Anyone who truly needs help can seek assistance there."
"Then why..." The sandman's voice trembled slightly, "Why did I never know?"
"Just like when we give you free vaccines, you'll only think that the government is using you as guinea pigs to test drugs. Public trust has long been exhausted. No matter how hard we try to promote it, the number of people willing to believe us is still a minority."
Upon hearing this, Riley made no attempt to conceal or glorify the country's system and spoke frankly and openly to the Sandman.
"Moreover, we have limited manpower and funds, so we cannot cover the entire city for the time being, nor can we save everyone. But we have been working hard and have never stopped moving towards a new world."
He took a step forward.
"Flint Marco, I know you don't believe me right now. That's normal. But you can check, you can ask, you can see for yourself. The Hope Home Community Center in Queens is always open to you."
The sandman looked at him, his eyes, made of sand, swirling with complex emotions.
There was regret, hope, resentment, and a touch of gratitude.
"If only I had..." he murmured, "If only I had known..."
He didn't finish speaking.
But everyone understood what he meant.
Amora was gripped in the Sandman's palm, struggling desperately.
"You're insane! You're absolutely insane! Do you think he'll let you get away with this?! You attacked his parents! And you killed so many District 13 agents! How could he possibly let you off so easily?!"
The sandman looked down at her.
"I know, so I will take responsibility for it."
He turned to look at Riley, his tone no longer filled with the resentment and anger of the beginning, but with the almost humble plea of a father seeking news of his daughter.
"My daughter... her name is Kemia, and she is eight years old. She likes to draw, she likes small animals, and she likes... she likes to listen to my stories."
"Before I chose the wrong path and joined others in robbing banks, I entrusted her to a neighbor. But when I escaped from prison and tried to pick up Kemia, I discovered that the seemingly honest and law-abiding beast had kicked her out as soon as he learned I was arrested and imprisoned... She was just a child! A seriously ill child! I don't know what she's like now..."
As he spoke, the sandman's emotions teetered on the brink of collapse again, his voice trembling noticeably. When he mentioned his daughter's possible current situation, he choked up and could no longer speak.
Riley paused for a second.
Although the Sandman didn't finish his sentence, Riley only needed to put himself in his shoes to understand the Sandman's despair and panic at that moment.
In this state, Sandman can be easily provoked into seeing Spider-Man as a mortal enemy with just a few words from someone with ulterior motives.
So Riley took a deep breath, as if making a decision, and continued speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Seeing your sincere attitude and willingness to honestly atone for your choices... no matter where your daughter is, I will find her and bring her back to you. And I promise that when she reappears before you, she will be healthy and truly alive."
Clearly, Riley had already prepared for the possibility that, due to his ignorance, something might have happened to Camia. In that case, he would use his time-travel ability to go back in time to rescue her.
As for the threat of the goddess of death...
Ha, at worst I'll just use all the points I've accumulated so far, which I originally planned to hoard until I had ten million, to exchange for the points on that broken watch and go all in on the lottery!
With so many points spent, even if the system specifically forbids Xiaoyu from helping with the draws, there should still be one or two items that can make the Goddess of Death wary!
At the same time, the sand people were stunned.
A giant human face emerged from the sand wall, staring blankly at Riley. Its eyes, made of sand, were filled with disbelief.
"What...what did you just say?"
"I said I would find your daughter and bring her to you," Riley said, emphasizing each word. "And she will be alive and well."
"..."
In the long silence and shock, the Sandman's form rapidly shrank. Except for the enormous hand gripping Amora, his size had become indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person.
He looked at Riley, his voice trembling, afraid that after giving him hope, Riley would bring him a despairing truth, forcing him to confront the most likely outcome and reminding Riley of it.
"But...but Camilla, she might already be..."
"I said, no matter where she is, I will find her and bring her back."
Riley interrupted him, his tone resolute and full of confidence.
"Don't forget, I'm Spider-Man."
Because this ability to defy fate is enough to drive most people mad, Riley did not directly reveal his plan.
But the certainty in his tone, and the good reputation that "Spider-Man" has always cultivated, made Sandman feel a kind of power beyond common sense.
And that is why the Sandman's body, made of yellow sand, suddenly began to tremble violently.
A large amount of sand, like tears, streamed down his face.
"Thank you... thank you, Spider-Man..." he murmured, "I... I really..."
Amora was held in the palm of his hand, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he watched this scene.
What's going on?!
These two people, who were just acting like mortal enemies, are now one offering to help the other find their daughter, and the other acting all touched? Is this right?!
She had never seen anything like this in all her years of life!
"Are you...you people of Midgard all insane?!"
She couldn't help but transform into a wisp of mist, breaking free from the sandman's grasp. She materialized in mid-air, stomping her feet in a fit of rage and pointing at the two of them.
"Wake up! He attacked your parents! He killed your friends! And you still want to help him? Shouldn't you just kill him and avenge your friends?!"
Riley turned to look at her, his gaze sweeping over her with an expression that seemed to say he was an idiot, which made Amora's face turn pale and then red with anger.
Before Amora could speak again, Riley shrugged and replied confidently.
"Of course I'll make him pay the price for this... but what's the conflict between that and me saving an innocent child who knows nothing about it and hasn't benefited from it?"
What Riley didn't mention in his words was...
Through self-understanding and subsequent investigations based on his suspicions, Riley became 98% certain that the agents who appeared to have perished had been rescued and properly cared for by his past self at some point in time.
Otherwise, Riley would have started frantically searching for the Sandman long ago, when he encountered the Goddess of Death and was temporarily unable to travel through time to rewrite the fates of others, vowing to avenge the fallen agents himself.
How could the Sandman possibly appear unharmed before Riley like this, listening to Riley break down the logic and forcefully open his completely clueless mind?
Even so, Riley's actual performance—manipulating the Sandman's attitude by simply speaking—shattered Amora's worldview, leaving him in a state of mental blankness and paralysis.
She suddenly understood why this young man named Riley could scare Loki so much that he dared not face him directly.
It wasn't just because the opponent's strength was so formidable that it was beyond comprehension...
More importantly, this seemingly inexperienced person from the central courtyard always exudes a powerful personal charm unintentionally!
This is more effective than any seductive magic in subtly and imperceptibly changing a person's mind!
That's why Loki was worried that if he spent too much time with Riley, he would eventually be unable to hold back his honest thoughts and would "embarrass himself" in public. That's why he avoided Riley at all times!
But just as Amora thought he would be forced into a desperate situation of fighting three against one due to the "betrayal" of his allies, and was deeply troubled...
A sudden change has occurred!
A huge crack suddenly appeared on the wall of the mirror space!
A pale hand reached out from the crack, grabbed the edge of the crack, and pulled hard!
"Rip—"
The originally closed and self-contained mirror space was forcibly torn open with a huge opening!
The next second, a man in a yellow robe with a sinister face emerged from the crack.
His eyes were sunken, with thick, smoky dark circles, and his gaze flashed with a mad light. His body was surrounded by eerie, dark red energy.
Casillas.
The sorcerer who once served Kamar-Taj has now willingly fallen and become Dormammu's most loyal follower.
He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over Riley, Jade, and Sandman, finally settling on Amora, who was clutched in his palm. A satisfied smile crept onto his lips.
"You must be the new successor chosen by the Ancient One... It's a pity that you're going to die here at such a young age."
"Hey, hey, hey, how dare you slander me out of thin air? I only learned some magic from the Sorcerer Supreme, I never agreed to be her successor!"
Upon hearing this, Riley showed no sign of panic. Instead, he waved his hands repeatedly, trying to defend himself.
This caused Casillas, who had been deliberately maintaining a mysterious demeanor, to be visibly stunned for a moment.
Even the Ancient One, who was far away in the Sanctuary in New York and had been secretly observing Riley, and who was just a moment ago feeling overjoyed at the "successor" label that Kaecilius had forcibly pinned on Riley's head, couldn't help but have a violent emotional outburst and crushed the teacup in her hand.
No, is "Supreme Master" some kind of shameful title?
Why does this brat react so negatively every time I mention he's my heir?!
Casillas was stunned for several seconds before he came to his senses.
He frowned and looked Riley over with a scrutinizing gaze.
"You...aren't the heir?"
"No," Riley shook his head sincerely. "I'm just someone who audits classes. I occasionally go to Kamar-Taj to listen to lectures and learn some self-defense tricks."
"A little trick?" Casillas frowned even more deeply.
He had lived for so many years and met countless people, but he had never seen anyone call the magic of Kamar-Taj "a little trick".
and--
He carefully observed Riley's aura.
The faint energy fluctuations, though well concealed, could not escape his notice.
Those were signs of three distinct magical systems perfectly merging within him.
How could someone who only learned "tricks" achieve this level of skill?
"You're lying to me," Casillas said coldly.
"Why would I lie to you?" Riley shrugged. "If you don't believe me, you can go ask the Ancient One in person. I always audited her classes. I never became her apprentice, never officially joined Kamar-Taj, and I was never successfully tricked into agreeing to be her successor."
In the New York Sanctum Sanctum, the expressionless Ancient One looked at the table in front of him, which now had several more pieces of metal, and silently picked up his third teacup.
well.
That brat is getting more and more outrageous. I'll have to have a good "talk" with him later.
Meanwhile, Casillas fell into a long silence because of Riley's seemingly genuine words.
He instinctively felt that the young man was lying.
Now that they know about the existence of magic, how could they not have even the slightest desire for the throne of "Sorcerer Supreme," a position filled with unparalleled glory!
But judging from the other person's expression, tone of voice, and eyes, Riley didn't seem to be lying.
What exactly is going on?
Could it be that while I was diligently studying dark magic, the times changed again, and the world went mad into a state that I couldn't even understand?
"never mind."
But soon, he shook his head, too lazy to dwell on the matter any longer, and instead stared coldly at Riley. Like a judge who controls life and death, he announced it to the public, word by word.
"Whether you are the successor of the Sorcerer Supreme or not... since you are connected to that hypocrite, you must die here today!"
He raised his hand, and dark red energy began to gather around him, making the already extremely yin-heavy Casillas appear even more dangerous.
Looking at him, Riley showed no sign of fear or timidity as he had expected. Instead, he laughed as if he had heard a funny joke.
Are you sure?
"...? What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, you might have chosen the wrong opponent."
As Riley spoke, he casually extended one hand, and white light appeared in his palm.
That was the magical energy emanating from Kamar-Taj.
Immediately afterwards, an orange-yellow light, carrying an ancient and profound aura, surged from his other hand.
That was the air magic that Dad taught Riley.
This caused Casillas's expression to change slightly.
But before he could even open his mouth, like a classic villain trying to bolster his courage with some platitudes, pale blue, aurora-like flowing energy suddenly appeared around Riley.
That was a magical fluctuation from Asgard.
Considering the many changes Riley had brought to her family, Frigga, who was gentle and considerate by nature, agreed to Riley's request and taught him magic without holding back anything.
Even Xiaoyu was unaware that...
Compared to the Kamar-Taj magic that Riley uses most often, the magic system originating from Asgard is the type of magic that Riley is most proficient in.
"I haven't been studying magic for very long, less than half a year at most."
As three layers of magical light flashed alternately around him, Riley took a step forward, tilted his head to look at Casillas, and his smile grew even brighter.
"But do you know what? My magic teachers all said..."
"Throughout history, many people have been called geniuses... but if they knew me well enough, they would all willingly call me a 'genius'."
Casillas remained silent.
But the contempt in his eyes was gone.
Instead, there was a lingering unease.
Before Casillas could make a move, Riley vanished without warning!
Casillas' pupils constricted sharply!
So fast!
A strong sense of foreboding left Casillas with no time to think. He quickly activated the dark energy within his body, condensing a dark red barrier to protect himself completely!
"Bang!"
Almost the instant the barrier appeared, Riley, appearing like a ghost, was already behind Casillas. Then, with zero frames remaining, he slammed his iron fist, imbued with the energy of three different magical fluctuations, heavily onto the barrier before him!
As the saying goes, every mage harbors a dream of melee combat...
What's more, as Spider-Man, Riley is skilled in close combat and likes to use his fists to show off his numerical prowess!
"Crackling..."
The moment the fist made contact with the barrier, it didn't even last a second before a dense web of cracks appeared on the barrier's surface!
Then, under the horrified gaze of Casillas, whose pupils dilated and who was filled with disbelief, the magical barrier that should have been indestructible shattered with a deafening roar!
In contrast, Riley's movements did not falter or falter at all. Instead, the moment the barrier shattered, his other hand, which had been bent and gathering power, shot straight at Casillas's vital point with a chilling sound of air being torn apart!
Casillas's expression changed drastically. Without hesitation, he pushed the dark energy within his body to its limit and retreated rapidly! Only then was he able to maintain a mere few inches' distance from Riley's punch, barely dodging Riley's heavy blow!
Even at this distance, Casillas could still clearly feel the stinging pain on his face, as if being cut by a knife, from the force of the punches.
But that was already his limit!
Damn it! When I used to compete in magic battles, it was mostly long-range magic barrages. Even in close combat, it was just a supplementary method, involving flashy, maneuvering attacks…
Who else could come up like this monster, swinging a fist the size of a sandbag and shattering the barrier with a single punch?!