Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

“I’m his only son. If I’m willing to put in the effort, he’ll eventually agree,” Harry said smugly. He then noticed Li Ai next to Peter and asked:

"Peter, who is this?"

Chapter 44 Off-campus Trip

At this moment, Li Ai met Harry's eyes and politely said, "My name is Li Ai. I am Peter's neighbor and a student at Midtown High School."

“Midtown High School? Peter and I are going there in the fall semester, so this is me meeting my seniors early?” Harry joked casually.

Although a multinational corporation awaits Harry's inheritance, his father, Norman Osborn, has always taught him to be kind to people and not to be arrogant like some narcissistic playboy.

"If you need anything after you enroll, you can come to me," Li Ai said kindly. He had just finished the roast meat on his plate and was about to ask Uncle Ben for some more.

As Li Ai stood up, Harry realized just how robust his senior was. His eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in praise:

"You're not on the basketball or football team, are you?"

"I'm from the photography team," Li Ai said as she added meat to her plate.

"Are camera equipment now so heavy they can be used as dumbbells?" Harry joked.

"The Osborns are here! Have some," Uncle Ben said, bringing Harry a plate of roast meat.

"I hope Mr. Norman doesn't think this will harm your health."

"No way, he tried your cooking last time, and when he got back he said you're a master roaster who was held back by engineering projects," Harry praised as he took the plate of roast meat.

Hearing this, Li Ai sensed that the Parker family and the Osborn family were very familiar with each other, and their relationship was probably quite good.

The three sat down together again, watching the adults busy around the smokehouse.

Peter tilted his head, leaned close to Harry's ear, and asked in a low voice, "How is Uncle Norman? He was coughing the last time I saw him."

“I feel much better after having surgery,” Harry replied softly.

There was no news from the outside world about Norman Osborn's physical condition, as such news could potentially affect the stock price, so Harry spoke very softly, only Peter could hear him.

But Harry was unaware that he was sitting next to someone with extraordinary physical abilities.

Li Ai heard their entire conversation, but he ate his roast meat nonchalantly, pretending not to hear anything. He swallowed a piece of beef and then praised them:

“Peter, your uncle’s cooking skills are comparable to those of the chefs at the barbecue restaurants in Manhattan.”

"Do you all like Uncle Ben's barbecue that much?" Peter asked curiously.

“Of course!” Harry patted Peter on the back and said with a smile, “That’s why I won’t miss any opportunity to enjoy good food.”

Accompanied by the laughter of adults not far away and the sizzling aroma of meat from the smokehouse, the Parker family's backyard was filled with a warm and joyful atmosphere.

.....................

On the first Friday after the New Year's holiday, at the end of the photography class, Ms. Ashley was about to announce something.

"Please wait a moment, everyone. The results of the Christmas photography contest are in. The certificates stamped by the school will be distributed at the end-of-term awards ceremony. Let me tell you about the rankings first," Ashley said to the students in the classroom, picking up a list stamped by the school.

The students, who were initially in a hurry to leave school, quieted down a bit and eagerly awaited hearing their names called.

"First place, Jessica Jones, your handling of light and shadow is superb, and the camera parameters are very well adjusted."

Jessica's photography skills are recognized as the best in the group, and if she wins first place, everyone else will be completely convinced.

"Second place, Li Ai Scott, your work has been highly recognized and you have won the Best New Photographer Award. The judges would also like to ask if you are interested in participating in a wider range of competitions."

Upon hearing this, Li Ai, who had been slacking off in the last seat by the window, looked up, and everyone else turned their attention to her.

"What unfamiliar faces."

"A transfer student?"

Most of these glances were out of curiosity, because Li Ai had kept a low profile since enrolling in school, and most people didn't know him.

Moreover, this was just an intra-school competition, so no one would feel jealous; at most, they would remember the newcomer's face.

"Third place..."

Ashley named a third of the photography group, and the rest simply said "thank you for participating." Before the class ended, she mentioned one more thing.

"The top ten students in this competition can participate in an off-campus trip during spring break with other art clubs. If you are interested, you can come to me to get the application form. Remember to get your parents' signature. The deadline is next Monday."

Upon hearing this, the photography group members ranked tenth and below all left the classroom, while the top ten members each received an application form, but were not guaranteed to participate.

Li Ai took an application form and saw the off-campus travel destination.

“Storm King Art Center?” Li Ai turned to Professor Ashley and asked, “So what is the theme of your artwork for this trip?”

Off-campus trips are not just for fun; they often also serve educational purposes, which is why Li Ai raised this question.

"The theme is mountains and forests; feel free to decide what to shoot," Ashley said with a smile.

"I see..." Li Ai thought about the weather there and said, "There shouldn't be any snow in April, right? But since it's an outdoor scene, it's better to bring more batteries and memory cards."

“Indeed, you need to bring extra batteries there.” Jessica also picked up an application form and reminded her.

"And be careful of sudden heavy rain there, it would be bad if the lens got soaked and damaged."

This is all experience gained through tears… Li Ai remembered Jessica’s reminder and thanked her:

"Thank you for reminding me."

"It's okay, I'm leaving now." Jessica nodded, then left the classroom with her things.

At this moment, only Li Ai and Ashley remained in the classroom. The latter looked at the transfer student who had arrived halfway through the semester and asked:

How's it like at the new school?

Because Ashley achieved a good ranking in her first school competition, she had a good impression of the transfer student and was willing to give her some pointers.

"It's alright, the atmosphere is much better than my old school, but the cafeteria food is like a lottery, the taste is different every day," Li Ai complained.

“It seems you’ve settled into life at your new school quite well.” Ashley smiled, then changed the subject, saying:

“If you want to pursue photography, I can help you register for some photography competitions, which will help your resume and give you a chance to win scholarships. I also mentor Jessica and other students who are interested in photography.”

"Other photography competitions?" Li Ai kept this in mind and then said to her teacher:

"Teacher, thank you for reminding me. I will think about it carefully."

"It's okay, you should go home first. Final exams are coming up soon."

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Ai left the school to prepare for her upcoming final exams before she could finally enjoy her off-campus trip.

Chapter 45 The Twenty-Three-Year Cycle

2009 late 3

In a forest somewhere in America, a brown bear has just emerged from hibernation and is searching for food in the cold wind.

Unbeknownst to it, this top predator of North America entered a cave where it could rest for a while.

The North American brown bear crouched down, sniffing the air to make sure it hadn't wandered into another brown bear's territory.

The good news is that it did not trespass into the territory of other brown bears, so there is no need to worry about fighting with another of its kind who was woken up.

But the bad news is that it smelled something different from blood.

The North American brown bear instinctively retreated towards the cave entrance, accidentally breaking a bone.

click

The crisp sound seemed to be some kind of signal, traveling deep into the cave.

"Roar—" The brown bear growled into the depths of the cave, trying to scare away the mysterious being that terrified it.

Deep within the cave lies a giant, dark brown cocoon, its surface bearing a fine crack.

The crack widened, and two hands covered in black scales reached out, tearing open the giant cocoon. A figure slowly emerged from it.

The figure was at least two meters tall, with a body as thin as a skeleton, dark brown scales clinging tightly to its bones, and wearing a tattered black trench coat.

He ignored the terrified brown bear, slowly raised his head, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began to smell the first fear he had experienced in twenty-three years.

He is a demon lurking in the shadows of civilization. Some tribes once worshipped him as a god, calling him the 'Stalker'.

Unfortunately, brown bears are not the stalker's favorite prey.

Only humans can satisfy the Stalker. He enjoys hunting down humans who think they can stand at the top of the food chain just because they have mastered tools, and then watching them look terrified.

However, this brown bear would be a good dessert.

Then, the stalker slowly opened its eyes, its mouth turned up to reveal two rows of jagged yellow fangs, and walked toward the brown bear that was too frightened to move.

"Roar!"

The terrified brown bear roared and pounced on the stalker, displaying the majesty of a top predator. The leaves outside the cave rustled and fell from the trees at the sound of its roar.

However, the stalker merely shifted its feet slightly, its right hand forming a knife-like shape with its five fingers, and instantly tore open the brown bear's chest.

The stalker pulled out the brown bear's heart, crushed it, and warm blood dripped onto him.

Strands of life force were forcefully plundered by the stalker. In the blink of an eye, his skin became fuller, his muscle lines gradually became visible, and his originally withered body was filled with power.

But this still couldn't satisfy the stalker's desires. He would awaken once every twenty-three years, and each time he had to kill twenty-three qualified prey before he would go into hibernation again. After completing his last hunt, he would change locations to try something different.

The stalker has lost count of how many prey he has killed, but the souls of those people are forever imprisoned within his body, and their wails are the best symphony to him.

At this moment, an old truck crashed through the stone wall and came to the intruder. It seemed to sense its owner's will, and the door opened automatically.

The stalker got into the car, picked up an old-fashioned cowboy hat from the passenger seat, pulled the brim down, and then started the vehicle to begin a new round of hunting.

..............................

On the first day of spring break, Li Ai went to the school to gather. In addition to the photography group, art clubs such as the painting club, drama club, and sculpture club also participated in this off-campus trip.

After counting the number of participants, there were actually only thirty-five students participating, while there were six teachers in charge.

School trips require a supervising teacher. Normally, one teacher leads ten students, or six teachers lead thirty-five students. This ratio seems very 'safe'.

A total of forty-one people boarded two school buses and headed towards the Storm King Arts Centre.

Since there weren't as many people as I had imagined, the inside of the school bus felt quite spacious.

Li Ai even had a separate space for his suitcase. He didn't bring much; the suitcase contained some durable accessories and clothes, while his backpack held his beloved camera and lenses, along with a set of repair tools.

In addition, considering that the entire journey would take about five hours by car, Li Ai also brought a pair of headphones, a PSP handheld console, and some high-energy snacks that provide quick calories.

Instead of immediately playing the handheld game, he first plugged his headphones into the Nokia N95 and listened to the radio.

[Today's report states that Stark Industries has announced a change of industry, and is expected to be renamed Stark International. Its main business will shift to new clean energy and civilian technology industries, and it will only provide maintenance services for sold military equipment. The military factory will be closed this year and transformed into a civilian machinery factory.]

Newly elected President Adam Benford officially issued his first executive order, which will restructure the economy and boost national employment.

In addition, compared to last year, the crime rate in New York City declined in January of this year, but citizens should not let their guard down when going out and should protect their personal property and lives...

Before they knew it, the bus had left downtown New York City. Li Ai, having gotten up early that day, wanted to catch up on some sleep, so she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.

As drowsiness gradually crept in, Li Ai fell asleep within a few breaths and entered the dream world.

In the past, countless doors floated in the dream space, and Li Ai would randomly choose one to enter before deciding what to do inside.

But today is a little different.

Since there was only one wooden door left in the entire space, Li Ai stood in the passageway, looking at the wooden door at the end of the road. Instead of entering it immediately, she examined it carefully.

The door was very dilapidated, with a lot of paint peeling off, and there were marks of hacking everywhere. Even the handle was pitted and bloodstains could be seen.

Li Ai placed her hand on the door panel, trying to sense the thoughts of the dream's owner.

As Li Ai entered more and more dreams, he became more and more adept at controlling this ability. Now, he could sense the general thoughts of the dream's owner simply by placing his hand on the door panel or door handle.

In an instant, Li Ai saw a series of images.

There were energetic cheerleaders being dragged along the ground by a tall figure, state troopers who were fighting desperately after running out of bullets, teenagers running through cornfields, and even ancient tribal warriors, plate-armored knights, cowboys, and Native American hunters covered in paint...

People from different eras and with different identities seemed to have experienced the same thing: being chased by a tall figure and ultimately being torn apart into pieces in fear.

Li Ai remembered what Master Daniel had once told him.

Chapter 46 A Warning from the Dead (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

In Earth's ancient times, many wondrous creatures existed. Civilizations around the world recorded their existence in different ways. Among them, some fed on the fear and death of other creatures, drawing power from violence. These creatures were collectively known as 'demons'.

That mysterious figure perfectly matched the sorcerer Daniel's definition of 'demon'.