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Chapter 49: My Sister's Supposed to Clean! She's Slacking Off Again!
Ethan wasn't sure whether Gwen was joking or not.
But he decided to take her seriously.
Because right after Gwen finished speaking, she asked Jessica to help her take a shower…
Afterwards, Gwen borrowed a set of Jessica's clothes.
Her spider suit, after all, was beyond destroyed—basically the "ultimate battle-damaged version."
———
When Gwen returned home wearing Jessica's clothes, Ethan glanced around the room.
What a disaster…
Water stains everywhere, marks on the desk, and a long, black strip of cloth carelessly tossed onto the recliner.
On the ceiling, a hammock made of spider silk was strung up, dangling with scraps of black-and-white fabric. The silk even looked damp…
Was it that wild?
Ethan recalled the events of the night before—it had been… pretty intense.
Buzz~
A faint spider sense tingled.
He looked toward the door just in time to see his adopted sister peeking in furtively again.
"Jessica, come help your big brother clean," Ethan called out.
"I don't want to!" Jessica said with a look of disdain. "I'm not cleaning up your mess."
"Be good," Ethan said. "It's just tidying up the room. Don't you clean your room all the time?"
"Hmph… Fine. Just this once."
Her gaze shifted, and she nudged the door shut with her foot, mumbling shyly, "I'm just helping with the room, that's all."
———
Time passed quickly once again.
Today, Ethan was working in his studio.
But as someone easily distracted, he wasn't exactly focused on work.
He'd add a few strokes to a painting, then flirt with his assistant, Skye, or fiddle with the twelve zodiac charms.
These were no ordinary charms—this was an enhanced version of the Twelve Talismans.
Ethan had already tested their capabilities.
They were, in a word, ferocious.
Take the Snake Talisman, for instance. It had always seemed a bit underwhelming, originally only granting invisibility—and even that could be detected under the right conditions.
But now?
The upgraded Snake Talisman not only offered a vastly wider stealth range, it also granted short-range teleportation.
Invisibility plus teleportation? Practically impossible to counter.
Other enhancements, like the Bull Talisman that exponentially increased physical strength, the Dog Talisman for immortality, and the Rabbit Talisman for super speed—each was more overpowered than the last.
As a result, the superhero Black Spider had gradually faded from the public eye.
For most super-criminals these days, Ethan didn't even need to appear in person.
They'd just mysteriously lose—defeated by an ability they couldn't even comprehend.
After experimenting with the talismans for a while, a small golden orb appeared in Ethan's palm, spinning gently and radiating a faint warmth.
This was his modified version of the Golden Light Spell.
Its potential far exceeded what he'd originally imagined.
It was a skill that grew with the user's power.
To describe it in artistic terms: the Golden Light Spell was like a blank canvas, while his other abilities were colors and ink layered upon it.
And the stronger Ethan became, the more powerful the spell's "canvas" would be—its ability to carry other powers increased with him.
Jessica and Gwen had already learned the basic martial arts embedded within the Golden Light Spell.
The next step was to teach them the spell itself.
Gwen, with her talent for languages, especially Chinese, was doing fine.
Jessica… well, she had a hard time even understanding the most basic phrases. For her, it would take time, patience, and old-fashioned practice.
It felt like one of those "raise-your-own-anime-girl" games—leveling up their skills, slowly but surely.
Now that he thought about it… where was that guy Tony?
He still hadn't received the suit Ethan promised him. Was he being lazy, or just dragging it out?
While lost in thought, Ethan noticed the small golden orb in his palm spinning a bit more erratically—drawing the attention of Skye.
"What's this? Some kind of new tech toy?" she asked, poking at it with her finger. "It's kinda cute."
Ethan gave her a mischievous smile. "There's something even more interesting."
He guided the orb with his mind, and a small bump formed on its surface—then a tiny golden tendril extended from it.
Under his control, the slender golden tentacle wrapped gently around Skye's finger like a living creature.
The smooth, warm contact made her flinch.
"Whoa—why does that feel a little gross?" she asked, quickly pulling her hand back.
"It's adorable," Ethan said, laughing.
He closed his hand.
When he opened it again, the orb was gone.
"Magic?" Skye asked, eyeing him suspiciously. She grabbed his wrist and examined his palm. "Ethan, this isn't some superpower, is it? Don't tell me you have powers now?"
"Why the surprise?" he replied with a grin. "This isn't some random superpower—it's a form of ancient Eastern power."
He pulled her into an embrace, continuing, "Technically… it's a skill. One that can be learned."
Skye curled up against his chest, eyes sparkling. "Can I learn it too?"
The way she looked up at him—like a bunny seeing a dangling carrot—was downright dangerous.
"You?"
Ethan ran his hand gently along her knee, following the smooth curve of her skin up to the hem of her skirt.
Knowing she'd be working as his assistant today, she'd worn a short skirt with long boots and thigh-high socks. The fabric under his fingertips was smooth and warm.
"You'll have to learn a few sentences of Classical Chinese first. Let me show you the basics."
"Ugh… let's talk business…" Skye mumbled, resting her head against his shoulder. "And keep your hands to yourself…"
Ethan leaned in and lightly nibbled her earlobe, making her shiver.
"Still want to learn?"