The Evil Within (Part 2)

Shen Fei's words immediately silenced Stark. The deaths of Howard and his wife—especially at the hands of the Winter Soldier—had left things tense between Stark and Captain. Although Carter's persuasion had kept them from completely falling out this time, the rift between them could only truly be erased if Howard and his wife were brought back to life.

However, Shen Fei had not told Stark he could revive Howard and his wife merely to resolve that rift. He had two reasons. One was naturally to make up for Stark's regret. After all, Stark had helped him greatly.

As for the second reason, he wanted to test the resurrection powers of The Book of the Sun and The Book of the Dead. Ever since acquiring those two ancient Divine Artifacts, Shen Fei had been experimenting with their abilities, but he had never actually attempted resurrection with them. It was only when Stark mentioned getting engaged to Pepper and brought up gifts that Shen Fei remembered this possibility.

No gift could possibly compare to bringing someone's parents back to life.

"What's the price?" Stark asked solemnly after a long silence. Stark was exceptionally intelligent. Even though he belonged to the scientific world and knew little about the mysterious side of things, he understood that something as defiant of heaven as resurrection could not come without a cost.

"A life for a life. A soul for a soul."

Resurrection through The Book of the Dead was similar to the Impure World Reincarnation of the Shinobi World. It required a soul as a sacrifice. Although Howard and his wife were remarkable figures in the eyes of ordinary people, to Mephisto and Lady Death, they were no different from anyone else.

The same was true in the Shinobi World. Even Madara Uchiha and the First