I Ascend to Godhood in the Apocalypse and Also Save Humanity

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Chapter 114: Inheritance

Things were becoming increasingly peculiar.

At least, that’s what Luke thought at that moment.

The inner city of Hope City is always more significant the closer it is to the center.

Places like the commercial street may seem bustling, but their limited functions mean they can only exist on the outskirts.

Now, the black car had passed the headquarters of the research institutes, the innermost of the three major organizations.

Although he didn’t want to think that way, it seemed that Luke had only one destination left.

Above the three major organizations, at the center of the inner city, stood the towering Hope Council.

"Does the old man really have such extensive connections? How come I didn’t know?"

Luke knew his father was a member of the first team, but he still felt puzzled about the current situation.

In the past, his father seemed to have never mentioned knowing one or several council members, so where did this acquaintance come from?

The smoothly driving car made its way around the last bend, revealing a towering spire before Luke.

Saying it was towering might be an exaggeration, but this core structure of Hope City truly differed from all other architectural styles.

Compared to the research institutes or the General Staff Headquarters, this tall spire seemed much slimmer, as if it were compensating for the lack of area with height.

The entire spire displayed a gray metallic sheen, gradually tapering from bottom to top, but occasionally bulging out in places.

Steel cables protruded from the sides of the spire, stretching outwards, anchoring it to the earth and giving it a wild beauty.

The spire was a restricted area, visible only to a select few.

Seeing such a scene for the first time, even Luke, a young man who had seen many things, couldn’t help but gape in astonishment.

As the car slowly approached, Luke realized the spire was far sturdier than he had imagined.

The man in the passenger seat verified his identity, and the large metal gate in front of the car slowly opened, revealing a passage leading underground.

The vehicle drove inside, and several surveillance cameras on the ceiling began scanning the car’s interior.

After confirming there were no security risks, Luke got out of the car and followed the two men into an elevator.

The elevator ride felt endless; Luke lost track of how long it took before the doors finally opened.

Before him was a room that was not particularly bright; a table stood in the center, and a shadowy figure sat in a chair behind it, making it impossible to see their face.

The two men said nothing more, turned, and left him alone in the elevator.

"Mr. Luke, young handsome lad, please take a seat."

Surprisingly, the voice coming from the shadowed figure clearly belonged to a woman.

Luke didn’t think much of it and sat down on the stool across from the table; the woman’s tone had a friendly quality that eased some of his anxiety.

However, being a bit on the chubby side, the stool felt rather small for him.

This made him tense up, trying to listen to the upcoming lecture while being mindful of his backside.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"My name is Nia, and I am one of the ten council members of the Hope Council. I am here today to discuss some matters concerning your father with you."

The voice from the shadow sounded very young, almost too young.

"So you’re not an old acquaintance of my father’s?"

"I’m not. My mentor was, but she has passed away. As her successor, I suppose I am a sort of half-acquaintance."

Luke nodded, filled with respect for the council member, and said, "Please go ahead."

"Take a look at this."

Nia waved her hand in the shadows, and lights began to flicker in the dark room.

Projection lenses extended from the walls on either side, displaying an image in front of Luke.

It was a strange emblem made of glass shards and blood, featuring angular wings surrounded by a halo, with arrows of light bursting outward, as if carrying some kind of power.

Beneath the emblem, a word written in blood read—

Follower.

At first sight, Luke’s attention was instantly drawn to it.

Although he had never received education in this area, the broken glass and blood held a certain symbolic significance.

Before he could think much more, Luke suddenly recognized the background of the photo as a place he could never forget.

It was the suite where his father had died.

The background of the photo revealed the floor and the side of the bed, with a corner of his father’s wheelchair visible in the corner.

He could no longer remain calm because he knew he had thoroughly checked that suite and had not discovered this emblem.

The place where it was located had already turned into a blank space by the time he arrived.

Luke’s gaze cut through the translucent projection to look at the woman in the shadows:

“Councilor, may I ask what is going on?”

“I think you may have some guesses, right?”

“Your father, Holy Shield Lucas, was killed by an intruder using methods we cannot yet analyze while handling a riot at the research institutes. The killer left this emblem and the name of their organization at the scene.”

Luke’s heart jolted at once, and he suddenly connected it to something else:

“Then the blood rain that day…”

The figure in the shadows nodded:

“You’re very sharp, just like your father.

"To be honest, it was indeed the blood rain brought by the Followers that saved Hope City, but this organization was also the one that killed your father.

"This is the part we cannot understand, and that’s why I had my people erase the emblem and text before your arrival.

"You are already twenty-two years old and should understand most of these issues. If we were to make public the fact that the Followers killed Holy Shield, then we would be unable to provide a reasonable explanation for the blood rain. Therefore, all investigations must remain limited and secretive."

"Are you suggesting…"

"Young man, you, the son of ‘Holy Shield’ Lucas, Mr. Luke, do you wish to take up his great inheritance and become the new ‘Holy Shield’ of Hope City?"

"If you agree, I will transfer you from your original superhero team, assign you new teammates, and of course, your team’s current sole mission will be to track down the Followers.

"For you, there will be an additional task: to maintain the stability of Hope City using powerful abilities, just like your father did."

Luke first nodded, then shook his head:

“Madam, no, Councilor, please forgive my rudeness, but if you have seen my records, you should know that my ability has a range of only ten meters, which is nothing compared to my father’s…”

"That’s not a problem. I believe your father probably didn’t go into detail about his past with you either.

"Don’t you want to know what made ‘Holy Shield’ so powerful?"