Chapter 177
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Chapter 177: Revelation
What?
He is actually a Devotee?
Then the previous speculation about the "Heart Snatcher" and the Devotees being enemies is completely wrong!
What is going on?
Upon hearing the man’s self-introduction, Luke’s mismatched eyes instantly came alive, as if he wanted to etch this man’s face into his memory.
But it wasn’t until this moment that he realized he could not remember the man’s appearance at all.
It was a very vague feeling; when he didn’t focus on the face, he didn’t feel anything unusual.
But when he concentrated, he found that the man’s face seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist, as if all his facial features were constantly twisting and separating.
He, he couldn’t capture any defining characteristics, not even recognizing him as a man was possible; he could only tell through his posture and voice.
"I know what you care about most. You want to know the cause of your father’s death, right?"
Looking at Luke’s hopeful gaze, Lin Qingliu smiled:
"You chose the wrong enemy from the very beginning.
"When your father passed away, we Devotees were present at the scene, yet he entrusted the communicator, which could earn your trust, to me. So, who do you think he was guarding against? Hmm?"
Lin Qingliu gently guided Luke, wanting him to arrive at the answer himself.
But the chubby young man stood there in silence, as if his brain had crashed.
Seeing this, Lin Qingliu sighed and continued to press:
"The turmoil caused by the Infected that day was resolved thanks to the efforts of us Devotees, but what does that have to do with your father’s death? Have you considered that these two events are not in conflict?
"The most important point is, when you met your father, his body should have shown no signs of distress, right?"
Upon hearing that last sentence, Luke quickly recalled the scene of his father’s death.
That day, that memory was one he could never forget.
He quickly remembered one thing: his father had no injuries on him and had left this world peacefully.
"When your father passed, the veins around his neck went distinctly dark, a sign of a special poison taking effect. It seems that by the time you arrived at the scene, those signs had already disappeared.
"Now, tell me, what does this mean?"
Luke’s mind raced, and then he spoke in a weak tone:
"Someone, someone had already cleaned up the scene."
"Very good. Then what was the purpose of doing this?"
"To, to prevent me from having unnecessary doubts."
"What could a person who completely trusts them do?"
"I would seek revenge."
"Congratulations, you got it right. You have finally realized that you are just a useful tool, and it seems you aren’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
"Because they didn’t even tell you the whole truth."
“This is merely your one-sided account.”
“Indeed, but what if I told you I could provide more evidence? For instance, I can explain why your ability ceased to function after your injury.”
Luke fell silent once more, his mind swirling with numerous questions, and this was a particularly significant one.
Why did the ability vanish?
An injury should only cause a shift and instability in the output of abilities, but…
What if the crux of the matter isn’t the ability or the injury, but the lost part?
Part? The right arm?
Luke’s gaze drifted to the nutrient jar at the far end of the laboratory, where his recently severed right arm floated. His mind flashed back to that day several months ago.
Hope City, the central spire, the enhancement surgery, and Councilwoman Nia.
If what he said was true, then every reaction I had after seeing my father’s corpse was part of the Hope Council’s plan.
They went to such lengths simply to secure my allegiance.
No, not allegiance—they merely want to use me. But how do they intend to use me?
Eradicating the Devotees was my own initiative, not a mission assigned by the Hope Council.
What they truly desire might be just one thing: for me to undergo the surgery and become the new Holy Shield, maintaining the city’s shield.
And judging by my current state, my ability doesn’t seem to be inherited from my father, nor is it a result of enhancement; it feels more like a… gift from the surgery.
Luke’s expression shifted abruptly as he mentally scanned his body. He realized that, despite losing an arm and being in a severely weakened state, he no longer felt the oppressive, burdensome sensation that had followed the enhancement surgery.
“Ah, it seems you’ve pieced it together.
“Yes, it’s the very organization you wouldn’t dare question that orchestrated all of this.
“How absurd! They stand at the pinnacle of power over nearly ten million people in Hope City, yet they still resort to secret schemes and underhanded tactics.”
Lin Qingliu had somehow appeared behind Luke, his hands resting on Luke’s shoulders, his white lab coat smeared with faint streaks of blood.
“Look at this contradiction.
“Such immense power, and yet the Hope Council doesn’t wish to wield it themselves?
“Don’t preach to me about their selflessness or their desire to maintain balance.
“If they were truly selfless, they wouldn’t have deceived you into becoming their revenge small white mouse.
“All balance arises from a lack of strength; if one can monopolize power, why share it with many?
“Such formidable power, and they bestow it upon an outsider, someone who doesn’t even belong to the Council. Why do you think that is?”
Luke responded with silence.
“You’ve figured it out, but you don’t want to say it.”
“Because this power, though immense, comes at a cost to the body.”
“Exactly. That’s the only answer.
“If you don’t want to dirty your hands, you wear gloves.
“Those gloves used to belong to your father; now they belong to you, Luke.
“And don’t hold out hope for their mercy—it doesn’t exist. I doubt you ever spared a thought for the future of disposable gloves when using them, did you?”
Luke lowered his head and fell silent. After a long pause, he spoke again:
“If this ability is merely a gift from that surgery, then where did my original ability go?”
“An excellent question.”
Lin Qingliu clapped his hands:
“They say the first thing a blind person discards after regaining sight is their cane. You strike me as that type of person.
“When you possessed that immense power, why didn’t you ask yourself where your original, weaker ability had gone?
“I don’t believe you couldn’t sense the difference between these two abilities; you simply didn’t want to think about it.
“Now I can tell you, an ability suppressor has been implanted at the base of your neck; it lies just beneath your skin.”
