Chapter 537: Adam and the Child
The Consequences of a Wraith's Child
A child is not just a crystallization of flesh; it also holds a soul.
After awakening the Green Flame, Luke could clearly see that every living entity with self-awareness in the world, whether microscopic single-celled organisms or giant species like elephants and whales, possesses its own Spirit. The difference lies only in the strength of that Spirit.
Among all cells, the germ cells contain the strongest Spirit; they can be considered a small avatar of the main body's soul.
The fusion of germ cells is not just the fusion of genetic information but also the fusion of their Spirits. Two Spirits combine to give birth to a new Spirit—a phenomenon detailed in black magic lore.
Aware of the significance of the soul, Luke placed very strict limits on the Thirteen Apostles: they could pursue women, but they were absolutely forbidden from creating a child. He never imagined the problem would come from Adam.
Adam's original body was a Corpse-Puppet.
When Luke created him, he absorbed the consciousness of over a hundred departed souls and branded him with the master's mark using the Green Flame. In a strict sense, Adam was also a soul avatar.
And so, the situation became awkward.
This scoundrel possessed Joel Nash's body, had relations with his wife, and created a child. Whose child was this?
By bloodline, it was certainly Joel Nash's. However, the child's soul would be incredibly complex, bearing the aura of over a hundred departed souls, the curse left by the black magic used to make Adam, and the Green Flame fluctuations of Luke himself.
If this child were born, only a ghost would know what kind of entity it would become.
Luke stared coldly at Adam, his killing intent almost material.
Adam kept his head down, neither begging nor resisting, seemingly waiting for death. His silence was its own form of plea; he wanted Luke to permit the child to live but dared not speak, resorting to this passive method.
"For the past two years, Apostle Eight has consistently coached you, telling you how to be a good President and how to control your subordinates. What have you been doing? A major problem arose in the Senate, and you knew nothing."
"Anders, Evans, Pelosi—they've been cooperating with Lex Luthor for half a year, and you didn't notice anything. Where was your brain? Your vigilance? Your intelligence? Did a dog eat it?"
"The purpose of having you inhabit Joel Nash's body was to solve problems for me, not create them. Yet, here you are, a wraith, silently going and creating a child."
"You've truly done it. You've broken all historical precedent."
Adam shamefully knelt on the ground, his spirit body trembling.
"I couldn't figure out why, after only six months of my absence, the stable situation had fallen apart. Now I understand. It was because of you."
"Idiot! Useless trash! What good are you to me?"
Luke waved his hand. The Green Flame surged out, instantly engulfing Adam's body. A mournful howl, mixed with unwillingness and despair, echoed in the woods before quickly subsiding.
Adam was dead, vanished as if he had never existed.
The President is Replaced
Luke let out a cold snort. He pointed to the sky, and dark clouds swiftly gathered and expanded, covering several kilometers of the sky. Lightning streaked through the clouds, densely packed, accompanied by frequent, deafening rumbles.
A mountain-like pressure descended from above. The guards in the villa instinctively looked up. The black, heavy clouds drooped low, like a giant's hand pressing down.
Crack!
An incredibly thick bolt of lightning struck from the sky. Electrical arcs crisscrossed, forming countless branches that destroyed every surveillance camera and pierced the bodies of every guard. Three of the most powerful bolts speared through the heads of the three clones, instantly destroying the parasites inside.
The fight lasted barely a second before it ended.
Dozens of guards, along with the three Superman clones, were all killed. None survived.
Luke walked into the villa, ascended to the second floor, and found Joel Nash lying on the bed. His wristwatch transformed into a micro-robot, which carefully removed the micro-bomb planted in the President's chest.
"Apostle Eight!"
The eighth of the Thirteen Apostles rose from the ground, standing respectfully by his side.
"From now on, you are the President of the United States."
This was an order, not to be refused.
"What about that child?"
"Leave him. Find an opportunity to inject him with the Green Flame."
Apostle Eight was stunned for a moment, then understood immediately. His master was planning to observe the child's development and see if he had the potential to inherit the Green Flame. Honestly, he wasn't happy about it, but the thought of Adam's total annihilation forced him to nod.
"I will not disappoint you."
"It had better be so."
Luke soared into the air and vanished into the night sky.
Apostle Eight sighed and merged with Joel Nash's body. The unfamiliar body and sensations were disorienting. He moved his body around, then whispered in a voice only he could hear,
"How many times did I tell you, don't be complacent, don't be complacent. Now look, you've been wiped out, body and soul. Alas!!!"
Luthor's Calculation
In a sparsely populated canyon in the southern U.S., a former Air Force missile testing site was sold to LuthorCorp and became Lex Luthor's secret laboratory.
The base covered a vast area and had four underground levels, all reinforced concrete structures with excellent defense systems.
On the second underground level, Mercy Graves, dressed in business attire, brought coffee to the innermost laboratory. Lex Luthor was here, standing in front of Clark, who was bound by Kryptonite chains, seemingly lost in thought.
Mercy didn't disturb him. She set down the coffee and stood quietly to the side.
After a long while, Lex Luthor finally turned his gaze away.
"How are things outside? Have you found Luke Shaw?"
"The FBI and CIA haven't delivered good news."
Mercy picked up the coffee and placed it in front of him. "There's something I need to tell you. Joel Nash was successfully abducted. The security guards and the three clones responsible for his safety were all killed."
"When?"
"Two hours ago."
"Who did it?"
"Anders has sent people to investigate, but we don't have results yet."
"I knew this was going to happen sooner or later."
Luthor took a sip of coffee, not looking surprised, as if he had expected it. Mercy said gravely,
"Anders sounded very nervous when he called. Should we try to reassure him?"
"No need."
Luthor sneered. "Failure is inevitable. They will all die—at the hands of Luke Shaw."
Mercy looked bewildered, not understanding the implication. Pelosi and Anders were supposed to be partners, but her boss didn't seem to care about their fate.
Luthor rose and walked to a screen, looking at the red symbols displayed there.
"The Hongmen has been rooted in the U.S. for decades. The influence they control is now in Luke Shaw's hands. Coupled with his personal efforts and Joel Nash's work, his power now permeates every level: both parties, politics, the military, the FBI, the CIA... even the D.E.O. has his people. How could people like Pelosi and the others possibly be a match for him?"
"If they had only listened to me and gone all-in to declare Luke Shaw a traitor, they might have had a sliver of a chance. Unfortunately..."
Luthor narrowed his eyes. "Politicians will always be politicians. They will never have the courage to risk everything."
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