thefictionvixens Page 32
Page 32
America's curls are so tight!
"Is this really not a prank?"
Kara maintained an expression that was hard to describe.
She suspected that Ian was carrying a special camera that even her superhuman vision couldn't detect. Well, that explanation was still more plausible than encountering someone who remained calm even after being shot by a large-caliber handgun.
“There was no prank, just biological science. Iron Head Kung Fu definitely has some scientific basis; my forehead is indeed harder than my skull.” Ian stuffed the last piece of fried chicken into his mouth.
His outrageous focus almost made Kara lose her composure.
No!
Is this a normal person's reaction?
"If you like getting attention, I can actually recommend my therapist to you. Don't get me wrong... I just feel that everyone in society is under a lot of pressure these days."
Kara couldn't hold back any longer, but she still maintained her basic manners. Before she could even finish her question, Ian didn't answer, but quickly handed her the doctor's certificate.
“I’ve actually stopped wearing that fake mask lately, and I’m starting to feel like I’m really getting better,” Ian said earnestly, but he didn’t get a response from Kara.
"..."
"..."
This was a silent exchange of glances.
In the eerie silence, the only sound was Ian constantly eating the food he bought at Karamay—when the fried chicken was gone, there were fries. One bite, two bites, three or four bites, he devoured them.
Ian flaunted the entire luxury fast food meal, which cost over a hundred dollars.
"Ian Kent?"
Staring at the name on Ian's medical record, Kara, who was usually oblivious, suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had finally realized why he called her "aunt".
It seems reasonable that she was still alive and kicking after being hit by a bullet—in fact, when she left Krypton, the escape pod was hit by the Kryptonian explosion and sent to the "Phantom Zone," where time and space were relatively still. Kara was trapped there for twenty-four years. When she came to Earth at the age of 13, her cousin had already become a superhero on Earth.
The kind where they're adults.
So, the older cousin happily became the younger cousin.
Clark, now a grown man, rescued her from the escape pod and entrusted her to the loving Danvers to raise. She has lived in the city called "International City" ever since.
As for Clark's family... well, Kara only remembers attending Clark's wedding and hearing that Clark later had three lively and adorable children.
It's not that she's distant from Clark; in fact, Kara feels she communicates quite frequently with her older cousin, but she doesn't have much contact with his family.
There was a reason for this, and the reason—just then, Kara, who had been expressionless, suddenly covered her head, bent over as if she had a headache, and let out a muffled groan.
"Aunt, what's wrong?"
Ian quickly reached out to support the elder who was slightly taller than him. The elder's arms were very soft, not like they had any muscles. The Kryptonian body structure is definitely a cosmic wonder.
"Don't call me aunt... I'm not that much older than you." Kara suddenly acted as if nothing had happened, straightening up as if she had forgotten what had just occurred.
"Okay, Auntie."
Ian nodded.
His eyes looked somewhat confused.
He sensed something was wrong.
I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong.
"..."
Faced with Ian's repeated failure to learn his lesson, Kara, somewhat frustrated, could only explain Ian's deliberate whining by saying that it was all thanks to Clark's excellent teaching and that Clark paid more attention to understanding.
She was just about to sigh.
Suddenly, her movements froze. Even her golden hair hung suspended in mid-air, no longer fluttering. The surrounding colors began to fade; the off-white walls, the dark gray of the corridor, and the brown of the floor all peeled away like paint diluted with water, layer by layer, until only a pale outline remained.
Ian caught a whiff of a familiar scent.
"Big Sister".
He turned around and saw that familiar figure, so he had no choice but to adopt the fake smile he hated most. The woman, still wearing the skin of Tessa the Grim Reaper, was leaning against the wall in a black dress.
His eyes were like torches.
His expression still held a hint of dissatisfaction.
Ian's heart skipped a beat.
[P.S.: I'm just a nobody, still begging for your daily, crucial reading of the new book. If you're a big shot, I'll do anything you ask during the new book's release period.]
Chapter 38 The Truth Within Reach
The whole world was silent.
It was as if even the light from the chandelier hanging in the apartment lobby had been frozen in place. Such power—Ian felt he should have known it wasn't the authority of an ordinary Grim Reaper.
This is perhaps all because my intelligence is not high enough, which makes me unable to bear the burden of my wisdom. As a result, my wisdom often falls into an intermittent state of failure when it is not crucial.
Just as Ian was feeling regretful.
The fake Tessa's clear black and white eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at him. Her brows were furrowed so deeply that it seemed she was trying to force herself to look like a twenty-eight-year-old woman instead of an eighteen-year-old.
Ian's heart skipped a beat again. Since he had already decided that the other party was a big shot, he hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking the question.
"You seem to be in a bad mood?"
Ian knew that now was definitely not the time to expose her lie. No matter how old a woman is, she would fly into a rage when her lie was exposed.
"Could it be... that Death also has those few days every month?"
He was well aware that he was no match for the powerful figure who was jumping up and down in anger, but fortunately, he had high enough emotional intelligence to know that he should play dumb at this time.
Ian brought out the acting skills he had been taught by Madison.
but.
Upon hearing this, the fake Tessa's expression stiffened.
"Do you think you are funny?"
Her voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth.
"what?"
Ian blinked, looking slightly bewildered. Seeing this, the fake Tessa took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure; she even looked up and rubbed her temples.
It's not that my head really hurts.
But if she didn't use her hands, she was afraid she might slap Ian to death—that would be really scary, and she really didn't want this guy around.
“In just a few hours, I have sensed that you came very close to death several times... You were just conducting an investigation, there was no way you could have encountered any danger.”
The fake Tessa expressed her confusion, which may be why she came to find Ian again not long after. She saw things that she could not understand when Ian triggered the curse several times.
“I live in a metropolis, right next to Gotham. Of course, it’s dangerous everywhere when I’m out and about.” Ian blinked, trying to get away with it by being cute.
however.
"You're not telling the truth, I can feel it... Yes, you're drawing strength from your near-death state." Sure enough, the older a woman is, the sharper her eyes become.
She had clearly deduced Ian's situation.
but.
Perhaps because the system's status was higher than hers, she was only making a judgment based on observing Ian, so her tone when she spoke still carried a hint of uncertainty.
What can I say?
Ian realized that even someone as powerful as this person seemed unable to see through his biggest secret. He pondered this as he offered a somewhat vague explanation.
“MacArthur said that death never misses its mark, but man always finds a loophole.” Ian’s voice was righteous and indignant, mimicking the old general’s tone in a high-pitched voice.
"????"
The fake Tessa was confused again.
"Isn't that what Morpheus said?"
She looked at the boy in front of her with a suspicious gaze.
“Oh, okay, you found out. Well then, even if Morpheus said it… MacArthur’s quotes wouldn’t be complete without this one.” Ian made no attempt to hide the regret on his face.
"It seems you know not only death, but also the Sandman." The fake Tessa narrowed her eyes meaningfully, her gaze seeming to see right through Ian's soul.
Ian did not shy away from the question.
Despite the dizziness he felt from making eye contact with the other person, he nodded.
"I'll figure out your secret sooner or later." The fake Tessa wasn't angry at all; instead, she suddenly laughed, as if she had discovered something interesting.
Her reaction brought a slight smile to Ian's lips. To be honest, compared to those who like to show off their "prophecy" in front of ordinary people, only to cower and hide their true abilities when facing powerful figures, Ian prefers not to deliberately conceal anything. Of course, he has genuinely given this idea a few thought.
If those powerful beings want to know something, they can plunder a person's soul in a matter of minutes. No matter how careful you are, can the soul of an ordinary person be hidden from beings who have lived for countless years?
Ian's [Blood Reversal Furnace] has already been detected!
Forget about whether there are any clues or not; if he acts too aggressively, attracting attention inevitably brings risks. And if Ian wants to gain long-term immortality, he can't avoid dealing with the powerful figures in front of him.
Gains and risks are always proportional. That's why Ian didn't want to live in constant fear and anxiety. He recalled his first meeting with the big shot in front of him, where he had mentioned information he shouldn't have known, but his secret was never discovered by the big shot afterward.
This either means the other party doesn't want to search his memories, or it means... the other party can't search his memories. Ian, who understands that the other party wouldn't give him a chance to save someone for no reason, is more inclined to believe the latter.
That is the judgment.
He took another tentative gamble at this point.
And the facts have proven it.
The prestige of the Metropolitan God of Gamblers continues to rise. Not many people in the DC Universe know Sandman's true identity, and the identity of the female boss who shows him no respect is self-evident!
The ultimate concept of the DC Universe, like the Sandman, belongs to the Infinity family—Death! Through a small bet, Ian gained validation for his idea.
"The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish. I should also give myself a slicked-back hairstyle." Ian gave himself a mental thumbs up. His expression made the female boss, who was actually a fake Tessa but a real "goddess," feel even more confused.
but.
The fake Tessa didn't ask any questions; she had other important things to say.
"I remember telling you that you can only rely on yourself for this, right?" It was unclear whether the fake Grim Reaper was unaware of Ian's ordeal, or simply didn't care whether Ian had seen through the truth or not.