"Hey, hey, hey, Guardsman, wake up. Don't die on my farm."
Slap!
Lex opened his eyes in confusion, covering his face as he suddenly sat up.
Who was he?
Where was he?
What was he doing?
Why was his face burning?
After a wave of dizziness, his memories slowly returned.
Didn't he go to the FBI Academy's open house? How did he end up in this countryside-looking place?
Lex shook his bald, dazed head, looked up, and saw a few familiar faces…
Clark Kent, Lois Lane…
And that infamous FBI agent, Dante!
That's right! It was this guy who brought a bunch of "gods" from outside Earth to Earth!
He was the instigator!
"What is this place? How did you bring me here?" Lex struggled to sit up, glanced at Lois, instinctively wanted to straighten himself up, then adjusted his collar…
Wait!?
Why was he wearing a prison uniform!?
Didn't he attend in formal attire? Where was his custom-made suit?
"How about it, Lex, are you confused? Can't figure out what happened, can you?"
Dante looked at Lex's bewildered expression, feeling incredibly satisfied.
He loved seeing high-IQ types wear that dumbfounded look.
"Do you still remember what you came here for?"
"I, I…" Lex was instantly stumped by the question. "I came to attend the FBI's open house."
"Hmm, seems like your memory loss only happened after being controlled by Mammon's Blood."
Dante nodded.
In other words, after Jörmungandr devoured all the Mammon's Blood, it also indirectly allowed Lex to return to normal.
Of course, "normal" only meant he could still manipulate the power of greed through Mammon's Blood.
Even if his sanity returned, his plan to murder a senior FBI agent was something he had schemed long before the amnesia.
When he got back, he still had to serve his sentence.
"Hehehe, can your thieving eyes stop staring at someone else's girlfriend?" Dante snapped his fingers repeatedly in front of Lex. "I'm talking to you! Look at me!"
Lex reluctantly tore his gaze away from Lois.
"Dante, what do you want to do?"
"Obviously, I want to find out who's behind you." Dante pointed at Lex's chest. "You were injected with a large dose of enhanced C-Virus. If it weren't for the C-Virus reacting with Mammon's Blood, you'd have already turned into an irrational, mutated monster."
Lex froze in place.
"You said… what? You mean I was controlled? Lex Luthor, controlled by someone?"
"Yeah, I know you were controlled, but do you really need to repeat it that many times? I'm embarrassed for you just listening."
"Who! Who exactly!" Lex suddenly grabbed Dante by the shoulders. "I'll tear that bastard who dared manipulate me into a thousand pieces!"
"So, think. Have you met anyone recently?"
"…From my memory, only a few days ago, as one of the U.S. Government's sponsored contractors, I attended a meeting."
"And there was a guy who claimed to be the family head, actually the U.S. Government's chief security advisor. He said he was very interested in my inventions and theories."
Dante slapped his forehead and asked, somewhat speechlessly,
"It couldn't be… that bastard named Derek C. Simmons, could it?"
"That's right, that's the name!"
Dante sighed.
Damn it, he knew this hidden force behind the U.S. Government was about to make its move.
The culprit had been found, but now came the hard part…
That was the relationship between the FBI and the U.S. Government. Even if they had locked on the target, they couldn't just hold him accountable.
To put it bluntly, this still needed Fury.
At least, they had to negotiate first.
Since the direction was clear, Lex was now completely useless.
Dante reached out and rubbed Lex's bald head twice, and before Lex could react, he knocked him out cold.
Better to send him back to federal prison to enjoy his golden years.
Just then, Dante's personal terminal buzzed.
The video request was from… Ada.
…Wait!?
A-Ada!?
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Dante's forehead.
He subconsciously touched the pocket on his left chest.
A hotel room card was quietly lying inside.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard, eyes trembling.
The button to accept the video looked like the switch to the gates of hell.
But whether he died early or died later, he'd still die.
Dante steeled himself and hit the button.
"Hey, sweetheart, did you sleep well last night?"
Dante struck first, trying to seize the initiative with a nauseatingly sweet line he'd never used before.
But Ada didn't take the bait.
She just looked at him calmly, eyes cold and emotionless.
The calm before the storm.
"I'll give you three seconds. Show up in front of me immediately."
"Otherwise, I'll cut you into three hundred equal pieces and keep them as treasures in my home."
Ada's slightly parted lips delivered words dripping with obsession, her eyes glowing faint purple, radiating love and jealousy. Dante shuddered all over.
Damn it! This was going to be rough!
He turned toward the people at the barn door.
"Since Lex is under control for now, everyone can finally get a good night's sleep."
"Uh, I have something to take care of first."
"Please don't contact me…"
"Because I'm not sure I'll even come back alive."
Teddy's eyes darted, and he immediately thought of something. He reached into John's pocket, pulled out a small bottle, and shoved it into Dante's hand.
Dante gave Teddy a firm look, twisted open the bottle, and swallowed all the pills at once.
Then he opened the portal. Before stepping in, he uncoiled Jörmungandr from around his body and tossed it onto Harley.
"Jörmungandr, stay with Aunt Harley for a while. Daddy's got something to handle."
After speaking, he looked toward the woman standing at the other end of the portal, her face twisted like an Asura's.
He walked in without hesitation.
The wind howled, and the water ran cold.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)