Chapter 266: President Adam!
A New Hostage
Ghast was dead, and he had taken the President with him.
This was not good news for Luke.
Sam Lane and the others had explicitly asked him to save the President if possible. With the election approaching, the other leading candidate, Tomlinson, suffered from Alzheimer's disease and couldn't handle the burden of office. The heavy responsibility of the presidency could only fall to Joel Nash.
If Nash were alive, he could at least maintain the functionality of the country. Now that he was dead...
Luke frowned, feeling the situation was extremely tricky. Putting Sam Lane aside, he still had to answer to Vanessa. He had promised her a family reunion.
"What a pity," Luke sighed, though it was unclear what exactly he regretted.
A moment later, Adam walked over, stumbling slightly, with blood dripping onto the ground from every step.
"Young Master."
Luke assessed the wounds on Adam's body, his brow furrowing instantly.
"Are you alright?"
"The body is severely damaged, and the soul was greatly weakened during the light sphere's expansion."
"How long will it take to recover?"
"At least a month."
Luke nodded. A month was neither too long nor too short. Suddenly, an idea struck him. His expression became intensely bizarre, his eyes narrowed, flashing with a mix of nervousness, excitement, and a hint of panic—like a fox preparing to sneak into a henhouse to steal a chicken.
After careful thought, he pointed at the corpse of the President at his feet.
"How do you like this body?"
Adam didn't understand, but nodded out of habit.
"Satisfied! That's good, that's good!"
Luke paced back and forth, his excitement palpable. "Adam, would you be interested in becoming the President of the United States?"
Adam was stunned. Though a product of death magic, he wasn't unintelligent. In fact, due to the assimilation of many human minds, he possessed extremely high learning capabilities. Over time, he had gained a thorough understanding of human society and knew exactly what the US Presidency entailed.
"Young Master, I am incapable of playing the role of the President."
"You have to try everything. How will you know if you don't try?"
"But..."
"No 'buts.'"
Luke clapped him on the shoulder, excited. "Come on, try it! Let me see the effect."
Adam was helpless. He left his own demon body, transforming into a soul mist, and slipped into Joel Nash's corpse.
The President's closed eyes slowly opened, revealing cold, emotionless pupils.
Luke scrutinized him from head to toe, then pointed at the corner of his mouth.
"Learn to smile!"
"President Adam" stretched his lips, the motion resembling a beast ripping flesh, pulling out an incredibly chilling, unnatural smirk.
Luke's mouth twitched several times. With a smile like that, even an idiot would know something was wrong, and the disguise would be immediately exposed. But Luke didn't want to give up. After a brief thought, he said slowly,
"Adam, I order you, as your master, to learn to act within two days."
"Act?"
Luke nodded emphatically. "Life is a stage, and a stage is life. Acting is your first lesson in integrating into the President's identity. To succeed, you must master acting."
"I don't know how to act!"
"If you don't know, you learn. I'll have Ava prepare specialized courses in performance arts immediately. You must master the core elements as quickly as possible and conceal yourself. People can feel your coldness, but they must never sense your cold-bloodedness. Cold-blooded and cold are completely different concepts. Understand?"
Adam lowered his head in silence, seemingly pondering the instruction, his eyes remaining frigid.
Luke was left feeling exasperated and launched into patient, detailed instruction. Ava compiled performance arts courses from major universities, allowing Adam to quickly scan and absorb the material.
After a long period of frantic work, they finally managed a small, subtle change.
Just then, a hummingbird flew in from a distance and landed on Luke's shoulder. Learning that the FBI team was approaching, Luke had to stop. He directed Adam to feign unconsciousness in the President's body while he carried Adam's demon body and quickly left the area.
The Cover-Up
A short while later, Sam Lane, standing outside the forest, received a text message from Luke.
"The demon Ghast has been executed. I cannot guarantee the life of the President."
After reading the message, Sam Lane was overjoyed. He immediately deployed personnel and contacted the FBI metahumans, giving them strict orders not to harm the President.
The group stormed into the forest. The scenes of apocalypse they encountered along the way—a wide, desolate stretch of scorched earth—deepened their grim mood. They reached the location where Joel Nash (Adam) lay.
Several metahumans stood guard around the unconscious President, their expressions guarded.
Sam Lane gestured. Two military doctors stepped forward to check the President's condition. After confirming he was alive, the remaining four wizards took out their tools and began casting spells.
As low-pitched incantations echoed through the air, the others grew tense, drawing their weapons and standing ready.
A hexagram magic circle appeared.
Little Sagrido, suppressing his hatred and grief, performed a diagnostic check on the soul within Joel Nash's body and simultaneously used a blood cloth's power to try and force the demon to reveal itself.
After a thorough examination, nothing happened.
The soul inside Joel Nash's body was human; there was no demonic aura.
Upon hearing this result, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Little Sagrido added, "The President's soul is very unstable. It has clearly suffered a major trauma. Even if he wakes up, there will be a series of after-effects."
This statement caused everyone's expressions to tighten again.
Sam Lane said soberly, "Can you elaborate on what these after-effects might be?"
"Memory loss, deafness, loss of autonomy and cognitive function. In severe cases, he could become a vegetative patient."
"Is there any way to remedy this?"
Little Sagrido shook his head slightly. "I have never heard of anyone who can repair defects in the soul. Soul damage is irreversible."
Hearing this, those who harbored resentment toward Joel Nash couldn't help but feel a sense of pity. After all, the culprit was the demon Ghast. The President was also a victim, tortured by the demon for years and unable to find peace even in death.
Sam Lane stared intently at the middle-aged man lying on the ground. After a long silence, he spoke.
"Today's operation ends here, ladies and gentlemen. I have one requirement."
"Secrecy!"
Sam Lane's face was grim. "I shouldn't need to elaborate on the significance of this event; you should understand it yourselves. If anyone dares to leak this information, the Department of Defense, the Senate, and I personally will have you arrested on charges of endangering the nation."
"This is a warning, and it is a promise. For the safety of yourselves, your families, and for national security, keep your mouths shut. If anyone dares to say one word too many, I will take their life."
His murderous gaze swept across everyone present. They were startled and immediately lowered their heads.
Sam Lane continued, "I have all your files, your families' files, and your friends' files in my hands. If anyone disobeys orders, thinks I'm joking, or tries to profit from this incident, then come at me. I will make you regret it for the rest of your lives."
"Are there any questions?"
"If there are none, then dismiss. The mission is over. Compensation will be transferred to your accounts tomorrow morning at nine o'clock."
"One final warning: mind your mouths!"
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