Immortal In A Death Game-Chapter 167: Huh...?

"Do you... really want a fight to happen here?"

The RLRD members, as if rallying at Leona’s words, actually started getting ready for a fight. Beatrice’s hair began to whip in an unfelt wind. Harvey’s body seemed to elongate slightly, becoming more serpentine. Even Ryan, who was extremely meek just moments ago, started to glare at them.

And Mira, who’d been quiet from the start, also started to shift into her beast form.

Even with this, however, Agent Suarez didn’t back away at all. The ice wrapping around his arm started to crawl across his entire body. The other officers, however, were shaking in their boots.

But then, before anyone could make a move, a figure dropped from the sky, landing between the two groups with a heavy thud that completely cracked the pavement.

"Boss!"

Gordon Affleck, Director of the LCRU, straightened his coat and surveyed the scene. His eyes moved from the destroyed vehicles to the scattered agents to his own team, who were clearly ready for war.

"Well," he said mildly. "This is quite the mess."

The RLRD members relaxed slightly, confident that their boss would handle the situation. Harvey grinned, certain that Gordon would send the HDIU packing.

Gordon continued to look at the destruction around them—the crushed SUV, the scattered weapons, the agents picking themselves up off the ground, and he sighed deeply.

"Agent Suarez," he said finally. Harvey started nodding, smirking at Agent Suarez and waving his hand at him.

But then...

"Take them all," Gordon ordered.

Harvey was confused, but Leona covered her face.

Unfortunately for her and the members of the RLRD... Gordon wasn’t just their boss.

The HDIU was also under Gordon’s care.

"Ah..." Harvey’s arms lowered. "...Fuck."

***

A few hours later, the entire RLRD team sat in a sterile hallway, lined up on uncomfortable metal chairs like schoolchildren waiting for the principal. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead, casting harsh shadows on their faces.

"This is bullshit," Harvey muttered, shifting in his chair. "Complete and utter bullshit."

"Language," Leona said automatically, though her heart wasn’t in it.

"Oh, come on," Sabrina said, her leg bouncing nervously. "We were protecting our teammate. That’s what teams do, right?"

"To be fair, you did destroy federal vehicles," Derek pointed out from the shadows.

"Says the guy who ate their weapons," Caleb rumbled.

"I didn’t eat them. I displaced them into a shadow dimension."

"I displaced them in a shadow dimension—shut up." Harvey clicked his tongue.

"D-d-d-do you think they’ll put us in prison?" Ryan asked nervously.

"Probably," Mira spoke.

"Eh. Don’t believe her." Evan drummed his fingers against his knee, the sound echoing off the walls. "But how long do you think they’ll keep us here?"

"Most importantly..." Beatrice crossed her arms. "...What do you think is going to happen to Adam?"

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, Adam sat across from Agent Suarez at a metal table.

"Mr. Smith." Suarez placed the Shion on the table. "Is this yours?"

Adam stared at the weapon but said nothing.

Suarez leaned back in his chair. "We have footage of you using this weapon during the 243rd Game. We have witness testimony placing you at the scene of massive property destruction. Why did you destroy the building?"

Adam remained quiet.

"How did you meet Ilyana?"

"Did one of the Roussaeu sisters give you this weapon?"

"How did you..."

Suarez asked him dozens of questions, but Adam refused to answer any of them.

"Who were you fighting with?"

And finally, Adam glanced up.

"I was fighting against the Hospital," Adam answered. "I was fighting with one of their men."

"The... hospital?" he repeated. "You mean the organization you mentioned in your public statement?"

Adam studied Suarez’s face carefully, searching for any sign of recognition or deception. The agent looked genuinely confused—either he was an excellent actor, or he truly didn’t know what the Hospital was.

"They experimented on me for seven years," Adam said, his voice steady. "I escaped twenty years ago when the Games started."

"Experimented on..."

"Yes." Adam nodded. "I had the ability to regenerate even before the Game. I don’t know if they created me... or if they found me."

Behind the one-way mirror, Gordon’s eyes widened. He’d been watching the interrogation with mild interest, but Adam’s words changed everything.

"He... had the ability before the Game...?" He parroted, and his hands began to tremble as the implications of what Adam just said hit him. If Adam had regeneration before becoming a Hero, then wouldn’t that mean he actually had another ability granted to him when he was reborn into a Hero?

Or did the gods just simply enhance his healing ability?

Gordon’s mind raced back to Adam’s evaluation, when he’d specifically requested they cut the feed. He remembered watching Adam stab himself in the throat, then the heart, and seeing both wounds heal in seconds. Not minutes—seconds.

If Adam had another ability beyond regeneration... if he was hiding his true power... then regardless of what that ability was...

...he would easily be A-tier. No.

He could be S-tier.

"Where is this hospital located?" Suarez continued his questions.

"I don’t know the exact location," Adam replied. "But they’re government. They exist."

"You said you had proof—"

"Look at the catastrophic Dome that appeared two months ago in Louisiana," Adam said. "You’ll find images of me there. I was there, my team lost. The fact that I’m still alive should be proof enough."

Suarez remained quiet for a long moment, then reached for another folder. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"We know about Louisiana. But... that’s not why you’re here." Suarez seemed extremely curious, but still, he cleared his throat and shook his head. "That doesn’t change the fact that you destroyed property."

He placed another document on the table, reading from it. "You destroyed a building owned by... huh?" His voice trailed off, and his eyes widened as he read the name.

"Owned by...this can’t be right." Suarez looked up in confusion, then pulled another folder from his bag. His eyes widened as he scanned the documents.

"It’s... owned by Adam Smith. Wait... you own the building?"

"Huh...?" Adam blinked. "Me...?"