Cryptomining Supervillain

Chapter 217 217: 217 GIVING THEM ETHAN LACE

217 GIVING THEM ETHAN LACE

Lander sighed under the hood. "I told them the truth and I tell you again. I forgot."

Exoren glanced toward Madam Lectaris, searching her face for any hint of a verdict. She had been silent the entire time, legs crossed, her gaze fixed on the hooded man as if studying something invisible to everyone else.

Then, slowly, a smile curved across her lips. "He's lying," she said softly. "There's more to his story than he admits."

Exoren's eyes widened. "So, he does know something about Ethan Lace's escape?"

Lectaris tilted her head slightly, her gloved fingers tapping against the armrest. "He remembers more than he claims. Whether he speaks of it consciously or not….his mind is not clean."

Exoren straightened, excitement glinting in his eyes. "Then we're on the right track. At last, we might finally crack this case."

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"I told you already…I forgot what happened in the laboratory that day. I have no memory of it," Lander insisted, his voice strained beneath the hood.

"You're lying," Lectaris said at last. Her voice was calm but sharp enough to slice through the room.

Lander froze, trembling slightly.

"Speak up now," Exoren leaned forward. "Tell the truth and lead us to Ethan Lace, and I'll let you go."

"I am telling the truth!" Lander snapped. "It wasn't me who released Ethan Lace—but I did forget… certain details. Maybe the real kidnappers wiped my memory clean."

Lectaris' eyes narrowed, her earlier detachment replaced by curiosity. "Go on."

"I've been trying to find Ethan myself—to clear my name," Lander continued. "But I couldn't find a trace of him…I swear. Then, after the revolution in Melrose City, I moved to Silver City."

"Get to the main point," Lectaris said impatiently.

"I heard something recently," Lander said, his voice dropping.

"That there's a Quantum Mind in Liberty City—what used to be Melrose. He's said to have a psychic working with him… someone powerful enough to erase memories. It's possible she wiped mine when she rescued Ethan Lace. That's my guess," he added.

"Who told you this?" Exoren asked.

"My friends. Traders who went to Liberty City," Lander said. "They told me Queen Erythos has two advisors—one, a silver-haired boy, a Quantum Mind. The other, a woman—a psychic of terrifying power. That's all I know. I only thought… maybe they're connected to Ethan Lace's disappearance."

Exoren turned to Lectaris. "What do you think? Is he telling the truth?"

Lectaris was silent for a long moment.

Then she said, "The earlier parts are clouded… but the last part is true. There are a Quantum Mind and a powerful psychic in Liberty City."

Lander shifted in his chair. "They're just rumors. I can't confirm if that advisor is really Ethan Lace…. But please confirm the lead and don't bother me again. I told you a million times, I've got nothing to do with that damn Ethan…"

Exoren smiled thinly. "Don't worry we would."

"Then… you'll release me?" Lander asked hopefully.

"Release him," Exoren ordered.

The guards grabbed Lander by the arms and led him away.

Lectaris stood, brushing invisible dust from her gloves. "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. You pulled me out in the middle of roasting a turkey," she said dryly, then swept out of the room without another word.

Dr. Revive exhaled and muttered, "These psychics are so eccentric."

Exoren ignored him, his eyes gleaming with purpose. "Doesn't matter. We got what we needed. Send a team to Liberty City…I want everything on those two advisors of Queen Erythos."

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[A week before Lander was kidnapped]

"What's the plan to solve Lander's problem with the Atheris once and for all?" Dorin asked, leaning forward.

Liorea smiled. "It'll cost you."

"Are you asking for payment?" Dorin asked, suspicious.

"You'll have to buy a hypnotic machine off the black market," she said. "It's the only device that can erase memories reliably. Not as clean as a real psychic, but for most purposes it works … it might even fool weaker psychics."

"Seriously? A machine? That's all it takes," Kail asked, incredulous.

Damen smiled. He already had Liorea's outline mapped in his head.

"Liorea wants us to erase Lander's memories, so he forgets the whole Ethan Lace affair," he said flatly.

Lander blanched. "You really think it's that simple? Those people won't stop even if I forget."

"They won't stop unless they find Ethan Lace," Liorea said.

"How do we give them Ethan Lace? He's not around…," Kail asked nervously.

Damen's answer was calm. "We give them Ethan…or at least a Quantum Mind and a psychic who can wipe memories."

"Perfect, boss," Liorea said, warming to the idea. "The psychic will cover up whatever we do to Lander with the hypnotic machine, and the Quantum Mind will replace Ethan Lace."

Lander hesitated, then added, "It still won't hold for long, if they dig and find nothing …. they'll come back to haunt me again."

"That's why we give them real targets to search for this time," Damen said. "Targets so powerful they can't touch."

"Are there really a Quantum Mind and a psychic in Silver City that they'll find?" Lander asked.

"Not in Silver City," Damen corrected. "In Liberty City."

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[The Somirac family workshop]

"Oh Damen, you came to collect the shipment? The goods just arrived in the containers," Saye Somirac called as he met them at the warehouse.

Damen bumped him lightly on the shoulder. "You healed up. Fancy a rematch?"

"Fight you? Not in my lifetime again," Saye grinned and laughed.

He led Damen and Liorea into the new factory.

It was far larger than their old shop with polished concrete, rows of humming machines, and extra hands moving with practiced efficiency.

What used to be bespoke work had scaled up into military contracts and mass production.

Stacks of boxed armor waited by the dock: twenty containers' worth. Liorea moved down the line, counting mentally as she clipped the lids shut.

When they finished, they watched one of the container trucks pull away and followed at a casual distance.

Out where the city thinned and cameras were scarce, Liorea stepped out.

One by one she folded space around the empty containers and slid them into her pocket storage. The autonomous trucks, oblivious, returned to base.

She froze mid-motion. "Damnit, we should have followed the trucks. How do we get back now?"

Damen grinned, seized her by the waist and lifted her off her feet. "Relax."

"Put me down boss, I'm afraid of heights!" Liorea protested, struggling into his hold.

Instead of setting her down, Damen tossed her up, catching only her wrist as she spun. "Easier to get back by flying," he said, half-showing off.

"You show off," she panted, trying not to smile. "Now everyone knows you can fly."

"Watch your tone, girl … your life's in my hand." He gave her wrist a playful squeeze that made her laugh despite herself.

They rode the night sky for a few heartbeats, then dropped into the shadows and slipped back to base, both still smiling.

Damen never imagined his relationship with Liorea would come this far since the day he took her from the Order of Cockerel.

Yet now, she'd become something more than an ally…she was a friend.

Liorea was one of the few people left in this world he truly cared about…. Like family.

-----

When they returned to base, Kail came rushing in with a troubled look.

"Big Brother, our purchase of meta-artillery parts has been stopped."

"What? How did that happen?" Damen asked.

"It's the Nuralith family. They found out about our orders and pressured the suppliers not to sell to us," Kail said grimly.

"The Nuralith again?" Damen slammed the table, the echo snapping through the room.

"Our trip to Liberty City is in a few days," Liorea said. "There's no time to organize new suppliers."

"It would be a waste to cancel," Damen muttered. "Setting up that trip wasn't easy."

Suddenly Kail froze, his eyes opening wide.

"What's the matter?" Damen asked.

"It's Valtor Veyran," Kail said. "He's here."

Damen's voice hardened. "Seriously? Did he find out about Eryn?"

Liorea shook her head. "Eryn's still with Dorin at the detective agency. There's no way he'd know she's here."

Kail hesitated, then added quietly, "He's not looking for Eryn… he's looking for you, Big Brother."

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