Chapter 280

Chapter 280: The Truth and Lies

In the pitch-black darkness, a faint humming sound emanated from a small compartment within the sewer.

Accompanied by the whooshing of air, a homemade dumbbell weighing several dozen kilograms moved rhythmically between Luke’s left hand and his energy arm, stirring the surrounding air and creating a gentle breeze in the confined space.

He completed several sets, perspiring heavily until his clothes were drenched, and only then did he pause to rest.

As November arrived, the temperature had steadily declined.

Living in the sewer, Luke felt the chill more acutely.

Before the month’s end, he needed to secure a new shelter to avoid perishing from starvation or the biting cold of winter.

Although the likelihood was slim for a superpowered individual,

the meteorite impacts decades prior had somewhat altered the planet’s climate.

Luke had read about snow in some ancient texts at home, yet in his first twenty years, he had never witnessed it.

Nevertheless, the winters in Hope City were harsh enough to freeze even the most rudimentary of dwellings, leading to fatalities.

Though it seemed that such humans no longer existed openly in Hope City, Luke was among the unregistered residents.

Reflecting on this, Luke lay on the ground, cooling down, and began to mutter to himself:

“Hmm, when I gather supplies tomorrow, I should check for any abandoned houses nearby… preferably not too distant from the inner city for easier access.

“I can leave behind some non-essentials; the timing should be… Who?!”

With Luke’s sharp exclamation, a faint purple glimmer flashed in the darkness.

Luke swiftly rolled his body, directing his empty right sleeve toward the ground while his energy arm instantly formed, launching him off the ground.

Harnessing that strength, Luke aimed a punch deep into the narrow space.

As a sewer compartment without a proper door, no passage could lead further inside without alerting Luke.

But in this critical moment, Luke chose to rely on his abilities and acute hearing.

His fist struck nothing but air.

Once Luke steadied himself, the sewer fell silent again, with only the faint sound of trickling water from outside.

He held his breath and began to scan the surroundings with the night vision he had honed over time.

Everything seemed in place, nothing amiss, except…

There appeared to be an additional piece of paper on a low table constructed from two wooden planks…

What is that?

Luke frowned and instinctively reached out with his left hand, then quickly retracted it.

He reflected on his bad habit—with only one hand remaining, it was best to utilize the energy arm whenever possible…

Using his right hand, Luke picked up the piece of paper and began to rummage through the surrounding clutter for something that could provide illumination.

His night vision wasn’t extraordinary; it was already a feat to spot something new.

Soon, he found a well-worn flashlight.

The outer shell had weathered over time, and when he switched it on, the bulb flickered rapidly, causing a momentary flash of darkness before his eyes.

Luke disregarded this minor flaw and began to adaptively blink to enhance his vision.

A few seconds later, he clearly saw the contents written on the paper:

“In three days, there will be a sewer cleaning operation.”

Luke’s brows furrowed deeply.

Who did this? Why are they helping me? Is it real?

A cascade of questions flooded his mind, leaving him somewhat bewildered.

The sewer is a place that the majority of people tend to overlook.

Perhaps it was a lingering habit from the Old Era; it’s perfectly normal to see a manhole cover on the main road, but the idea of wanting to crawl inside would seem peculiar.

Luke’s position should not have been suspected or exposed so quickly.

Every time he infiltrated trucks transporting nutritional paste, it was on different transport lines, and the locations and times were entirely random, making it impossible to discern any pattern that could reveal him.

Could there be some other place that exposed him?

But why would someone who knew the details tip him off?

Luke clutched the paper and fell into silence.

Actually, this was no big deal; he had wanted to move anyway, but the sensation that there were eyes watching him wherever he went drove him nearly to the brink of madness.

Luke closed his eyes and began to contemplate his schedule for the next few days.

His overall plan hadn’t changed; he just needed to execute it more swiftly.

Suddenly, a thought struck him:

The paper that had just appeared was folded and placed on the inside of the compartment, and the message was written on the outside of the folded paper.

This is not how a normal person writes a letter; could it be that…

Luke turned the flickering flashlight back on, flipped the paper over, and then he saw the words “Adoption Relationship Certificate” staring back at him.

His heart skipped a beat.

After reading the last line of the adoption certificate, the battered flashlight finally gave out.

Along with the darkness and cold of the narrow sewer compartment, Luke’s heart also plunged into despair.

He wasn’t biologically related to anyone!

This revelation had a tremendous impact on him.

Recalling the twenty years of memories he had, Luke felt there was no difference between his father and the fathers of his peers.

In fact, it could be said that Lucas was even more devoted to his role as a father compared to most.

Growing up in such an environment, Luke had never dreamed he was adopted.

Was he an orphan?

Suddenly, he thought of a somewhat strange yet previously overlooked detail.

He rarely remembered anything about his mother.

Or more precisely, his thoughts seldom drifted in that direction.

Even when he did think about it, a particular phrase would inexplicably surface in his mind:

“My mother passed away from illness when I was very young.”

This phrase seemed to be the conclusion of all his thoughts regarding his mother, as if buried deep within his mind.

But upon closer reflection, it didn’t seem quite right.

What was his mother’s name? What did she do? At what age did she die? In which hospital did she pass away? Did she have any relatives?

Luke realized that these common, actionable questions had never entered his mind even once in the past several years.

It was clear that if he only thought carefully, he would uncover the issues; if he had the corresponding thoughts, he would perceive the inconsistencies.

Yet, why had he never had those thoughts? Had his memory truly been altered?

In the cold darkness, a thin layer of cold sweat began to form on Luke, as if some temperature-changing reptile slowly crawled up his spine.