SUP Chapter 38: Truth Within Reach

The world fell silent.

Even the light from the apartment lobby’s chandelier seemed frozen. Such power, Ian realized, wasn’t something an ordinary reaper could wield.

Blame his low Intelligence stat, unable to sustain his brilliance, causing his wisdom to glitch at non-critical moments.

As Ian lamented inwardly.

Fake Tessa’s stark black-and-white eyes narrowed, staring at him. Her frown seemed to age her from an 18-year-old to a 28-year-old big sister.

Ian’s heart sank again. Knowing she was a big shot, he hesitated before probing cautiously.

“You seem in a bad mood?”

He knew now wasn’t the time to expose her lies. Women of any age would rage if their deception was called out.

“Could it be… reapers have those days too?”

He understood his strength couldn’t afford to provoke a jumpy big shot. Luckily, his emotional intelligence was high enough to play dumb.

Ian tapped into the acting skills Madison taught him.

Fake Tessa’s expression stiffened.

“You think you’re funny?”

Her voice seemed squeezed through gritted teeth.

“Huh?”

Ian blinked, feigning confusion. Seeing this, Fake Tessa took a deep breath, maintaining her composure, even rubbing her temples.

Not because her head hurt but to keep her hands busy, lest she slap Ian dead—that would be terrifying, and she didn’t want this guy lingering around her.

“Just a few hours, and I’ve sensed you brush death multiple times… while merely investigating, with no real danger,” Fake Tessa voiced her confusion, likely why she returned to Ian so soon. His curse triggers baffled her.

“I live in Metropolis, next to Gotham. Danger’s everywhere,” Ian said, blinking, trying to charm his way through.

“You’re not telling the truth. I can feel it… you’re drawing power from near-death states,” she said, sharp as expected from an ancient woman.

She’d deduced Ian’s situation.

Perhaps the system outranked her. Her judgment came from observing Ian, her tone still tinged with uncertainty.

“What can I say?”

Ian realized even a big shot like her couldn’t pierce his deepest secret. Thinking it over, he gave a vague explanation.

“MacArthur said, ‘Death never misses,’ but humans always find loopholes,” Ian said, voice righteous, mimicking the old general’s tone.

“?????”

Fake Tessa was stumped.

“Wasn’t that Morpheus?”

She eyed the boy suspiciously.

“Oh, fine, you caught me. Let’s say Morpheus said it… MacArthur’s quotes won’t miss one,” Ian said, his regret unmasked.

“Seems you know not just Death, but the Sandman too,” Fake Tessa said, eyes narrowing with deep meaning, as if peering into Ian’s soul.

Ian didn’t flinch.

Despite the dizziness from meeting her gaze, he nodded.

“I’ll figure out your secret eventually,” Fake Tessa said, not angry but smiling, as if finding something amusing.

Her reaction made Ian’s lips curl slightly. Honestly, compared to those who play “prophet” with mortals but cower and hide before big shots, Ian preferred not concealing much. He’d thought about it.

Could a mortal soul hide from beings who’ve lived eons, when they could scour it in moments?

His [Bloodforge Fury] had already been noticed!

Forget slip-ups—any bold move carried risks under scrutiny. To gain a long-term immortality buff, Ian had to deal with this big shot.

Risk and reward were proportional. Ian didn’t want to live in constant fear. Recalling his first meeting with her, he’d mentioned things he shouldn’t know, yet she hadn’t uncovered his secrets.

Either she didn’t want to search his memories, or… she couldn’t. Knowing she wouldn’t offer help without reason, Ian leaned toward the latter.

With this judgment, he gambled again.

And it paid off.

The Metropolis Gambling God’s stock kept rising. Few in the DC Universe knew the Sandman’s identity, and a female big shot with no reverence for him? Her identity was obvious!

A DC Universe ultimate concept, like the Sandman, a member of the Endless—Death! With a small bet, Ian confirmed his theory.

“The bigger the storm, the pricier the fish. Time to slick back my hair,” Ian mentally praised himself, his expression baffling the true “Death” in Tessa’s guise.

She didn’t ask, having serious matters to address.

“I told you, you’re on your own for this, right?” Whether unaware of Ian’s ordeal or simply uncaring, she seemed oblivious to his acting.

“Big Sis, look at my face… does it scream ‘noob’?” Ian hinted he couldn’t handle trouble even Superman couldn’t.

“Keep annoying me, and you won’t need to worry about being a noob,” Fake Tessa glared, teeth gritted.

“Got it.”

Ian shut up.

She stared at him for seconds, then glanced at Kara, frozen, recently showing an anomaly. Her stark eyes grew complex.

“Breaking rules, I meant to teach you a lesson, but you’ve shown me something unusual,” Fake Tessa paused, weighing something.

“You can ask her for help, but only her,” she decided, her tone final, leaving Ian thunderstruck.

“Not safe enough! Let me ask one more—no, two!” Ian tried to bargain, his plan already set, now at risk of collapsing.

Find Supergirl, who wouldn’t harm Superman, then use her ties to get the Flash, and the Flash’s to get Wonder Woman—a perfect networking plan!

Rejected by the client?

Did she even understand the proposal?

Facing Ian’s reluctance, fake Tessa’s mood stabilized.

“Trust me, allowing this is already a risk,” she said, voice low, carrying an inexplicable weight, even a hint of exhaustion.

“Why’s it risky?”

Ian was baffled, confused.

No answer.

“Our cards are few; every loss is irreparable,” she sighed, playing the riddler, then vanished out the door.

Ian sensed heavy info in her words but before he could process.

The world, often paused, resumed.

[NEXT CHAPTER]