Strongest Superhuman System
Chapter 104: The Snake

Milicent bowed to Salazar before she turned and left the room. Once she was gone, Salazar turned to Mark with a small smile on his face and waved toward the chair at the side.

"Please, have a seat. There are many things we must talk about, and I believe it will be best if you are comfortable before we get into it."

Mark sighed as he realized that this meeting might last longer than he hoped it would, but he just decided to go ahead and sit down. With how grave Milicent sounded yesterday, Mark just hoped that this would not be a waste of his time. Once Mark was seated, Salazar also sat down behind the desk and spoke up.

"Many of the superhumans that returned from the island raid have stabilized in the hospital unit. I even heard that your friend, Mr. Tylor, was also stabilized. He only suffered a small fracture in his neck, and he should be fine after some ample rest. He has been asking for you, so perhaps you should go see him afterward. You also had some injuries from the island raid.

Are you feeling better?"

Mark raised a brow as Salazar started speaking amicably. They weren't close enough to talk like this.

"I have a high healing factor, so I don't need to go to the hospital. What did you call me here for?"

Salazar went silent as Mark shot down the small talk, and Salazar finally decided to go straight to the point.

Mark could tell that Salazar was trying to make him comfortable by using small talk to bridge the gap between them, but Mark just couldn't get into it because he did not want to be here to even start with. If not for the fact that this sounded important, Mark would have ignored it completely.

Salazar spoke up seriously.

"I found out yesterday that the government filed a lawsuit against the NSA. The lawsuit was first intended to target only the NSA, but after they discovered that we allowed an unregistered superhuman to join the raid without government approval, you were also summoned to appear in court. I believe this will be bigger than any lawsuit we've faced, and they are taking it very seriously.

It is not just something that can be buried using money or connections. There are already news outlets spreading propaganda regarding the lawsuit, so a chance of a settlement is definitely off the table. We have to appear in court."

So they are also being sued. Mark could only sigh internally as he realized that this was bigger than he initially thought. Why was the government the NSA like this? They went to an island and killed monsters that would have endangered the entire country if they had come to the mainland, and rather than thanking them, the government was suing them?

This is exactly why Mark never wanted to register with the NSA or join any guild. It was too messy dealing with all the red tape.

Mark was sure that the government would spin some bullshit reason for what they were doing. Maybe they would say that they were only trying to look out for the wellbeing of other superhumans and humans by making sure that all actions of the superhuman were reported to the government first. Or they could even be trying to use this lawsuit as a cover-up for something bigger.

You can never know with these government bastards.

"So, why did you want to talk to me about it? You're being sued, and I'm being summoned. I don't see how we have to meet for that."

Mark said this in a calm, bland tone, and he saw Salazar release a sigh before Salazar leaned back in his chair while narrowing his eyes. There was an air of irritation that surrounded Salazar at that moment, and Mark could feel a strong tension filling the room. Was Salazar irritated by what Mark asked?

Salazar spoke calmly after a few seconds.

"The NSA has been severely weakened by the recent developments that occurred on the islands. There aren't many government or independent organizations that are willing to stand beside us at the moment because of the class-action lawsuit that we are facing.

I believe that we should have more than enough opportunities to rectify the issue with the government, but you, on the other hand, are an individual outside of the government's control. Even with the connections that your family possesses in the business world, there isn't much that you can do when faced with charges like these.

"But that does not mean that you have to fight this on your own. As an individual, you do not have much say in that world, but things will be different if you are a part of an organization. If you join hands with us, the NSA will provide you with an umbrella to shield you against the government's influence. Basically, I am asking you, from one superhuman to another, to choose us as your benefactors.

We will protect you from anyone who tries to influence you, and in return, you will fight for us."

Mark's eyes narrowed immediately he heard Salazar talk about the connections that Mark had in the business world. So, Salazar knew about who Mark was. Well, Mark wasn't too surprised.

He didn't try too hard to hide his heritage, and he knew that someone like Salazar who was a part of a government organization had enough connections to easily pull up his family data with only a few phone calls and signatures. But it was the way that Salazar said it that made Mark so irritated.

Mark already told them many times that he was not interested in joining the NSA, and he had no intention of going back on those words anytime soon. Salazar was trying to make it seem like joining the NSA was the only way to get him out of this issue, but Mark knew that it was a lie.

Joining the NSA would definitely get the government off his back because they would accept him as a legal member of the government, and they could overlook his past as a vigilante, but that was not the only way to get the government off his back.

"I appreciate the offer, but I already have my people looking into the cases filed against me. I believe we can replace a concrete solution for ourselves soon."

Salazar tapped his hands together and leaned forward on the table as he gave Mark a critical look from over his joined hands. Salazar was shocked that Mark already knew about the cases. How was he able to get people on the case this quickly? Did the government send him a copy of it before he came here? Or was Mark just bluffing because he was trying to get out of joining the NSA by any means?

Salazar didn't know if Mark was always prepared for every situation or if he was just a damn good liar.

This was just like that time Mark told them that his blessing was the ability to get stronger the more he kills. Salazar didn't believe Mark back then, and even now he still does not believe Mark completely.

"Are you certain of that, Mark? I understand that there are some connections capable of wetting government hands and reducing the intensity of government influence, but that is not advisable, and it will most likely end up backfiring. You are already a criminal as far as the government is concerned. Trying to worsen your situation is ill-advised."