On the third floor of East Coast Studio, inside Linen's private lounge—
[Side Quest: Blood Parrot Gang (Completion 100%)]
[Reward: All current skill levels have been upgraded.]
[Special Reward: Self Gem.]
As the system's voice faded, a golden Self Gem appeared before Linen.
Lifting his hand, he grasped the gem, instantly sensing the overwhelming destructive power it contained.
Not only that—there was something else within it.
A strange, inexplicable force that seemed deeply in tune with his soul.
Gazing at the gem glowing softly in his palm, Linen realized what this power was—
the very essence that could awaken Nemesis, the Goddess of Vengeance.
However, whether Nemesis could truly resurrect depended entirely on her own will.
Linen pulled the necklace from under his collar, removed the sapphire pendant at its end, and carefully inlaid the Self Gem in its place.
Just as he was about to put the necklace back on, the faint golden light of the gem caught his eye.
That glow… it was the same color as his magic.
Nemesis, the Goddess of Vengeance.
Tch.
Nick Fury, Natasha, Tony—weren't they all curious about his past? About how he obtained his powers?
Now, with the Self Gem, the identity and backstory he had crafted for himself were even more convincing.
Smirking, Linen opened the System Editing Page and began to create a new video.
Meanwhile, inside a luxurious New York mansion—
On the TV, footage showed thousands of protesters waving flags and chanting in the streets, demanding justice and harsher punishment for the "murderers."
Standing respectfully nearby, Greene Temper turned to his father, who sat quietly on the sofa.
"Father," Greene began, "we've investigated my brother's arrest. It appears that Steve Rogers agreed to appear on Fox News mainly because the network was partially funded by Stark Industries."
"Moreover, our findings show that the organizers of this demonstration have close ties to Tony Stark."
"So I suspect that the associates Steve Rogers mentioned are Stark and his allies—and they're the ones responsible for my brother's downfall!"
Hearing this, Prince Temper nodded slightly, his expression unreadable.
"Father," Greene continued carefully, "should I use our connections to secure medical parole for my brother?"
"No need," Prince Temper said flatly, shaking his head.
"From the moment your brother was arrested, his political career was finished."
"It took over a decade of work and resources to earn him that seat in the New York State Assembly. But now…" He let out a bitter chuckle. "This is his own fault. Even if we secure parole, the charges will remain. And right now, the entire nation's eyes are on this case."
"At such a sensitive time, even the slightest move will be magnified infinitely."
"Medical parole? That would only drag our Temper family into the fire."
His gaze sharpened as he looked at his son.
"Greene, although your brother's career is over and he's wasted years of our family's investment, we—an old political family—cannot lose our footing."
"I've already made arrangements in Congress. Once this chaos dies down, you'll have John run for election. From now on, our family's resources will be redirected toward you."
"You'll head to Tennessee, start from Chattanooga—that's where our foundation lies."
Greene's eyes lit up with excitement.
For years, with his older brother in charge, he'd never had a chance to compete for the family's resources.
But now—his brother had fallen.
And his younger siblings were useless.
The future of the Temper family was his for the taking.
Though excitement surged in his chest, Greene forced a calm smile.
"I understand, Father."
Prince Temper nodded approvingly.
"And one more thing—send a warning to Tony Stark. He can have your brother sentenced to decades, even life imprisonment, if he wants. We'll let that go."
"But this fire must not spread to the Temper family."
"Be cautious in your methods. Don't corner that arrogant playboy—when pushed, even a dog will bite."
"Understood."
Greene bowed slightly before leaving the room.
This was the true nature of an old political dynasty—sons were replaceable, but the family's power could never waver.
Out in the corridor, Greene clenched his fist tightly, barely suppressing his grin.
Finally. My chance to inherit the family has come.
Steve Rogers, Tony Stark—he silently thanked them both.
If not for their interference, his plan to frame his brother—no matter how perfect—would eventually have been exposed.
But now? They'd done his dirty work for him.
Grinning, Greene pulled out his phone and made a call.
Inside Tony Stark's villa—
After ending yet another phone call, Tony slumped back on the sofa with a sigh.
"That's the twenty-seventh call in the past three days."
He tossed his phone onto the coffee table, shaking his head in disbelief.
Hearing this, Steve Rogers chuckled.
"Are they begging you to show mercy—or threatening you?"
"Neither," Tony replied. "Those old guys aren't asking me to spare the ones who were arrested—they just don't want public outrage spreading to their families."
"They're using that old strategy—'sacrifice the pawn to save the king.'"
Tony exhaled sharply. "Damn it, these so-called respectable men are colder than I am. And I'm a businessman!"
Then, turning toward Steve, he added, "I've already had the media tone down your exposure. Give it two weeks, tops—you'll be able to walk the streets again without cameras chasing you."
Steve nodded. "Thanks. But that won't be easy."
Tony smirked. "Maybe not easy—but it's simple enough to redirect public attention. All we need is a bigger headline to drown this one out."
He leaned forward. "And it just so happens that Fox News has something ready to blow up nationwide."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Tony explained, "It's a new show produced by Linen's studio—run by Jessica and her brother, the Fox network executive."
"You know how people love those mysterious, supernatural things. So…"
Steve frowned. "Why do I get the feeling this is part of Linen's plan too?"
"Is he really only nineteen?"
Tony froze for a second, blinking. "Damn. You're right. I keep forgetting his age."
He laughed. "Seriously—what nineteen-year-old carries himself like that?"
Just then, a mechanical chime echoed in both their ears—
[New video unlocked. Please enter the viewing room within five minutes.]
Tony and Steve exchanged a look, then stood up at once and headed straight for Tony's sealed laboratory.
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