Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 377: Ch.376 Piecing Together the Truth

"Allow? An interesting word," the Upside-Down Man murmured. He reached out his hand towards Diana's forehead, sensing the power hidden there. But before he could touch her, Su Ming's greatsword arrived first, directly striking the Upside-Down Man back into the door.

By the time the Upside-Down Man realized something was wrong, Su Ming had already begun sealing the rift with X-Metal, with Barry using the Still Force to help close it.

"Don't be smug! You're only delaying the destruction!" Like any typical villain, the Upside-Down Man left them with some threatening words before vanishing along with the spatial rift.

Su Ming drove the greatsword into the ground, removed his helmet, and sighed with relief. Barry had stopped the Speed Force storm, and they could finally rest for a moment.

But, as the Upside-Down Man said, this was only buying them time. The Upside-Down Man couldn't be destroyed, and until the debt was repaid, he wouldn't relent.

As for Nabu, the traitor, who knew where he had fled to? As long as he regained some power, it was likely he'd open another rift.

Su Ming began calculating, preparing for the future.

First things first—this Mage's Tower, which existed in "non-existence," needed to be looted.

The reason he involved himself in situations like this was to obtain benefits that couldn't be bought with money. Nabu's legacy was ancient and vast, and surely there were valuable treasures here.

It didn't matter if he couldn't recognize them himself—he had the Cloak of Levitation. He could have it pick out anything with strong magical resonance and pack everything up to take along.

Doctor Fate had three famous artifacts: Nabu's Helmet, the Amulet of Anubis, and the Silver Scarab Suit.

Those three had been taken by him, but the Mage's Tower couldn't be carried away, and there were bound to be magical items he had left behind.

Never underestimate magical items—perhaps a simple flash spell could turn the tide of battle at a critical moment. Among wizards, those capable of crafting magical items were rare.

In the Dark Justice League, not even Madame Xanadu possessed that skill.

The Swamp Thing could create a magical flower that allowed for interstellar communication, but what use was there in talking with the Swamp Thing?

"Huff... Huff..." Diana panted. Blocking all that magic had exhausted her, but at least they had achieved a temporary victory, buying themselves some time.

The next steps involved investigating the root of everything and uniting whatever forces they could to fully resolve the problem.

Barry was equally exhausted. Using the Speed Force storm was one thing, but then tapping into the Still Force, which he wasn't familiar with, left him feeling like he was suffocating, as though he might cough up blood.

"What do we do next?" Barry asked Su Ming. If he wasn't needed, he planned to go rest.

Currently, all of the Justice League's patrol duties rested solely on him, and though he had plenty of time, his stamina had its limits.

Diana also looked at Su Ming. She wasn't sure if she should tell him about her nightmare.

She had confidently claimed earlier that she feared nothing, but now, recalling her childhood nightmare, the fear seemed ever-present.

She hesitated, not wanting to show any weakness in front of Deathstroke.

Meanwhile, Su Ming had only one thing on his mind: looting the Mage's Tower.

"Barry, you can head back now. Get some rest," Su Ming patted him on the shoulder. Seeing Barry's weary state, he felt a little bad. "Once this is all over, I'll treat you to a meal."

"Alright, but it better not be a buffet—otherwise, the owner will cry," Barry said with a smile, nodding before disappearing with a streak of lightning.

Su Ming removed the Cloak of Levitation, directing it to gather every magical item in the bizarre Mage's Tower.

Diana hesitated only briefly. Between feeling embarrassed and the survival of the world, she chose to prioritize the greater good.

As Su Ming waited for his loot, she recounted her childhood encounter with Hecate.

Su Ming held his helmet under his arm, smoking a cigarette as he listened to her story, understanding most of it.

Hecate, she was essentially the "light" side of magic—or at least, she wanted others to believe she was the light side.

She was the triple goddess, meaning that if she had a personality, at the very least, it was split into three. She was the one who had truly stolen the Witchfire from beyond the Source Wall, and the Prometheans had stolen it from her.

Those ancient wizards thought they were seeing the entirety of the heavens through a well, thinking beyond their understanding lay the Source. In truth, it was merely Hecate's domain.

Hecate had obtained the fire from beyond the Source Wall, injected it into her world, and locked the Upside-Down Man outside the Wall. Only someone as powerful as the Goddess of Magic could do such a thing.

Then, the wizards stole some of her fire and made it their own, causing the world to be imbued with magical elements everywhere.

Now, with the Source Wall broken, the Upside-Down Man's seal was at its weakest, and he took the opportunity to come and collect his debt. Nabu, for reasons unknown, opened the door wide for him.

Thus, the Upside-Down Man discovered that the world was full of the fire he had lost, and naturally, he intended to take it all back.

It was a story about passing down fire. Everything made sense now.

"The fire... was passed on poorly..."

"???"

Su Ming let out a sigh, while Diana looked at him, baffled. What did he mean by passing the fire?

He continued thinking, without answering Diana's confusion.

Nabu definitely knew more information, but now he was missing, and that clue was lost.

The Upside-Down Man was hostile and unwilling to talk, leaving no room for negotiation.

That left only one suspect—the Goddess of Magic, Hecate. As the main party involved, she surely knew more.

The current problem was how to find her.

"Does Hecate live on Olympus?" Su Ming exhaled smoke, gazing at Diana with his one eye.

"Though she's nominally an Olympian deity, she doesn't actually reside on Olympus, much like Hestia, the hearth goddess. I don't know where she is, but they say she's everywhere—that is the essence of magic."

Diana thought for a moment and shared what she knew.

"I see... Could Hera's Sky Mirror locate her?" Su Ming asked.

The Amazon shook her head, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. "I now understand that the so-called 'divine magic' of Olympus is actually just another form of sorcery. So, as the origin of sorcery, Hecate surely wouldn't be traceable with a divine artifact."

Su Ming frowned, considering a different approach. "I heard she was once Hades' fiancée, but got abandoned by him... Maybe we could go to the Underworld? I happen to know someone who could definitely get Hades to spill everything."

"Getting information about Hecate from a man she despises is highly unlikely. Besides, the Queen of the Underworld hates me," Diana raised an eyebrow, expressing her disagreement—the chances were too slim.

Su Ming watched as the Cloak of Levitation flew over, carrying a pile of items. He stroked his beard, tossed his cigarette butt on the ground, and put his helmet back on.

"Looks like we'll have to visit that old witch again. I better buy some flowers first."