Chapter 63: Ch.62 Departure

Chapter 63: Ch.62 Departure

"Go on, continue."

Bryce emerged from a nearby cabinet, having already changed into her pajamas, her Batwoman uniform discarded. She began checking various pieces of intelligence from the month on the massive computer in front of her.

Su Ming summarized the information he could share: "At the dawn of the Multiverse, two brothers were born from the chaos, responsible for overseeing the order of the universe."

Barry clapped his hands and raised a finger, smiling, "Ah, the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor, I know this one."

Su Ming nodded at him, acknowledging he was correct. "But they actually had another brother, the World Forger. He resides eternally in the World Forge, using the flames within to forge endless new worlds, placing them within the Multiverse."

"I'm starting to get lost, but your information seems credible for now," Bryce said as she treated the bruises on her body, spraying some unknown chemical on her injuries.

"The brighter worlds are placed in the Light Multiverse, while the darker ones are placed in the Dark Multiverse, like two sides of a plate. This plate is called the Bleed," Su Ming continued, deliberately avoiding looking at her bare legs, staying focused on his explanation.

"Barbatos is the World Forger?" Barry asked, rubbing his temples. This information was all new to him, and he felt mentally exhausted.

". . . No, he isn't. He was actually the World Forger's assistant, responsible for retrieving the trash and bringing it back to the World Forge."

". . ."

Barry looked at Su Ming as if he were joking. Cindy and Bryce didn't have such dramatic expressions, but their eyes conveyed a similar sentiment.

So, this supposed dark god? This so-called destroyer of worlds?

Su Ming glared at Barry. Clearly, all his schooling had gone to waste. Barbatos's job, though it sounded mundane, was anything but. If one thought about it, who else could handle such a task?

His role involved traversing the Multiverse, destroying and recovering individual universes, absorbing all dark energy and negative emotions. He was, without a doubt, a Multiverse-level powerhouse.

"The World Forger's process is somewhat like blacksmithing, you know, with sparks flying and molten metal flowing everywhere," Su Ming said, rubbing his eyes before taking Barry's towel to wipe the blood off his hands. "These sparks, when cooled, become misshapen universes. Barbatos's original task was to shatter these malformed universes into fragments and bring them back to the World Forge for reforging. He can drag entire universes and now plans to drag 52 universes into darkness. It's not as simple as you might think."

"What about now?" Barry asked again.

"The World Forger was killed by Barbatos. Now Barbatos wants to seize control of everything. He plans to extinguish the forge's flames and bring all worlds under his rule. Because the worlds in the Light Multiverse are higher up, like fruits on the front of the plate, he can't reach them. So he wants to drill a hole in the bottom of the plate, causing the fruits above to fall down."

"Don't bother with courses. Just put everything out," Bryce instructed, as they had no time to enjoy a leisurely, aristocratic dinner. She gestured for the butler to lay everything out on the workstation.

"Miss, if you keep eating in the Batcave, our dining room will lose its purpose," the butler said as he efficiently set the table, not forgetting to chide Bryce.

After eating, Su Ming's headache and throbbing temples subsided for the time being. Slade's memories were now neatly organized in his mind, fully integrated or recalled. He felt much more relaxed.

After a few glasses of wine paired with the meal, he was ready for the next action.

He donned his armor again and asked Alfred to find him a broadsword, which turned out to be a decorative sword from one of the mansion's medieval armors, but it was at least sharpened. Bryce had put on her Batwoman suit again, and Barry had changed back into his red tights.

Before Bryce could speak, Su Ming preempted her, addressing Barry, "Barry, take Bryce and me to Egypt."

Barry looked at Bryce, who nodded in agreement. So he grabbed them both, and with a burst of Speed Force, they vanished instantly. Cindy rocked in her seat, stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, and put on her helmet again, starting to check her ammunition and weapons.

"Now then, Alfred, I should get to work too. Could I borrow a car?" she asked.

"I'll go with you and drive. I overheard some of your conversation," Alfred replied, taking off his apron with his usual politeness.

Cindy paused. "Our plan is a bit more 'direct' than Bryce's."

Alfred quickly placed the dishes back on the cart, his tone steady. "Yes, I believe Miss Wayne considered that when she hired you. But Mr. Allen speaks highly of you two. He says you'll fight for the world."

"Heh, it's just self-preservation, really. Earning money is just a bonus. Besides, this job has to get done, unless we all want to end up as sludge at the bottom of the sea."

Cindy laughed. She and Su Ming were not noble people; their goal was simple—survival.

"I used to be a government agent. I've killed a lot of people for the government, so I understand sometimes you need to use 'direct' methods," Alfred chuckled. It was hard to believe that this elderly man, with his graying hair, had once been part of the government's execution squad. "But I'm long retired. I'm only driving for you this time. I don't care how you mercenaries conduct your business, but I have to make sure Miss Wayne's money is well spent."

Cindy shrugged. She knew this was meant as supervision. Bryce had clearly sensed something. Alfred alone wouldn't be able to keep her in check. Bryce probably just wanted to slightly restrain her actions, making sure she didn't go too far.

It would be easy to shake him off, but having someone familiar with the roads to drive was useful. It would also give her a chance to test Batwoman's limits.

"Alright then, come along. Just don't get in my way."