Chapter 67: Ch.66 Resolution

Chapter 67: Ch.66 Resolution

The number of Strigidae Priests still alive in the area was dwindling rapidly, and they could barely utter a complete sentence. Barry strictly followed Su Ming's tactics: the moment he noticed a priest attempting to speak, he immediately dashed over to push them, disrupting any action they tried to take.

But now, the remaining priests realized the gravity of their situation. At this rate, their annihilation was inevitable. However, they still had one trick left—a spell that required neither incantations nor gestures.

There was no chant, no warning. Suddenly, their bodies exploded, sending thick, black slime flying everywhere. The powerful shockwave caused the entire cavern to tremble.

Barry felt as though he had dodged it, but several strands of black energy clung to him like parasitic worms. In an instant, it seemed to transcend the concepts of speed and space, carving deep gashes into his legs. His knees buckled, and he tumbled, crashing into the wall.

Su Ming and Bryce were further away. As the strong wind rushed in, Su Ming tackled Bryce to the ground, using his promethium armor to provide excellent protection against the magical onslaught.

The strong wind pressed against his back, and he felt as if he had been stomped by some giant beast. The black energy was repelled, and he suffered only minor injuries from the impact. But a torrent of memories surged into his mind, making his face grimace.

Bryce's black Batwoman suit looked dusty and grey, truly resembling a bat. Su Ming pressed his head, struggling to organize the flood of memories.

"Barry, are you okay?" He slowly stood up, brushing the dust off his suit. The cavern's tremors gradually ceased, and no more dust fell. It seemed unlikely to collapse, at least for now.

"Cough, cough... I'm fine, just a scratch." Barry rolled over and lay on his back. The abrupt stop had thrown him far, and he had crashed into the wall. "I thought they'd at least chant something before they committed suicide. Why don't they follow the script?"

"Haha, maybe they were chanting in their minds." Su Ming walked over and examined Barry's leg wound. It wasn't too severe, and the black energy wasn't lingering around the injury.

Bryce also approached, squatting beside Barry to check his wound. "Do you need some Lazarus Water?"

Barry quickly shook his head. He knew Batman had resisted its side effects through sheer willpower, but he was just a scientist, not a warrior with an indomitable will.

"No, it turns people into bloodthirsty maniacs. I'd become a rampaging madman who couldn't calm down without killing. My abilities are too dangerous. If I lose control, it'll be disastrous."

"Barry's right. Let's just bandage it. Speedsters heal much faster than normal people. We can use this time to clear the area." Su Ming took the roll of bandages Bryce handed him and began wrapping Barry's leg in a field dressing style.

As for field dressing, it was a straightforward process in the heat of battle: press down on the blood vessels and wrap the bandages haphazardly. After bandaging, Su Ming helped Barry to lean against the wall, and he and Bryce began inspecting the cavern.

Aside from the priests who had self-detonated, the ground was littered with bodies. Bryce's face was expressionless. She had thought they might be human, but now it was clear they were monsters. If she had known earlier, she would have taken action herself.

"There may still be a few in Gotham," Bryce said, warily scanning their surroundings.

"Cairo and Gotham—one is their brain, the other their claws," Su Ming nodded, affirming her words, as he carried Barry towards the river. "Members of the Court of Owls are spread across the world, but without their priesthood, their means of contacting Barbatos have been severed. It would take them three to five years to train new Strigidae. By then, we'll have solved the problem in the main world."

"When you say 'definitely,' you sound anything but certain. You don't think I understand what a multiversal god represents? I just hope things won't get too bad." Bryce shook her head. She was always firmly opposed to blind optimism.

Su Ming glanced at her, then at Barry. "That's the main world's problem. Barry's already agreed to hire me to fix it, right?"

"Uh..." Barry scratched his head, showing an embarrassed smile. "I think... yeah? But I'm not sure Bryce would pay for it..."

"You're a member of the Justice League. Your actions represent the League. Bryce doesn't care about money; there's a 90% chance he'll pay. If he doesn't, I'll go to Lex Luthor. He thinks he's humanity's savior and won't refuse to pay for the world. Then I'll hold a press conference and say the Justice League and Superman caused all this trouble. I've got plenty of evidence, and the world's scumbags will back me up..."

Su Ming set him down. The three of them found a sheltered niche in the cliff and started a fire, waiting for Barry's leg to heal.

Barry looked conflicted. He wasn't sure if Su Ming would actually go that far for money, but he felt it was better to get Bryce to pay up.

Su Ming, however, was mostly joking. Some things were better left unknown to ordinary people. Keep it hidden if you can.

"The Luthor Corporation... Well, I'd like to hear your next plan," Bryce interrupted his and Barry's idle chatter, looking at Su Ming thoughtfully.

Su Ming poked at the fire with a dry branch, a piece of driftwood washed down from the Nile's upper reaches. Finding firewood in other deserts wasn't this easy: "After dealing with human traitors, the next step is to resolve this world's main conflict, the military standoff between Themyscira and Atlantis."

"That's what I thought too, but it requires a meticulous plan," Bryce nodded, the firelight casting a red glow on her face.

Su Ming shook his head, not sure if he was disagreeing or just feeling helpless: "Plans don't need to be overly meticulous. Human nature and the brain are fascinating things. Sometimes the enemy's misconceptions will work in our favor, filling gaps we leave

open. That's truly flawless."

"Because people only believe what they want to believe..." Bryce seemed to understand something and fell silent.

Barry looked at Su Ming, his helmet spattered with black blood, concealing any expression. Then he glanced at Bryce, but she always had a poker face, making it impossible to read her thoughts.

He could only raise his hand, indicating he wanted to speak: "But they've been at war for centuries. This isn't a conflict born from misunderstanding; it's a fight for world domination."