Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 77: Ch.76 Putting on a Show

The Sea Queen and Dane were filled with confusion and uncertainty. This was the first time they had heard of such an entity, and it sounded like this so-called master was incredibly powerful and evil.

But these were just empty words without proof, so they remained skeptical.

Su Ming had anticipated this reaction. He let out a villainous laugh and brought in the corpse of an animal from outside the hut.

It was actually a small herbivorous dinosaur, about the size of a large dog. This was one of the props that Bryce had prepared. Such creatures were abundant on Dinosaur Island, and they were so docile that they didn't even avoid humans.

"Coo-coo... Let me show you so-called false gods what the power of a true god looks like."

He threw the small dinosaur carcass onto the floor in the center of the hut and pulled out a Black Lantern battery from inside his cloak.

The object, resembling a flashlight, immediately made the temperature in the room drop as if the air had become a graveyard filled with the stench of decay.

He placed the black-glowing end of the battery against the dinosaur's body.

Black and yellowish liquid oozed from the carcass, and its skin began to split open. The black, dim light enveloped the creature, and then it suddenly opened its eyes.

There was no life or awareness in its gaze, only a pitch-black emptiness filled with bloodlust.

The two onlookers were stunned as they watched the corpse come back to life as a zombie dinosaur.

They didn't understand what the Black Lantern battery was, but they assumed it was some sort of magical staff. There were no spells or light effects; just a simple touch.

And the body transformed into a monster.

They finally understood why this so-called "master" needed a world filled with darkness and chaos, why he needed a great war—because what he wanted was corpses.

Su Ming calmly patted the zombie dinosaur's neck, gently stroking its head while secretly applying force.

This creature wasn't under his control. Anything revived by the Black Lantern battery became a mindless zombie driven only by a desire to kill. He had to keep a tight hold on it to ensure safety.

But to the Sea Queen and Dane, it looked like the hooded man was whispering sweet nothings to the revived creature. The zombie dinosaur's violent struggles appeared to them as if it were trying to please its master, like a pet wagging its tail.

With a flick of his hand, Su Ming threw the creature out the door, shouting loudly, "Go play, go kill, hahahaha!"

This was actually a signal. Bryce, hidden in the shadows, would capture this zombie dinosaur quietly, preparing it for the next step of their plan.

He turned back to look at the two, who now wore complex expressions. "See that? This is the fate awaiting the world. Every single one of you—Amazons, Atlanteans, and even the most wretched of humans—will die! All roads lead to darkness, and all things will welcome back Barbatos!"

He felt that his performance was a bit over-the-top. The Talons wouldn't normally say so much; they were all about the Court and the Court's business.

But again, he knew this; the Sea Queen and Dane didn't. They only felt fear and that the world was on the brink of disaster. In their minds, they imagined corpses filling the world: Dane thought of Paradise Island overrun by the undead, while the Sea Queen envisioned zombie fish everywhere.

This was pushing their positions closer together. They both now needed to prevent too many lives from being lost, or this terrifying so-called master would descend.

Su Ming used the asymmetry of information to deceive them. The Black Lantern and Barbatos had no connection whatsoever. Although the Amazons had experimented with it at Indian Hill, records showed they knew how to use it but not its true nature.

Half-truths like these were even more convincing. An unknown object from their history now turned out to be linked to a terrifying existence!

"Now, kneel before me, you two worthless beings! Beg for my mercy, and beg for my master to accept you!" Su Ming recited his lines as if performing an opera, putting on an exaggerated act.

The Sea Queen glanced at Dane, clenched her fists tightly, and said, "Never! Kill me if you want, but I will never kneel."

"M-Me neither!" Dane cowered in the corner, speaking timidly. He was afraid of death, but Amazonian pride wouldn't let him surrender.

"Hmph! No rush. I'll make you watch the world be destroyed. You two are important pieces after all, haha." Su Ming's goal was achieved. He delivered a blow to both of them, knocking them to the ground, and continued his act: "Even if you die, your corpses will serve my master. I'd like to see how long you so-called heroes can hold out."

With that, he shut the door and walked out of the hut, leaving the Sea Queen and Dane alone in the dim room.

He listened to the sounds behind him and then made his way to a hidden spot not far away.

Bryce and Barry were hiding there. The zombie dinosaur that had been thrown out was now locked in a sturdy cage made of woven vines, looking like it had naturally gotten trapped.

"Did it work?" Barry asked, sitting on a stump and eating a red fruit that looked like a pineapple, holding Su Ming's helmet.

"Still one crucial step left: getting these two demigods to fully stand together." Su Ming removed his hood and fanned himself. The climate on Dinosaur Island was incredibly humid and hot—great for dinosaurs but not for humans.

Sweat trickled down Bryce's lower face, but she didn't seem to care, her eyes fixed on the small hut in the distance. "I've installed micro-cameras inside the hut and found a hidden cliffside cave nearby to serve as our temporary base. Let's go."

Su Ming took his helmet back from Barry and wiped it off, as it was stained with some red juice. "How was my performance?"

"Uh... didn't pay much attention. I was looking for food," Barry replied with an embarrassed smile.

Leading the way, Bryce turned her head slightly. "Overacted. If they had more information, you wouldn't have fooled them."

Su Ming didn't mind. He was a mercenary, not an actor. The fact that he had used the Black Lantern battery in his performance showed his confidence that he wouldn't be exposed.

"Doesn't matter. They have a common enemy now, even if it's imaginary."

"The hatred between Amazons and Atlanteans is very real," Bryce muttered as she navigated through the jungle, shooing away small dinosaurs that got in the way.

"That's the beauty of a monarchy. As long as the leaders make peace, the subjects must follow. Heh." Su Ming draped his arm over Barry's shoulder as they followed Bryce. "And conveniently, the most respected figures are the Sea Queen and Dane, one male, one female."

"Is that why you went to see Ivy?" Bryce asked without looking back.

"Of course. I plan to drug them," Su Ming admitted openly. After all, that was the plan.

"That's not right, is it?" Barry scratched his head, his face turning red as he seemed to picture something. "That's not messing with them, right?"

Although it seemed like it, Su Ming had no intention of pranking them. This was a plan devised after careful consideration. While the process might appear absurd, the result was essential.

Both Atlantis and the Amazons wanted to rule the world. In Su Ming's universe, medieval nobles knew exactly what to do in such situations.

Neither side could overwhelm the other, and a war would lead to catastrophic consequences. The solution? Marriage. Their child, with the blood of both tribes, would be the natural leader, qualified to rule both the Amazons and Atlantis.

Su Ming needed to unite them not just through an imagined enemy but also through their "willingness" to cooperate.

And what's more effective than unwavering love?

Poison Ivy's Enchanting Toxin would make them fall madly in love with each other, a bond that would last a lifetime, ensuring they'd never betray one another—unless Ivy herself broke the spell.

But Ivy had no idea Su Ming was using her toxin for this. She had no connection to these demigods.

Maybe locking them together for decades would achieve the same result, but Su Ming was pressed for time. He needed to accomplish this before the Atlanteans and Amazons launched a massive search.

Although Dinosaur Island was hidden, shielded from both magical and technological detection, it was still on Earth and not entirely undiscoverable.

There was no time to let their feelings grow naturally. Su Ming had to use the Enchanting Toxin to cut to the chase.

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