Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 371: Ch.370 Vase

Doctor Fate slowly rose with Diana, passing through the disordered and inverted buildings, moving past layers of obstructing objects. Smoking factories were beneath them, and skyscrapers and bustling streets were like sconces extending from the walls.

They kept ascending, or rather, Diana believed they were moving upwards.

They landed before a ruined temple high in the sky, with worn-down stone steps, broken sculptures, and fragmented frescoes—there was nothing solemn or sacred about it.

If some wild grass had grown on the steps, it would have been even more fitting.

Diana noticed that Su Ming had given her his cloak, surprising her, though she didn't say much about it. It was secretly hidden under her original cloak, seeming somewhat redundant.

She knew that Su Ming wouldn't do anything without a reason—he must have noticed something, and this was insurance.

This also made her more vigilant. Allies suddenly turning into enemies wasn't uncommon for the Justice League, especially now, when she was dealing with mages known for their erratic nature.

"Why did you separate me from them?" she asked Kent.

"You have respect for order. I have seen it firsthand—you would give your life to protect it." Doctor Fate turned slightly, glancing back at Diana, his helmet filled with what seemed like golden light, radiating from his eyes. "But Nabu... does not care for your chaotic friends."

Alright, that made sense. A mercenary, a hired mage, a bar owner—those two plus a chimpanzee—indeed led lives filled with chaos and whimsy.

"I want to see Nabu immediately. This answer is crucial to me."

"Of course. But before that, I want to tell you a story—a story about magic."

Diana did not refuse. Even if it was just a story, it was still information. She gestured for Kent to continue.

"At the birth of humankind, there was no magic in the world. A group of the cleverest humans discovered a power beyond the Source Wall. They called themselves 'Prometheus,' and the fire they stole was the fire of sorcery."

"They were the first Lords of Order, the Pioneers, the Kings of Sorcery. But the power was too great, and their bodies could not sustain it, so they bound themselves into artifacts capable of containing their souls—like the helmet on my head. Nabu is not a god, just one of the mightiest ancient sorcerers. But to people of that era, powerful magic appeared as miracles."

"When they realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Magic, meant to bring happiness, began causing disaster. So, the Prometheans began passing down methods to guide and control magic—like wands, runes, magic circles. These were tools, and also the order of magic."

"They wrote the first magical texts—simple texts—and deceived themselves and their descendants into believing that was all magic was."

"Prometheus was later renamed 'Mage' in the long flow of history."

"Now, magic itself has returned. Those who used to sip from the cup of magic have suddenly fallen into the river, experiencing all magic has to offer."

"It is immensely powerful—and it always comes at a cost."

Kent slowly floated as he finished explaining the origin of magic, waiting silently for Diana's reaction.

Wonder Woman, of course, did not believe this was the entire story, and the crucial question remained unanswered. "The world is ending. I must find a way to solve the problem."

Kent shook his head, his tone ambiguous. "It's too late now. Our world has long been diseased. With the Source Wall shattered, sorcery itself is striking back. I fear the Multiverse is already dying."

Left behind, the three others had little to do. Su Ming was studying how this place differed from the Ancient One's mirror dimension.

Strictly speaking, this space resembled a mirror, as they could see people far off who seemed unaware they were being watched—living normally in the streets and buildings.

All the furniture and items here were also real, available for use at any moment.

And at that moment, Albera was doing just that. She casually picked up an antique vase of unknown origin, using it as an ashtray.

"Something's not right here." Bobo finally took out his magnifying glass, examining their surroundings carefully. "I still prefer places with natural order."

"Heh, strictly speaking, everything around us is the essence of order. What you see is anti-nature."

Albera seized every opportunity to mock order. She hated such hypocritical things.

Since the arrival of the Omega Titans, everyone now knew that humanity's creators represented chaotic entropy—that was humanity's essence. Order was merely the chains that bound them.

Humanity could carry limited order forward, but omnipresent order would only lead to a dystopia or a mechanized future.

In this regard, Su Ming shared a similar view with Albera. If every action were dictated by order, humanity's existence would be unnecessary.

The foundation of human society lay in the differences between people. If everyone were the same under the regulation of order, productivity might increase, but the human spirit would die.

"Wait, what's that in your hand?"

Bobo looked at Albera, as if he was about to say something, but then his gaze fixed on the vase in her hand.

"Hmm? Something I grabbed. This thing has some magical energy—I was planning to take it as a souvenir."

She made her act of petty theft sound almost quaint.

Bobo had no time to correct her behavior—he wanted to take the vase and examine it.

But his height worked against him. The more he wanted it, the more Albera kept it from him, amused.

"Let me see." The chimp jumped, clinging to Albera's pant leg, trying to climb up.

"Haha, you can't reach. Beg me!" The sorceress grinned mischievously, raising her arm high to flaunt the vase, proud of her height.

Though not as well-endowed as Diana, she still had an impressive model-like figure, standing at 5'10".

"Stop fooling around. There's someone struggling on the vase." Bobo glared at her, his eyes seemingly asking, "How old are you?"

"Someone?"

Albera brought the vase in front of her, and sure enough, in the middle of what she thought was decorative patterns, there was an abstract figure moving, making various knocking gestures, as if trying to escape the pottery.

The figure kept knocking on the vase's outer wall, but there was no sound.

Her smile vanished, and her expression turned serious.

Doctor Fate imprisoning a living being inside an artifact was far from an act of justice.