Chapter 147: Warhammer Crisis! Ian Suddenly Falls Ill!
In the DC universe.
There is no fixed number regarding the Archangels.
One theory states there are seven Archangels, each representing Monday through Sunday, and these Archangels are also considered the angels of the seven planets.
However, this theory lacks strong proof. The truth may be a secret unknown to many ordinary angels. Angels only know that the four most active Archangels in Heaven are prominent.
They are the four Creator Archangels led by Michael. As existences second only to God in Heaven, Michael is recognized by many angels as the foremost figure under God.
His name means “Who is like God.”
This “God” naturally refers to the supreme God. Due to his noble status, Michael has always held a unique position in Heaven, especially after he led the angels to defeat the rebellious Lucifer.
Other Archangels are inherently subordinate to Michael and significantly weaker in terms of power. Not only Michael himself, but all angels never expected Michael to have a day where he lost his strength.
“No! Impossible! Something must have gone wrong! Father! Father!” Michael ignored Madison’s promotion, shouting hoarsely at the sky.
His face was full of disbelief, unable to accept that he would lose his strength. After all, as an Archangel, his fundamental difference from other angels, like Lucifer, was that they both were.
Were both true children of God.
Suddenly abandoned by his father.
Even after living for countless years, Michael found it hard to accept—this is also normal. After all, according to Ian, every Archangel is essentially a giant infant of Heaven.
A giant infant of Heaven naturally cannot accept losing his father’s love. Above the ruins, the Gate of Heaven was slanted and embedded in the rubble. No matter how Michael called out to God, it remained unmoved.
The exquisite reliefs on it still appeared faded and mottled, just like all the angels. On the doorframe hung a sign written by Ian himself: 【 No Entry Without a Ticket 】.
It was as if it had merged with the Gate of Heaven. Michael tried to tear it down, but his strength, now only slightly stronger than a mortal’s, seemed so weak.
Feeling his weakness.
And the fading glory.
This Creator Archangel slumped down in front of the Gate of Heaven.
“Team leaders not only get to spin the ‘Gratitude Ian’ roulette three more times a month than other angels, but outstanding team leaders also get a half-hour paid break every day as a wonderful benefit.”
Madison continued her introduction, hopping onto the Gate of Heaven, swinging her long legs, holding a stack of color-printed flyers, and enthusiastically promoting company benefits to Michael.
Her words were full of infectious energy.
Louder exclamations rang out.
Several young angels began counting on their fingers how many benefits being a team leader would bring.
“Dear angels! As long as you work hard, you too can have the chance to become a team leader.” Hearing this, Madison turned back and continued to manipulate the angels.
No one is better at manipulation than a green tea.
Her voice was clear and pleasant, carrying a sense of sincerity, “The Heaven division of Ian’s Greatest Technology Group is so open-minded! I am your HR supervisor, 【 Not Red Witch 】 Madison.”
This was Ian’s encouragement to Madison. He gave her a resounding hero title and told her that if she became a big star in the future, she could change her name to 【 Exploding Red Witch 】.
Madison wholeheartedly agreed.
And also liked this progression path.
“Can we also become team leaders?”
“On the same level as the great Michael?”
“Hiss—Is this really possible?”
The angels seemed to like environments with progression paths. They had been stuck in the rigid hierarchy of Heaven for too long, never daring to imagine dining at the same table as an Archangel.
“On the same level as me?” Michael seemed to realize something. His golden pupils contracted violently, and his handsome face was so dark it could drip water.
“Enough!”
Michael suddenly roared, his eyes flashing with golden light—everything shouldn’t be like this. According to the plan, the angels were only supposed to be sent to the human world for a baptism of experience.
However.
Now he was also trapped in the human world.
Having lost his glory and strength.
Things had completely spiraled out of control in a way he had never imagined. This filled Michael’s heart with gloom. He tried to use his power to punish the impudent mortal before him.
Only.
Michael’s golden eyes were very bright.
But he had clearly just used his creative power, the ability to rewrite reality at will, yet it fell silent. Even though his eyes were almost bulging with tears, nothing happened in reality. The church ruins remained quiet, only a few crows were startled and flew away. Madison tilted her head, looking at him, not even a strand of her hair stirred.
“Huh? Did you get sand in your eyes?”
The little witch asked sincerely.
She saw Michael shedding tears.
“How could this be? Why is this happening? It shouldn’t be like this.” Michael looked at his hands in disbelief. Not only his glory, but the Seraphim power that had flowed through him for eons had also vanished without a trace. That empty feeling made his whole body tremble—as if his spine had been suddenly pulled out.
The great supreme angel of Heaven.
Now, not only had his glory been lost, but even his own power had been sealed. Yes, sealed. The difference between an Archangel and an ordinary angel was that an Archangel possessed their own power.
And now, that power had disappeared.
As if it had never existed.
Of course.
The reason was also simple.
This power also originated from God’s bestowal.
Only God had the ability to seal his power. Realizing that he was indeed not being haunted by a dirty thing but was being targeted by Father God, Michael found it hard to accept the facts for a while.
“Father! What did I do wrong?”
He threw his head back and roared at the sky, his voice heart-wrenching, filled with unwillingness and despair. His once lustrous wings drooped listlessly. His face, once radiant like the morning sun, was now as dim as a faded oil painting.
He was once the strongest Archangel in Heaven, having personally slain countless degradations.
Now, he couldn’t even subdue a mortal.
No longer a warrior.
Just an… abandoned existence.
“Tell me! Please! Tell me!”
Michael still received no response.
Only a few withered leaves drifted past his eyes in a swirl.
Madison was completely unaffected by this tragic scene. Instead, she excitedly took out her little notebook: “Archangel, can you sing? Dance? You must know at least a bit of rap, right?”
She wanted to find out if Michael had any talents.
“Hm?”
Michael slowly turned his head.
His gaze was as dangerous as if he were about to devour Madison.
“Mortal, do you know who you are talking to? I am the right hand of God, the strongest angel, the one who cast Lucifer into the abyss—” His voice was deep like thunder.
Carrying an authority that could not be defied.
“Slap!”
Madison suddenly clasped her hands together, interrupting Michael’s self-introduction.
“Yes, yes, that’s it! That’s the feeling of a collector of old women. We can create a live-streaming persona for you as a ‘dominant CEO’ fallen into hardship but still living in the past.”
Madison’s eyes shone frighteningly.
She truly understood live-streaming gimmicks. Ian never chose the wrong assistant.
“Of course, you still need to learn other talents. Even a fallen dominant CEO can’t be unable to dance, sing, or play basketball.” Madison had strict requirements for the angels.
Upon hearing this.
Michael’s expression froze.
He slowly raised his hand, instinctively wanting to cast a heavenly punishment on this blasphemer—this Archangel did have residual power, but this power was truly too residual.
“Whoosh~”
The Vice Lord of Heaven unleashed his full power.
However, only a small gust of wind blew from his palm, just enough to lift Madison’s bangs. Madison didn’t feel any threat from this; in fact, she was a little surprised.
“Wow! Is this your talent? ‘Archangel’s Gentle Breeze’? Great, great! The audience will definitely love watching this during the live stream!” Madison seemed to be on a completely different wavelength from Michael.
She was focused on developing the business Ian had assigned her, and casually recorded Michael’s live-streaming room in her little notebook. It could save the need for an air conditioner or a fan.
When it gets hot, Michael would know to blow air for himself.
“How dare you humiliate me like this!” Michael heard Madison’s words. His face turned from white to red, then from red to green. Exposed, he lunged at Madison.
The three-meter-long street lamp, placed to the side, automatically stood up, eager to win the honor of beating up Michael. Unfortunately, Michael was stopped by a group of angels.
“Venerable One, please calm down!”
“A few decades is nothing to us; it’s almost a blink of an eye. Lord Ian said this is called ‘atonement cultivation,’ an opportunity provided by God for us!”
“The Savior Angel will surely save all angels.”
“To be honest, that street lamp head-bonk really hurts. Venerable One, you don’t need to suffer unnecessarily.”
……
A group of angels advised Michael. Among them were over a dozen unlucky angels who had been hit on the head by Madison in the metropolis and forced to dance awkwardly under a mysterious influence—since Ian stopped hitting people on the head with a hammer, he had clearly found a successor to his craft.
“Let go of me!”
Michael was pinned to the ground, his wings spread out messily behind him. He listened to the angels’ “advice,” feeling the greatest humiliation he had experienced since birth.
Struggling?
He was, of course, struggling.
But the other angels were also quite strong.
Michael was surrounded and pinned to the ground by the combined efforts of the angels, and it was hard to say if there were any personal emotions involved. His chest heaved, and his eyes were filled with humiliation and unwillingness.
Michael looked at the group of former subordinates before him.
Now, one by one, they were discussing “live-streaming techniques,” “fan operations,” and “tip revenue sharing”… these were all things Madison had taught them.
Michael found it all very strange.
Are these still angels?
He suddenly realized something—he could no longer control any of this.
The wind blew from the side, carrying distant whispers.
“Caw caw caw caw caw~”
A crow landed on a canopy, tilting its head as it watched the farce. Its jet-black eyes reflected Michael’s enraged, disbelieving, and madly roaring face—this once mighty Archangel was now having his hands held by ordinary angels, putting his handprint on the 《 Ian’s Greatest Technology Group Labor Contract 》.
“How dare you treat me like this?!”
Michael’s roar caused the gravel on the ruins to tremble and fall. His golden eyes, which once burned with divine flames, were now filled with anger and humiliation.
In response.
The angels of course had a valid reply.
“This is all so that you can return to Heaven with us!”
“Yes, yes, the Savior Angel is clearly God’s choice!”
“Lord Michael is so powerful, he will surely complete his atonement sooner than us.”
……
From the angels’ perspective, their judgment was probably not wrong. Even Michael had lost his glory, which naturally proved that the Savior Angel was the correct Archangel.
“Damn it! There’s no such thing as a Savior An—”
Michael’s roar got stuck in his throat.
The moment his soul contract took effect, a glimmer of long-lost glory suddenly flowed back into his body. Although it was as weak as a candle flame in the wind, it was indeed his own power!
Even a bit of glory flowed back into his body.
“This…”
Michael’s pupils widened sharply.
He looked down at the faint golden light in his palm, his voice filled with surprise and uncertainty. Could this absurd contract truly be God’s will? Was the Lord testing him in this way?
“What do you say? Ian’s Greatest Technology Group never forces angels to work.”
Madison bit the end of her pen, blinking as she waited for his answer. Michael took a deep breath and suddenly became exceptionally calm: “I refuse to perform for mortals by singing and dancing.”
He was, of course, not stupid.
He had already realized the problem.
However, he still wanted to maintain some semblance of a bottom line.
The Archangel’s change was so sudden that it surprised Madison.
“Then what other talents do you have?”
Madison picked up her little notebook again, which was filled with many magic symbols she had fabricated herself. Only she could understand them, and they had no substantial magical meaning.
They were purely for aesthetics, decoration.
“I am very good at fighting.”
Michael got up from the ground and responded in a deep voice.
“There are no high-paying mercenary jobs now. Wait a moment, wait a moment. Any other talents?” After searching on her mobile phone, Madison shook her head and rejected it.
Hearing this, Michael fell silent for a moment.
“I also punish sinners.”
His voice was slightly stubborn. After all, compared to other angels who had some basic skills, as the Vice Lord of Heaven, how could the strongest Archangel know any human talents?
“Uh, that’s fine too. Dark web live streaming is still live streaming!” Madison pondered for a moment and found a suitable path for Michael. She clearly had a more flexible mind than Ian.
She decided to have Michael live stream on the dark web teaching “AI and AI,” and perhaps even develop it into a multi-gender culture. The little punk girl’s heart harbored a true demon.
Unfortunately, the powerless Michael could not sense it.
However.
“I refuse to live stream!”
He inherently resisted acts of pleasing mortals. Unlike other angels who complied with arrangements, this Vice Lord of Heaven still considered humans mere pets raised by God.
As God’s son, how could he possibly please pets?
“But Ian only planned two paths—I can’t find a new direction either.” Madison flipped through her little notebook with a troubled expression, her knowledge blind spot triggered at this moment.
Fortunately, this trouble did not last long.
“I’ll go work on screws!”
Michael almost roared this sentence, his handsome face twisting for a moment. As the Vice Lord of Heaven, he’d rather be a factory assembly line worker than sell smiles in front of a camera!
“Alright, alright.”
Michael was finally assigned to screw assembly as he wished. Madison, though regretful, registered him and casually handed him a 《 Screw Worker Handbook: From Novice to Ascension》.
【 Once you looked down upon all beings in Heaven, now you need to personally experience the suffering of the human world. Lowering your head is not a humiliation, but a way to experience the secular world, and also to prevent being hit in the head by falling parts… This book aims to help novice angels quickly adapt to assembly line work and achieve career advancement from “Apprentice Mortal Screw Worker” to “Super Heaven Level Ten Mechanic Grand Perfection”!】
The content is only over a hundred thousand words.
This is an impromptu creation by the great writer Ian.
There are hundreds of different levels waiting for angels to ascend—obviously, Ian also employed some game design tactics, believing they would have a positive impact.
The other angels were also very interested in this.
Only the Archangel’s expression changed repeatedly.
“…”
Michael’s fingers gripping the handbook turned white, and he suppressed the urge to tear the book on the spot. Just as he was about to turn away, a harsh screech of brakes interrupted this farce.
A rusty large truck wobbled to a stop in front of the ruins.
“We’re here, we’re here.”
Jordan jumped out from the passenger seat and dusted himself off.
“Where’s the freight charge?”
He reached out to Madison for money.
Madison looked at the tattered large truck.
“Ian clearly ordered a large bus, and you’re even skimming kickbacks from your own brother’s money?” The little punk girl didn’t immediately hand over money but looked at Ian’s second brother in disbelief.
“At this point, where am I supposed to rent a large bus? Normal people don’t dare to go to Gotham now.” Jordan rolled his eyes and replied with a righteous tone.
His words were not without reason.
Driving to Gotham late at night.
It was clearly a fishing robbery.
Not to mention the disaster that happened in Gotham today, everyone knew that a terrifying situation had occurred in Gotham, so only superheroes weren’t afraid of contracting the mysterious virus.
Regarding this.
Madison considered it and felt it made sense.
“A large truck and a large bus definitely aren’t the same price.” Madison pouted, counted out a stack of money, carefully counted it, and then had an angel who was good at math count it again before handing it to Jordan.
“Ian said I could take a little kickback.” Jordan took the money, skillfully tucked half of it into his pocket, and then turned to hand the rest to Black Lightning, who was in the driver’s seat.
“No, you can’t do it behind my back?” Black Lightning, an 18th-tier superhero from Metropolis, looked at this blatant corruption with extreme speechlessness.
Jordan felt no shame at all.
“This is the brokerage fee I deserve. The most important thing in the 21st century is channels, and I’ve provided you with an opportunity to supplement your household expenses. You should thank 【 Metropolis Superhero Designated Union】.”
He patted Black Lightning’s shoulder, feigning profundity. The Kent family had many talented individuals, like Ian, who wanted to form the New Justice League, and like Jordan, who secretly established a superhero union.
“…”
Black Lightning’s mouth twitched a few times.
He looked back through the rearview mirror and saw Madison calling for the angels to climb into the truck bed. Because their wings were retracted, Black Lightning only saw a group of handsome men and beautiful women.
A few were whispering about “atonement points.”
“Is this really something Superman arranged for you? To resettle these refugees?” Black Lightning asked suspiciously, mainly because he couldn’t believe Gotham had such seemingly simple residents.
“Of course.”
Jordan nodded with a straight face. There were many Supermen in the Kent family, and he didn’t specify which one. Even if his father caught him, he’d get less of a scolding than Ian for lying.
Ian’s mouth was full of lies.
His own mouth, Jordan’s, was full of truth.
“I will verify this with Superman!” Black Lightning didn’t often get to see Superman, but that didn’t stop him from being cautious. Ever since he investigated smuggling that led to the CIA, he had become careful and vigilant.
The truck swayed as it drove towards the cross-sea bridge between Gotham and Metropolis.
Black Lightning kept his ears pricked, listening.
He heard the little girl in the back of the truck bed teaching the refugees how to work efficiently. The more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong, as if he were abetting the smuggling of people by children.
Black Lightning felt a bit panicked.
However, Jordan stopped talking once he got into the car.
He caught sight of the boy in the passenger seat browsing an Amazon shopping platform.
“What are you doing?” The 18th-tier superhero broke the strange atmosphere, but Jordan immediately blocked his phone screen and frantically shook his head with a guilty conscience.
“Just online shopping, it’s normal, everyone shops online.” Jordan didn’t want to reveal he was picking out a girlfriend, and he was also looking forward to no longer being limited to the small Holy Grail.
Full simulation.
Imported silicon-based.
One-to-one real-life body proportions.
Those advertising slogans made Jordan’s heart race.
“Don’t be distracted while driving; many car accidents happen because drivers aren’t focused.” Jordan reminded Black Lightning, and the atmosphere in the air once again fell into silence.
Only Madison, in the back of the truck, was echoing with her knowledge from Hollywood, describing how dangerous the human world was to the angels.
“Those official masters like to keep trafficked angels in Area 51, while stray angels are captured for experiments. Only our official employees receive protection!”
“You might even get chased by terrifying assassins or kidnapped to an island and forced to play battle royale games if you accidentally kick a dog when you go out.”
“Hey, hey, don’t start shedding your feathers from fright. If you start shedding now, you won’t have any feathers left to exchange for Heaven points in winter.”
Madison was clearly concerned about the angels’ feathers.
After all, Ian had promised to give her a down jacket as a year-end bonus in the winter—the large truck drove back to Metropolis in this strange atmosphere.
“So it really is resettling refugees.”
It wasn’t until the car stopped in front of an apartment building that Black Lightning felt a little relieved watching Madison help the “refugees” check in in an orderly fashion. Especially when a beautiful woman earnestly asked, “What’s the dorm’s WiFi password?” did he finally dismiss the terrifying thought that “the Kent family was opening a slave plantation.”
“The WiFi password isn’t fixed. To prevent others from leeching off the network, you just need to praise Ian ten thousand times to the router.” Madison thought this was reasonable.
“?????”
Black Lightning, however, was dumbfounded.
He had never seen such a shameless router.
“The appliances and furniture here seem to be the first batch of test products produced by Ian’s factory,” Jordan mused, stroking his chin, lost in thought about something.
“…”
Black Lightning’s silence wasn’t just because his knowledge blind spot had been touched.
It was also because Madison was staring at him.
As if she was afraid he would steal something from there.
“This is racial discrimination!”
Black Lightning was very displeased.
“I know.”
Madison nodded readily, without even a pretense of an apology. Seeing this, Black Lightning angrily stepped on the gas and left the apartment building with his stifled side income.
“Wait for me!”
Jordan flew up directly and got into the passenger seat. While the angels were beautiful, Jordan was unmoved by them, as he didn’t really like 3D girls.
The 2D virus Ian kept on his computer was truly beautiful.
“Male angels live in the same building as male angels, and female angels live in the same building as female angels,” Madison said loudly into a megaphone, unfazed by Jordan’s departure.
She quite enjoyed the feeling of being a supervisor.
“Remember, don’t develop feelings for your own kind—” she blinked and added, and the angels nodded in agreement, understanding this arrangement.
After all, Heaven had similar rules.
However.
“But you can develop feelings for humans. There are humans everywhere, and dating is allowed. Ian said this is to promote cultural exchange between Heaven and the human world!”
Madison’s tone betrayed a hint of guilt.
It was clear she was falsely relaying orders.
The main reason she would do this was her desire to see what a Nephilim looked like.
“Nonsense!”
Michael looked up sharply.
His golden pupils suddenly contracted.
He wanted to continue his reprimand, but Madison’s phone rang; it was her parents. After arranging the angels’ accommodation, she took the call and flew away.
Yes.
She flew away.
Just as Michael was about to erupt in anger, Madison was already riding her street lamp and flying into the night sky, much like Harry Potter on a broom.
In ancient times, witches rode brooms; today, witches ride street lamps. This is simply keeping up with the times. Michael stood there, so angry that the wings hidden within his body were trembling.
“Absolutely no Nephilim shall be born! That will be the beginning of disaster!” He turned and solemnly warned the angels, who nodded seriously and all promised never to commit such a grave mistake.
They took their room cards and began to try to experience human life, returning to their assigned dormitories. Only Michael, holding the room card for his own solo room as group leader, did not move.
In the deep quiet of the night.
This Archangel sat alone on the rooftop of the apartment building.
He wasn’t there to jump, of course.
But he was still somewhat unwilling.
“Father, great Lord, what is it that you truly want from us?” Michael revealed his wings, but the once pure white feathers on them were now exceptionally dim.
He flapped them twice.
Michael realized he could no longer even use them to fly.
“Uriel! If you can hear me, please pull me up.” Michael gazed at the starry sky, trying to find the direction of Heaven, and inwardly prayed to his brother.
A night breeze blew, but there was no response.
Only an exclamation from an angel downstairs could be heard.
“I’m boiling some water, and after the hot water is boiled, the kettle’s whistle sounds like the siren of the ‘Savior Angel’?” Clearly, new era technology had startled the angel from Heaven.
This one disturbance.
Made Michael’s mood even more unbearable.
“Uriel! I call you in the name of brotherhood! Respond to me!” The wind blew through his tattered wings, stirring his broken armor, and he prayed again and again.
It was as if that was his last hope.
“Uriel… As long as I can return to Heaven, I can find a way to regain my strength. Hurry and take me back, or Lucifer might take this opportunity to seize control of Heaven.”
Michael’s voice pierced through the clouds.
There was no response.
Only the sound of the wind and the low murmurs of angels in the distance.
“Has Uriel also lost his glory?”
Michael’s fingers clutched his face deeply, and he began to doubt if even his brother had been cast out of Heaven, unable to hear his prayers anymore.
However.
Was that really the case?
Far beyond Michael’s current sight, in Heaven, it was not as desolate as he imagined. Uriel, who was within Heaven, had indeed heard his brother’s prayer.
However.
The response he gave was not what Michael expected. The Cherub of Heaven, after observing the scene on Earth, seemed possessed by an evil spirit.
He heard Michael’s prayer.
He heard it clearly.
But instead of responding, he acted frantically.
He dragged heavy metal chains, tightly binding the Gate of Heaven leading to the human world; he sealed the runes on the gate with sacred fire, even going so far as to draw a forbidden spell with his own blood.
Completely blocking the passage.
Uriel wasn’t unable to save Michael.
He dared not save him.
He knew Michael had been abandoned by God.
And any attempt to establish contact with a fallen one would be considered rebellion.
“Great Lord, my beloved Father,” Uriel’s voice trembled, and he also prayed, “I swear my unwavering loyalty to you! Michael’s fall has nothing to do with me!”
The Cherub used his intellect. As he prayed, he frantically piled things behind the Gate of Heaven: the Ark of the Covenant, altars, and even several Cherubim statues.
All were piled at the entrance.
As if afraid that he himself might fall out of Heaven.
This fellow was frantically pledging his loyalty to God, constantly denouncing Michael for being too corrupt, and stating that brotherhood was entirely less important than his own continued presence in Heaven.
Of course.
In Uriel’s own opinion.
He was obeying the Lord’s will.
However, a wind blew from afar, carrying whispers not of this world. Within the high walls of Heaven, loyalty and betrayal may no longer have clear boundaries.
“Father, I am your most faithful servant, and my loyalty to you has never wavered. Michael is no longer a guardian of Heaven, and I will certainly not respond to his prayers.”
“Rest assured.”
While Uriel was frantically praying, he didn’t know that above his head, a crow quietly landed on the window lattice. After watching him for a long time, it let out a rather shrill laugh.
“Caw caw caw caw caw caw~”
A harsh crow’s caw suddenly rang out.
The crow’s blood-red eyes stared mockingly at Uriel.
“Get out! Lucifer’s spy!”
Uriel looked up sharply, his face changing drastically. He roared and swung his arms, trying to drive away the crow, not even daring to use his power, fearing that it would diminish with each use.
The crow flapped its wings and took flight.
It paused in the air for a moment.
Immediately after, a familiar and mocking voice came from its mouth.
“I love this scene so much.”
It was Lucifer Morningstar.
He chose not to invade Heaven, but to mock it. At this moment, Lucifer was sitting in a corner of the Bar of Light, holding a small crow puppet in his hand.
He spoke to the crow puppet as if making a phone call.
The background music of the bar was a deafening explosion mixed with electronic music.
“Uriel, listen to my bar’s new music~”
Lucifer drank, and with a mischievous grin, brought the puppet closer to the speaker, “Boom, boom, boom~ Isn’t the rhythm strong? Tomorrow night, a bunch of humans will be disco dancing to this!”
His voice was filled with schadenfreude.
In Heaven.
Uriel, who heard this commotion through the strange crow, turned ashen-faced—he realized it wasn’t electronic music at all, but a recording of the Holy City’s explosion!
It had been remixed into a super hyped-up song!
“Say hello to Michael for me, oh, I almost forgot, he can’t hear my greetings anymore. He’s on a rooftop right now, wallowing in self-pity and licking his wounds.”
Lucifer’s cheerful voice was full of glee, “Uriel, don’t worry, even though I don’t like you, I’m still willing to offer you a bartender job.”
“Pay is daily, and I’ll teach you everything. I’ll be waiting here for you to fall into the mortal world.” Lucifer’s third-year voice was dripping with sarcasm, making Uriel furious.
“Get lost!!!”
Uriel couldn’t help but unleash holy fire, and the crow instantly turned to ashes. But Lucifer’s laughter still echoed in the temple, like a nightmare that could never be dispelled.
“Hahahaha~!”
Lucifer was indeed still laughing heartily in his bar. Who knew how long it had been since he was this happy. The entire bar was filled with the Lord of Hell’s joyous emotions.
At this moment.
The Demon King Crowley was mopping the floor.
“An Archangel has fallen too? This is truly astonishing.” He stared at the television screen, his eyes contracting violently. On the screen, Michael was silently weeping.
Crowley knew very well that Heaven would descend into chaos.
But he never expected the spectacle to be so grand.
His intuition told him that this matter was by no means simple.
“The Archangel’s power, gone just like that?” Crowley turned to Lucifer behind the bar, his tone filled with disbelief. He knew very well that Michael was the “Hand of God” who could create reality from the void.
“Don’t overestimate the Archangel’s invincibility.” Lucifer swayed his wine glass, still wearing his usual devil-may-care smile. He held up his thumb and index finger, forming a thin gap.
“Michael is very strong, but between him and God, there’s me. Don’t underestimate this sliver of difference. It looks like just a sliver, but in reality, an entire multiverse could fit in that gap. In front of me, he’s like I am in front of that mad God, with an insurmountable chasm between mortal and divine.”
Perhaps Lucifer represented pride, but in reality, Lucifer was always the most clear-headed angel. His words left Crowley dumbfounded.
“What does God intend to do?” Crowley frowned, unable to help but speculate on the intentions of the Almighty. He was clearly not as intelligent or clear-headed as Lucifer.
Lucifer suddenly burst into laughter, thrusting his phone into Crowley’s hand: “What does that have to do with us? Enjoy the moment! Come on, take a video of me.”
Saying that.
Lucifer even straightened his perpetually spotless suit from Los Angeles.
The bewildered Crowley raised his phone. In the lens, Lucifer suddenly clutched his stomach, raised his hand towards the camera, and laughed uncontrollably. His exaggerated laughter even shattered a few chandeliers.
“Hahahaha~”
Lucifer’s laughter was extremely theatrical.
“What is this?” Crowley promptly took the video and carefully handed the phone back.
“Of course, I’m just looking for some fun.” Lucifer licked the wine from his lips, his gaze returning to the television. On the screen, a group of angels were learning a hot dance class sent remotely by Madison.
There was a set of lessons for both men and women.
“Maizi!” Lucifer took another sip of wine and then suddenly shouted towards the distance, “Go check how much money we have left! I want to invest it all in Ian Kent’s company!”
His tone was eager and impatient.
“What madness are you up to now?”
The female demon bartender wiping glasses rolled her eyes.
“I don’t want shares!” Lucifer raised an eyebrow and excitedly said, holding up the recently recorded video, “I just want him to play my handsome face on the company’s big screen in a loop!”
It had to be said.
Lucifer the Third knew how to humiliate angels.
“Wait, I’ll go check the accounts.” Maizi was silent for a moment. She looked at the angels on the television, and her aversion to Heaven finally overcame her annoyance with Lucifer.
Crowley watched Maizi’s retreating back and couldn’t help but lower his voice, quietly asking Lucifer for advice.
“Is that boy truly a savior angel?”
Although Crowley had other suspicions about Ian, suspecting him to be God’s alt account on Earth, his suspicions were clearly not as accurate as the information from Lucifer’s side.
Lucifer did not answer immediately.
Instead, he poured himself another glass of wine.
“He has no blood relation, clone, or power connection with God. However… the title ‘savior angel’… is indeed quite fitting.”
He stared at the 【 Evil God Funny Face 】 sticker on the television, looking at Ian in the TV screen, who was standing next to Superman and poking Batman’s eyeball.
The glory that other angels could see.
How could the Lord of Hell not see it.
Don’t forget.
His angelic identity had always remained.
“Ian Kent, the little boy God greatly valued, he is not simple. His origin, his body… all hide God’s unease about certain matters.”
“I believe that unease does not stem from the so-called invasion from the outer universe.” The neon lights of the Bar of Light flickered outside the window, casting Lucifer’s profile in and out of light.
He continued to watch the television with the 【 Evil God Funny Face 】 sticker, where in the underground base, Ian was researching Batman with his old father.
In the dim medical room of the underground base, Batman lay on the hospital bed, his body covered in eerie purple-black scars. The patterns crawled beneath his skin like living creatures, occasionally bulging with horrifying writhing. The most terrifying were his eyes—his eyeballs were grotesquely bulging, as if they would pop out of their sockets at any moment.
“Pop!”
Ian skillfully reached out and pushed Bruce’s bulging eyeball back in, but as soon as he let go, the two grayish-blue eyeballs popped out again like glass marbles.
Ian pushed again.
Batman’s eyeballs bulged again.
Repeatedly.
“Are you playing with Bruce’s eyeballs?” The Flash couldn’t help but ask. His Speed Force was active on his retinas, allowing him to capture the pulling and stretching of Ian and Batman’s eyeballs.
“I’m trying to prevent tentacles from growing under Uncle Bruce’s eyeballs.” Ian had just heard from The Flash that the audacious Batman had actually injected himself with Cthulhu’s contamination.
If Batman doesn’t mutate, who will?
“Are you really not thinking about killing Batman, forging a paternity test, and inheriting Wayne Enterprises?” The Flash had little trust in Ian’s bottom line.
Upon hearing this.
Ian couldn’t help but roll his eyes.
“Do you know I’m an entrepreneur now? My company’s prospects are much brighter than Wayne Enterprises.” Ian no longer cared about the paltry sum of Wayne Enterprises.
He believed his group had a brighter future. Therefore, Wayne Enterprises had also regrettably lost a great regent. This was not only a regret for Wayne Enterprises but also a sorrow for Damian. Damian would probably never have the chance to meet true love as an unprivileged young master in this lifetime.
Ian felt regret for Damian.
He pushed Uncle Bruce’s eyeballs back in again.
“I feel like you guys don’t even want to save Bruce.” Ian’s Uncle Barry looked at Superman suspiciously. Clark had been scanning Bruce with his X-ray vision, a move he had repeated tens of thousands of times. He suspected Superman wanted to make Bruce absorb enough radiation this way, leading to some terrible radiation sickness that would only manifest in the future.
Of course.
This was clearly the Flash projecting his own thoughts onto Superman. Clark only ever considered when he would have the chance to break Batman’s neck after Batman’s blackening.
He didn’t even consider whether he should wear a suit to Batman’s funeral.
Superman was genuinely examining the problem with Batman.
“His bodily organs are still functioning normally. In fact, what we are seeing is only a phenomenon that exists between existence and non-existence, but this ‘non-existent phenomenon’ is likely to cover reality after some time.” Superman was very different from before; his evolved vision allowed him to perceive the invasive traces more clearly.
“So, what should we do?” The 【 Error Data, Cannot Absorb 】 prompt flashing in Ian’s vision made him irritable. He had actually tried various methods to rescue Bruce at this point—purification with the Holy Sword, Blasphemous Elegy, and even pouring some gunpowder scraped from the Godslayer Spear into Bruce’s veins had no effect.
The contamination on Bruce remained uncontrolled and unresolved.
【 Blasphemous Elegy: You can, with unwavering faith in yourself, blaspheme the authority of the gods, and strip away all positive or negative buff states from yourself and others. 】
With his incredibly potent, mechanism-based skill, Ian could indeed remove the contamination on Batman, but he could not remove the outer universe attached to Batman.
That was not a state.
This meant that even if the contamination was removed, the next moment, new contamination would cover Batman again. It was no longer a matter of treating the symptoms; the contamination on Batman was like endless sprouts that couldn’t be cut.
“Perhaps you could pray to that goddess you know again?” Superman, knowing that Miss Death could grasp outer universes from afar, offered Ian his suggestion.
“Miss Death isn’t as infatuated with me lately.” Ian sighed heavily. He hadn’t not prayed, but Miss Death, who had appeared in the Vatican before, was now nowhere to be found.
I wonder what she’s busy with.
Indeed, what they show in Japanese movies is true. Wives who stay at home and don’t get attention from their husbands cheat with the cleaner or the plumber for this very reason.
Indifference.
Drives people apart.
Originally, Ian only wanted to test Miss Death for tens of thousands of years, but she couldn’t even last for a year.
“What a fickle woman.”
Ian sighed heavily.
The 【 Error Data, Cannot Absorb 】 information kept appearing in his vision. He didn’t know how to force out the contamination now. He couldn’t possibly hold Batman’s brain and gnaw on it, could he?
“I’m not a zombie!”
Ian was quite resistant to such behavior. He liked to eat strange, energy-rich things; that was part of his profession. On normal days, he didn’t even like to eat broccoli.
Let alone human brains, which were scarier than pig brains.
“Let me try my ultimate skill.” Ian suddenly took out a black box from his pocket—a player containing precious footage recorded by Martha Wayne in Heaven.
He waved the photo wildly in front of Bruce’s wide eyes as if brandishing a sacred relic.
“Uncle Bruce! Your mother is calling you to Heaven for dinner! She made your favorite White People Food, boiled chicken breast with unsalted mashed potatoes. If you don’t go, she’ll give it to my grandfather.”
“Maybe she’ll give me something else too.” Ian shouted into Batman’s ear, the photo from the black box almost touching Bruce’s face.
“Ian! What are you talking about?!”
This statement made Superman glance at Ian several times, his expression terrified. Superman reacted strongly, but Bruce clearly couldn’t hear this heartwarming story from Heaven.
“It seems my trump card is useless.”
Ian blinked, looking slightly helpless. He didn’t answer Superman’s question. Under such a serious situation, the matter of Grandfather Jonathan and another Martha drinking tea would only disrupt Superman’s mind.
“No, what exactly is the situation with what you just said?” Superman was somewhat terrified in his heart; he had only just learned what Ian had experienced in Heaven.
He didn’t dare to think further!
“Oh, my goodness, has Ian thought of a new way to inherit Wayne Enterprises?” The Flash was stunned. He realized the same problem that Superman had noticed.
Moreover.
He even suspected that Ian had planned this all along and had arranged a matchmaker in Heaven.
“I’ve already said it, Ian’s brilliant technology group has more prospects than Wayne Enterprises. I can advertise that all my products are manufactured domestically. Can your Wayne Enterprises dare to say they don’t use materials from the East?”
“Do you know what ‘Make America Great Again’ means! I can make America great again!”
Ian couldn’t help but roll his eyes three times at The Flash. He knew that even in a price war with Wayne Enterprises on the same track, his technology group would ultimately prevail.
“…”
The Flash found it difficult to comment on this.
He fell into silence with Superman.
“Let’s focus on how to save Bruce first.” Superman temporarily put aside his distracting thoughts, not adopting The Flash’s suggestion of releasing the boy in his mind.
The only boy they could rely on in this room was Ian.
However.
Seeing that Ian couldn’t find a solution for the time being, Superman frowned and could only shift his gaze back to Batman, activating his Super Brain.
“I’m going to try something.” Superman took a deep breath and gently placed his palm on Batman’s chest. Bruce Wayne’s heartbeat could be felt through the battle suit.
But it carried an unnatural echo.
That was actually an illusion.
But it wasn’t entirely an illusion.
If Bruce’s condition were to worsen further, something that was merely between reality and illusion could truly endanger Bruce’s life.
“My new ability might be useful.” Clark wasn’t sure. He felt that if he could sense others’ thoughts, he might also be able to perceive Bruce’s current soul state.
Thinking this.
Clark closed his eyes and concentrated. He wouldn’t know if he didn’t try; as expected, it led him to unlock a new “listening” method—empathy. In Superman’s senses, the surrounding scene began to distort and dissolve. The medical room’s lights rapidly faded.
It was replaced by a chaotic alternate dimension.
When Superman opened his eyes again, he was standing before a bizarre temple. The building writhed like a living creature, its walls inlaid with countless twisted faces of suffering, and the spires spiraled upwards in a spinal structure. Scarlet mist permeated the surroundings, and a cloyingly sweet aroma hung in the air.
“Bruce!”
In this scene conjured by empathy, Superman saw the figure he was looking for. In the center of the incredibly sinister temple, Bruce Wayne stood erect.
“Have you thought of an answer?”
Batman spoke in a deep voice. Before him stood an evil god, composed entirely of pure sensory pleasure and pain, its contours constantly shifting.
As if its entire existence was an ultimate temptation. Of course, Bruce was no less formidable. Utilizing the power of dreams collected from Metropolis and the residual Cthulhu contamination, he had transformed himself into a fifth evil god in his dream, entwined with black, viscous Cthulhu-like substances.
Those tentacle-like contaminants were used as weapons, rivaling the power of the seductive evil god.
“Again and again, I never noticed you. Now, either take your universe and leave my body.” Batman’s voice was terrifyingly calm.
“Otherwise, we will both be destroyed by Cthulhu’s contamination.” Batman was negotiating with the evil god. His method was clearly not as constrained as Doctor Strange from another world.
He was willing to drag his opponent down with him if words failed. This was indeed a brutal approach.
“Despicable! You dare to threaten me with poison from another universe?” The evil god’s androgynous perfect face contorted, clearly showing apprehension towards the contamination on Batman.
Its voice, like a chorus of thousands, was filled with annoyance. It was unavoidable, for Slaanesh is the “Lord of Pleasure,” the “God of Sensation,” an Eldar god of the Warp.
However.
Even so.
It did not want to become a part of Cthulhu. The chaos and filth between gods varied, and Slaanesh now dared not embrace Bruce.
“Didn’t you say I would fall in love with you amidst screams? Didn’t you say you admired me?” Bruce sneered, actively allowing more black substance to crawl onto his arm.
He stepped forward.
Countless Cthulhu corruptions began to permeate the temple.
“Ahhhh!!”
The evil god let out a piercing scream.
“How dare you defile my perfection!”
It was dodging, evading.
“Now, answer me, make your decision!” Bruce’s soul had already been half eroded by Cthulhu’s corruption, but he didn’t retreat; instead, he became even more aggressive. This was a gamble, using his own will as a price to forcibly introduce Cthulhu’s corruption to create an internal clash, thereby delaying Slaanesh’s complete control over him.
This was a gamble.
If he failed.
He would completely fall.
Become a part of Cthulhu’s corruption.
Never to be free.
“So that’s how it is!”
Superman witnessed this scene.
He immediately understood what had happened.
Bruce wasn’t corrupted; he was using corruption to fight corruption! Those seemingly terrifying scars were actually the result of two interdimensional forces battling within Bruce’s body.
“This is too risky.”
Superman’s consciousness was immersed in the depths of Bruce’s soul. Before him was that bizarre and mysterious temple. He stood in the distance, watching Bruce confront the evil god.
He was greatly shocked.
However, just as he was about to continue observing, the seductive evil god suddenly looked up.
“Look at this human! He’s using Cthulhu’s corruption to fight me! Aren’t you going to do something about it?!” The evil god’s elegance was tinged with anger and panic.
It seemed to be accusing a hidden entity.
“Deal with this mad human! If I get corrupted! You and the others won’t escape either!” Slaanesh’s threat fell on deaf ears, receiving no response.
She should probably sit at the same table as Michael.
Clark followed the direction of the evil god’s roar – at the end of the broken world, a colossal figure clad in golden armor, seated on a golden throne, was watching them.
He had a comic book resting on his knee.
When Superman’s gaze met his, the figure actually gave a slight nod to Superman.
In an instant, a massive amount of information surged into Clark’s consciousness like a tide: burning galaxies, endless wars, warp corruption… finally coalescing into a clear will.
【Destroy us. 】
The other party was able to transmit information to Superman, and such information at that, leaving Superman astonished, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if this was some kind of conspiracy.
He had also encountered interdimensional invasions several times before.
And this.
Was the first time an entity from another universe had actually wanted him to destroy that same universe.
“He is not the supreme being of this world, but merely a corner of this world. Since he cannot make a decision himself, does he want me to help him?”
Superman and the figure on the throne made eye contact.
He could clearly feel the other party’s open heart and mind.
“Who is he?” Superman’s emotions fluctuated greatly. When he looked again at the center of the temple, he found that Bruce and that terrifyingly seductive evil god still hadn’t detected his presence.
“It’s useless, this kind of corruption is more evil than yours.” Batman was still confronting the evil god, the Cthulhu energy wrapped around him clashing fiercely with Slaanesh’s corrupting power.
He was constantly pulling and tugging with the evil god.
Yet he was oblivious to Superman, who was so close.
Just as Clark stepped forward, wanting to see if he could interfere with this domain.
“Clark.”
The Flash’s call suddenly came from far away. Superman felt a pulling force appear in reality, and he cast one last glance at Bruce, who was being torn apart by two corruptions.
Then, his consciousness snapped back to reality.
It was clear that in The Flash’s shaking, Superman’s hand had left Bruce’s chest. The lights of the underground base pierced his eyes, and Superman looked at The Flash with some confusion.
“What happened?”
He sensed The Flash’s anxiety.
“You’d better take a look at this. It has nothing to do with me; I don’t hit little boys. He just fell down when he said he would.” The Flash, Barry, pointed at Ian lying on the ground.
His expression was as if he had seen a ghost.
Clark followed the direction of The Flash’s finger and saw Ian lying on the ground with his hands crossed over his chest, a serene smile on his face, his posture resembling that of someone ready for burial.
On the ground was also a bed sheet that Ian had pulled from Batman’s sickbed.
“I don’t know what’s going on either. Ian might have wanted to play dead with me,” The Flash’s voice trembled. “We were discussing the high-tech stuff in Star Labs, and he wanted to buy it. I said I couldn’t make decisions for Doctor. Then Ian suddenly said, ‘It’s time,’ and lay down on the ground without moving.”
The Flash recounted his experience with a very colorful expression.
In response.
Superman wasn’t surprised at all.
“Yeah, Ian is like that. He sleeps at this time punctually, and that’s already quite good. At least he didn’t move Batman and me away to lie in bed himself.”
Clark was not surprised.
Instead, he defended his little son.
He was concealing something.
However, the somewhat agitated Flash didn’t notice.
“This isn’t just sleeping; I can’t even touch him…” The Flash poked Ian, as if poking a phantom bubble; his fingertips passed directly through the boy’s body.
“This is definitely not normal. Has he been invaded too?” The Flash chattered excitedly, then looked up, only to see Clark’s incredibly deep gaze.
It held a calm that was undisturbed by any ripple.
