Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 224: Ch.223 Buying Time

Chapter 224: Ch.223 Buying Time

With Deathstroke's powerful spatial calculation abilities combined with the strength and speed granted by the symbiote, Su Ming's attacks were like a tiger amongst sheep. No matter what spells the dark mages cast, he always managed to narrowly dodge them.

It wasn't that no one tried to engage him in close combat, but the mages' meager melee skills were no match for Su Ming, who often used his dagger to teach them a harsh lesson in the first round.

Of course, Su Ming also targeted the weaker opponents. For instance, he had no intention of engaging the transmuted mage fighting Mordo head-on.

There were also some mages with overly flashy light effects. Su Ming wisely kept his distance from them.

Though he didn't know the exact power of their magic, usually, if a spell looked impressive, it packed a punch.

Does it look good? Good magic, then.

After stabbing a few mages, his symbiote suit remained as pristine as ever, absorbing all the blood that had splashed onto it. Meanwhile, the bloodthirsty urge in his mind grew stronger.

It felt as though another personality was emerging inside him, constantly urging him to charge into the crowd and slaughter them all.

But Su Ming wouldn't be controlled. The symbiote, like the Godslayer, was something that could make its user lose themselves, and Su Ming was always careful when using it.

He patted his suit, signaling the symbiote to calm down, and returned to the Druid's side.

"How's it going? Is the telepathic magic ready?" he asked.

"Not yet, give me a moment," the Druid replied with a serious expression. His telepathic abilities were more like an unexpected superpower than a typical spell; it didn't require a direct cost but needed a lengthy preparation process.

Communicating with other people's minds was a complex task. Even with his experience, it took time.

Su Ming glanced at the enemies who had regrouped after being driven back and sighed, "You really need to work on your spellcasting speed. Don't you have any equipment to speed this up?"

The Druid responded with a confused look: "???"

Despite the banter, Su Ming didn't waste time. He stood in front of the Druid, shielding him while charging back into the enemy ranks.

This time, however, the enemy mages seemed to have recognized the symbiote's vulnerability, as many of their incoming spells were fire-based. Su Ming had to dodge carefully. Even getting too close to the heat would destabilize his body, affecting his ability to dodge properly.

The symbiote's weakness was too obvious, especially when facing mages. They could conjure fire from the most unexpected angles and forms.

"You think I'm useless without the symbiote?" Su Ming smirked as he rolled out of the way of a fire blast. "Symbiote, hide."

The black-and-yellow suit peeled off his body, seeping back into his skin through his pores, retreating inside.

Though he lost the added strength and speed, his biggest vulnerability was now gone. Even without the symbiote, Su Ming could handle these mages just fine.

Amidst the group of bizarre-looking individuals, there was now another nearly naked figure, dressed only in boxer shorts.

In about twenty years, this scene would look like a wild hippie music festival.

Barefoot, stepping on the rubble and corpses, Su Ming attacked with his dagger, constructing a mental map of the battlefield from a bird's-eye view in his mind.

"At 9 o'clock, 20 meters out, there's a mage casting a fire spell. At 11 o'clock, 15 meters away, another one's doing the same. At 2 o'clock, someone's hiding 10 meters behind a broken water barrel, planning a sneak attack. And directly in front of me, there's one mage coming in for close combat, using Dormammu's dark blade spell."

In an instant, all the threats he was about to face flashed through his mind, and a strategy formed.

The melee fighter seemed closest but posed the least threat.

The mage charging at him had glowing black eyes and was foaming at the mouth, clearly having lost all rational thought. When a mage resorts to hand-to-hand combat, they'll see it through to the end.

All Su Ming had to do was keep just out of reach, giving the mage the illusion he could land a hit. Like a dog chasing a bone, the mage would blindly follow him.

As for the one hiding behind the water barrel, he hadn't started casting yet. Though he thought he was well-concealed, his allies' occasional glances toward him gave him away.

Su Ming was ready for him—no problem there.

The real issue was the two fire mages on the left, who had nearly completed their spells. One was casting a fireball, the other a fire beam.

Fire spells are typically hell magic. He wasn't sure of the exact names, but they weren't difficult to deal with.

So, Su Ming charged directly toward the melee mage, then suddenly ducked low, sliding under the mage's arm.

At their closest point, Su Ming could almost feel the mage's spittle hitting his face, and he could sense the mage's breathing becoming heavier as his muscles tensed, preparing to strike.

But Su Ming left him swinging at air, leaving behind only a black streak on the ground.

At that moment, the fire beam spell arrived, and because of Su Ming's sudden dodge, it hit the melee mage squarely, turning him into a pile of charred remains.

He didn't even have time to scream—he was instantly reduced to ash, which was blown away by the wind.

Next up was the fireball spell. Fireballs flew slower, and Su Ming had already observed the common spells and their trajectories during his previous scan of the battlefield. Everything was going according to plan.

He dove toward the fireball, using his owl dagger as a makeshift arrowhead, his whole body forming an arrow that shot straight into the fireball's center.

The fireball exploded, instantly covering the area with flames and thick smoke.

His right arm was injured, with the skin and muscle below the elbow completely burned away, exposing the X-metal skeleton, which was firmly holding the dagger. However, the rest of his body remained unharmed, and his combat ability was unaffected.

His healing factor kicked in, and the damage would take about ten seconds to fully repair. In the meantime, his left arm would suffice.

Su Ming rolled to his feet, feeling the residual heat from the blast on the ground. Using the fireball's explosion and smoke as cover, he sprinted toward the two fire mages.

The outcome was already calculated in his mind—he didn't even need to see to know when to strike.

In the dense smoke, Su Ming snapped both fire mages' necks, killing them as they were still trying to clear the smoke. Like a reaper, he appeared behind them without a sound.

Their necks were so fragile—snapping them felt different, like breaking a bell. It could make for a nice accompaniment to the ringing.

He also pocketed a ring from one of the dead mages. The gem looked valuable, so why not take it?

Straightening up, he threw his dagger toward the other side of the smoke.

Then, waiting for his right arm to heal, he slipped the ring onto his finger and tested it out. It didn't feel special—just an ordinary stone. Maybe he'd give it to one of his subordinates later.

Walking out of the smoke, he headed toward the water barrel, pulling his dagger out of the corpse's head and wiping the owl engraving clean.

When the smoke blocks their vision, people hiding tend to nervously check the situation. The thoughts of these mages were too predictable—like ordinary people, they lacked military training and weren't fully prepared for the battlefield.

After wiping his dagger clean on the corpse's clothes, Su Ming surveyed the area. For now, no one else would be coming over.

He strode confidently out of the smoke, and the black-and-yellow symbiote armor slowly crawled back onto his body. Its warning colors gleamed even brighter against the backdrop of the flames behind him.