Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 241: Ch.240 Individual Progress

Chapter 241: Ch.240 Individual Progress

The black-edged giant sword sliced a Nazi soldier in half vertically as Su Ming glanced over at what Wade was up to.

"Looks like using bullets to motivate him is the way to go. He's running faster than a rabbit now," Su Ming nodded approvingly, noticing how Deadpool was now oddly focused on the task at hand, hacking away at enemies with newfound determination. "But he did secretly stash away Monarch's dead rabbits earlier—what is he planning?"

The symbiote took over the Twilight Sword, slicing through a soldier trying to attack Su Ming from behind. It then handed the weapon back to him, picking up an energy weapon from the ground and starting to shoot.

It seemed the preference for ranged combat had seeped into its very nature. The symbiote clearly had a liking for long-range attacks. Su Ming could control it like a limb, but he also allowed it some freedom. Now, it was like Rambo from First Blood, wielding two energy guns and mowing down enemies behind Su Ming.

It looked as if Su Ming had sprouted extra arms, while the Cloak of Levitation seemed to be doing almost nothing in comparison.

"Whatever. Let Deadpool do what he wants. But those creatures he's fighting, which rushed in from the adjacent factory—they seem to be U-Man's forces."

While Su Ming was still dealing with regular soldiers, Wade's situation was different. His opponents were grotesque creatures with shark or octopus heads—the kind that could drive an ordinary person insane just by looking at them.

These Western versions of 'shrimp soldiers and crab generals' were likely warriors from Atlantis. And if they were appearing on the side of the Germans, they could only be U-Man's subordinates.

It seemed that these creatures weren't fond of guns, probably because firearms were useless underwater. Instead, they were engaging Deadpool in melee combat. In that department, Su Ming had complete confidence in Wade.

According to the official stats from both companies, Su Ming's combat skills were rated at 7, meaning he had mastered all of DC's martial arts and weapons. Similarly, Deadpool's combat skills were also rated at 7, as someone who had mastered all of Marvel's martial arts and weaponry.

Even Thor, the God of Thunder, only had a combat rating of 6.

In close-quarters combat, the two brothers were absolute masters, so there was no need to worry about them facing unexpected danger.

On the contrary, Su Ming's situation was more dangerous than Wade's. The Tesseract-based energy weapons posed a significant threat.

Earlier, Su Ming had tested them by blocking a shot with his armguard. Although it didn't burn his entire arm, it pierced through his armor and the symbiote's "underlayer," leaving a tiny circular hole on his forearm, deep enough to expose the X-metal bones.

And that was just from a handheld weapon. If memory served, HYDRA also had Tesseract-powered cannons. If Su Ming got hit by one of those, he'd be in serious trouble.

Promethium metal couldn't block the Tesseract, and it likely wouldn't block the other Infinity Stones either. Su Ming made a mental note of this fact.

Only X-metal could outperform a single Infinity Stone.

Luckily, the people using these weapons weren't particularly skilled. Weapons are just tools, and it's the skill of the warrior wielding them that matters most.

These German soldiers couldn't shoot as well as the symbiote, which was an alien being. It was embarrassing, really—they should all resign.

It wasn't that their aim was bad. They were elite troops operating deep behind enemy lines in London's underground. How could they have poor marksmanship?

The real issue was Su Ming's incredible speed. His brain could automatically calculate trajectories, allowing him to dodge bullets. If these regular soldiers had managed to hit him, it would've been a miracle.

His black and yellow armor weaved through the crowd like a ghost. The occasional flash of blue energy only made him appear more sinister. With his superb martial arts, enhanced by his mystical weapons, the soldiers barely had time to scream before falling under his blade.

Moments later, all the enemies on the lower level were dead. Su Ming leaned against a nearby machine, catching his breath and calming himself.

He had gone on a killing spree, cutting down around a hundred enemy soldiers. However, this had awakened the symbiote's bloodlust, which resonated with Su Ming's own darker impulses. The surging desire to kill flooded his mind.

Su Ming knew he had reached a critical point. If he let himself go too far, he might lose control and become nothing more than a puppet for the symbiote's bloodthirsty will.

So, he smacked the symbiote a few times, causing it to settle down, as if nothing had happened.

"Damn, were you a vending machine in a past life? You only behave when someone hits you."

Even though he could keep fighting, Su Ming decided to hold back for now. The battle wasn't over yet.

Earlier, the outer gate had been guarded by a group of mutants. Su Ming doubted U-Man or the Germans could control them. There must have been a powerful leader among the mutants, and it definitely wasn't the one he'd thrown into the Antarctic.

Would a true leader be stuck guarding a sewer entrance?

There had to be something more dangerous lurking in the shadows of this secret factory. Su Ming pretended to rest, hoping to lure the hidden enemy out.

Meanwhile, the doctor and the mage had already retreated outside the door. Monarch's tactical sense was excellent, and he made the right call.

While Su Ming and Deadpool were locked in combat, Monarch had helped Horowitz retrieve a body from the conveyor belt. The two then moved outside, as it wasn't the best environment for an autopsy in the middle of a firefight. Blocking the door ensured they could defend the squad's exit while providing cover.

"There are no obvious external injuries, no signs of poison, and the cause of death seems to be organ failure. Also, this isn't even a human body," Horowitz quickly reported after performing a preliminary examination. He had surgical and diagnostic tools on hand and had wasted no time in cutting open the corpse with a flashlight.

Monarch kept his 'shield' spell active, a technique he had learned from Kamar-Taj. It was one of the few white magic spells he knew, but his body always resisted white magic.

"Not human?"

"Take a look inside its chest cavity. Besides lungs, there are some strange organs," Horowitz said, holding open the chest cavity to show the mage. Inside was an organ resembling an accordion, layered together.

"Looks like gills, but not the kind fish have. It's connected to the lungs and trachea," Monarch speculated after a quick glance.

Horowitz habitually stitched the body back up while asking, "Could this be someone from Atlantis?"

Monarch furrowed his brow. "I doubt it. I've never seen an Atlantean, but I've heard they have blue skin, like the color of the ocean."

"That's strange. It looks like a normal person on the outside, but inside, it's completely different. Could this be Namor, the sea king we're looking for?" Horowitz finished stitching the body and propped it up against the wall. As he searched for a body bag, he realized he'd once again fallen into the habits of his profession, and couldn't help but chuckle.

The Prince of Magic wasn't sure either. But if this was Namor, then what were the hundreds of other bodies on the conveyor belt? There were at least five or six hundred of them, far more than the number Monarch's magic had detected. And these bodies had no signs of life at all.

"I'm not sure... Let's wait and report to Su Ming. He'll know what to do."

Unbeknownst to Su Ming, his teammates had gradually stopped making decisions independently, relying more and more on his judgment. They were starting down the same path as the Justice League, becoming increasingly dependent on their leader's direction.

Horowitz agreed with Monarch's reasoning. Let the boss handle it.

So, as they watched the occasional blue energy beams zip through the dark factory, they started discussing beard care—whether beard oil or beard wax was better. Each had their own opinion.

In the end, the Prince of Magic, with his broader knowledge, recommended a black magic beard wax made from toads and creatures from other dimensions. After trying it out, Horowitz was delighted, praising the product as his mustache now gleamed with a glossy sheen.

The two were thoroughly enjoying their conversation—what a joyous occasion indeed.