Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 299: Ch.298 World’s Past

Chapter 299: Ch.298 World's Past

Cable immediately pulled out a toolkit, assembling various circuit boards and mysterious gadgets into a makeshift device. It looked like a remote control for a toy car.

"This should work. It functions similarly to a radio from your time—just keep turning this dial, and you can detect different ranges and intensities of magnetic disturbances."

Cable tested it out, taking a few puffs of his cigar before handing the contraption to Su Ming.

Su Ming accepted the creation, which resembled something out of goblin tech, while Fragment passed him a few EMP grenades.

Turning to glance at his team, Su Ming saw that Wade was busy showing off the brand of his underwear to Apocalypse. Meanwhile, the young mutants kept their distance, watching the explosions and attacks outside from within Apocalypse's protective barrier—almost as if they were enjoying a fireworks show.

Su Ming entered the chancellery once more.

This time, he was much more cautious. He shot at anything that emitted electromagnetic disturbances—be it speakers or light bulbs. However, when he encountered a real temporal device, the EMP grenades proved ineffective, leaving Su Ming mildly disappointed. He resolved the problem with a direct grenade blast instead.

The Conqueror's technology was indeed highly advanced. His temporal traps looked like ordinary paintings, and without the detector Cable had crafted, Su Ming might have missed them entirely.

After disabling various types of traps along the way, Su Ming kicked open the office door.

The heavy wooden door swung open with a thud, slamming against the walls. Su Ming strode confidently into the legendary office.

Behind the desk sat a small figure, while the familiar Blue Glove stood by his side.

The windows were shattered, and shards of glass littered the floor, but neither seemed to care.

"Deathstroke, Slade Wilson, I've always wondered what our first meeting would look like."

The short figure stood up, spreading his arms toward Su Ming, his small mustache twitching with each word.

Su Ming chuckled, raised his gun, and shot the Blue Glove in the head, splattering blood and brain matter against the wall behind him.

Watching the body collapse, Su Ming casually reloaded his gun. "I figured it would look just like this—more like a crime scene."

The Conqueror didn't seem bothered, glancing nonchalantly at the fallen Blue Glove. "I'm curious—how did you find me here? I gave you what you wanted and cut off every lead. What made you think to come here?"

"Turning Germany into this mess—who else would have the authority to do that but a little mustachioed dictator?" Su Ming holstered his gun, knowing that bullets were ineffective against Kang. To take him down, he would need to ambush him with the Duskblade or X-metal to stand a chance of piercing his armor.

"Ah, I underestimated you. I've been watching you since 1925 when you first arrived in this world. I almost regret my decision back then."

The Conqueror settled back into his chair and pressed a button on his chest. His mustachioed disguise rippled like water, revealing the purple armor and green cloak underneath.

"It seems your taste isn't great—pairing purple with green just makes you look like a clown," Su Ming remarked, stepping closer to the desk, arms crossed over his chest, maintaining a calm tone. He wanted answers.

"Heh, on one timeline, I tried a red and gold armor, but back then, people had no interest in my name. They just called me 'Iron Lad,' thinking I was imitating Iron Man. I once tried to be a hero, but now, I don't care about anything."

Kang the Conqueror responded wistfully to Su Ming, once again facing an opponent who had closed the distance between them.

But he hadn't lost yet.

He knew that Su Ming was fundamentally like him—a traveler from another world, another time. Their arrival on this Earth was only a few years apart.

They should have been allies.

He had done many things for Su Ming, which he now saw as leverage.

After all, Su Ming and Apocalypse were not on the same side, and a conflict between them was inevitable.

Kang's focus was on collecting timelines and worlds for amusement, without much concern for governance or the burdens of managing a world. He wouldn't mind handing the Earth over to Su Ming, leaving it as another trophy on his shelf, with no real loss to him.

Su Ming didn't even turn around, firing toward the door. A Blue Glove that had just entered crumpled to the ground, its body collapsing against the doorframe.

"You did something to me, didn't you? Like locking down my tech?"

"Ah, you could say that. After all, it posed a threat to me. But I made it up to you—I gave you what you wanted."

Kang tapped on the desk a few times, and what seemed like a solid wooden desk revealed a holographic display.

The footage was entirely lifelike and adjustable from any angle, showing everything from Su Ming's arrival in Hawaii to his subsequent activities, all meticulously recorded.

Kang lightly rapped the table, causing the image to zoom in rapidly, engulfing both him and Su Ming as if they were stepping back into that time and place.

Su Ming instinctively reached for his weapon.

"Relax, I just want to show you what I've done for you. You'll see that you've already gained a lot from me."

Kang raised his hands, signaling no hostile intent as he slowly walked over to Su Ming's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

Su Ming thought for a moment and lowered his weapon. He, too, wanted to see how Kang had blocked his technology and whether there might be a way to reverse it later.

So they stood like observers, watching the past unfold along the shore.

In the scene, the Su Ming of the past was emerging from a jewelry shop in Honolulu. Kang, meanwhile, tapped a few controls on his armor, revealing the shopkeeper handing over the jewelry to the Blue Glove.

"Yes, I noticed your interest in money early on. I arranged for the Blue Glove to connect with this shop, offering a good price and purchasing the jewelry with gold."

Su Ming raised an eyebrow, remaining silent as he recalled the events. Indeed, when the shopkeeper mentioned sending the accountant to prepare a check, there was no hesitation.

Ten thousand dollars was a considerable sum, whether in 1925 or 1942.

But if they already had a buyer lined up before the payment, it explained why they were so willing to cooperate.

Next, the scene shifted to Su Ming arriving in New York, where he recruited manpower and began his bootlegging business.

His alcohol wasn't cheap, but it sold quickly. It turned out that the Blue Glove was secretly buying up stock in another part of the city, spreading rumors and building Su Ming's reputation.

No matter how much Su Ming raised his prices, there was always demand because buyers could flip the product for a profit.

Su Ming bared his teeth slightly. He found it hard to understand Kang's motives—why would he help a complete stranger make money? It was almost like he was giving it away for free.

So he directly asked Kang about this.

Kang smiled, his blue face showing a look of appreciation. He moved his fingers, fast-forwarding the time projection while explaining to Su Ming.

"I chose this timeline, specifically 1925, before the little dictator published Mein Kampf because, at that time, his theories weren't yet systematized, and he wasn't widely known. The impact on the world was minimal."

"I disguised myself as him, intending to use Germany's power to complete my collection plans. But on the second day after I assumed this new identity, I discovered you—landing in the Pacific with traces of other-dimensional energy."

"Yes, an outsider like me, a potential threat—but I am the Conqueror of All Kings, and I can accommodate other rulers to serve me. So, I decided to extend a hand of friendship, and money, for me, is limitless."

"I planned to offer you some gifts and then arrange a formal meeting. If you had chosen to develop in Germany back then, everything would be different today..."