Chapter 217: First Lantern, the Desperate Universe 3 Needs You to Step Forward
Du Wa was indeed somewhat confident he could wield the Anti-Life Equation, as he couldn't be considered a life form from the DC World. At most, he was merely using a native of the DC World as his own shell.
However, Du Wa had no interest in this thing. No matter how powerful this formula was, it was ultimately beneath Death.
No matter how frenzied the slaughter, even if he killed every last living being in the DC World, reaching the level of Black Hand would be considered a good outcome, let alone comparing it to Death.
The current Death was merely the Death of the Multiverse. In a few more years, after accumulating more, Death could become the Death of the Omniverse, able to freely pass through the Source Wall, claiming to exist alongside The Presence.
Moreover, wielding the Anti-Life Equation, to some extent, was equivalent to positioning oneself on the side of "anti-life," which was in itself a limitation.
"In the future, when I possess a power level that surpasses this equation, I can consider tossing this thing to a subordinate for their use."
Du Wa toyed with the formula, his interest already waning.
"If you don't want it, you can give it to me. Perhaps it could combine with my Omega Effect to form a new power. At the very least, it would give me the ability to fight the zombie virus."
Thanoseid walked over.
He already knew what had happened. As a disposable container for Du Wa, he was severely weakened, his divinity was damaged, and he was on the verge of collapse. Worse still, the terrifying power of the zombie virus hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles.
Thanoseid could see it clearly: Du Wa was utterly unconcerned by the threat of the zombie virus, preferring a life-draining war of attrition rather than taking any further action.
He didn't care about the Anti-Life Equation either.
"Actively asking for a reward isn't your style, Thanoseid. Has your way of thinking changed? But you haven't been infected by the zombie virus."
Du Wa glanced at Thanoseid. "Even without you, I can find more containers to use. Don't be so full of yourself. Also, your plan to rebel against me can already be declared a failure."
"As I thought, you knew from the very beginning! Even though I deliberately avoided thinking about it, strictly controlling my thoughts, you still knew—you can truly read my thoughts, even the ones I intentionally don't dwell on!" Thanoseid's expression was grim, but upon facing the truth, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
"Your plan could still work, as long as your efficiency in hunting other Darkseids surpasses the rate at which I grow stronger," Du Wa said.
If Thanoseid could devour enough divine fragments and eventually ascend to the level of a Multiversal God, it was entirely possible for him to break free from Du Wa's control. But then again, to have the opportunity to hunt and devour countless Darkseids, he would first need Du Wa's permission. It was an unbreakable deadlock.
"Alternatively, once your power is great enough to barely rival mine, you could use the Omega Effect's means of manipulating life forms to attack me directly. That would also be an option."
Du Wa was perfectly clear on Thanoseid's plan and knew exactly what means Thanoseid had at his disposal.
"The Main World's Darkseid was right. You truly are an incredibly arrogant god, enough to make me feel utterly disgusted, and yet... I also feel fear." Standing before Du Wa, Thanoseid's hands, which had been behind his back, had unknowingly been lowered.
"There is no need to fear me, Thanoseid. I am not a tyrant in the true sense of the word. I do not derive some trivial pleasure from slaughtering my subordinates. Compared to that, you killing more of my enemies is what would bring me pleasure."
"Then Darkseid?"
"Go ahead and do it. You seeking an opportunity to grow stronger and whether you will betray me are two completely unrelated matters. That is how I see it." Du Wa showed a remarkably gentle side, yet Thanoseid felt no warmth at all. An endless chill spread through his heart.
He believed Du Wa was speaking truthfully, which only terrified him more.
What kind of monster possessed such a horrifying mentality?
"That's just how he is. That indifferent mentality is probably why he could become your master, and why he could elevate a creature like the Xenomorph to such a unique level."
Alexander Luthor walked over, the Six God Force active around him at all times, guarding against the zombie virus that could spread from anywhere. He possessed a brilliant mind and the immense strength to fight Ultraman, so he naturally understood just how terrifying a deity like Du Wa was.
One could almost say he had no weak points.
And this all-encompassing lack of weakness always allowed Du Wa to face what should have been world-ending disasters with a more composed posture.
"The zombies are already heading for Earth. We need to prepare for battle," Alexander Luthor said to the others. "According to my calculations, gods from other worlds must have noticed Du Wa and the Xenomorphs and have chosen to observe us from the shadows."
"According to *my* calculations, those guys are already here and are on their way to make a move," another Luthor—the DCEU's Lex Luthor—chimed in with a strange, mocking tone.
Alexander Luthor looked coldly at his ridiculously weak counterpart. "Why is a good-for-nothing like you still alive? Even with a powerful Xenomorph larva inside you, it couldn't save your pathetic intellect and even more pathetic power."
The two Luthors erupted into an argument, glancing over inadvertently, only to find Du Wa completely unconcerned with their little squabble.
"What a tragedy. I always feel like I should be doing something, but none of my plans have a success rate that satisfies me..." Alexander Luthor was dejected. He somewhat missed Superwoman, who had survived the great battle for the Anti-Life Equation only to fall to the zombie virus.
He had come up with an excellent plan: to birth an infant with immense potential, then place a powerful force—like the Anti-Life Equation, or even better, the entirety of Du Wa's concept—inside the infant, thereby forging it into a very useful superweapon.
He would only need to shout "Zansha" to channel the immense power into the infant's body...
Unfortunately, Superwoman was dead. And even if she weren't, the plan had too many variables and a very, very low chance of success.
Moreover, he lacked a reliable ally. The scumbags from the Crime Syndicate... their most powerful member, Ultraman, was now wearing a Power Ring and would gradually devolve into a self-pitying waste. How pathetic.
Just then, within the madness and disorder of Universe 3, a white light appeared out of thin air. A Deity sat on a large throne, poised and proper. In a single instant, He read the entire history of the universe.
A large number of wandering zombies discovered His presence. A few of them, capable of moving through the vacuum of space, rushed toward Him, wanting to take a bite.
"Zombies... this thing is not an entirely new creation. To a large extent, it contains parts of the Anti-Life Equation."
He turned and headed for Earth.
"You two possess considerable wisdom, but it is not enough. Before me, your scheming is nothing more than child's play."
The God on the chair appeared before the two Luthors first. He tapped his fingers on the armrest, and the chair instantly erupted in a brilliant light, forcibly separating them.
This gesture was meaningless, a deliberate display of power, as the two Luthors had no intention of fighting.
This fellow's abrupt appearance startled many.
Several Xenomorphs immediately surrounded Metron, ready to strike.
Dark Walker moved like a ghost, silently preparing to bring death to the newcomer. But upon seeing who it was, she froze for a moment, a look of astonishment on her face.
"The Mobius Chair... The so-called God of Knowledge?" Du Wa identified the man at a glance.
After obtaining the Anti-Life Equation, the Anti-Monitor had discarded the Mobius Chair he had created.
Thus, Metron of the New Gods seized the opportunity to sit on the chair, leaping from a third-rate deity to the immensely powerful God of Knowledge.
Of course, whether this so-called God of Knowledge was a more fitting title for the Mobius Chair itself, or for the being sitting on it who was, in fact, constantly being controlled by it, was a matter of opinion.
In any case, Du Wa's gaze didn't linger on Metron for long. The time he spent looking at the chair beneath Metron was noticeably longer.
But that was all. He was interested in life forms, or more accurately, life forms of flesh and blood. He simply couldn't bring himself to act against a machine.
"Concept God Du Wa, I have been watching you. After you killed the Anti-Monitor, my interest in you reached its peak. I have seen through your unique nature and finally understand why Dream went to block the New Gods of Apokolips for you."
Metron sat upright, the large chair periodically emitting a glow of information that made his figure appear incredibly sacred.
"I see, that fellow Dream..." Du Wa mused, feeling that this was indeed something Dream would do—acting on his own principles to do things that even other gods wouldn't.
He was probably afraid of triggering a war between two Multiverses. But what Dream didn't know was that Du Wa would definitely find a way to make the two Multiverses interact. It didn't have to escalate to war, but he had to foster a situation that would be conducive to his own advancement.
Metron observed Du Wa carefully, using the power of the Mobius Chair to collect a massive amount of information and perform a calculation of Du Wa's thoughts.
He even factored in the elements of the Anti-Life Equation, but still failed to obtain any useful information.
Metron was somewhat disappointed. "Are you not surprised at all?"
"You're trying to analyze Du Wa's psychology to satisfy your own quirk, but that wish is doomed to fail. He is the sum total of countless Xenomorphs. The thoughts of every single Xenomorph are, in a broad sense, a part of his thoughts. How could you possibly calculate that?" Dark Walker said coldly.
She, of course, recognized the famous and, within divine circles, not-so-popular God of Knowledge. He spent all his time sitting on a broken chair, roaming the Multiverse and the Sphere of Gods. Wherever there was a commotion, his righteous figure would be there offering advice, as if failing to do so would diminish the omniscient wisdom he possessed as the God of Knowledge.
But everyone knew that the Mobius Chair was the impressive thing, or perhaps its creator, the Anti-Monitor. Few gods held any deep respect for Metron himself.
Pull Metron off, and whoever sat on it would be the God of Knowledge.
"Including you?" Metron scrutinized Dark Walker. "First a slave to a clone of Darkseid, and now you shamelessly defect to Du Wa, contributing your power and body? Your thoughts as well?"
Dark Walker drew her weapon. "I have an idea. How about I cleave you off that chair, and then I'll sit on it myself? At least that would shut your mouth."
Metron ignored Dark Walker, frowning as he stared at Du Wa.
Neither Dark Walker, nor that strange, powerful Xenomorph with suspected demon blood, nor any of the other Xenomorphs could stop Him if He was determined to escape, let alone snatch his chair.
This was the source of Metron's confidence.
"I am full of interest in all unknown knowledge, especially in this vast, closed-off world. I would very much like to know, what are you waiting for? For the zombie crisis to spread throughout the Multiverse?"
Metron had studied the zombies and confirmed that they were primarily a byproduct of the Anti-Life Equation.
"You'll know soon enough. Also, I don't like a guy who flaunts something someone else discarded and shows it off everywhere. You'd best leave before real chaos erupts in this universe."
Du Wa spoke faintly, his eyes fixed on Metron.
Because, very soon, the entire Universe 3 would welcome a unique kind of turmoil.
If all went as expected, a fellow who would bring even Du Wa pleasure would appear here and detonate a major event powerful enough to shake countless worlds.
Especially since the DC Main World was just a temporary patch over the New 52 Universe, there was far too much room to maneuver.
Metron showed a look of surprise and confusion, his interest piqued even further. He performed a frantic calculation but was still unable to calculate a credible result.
Zombies? The Anti-Life Equation? Or some other power? None of it yielded a believable outcome.
Finally, Du Wa's gaze shifted away from him, looking directly into the deep cosmos. After a moment of contemplation, he beckoned, summoning Ultraman.
"Your faithful servant is at your service."
Ultraman, clad in a green battlesuit, was obsequious and sycophantic. His former domineering presence seemed to have vanished, and he was hurtling toward a completely different personality.
"Kal-L, I need your loyalty now. You have something in your possession that interests me, and I need him to step forward now."
Du Wa reached out, grabbing at... the Power Ring on Ultraman's hand!
First Lantern, it was time for this fellow to make his appearance.
(end of chapter)