The Sea Queen and the Hero were filled with doubt and suspicion. It was the first time they had heard of such a being, and from the sound of it, this so-called Master was very powerful and wicked.
But these were just words without evidence, so they were skeptical.
Su Ming was well-prepared and anticipated this outcome. He let out a villainous laugh and brought in the corpse of an animal from outside the room.
It was actually a small herbivorous dragon, slightly bigger than a dog. This was a prop prepared by Briss. There were plenty of these on Dinosaur Island, and they were so foolish they wouldn't even avoid humans.
"Goo goo... I will let you blind pseudo-gods witness the might of a true God."
He tossed the small dinosaur onto the floor in the center of the shack and pulled out the Black Light Battery from his robe...
The moment he took out this flashlight-like object, the temperature in the room seemed to drop. The air was filled with a decayed smell, as if it had instantly turned into a tomb.
He jabbed the black light-emitting end directly into the dinosaur's body.
The dinosaur's corpse oozed a black-yellow liquid, its skin and flesh began to split open, and a dim black glow enveloped it. Suddenly, it opened its eyes.
Its eyes no longer showed the spark of life, nor the bewilderment of a beast, but had turned completely black, filled with a bloodthirsty desire.
The two of them watched, dumbfounded, as the revived corpse turned into a Zombie Dragon.
Although they couldn't understand what the Black Light Battery was, it must have been some magic wand-like tool. Without incantations or visual effects, just a light touch.
The corpse turned into a monster.
They finally understood why this so-called 'Master' needed a world filled with darkness and why a great battle was necessary, because what he needed were corpses.
Su Ming inconspicuously wrapped his arms around the Zombie Dinosaur's neck, patting its head, while secretly applying force.
In reality, this thing didn't obey his orders. The entities resurrected by the Black Light Battery were mindless zombies with only bloodthirsty desires, needing to be held onto for safety.
But in the eyes of the Sea Queen and Hero, it seemed like the hooded man was lovingly whispering to the revived corpse. Even the Zombie Dragon's desperate struggle looked like it was trying to flatter its master, like a pet wagging its tail.
Su Ming flung it out the door with a shout: "Go play, go kill, ha ha ha!"
In truth, this was a signal. Briss, hidden in the shadows, would capture this Zombie Dino and quietly prepare for the next step of the plan.
He turned back, looking at the two with complex expressions: "You see, this is the fate of this world. No one, whether they are Amazonians, Atlanteans, or the humblest humans, can escape death! All paths will eventually lead to darkness, and all things will ultimately welcome Barbatos back!"
Actually, he felt his performance was a bit exaggerated. Sharp Claw would never say so much; their minds were mostly filled with court matters.
But the point was, he knew this, while the Sea Queen and Hero did not. They were now feeling the fear and sensing the world on the brink of destruction. They imagined a world where corpses roamed freely, though the Hero thought of a Paradise Island filled with The Walking Dead, and the Sea Queen's mind was filled with Zombie Fish.
This brought their positions closer together; they both needed to prevent the world from losing too many lives, or else the terrifying so-called Master would descend.
Su Ming used the asymmetry of information to deceive them. The Black Lantern and Barbatos actually had no relation whatsoever, and even though the Amazons experimented with it on Indian Mountain, according to the records, they only knew how to use it, not the principle behind it.
This kind of half-truth, half-falsehood was more believable; the unknown object once appearing in their history deriving from a terrifying existence!
"Now, kneel before me, you two wastes! Beg for my forgiveness and for the Master's acceptance!" Su Ming recited his lines as if he were performing in an opera, acting mysterious.
The Sea Queen glanced at the Hero, clenched her fists tightly: "Dream on! Kill me instead! You'll never make me kneel."
"I...I won't either!" the Hero mumbled timidly from the corner. He was a bit afraid of death, but the pride of the Amazonians prevented him from surrendering.
"Hmph! There's no rush. I'll let you watch the world collapse; you're important pawns, ha ha." Having achieved his goal, Su Ming punched each of them, knocking them to the ground, continuing his role: "Even if you commit suicide, it's futile. Your corpses will serve the Master. I want to see how long you heroes can last."
After speaking, he closed the door and left the shack, leaving only the Sea Queen and Hero, as well as a dim environment, inside.
He listened for sounds behind him, and then proceeded to a concealed place not far away.
Briss and Barry were hiding there, and the Zombie Dinosaur, which had been thrown out earlier, was now locked in a sturdy vine-woven cage, as if it had naturally been caught.
"Did it work?" Barry, holding Su Ming's helmet, sat on a stump eating a red fruit that looked like a pineapple.
"One crucial step remains: getting the two demigods fully united." Su Ming removed his hood and fanned himself; the climate of Dinosaur Island was truly hot and humid, suitable for dinosaurs but not for humans.
Sweat trickled down the lower half of Briss's face, but she didn't mind; her eyes were fixed on the small shack not far away: "I've installed micro-surveillance devices in the shack, found a hidden cliff cave nearby as our temporary base. Let's go."
Su Ming took his helmet from Barry's hand, rubbed it on his clothes, getting some red juice on it: "How was my acting?"
"Uh... didn't notice, I was busy looking for food." Barry smiled sheepishly.
Briss, leading the way, turned her head: "Exaggerated, you wouldn't have fooled them if not for their lack of information."
Su Ming didn't mind, he's a mercenary, not an actor. Using the Black Light Battery for a performance took some confidence that he wouldn't be exposed.
"Anyway, now they have a common enemy, albeit an imaginary one."
"The hatred between the Amazon and Atlantis is real though." Briss said, plowing through the jungle, driving away small dinosaurs blocking her path.
"That's the advantage of monarchy. If both their kings become friends, the subjects must follow suit, hehe." Su Ming hooked his arm around Barry's shoulder, walking behind Briss: "Conveniently, the most reputable Sea Queen and Hero, one male one female."
"Is that why you went to find Ivy?" Briss asked without turning her head.
"Of course, I plan to give them a love potion." Su Ming admitted openly, as that was exactly his plan.
"Isn't that... not quite right?" Barry blushed, scratching his head, unsure what he was thinking: "It's not a prank, is it?"
Though it seemed like it, Su Ming was without mischief. This was a meticulously planned strategy. Although the process was funny, the result was necessary.
Both the Atlanteans and Amazonians want control of the world; in Su Ming's world, even the Middle Age nobles knew what to do.
Neither side can best the other, starting a war would have serious consequences, so they should form an alliance through marriage. Their child, with the bloodline of both races, would be a natural leader, fully qualified to lead both the Amazon and Atlantis.
Su Ming needed them to unite, not only because of the threat from the imaginary enemy, but it was crucial for them to be 'willingly'.
What is more effective than unwavering love?
Poison Ivy's Charming Venom will make them fall madly in love, devoted until death, ensuring they will never betray each other unless Poison Ivy provides an antidote.
But Ivy had no idea Su Ming would use the venom here; she had no connections to these demigods at all.
Perhaps locking them together for decades would achieve the same effect, but Su Ming was pressed for time, needing to complete it before the Atlanteans and Amazonians launched a massive search.
Though Dinosaur Island was hidden, blocking magical and technological detection, it was still on Earth, not forever undiscoverable.
No time to let their feelings develop slowly, so using the Charming Venom went straight for the result.