"Crunch."
The heavy door fell behind the three of them, but Su Ming still felt dazzled by the bright gold everywhere, while Barry kept rubbing his eyes.
"How is it? My craftsmanship is the best in the universe, right?" The Fire God led them in another direction.
"Yes, definitely, that's right," Su Ming replied immediately, still relying on him for help, flattering him a little wouldn't hurt.
"Hahaha..." The Fire God laughed heartily.
He only has this hobby; when someone praises and uses what he forges, he's happy. He doesn't care whose hands his weapons end up in or if the killings they conduct are just, as long as the weapon is effective as expected. That's enough for him.
Anyway, whoever picks up a weapon is prepared to be killed, so naturally, it's right for the brave to win on the battlefield. Often, opposing sides find themselves embarrassed to discover that both have Fire God-forged gear as his spears and shields are equally strong.
In a way, he has inadvertently promoted fair competition...
With air conditioning blowing, they walked through metal corridors where lights connected their shadows like a mountain.
After many turns, the Fire God led them to a small room filled with display cabinets. Inside, several sets of Wonder Woman's gear were displayed.
Fire God Sword, Guardian Silver Bracelet, Amazon Divine Shield, Starlight Flying Crown, Lasso of Truth, Long Boots, Chest Armor, and skirt—several sets hung in the room.
All are authentic, made of Divine Gold with impeccable craftsmanship, only differing slightly in design, like the length of the skirt or the size of the shield.
He has also done extensive research here, displaying a heavy female armor like Saint Seiya's Armor in a cabinet, shining brilliantly.
"Looks like Diana often comes here," Su Ming observed, considering whether to ask for a sword to match.
The Fire God didn't show any intention to open the display cabinets but went to a side, hauling out some boxes to open them on the table: "She's my sister, used to come to me whenever she faced difficulties, storing spare weapons and armor here is safer than on Paradise Island."
"Yet she hasn't come this time over a major issue."
Curious, Su Ming stared at the box, unable to see what's inside as if it was obscured by divine power.
"Heh, she's been dazzled by that Krypton kid and is running around like a headless chicken with the Justice League. But we are gods, eternal and undying, while humans have limited lifespans. We have plenty of time, Little Diana will realize her mistake eventually..."
The Fire God looked up proudly at the two, full of unspeakable implications.
Barry awkwardly scratched his head, thinking it best not to express his opinion since Diana and Superman's relationship was ambiguous, seemingly dating 'ten years' ago but now uncertain in this cosmic situation.
As their teammate, The Flash often retains memories from before each world reset, leaving him frequently confused.
The Fire God didn't seem to expect an answer, more willing to showcase his weapons than delve into Diana's thought processes: "Alright, Deathstroke, here's the weapon I specially prepared for you."
From a mist-filled box, the Fire God pulled out a very familiar weapon to Su Ming, exactly as he remembered aside from the intense golden glow.
"This is..." Su Ming received the weapon in both hands, stroking the perfect texture and feeling the coolness transfer into his palms through the hand armor.
The pattern, the weight, not just the size or stability, were precisely what he wanted.
It seemed born for him, its fierce modern appearance and handcrafted classical style perfectly merged, entirely an artwork, not at all like a deadly weapon. But in a Weapon Master like Deathstroke's hand, it was undeniably a supreme divine weapon.
It seemed impatient to drink blood, eager to scream, longing for the battlefield.
Su Ming could sense its will, its pulse, and its volcano-like energy.
Then he disassembled the magazine, tested the safety and sight...
"Indeed, this is the AK47 customized with Divine Metal I prepared for you, known simply as Divine Gold 47." Hephaestus nodded slightly, observing Su Ming examining the weapon, reveling in a student-like expression.
Under the mask, Su Ming's mouth twitched, the item is excellent. At least as a ranged weapon, there's no need to consider barrel wear, nor is gun oil maintenance required.
However, against the Dark Knight Order, divine metal is unusable.
Su Ming rotated the gun in his hands, hesitant to reject such fine work, reluctant because he couldn't currently use it and Divine Gold is quite heavy.
Still, the Fire God's gesture was kind-hearted, there's no charge for it, so it's another favor owed.
"Thank you, I won't waste this divine artifact."
The Fire God grinned: "No worries, as long as you like it. After this event, come back to discuss your user experience, see if there's any possible improvement. These 500 Divine Gold Bullets are handmade and complementary, return when you run out."
Su Ming took a box of bullets, weighing it secretly, estimating it at seventy or eighty kilograms; evidently custom-made for Deathstroke, as ordinary folks couldn't dream of fighting burdened with it.
The Fire God nodded satisfactorily, then turned to Barry, sizing him up for a while before fetching several gold grenades from the box.
"These are yours, as fast as you are, just secretly place them in enemy trousers after pulling the pin, kill more people, and later we can discuss user experiences."
"Uh... I don't kill, do you have non-lethal weapons?" Barry awkwardly inquired, his principles decidedly against using firearms.
Hephaestus' eyes widened: "How can something that doesn't kill be called a weapon?"
The logic was irrefutable, leaving Barry speechless.
"Ahem... we're facing the Dark Knight Order this time, can Divine Metal disrupt their Dark Energy?" Su Ming swiftly changed the subject, fearing Barry might be kicked out if this continued.
The Fire God's attention was indeed diverted by such inquiries, closing the box's lid, he spoke to Su Ming: "Why did humans invent firearms?"
"Because cold weapons lacked enough power," Su Ming understood that humans have always pursued greater destructive capabilities in weapons.
"Exactly, during the era of swords, people invented armor to fend off slashing, which led to the rise of knights. When firearms were invented, didn't knights also retire from historical stages?" The Fire God gestured while elucidating his point.
Su Ming slung the gun over his shoulder, disposing of the regular rifle while understanding something: "So Divine Metal doesn't fail to harm Dark Knights, but its penetration and kinetic energy in cold weapon form aren't substantial enough."
"Indeed, which is why I gave you firearms." The Fire God chuckled, contentedly patting his chest.
"Is it really effective?" Su Ming was somewhat elated, liking firearms as they were safer for long-range than close combat.
The Fire God nodded, bursting into loud laughter before suddenly becoming serious again: "Hahaha... not entirely certain, if it's still ineffective, return to me for replacement weapons, I also have a Divine Metal Gauss Rifle for you to try. Anyway, you have a Speedster beside you, escaping quickly shouldn't be an issue."
Su Ming's face turned stiff beneath the mask, seemingly being joked with!