Chapter 23: Soul
Luka raised his hand to explain that he wasn't some minion of Trigon, but Raven, after studying him more closely, decisively rejected her initial assumption.
"No, although your soul reeks of blood, you possess absolutely no magical ability."
"Well... your observation skills are quite sharp."
Seeing Raven seemed willing to talk, Luka lowered his hand.
The girl's brow furrowed slightly, and a purple glow suddenly erupted from beneath her feet again.
Luka sighed and shook his head.
"If that's your only escape spell, you should know you can't shake me off."
Raven glared at him coldly, a hint of annoyance flickering in her eyes.
After thinking carefully for two seconds, she reluctantly withdrew the magic beneath her feet.
She had to admit he was right. With his inhuman speed and inexplicable ability to track her, if he insisted on pursuing her, she truly had no way to escape.
Raven's expression turned vexed.
"How did you find me? What do you want?"
"Someone helped me, and now I need your help."
"Hmm?"
Seeing the girl finally stop trying to escape, Luka quickly pulled the Golden Apple from his pocket.
"It's a bit complicated. A few days ago, I was inexplicably targeted by a God from the Greek pantheon. After a conflict, I destroyed her avatar and obtained this Golden Apple."
Raven glanced at the Golden Apple a few times, frowned, and pondered for a few seconds.
"This carries divine power, and its magical composition is extremely complex. I'm afraid my skills aren't up to dealing with that so-called God."
Raven had expected the strange young man to become discouraged after her confession, but Luka's expression remained unchanged. He simply casually tucked the Golden Apple back into his pocket.
"I wasn't planning to ask for such an unreasonable request. Actually, I mainly wanted to consult with a reliable magic user."
As Luka spoke, he scratched his arm. Over the past three days, the strange itching sensation in his body had gradually subsided, but a slight discomfort still lingered.
"Is there something special about my soul? Those Gods, magic masters, and beings like that, including your reactions just now…" Luka paused for a moment, reconsidering his words before continuing. "Does it seem like I stand out to you?"
Raven's icy expression shifted subtly as she listened. She looked at Luka again, her eyes seeming to hold both mockery and confusion.
"Don't you know what's happening to you?"
Luka opened his mouth, but the question stumped him.
Of course he knew why. These days, any magic user could sense the bloody aura saturating his soul. His past, which he had never intended to reveal, seemed transparent to certain individuals.
But how could he explain this to the girl before him?
Compared to Earth, Viltrum was an entirely different world. Even amidst civil war, Viltrum had conquered hundreds of planets within a light-year radius. Yet no righteous sorcerers had ever risen up to denounce the Viltrumites, shouting about "Demons" or "the weight of their murderous sins."
Luka even suspected that during his time drifting through space, he had encountered some event that had pulled him into the DC Universe.
Although this hypothetical allowed him to temporarily set aside his deepest worries, magic users were everywhere here, and their looks were full of vigilance and rejection. Doctor Fate had even nearly attacked him outright.
It was clear that if he couldn't resolve this issue, his soul's unique nature would likely continue to attract all sorts of malevolent entities, disrupting his life in the future.
"I was born in a place without magic," Luka began slowly, carefully choosing his words. The girl remained impatient, her slender, pale fingers clutching the stolen bread and milk tightly as she listened coldly.
"In my world, or rather, among my people, everyone is like me. Our culture is steeped in killing and bloodshed."
Raven's gaze visibly turned colder. If Luka had shown even the slightest hint of hostility from the start, she would have already unleashed far more dangerous offensive magic on him.
But Luka's next words made Raven's expression shift.
"So I escaped. I want to live a peaceful, normal life on this planet."
"But as you can see, and as I explained earlier… here on a world called Earth, my past still makes me stand out, at least from the perspective of the magical side."
His narration came to an abrupt halt.
Raven no longer exuded the same aloofness she had earlier.
In fact, her eyes seemed to carry a hint of...
Empathy.
She carefully tucked the bread and milk closer to her chest, then, while keeping her gaze fixed on Luka, who stood with his hands at his sides, she bit her lip.
"You want to conceal your soul?"
Luka's heart quickened with anticipation.
"If that could solve my problem, then yes."
"But why should I help you? We have no connection whatsoever."
Well now... Was it his imagination, or did he see Raven's lips curve into a sly smile as she said this?
Luka's mind raced, searching for a fair exchange he could offer.
Or should he take out the golden apple again, explain just how dangerous that artifact was, and try a little moral pressure?
Since she'll become a superhero in the future, even though she's currently homeless and stealing food, she still shows compassion for beggars.
Her empathy must be quite strong.
"Do you know Superman?" Luka asked cautiously.
Raven paused, as if trying to understand the question's meaning.
"Of course I know. Newspapers, TVs in roadside shops… Superman is everywhere."
Luka felt a surge of confidence. He rolled up his sleeve and struck a pose.
"My race is called Viltrumite. My superpowers are very similar to Superman's. In the future, I might even become as strong as him. Maybe even stronger."
"I don't need a bodyguard."
Raven ruthlessly interrupted Luka's words and the intentions behind them.
Luka awkwardly lowered his arm. At this point, it seemed that only moral blackmail remained as an option...
"I'm interested in your soul and memories."
"What?"
Raven's sudden declaration made Luka tense up, his mind instinctively recoiling in refusal.
His superpower could currently only handle purely physical situations. In this world teeming with magic and sorcery, the soul was indeed a glaring weakness.
"Putting aside my personal reasons, I must first tell you that there's a problem with your soul. Without a deeper understanding, I still can't help you."
Luka blinked, unsure why he felt Raven seemed to become more talkative whenever the topic of souls arose.
"And if we don't put aside your personal reasons?"
"It's a… personal hobby."
Raven's voice became very small, as if she was somewhat ashamed to admit it.
Immediately after, the girl raised her hand and made a solemn promise.
"Don't worry, I won't pry into your secrets. This magic isn't a one-way malicious spell. You can use your will to block me from any areas you don't want me to see, or simply skip over those hiding secrets. I'm just curious about your soul."
"You look about my age, but your soul is different."
Raven stealthily swallowed, though this didn't escape Luka's perception at all, which made his expression turn strange.
"Your soul has decades of fragra— I mean depth. If you'd let me touch it with soul magic, just a little, just a tiny bit..."
Raven made a very small gesture with her hand, her eyes shining with undisguised anticipation.
"Then I'd be willing to help you solve your problem."
Luka suddenly felt like the way she was looking at him now was disturbingly familiar.
It was the same look he'd seen in the darkest corners of Gotham, the look drug-addicted junkies got when they spotted a little white pill.
What kind of strange hobby was this supposed to be?