The Lasso of Truth, without question, stood among the most formidable of mystical tools. Its reputation was not built solely on legend, its capabilities were both practical and terrifying. Against unstable minds, cunning manipulators, and warriors who thrived on will and discipline, it was a perfect counter. Even someone as unyielding as Superman, if bound within its golden coils, would be unable to break free. The magic compelled truth from its captive, no lies, no evasions.
Of course, there was the small matter of actually managing to bind Superman in the first place. That was no trivial feat. Still, the Lasso's usefulness could not be overstated. It was perfect for extracting information from weaker opponents, a tricky equalizer when confronting foes of similar strength, and even a weapon for daring sneak attacks against those stronger.
Then there was the Mother Box that Shin had secured during their time in that chaotic world.
In the comics, the Mother Box was far more than the simplified device depicted in films, where it was often reduced to nothing more than a key to open a Boom Tube. In truth, its capabilities bordered on the miraculous. It could trace energy back to its source, alter the gravitational constant of an area, transfer energy across vast distances, sense danger and life, generate powerful force fields, and rearrange the molecular structure of matter. It could unleash devastating shockwaves, weave intricate electronic grids, influence minds, and communicate telepathically with other beings. It could take control of machines, whether they possessed conscious thought or not, and sustain a living entity even in the harshest environments.
Gravity, energy, matter, thought, space, the Mother Box could manipulate them all. It carried an immense repository of knowledge and had the capacity to grow, evolving through new information. Its processing speed was beyond anything humanity could conceive, rivaling the most advanced artificial intelligence.
In scope, it could be compared to the Infinity Stones. True, the Stones had a higher theoretical limit, but those cosmic powers were almost impossible to wield fully. Most wielders could only harness their might on a planetary scale. And unlike the Infinity Stones, which were tied to the specific laws of their own universe, the Mother Box was universally functional. It worked anywhere, in any reality.
There was a limitation, however, in most versions of the lore, the Mother Box possessed a mechanical consciousness, and it would only function for its chosen owner. But Shin had no such concern. With the ability of the Munch-Munch Fruit, even objects bound by recognition could be consumed and made his own simply by devouring them.
The Nth Metal mace of Hawkgirl was another prize. Though called a mace, it was more than just a weapon. During the war, Shin had managed to collect a fair quantity of Nth Metal, but the mace contained the purest form of it.
Nth Metal, according to Shin's analysis, wasn't a conventional metal at all. It existed in a strange semi-energy, semi-metallic state, anomalous enough to explain its strange powers. Even so, with his abilities, Shin could have purified lesser Nth Metal easily, yet this mace was already at peak quality.
Physically, it was not especially useful to him. In terms of sheer durability and destructive capability, his Galaxy Glaze was superior in almost every way. The one functional advantage Nth Metal held was its resistance to magic, and even impure forms of it were sufficient for that. But the real treasure was not in its combat utility.
Pure Nth Metal carried with it the potential for biological immortality. Shin already possessed extraordinary longevity, thanks to the Op-Op Fruit's surgical enhancements, the Chakra Fruit, and the absorption of Dragon Bone essence. Yet immortality was a prize one never refused.
Best of all, it required very little material. By Shin's estimation, a bracelet's worth of pure Nth Metal was enough to grant this boon. And from Hawkgirl's weapon alone, he could fashion dozens, perhaps hundreds, of bracelets. That meant dozens or hundreds of chances to grant eternal life, and without any curse or hidden cost. In the realm of American comics, such a power without drawbacks was exceedingly rare.
With such spoils in his possession, Shin had no desire to return to the DC main world. There was nothing there for him now but risk. The benefits had been harvested, and the fields were barren. Returning would be nothing more than volunteering to take the blame for the chaos left behind.
He dismantled the Nth Metal mace with practiced ease, reshaping it into an array of bracelets. One of them he held out toward Scarlet Witch.
She accepted it with mild surprise. The bracelet's dull, steel-like sheen bore no resemblance to gold or silver, it was plain, almost unimpressive at first glance. Yet she slipped it onto her wrist without hesitation, turning her hand to watch it catch the light. "Why the sudden gift?" she asked with a small smile.
"It's more than just a gift," Shin replied. "This is made from the purest Nth Metal. It will enhance your physical strength, boost your healing, and grant you immortality."
The other properties of the metal, its capacity to grant flight, sharpen senses, and resist magical and spiritual attacks, were, to Wanda, secondary. She already possessed powers that rendered such abilities redundant. Immortality, however, was unique.
Reincarnation, Shin noted silently, would be irrelevant for her. Wanda's soul was already claimed by the Elder God Chthon. Unless she destroyed him entirely, her afterlife was predetermined. Immortality could keep that day of reckoning away indefinitely.
Hearing the list of benefits, Wanda's smile grew. "I can't believe that world had treasures like this."
"Barry's world is full of treasures," Shin admitted, "but most of them aren't useful to us anymore."
Even the God Killer, one of the most revered weapons in all of the DC universe, was of little value to him now. He had crushed Diana's sword during battle, but later discovered that such weapons were not unique. Paradise Island possessed more than one, and he had taken another from one of Diana's warriors.
The God Killer could cut at the subatomic level. In skilled hands, it was capable of wounding even Shin if he were unarmed with the Galaxy Glaze. Its edge was unparalleled, but it came with a flaw, the blade's structural integrity was far weaker than its cutting power.
Constructed from Amazonian Metal, it was stronger than any mundane alloy, but still fell short of the finest materials Shin had encountered. In his hands, it was akin to a glass blade, deadly sharp, yet fragile, capable of killing in an instant but just as easily shattered.
Shin had no illusions about its value. It was an excellent trophy, a dangerous weapon in the right moment, but compared to the prizes he had already claimed, the Mother Box, the Nth Metal, the Lasso of Truth, it was a lesser gem in an overflowing vault.
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