Chapter 156: Swamp God
"The Green?"
Indeed, in the DC Universe, any incident involving plants almost always led back to The Green. This thing was on another level, connected to all plant life in the entire universe—an abstract, conceptual existence.
However, since this was Gotham, the first plant-based suspect to consider was naturally Poison Ivy. She was also one of the avatars of The Green.
"Pal, try to locate Pamela Isley," Orin Vale said.
"Attempting now."
But it was hard to say if he could get a lock. If there was one thing Gotham's villains were good at, it was hide-and-seek; each was better than the last. Batman was surely tearing the city apart looking for Poison Ivy at this very moment. If she was truly involved, she wouldn't be easy to find.
"All these plants have been stimulated by some kind of energy originating from The Green," the Old Wizard said. "I can try to draw that power out.
"I remember your equipment can record magical fluctuations, right? If you follow the direction where this fluctuation is most concentrated and find where this energy from The Green converges, you should be able to pinpoint the culprit behind this incident."
As he spoke, the Old Wizard formed a hand seal and extended his right palm to the side.
"Come."
As if an irresistible command had been given, a vine shot out from the darkness and landed in his palm.
The plant whose vine was caught wanted to cry but had no tears.
It didn't seem to have the power to refuse, anyway.
"Honestly, I'm starting to get used to this."
Kara leaned back in her chair, propping her long legs up on the table and sipping her coffee. Beside her, a vine respectfully held a tray, while two more behind her had curled their tips into little fists to give her a shoulder massage.
"Once you get used to them, they're actually quite cute."
Then she noticed the two men in the shop, one old and one young, staring at her with disapproving looks.
Kara quickly put down her long legs, which had been propped on the table, and adopted a well-behaved expression. "Huh? Did I just say something? I mean, whoever the culprit is, they're despicable! They must be severely punished!"
The two retracted their gazes.
The Old Wizard performed a spell, and a mass of dark green magic power was instantly squeezed out of the vine, swirling in his palm like a churning gas. The drained vine immediately went limp from its previously rigid state, slinking away from the Old Wizard's palm in humiliation and retreating back into the shadows.
But having left the plant's body, this energy lost its anchor and quickly dissipated like smoke.
"Pal, did you record that?"
"Recorded perfectly, sir."
"Good. Activate the armor. We've found the breadcrumbs; now it's time to find the rabbit hole."
The Mobile Armor soared into the sky, and in just a moment, the fluctuations from The Green guided Orin Vale to the Roxxon Energy construction site.
The construction site was now a complete mess. In the desolate scene, overgrown plants covered nearly all the equipment. The excavator was the primary target; the entire massive machine was entangled in roots, its rusted sheet metal pierced by branches and vines. Most of its hydraulic pipes had been severed, and the fallen debris was piled up like a mountain.
Next to it was a concrete mixer. Its heavy mechanical arm was entwined with plants, the twisted metal glinting dimly in the sunlight. A nearby cement mixer truck was covered in a thick layer of moss and weeds, its tires jammed by tree roots, rendering it immobile.
And amidst this chaotic scene, Orin Vale spotted an old man huddled in a corner, trembling.
He was also the only human present.
Orin Vale descended, landing in front of the old man.
"Are you with Roxxon Energy?"
The old man shakily raised his head. Whether it was because he was terrified or for some other reason, he didn't seem very bright.
"What energy?"
"Roxxon Energy."
"Roxxon what?"
"Roxxon Energy."
"Oh."
The old man put on an expression of sudden realization, as if he had finally understood.
But half a second later, he furrowed his brow and asked, "Rox-what Energy?"
"..."
Giving up on questioning the old man, Orin Vale activated his scan and began to examine the scene. Just as he expected, a massive amount of fluctuation from The Green had accumulated beneath the construction site, like a giant plant-based reactor. A vast network of veins extended out from this central point in all directions, transporting energy throughout the city like blood vessels carrying a ceaseless flow.
Just as he was about to investigate further, the old man suddenly jumped up and threw his arms around him.
"It's the Swamp God!"
"What god?" Orin Vale asked, confused.
"The Swamp God! It's an ancient legend from around these parts!" The old man seemed to have suddenly regained his senses, shouting emotionally, "A long, long time ago, a deity was born in the swamp, a guardian of the green lands and the jungle!
"Back in the day, a major villain in Gotham tried to bury a corpse that would have exposed his crimes in that swamp, but he triggered the god's retribution. Those who entered that jungle never came out..."
"An urban legend?" Orin Vale understood.
"It's not a legend, it's real!" the old man shouted excitedly. "We all know the Swamp God is real! It protects the forest land and has never left!
"But now, it has been angered, because foolish humans have tried to encroach on its territory.
"I warned them, I warned everyone, but none of them would listen! The god's wrath will bring judgment upon this city, and no one can stop it..."
Within just a few sentences, Orin Vale had a rough idea of how this was unfolding.
Simply put, a group of daredevils insisted on starting construction here. The local residents warned that it would disturb some kind of earth spirit, but they didn't believe it. Now things have gotten out of hand, the spirit is angry, and the city is doomed...
Hiss~ Why does this whole development seem so familiar?
Of course, this wasn't the Ultraman Universe, so it was unlikely to be some monster buried underground. But in the DC world, Orin Vale immediately thought of a character who fit this description...
A hostile attack alarm popped up on his interface.
It was a vine, emerging from the deep, dark jungle. It first approached silently, slithering along the grass, then suddenly accelerated when it reached a certain distance, shooting toward the two of them.
It shot forward with an astonishing speed a plant should never possess, creating a sonic boom that tore through the air.
Orin Vale frowned slightly, and pale blue lightning instantly radiated from within his armored suit. The vine viciously pierced through his afterimage and, with a clang, ran through the cement mixer truck behind him like a spear.
A vine capable of piercing steel, and it did so as easily as poking through a sheet of paper. After the attack missed, it immediately shot back, disappearing into the darkness.
Leaving a trail of afterimages, Orin Vale blurred to the side, taking the old man with him. The breakneck speed left the old man terrified and muttering incoherently.
Orin Vale turned around. The vine had already reversed course and was attacking from the darkness once more.
Only this time, it wasn't just a single, lonely vine, but a dense volley!
"So it really is that guy..."
The Swamp God—that title easily brought to mind a certain superhero from the DC Universe. A member of Justice League Dark, a good friend of Constantine, and an avatar of The Green.
Swamp Thing.
(end of chapter)