Bul-Kathos sounded uncharacteristically excited. Baal had casually crushed the consciousness of "Nightmare," the Lord of the Dream Dimension, and this fragment was a gesture of goodwill—or perhaps a bribe for a future favor.
"You're a strange one," Vorusk said, shaking his head. "A fragment of this world's origin, and instead of using it to empower yourself, you want to drag everyone on this planet into a dream to witness a demonic invasion? I'd rather not watch the people I protect turn into lunatics."
Vorusk shut down the more reckless aspects of the idea, but the core of it lingered. You couldn't use the Dream to train everyone—that was the flaw of the law. A soul might grow stronger in a dream, but the physical body would remain fragile. However, using it to teach civilians how to react when a demon appeared? That had merit.
"Will they remember what they see in the dream?" Vorusk asked.
Raekor let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Don't be a fool. When a normal person sees a demon, the simplest solution is to run. If they can't run, they fight. They don't need you to teach them that; it's instinct."
She threw cold water on the idea immediately. "If you truly want to build a battlefield, build a fortress outside the gates of the Burning Hells and have Baal send waves of demons to attack it. Real life and death—that's the only way to learn."
"Forget it," Bul-Kathos sighed, dismissing the impractical thought. "We can't control Baal. Whatever he says can only be half-trusted, even if he swears upon the Seven-Headed Dragon."
"By the way," Johanna asked curiously, "will everyone on the mountain enter the Rift? Even those who aren't Barbarians?"
She had been observing Steve Rogers recently. So far, the man was performing exceptionally well; at the very least, his convictions were too firm for him to fall into the rigid zealotry of a Templar.
"Let them all in," Bul-Kathos said, his gaze meaningful. "Let's see if anyone has been hiding from our sight. Being a warrior is never a glamorous profession. If someone is infatuated with the 'elegance' of a Mage, they'd best stay out of a warrior's domain."
The Ancient One nodded. She understood. Mages and Warriors rarely crossed paths. A Mage required their spirit to explore the mysteries of the cosmos, while a Warrior required every ounce of focus to survive the brutality of cold steel. By the time they reached the pinnacle, their mental fortitude might be similar, but their paths were functionally incompatible.
Unless one could empty their mind to contemplate the universe while in the middle of a life-or-death struggle with a demon, they were better off sleeping. In dreams, anything was possible.
"Dr. Banner, are you sure you won't reconsider? You might find the rewards quite... beneficial."
Rumlow was currently pestering Bruce Banner. Having seen the SHIELD files on the Hulk, Rumlow saw this as a golden opportunity—a chance for the Hulk to unleash his power and for the ancestors to potentially find a way to help Banner find balance. If Banner could earn their respect, they would help him willingly. Rumlow's intentions were genuine, but Banner remained wary of "agents," even former ones.
Nearby, Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne were engaged in their own conversation. Wayne was clad in his high-tech armor, his cowled silhouette a strange sight against the rugged backdrop of Harrogath. Bul-Kathos had granted Korlic's request for Wayne's presence with a simple teleported note.
Wayne had just finished putting a notorious assassin behind bars—another "unconventional" one. In a world where bullets curved and pencils were lethal weapons, an assassin who never missed didn't seem out of place anymore.
"So, you also believe technology is the ladder of human evolution?" Tony remarked, critiquing Wayne's armor. "Your suit could use a few more high-tech upgrades. What's the point of just swinging your fists?"
The materials were top-tier, but the technical sophistication lagged behind the Iron Man suits—at least by Tony's standards.
"Does your technology still work when the power runs out?" Wayne replied dryly. "As long as I'm breathing, my fists won't fail me."
He was being dismissive. Wayne wasn't interested in small talk; he was busy analyzing how to counter the ancestors. His deep-seated paranoia drove him to categorize every weakness, planning for the moment everything went wrong.
The ancestors knew what he was doing, but they didn't stop him. If someone as powerful as Izual could be corrupted, none of them could guarantee their own eternal purity. If the boy wanted to find their weaknesses, let him.
"Hey, you two! You look like 'superheroes'—care to share some abilities I haven't heard of?"
John Constantine sauntered over, a persistent Spider-Man trailing him like a shadow. Peter Parker knew Tony Stark well—in his universe, Tony was the heart of the Avengers—but Bruce Wayne was a total enigma. Though, based on the way Rumlow greeted him, he was apparently a "Barbarian" too.
"Do you not read the papers?" Tony asked Constantine with a frown, tapping his chest plate. "Or watch the news? Even if you don't know the name Tony Stark, you should at least recognize the fact that I'm incredibly rich."
The metallic clink of his armor drew a side-eye from Wayne. He noted the marks of Lazruk's smithing on the suit—he had already analyzed that detail.
Tony felt a prickle of danger from Constantine. It was a natural instinct; Constantine was dangerous to almost everyone he met. Fortunately, Tony Stark wasn't the type Constantine usually "recruited." The sorcerer rarely teamed up with the wealthy and powerful—mostly because if he "persuaded" them to sacrifice themselves, their estates and families tended to be a lot more litigious than a street-level orphan.
Constantine was, if nothing else, cautious.
Bruce Wayne ignored the banter, picking up a skewer of roasted meat. Rorschach was nowhere to be seen, but Wayne wasn't worried. Patience was his greatest virtue.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[pat*eon*com/DaoistRoeoNQ]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"