Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 208: Ch.207 No Retreat

For some reason, it seemed like the Ancient One was struggling—a scenario Su Ming had never imagined possible, given how powerful she was known to be.

"Your friend seems to be in trouble," Dr. Holloway remarked, looking up at the sky. A gray-white vortex swirled there, like milk being stirred into coffee.

Su Ming smirked, walking forward with his Nightbringer sword slung over his shoulder. "If I said I wasn\'t that close to her, would it be too late?"

"Probably, but I doubt we\'ll be able to leave without resolving this," Dr. Holloway said, exhaling a breath and gesturing behind them.

They had only walked about ten meters from where they parked, but now, looking back, all they saw was thick mist. The world seemed to have been segmented, trapping them under a dome.

Silent Hill, seriously?

Su Ming kept the thought to himself, showing no sign of alarm. Instead, he casually rested his hand on the sword hilt and continued walking forward with a calm voice. "I expected this—whether it\'s the Mirror Dimension or a world intersection, this is just typical sorcerer stuff."

This wasn\'t the first time Su Ming had encountered such situations. As a warrior, the path often leaves no room for retreat.

Even as one of the world\'s greatest tactical masters, there are some situations one cannot avoid.

"A hard-to-understand sight," Holloway mused, stroking his mustache and checking his ammunition. He wondered if bullets would be effective against mythical creatures, should they encounter any.

The sky above looked like a chessboard tossed into a meat grinder, black and white swirling into a gray, sludgy mess.

"Brace yourself," Su Ming warned. "If something\'s giving her trouble, it\'s going to be a big problem."

"I\'m a surgeon, remember? I\'ve got nerves of steel," Holloway replied.

Su Ming didn\'t argue. In the realm of magic, normal expectations of reality didn\'t apply. He just hoped Holloway wouldn\'t lose his sanity if they encountered something truly bizarre.

They walked through the mist toward the New York Sanctum, the ground beneath them becoming slick, as though they were stepping on dew-covered stone.

The monotonous sound of their footsteps echoed in the street, while the mist slowly swallowed the path they had already walked.

"We\'re here. Close your eyes," Su Ming instructed as they reached a red-brick wall.

"There\'s nothing here... and I feel like I\'ve forgotten something important back at home," Holloway said, frowning as he fought against the creeping sensation.

Rationally, he knew he had everything with him—his guns, his mask. Nothing else mattered. Yet, a voice inside his head kept telling him to return home, to leave this place.

"It\'s the effect of a spell—maybe something like a Muggle-Repelling Charm? Just close your eyes and follow me."

Su Ming, protected by the X-metal in his brain, didn\'t feel the compulsion to leave, but he couldn\'t see the Sanctum either. His old distillery was only ten meters underground, so he knew this place well. His eyes were deceiving him, but closing them would fix that.

Holloway shut his eyes, but the urge to return home grew stronger. He had to grab Su Ming\'s shoulder to steady himself.

The air around them had a strange smell—reminiscent of a predator\'s scent, tinged with blood and the stench of decay.

Su Ming grabbed Holloway\'s wrist, closing his own eyes and relying on his spatial awareness to guide them forward. He felt as though they were walking into chaos, the space around them pushing against them, though not too forcefully.

It felt similar to when Su Ming had once broken through the world\'s barriers.

There wasn\'t time to reflect on it further. After only a few seconds, his boot hit a stone step. Opening his eyes, he saw 177A Bleecker Street—the New York Sanctum—standing before them.

The building looked much like it did in the movies, with its large, circular skylight and weathered brick walls, vines creeping up its sides. But an ominous atmosphere hung over it.

Dr. Holloway snapped back to reality, the illusions and strange sounds gone after breaking through the magical barrier.

"This is real, right?"

"Should be. The physics of the area are consistent, and temperature and humidity seem normal. For now, let\'s assume we\'re still in the same plane."

Su Ming unsheathed Godslayer, the weapon shifting to suit close-quarters combat. It could transform into a shield if needed to protect his allies.

Holding the sword always came with a temptation—the bloodthirsty will inside it constantly hungry. But for now, Su Ming could still control it.

He could handle the urge... for now.

"What do you mean by \'plane\' or \'world\'?"

Holloway was confused again, feeling like his previous life had been far too simple.

"It\'s too complicated to explain right now. Let\'s focus on the task at hand. Follow me."

Reality itself was being consumed—they didn\'t have time for explanations. Wielding a golden scimitar, Su Ming climbed the steps of the Sanctum.

"Mace form."

In an instant, the golden scimitar transformed into a two-meter-long war hammer. With one mighty swing, Su Ming blasted the Sanctum\'s door off its hinges, sending it flying into the dark interior.

A strong scent of blood hit them immediately. This wasn\'t the same place Su Ming had visited before—blood and entrails were scattered everywhere, with torn fabrics and dismembered limbs strewn about.

The room\'s furnishings and shelves were in shambles, much of it destroyed.

It was a battlefield, an unseen one at that.

The scene was so gruesome that even Dr. Holloway, with his medical expertise, couldn\'t help but gasp.

With his experience, Holloway quickly assessed that dozens had died in this entry hall alone. If the blood covering the walls hadn\'t been splattered, it would have filled half a swimming pool.

And crucially, there were no complete bodies. If fifty people had died here, at least forty-nine and a half of their bodies were missing. Flesh, bones—gone.

"Were they attacked by a wild animal?"

Holloway raised his guns, scanning the darkness, as though something might emerge from the shadows at any moment.

Su Ming didn\'t know what kind of creature might be responsible. Sorcerers often kept powerful magical creatures imprisoned at home—sometimes as spell components, sometimes as inmates.

For all Su Ming knew, they might stumble upon a magic lamp and get three wishes out of it.

"If it\'s just a wild animal, we\'d be lucky. Stay sharp."

Su Ming\'s words made Holloway swallow nervously. He had to admit, facing the unknown was starting to make him uneasy.