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Chapter 249: The New God Exploded
The Trickster was a New God who specialized in mental abilities. His greatest pleasure was tormenting the minds of various intelligent creatures, squeezing them dry of everything he could excavate while slowly savoring the process of their collapse.
In truth, the Trickster had long coveted the creature on Earth known as "Ultraman." If it were up to him, he would have found an opportune moment to strike long ago. However, Steppenwolf insisted on a long-term strategy, stating that the priority targets were the Martians and the Kryptonians, forbidding him from making a move.
But now that his target had delivered himself to his doorstep, he couldn't be blamed for taking the opportunity.
The Trickster sneered inwardly as he activated his ability.
So what if he possessed immense strength? So what if his body could rival that of a God?
During his campaigns with Darkseid, he had been to countless worlds and seen many powerhouses who could rival the Divine Race. But those who possessed minds capable of resisting him were truly few and far between.
A purple, cold light glinted in the empty eye sockets of the Trickster's skeletal head.
Quick, let's have a look!
Let me see just what you've got inside that head of yours!
At that moment, Orin Vale seemed to be turning to deal with the Parademons, who were being blasted to smithereens under the suppressive firepower of his light energy. Seizing the opportunity while Orin Vale's attention was diverted, the Trickster slipped through his defenses and dove right in.
Success!
Breaching the mental defenses, the Trickster's consciousness plunged headfirst into an endless Void. It felt like leaping into a deep ocean, but the surrounding expanse was composed of a boundless, starry Space.
Countless stars twinkled, adorning an endless ocean of Darkness. The stars shone like scattered diamonds, their light piercing the infinite dark. Nebulae, like giant flowers in the sky, bloomed across the cosmic canvas in unique colors and shapes. Shimmering Stars, colorful Nebulae, and the Milky Way divided the very heavens and earth.
The Trickster tried to extend his consciousness, to begin his exploration, but was quickly astonished.
He discovered that this person's Mental World... seemed to be utterly without end!
This was different from those races with an innate talent for mental abilities or other individuals with superpowers. No matter how strong they were, their methods involved honing their spiritual abilities, using Technique or Willpower to construct Walls or Traps to fortify their inner defenses, making them merely difficult to breach.
But what the Trickster saw now surpassed all of that; it was a situation he had never encountered before.
This person's mind... it seemed to be infinite!
It had nothing to do with mental defenses like Technique or Willpower; it simply looked like a boundless, starry sky. His mind and Spirit were truly as vast as Space itself. The Trickster had never encountered such an expansive and peculiar space within any creature's mind, not even among the Divine Race.
For a moment, the Trickster, this supposed expert on the mind, was utterly baffled. His familiar techniques, the professional skills he prided himself on for breaching mental defenses and dismantling spiritual barriers, were completely useless against this vast ocean.
Even if he was an expert at dismantling Walls, there had to be a Wall to dismantle in the first place, right?
Damn it... Where do I even begin?
Wait a minute...
The Trickster performed a Mental Scan and felt he had discovered something.
Though it appeared boundless, there had to be a Core within this guy's Spirit. Something protected in the very depths, something related to the origin of this Light Race and all its ultimate secrets.
The New God's thirst for knowledge was ignited. He had never encountered such a unique Spirit; it was like a master Detective encountering the most tantalizing Riddle of his life, an allure he simply could not resist.
The Trickster tried to delve deeper, his thoughts drifting through the boundless Space. He could sense it—a single point shining like the brightest Star in this Universe. All the secrets, all the answers he sought, were buried on that one Planet.
A green Planet, its light so brilliant it could almost be seen from the other side of the Universe.
Evidently, the New God lacked knowledge of certain universes. Had he ever been to the Ultra Universe and compared its Star Map, he would have known that this Star, in its corresponding World, was the ultimate and most dangerous Forbidden Land, home to the so-called "number one Gang in the Universe"—the Land of Light, located in the M78 Nebula.
"Arghhhh!!!"
In a flash, the Trickster felt himself lose control.
He completely lost control of his Consciousness, as if he'd suddenly become a tattered purple rag. The Planet's rings captured him, and along with an intense, incandescent Light, he was mercilessly dragged toward it.
In that fleeting instant, the Trickster had a sudden epiphany.
The center of this sea of stars, that incandescent and alluring Orb of Light, was not a Weak Point or a Weakness at all. On the contrary, it was likely the most dangerous place in this entire mental cosmos.
It was the Core of his Mental World's automated defense mechanism!
But by the time he realized this, it was too late. The Trickster could no longer pull away. He felt like a moth drawn irresistibly to a great flame; his mind screamed no, but his damned body wouldn't listen, hurtling toward the raging inferno...
No, this wasn't just a great fire—it was the Sun!
A Heat so intense it was unimaginable, an endless radiance... The New God felt as if he were melting within it, his very Consciousness on the verge of being seared into oblivion.
Light... such powerful Light...
How could anyone's Spirit contain such a scorching Light?
In his final moments, countless images flashed through the New God's mind: the innumerable worlds he had conquered, the endless souls slain by his hand, the spirits he had tormented to the point of collapse on his experimental table.
He thought back on his entire life, filled with Sin.
At the very, very end, an absurd thought popped into his head.
To be annihilated in such a light... Am I even worthy?
The Trickster exploded.
Literally.
Orin Vale hadn't expected this to happen at first. He had sensed the Trickster's intrusion and responded with a suitable countermeasure.
Unexpectedly, the Trickster just froze on the spot for a moment. His brain seemed to have crashed from the backlash of his own intrusion, turning him into a puppet that would answer any question posed to it.
Orin Vale seized the opportunity to ask a host of questions and received quite a few answers.
For instance, he learned where Steppenwolf was, about the coup d'état that took place in Deherein, Steppenwolf's invasion plans, and some of the Trump Cards he held...
"Deherein... so that's where they're hiding."
Orin Vale mused.
He had some recollection of that nation. It was a fictional nation in DC Comics, underdeveloped and isolated. Quite a few events in the comics unfolded against this backdrop. It seemed some second or third-tier superheroes also originated from there.
He had considered various plans and possibilities for an invasion from Apokolips, but he'd never imagined that Steppenwolf would start by occupying a local nation to establish a stronghold and build up his forces gradually.
Was this the opening move of a war of nations, a bid to conquer the world?
As he thought about it, he did recall some relevant events from the comics...
With that thought, his gaze returned to the Trickster before him, who wore the vacant expression of a broken doll.
"Just a few last questions, about... huh?"
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow under his Helmet.
It seemed his final questions would remain unanswered, after all.
Because the Trickster...
...had exploded.
(end of chapter)
The Trickster was a New God who specialized in mental abilities. His greatest pleasure was tormenting the minds of various intelligent creatures, squeezing them dry of everything he could excavate while slowly savoring the process of their collapse.
In truth, the Trickster had long coveted the creature on Earth known as "Ultraman." If it were up to him, he would have found an opportune moment to strike long ago. However, Steppenwolf insisted on a long-term strategy, stating that the priority targets were the Martians and the Kryptonians, forbidding him from making a move.
But now that his target had delivered himself to his doorstep, he couldn't be blamed for taking the opportunity.
The Trickster sneered inwardly as he activated his ability.
So what if he possessed immense strength? So what if his body could rival that of a God?
During his campaigns with Darkseid, he had been to countless worlds and seen many powerhouses who could rival the Divine Race. But those who possessed minds capable of resisting him were truly few and far between.
A purple, cold light glinted in the empty eye sockets of the Trickster's skeletal head.
Quick, let's have a look!
Let me see just what you've got inside that head of yours!
At that moment, Orin Vale seemed to be turning to deal with the Parademons, who were being blasted to smithereens under the suppressive firepower of his light energy. Seizing the opportunity while Orin Vale's attention was diverted, the Trickster slipped through his defenses and dove right in.
Success!
Breaching the mental defenses, the Trickster's consciousness plunged headfirst into an endless Void. It felt like leaping into a deep ocean, but the surrounding expanse was composed of a boundless, starry Space.
Countless stars twinkled, adorning an endless ocean of Darkness. The stars shone like scattered diamonds, their light piercing the infinite dark. Nebulae, like giant flowers in the sky, bloomed across the cosmic canvas in unique colors and shapes. Shimmering Stars, colorful Nebulae, and the Milky Way divided the very heavens and earth.
The Trickster tried to extend his consciousness, to begin his exploration, but was quickly astonished.
He discovered that this person's Mental World... seemed to be utterly without end!
This was different from those races with an innate talent for mental abilities or other individuals with superpowers. No matter how strong they were, their methods involved honing their spiritual abilities, using Technique or Willpower to construct Walls or Traps to fortify their inner defenses, making them merely difficult to breach.
But what the Trickster saw now surpassed all of that; it was a situation he had never encountered before.
This person's mind... it seemed to be infinite!
It had nothing to do with mental defenses like Technique or Willpower; it simply looked like a boundless, starry sky. His mind and Spirit were truly as vast as Space itself. The Trickster had never encountered such an expansive and peculiar space within any creature's mind, not even among the Divine Race.
For a moment, the Trickster, this supposed expert on the mind, was utterly baffled. His familiar techniques, the professional skills he prided himself on for breaching mental defenses and dismantling spiritual barriers, were completely useless against this vast ocean.
Even if he was an expert at dismantling Walls, there had to be a Wall to dismantle in the first place, right?
Damn it... Where do I even begin?
Wait a minute...
The Trickster performed a Mental Scan and felt he had discovered something.
Though it appeared boundless, there had to be a Core within this guy's Spirit. Something protected in the very depths, something related to the origin of this Light Race and all its ultimate secrets.
The New God's thirst for knowledge was ignited. He had never encountered such a unique Spirit; it was like a master Detective encountering the most tantalizing Riddle of his life, an allure he simply could not resist.
The Trickster tried to delve deeper, his thoughts drifting through the boundless Space. He could sense it—a single point shining like the brightest Star in this Universe. All the secrets, all the answers he sought, were buried on that one Planet.
A green Planet, its light so brilliant it could almost be seen from the other side of the Universe.
Evidently, the New God lacked knowledge of certain universes. Had he ever been to the Ultra Universe and compared its Star Map, he would have known that this Star, in its corresponding World, was the ultimate and most dangerous Forbidden Land, home to the so-called "number one Gang in the Universe"—the Land of Light, located in the M78 Nebula.
"Arghhhh!!!"
In a flash, the Trickster felt himself lose control.
He completely lost control of his Consciousness, as if he'd suddenly become a tattered purple rag. The Planet's rings captured him, and along with an intense, incandescent Light, he was mercilessly dragged toward it.
In that fleeting instant, the Trickster had a sudden epiphany.
The center of this sea of stars, that incandescent and alluring Orb of Light, was not a Weak Point or a Weakness at all. On the contrary, it was likely the most dangerous place in this entire mental cosmos.
It was the Core of his Mental World's automated defense mechanism!
But by the time he realized this, it was too late. The Trickster could no longer pull away. He felt like a moth drawn irresistibly to a great flame; his mind screamed no, but his damned body wouldn't listen, hurtling toward the raging inferno...
No, this wasn't just a great fire—it was the Sun!
A Heat so intense it was unimaginable, an endless radiance... The New God felt as if he were melting within it, his very Consciousness on the verge of being seared into oblivion.
Light... such powerful Light...
How could anyone's Spirit contain such a scorching Light?
In his final moments, countless images flashed through the New God's mind: the innumerable worlds he had conquered, the endless souls slain by his hand, the spirits he had tormented to the point of collapse on his experimental table.
He thought back on his entire life, filled with Sin.
At the very, very end, an absurd thought popped into his head.
To be annihilated in such a light... Am I even worthy?
The Trickster exploded.
Literally.
Orin Vale hadn't expected this to happen at first. He had sensed the Trickster's intrusion and responded with a suitable countermeasure.
Unexpectedly, the Trickster just froze on the spot for a moment. His brain seemed to have crashed from the backlash of his own intrusion, turning him into a puppet that would answer any question posed to it.
Orin Vale seized the opportunity to ask a host of questions and received quite a few answers.
For instance, he learned where Steppenwolf was, about the coup d'état that took place in Deherein, Steppenwolf's invasion plans, and some of the Trump Cards he held...
"Deherein... so that's where they're hiding."
Orin Vale mused.
He had some recollection of that nation. It was a fictional nation in DC Comics, underdeveloped and isolated. Quite a few events in the comics unfolded against this backdrop. It seemed some second or third-tier superheroes also originated from there.
He had considered various plans and possibilities for an invasion from Apokolips, but he'd never imagined that Steppenwolf would start by occupying a local nation to establish a stronghold and build up his forces gradually.
Was this the opening move of a war of nations, a bid to conquer the world?
As he thought about it, he did recall some relevant events from the comics...
With that thought, his gaze returned to the Trickster before him, who wore the vacant expression of a broken doll.
"Just a few last questions, about... huh?"
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow under his Helmet.
It seemed his final questions would remain unanswered, after all.
Because the Trickster...
...had exploded.
(end of chapter)
