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Chapter 257: Jinxed Mouth
The battlefield outside was raging, but Steppenwolf was still in the palace of Dehri'en, sitting comfortably on the throne, sipping wine and watching a movie, looking quite at ease.
"Humans really know how to enjoy themselves."
He hadn't been on Earth for long, but Steppenwolf had already become fascinated with red wine. The crimson liquid shimmered with a captivating luster under the light. Its unique texture was as smooth as silk, and its aroma lingered in his mouth, intoxicating his taste buds.
Savoring the taste of the wine while admiring the human-created work of art on the screen, Steppenwolf narrowed his eyes, looking for all the world like a retired old man.
Steppenwolf smiled. "When it comes to creativity in pleasure, these ants really have a knack for it."
That's right, the enemy was at his doorstep, but he had never taken them seriously. In fact, the army he had built in Dehri'en was always meant to be cannon fodder. As a New God, Steppenwolf looked down on humans from the bottom of his heart and had never placed high hopes on the Dehri'en army.
His army seemed to be crushing the A.R.G.U.S. team on the main battlefield with the technology of Apokolips, but that was just a feint. While they were distracting everyone's attention on the main battlefield, the real deployment was nearing completion.
"Hahaha, those idiots are all focused on the main battlefield, little do they know our real deployment is the Boom Towers hidden everywhere! Once the interstellar Boom Tube is opened, the Apokoliptian Army will descend."
The one who spoke was another person in the room. He had a ferocious face and wore some kind of armor fitted with a mechanical structure.
His title was "Madman." He was also a member of the New Gods from Apokolips, and like the Trickster, he was here to assist Steppenwolf in winning this war.
Madman let out a sinister laugh. "By then, won't everything on this planet belong to us?"
"A correction: it belongs to the great Darkseid," Steppenwolf said solemnly.
"Oh, my apologies. That was careless of me," Madman quickly apologized.
This was a matter of political incorrectness. A slip of the tongue on such a critical issue, if he were to be reported, would mean facing the Omega upon his return.
However, just as he said that, Machis Malone—the human leader appointed by Steppenwolf—rushed in frantically.
"Lord! Something terrible has happened!" Malone shouted urgently. "Our Boom Towers... the Boom Towers are under attack!"
"Hmm?" Steppenwolf instantly lost his composure. "Which one?"
"All of them!" Malone was sweating profusely. "All three Boom Towers were attacked simultaneously by those Earth superheroes! They're too strong... our men can't stop them at all."
Steppenwolf's brow furrowed. After a moment, he waved his hand. "Pull back anyone you can. Abandon the Boom Towers and consolidate the lines."
"Yes!"
Malone received his orders and quickly turned to leave and get busy.
Steppenwolf turned to the Madman beside him, his face dark.
His sinister gaze seemed to ask, *You and your damned jinxing mouth.* Now the Boom Towers were gone.
"Uh... that shouldn't be possible. The Boom Towers were a top-secret project, and those humans should have been tied down on the main battlefield. How did these superheroes find out about them?"
But Madman seemed to possess a kind of natural optimism, and he immediately shook off his dismay.
"But it still doesn't matter. Humans are creatures more capable of ruining things than accomplishing them. We never expected the cannon fodder from Dehri'en to be of any real use anyway. Since they want a fight, we'll give them one.
"The Parademon factory is ready, and the production line is in place. Once all-out war begins, they will face an endless horde of Parademons, bio-weapons that will devour everything! Hahaha..."
He hadn't even finished laughing when Malone, who had just left moments ago, came rushing back in again.
"Reporting!"
"What is it this time?" Steppenwolf asked.
Malone yelled frantically, "The Parademons... the Parademon factory has been attacked by A.R.G.U.S. troops! They infiltrated deep inside before they were even discovered, and all security systems failed!"
"How is that possible!?" Steppenwolf's eyes widened.
Weren't A.R.G.U.S. just a bunch of rabble getting slaughtered by their cannon fodder troops on the main battlefield? How did they suddenly become so capable?
Could it be that they were also using cannon fodder on the front lines as a distraction, while their real strength was infiltrating, investigating, and sabotaging from the rear?
*Hiss...*
Steppenwolf's expression grew solemn.
He had a premonition that he might have underestimated this organization called A.R.G.U.S. He thought he was on the third level while they were on the first, but it turned out they were actually on the fifth.
These agents actually had some moves.
"Deploy the razor squad," Steppenwolf ordered in a low voice. "Find the A.R.G.U.S. command center for me and carry out a decapitation strike."
"Yes!" Malone accepted the order and left again.
The razor squad was the elite of the elite, selected by Steppenwolf from the Dehri'en Royal Guard. These soldiers had all undergone hellish training and were equipped with stealth-oriented equipment featuring technology like invisibility, acceleration, and teleportation. They specialized in flanking, infiltration, and precision decapitation strikes.
Previously, he thought this so-called A.R.G.U.S. was just a bunch of rabble, so Steppenwolf hadn't paid them much mind. But now, these people had successfully caught his attention.
After Malone left, Madman let out another dry laugh.
"Hahaha, to think they could actually take down the Parademon factory, I have to admit I'm a little impressed," Madman snorted. "But it doesn't matter. Even if the Parademon production line is destroyed, we still have our final trump card.
"The strongest Parademon, a monster forged with the anti-life engine. Worst case, we just release it on Earth. Then we'll see what those superheroes..."
Madman choked on his words.
He noticed Steppenwolf staring at him with a menacing expression.
With a look that said he wanted to cut him down.
It was as if to say, *Would it kill you to just shut up?*
Madman opened his mouth but forced the rest of his sentence back down.
"I... I was just saying..."
Steppenwolf shot him a vicious glare but said nothing.
But a very ominous premonition was already rising in his heart.
Sure enough, a moment later, Malone came bursting in again.
"Lord! Lord, it's terrible..."
"Don't tell me the anti-life Parademon is gone too," Steppenwolf's eyes widened.
Malone froze, then stammered, "Huh? H-How did you know? The front line just reported... the anti-life Parademon went for a dive in a lake and was... fished out by a glowing giant."
Steppenwolf: "?"
What the hell?
Both New Gods were stunned, almost unable to even imagine the scene.
What kind of bizarre scenario was this?
"A-And then?" Madman asked.
"Then the giant... the giant went 'beep' like this... no, wait, it was more of a 'bwoop'..."
Malone tried to form a cross with his hands, but he couldn't seem to figure out where his hand should be placed on his arm, fumbling with it up and down.
"Get to the point!" Steppenwolf, at the end of his patience, was on the verge of raising his axe.
"Oh, right! Then our Parademon just exploded," Malone said, shrinking back. "Like fireworks."
Steppenwolf raised his axe, panting heavily.
Five minutes ago, he felt he held all the trump cards, that this war was already in the bag.
Five minutes later, he didn't have a single card left.
He was furious. He really wanted to cut someone down.
At that thought, he looked sinisterly at the Madman behind him—at that mouth that seemed to be jinxed.
"To think even the anti-life test subject was taken out. It seems we really have underestimated this planet," Madman muttered. "But it still doesn't matter. We still have our final, ultimate weapon—"
Steppenwolf roared, "WILL YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"
(end of chapter)
The battlefield outside was raging, but Steppenwolf was still in the palace of Dehri'en, sitting comfortably on the throne, sipping wine and watching a movie, looking quite at ease.
"Humans really know how to enjoy themselves."
He hadn't been on Earth for long, but Steppenwolf had already become fascinated with red wine. The crimson liquid shimmered with a captivating luster under the light. Its unique texture was as smooth as silk, and its aroma lingered in his mouth, intoxicating his taste buds.
Savoring the taste of the wine while admiring the human-created work of art on the screen, Steppenwolf narrowed his eyes, looking for all the world like a retired old man.
Steppenwolf smiled. "When it comes to creativity in pleasure, these ants really have a knack for it."
That's right, the enemy was at his doorstep, but he had never taken them seriously. In fact, the army he had built in Dehri'en was always meant to be cannon fodder. As a New God, Steppenwolf looked down on humans from the bottom of his heart and had never placed high hopes on the Dehri'en army.
His army seemed to be crushing the A.R.G.U.S. team on the main battlefield with the technology of Apokolips, but that was just a feint. While they were distracting everyone's attention on the main battlefield, the real deployment was nearing completion.
"Hahaha, those idiots are all focused on the main battlefield, little do they know our real deployment is the Boom Towers hidden everywhere! Once the interstellar Boom Tube is opened, the Apokoliptian Army will descend."
The one who spoke was another person in the room. He had a ferocious face and wore some kind of armor fitted with a mechanical structure.
His title was "Madman." He was also a member of the New Gods from Apokolips, and like the Trickster, he was here to assist Steppenwolf in winning this war.
Madman let out a sinister laugh. "By then, won't everything on this planet belong to us?"
"A correction: it belongs to the great Darkseid," Steppenwolf said solemnly.
"Oh, my apologies. That was careless of me," Madman quickly apologized.
This was a matter of political incorrectness. A slip of the tongue on such a critical issue, if he were to be reported, would mean facing the Omega upon his return.
However, just as he said that, Machis Malone—the human leader appointed by Steppenwolf—rushed in frantically.
"Lord! Something terrible has happened!" Malone shouted urgently. "Our Boom Towers... the Boom Towers are under attack!"
"Hmm?" Steppenwolf instantly lost his composure. "Which one?"
"All of them!" Malone was sweating profusely. "All three Boom Towers were attacked simultaneously by those Earth superheroes! They're too strong... our men can't stop them at all."
Steppenwolf's brow furrowed. After a moment, he waved his hand. "Pull back anyone you can. Abandon the Boom Towers and consolidate the lines."
"Yes!"
Malone received his orders and quickly turned to leave and get busy.
Steppenwolf turned to the Madman beside him, his face dark.
His sinister gaze seemed to ask, *You and your damned jinxing mouth.* Now the Boom Towers were gone.
"Uh... that shouldn't be possible. The Boom Towers were a top-secret project, and those humans should have been tied down on the main battlefield. How did these superheroes find out about them?"
But Madman seemed to possess a kind of natural optimism, and he immediately shook off his dismay.
"But it still doesn't matter. Humans are creatures more capable of ruining things than accomplishing them. We never expected the cannon fodder from Dehri'en to be of any real use anyway. Since they want a fight, we'll give them one.
"The Parademon factory is ready, and the production line is in place. Once all-out war begins, they will face an endless horde of Parademons, bio-weapons that will devour everything! Hahaha..."
He hadn't even finished laughing when Malone, who had just left moments ago, came rushing back in again.
"Reporting!"
"What is it this time?" Steppenwolf asked.
Malone yelled frantically, "The Parademons... the Parademon factory has been attacked by A.R.G.U.S. troops! They infiltrated deep inside before they were even discovered, and all security systems failed!"
"How is that possible!?" Steppenwolf's eyes widened.
Weren't A.R.G.U.S. just a bunch of rabble getting slaughtered by their cannon fodder troops on the main battlefield? How did they suddenly become so capable?
Could it be that they were also using cannon fodder on the front lines as a distraction, while their real strength was infiltrating, investigating, and sabotaging from the rear?
*Hiss...*
Steppenwolf's expression grew solemn.
He had a premonition that he might have underestimated this organization called A.R.G.U.S. He thought he was on the third level while they were on the first, but it turned out they were actually on the fifth.
These agents actually had some moves.
"Deploy the razor squad," Steppenwolf ordered in a low voice. "Find the A.R.G.U.S. command center for me and carry out a decapitation strike."
"Yes!" Malone accepted the order and left again.
The razor squad was the elite of the elite, selected by Steppenwolf from the Dehri'en Royal Guard. These soldiers had all undergone hellish training and were equipped with stealth-oriented equipment featuring technology like invisibility, acceleration, and teleportation. They specialized in flanking, infiltration, and precision decapitation strikes.
Previously, he thought this so-called A.R.G.U.S. was just a bunch of rabble, so Steppenwolf hadn't paid them much mind. But now, these people had successfully caught his attention.
After Malone left, Madman let out another dry laugh.
"Hahaha, to think they could actually take down the Parademon factory, I have to admit I'm a little impressed," Madman snorted. "But it doesn't matter. Even if the Parademon production line is destroyed, we still have our final trump card.
"The strongest Parademon, a monster forged with the anti-life engine. Worst case, we just release it on Earth. Then we'll see what those superheroes..."
Madman choked on his words.
He noticed Steppenwolf staring at him with a menacing expression.
With a look that said he wanted to cut him down.
It was as if to say, *Would it kill you to just shut up?*
Madman opened his mouth but forced the rest of his sentence back down.
"I... I was just saying..."
Steppenwolf shot him a vicious glare but said nothing.
But a very ominous premonition was already rising in his heart.
Sure enough, a moment later, Malone came bursting in again.
"Lord! Lord, it's terrible..."
"Don't tell me the anti-life Parademon is gone too," Steppenwolf's eyes widened.
Malone froze, then stammered, "Huh? H-How did you know? The front line just reported... the anti-life Parademon went for a dive in a lake and was... fished out by a glowing giant."
Steppenwolf: "?"
What the hell?
Both New Gods were stunned, almost unable to even imagine the scene.
What kind of bizarre scenario was this?
"A-And then?" Madman asked.
"Then the giant... the giant went 'beep' like this... no, wait, it was more of a 'bwoop'..."
Malone tried to form a cross with his hands, but he couldn't seem to figure out where his hand should be placed on his arm, fumbling with it up and down.
"Get to the point!" Steppenwolf, at the end of his patience, was on the verge of raising his axe.
"Oh, right! Then our Parademon just exploded," Malone said, shrinking back. "Like fireworks."
Steppenwolf raised his axe, panting heavily.
Five minutes ago, he felt he held all the trump cards, that this war was already in the bag.
Five minutes later, he didn't have a single card left.
He was furious. He really wanted to cut someone down.
At that thought, he looked sinisterly at the Madman behind him—at that mouth that seemed to be jinxed.
"To think even the anti-life test subject was taken out. It seems we really have underestimated this planet," Madman muttered. "But it still doesn't matter. We still have our final, ultimate weapon—"
Steppenwolf roared, "WILL YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"
(end of chapter)
