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Chapter 593: Who Is the Bat, Who Is the Cat (Part 1)
🕑 Added 2023-09-22 15:07:46 +0000 UTCIn DC World With Marvel Chat Group : Table of Content/Chapter List
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Several cats gathered together to discuss their plan. Constantine's desire to summon a demon was something that, if placed in the real world, none of them would likely agree to.
Except for Clark, who believed that demons were not a good thing, the others were concerned about the high risks involved. Bringing a demon into the real world could potentially cause significant destruction.
However, in the Dream Realm, there was no danger of harming the real world. Still, the other cats hesitated. Victor frowned and asked, "What will summoning a demon here prove?"
"In theory," Constantine began, "the status of the dream god Morpheus surpasses that of any demon. Well, it's not precisely a status, but rather, any intelligent being capable of dreaming cannot have greater authority than the dream god within the dream world."
"Normally, demons wouldn't come to a place like this. On one hand, dream god wouldn't allow it, and on the other, it's dangerous for them here. If they were to come, but the dream god refused to let them leave, it would be disastrous."
"So, if I summon a demon here, it would serve two purposes. If a demon responds to the summons, it would indicate that it's mentally unstable. In the future, when I need demon resources in the real world, I can use it as a reserve."
"If a demon responds and successfully arrives, it suggests that the dream god's condition might not be good. The loss of control in the Thousand Cats' Dream might not be accidental."
"If a demon responds but can't come here, it would indicate that the dream god isn't vacant, and Schiller might be safe. We can plan accordingly without rushing to find him."
"What if no demons respond at all?" Victor asked.
"In general, there's no such issue. As long as I summon a demon, they'll line up to come." Constantine extended his paw and casually scratched at some stones in front of him. "I have a significant position in Hell."
"Now, my soul is in a strange place in the dream. This means they don't need to control my body to take my soul. Simply bringing me back to Hell from here would make my soul theirs, regardless of whether it's a devil or demon of any kind. They would be very interested."
"You may not be aware that even taking an ordinary person's soul requires demons to make a contract or use some underhanded means. Directly invading Earth is not an option."
"For someone like me, a sorcerer, it would be quite costly for demons to deal with me in the real world. However, it's different in the dream. Any demon's mental strength surpasses that of humans, and they're aware of it."
"They would see this as my vulnerability, eagerly trying to claim my soul. So, once I release word, my summoning Magic Circle will be flooded with responses."
"But isn't that risky?" Clark spoke up. "Sacrificing a demon usually involves offering a soul, right? It sounds..."
Victor bumped his shoulder into Clark and said, "If I recall correctly, the guy in front of you has summoned demons hundreds of times. Is his soul not perfectly fine?"
"How do you manage that?" Clark asked in amazement. "You wouldn't offer someone else's soul, would you?"
"Of course not," Constantine replied. "What allure would an ordinary person's soul hold for them compared to my own? Summoning demons for me is quite simple. Although I say I'll sacrifice my soul, it's just a ruse to deceive them."
"You..." Clark was about to say that deception was wrong, but upon consideration, Constantine was deceiving demons, which was a different matter. So, he hesitated and didn't say anything further.
"There's another advantage," Victor added. "If I indeed summon a demon, we can leverage their power to deal with Bat Cat. Disabling all the surveillance and weapons on the ground isn't difficult. Even the weakest demon, once placed in the city, can create quite a mess and divert Bat Cat's attention."
Following that, Batman and Victor asked for more details, such as the difficulty of setting up the spell and the communication with the demon after it arrived. After discussing for a while, they all believed that this plan was worth a try. Confirming the state of the dream god was crucial for determining their future combat strategy, whether it would be aggressive or cautious.
With the plan confirmed, they began to implement it. Constantine's expertise allowed him to save time in gathering the necessary materials to construct the Magic Circle.
In his own words, most of the summoning rituals and spells developed by humans were of little use. If a demon took an interest in your soul, they would hassle you daily without needing you to cast anything.
Constantine arranged the stones into strange patterns as he continued, "That's how magic works. If you can use it, you can do anything. If you can't, no matter how many books you read, it won't help."
"Were you born with the ability to use magic?" Batman asked as he watched him.
"Perhaps," Constantine replied. "But when I discovered my ability to use magic, I didn't need anyone to guide me or read any books. I learned those forbidden knowledge on my own, but at the same time..." Constantine's movements paused for a moment, and he seemed to have many stories to tell, but ultimately, he remained silent.
Constantine fiddled with a small lion figure, played with it for a while, and then fetched some sewer water, finally forming a strange shape on the ground. It didn't look like a Magic Circle; rather, it resembled the kind of child's drawing in a playful manner.
"Okay, that should do it," Constantine said nonchalantly, tapping his paw on the ground. Victor approached and stared at the pattern. "Are you sure this will work? It looks a bit too sloppy, doesn't it?"
"You don't understand. Summoning a demon fundamentally isn't dependent on this. This thing is just to let any responding demon know that I intended to create a Magic Circle, but due to limited materials, I've done my best." Constantine said with indifference.
The others were left somewhat speechless. It turned out that this wasn't a functional Magic Circle but more of an ornamental one. It was for dealing with demons, but still, wouldn't demons arriving in response to this consider it an insult?
In any case, only Constantine was a true expert in magic, and no one else had much understanding of this field. Since Constantine said it would work, they decided to proceed.
Constantine recited an incantation, then used his own claw to make a small cut on his palm, allowing a drop of blood to fall into the Magic Circle. He directed the other cats to stand at various points around the stones and asked them to assume various postures. After a while, the blood at the center of the Magic Circle finally began to glow.
However, despite the glowing, no demon appeared for quite some time. Constantine instructed the cats to stop their actions, and he went to inspect the circle.
As Constantine examined the Magic Circle, his expression first showed some doubt. Then, his eyes emitted a faint light. However, just as he was about to adjust the positions of the stones, the entire Magic Circle suddenly lit up.
A mass of black sludge surged and quickly condensed into a huge demon. This demon had fiery eyes, sharp claws, and... cat ears?
Constantine stood there, stunned for a moment, and then said, "Um, hello, this is a demon cat I've never seen before... or is it a cat demon? You..."
Before Constantine could finish speaking, the cat-shaped demon on the other side let out a yowl and said, "Why have you summoned me?"
"Do you not recognize me?" Constantine asked in return. The cat demon clearly hesitated for a moment. He didn't expect the first question from the human performing the demon summoning to be about recognition.
At that moment, Constantine, who was closest to the Magic Circle, detected a strange smell. Constantine couldn't quite identify the scent, but he found it unpleasant. Just as he was about to get closer to investigate, the demon cat disappeared with a swift movement, leaving all the cats bewildered.
After a moment of silence, Constantine spoke up, "Something doesn't seem right. I can't put my paw on it."
"Correct," Batman noticed it too and said, "You said this Magic Circle was just for show, but why did the stones light up in a sequence just now?"
"I'm certain this thing is purely decorative. These stones couldn't possibly conduct magic; they're not enchanted materials. How did they light up?" Constantine walked to the center of the Magic Circle and carefully examined each stone, but he didn't find any anomalies. They were just ordinary small stones scattered throughout the sewer.
Constantine seemed to have thought of something, and he exchanged a glance with Batman. However, both of them remained silent. Batman then turned to the others and said, "Rest for now. I'm going out to investigate."
"Aren't you going to rest?" Clark shouted. "I'm not that tired, but we still have work to do tomorrow."
"Don't forget, the night is my domain," Batman replied and walked into the darkness.
Clark's voice came from behind him, "But where are you going? What are you investigating?"
Batman's voice faded into the darkness as he said, "...the murder case that happened at the bank entrance."
After Batman left, Clark had a puzzled expression as he asked, "Why is he so concerned about that murder case?"
"Oh, my intention is by no means to stand idly by regarding that murder case," Clark said. "I'm just a little surprised. Aren't there many more serious issues than that one right now?"
Victor, not as innocent as Clark, had also noticed the various anomalies and raised some questions. So, he turned and said, "I'll go have a chat with Freeze Cat. Perhaps we'll have some common ground."
After saying that, he turned and left. Constantine shook his tail and said, "I'll check the Magic Circle here. You can go back and get some rest."
"You all say that, but how can I sleep?" Clark sighed. "Well, I guess there's nothing for me to do. I suppose I can be of help."
Constantine looked up at him and said, "You can go outside and help Croc-Cat. He might need assistance with some repairs."
"But I meant more useful tasks."
"No task is useless, Clark. It's not just your superpowers that can achieve goals; you need to learn to keep an open mind."
"Is that so? Okay." Clark nodded as if he understood.
Ten minutes later, Croc-Cat stared in disbelief as he watched Clark flying in mid-air, effortlessly taking down the tire he needed.
"Oh my goodness! How... how can you... how can you fly?"
"Your external bones... No, that's not right. Even without external bones, you can't fly with such agility. That's a technique even Bat Cat doesn't possess..."
"Well, I got lucky." Clark modestly smiled and walked over, rubbing against Croc-Cat. He found that mutual grooming among cats was quite enjoyable.
What he didn't see was a Green Cat in the dark tunnel behind Croc-Cat, narrowing its eyes slowly.
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Next Chapter>>Chapter 594: Who is the Bat and Who is the Cat (Part 2)
