...

Chapter 126: The Worst Of Nightmares V

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The ghastly figure was just waiting in darkness with barely any movement, and that went on for the entire night until Ian came down, instantly catching the hazy figure.

Ian frowned, eyeing him for a minute before walking up to him and taking a seat next to him. It was very early in the morning, so the coffee have yet to open.

A cup of coffee appeared in Ian's hand as he took a sip, causing a refreshed smile to emerge on his vibrant face, "God, I missed coffee, but I had missed the girls more... Last night was... Phew."

He stroked his chin for a minute or so, having a vibrant smile on his face, finally able to relax a little, "Want one? Coffee, I mean."

The hazy figure shook his head, gazing at Ian with a strange expression. The being next to Ian looked a bit odd, solely attired in what looked like a piece of black cloth, hiding the entirety of his body.

Only his deadly pale face could be seen. He looked like a dead body as if blood doesn't flow through his vines.

His hair was wavy and unkempt, but most importantly, his eyes were black only having a white hue in the center.

Ian shrugged, taking sips of coffee while waiting for the man to speak. It took the odd man a while to speak, only after staring at Ian for a long while.

"You're the worst of nightmares. You're also the best of dreams." The man spoke hoarsely, almost in an inquiring tone. Even he doesn't seem to understand something about his words.

"That... That sounds poetic. I like it," Ian let out a chuckle, very much loving the phrase, so he introduced himself, "Ian Rose. It's pleasure to meet you."

"Morpheus," The man also introduced himself gracefully, "What are you?"

"What am I huh? Not Who am I... I've been such question before. I'm... You know, I was gonna make a joke, but I suddenly don't feel like it." Ian's fingers tapped on the table as if by instinct as he went into a daze.

"You still don't know... Is it your dream to know?" Morpheus wondered.

"My dream? Not exactly. I certainly want to know, but it's not a dream of mine." Ian shook his head, feeling thoughtful.

"Is it because you do not dream?" Morpheus continued to question with pure curiosity.

"Huh?" Ian hummed to himself, remaining silent for a while, "Right... I don't dream, and I have no dreams. Mine sought for answers also feels like a necessity. I wonder why?"

He never looked more confused than now. He seemed to be questioning his life all over again.

All of his meditations in Nanda Parbat for peace were seemingly forgotten for a second... The thing able to affect his mental the most was none other than himself, and he fully calmed down soon after.

'Perhaps answers will solve all my doubts, finding what I'm is...' Ian took a deep breath, calming down, and only then did Morpheus wonder.

"What do you think of dreams?"

"Dreams? Never really thought much about it because I never dream but... The thing that comes first to me, knowing how people dream, I just assume that dreams are constrained by themselves or by the dreamer."

Ian thought about it seriously before shaking his head, "But yeah, I don't know much about dreams, so I'd rather not say anything about it."

Morpheus however seemed thoughtful, taking Ian's words very seriously.

"The best of dreams. I have a very good idea of who that may refer to, but the worst of nightmares... I'm curious." It was Ian's time to ask.

"Hm? A lot. Some you've already met. Others, your steps are still far away from, yet you're all thy dream of in the form of a nightmare."

Morpheus recalled their nightmares, making him frown, "You're like a virus, quickly spreading through all the dimensions of existence as a nightmare... And a dream."

"Oh?"And that he was. Somehow all of his enemies never fail to not have nightmares about him. It was a truly spectacular achievement.

Some's nightmares more horrifying than others, "In fact, just this night a new cluster of dreamers faced your nightmare and dreams."

"Dreams? Who in Olympus would have a good dream about me?" Ian came to the most likely conclusion very quickly though he still had doubts. He was nothing but a nightmare to them after all.

"Love, lust, challenge, desire, friendship..." Morpheus murmured with an odd look. In fact, even he didn't understand how it happened, yet here we are, "Only two individuals."

"Huh?" Ian was confused, thinking back on the gods of Olympus. Who would have such dreams about him?

'Athena for challenge, friendship perhaps? The rest should all belong to Aphrodite. She may be the only god degenerate enough to have such a dream after a single meeting... It was just a look from afar, right?'

However, a strange look soon emerged on his face as he wondered, "But according to my research on the Pantheons here, Aphrodite is Hephaestus' wife... Well, it's okay. I mean, I'm only cucking him in a dream."

Ian shrugged, making Morpheus inquire, "Do you not have more questions? I would be happy to answer them just like you did to mine."

"No, that's it."

"I thought you'd have more questions because it is answers that you seek. right?" Morpheus let out his doubts.

"The answers I want, you do not have. The methods to get my answers, I already have, so..." Ian shook his head though his words came to a halt, seeing a bat falling towards Morpheus' head.

The bat, however, just went through him as if he didn't exist. The areas it passed by just turned into mist as Morpheus slowly disappeared, "Thank you for the insights. It was a pleasant talk..."

Ian nodded slightly before eyeing the confused Harley with a questioning look, "What was that?"

"Huh? Ah, that, I was just testing whether I can hit ghosts or not." Harley responded, still confused.

Ian laid back on his chair, looking at her strangely, "Really?"

"Of course! I mean you were talking to yourself, but you're like me, very sane, so I knew you were talking to a real ghost! I just wanted to know how my god skull crusher would feel crushing a ghost! Like Ghushhh!"

Harley even jumped around and did a physical representation of what a ghost skull might feel like.

"What if you were actually able to hit the ghost I was talking to? Hmm?" Ian asked further.

"Then great for me?" Harley answered, sounding unsure.

"Of course... Yup, you're really lovely," Ian nodded with a smile before asking, "Harley... Do you dream about me? Do you have nightmares about me? I'm curious."

Harley looked a bit unnatural for a second. Whether it was due to the question or his remark remains unknown, but as usual, she got her composure back after thinking of crushing Multiplex's skull.

"Both... But I can only tell you about one, so listen carefully! It was just the two of us in a zombie world! And listen listen, all we did is crush things all of the day before... That's it."

"Pffft hahahahahah, of course. Such an interesting dream." Ian stood up, looking amused as he shuffled Harley's hair, "I will be away for a few hours. When the girls wake up, tell them to wait for me. We'll have a meeting."

He then vanished, appearing soon later somewhere in the outstrikes of Nanda Parbat, close to where he hid the black rose ring.

A few teleportations later and he found himself standing next to Hephaestus who was eyeing the Bahamut before him, "It will take a long time to elevate to your vision."

"Well, you are a god, so you have a lot of time, and so do I," Ian responded, still fascinated by the colossal thing before him, and he was especially thankful for the fact that the Roses got information about where it's held.

"It'll also require a lot of material and effort." Hephaestus further added.

"Which will be provided by the generosity of the gods." Ian nodded, quite happy. He even wanted to thank Hera yet again.

"By a lot of material, I mean a significant portion. You'll be hated more by the gods." The god of the forge warned.

"I'm already hated, so what's a little bit more hatred gonna be? More nightmares for them, but absolutely no effect on me." Ian let out a gentle laugh, imagining their nightmares.

"I... This might just be the most ambitious project I've worked on to date," Hephaestus' eyes shone with a bit of passion, "I'll do my best."

"Great! This was the charity of a secret whatever facility under the government, so be careful with it alright."

Ian suddenly had a thought, eyeing the spaceship with a bit of amusement, "If superman knew... He'd be mad, right? Nah, he's too kind." He shrugged and went back to business.

...

Chapter 127: Best Of Dreams I

...

"Huh? You mean me? No no, I wouldn't do something like that. That would be too much, no?"

Ian seemed confused as followed after a lady adorned in a suit, seeming to be leading the way.

"What? Why? Like, I was away on a vacation for a few months. Why are you suddenly blaming everything on me?"

Ian seemed even more confused, "Like... Aghh, I was behaving so well. You throwing the blame on me is triggering me you know? Like, I'm getting really triggered."

The gorgeous lady leading the way looked back at Ian, giving him a strange look. Her boss told her the guest today is quite special, and she can see that though not in the way he might've meant.

"Okay, that's not my fault. It's you guys' fault for doing what you usually do. I mean, it's okay normally, but my people are not normally, okay?"

Ian shook his head, having a bit of a headache, "Yeah, yeah, my logic makes no sense. I would've totally believed you if I didn't think about it a lot. It just works on different laws of physiques. You not understanding those laws isn't my fault."

"Sir, we're here." The lady reminded.

"Oh. Well, I guess this is it Mister B, see you at some point in time." Ian then hung up, rubbing his temple with a bit of annoyance, 'God Bats are annoying.'

The lady opened the door for him, leading to an office. Ian went in and she followed after him, closing the door behind her.

She remained standing close to her boss while eyeing Ian as he took a seat on the single-seat couch, "Hi, glad to finally meet you."

"Are you?" Her boss asked quite an odd question, seated on the main chair of the office.

"Oh yeah, I certainly am. I mean, how can I not? We're both businessmen, Mister Luthor, but you're above me in the hierarchy." Ian shrugged, not expecting strange questions from the man was illogical.

"Not necessarily, and even if so, that won't be for long." The bald man shook his head in disagreement.

"You see, I've heard of the new product coming to the market by your company, so I know for sure it's only a matter of time before you surpass me. Ivy's garden also has potential, especially with its new magical products."

"Hah, you know. I could've sworn our new product isn't public yet." Ian stroked his chin, eyeing Luthor strangely.

"Something that magical. How can words not slip out? It's only natural that I know." Luthor smiled, calmly responding.

"Nah..." Ian smiled in return, "Anyway, let's get to business. I want you to create something with these beautiful things."

He place his briefcase on top of the table and opened it, showing Lex Luthor a few different but also similar stones, green and red Kryptonites.

Lex narrowed his eyes before gazing at Ian, "They seem special and rare, so why do you want them destroyed?"

"Not destroyed. I just think their potential lie elsewhere. I still don't know exactly what one of them does, but... I'm sure they're very special, and I'd like to know how they work."

Ian didn't point out Lex's faked ignorance because he was sure he knows exactly what they are, instead, he added, "So the purpose here isn't exactly what you can make with them, but it's done."

"You can't do it yourself? I know that you have some good minds under you, else your newest product wouldn't exist." Luthor let out his doubts.

"Well, I think you're just better all around, and this is kind of a test. Perhaps we can have some kind of partnership in the future." Ian smiled, placing a few papers on the briefcase, "These are my requirements and the contract."

Lex picked up the papers, looking through them one by one before giving them to his secretary to double-check, Mervy Graves whose eyes never left Ian, staring at him strangely as if he was a book for her to read.

"Well, we have a deal. Also, is it possible for the payment type to be changed? I want a preserved vial of the new product."

"Hmm, sure. The release will be in a week, so..." Ian shrugged. He already has the patent for the product anyway, so Luthor was basically just getting pre-access.

"Deal... This meeting has been pleasant. I hope the next will be the same." Luthor shook hands with Ian as the latter responded, "I'm sure It will."

It was a brief meeting but a very productive one. Luthor is one of the brightest minds Ian knows, but that wasn't why he picked him specifically.

He chose him because he was sure Luthor is already studying what he wants, and possibly had results as well. That and other things.

"We shouldn't work with him. He's dangerous. He's like you." Luthor's secretary, Mercy instantly spoke the moment he left.

"He's dangerous but not dangerous enough... I know exactly who he is, so I know he lied. He knows exactly what these two stones do. I've seen him use them long ago against them. In fact, I was responsible for keeping that information sealed, so I know..."

Luthor stood up, walking up to the window, "Let's start the plan. If it doesn't succeed, then a partnership with him is to be considered."

"I still advice you against collaborating with him in any way." Mercy however was persistent, making Luthor a bit confused, "Why the persistence?"

"I don't know. Call it a woman's instinct, but I feel like he's extremely dangerous."

"Instinct?" Luthor let out a chuckle, "What do you think I should trust, my mind or your instinct? That was a rhetorical question by the way. I don't trust such a thing... Release the test product in the designated place."

"I... That will be done." Mercy sighed in defeat though she noticed a dangerous frown surfacing on Luthor's face as he asked.

"What about the investigation? Did you find out who took the alien ship?"

"No," Mercy shook her head, "There were no traces, none whatsoever, almost as if it just vanished."

Luthor's frown only became more apparent, his bad mood as clear as day on his face.

"But Wouldn't it be just Superman?" Mercy wondered.

"No... I know him by heart. This is not how he does things... It must be someone like him. Someone who knows about it and has certain control over it... I'll find him." He was kinda angry.

"As I thought..." Ian murmured. By this time, he was out of the building, seated in his car, "He was the one who stopped the Kryptonite weapons incident from being known."

All it took him was a bit of magic to listen to their conversation though he made sure to use his death force to sense if there is any magic sensor in the building. This was Lex Luthor he was dealing with after all.

'But about the Kryptonite ship... Did the government allow him to study it? I guess it makes sense considering who he is... Little stones, lead the way.'

Ian mused in his mind. He was planning to make someone angrier, a lot more. As for the test product they spoke about, he has a very good idea of what it may be, but it's not time yet.

He wants to see it in action first because there are only two possibilities of what it could be, one of which he wasn't interested in.

For now, he made his way toward Zatanna and Xanadu through a series of teleportations, appearing in New York soon after.

"Hmm? Constantine?" Ian let out a bright smile, seeing another person leaning on the wall on the far side of the room.

"Like where were you? I missed you so much!" Ian felt no shame in pulling the man into a hug, "Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Hah? Huh? No?" Constantine returned the hug, looking a bit confused, "I'm perfectly fine mate."

"Are you? You mean, you're fine now but you weren't before?" Ian questioned with apparent curiosity.

"I mean... I'm okay." Constantine slumped back on the wall, trying to ignore Ian while Zatanna on the side could only giggle in happiness.

"I see. At least you didn't die. That's great news." Ian nodded with a bright smile much to Xanadu's dismay. She really wasn't sure whether their friends or not.

"Anyway..."

"Let me take a seat first," Ian murmured, sitting comfortably before a large exquisite book appeared in his hand, the eternity book.

Ian's eyes became blurry as the Rose of speed was activated, reading through the book at a speed that would make anyone envious, "You can continue."

Xanadu, however, remained silent, just eyeing the book in his hand, speechless.

"..."

"..."

"Oh, good lord..."

...

Chapter 128: Best Of Dreams II

...

Xanadu, however, remained silent, just eyeing the book in his hand, speechless.

"..."

"..."

"Oh, good lord..." Constantine couldn't help but close his eyes in a bit of exasperation, 'Yup, that's definitely what I think it is. God, now he will actually know some of the most intricate spells and even more... But we're friends, right? So everything should be okay.'

He convinced himself while Ian continued his studies, patiently waiting for them to tell him what was up.

"I saw danger on the way, and the center of the danger is Gotham." Xanadu shook her head, a bit used to his antics by this point.

"Oh? Go on."

"Well, the thing is that I don't know much about what's going to happen. I just know it's dangerous, but Constantine figured something out." Xanadu pointed at the downcast figure in the corner.

"Huh? Ah, right? I don't know if it's exactly what you saw, but according to what I know, it should be that dangerous... Vampires are unleashed."

Constantine stroked his chin with a frown, seeming thoughtful, 'Is there a way I can use them to get back at him?'

That was a question he asked himself many times, but unfortunately, he needed a bit more information.

Many doubts need to be solved, such as Ian's current state. The book's pages were turning at such a fast rate they seem to be blurry, and even the speed at which he moves his body was unnatural.

"Why? They had been silent for a long time. What changed? And why would they be dangerous for us?" Zatanna wondered.

"Normally they wouldn't but something changed... The first Vampire has returned, Cain." Constantine became a bit more serious, knowing the danger ahead.

"Cain? Are we speaking of the first soul to take a life?" Xanadu frowned. In her thousands of years of wandering around the earth, she heard many stories and learned a lot, this was one of them.

"Yeah, I don't know exactly how he came to be like that, but it's likely a curse of some sorts though he may not consider it a curse... He was condemned for killing his brother."

"How dangerous is he?" Zatanna asked.

"I don't know his personal strength, but I know he's strong enough to take over the Queen of blood's vampiric army, meaning he's stronger than herm by far I assume... Yeah, now he has an army following his commands."

Constantine explained before eyeing Ian, "I know for a fact his target is Gotham though I'm not sure why. The vampires' traffic all leads there, but they left traces because they were going a bit wild."

"Targetting Gotham specifically?" Ian closed the book, looking thoughtful, 'Who was it? Is it them again? If so, I just need them to bounce around one more time and it'll be perfect.'

"Constantine. It'd be better if you continue to investigate their traces while we set up a trap for them in Gotham." Zatanna suggested and Xanadu agreed.

"Them assembling by themselves is good news. It would've been much more troublesome to stop them if they were chaotic."

"So what you're basically saying is that I should do most of the work?" Constantine raised his brows at that.

"Pretty much, why? Is that a problem? Last I remember, you liked to do all the work yourself without telling anyone anything but lies."

Despite all the difficulties of normal friendships Ian dragged Constantine with, Zatanna's detest for him didn't seem to change at all. Then again, what he did was quite extreme.

Such is the life of Constantine as he didn't say a word but just took a long smoke before leaving. He still wasn't sure to this point whether he should thank Ian or curse him.

What Ian did indirectly led to the death of his archenemy as well as a lot of demons leaving him alone.

Constantine of course took the chance and manipulated the odds to work in his favor, but still, Ian was confusing but also useful, in a way that can hurt him but for the greater good, everything is permitted.

Ian picked up his phone, feeling it vibrating, "Hmm, I'll be there right away."

He stood up, opening the book again, still reading through it as he spoke, "Xanadu, give me your hand."

Her eyes lit up as she asked, her hope apparent in her eyes. Nothing shows her emotions more than her desire to get her magic back, "Will it work?"

"It's a two-part plan. If the first doesn't work, then the second definitely will. How long it takes will depend on if you can handle it." Ian answered as he took her hand into his. The book of eternity still hovering before him, its pages turning on their own.

"I ca..." Her words stopped in their tracks as she closed her eyes, "It feels different than last time, so much more potent, and it's affecting my magic in some way... No, not just my magic but me in my entirety."

Zatanna on the side could only frown, "What's happening here?"

"Hmm? Treatment. Anyway, let's be on our way. Also, Zatanna, I can handle this on my own, so if you have something urgent, then you don't have to come with us." Ian shrugged, pulling Xanadu closer to him because his Death force was already affecting her.

"Wanna throw me away so fast huh? And how can you succeed without me? Of course I have to go. Latrop!" She created a portal directly to his property before going in first.

Ian found the team already waiting for him, namely Ivy, Selina, Harley, and Layla with the latter being the one who oversees the team when he's away.

The meeting was quite simple, basically just informing everyone of what's to come and instructing Layla on a few things. Xanadu was close to passing out by the end of it, so he let her go.

"Now I have a meeting to go to. You all discuss how to deal with the incoming 'Darkness'. I'll leave it to you."

Ian said as he stood up. Selina stood with him, tidying up his suits nicely for him before giving him a sweet kiss, "The meeting wouldn't happen to be a keyword for a robbery, would it?"

"Nah, it literally means what it says."

"So a robbery in a meeting?"

"Hahahaha," Ian pinched her cheek in amusement, making her pout at him though he leaned down and whispered something in her ear, making her giggle in anticipation.

He then walked out. The last thing he heard was the loud noise of Harley jumping around as she spoke, "I figured it out! We can defeat them all by breaking their heads!"

"..."

Ian shook his head, making his way to a nice building discreetly. Soon, he found himself in a meeting room along with two other individuals.

"Well, you don't look so well. What happened?" Ian asked with compassion as he took a seat.

"You know what happened." Seated before him was none other than Talia Al Ghul, attired in a tight black suit that did nothing to hide the large scar on her neck.

"I wasn't there, so how can I know." Ian shrugged.

"I see you haven't changed." Talia could only let out a sigh, not seeming angry about what happened.

"Hugo strange. I expected to be having a meeting with you alone... This is bad business practice." Ian remarked eyeing the middle-aged man to the side.

Professor Hugo Strange, the person who wanted to meet Ian with a tempting offer. The man had a bald misshapen head, complete with bushy eyebrows, coke-bottle glasses, and a thick beard accenting his jaw.

His old age however didn't leave much impact on his body as he looked very fit, and he was very tall.

"Think of her as a gift... She came to me with an offer to meet you, and it was to your benefit, so why not make you happier?" The man seemed prepared as he spoke while observing Ian.

"I see, then speak and make me happy..." Ian listened and listened, and he was indeed happy. It was almost like God gave him what he wants before he asked for it.

Ian stood up, looking out of the window at the busy streets of Gotham, "I'm happy, and that's something I want... It's just that there is something you need to know. Let's talk about Hierarchy."

...

Chapter 129: Best Of Dreams III

...

"Hmm, she's definitely a snake, but... Her goal is way different from I first thought," Ian mused to himself, seated on the edge of a certain roof.

"But god I love magic," He really loved the bullshity nature of magic, especially as the pages of the book hovering before him turned by themselves.

He was exploring the beauty and the law-breaking nature of magic. That was largely why using magic had such serious consequences in this world.

Miss misfortune will always find you as long as you reek of magic, and she will be tough to handle, not in a way anyone would like.

Ian on the other hand found himself safe and sound no matter how much magic he uses, something he attributed to his isolated nature from the magical principle of this world.

His magic was different than other people's. Its fuel was his Death force, and he could only use it through a medium unless the Rose of Death is used.

The beauty and the unprincipled nature of magic were being thoroughly explored by him, something made easy with Rose of speed.

So it really wasn't hard for him to see through Hugo Strange and Talia's intentions.

Hugo actually just wanted test subjects, Ian even saw fear in him leading him to believe the man may know something, and he indeed does.

All he needed was to take over Arkham Asylum, a place that Ian doesn't have satisfactory control over. Hugo's intentions were of course a bit more ambitious, but they were still in line because of his fear of Ian.

Talia on the other hand was a bit special... She wants to Have a baby with Ian... Yeah, despite seeing through her goals, Ian was still a bit stunned at how her mind works.

'But doomsday though... It's here,' Ian threw those thoughts out of the window and focused on the important stuff. Doomsday has appeared, the true Doomsday.

It appears that Luthor released the test product he spoke about but it was no Doomsday. According to Ian's observation, it was a mutated body of one of the dead Kryptonians.

It was soon taken care of by Superman and some of the other Justice League members. However, that was followed by the arrival of Doomsday as he freed himself from his prison.

'To think he'd be able to easily handle most of the Justice League. It makes sense I guess, especially considering the strongest of them have yet to join... However, I may have underestimated Doomsday.'

Doomsday was a creature that was forced to endure the agony of death, thousands upon thousands of times; the memory of these countless deaths were recorded in his genes and drove it to hate all life.

It was first a test subject, an experiment of sorts, but even its creator couldn't imagine its potential. Doomsday became something more, in sought of nothing but destruction.

Its hate for all life was further supplemented by its special ability, something born from all the torture it went through... Infinite evolution, exactly what attracted Ian's attention.

Something else soon got his attention. The grand battle was starting. Ian started floating far above the roof, looking down on the streets of Gotham.

His magic was doing its job, allowing him to see things he wouldn't have been able to otherwise.

The Roses' network information in Gotham was immaculate, and it's only becoming better by the day, so almost nothing can deceive their eyes. they could very well see the sudden traffic of vampires.

The Roses' eyes were on them. Whenever, Wherever, they see you because this is their garden. Every safe house taken by the vampires was known to the Roses and today was what could only be called as the Blood Massacre.

The team was split, everyone going alone. They're all strong enough to handle most of what can come at them. Layla however remained in the base protecting it along with Ralf, Barney, and Mike.

Even Harley was alone. Well, she had the monstrosity of a weapon, called the God killer, so she was safe.

"All at the same time. Eliminate either by discretion or destruction. Just don't take too long. 1... 2... 3... Go!"

The one who gave the orders was none other than Zatanna. In Ian's opinion, she was still a bit inexperienced in leading, and she has a lot to learn, but she was the best on the squad.

She's also extremely confident, and absolutely decisive, a quality that Ian values quite a lot.

Ian's sight was mainly on Selina, observing her change. She didn't look much different, still just as gorgeous, but something definitely changed. She was much faster and stronger than before.

Not just that, she showed the ability to control cats, and even see through their eyes, allowing her to basically scan an area from afar, and the range of the ability was quite big.

'Yup, definitely Goddess Bastet's powers. She was granted Bastet's blessing...' And Ian knows why. The diamond known as Hope diamond was cursed by Bastet herself which is how she found her.

It seems that one thing led to another until Bastet blessed her. Either due to Ian's words at the time or the feline powers Ian granted Selina.

And now he was granted with the wondrous show of Selina climbing the walls and jumping around like a cat, except much stronger. She was so stealthy in fact that even the vampires didn't notice her.

"Hmm, They can sense humans, but they can't sense her at all, well, it's more like sensing the scent of human blood even when it's inside their bodies... Very interesting."

Her movement allowed her to hang from the ceiling of the warehouse, undetected by the vampires below her. Her whip, the one made by Hephaestus was already in her hand as she let go.

She nimbly fell to the floor with an odd sense of gracefulness, landing on the floor like a feather. That was followed by swinging her whip around her as the short whip extended by itself, lunging at its targets like a snake.

In less than a second, about a dozen vampires found themselves tied together by the extremely long whip from which long needles started to spurt, going through the vampires' tough skin instantly.

It was a trap they simply can't get out of, not with numerous needles keeping them in place, supplemented by the whip getting tighter and tighter.

That all happened while Selina just stood there, seemingly controlling it by her mind, "Hah, lovely, very lovely. Yup, I should thank my darling again, very sweetly."

She mischievously murmured to herself before pulling away the whip, making it tighten around them again as it started to get hotter, basically burning the vampires alive.

Selina however didn't seem to react as she was zoned out, seemingly lost in her own imagination. She only got it back together a bit later, eyeing the scene before her.

"Aghh, it's not my fault, it's Ian's," Selina shrugged before turning around, her cats already told her no vampire was left in this place, but there are plenty of other places.

"God, I really have no say in calling Harley crazy, but she said it herself, it's hard not to be crazy amid crazy people, especially those special bunch amongst them."

And a crazy person was going wild at the moment. In contrast to Selina's stealthy approach, Harley was the source of chaos as she jumped directly into action, just smashing vampire heads again and again.

She was absolutely defenseless. All that she was caring about was destroying things while giggling along the way, mainly because the god killer was protecting her, contorting into different shapes to shield her from any harm.

"I love this!" Harley being Harley, jumped around amidst the pools of blood and giggle in happiness even as the vampires sought to take her head, "Sooo happy!"

"She's lovely, isn't she?" Ian murmured.

"She's just annoying and stupid." The man floating next to Ian responded.

"Hmm, different points of view. You see things differently than I do. While you see annoyance, I see entertainment and the mix of bright colors, giving some more life to the world.

While you see stupidity, I see naivety and potential. Naivety and stupidity can be considered one and the same but Naivety is more prone to change."

Ian stroked his chin with a bit of anticipation, "It's like the life cycle of a butterfly. She's in the Chrysalis stage at the moment, slowly but surely going through a metamorphosis before emerging as a gorgeous butterfly."

"Hehehe, Still just a butterfly, something I can accidentally squash while playing with bats... But I see your goal. It's an entertaining game. I can think of a hundred more entertaining games, but have it your way."

The man spoke, giggling from time to time. He was quite the strange person.

"Hmm, your friend is calling," Ian murmured as he brought out his phone, "I'm the opposite of you, I think the butterfly is entertaining and the bat is annoying..."

...

Chapter 130: Best Of Dreams IV

...

"Hmm, your friend is calling," Ian murmured as he brought out his phone, "I'm the opposite of you, I think the butterfly is entertaining, and the bat is annoying..."

Ian answered, and the bat's first words made him frown, "Go to the Watchtower? Why? I'm not part of the Justice League, and if you require my help, you have to make an offer."

"Nah, I don't do justice, I do the greater good, and now, I'm watching over the future..." He further added after a while though soon, his eyes lit up, "Deal!"

"Can you imagine a game, an exquisite game where..."

"Nah, see you later." Ian cut the man off, sending him away back to the black Rose prison, a small place he created recently just for the man.

He smiled brightly, finally getting something for his collection. He really wasn't interested in hearing the mystery man's manipulative words anymore.

Instead, Ian eyed his squad in action. He especially paid attention to Zatanna and Xanadu because the rest weren't having any trouble dealing with the threat.

Zatanna and Xanadu were dealing with something else entirely, a special vampire. The squad's extermination of the vampires led the rat out of its hole. The first of vampires has appeared.

Cain, the first murderer, condemned for killing his brother Abel. He was an odd person, someone with no less than several mental problems, and he finally found his freedom after being imprisoned for several hundred years.

He was a man of short stature, with ginger hair and a strange hairstyle. He had a large beard, falling a bit below his neck. His attire was a simple green jacket and black clothes, nothing special.

He stood before the two magicians, looking menacing with his grim expression which only went to become more ominous as he eyed all the vampires on the floor.

He cared for none of them, but they were his precious tools, and things would've been so much easier with them.

They were still alive though, mostly knocked out, or went unconscious through some magical means, some were also just sealed, unable to move. The way Zatanna does things was a bit different than the rest.

"Zatanna, I have only recovered a bit of my power, so I can't help much here." Xanadu frowned, feeling an ominous premonition, "And be careful. Something feels odd... I hope Ian is keeping an eye on this lest things go awry."

"Hmm, something does feel odd, and it's how he isn't dead yet, so let's change that, shall we?" As confident as always, Zatanna spoke with elegance as she waved her hand, muttering, "Stsalb Hctirdle! Sworra Erif! Dleihs Evitcelfer! Reirrab! Romra Cigam!"

Cain, the first of vampires instantly moved, vanishing from her sight only to appear right before her.

He was looking much different. The outline of his veins was apparent, almost like they were gonna burst. His eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth was opened wide, showing his ominous fangs.

Zatanna's magic, the destructive of which had already turned around under her control, following after him.

Still, he just ignored the danger and swung his hands towards her, seeking to take her head with his massive claw-like hands.

Much to Zatanna's shock, his claws barely were barely slowed down by the barriers as he seemed to absorb them.

Not just that, even the destructive spells she launched at him were devoured by him in an instant.

"Tropelet!" Zatanna instantly reacted, teleporting far away. She was a bit frightened not expecting him to have such a nonsensical ability.

However, she regained her cool almost instantly, teleporting away again as he had already arrived before her.

His speed was unlike anything she had seen before, and she felt it, it wasn't just his physical powers but also magic in work, an odd type of magic she doesn't understand at all.

Fortunately for the people of Gotham, Zatanna already created a massive barrier around the isolated area which stopped the impact of their fight from reaching people.

The barrier won't stop Cain, but it will stop the impact of his attacks because even a simple swing of his claws sends devastating blasts that can bring buildings down.

His mere steps break the ground underneath him, sending debris scattering all around, and he seemed to be getting stronger.

Zatanna is a magician, so facing someone who can absorb magic was a nightmare for her. However, her unrivaled confidence barely shook as she started a series of experiments.

It started by casting more destructive spells to the point the area became a lava zone, yet he was still barely affected.

She went on to cast restrictive spells and control other objects to seal him, and even that does work. He was able to devour even the magic not in contact with him, basically canceling her control whenever her magic gets close to him.

His physical powers which were terrifying only continued to become crazier. His increase in strength was simply too much, forcing Zatanna to deploy numerous magic spells just to keep herself safe, and away from his clutches.

The area however became hell on earth as the battle continued to become more intense with Zatanna basically being powerless against him.

"Just give up. Lie down and become one of my tools... There is nothing, absolutely nothing you can do." Cain spoke with apparent arrogance as he approached Zatanna.

Zatanna remained expressionless as she took a deep breath, closing her eyes seemingly accepting defeat. Only, she started murmuring something with her hands raised high at the sky, "Ot Gnihtyreve Esu..."

"Stop." A familiar voice sounded not far behind her, making her halt her words. She and Cain both stopped and eyed Ian who had just appeared with a staff in his hand.

"Why?" Zatanna asked, seeming a bit annoyed.

"If you're annoyed at your powerlessness, then just be better... Have you ever thought that just perhaps you became stale?"

Ian walked passed by her coming face to face with Cain. He was very close to him which is extremely dangerous considering Cain's monstrous power.

"Layla... You're actually a better solution to her problem than what I can do now..." Ian looked at Cain with a bit of appreciation, a common look he gives when on the verge of accepting charity.

Cain straightened his posture, seeming calm as he eyed Ian very carefully, "I know you, or I know of you... You will be of great help to what I want. Perhaps I won't need him anymore."

"Hmm, as I thought. A rat summoned you here... There are exactly two types of rats still moving about in the slums of Gotham. Which one of them is it? Well, I'll find out after I'm done with you."

Ian seemed to be in a good mood. His tone said as much. Layla was after all one of his most important subordinates, perhaps even more than that because he trusts her the most out of anyone.

He understands her more than anyone, and so does she. That's why she was so loyal to him, to the point she had to bear through a lot to have the power to support him.

Cain before him might just be a solution, so Ian started walking even closer to him, ignoring the twitching face of the vampire. Cain's mentality seemed to be a bit more fucked up than he previously estimated.

"You... Your soul will stay with me in my home, in the lands of dreams, listening to tales of nightmares instantly, but that's after I'm done with you." Cain spoke venomously as he looked up at Ian who was standing right before him.

The tension was high, and they both moved near at the same time. The difference however was their speed. Cain was fast, extremely fast to a frightening degree, but...

Ian's scepter went right through Cain's chest, lifting him high in the sky before flipping the scepter around and bringing it down, nailing him to the ground.

The crackling of orange lightning was very apparent to all as the blurry phenomenon of Rose of Death followed. He was in the state of the Rose of speed.

"Just like you are magicians' nemesis, I'm the nemesis of beings like you, beings who believe themselves immortal, unkillable. I even dare to say that I can be the nemesis of all."

Even his words were spoken at such a speed that even Cain was barely able to comprehend as he suddenly felt the staff lit up with golden rays.

"Chains Of God," Ian murmured, casting a spell not of magic but of light. It was a spell he created long ago amidst his studies of magic, darkness, and light.

Golden chains erupted from the scepter like a broken dam, instantly overwhelming the stunned Vampire, surrounding him from all sides.

"Seal Of Darkness." The Chains of God already go in the way of the prisoner using magic, but just to make sure, Ian added a spell of darkness, getting rid of that possibility.

This darkness spell on the other hand wasn't constructed by him but learned from the book of eternity which has numerous darkness spells.

And so, another question was added to the scripture of questions Ian wants the answer to, was he not able to absorb these spells because they weren't pure magic, or because of him?