American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

275. Into the Dream with the Wind.

Late at night, Alex stood alone on the rooftop of Arkham.

Gazing at the silent and lifeless Gotham under the night sky, Alex let out a soft sigh, his eyes drifting toward the distance.

Before arriving here, Alex hadn't taken the development of this world too seriously. After all, this was a universe that was bound to reboot, destined to dissolve into dust and be consumed by darkness. There was no way to avoid its destruction.

If not for the risk of this universe colliding with the Wasteland Universe, Alex would never have intervened here. No one understood the severity of this situation better than him.

The Parademons were merely an appetizer. Even the Doomsday Parademons, infused with Kryptonian blood, weren't a major issue. Though numerous, once their weaknesses were found, eliminating them wouldn't be too difficult.

The real problem was Darkseid. In the original story, the heroes didn't actually defeat Darkseid by themselves. It was Constantine who outwitted Trigon.

And who is Trigon? He is terrifying, high-dimensional being whose power extends to the multiverse level. His strength is almost incalculable, and his true form can be described as overwhelmingly powerful.

Just casting a glance into the universe could warp reality, and no ordinary universe could withstand his presence. Given this, it's clear that Darkseid, who fought him to a stalemate, wasn't weak either.

Though neither the true forms of Trigon nor Darkseid resided in this universe, the versions in the Apokolips War universe were merely avatars of their originating wills. Still, confronting entities of their caliber was by no means an easy task.

Having finally met the last remaining members of the Bat-family, after some rest and regrouping, Alex finally had a quiet moment to himself to think.

Alex believed that both sides had received enough information for the day. Whether it was Black Canary and Jason or Barbara and Kate, they all needed time to process everything. And Alex himself needed to plan his next steps.

Sitting quietly on the edge of the rooftop, Alex raised his hand and felt the magical energy of this world. It was a force different from the magic he had encountered in the Marvel Universe—similar in essence, yet fundamentally different.

Miss Minutes emerged from Alex's pocket, curiously observing Alex as he practiced "magic."

Glancing at her, Alex communicated telepathically.

"Speak through telepathy. Kara's Kryptonian physiology is rapidly recovering, and her hearing in this world is terrifying. I've already explained enough today, and I don't want her pestering me with more questions."

 "As you wish, my lord," Miss Minutes responded sweetly, sitting beside Alex.

 "This world's magic is fascinating. It's everywhere, almost like radiation, completely different from the magic dimensions of Marvel. And it seems like everyone here carries traces of magic. It's quite extraordinary."

"My lord, you must understand that the origin of each universe is different. Even multiverses that share the same source can be filled with different energies. Even if two universes develop similarly, their origins might still be distinct."

"Why does that happen?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"Unfortunately, I don't know either. Just as you explained to them earlier, the multiverse is a mysterious phenomenon, and the birth of origin universes remains an enigma that many great beings cannot fully comprehend."

"Alright." Alex laughed softly, realizing he couldn't grasp the underlying secrets either.

Perhaps it was because his power wasn't strong enough yet? If he could elevate his strength to the level of those true "gods," maybe then he could solve these mysteries.

"Can you detect any remaining magical sources in this world? Even if Earth has been overrun by Parademons, there should still be something here worth devouring, right?"

"I'm afraid I can't guarantee that. The Timepad system only stores algorithms for scanning various dimensions, and this timeline... it's a mess. This place is filled with portals from different worlds, most of which are already sealed. Detecting anything in a short time won't be easy."

"Any suggestions?" Alex turned his head.

"How about asking the locals?" Miss Minutes smiled and responded with a question.

Hearing that, Alex nodded heavily.

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Closing his eyes gently, Alex took a deep breath. Then, as he exhaled, he allowed his body to relax, and the impatience in his heart gradually subsided.

A faint green flame flickered around Alex, casting a trembling light over his shadow. Slowly, his shadow twisted more and more until it expanded into a large dark figure, completely different from his own.

This was the power of the Shadow King. At this moment, it bridged the magical energies between the two universes, allowing Alex to use some abilities that were previously out of reach.

There may not be abstract magic here, but there was creation magic, something even more abstract. There was no mystical Astral Plane, but there was a strange and ever-shifting Dream World.

Though his eyes remained closed, Alex's vision ascended high into the air. From his perspective, the world had already undergone a tremendous transformation. The entire dimly lit city was filled with various "threads," weaving together like a web, with some even extending to the farthest corners of the city.

"So, this is..."

A thought sparked in Alex's mind, and he suddenly realized what he was looking for—the dream realm.

In the DC Multiverse, the Dream World is an incredibly mysterious place. It is practically the foundation of the origin worlds and a vital part of the multiverse. It is a place where light and darkness can be bent and shaped at will.

Drawing near to one of the fine threads, Alex followed its direction and was surprised to discover that it originated right beneath his feet. After a brief pause, Alex realized the thread belonged to Pietro.

Being able to sleep in this situation—there was no one else it could be but Pietro.

As he got closer to the faint thread, Alex's vision shifted again. Soon, he found himself looking at a bedroom plastered with posters.

The walls were covered with posters of various AAA video game titles, takeout boxes were scattered across the floor, and the rapid clicking of a keyboard echoed through the room. For a moment, Alex felt like he was seeing a younger version of himself.

Focusing on the scene, Alex realized that it was indeed Pietro sitting at his computer, wearing headphones and playing a game. Judging by his intensity, he was likely battling some critical boss.

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, Alex turned his gaze toward the other objects in the room.

Looking at the vividly detailed posters, chairs, decorations, and figurines—things made from dream matter—Alex suddenly realized something. It seemed like he could "take" these objects.

Yes, "take" them.

To pull things from the Dream World into reality—this should be impossible in the material world. But for some reason, Alex felt like he could do it.

Maybe it would take a significant amount of magical energy to retrieve something as small as a drink bottle, but just being able to do that was remarkable. For other sorcerers, it would be no different from conjuring something out of thin air.

After a moment of hesitation, Alex ultimately decided to hold off on testing this theory. After all, he didn't know this place well enough yet, and acting rashly wasn't his style. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally trigger some sort of apocalyptic "Nightmare Knight."

Exiting Pietro's pleasant dream, Alex zoomed out his perspective and began using his magical energy to communicate with the threads, searching for traces of magical sources.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
276. The Master of Dreams.
277. Shazam.
278. The Next Target.
279. The Seven Deadly Sins.
280. Preparations for Summoning Demons.