American comics: From Hogwarts to God on Earth

Chapter 498 Even Villains Have Their Awareness

Faced with the catwoman's questioning, Rune felt somewhat helpless.

"Bane just wants to understand the essence of magic; he may not actually learn it." As he spoke, Rune looked at Bane and, ignoring Catwoman's gaze, forcefully explained the concept of magic in the DC universe to him.

"Magic is a terrifying power. It is not a simple tool as some people say, but more like a vast, ancient, dark ocean teeming with the will of some being."

"But to wield this power, certain special conditions are required," Rune gave an example. "Currently, the Heaven and Hell magic used by Constantine requires the greatest cost, but the risk is the least. However, to use this magic, one either needs to obtain or implant demon/angel blood, or—"

Rune recalled Faust, whom he had just killed some time ago, "and it required making a deal with the demon, exchanging precious items like souls for the ability to cast spells."

"There are also academic types, like the sorcerers often seen in movies and TV series. They start learning magic from a young age and use precise movements and spells to borrow magic from the air. But if they make a mistake, there will be a terrible backlash."

"However, they can unleash extremely terrifying magic on their own, and some spells can even seal away demons. The representative figure of this school is Zatanna."

Harley was listening intently when Rune paused for a moment.

"What else? What else?" Harley asked like a curious child, completely taking Rune's words as a fairy tale.

"These two are the most common types of mages. You at this level have no chance of encountering the others." Rune shrugged.

For example, the Swamp Monster is the protector of all greenery, capable of teleporting, controlling plants, conversing with them, and even changing his appearance. Then there are Lucifer and the Ghost, whose power comes directly from God, making them incredibly strong.

Rune himself belongs to a new school of magic, and he can generate his own magic, which is unique in both DC and Marvel—although it is quite common in the world of Harry Potter.

"A mage's spellcasting requires borrowing magic from a stronger being, and strong enough emotions are the catalyst that drives magic. As for willpower, it is the key to ensuring that magic can be successfully released, but the use of any magic has its price."

The more Bain listened to Rune's explanation, the more his brow furrowed. He was unwilling to pray to any being to obtain magic; Bain had his own pride.

Batman is similar to Bane; his willpower is at the pinnacle of human strength, which allows Bruce to safely access dark magic without being corrupted. He is also extremely intelligent and can quickly learn a large number of spells.

Most importantly, Batman is not lacking in strong emotions, and his pain will allow Bruce to more easily unleash powerful magic.

However, Batman himself has a morbid desire to control everything, including Bruce himself, and magic in the DC universe is often accompanied by chaos, cost, and uncertainty.

Moreover, if Batman were to use magic, it would be tantamount to admitting to the world that Gotham cannot be saved by human bodies alone, which would shake the very foundation of Batman's existence—even though a Bat-Sorcerer does indeed exist in the Dark Multiverse.

Finally, when Rune asked Bain if he wanted to learn magic, Bain shook his head.

"I refuse." His eyes gleamed with an almost contemptuous light. "This is a path of begging for power from ancient beings, mages. Your power does not belong to yourselves! Perhaps you are stronger than me now, but—"

The giant shook his head, looking around as if he were back in the prison where he was born. "True power comes only from within. I have conquered the limits of humanity, I have conquered suffering, so I will never yield, never!"

Bane's declaration shocked everyone present, including Rune. In his original mind, Bane was just a somewhat intelligent, muscular man, incomparable to the likes of Ghost or Doctor Manhattan.

But at this moment, Rune finally understood that Bane was not just a two-dimensional character labeled as a villain, but a real strongman with his own will who had even defeated Batman.

This villain possesses his own awareness, and his charisma far surpasses that of powerful figures like Dr. Manhattan.

Therefore, Rune clapped.

Snap snap snap ————

Bain kept his promise and wrote down the method for making Titan Venom on the paper Rune handed him, filling two whole pages, front and back, before stopping.

"Wait, did we forget something?" Harley asked as she watched Rune stuff the two pieces of paper into the void.

Just as Rune was about to ask what was going on, Catwoman's face turned deathly pale. She screamed, almost a shriek, "Batman! We're here to rescue Batman, but why isn't he here yet?"

Rune clicked his tongue.

He thought Batman would save his close friend Flash first, but he never expected Bruce to be so heartless as to choose to save the Joker instead.

However, from another perspective, saving the Joker is also saving Jason—perhaps that would be easier for people to accept?

Batman stood before the shattered French windows, breathing in the damp air of the upper floors of Wayne Tower.

The air, thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood, was freezing cold; every breath Bruce took felt like countless needles piercing his lungs.

His tattered cloak fluttered in the wind behind him, and the elite members of the Assassin Guild lay scattered on the ground. They were not dead, but had been beaten so badly that they were completely unable to resist.

Batman was filled with rage when facing his fellow disciples. The League of Assassins had desecrated Robin's body and desecrated the soul of a hero, so Bruce wanted to inflict as much pain on them as possible, except for death.

Batman himself was not unscathed either.

Stun grenades, fragmentation grenades, and all sorts of bizarre weapons that Lucius developed for himself were useless against Rune, but were very effective against Batman, who was just a mortal.

But worse was his mental anguish. Batman knew that if he went up just one more level, he would see Jason Todd, the person he had always dreamed of meeting.

Although Jason in his dreams kept questioning himself—why hadn't he arrived sooner, why hadn't he avenged him—

No! Batman is the embodiment of fear; you cannot have any emotional fluctuations!

He told himself this, suppressed the urge in his heart, took a deep breath, and began to climb the stairs step by step.

Anticipation, fear, tension —

This might be the longest staircase Bruce has ever climbed.

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