CHAPTER 149

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[David Lance POV]

After Barda guided me to my room, the next day came faster than I thought it would, especially considering that I hadn't slept a single second for multiple reasons. 

One, the ring didn't allow me to do things like sleeping, all my time was spent awake, imaging Superman's death, and two, I was staying at Darkseid's, who, even though I wanted to make an alliance with, I didn't trust him at all.

Only a fool would trust Darkseid.

Luckily for me, as soon as the morning came, Darkseid called upon me to continue with yesterday's discussion. 

So without wasting time, I made my way to the room I had been summoned to, following Barda, my guide along the way, to see whether or not I had really wasted my time coming to this hellhole of a planet.

As we reached the place, Barda entered first before beckoning me inside after she closed the doors behind us. 

The room appeared to be a throne room of some kind, where Darkseid conducted his business. 

The place was lined on both sides by black stone walls, which were adorned with multiple bodies frozen in a state of perpetual agony. At the back of the room, there were some fountains that, instead of water, spilled blood.

"Do you like my collection?" Darkseid asked from his throne as he leaned forward with his arms crossed over his chest, watching me walk towards him.

"Art is subjective," I replied as I looked around at all those people stuck in a perpetual state of suffering, being nothing more than another decoration for him.

"Everyone is here for a reason," Darkseid said as he pointed to the victims trapped within his walls. "They are a reminder for everyone who walks into this room about what happens when someone decides to stand up to me."

I raised an eyebrow at that but didn't say anything. 

"This one was the King of Aspera," Darkseid said, pointing at one of the bodies next to him, causing it to shudder out of its frozen state violently before its face melted off with a painful scream, revealing a body with no eyes, nose, ears, only teeth, and some bone.

"Is there a point to this conversation?" I asked him, growing tired of him wasting my time.

"I believe I've made my position clear already," Darkseid responded coldly. "My resources will be put at your disposal once I determine your usefulness."

"And I believe I made my timeframe for such judgment clear as well," I replied, as coldly as him.

Darkseid glared at me through his crimson eyes, wearing his usual unreadable expression; then, he gestured towards a door on his right with his finger. "I have a test for you. Pass it, and my resources will be at your disposal. Fail, and you'll find that the doors will be locked forevermore on you. It's that simple."

"That is very vague," I replied, looking at the door. 

"If I gave you the answers, it wouldn't be a test," Darkseid replied indifferently.

A test.

Well, this is most interesting and strange. I expected many things from Darkseid, but not a challenge. 

"Very well," I nodded, cracking my neck side to side. "I will complete whatever test you have in store for me. But that's it, I do the test, and you help me."

"Of course," Darkseid simply replied as he leaned back in his seat. "If you pass, that is." 

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I walked over to the door without hesitation. As soon as I placed my hand on it, I was teleported to a different place, a different planet, thanks to a motherbox. 

This world was completely covered by a sea of dark clouds that spread out across an endless horizon before reaching into space like a giant ocean of death. In fact, everything about the land beneath those black waves was grim and lifeless.

"So you are the one Darkseid promised to send," Said an eerie voice, catching me by surprise. 

Ready for battle, I turned around to see a tall figure standing a few meters away from me, wearing a black set of armor with golden edges, his face hidden behind a helmet, making it impossible to see who it was behind it all. 

Whoever he was, he carried himself with such grace it could only be described as perfect. Each move, each breath, it was flawless. 

I looked at him, wondering what my test was exactly, as he started walking towards me slowly; he moved like the shadows themselves were under his control, and yet at the same time, they appeared to follow him of their own will. "Did Darkseid happen to tell you what I was supposed to do here?"

"Escape," The stranger said as he stopped right in front of me.

Escape?! And here I thought I would get a challenge.

"I don't escape things," I replied confidently, eager to tear this stranger apart. "I destroy them."

"Is that so?" He replied calmly while staring directly into my eyes.

Done with talking, I moved to attack the strange man only to realize that even though I had the power to reach the speed of light, I wasn't moving even close to that speed; it was as if my power had been weakened somehow. Missing my attack as the man moved out of sight, I felt something touch my face before slamming into a mountain.

Fuck this.

If this bastard had a way to weaken my ring, I would simply decimate the entire planet alongside him.

"Would you look at that? You still haven't destroyed me," The bastard spoke from behind me, his voice filled with sarcasm. 

I had it with this guy!

"GO TO HELL FUCKER!" I screamed right into the ground. However, instead of exploding the planet, as I should've had with a scream, I simply created a big crater. A result smaller than a whisper would've created.

But... how?

"Trying to destroy the planet so soon? Are you really having that hard of a time keeping up with an old lady?" The stranger chuckled at my attempt.

That bastar--- wait, what? Old lady?!

"What have you done to me?! Tell me before I rip you apart!!!" I growled, my eyes shining red as my rage increased.

"I sealed part of your powers," The old bitch replied, slowly walking towards me. "The bonds of Yuga Khan. You should have around 1/50 of your full power as you are now, maybe less."

"I will enjoy tearing you to shreds!" I shouted, using my voice, aiming directly at her. This time, however, she didn't dodge; she remained in place, taking my weakened attack as if I was throwing her a toy, completely unmoved by it.

"You already know that won't work," The old bitch, with the voice of a man, chuckled as she walked towards me. 

I WON'T HAVE MY REVENGE THWARTED BY A FUCKING STRANGER!

I WON'T!

I FUCKING WON'T!!

I WILL KILL HER NO MATTER WHAT!

"To kill me, you would first have to land a hit, child," The old woman said with a sigh. "Such blood thirst, it's almost shocking. Though I suppose it is not entirely your fault. Not with that thing clouding your head."

"Enough prattle bitch!" I roared, dashing at her.

"My name is Wioska, child, and you will address me as such."