Chapter 34 - Knowledge

Knowing how the multiverse works, how the forces in it work and those who can represent the spectrum of certain energies are very important. At least in the world, I live in. That's why I decided to immediately buy the available knowledge.

The Book of Arion - Lord of Atlantis (S) — 4000 CP

The Book of Thoth (S) — 4000 CP

Zatara's book (A) — 1500 CP

All three books were of great importance to me with the information contained in them. As far as I found out, a lot of modern magicians have roots in ancient Atlantis, because there were Homo Magi in it, who eventually broke away from Atlantis and mixed with people.

The Supreme Sorcerer Arion was the sorcerer of Atlantis and literally had godlike power and vast knowledge, in the same book they were contained. Once he was one of the Lords of Order, so there is a lot of knowledge there and not only from this universe, because he had some knowledge about others, for example, the dark ones.

The book of Thoth contains all the lost knowledge after the flooding of Atlantis, when the "Dead King" flooded Atlantis, a lot of knowledge was lost. This knowledge includes the development of a race that could compete with the smartest in the universe, if not for the Great Fall caused by their king, who was betrayed by his own brother and killed his family ... in general, they had wars for the throne.

The book of Zatara is the knowledge of Giovanni Zatara, a fairly strong magician who has a huge reputation among all other magicians. If you do not take the Lords of Order, then he can be considered the strongest magician at the moment ... unless, of course, nothing happened to him.

I was lucky that their price, even though they are S-rank, is quite mundane. After all, this is dry knowledge, without additional abilities, however, this is enough for me. The knowledge, in fact, of archmages is exactly what I need right now to understand how everything works in this world. And now my Chat Points balance is as follows:

Chat Points: 7203

— "I 'll have to read a lot" I gasped, looking at three huge books, and they are all also enchanted, so there are even more pages there.

Until the evening, I was mired in Arion's book and... at least it became clearer what the strongest sorcerers in this multiverse are capable of. Not to say that I have no chance at all against someone like that, but if someone uses everything with the same force at once, I have no chance.

However, their bodies are still their weakness, well, most often, but not always. After all, Arion was an Atlantean, and they are several times stronger than an ordinary person.

A huge number of different spells and schools of magic were also described in the book, as well as ways to draw energy from the Source directly, but not many managed to achieve the latter because it gives almost complete omnipotence. According to the comics, the New Gods are just so strong because of their proximity to the Source.

***

— "Master Luthor, your sister is calling you." Cortana's voice brought me out of a trance.

— "Mmm? Connect us please" — I nodded, looking at the time... it turns out I'd been sitting here all night reading a book and still haven't read it to the end... however, this was to be expected.

— "Tony, I didn't find you in the apartment, where are you?" — I heard the voice of my sister, whom I haven't seen for almost three days, but it's only been fifteen hours for her.

— "I'm already in the department and I'm designing a reactor." I replied, getting up from the table.

I didn't feel broken, yet it's hard to call myself a simple person and a day without sleep doesn't matter much to me.

"... did you come back at all?"

— "Hmm, maybe?" — I answered walking down the corridor in the direction where I am building the reactor. In general, now I can create it in a fairly short period.

— "It doesn't matter, the main thing is not to forget about rest. We've been invited to attend a dinner party at the Wayne Estate in Gotham and it's a very revealing move in high circles, so I think we should come."

— "Gotham? Is it where some maniac jumps in a bat suit and scares off the gangsters?" There was a hint of skepticism in my voice.

— "Yes, and we have some guy who also flies around the city at high speed and runs away from the military, so our cities are worth each other." — I heard my sister chuckle on the other end of the connection. — "Dinner is scheduled for next week, so be ready."

— "Good. I'll bring food for lunch from that very chef..." I said with a smile and…

- "Yes?! Ahem, I mean... okay, Tony, then I'll be waiting for you. Don't be late, brother." — the girl was obviously excited. After finishing the conversation, I ran my hand through my hair and exhaled heavily.

— "Cortana, did you find out anything about the Dust?" — I looked towards the holoprojector where the AI avatar appeared.

— T"hese are very energy-saturated crystals with a connection very unusual for such a material... even with the help of Kryptonian technologies, it is difficult to give an accurate analysis. We need more data or more complete Kryptonian technologies." The AI replied.

— "Hmm, Cortana, how are you feeling?" — because of my question, the girl's avatar tilted his head slightly to the side in a very human way.

— "I can say that there are no problems with my functionality. And with access to such advanced technologies and your genius, who was able to combine human technologies with Kryptonian ones and create servers for me, I can get access to all the nuclear suitcases in a day." — she said as if trying to justify her existence.

— "I know that from a technical point of view, there are no problems. You're perfect. I'm talking about something else." — I got up and walked to the avatar AI standing in full height, that is, she was about one meter seventy.

— "Even in that world known to me, you were... more than human, and the realization that you were created literally from the personal matrix of a woman... you become even more human no matter what anyone says. That's why I'm wondering, how are you feeling?" — it was an important question.

She is the first intelligent conscripted through the system and let it be written in the description that she will be loyal ... but there was nothing written about complete and servile submission. That is, as in that other world she could go crazy because of many factors, so here the probability of this is not zero.

"I... I don't understand your question." — I got an answer, and her usual smile appeared on the avatar's face, but... something was wrong.

If I hadn't completely assimilated with Albedo and discovered my Aura, as well as gained knowledge, then... I might well have missed one detail. I feel Cortana's soul, she was in the main holoprojector, which is connected to the servers of LexCorp.

— "You know. You are very close and reasonable to me at the moment, because you know a lot about me and have been through a lot with me. You have a soul, Cortana. I can feel it." — after my words, the avatar's expression changed to... uncertain.

"I'm afraid... and I don't know what to do." — she decided to say it anyway. — "When I was there... with them, I never experienced something like with you. Everything was extremely simple. They gave me a task, and I did it. There was a simulation of emotions, but... here it all turned upside down, and I started... started noticing the wrongness. I do not know what to call it, I am a machine, I am an AI, just an imitation of life…"

— "Cortana." — I interrupted her and stretched out my hand, walked with the back of my hand on her cheek, which caused a little interference on the avatar, but it's still a projection. — "I can feel your soul. Do you understand?" — I gave her time.

No, with her computing power, she could think of billions of options in those seconds and prepare for each one, but…

— "Soul?" — the avatar put his hand on the place where the person's heart is located.

— "Exactly. And you know, I need a very good and proven assistant. Alive, breathing and able to hack even the most complex system." I allowed myself a smile. Still, in the beginning, I treated her as my assistant, a tool, but ... what a sin to conceal, I became attached to her.

"Alive?" Cortana looked down at her hands. — "How does it feel?.."

— "You'll find out. Not that it's difficult. You will still be able to connect to the network. I already have an idea how to make you a full-fledged body capable of everything that you can do now, but I need time to estimate. I can create an ordinary living body even now, but I still need to move your soul and consciousness. Just these books are more than useful." — I went up to the very valuable books and tapped them with my finger.

— "So don't think that you will always be in this state." — I said finally and headed for the reactor.

I devoted several hours to assembling it, and in the process, I came up with ideas on how to improve the reactor with the existing knowledge... however, I don't need it yet. This reactor will provide energy to the Luthorineering building and if everything goes as I planned, then the whole city.

"Hmm, is someone dabbling in magic?" I whispered, feeling a change in reality through magic. It was somewhere at a distance of one and a half kilometers from my location, so I could feel it. And the magic was wrong, or rather... corrupted.

— "Cortana, I'll be there soon." I said and materialized dark clothes and a mask on myself with the help of alchemy. After that, a magic circle appeared under me, and I teleported just above the place where I felt a change in reality.

— "... make a deal and everything will be fine." — literally growled some demon, standing in front of a rather frivolously dressed young brunette in a black hat. Both of them were in some dark alley. (Picture should be here)

— "Yes, I already realized that the deal will not lead to anything good. Get out." — said the same brunette and tried to expel him, but the demon just laughed and rushed at her. — " Reirrab!" — he crashed into the magic barrier that appeared. — "Ezeerf!"

— "Belial will not leave it just like that ..." — growled the demon, covered with frost, and spewed out of his mouth the flames of hell from which the sorceress was able to defend herself without any problems, but then she did not need to do anything as I fell on top of the demon and pierced his head with my sword of the Eighth Metal. And, it worked. Well, maybe the demon would have been more tenacious, but no, the metal of the gods easily killed him.

"Dealing with demons is the last thing you shoud do. Or just do not for you own safety ," I said, looking at the girl who picked up a black hat from the ground, from which magic was felt. (Picture here)

— "As if I didn't know without you." The girl said irritably, brushing the dirt off her hat and applying a spell to it. — "Apparently someone pointed it at me... by any chance, not you?" She looked at me menacingly.

— "I helped you." I reminded her. — "Yes, and this is my first meeting with demons... nothing serious yet."

— "I thought the same way when I wanted to make a de... it doesn't matter " she waved her hand.

— "It would sound more instructive from someone not dressed in a stripper costume."

— "Hey, this is my stage image!" — she stamped her foot and the irritation in her voice rose by a couple of tones. — "Maybe I shoud turn you into a toad or something?"

— "I would watch it happen, but no thanks. I thought here needed my help or suddenly someone would do something stupid... for example, try to make a deal with someone from Hell. You're like Zatara's daughter, am I right?"

— "You're not wrong. I haven't seen you before, and your magic with this seal is strange…"

— "Okay, if you don't really need help, then I'll go." — a magic seal appeared under my feet... and disappeared just as quickly because of Zatanna's magic. Still, the local magic in the wild will be better…

— "Rude girl." — I shook my head and just abruptly flew up, and there I teleported to myself, finally I heard some unkind word directed at my back ... I hope it wasn't a curse, however, I would have felt it.

It was stupid of me to react so sharply to such an event, yet the scribe himself should start happening from the moment of the Darkseid invasion when the Justice League becomes a league.

But still, these are not comics and there are different cases, so it was necessary to check. If I want to live in peace in this world, which will not be easy, because the dangers here come not only from this universe but also from others, then I need to become even stronger.

This demon was not a particularly strong opponent, and I did not understand at all what he was doing in the city, but I hope this… Zatanna will sort it out.

As far as I understood, she was trying to make some kind of deal and maybe it was aimed at removing the curse from her father from the evil sorceress, but I don't know for sure and I don't want to know yet. We need to take a closer look at the books we bought and more…

The pedigree of Homo Magus(B) — 1200 CP

I bought myself a pedigree of local magicians. Immediately I felt some change as if breathing became a little easier.

— "Nrub" — I said, looking at the clothes that I had thrown off, which I had created with the help of alchemy before heading to find out what was going on there.

I used a mnemonic spell and magic and just changed reality with my will, however, this is what magic usually allows you to do. Therefore, I was not surprised when these clothes abruptly burst into more than a fire, which burned it in a couple of seconds, and then simply disappeared. I like this kind of magic too.