Volume 8: The Fourth Impact Chapter 35 I'm a craftsman! Why do I keep using fakes?
"According to your request, I have asked Doctor Fate, who is the most knowledgeable about supernatural powers among the Lords of Justice, but according to his response, the root power you are looking for does not exist in our world."
After the Black Lantern Corps was sent away, Mason did not leave the Lord's World, but instead entrusted Lord Superman and the master on duty here to help him ask about the root power.
The final answer was as expected.
Facing the answer given by Lord Superman, Mason sighed and said:
“That’s understandable. When I first came into contact with the power of origin, I learned from the swamp monster that not every world has such a mysterious power.
Although our world shares the same template, there are slight differences in the details. For example, Cyborg and Shazam don't exist on your side, and the Martian Manhunter has never been born.
But it doesn't matter, they are not necessary to carry out the current plan.
Is the installation of the equipment going smoothly?"
“Everything is already being prepared.”
Lord Superman nodded and said to Mason:
"The magnetic field generator in our world has been placed in the center of the earth. Diana and the Atom are personally responsible for its debugging, and the installation location in Ms. Emilia's world has also been determined.
I will be heading there soon to help them complete their excavation to the center of the Earth.
You guys have a great timeline, and there's not a lot of pressure to keep up with that timeline, but when are you going to get our Batman back?"
"Um?"
Mason blinked at the question. He glanced at the Batfighter taking off overhead and whispered:
"Did you find out?"
"Do you think I'll be kept in the dark?"
Lord Superman showed a subtle expression.
He pointed to his forehead and said:
"I've talked to your Superman, and he relies too much on Batman's wisdom, just like I once did, but when Barry died in front of me, I knew that Bruce's wisdom was not omnipotent.
I have developed my wisdom.
I noticed something strange when Gray Bat and your Batman exchanged identities. Although his disguise was perfect, some differences in details still could not escape my eyes.
I saw it as a symbol of unity between the two sides and did not expose it.
But the fact is, your Batman is good in every way, but he is not a comrade-in-arms that I can fully trust, and I did not tell this to my wife Diana.
But I believe you won’t be able to hide it from her for long.”
"This is their decision, Clark."
Mason explained:
"I am not involved in this. The two Batmen believe that this exchange of identities will allow them, who have never trusted anyone, to establish a stable cooperation. Although the method is weird, considering Batman's personality, if you want Gray Bat to come back, you have to talk to him in person."
"That's fine."
Lord Superman waved his hand and said:
“I couldn’t convince him, his stubbornness was as formidable as his intelligence.
Just like I told him countless times that I trusted him but he was still secretly designing the kryptonite armor that could suppress me in the Batcave. "
"You even know this?"
Mason blinked and said:
"You are so omnipotent in this world that it's really intimidating. Are you learning from Batman?"
“His thinking is always reliable and perfect as a reference.”
Lord Chao gave a faint smile, but then shook his head and said:
"I must do this! Because as I strengthen my will and commit myself to the just order, I gain strength but also lose some strength.
I can defeat your Justice League with ease, but I am certain that my victory, no matter how great, will be reversed at the last moment by your Superman.
The power that guy can unleash under the impetus of the Oath of Protection is almost unlimited.
The beliefs he kept in his heart gave him unlimited possibilities.
And I...
When I crossed that line, I gained strength, but I also lost strength.”
"I knew you Kryptonians would have to go the spiritualist route, and it turns out I was right."
Mason shrugged and said:
"So this is some kind of 'Oath Lock'? As long as you firmly believe that you can do something, then you will definitely be able to do it? Maybe it has something to do with willpower?"
"You are exploring secrets belonging to the Kryptonians."
Lord Chao slowly stood up, letting his white cloak flutter in the air.
He looked down at Mason and said:
“I won’t tell you the answer, but I think your guess is right. Protect your Superman and don’t let him go down the same path of no return as I did.
I will eventually part ways with my former comrades because of the beliefs in my heart.
I can even see my own future of exile. Even if I survive the disaster of the impact, the story of the Lord of Justice will still end in tragedy in the next era.
Because it wasn’t heroic, but I couldn’t turn back.”
"Xiao Qiao believes that you are still a hero worthy of respect. Loss has not led you astray. It has only strengthened your adherence to justice and order."
Mason said:
"Don't be so pessimistic about your future, Clark. In fact, compared to you, I think our Superman is a little too weak.
You may be the real superman in my mind."
"Thank you for the compliment, but I'm not."
The lord said in a very soft voice:
“Killing is never worthy of praise. Only restraint can bring true peace. When the so-called divinity overwhelms humanity, the only thing that can be born from this body is a monster that constantly destroys itself.
They say I stand in the light, but I am only a thin line away from true depravity.
Gray Bat and I have both broken the rules once, and that's not an honorable thing. Compared to your Bruce and Clark, we are the real weaklings.
I, the Superman, am not brave; your Superman is brave.
Don’t worship us, worship them.”
After saying that, Lord Chao accelerated in the air and disappeared into the darkness. Mason lit a cigarette for himself. After a few seconds, he turned around and looked at Damian and Xiao Qiao who jumped out of the invisibility cloak not far away.
He said:
"Did you hear that? They told you not to idolize them and think it's so cool to break your own rules."
"Hey, they are lecturing you, not us."
Damian folded his arms and said:
"I have always been very clear about my position. Instead of worrying about me getting lost, you should pay more attention to this farm boy."
"I want to go home."
Xiao Qiao folded up the invisibility cloak in his hands and handed it to Mason. The well-behaved child said to the captain:
"Lord Superman taught me a lot, but he was not willing for me to become like him. I still can't figure out the difference between him and my father, but I think maybe my dad can give me an answer."
"Then go home. People have seen through you. There's no point in you staying here and playing house any more."
Mason checked his watch and summoned the Speedster to pick them up. A few seconds later, a yellow light broke through the dimensional barrier and appeared in front of Mason as the Speed Force rift opened.
Reverse Flash, wearing the Speed Force armor, was obviously unhappy. He felt that he was threatened by Mason to become his "personal taxi driver", but considering the proton bomb on his wrist that could be activated at any time, the bastard endured it.
There is a sense of grievance that comes from being angry but not being able to speak out.
"You're three seconds late."
The captain looked at his watch and said persistently:
“Is this an expression of dissatisfaction to the leadership?”
"I'm just coming here for the first time and need to familiarize myself with the road conditions. Don't make trouble for no reason!"
Reverse Flash responded unhappily:
"Although I'm a prisoner, I also have human rights. If you keep picking on me, do you believe that I'll make a mistake in the coordinates when we get back and let everyone jump into the black hole for some fun?"
“Is this the correct attitude for you to use when talking to your superiors?”
Mason snorted, but Reverse-Flash turned his head away from him.
He was sure that Mason still needed his work and that he was valuable, and would not be fired just because of such a small matter.
The captain certainly didn't make a fuss about it.
He was still busy. After returning to Osborne Tower with a group of people, he jumped into the suitcase factory. This time, he did not go to the engineering workshop he often went to, but strolled to the studio of jeweler Mason.
“Ding ding!”
Mason placed the bag given by Professor McGonagall in front of the jeweler Mason who was carving a spell. The jeweler put down the carving knife in his hand and pushed the single-lens magnifying glass used to assist in delicate work. He was shocked when he took out the broken cosmic cube from the bag.
"Where did you get this good stuff?"
The surprised jeweler poured out all kinds of things in the bag, including the Cosmic Cube, the Power and Reality Gems, the Cosmic Control Rod that was broken into two pieces, the extremely dim Cytorak Deep Ruby, the Extraordinary Dragon Ten Rings that was missing a part, and finally a golden lightning-shaped spear.
These things, which can be called "artifacts", looked glittering and precious when piled together, but jeweler Mason soon discovered their problems.
"The power of these things is somewhat lacking. Compared with the complete version of the artifact, they look like just showpieces."
Mason, a jeweler who is well-versed in the field of jewelry, picked up the deep red ruby of Cytorak and rubbed it in front of his eyes. He said to Mason:
"What are you going to do with them? What new work are you going to assign to me?"
“We have already made a lot of Twelve Talismans, and they are enough for use as consumables , so we must advance our greatest goal in the field of jewelry processing!
It’s time to start that long-pending megaproject.”
Mason played with the genuine time gem that he had seized from the warlock, letting the green fluorescence dance on his fingertips. He said to the jeweler Mason:
“Regarding the strategy of counterfeiting Infinity Gems and using artifacts of that level as conventional weapons, it is still difficult to achieve this with our current level of jewelry processing.
So the first goal is to create a one-time Infinity Stone..."
“I can’t.”
The jeweler Mason immediately shook his head and said:
"First, I have to study the energy properties of the Infinity Stones and the principles of their formation. Only after I have mastered this knowledge can I further explore the method of imitation.
It's not that I don't have the ability, it's that you have to consider the time issue.
There are less than 20 days left until the Fourth Impact. Are you sure you want me to continue researching these things at this time?"
"Time can no longer constrain us. Time is no longer a problem because we have this!"
Mason threw the time gem pendant in his hand to the jeweler Mason with great regret, and said:
"Take it and go find the inscriptionist and the enchanter and find a way to create a time barrier in the pocket factory. Even if we don't pursue the effect of stopping time, we must at least make it possible to delay time ten or twenty times.
That way we'll have enough time to prepare everything we need before impact."
"Are you sure?"
The jeweler gasped.
He touched the Time Stone in his hand and said to the subject Mason:
"In this case, you won't be able to use the Time Stone in combat. It will have to stay here for a long time as the core of the semi-permanent magic circle. This is equivalent to you losing a life-saving artifact."
"We are craftsmen. Strength and war are not the ideals we pursue."
The subject waved his hands and said:
"Our aspiration is to study skills and become a master of all professions. Besides, there are many ways to save our lives, so this one won't make a difference.
After this time barrier is completed, you must immediately begin researching and replicating the Infinity Gems and the jewelry processing items in front of you. My requirements are not high.
How about this, before the impact comes, you have to hand me ten sets of disposable Infinity Gems..."
"Ten sets? You might as well kill me."
The jeweler Mason suddenly shouted:
"Do you think this is easy, you bastard! It's already a big deal that I can put together a set for you. Besides, what do you want to do with ten sets of Infinity Gems?
Can you show us what Genesis is like a charlatan? "
"I certainly have my uses."
Mason rolled his eyes. He flicked his fingers and took out a disposable prototype of the Ultimate Eraser. He put it on the table with a bang and said to the jeweler Mason:
“This thing is great, but I can’t always use disposables. It’s too extravagant to use one and throw it away. Whose money comes from the wind?
The forger told me that he's close to mastering the art of smelting X-metal, which will give him the outer frame material for this thing.
I now have enough Star Devouring energy to use as an internal energy source, but I still need to master the techniques of using this energy from Uncle Tun's database.
And your job is to return all the Infinity Stones used for prototype research to me when everything is ready, so that I can combine them to make a 'True Ultimate Eraser'.
I don’t want to be powerful enough to destroy ten dimensions at once.
At least it won’t get damaged once it’s ignited.”
Mason spread his hands and said:
“Pistols and shells are all outdated, this thing will be my main weapon from now on.
Once the modification of the Lord of the Universe's neural power armor is completed, I will inlay the disposable Infinity Gem you made on it. Then, I will be able to achieve the 'complete form of Mason Cooper'!
Then we can beat Mephisto on the head and let that bastard feel the power of the working class from a physical level."
“That’s a good idea.”
The jeweler Mason flicked his tongue and said venomously:
"But you have to get through this shock first."
"I'll take care of this, you just need to do your job well."
The subject Mason waved his hand and said:
"Anyway, I'll leave this matter up to you. In order to give you more motivation, I've decided to put the 'separation' ceremony of each member of the Mason Manufacturing Group on the agenda after we survive this shock..."
"Are you serious?"
This sentence gave jeweler Mason a shock.
He stared at the subject as if he were a psychopath and shouted:
"What do you want to do by separating us from you? Are you going to break up and divide the luggage? I don't know what other people think, but as far as I am concerned, I think our current cooperation model is pretty good.
Don't dig a hole for yourself!
Be careful of some resentful water clones who may start to cause trouble for you after you separate."
"You are all me, brother. I know exactly what you are thinking."
Mason waved his hands and said:
"If it were me, I wouldn't be willing to stay beside the main body forever in the form of a clone or vassal. We all come from the same source but have different personalities and attitudes towards life.
It was me who decided to give you full intelligence. When I made that decision, I knew that there would always be a day when we would part ways.
Rather than waiting until you really unite to set a trap for me and force me to abdicate, it is better for us to part ways amicably. After all, even if we separate, I am still the main body.
If I die, you will die too..."
"That's true. You are invincible and have nothing to fear."
Mason the jeweler said sourly:
“After I complete the separation, I will also create my own army of water clones so that I can experience the feeling of being the main body and giving them tasks.
Okay, I'll take the job of providing unlimited gems at one time.
Go and do your own thing, don't get in my way and waste my time. Someone is looking for you outside. I think there is trouble coming. Go and meet them quickly."
