Chapter 601: Chapter 600: Actions of the Informed
Diana's timely arrival was fortuitous, especially with the recent changes in the Earth's dimension. Having her on their side added a powerful ally, bolstering their chances against unknown dimensional intruders.
"It's been a while, Diana. It seems your power has increased significantly. What did you do during this time to achieve such a significant boost?" Robert asked, noticing the divine glow surrounding Diana, her aura so potent that it was hard to contain.
Diana nodded, explaining, "I returned to Themyscira and discovered the ruins of the gods. There, I managed to elevate my power to a new level. I wouldn't have come out so soon, but I sensed changes in the Earth's dimension and feared something might go wrong."
"So, you sensed the changes in the Earth's dimension too. I already know the reason behind it..." Robert said, recounting the events related to the Ancient One.
"Is the Earth's dimensional consciousness really developing to that extent? This might not be a good thing for life on Earth," Diana said, her brow furrowing in concern. "According to ancient texts I've read, if the Earth's dimensional consciousness fully matures, it could influence all life on Earth. It might even manifest as a physical entity, like the consciousnesses of other powerful dimensions, ruling over all life and power on Earth."
"Clark had similar concerns, but we don't have any means to counter the Earth's dimensional consciousness right now. It seems the Ancient One's sudden disappearance was connected to these changes," Robert replied seriously.
"So, we need to keep strengthening ourselves to be ready for any danger, whether it's the current dimensional crisis or potential conflicts with the Earth's dimensional consciousness," Robert added.
"You're right. But it seems your current strength might not be sufficient," Diana teased, her concern easing as she spoke. "I can now handle Frigga on my own, but your power doesn't seem that formidable..."
"Let's test that!" Robert's eyes gleamed as he sensed Diana's fighting spirit. Despite the pressure Diana's presence brought, it motivated Robert to continue growing stronger through battle.
In an instant, Robert activated his Ape Power: Rage and Wild Battle Fist, charging at Diana. Sensing Robert's surging energy, Diana raised an eyebrow but met his attack with her fists, without using her divine artifacts.
As their fists collided, neither stepped back, but Diana smiled and said, "If this is all you have, it's not enough. If you can't meet my expectations, I'll have to subdue you and take you away..."
"This is just the beginning! Don't forget, I grow stronger as the battle goes on!" Robert responded, his fighting spirit manifesting physically as he vanished and continued his relentless assault on Diana. However, each of his attacks was skillfully parried by her.
"Diana has appeared?" On the other side of the world, Clark, noticing the commotion high above, saw Robert and Diana battling and raised an eyebrow. "She's stronger too. Maybe she can help fend off some of the dimensional invaders. But what if she clashes with Kara?"
"Never mind, I'll leave that headache for Robert to deal with. I'll head back and make sure Lana is ready to protect Jonathan and the others. If necessary, we'll move them to the barren island," Clark muttered, disappearing to brief Lana on the looming crisis, ensuring the safety of the Kent and Danvers families.
Meanwhile, in the Vatican, the Pope was troubled, frequently glancing at a massive crucifix. "What's happening? Ever since the Earth's dimension started changing, I've had this uneasy feeling. What could it mean? Did the Ancient One mess up? How could they let the Earth's dimension become like this? Won't this attract more powerful beings from other dimensions?" The Pope pondered, feeling the occasional flash of holy light from his body as if sensing something.
"Is Heaven's Holy Light going to intervene in this change? But that doesn't make sense; they would notify me first, given the high cost of descending here, especially without my assistance..." After some thought, the Pope, unable to find any answers, grew more anxious. He tried contacting Kamar-Taj to inquire about the Ancient One but received no response, plunging him into deeper silence.
"Whatever happens, we'll face it. Anyone trying to invade the Earth's dimension won't have an easy time," the Pope finally decided, placing his hand on the crucifix, channeling a vast amount of faith into his body before sitting down, seemingly waiting for something.
Robert and Diana's battle continued for a long time. Knowing Robert's combat traits, Diana didn't unleash her full power to defeat him outright. Instead, she gradually increased her strength, helping Robert grow stronger while also getting used to her newfound powers. This was a mutually beneficial battle for both of them.
Meanwhile, Constantine, having not gathered much useful information from the hellish creatures, was preparing to act again. The lack of valuable intelligence from these creatures and the unhelpful responses from his contacts left Constantine with no choice but to continue using Hellboy as bait, aiming to preemptively deal with potential threats to the Earth's dimension.
"You'd best avoid provoking Constantine. His reputation in the supernatural community is terrible, and from how he set me up, it's clear he'll do whatever it takes to achieve his goals," Hellboy warned the military personnel around him. "So, even if you get information about Constantine, don't act on it lightly, or it might be a trap and a pointless loss of life... Huh?! What's happening?!"
As Hellboy spoke, he suddenly felt a familiar dizziness and fatigue, immediately alerting him. He realized that Constantine hadn't let him go without a reason. "Rama! You're glowing!" a military officer exclaimed, pointing at Hellboy, whose body began to emit a glow.
Before Hellboy could order the others to retreat, a gate to Hell opened nearby, and he lost consciousness again. When he came to, he found his soul back in the Hell dimension. However, unlike the last time, his aura didn't increase; it was as if an invisible barrier now separated him from the Hell dimension.
"Not again! Who's behind this? That kid who inherited the title of Sorcerer Supreme?" A voice grumbled from a distant territory, and a force repelled Hellboy's soul back to his body. As he regained consciousness, Hellboy sensed something had attached to his soul, but he couldn't identify it.
When Hellboy awoke, he found himself surrounded by military personnel, including many demon soldiers, alert and guarding him. Some researchers were examining the gate to Hell. "Stay away from that gate! You need to evacuate! No, leave the demon soldiers with demonic power here; the others should retreat!" Hellboy ordered urgently, recalling the attention his presence had drawn in the Hell dimension.
As Hellboy shouted, hellish creatures began emerging from the gate, entering the Earth dimension.
"The air is so sweet! Is this Earth? It's much better than Hell!"
"Such delicious flesh! So many humans to feast on, what a lucky find!"
"There's enough for everyone; we don't need to fight over them. But afterward, everyone is on their own... Wait, what's this? Half-breeds? No, these aren't half-breeds, but why do they have the aura and power of the Hell dimension?"
The hellish creatures, eager to divide the humans, hesitated upon noticing the demon soldiers, realizing they might have stumbled into someone's experiment. Meanwhile, Hellboy signaled the military personnel to withdraw slowly.
"Oh, only a few people again? Maybe you're not as enticing as I thought. But if you weren't, these creatures wouldn't have come... What's going on?" Constantine's voice echoed through the military base, the orchestrator of the Hell gate, appearing unimpressed with the results of his fishing expedition.
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