In addition to Constantine choosing to open a branch of the Oblivion Bookstore in Gotham, Dark Master Jim also reopened the Oblivion Bar in the Gotham world as a base for his team's activities in the Gotham world and the Magic Academy.
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The Dark Night Master's team is not yet fully formed, but it already has several fixed members, such as Dead Man Brand, Orangutan Detective Bobo, Black Orchid Susan, Madam Xanadu, Vampire Bennett, etc. The Dark Night Master is still actively working on
Contacted Swamp Thing, Doctor Mist, etc., and even contacted Wonder Woman.
Jim stood in front of the bar of the bar and wiped the glasses. The orangutan detective sat on the bar backwards with a pipe in his mouth, his legs crossed and his hands between his legs. He swung his feet covered with long black hair and used
A deep voice that resembled a primate growl said, "Still worried about recruiting people?"
"How can I not be bothered?" Jim wiped the shiny cup in his hand over and over again, and said: "Maybe you think the earth's magic defense network has been set up so easily, so you should be happy.
But over the years, I have gotten to know these magicians too well, do you really think they will be sincerely happy about this?"
"I've always had a pessimistic view of humans," one of the orangutans sighed. This action seemed a bit funny, not the serious expression of a detective orangutan wearing a detective hat, a monocle, and a pipe in his mouth.
There is some extra comic effect, the sigh also sounds quite stressful.
"We used to argue about this topic all the time." Jim also sighed softly, lowered his head slightly, groped the bottom of the cup with his fingers, and said, "I think you are too pessimistic. Humanity has gone through hardships and developed to this day.
It’s strong and tough, but now I have to admit that luck plays a big part.”
"Come for a drink, my old man." Dead Brand put an arm on the bar and said: "Alcohol will massage your frown, talking to friends will relax your tense heart, we all know you
You have been under a lot of pressure during this period, why don’t you tell us?”
"I just... just don't want to use this pessimistic atmosphere to distract the team we just formed." Jim took a deep breath and said: "I haven't heard any good news since the vampire invasion, but the recent
The news is even worse."
Bennett, who was standing by the door, turned back, crossed the threshold and walked in. "Even Constantine is standing under the sun again, so what nightmare is there that we can't get rid of?"
Jim stood there for a long time before saying: "The Green Lantern named Hal thought that I was a good person who could take on the responsibility of guarding the magic defense network, so he gave me the authority to deploy the Green Lantern energy shield, where I first discovered
There are a lot of loopholes.”
The orangutan detective immediately frowned and said, "Is there something wrong with the way we built it? Technical limitations?"
Jim shook his head and said: "No, someone has tampered with the structure. They thought I would leave all the work to the outside Supreme Master and Green Lantern. They may not have thought that I would check it. The loopholes are obvious.
, without any cover-up.”
"For whom?" Bennett asked thoughtfully.
"Devils and angels, or powerful creatures similar to them, are not human beings, but we all know that only human magicians participate in the construction of the magic defense network."
The orangutan detective sighed and said: "That's why I think that guy named Stephen Strange is telling us fairy tales. How can he unite the magicians of all mankind to keep those monsters out? As long as there is one person
If you are tempted, you will lose everything."
Jim finally couldn't control his sad expression. He slammed the cup on the bar and said, "I will never feel sorry for those young people who are already weak-minded.
But those who have the ability to manipulate the magic defense network must be the Archmages. They have lived longer than anyone else and should be more determined than anyone else."
"We even fought against the vampire invasion together. We worked together to save London and humanity. We were lucky enough to get a bargaining chip to negotiate with the devil on an equal footing, but before a year passed, they forgot all about it!"
"Human beings are always forgetful." Bennett lowered his eyes and said, "It didn't take long between Jesus saving the world and Judas accepting the silver coins."
"That's why you are so anxious to gather people." Black Orchid leaned against the door frame of the back door, folded her arms and said lazily: "Do you want to kill them?"
"I don't know." Jim squeezed the cup tightly, shook his head and said, "I don't know if the magical world can afford such a killing anymore, and I don't know if I can do it. They were once ours.
Comrades."
"Not anymore." Deadman Brand sighed, and the atmosphere became gloomy for a moment.
"Click!"
A clear sound came from outside the door. Jim turned around and looked. From the window next to him, he could see the sign of the mailbox outside the door. He took back his thoughts and said with some confusion: "Is there a letter? Which of you has filled in the billing address?"
Here?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Jim." Mrs. Xanadu came down the stairs from the second floor and said: "The postman who delivers the bill can't come here. Maybe he is an old friend of ours."
Bennett, who was closest to the door, walked out, pressed down the flag of the mailbox at the door, opened the mailbox door, and found a beautifully wrapped letter.
The pattern on the fire seal was a bit unfamiliar, and Bennett couldn't tell the other party's identity, so he handed the letter directly to Master Jim. Jim fumbled for the pattern of the fire seal and said, "It's a letter from the Rodriguez Manor."
, why didn’t Schiller just call me?”
Jim took out the dismantling knife from under the bar, gently opened the paint seal, and when he took out the letter inside, he exclaimed and said, "Oh, it's an invitation."
Jim's mood finally became clearer. He opened the invitation and said, "Schiller hasn't held a banquet in several years. When he lived in Maryland, I went to attend one and left me with delicious food.
Made a deep impression.”
Jim pursed his lips instinctively, his mouth watering when he thought of the taste of food, so he smiled and opened the letter, which read in beautiful cursive letters:
"Through me, you enter the city of pain; through me, you enter the pit of eternal misery; through me, you enter the people who will never be restored, and record the ten millionth great victory of mankind that will never be restored. Please come on Tuesday afternoon..."
Jim felt a little confused, and the orangutan detective came over. He read out the sentence above the invitation, and then said: "As expected, it's a divine song."
"You still read Dante?"
"The look on your face right now can be called discrimination. Do you think orangutans can't read? When I was still in the circus, I once sneaked into the Tuesday afternoon reading group of those rich people. They didn't like Dante.
, but I feel the need to form a club for this purpose.”
"So which sentence in it do you like best?"
"This beast...it will feel hungrier after a meal than before." The orangutan detective stretched out a finger and said: "This reveals a great truth about human beings, which is just like what troubles you now."
"
"When you are in hardship and death is imminent, you unite with your greatest will to survive, and the devil will be eaten by you. But when the crisis is over and everything gets better, there is an irresistible intensity.
Appetite surges from your stomach and heart, not to devour your enemies, but to bite your fellow creatures, not because you are hungry, but because you want to be superior to all your fellow creatures."
All eyes in the room were focused on the orangutan, but the orangutan detective did not feel shy or shy. He just said deeply: "When you treat me as a monster, I just feel ridiculous, because watching how you behave
I already knew who the real monster was when he tore a piece of flesh from the same kind of creature with his open mouth."
Jim couldn't refute, but it aroused his emotions. His fingertips turned white as he held the invitation, and said: "A long time ago, Schiller did not participate in any social activities in the magical world. People said that he
He is a freak, outside mainstream society."
"He once told me that he had witnessed the collapse of a greater kingdom in his dream, so he didn't care about where the magical world would go. It seemed to him to be too insignificant and not worth mentioning."
"That's the truth." Mrs. Xanadu said: "If you have ever bathed in the torrent of the collapse of a dynasty, you will understand that human beings have made the same mistakes countless times, because they are such fools."
"Oh, then it's just right for us to move to Gotham (Gotham, which means 'village of fools' in English)." The dead man said with a low laugh.
"Okay, now let's decide who will go to the party and who will stay to look after the house. We have a lot of things to do here."
"He only invited you, so..."
"With all due respect, he didn't write my name, but he sent the letter here, which means he invited us all." Jim shook the invitation in his hand and said, "I don't know if there will be a dance.
, so it’s best to bring a female companion.”
"I'll go with you." Madam Xanadu walked from the stairs to the bar, bent down and put her forearms on the table, dragging her chin with one hand and said, "I miss that little guy with blue eyes a little bit.
The big noise he made last time shocked me, but it just shows that he is young, strong and full of energy, and he will be a good rider."
"I'll go too." Bennett said, "I guess Constantine will go too. I haven't asked him what he wanted to see me for last time."
Black Orchid yawned and said, "I'm not very interested in the dance, but I haven't had a good meal for a long time. It's so damn hot."
"Isn't anyone else going? That's it." Jim finally put the cup back on the cup holder, flexed his wrist and said, "I remember I brought the dress I wore to the Maia Carnival.
, I need to shave first and then change into a formal suit."
Jim hurried upstairs. Bennett was a little puzzled, but Jim turned back and explained to him: "Believe me, behave solemnly. Schiller's banquets are usually worthy of all the elaborate decorations."
Mrs. Xanadu lifted her hair, rubbed her wrist and said: "Let me think about where I put the pearl bracelet Vivian gave me last time..."
In the kitchen of Rodriguez Manor, Pamela opened the door of the walk-in freezer, stared at the piles of meat materials stacked inside, and said in shock: "You hunted all the meat in the entire state of New Jersey."
deer?!"
"Those are the ingredients reserved for the banquet." Schiller told you as he picked vegetables on the shelf nearby: "And it's only half. The other half of the most important main dish is still in the basement."
Pamela's body visibly stiffened, and her heart rate almost accelerated to its peak. She said in a trembling tone: "Then can I... be lucky enough to watch the processing of the other half of the raw materials?"