Chapter 43: Birdman in a Dream

It turns out, it wasn't ghosts pretending to be supernatural—just people under some influence.

After knocking down both the masked axe-wielder and the man who was knocking on doors, Shen You scanned their bodies using his armor's scanner and Ultra Sight. It didn't take long to uncover the truth.

A strange energy coursed through their bodies, running between their organs and momentarily enhancing their physical strength beyond human limits.

But that wasn't all. With Ultra Sight, Shen You could see this bizarre energy also infiltrating their central nervous systems, evidently affecting their brains and disrupting their behavior and judgment.

Could it be magic?

Shen You was no longer as clueless about DC's magic side as he had been when he first arrived. He now had some experience fighting demonic spirits and had a top-tier sorcerer, Shazam, by his side. Although the old wizard had been depleted of his powers lately, his knowledge remained vast.

In his day-to-day life, Shen You had learned a great deal about magic by casually asking the old wizard for tips, picking up some fundamental insights and perspectives.

It seemed these two men were under the influence of some sort of magical energy.

He couldn't exactly dispel a curse, but Shen You decided to try a purification beam first. If that didn't work, he could consult the old wizard.

Purification techniques were a branch of light beam skills in the Land of Light. Almost all Ultras possessed one or two purifying skills, mainly for dispelling darkness, calming the mind, soothing spirits, and, to some extent, restoring health or magic.

The go-to figure for this was, of course, Ultraman Cosmos. His mastery in purification techniques was unrivaled and unprecedented.

After all, the stories of senior Ultras dealing with their TV series' bosses varied: some would join with humans to become light and make one final charge, some would call in allies for a group brawl, and some would rent a power-up and deliver a devastating strike. But none had ever managed to turn their adversary into an ally and welcome them into their team, as Cosmos had done. That story was legendary even in the Land of Light and once sparked a wave of interest among young Ultras in learning purification techniques.

Shen You wasn't particularly skilled in this area—he could only say he had some basic knowledge. Fortunately, it seemed to work. His light quickly dispelled the magical energy, and the two men regained their senses. After waking up and seeing Shen You standing nearby, they let out startled cries.

Once they calmed down, Shen You questioned them about what had happened, and both men fell into thought.

"Uh, my last memory... I just remember us walking together down the street."

"And then we saw a woman."

"Yeah, very pale, and... big!"

"I've never seen anything that big in my life."

"To be fair, it was impressive."

". . ."

Seeing the two deviating from the topic, Shen You had to clear his throat, bringing them back on track.

"Oh, right, then I remember being attacked by her."

"She seemed to grab our throats. I struggled, struggled, and then suddenly everything went blank..."

"Same here. When I woke up, I was already here."

A woman?

Shen You realized that she might be the key. Continuing his questioning, they described the woman as wearing a conspicuous large cloak that resembled peacock feathers, but other than that, she seemed almost naked.

Beyond that, the two kept repeating words like "long" and "big," providing little useful information.

After they left, the girl who had been chased, Zola, furrowed her brows, seemingly recalling something.

"But... that can't be..."

She seemed startled by her own thoughts and started shaking her head.

"No way, it shouldn't be. It was just a dream..."

Shen You turned around. "Have something to share?"

"Well... sort of." Zola scratched her head. "But it sounds ridiculous. I don't think it's—"

"Do you think being chased by two brainwashed guys acting all spooky is normal?" Shen You countered.

Zola pondered for a moment.

"You're right."

After all, none of this was normal. Anything could happen at this point.

"Okay, first of all, thank you so much for saving me. I've seen you online... By the way, are you an alien?" The girl blinked, looking eager.

"Let's stick to your story first," Shen You said.

"Oh, right, okay. So, the weird part... it's about a dream I had," Zola began.

"A dream?"

"Yeah. In the dream, I was being chased, like now, but in some kind of ancient tropical jungle." Zola frowned, trying hard to recall the details of her dream. "Some of the memory... is fuzzy. But I remember there were monsters, relentlessly chasing me. 

"Then I ran and ran, and suddenly, I felt a gust of wind sweep past. I turned around, and the monster was already dead. It was gruesome—guts spilled everywhere, and I almost puked."

"Someone saved you?" Shen You asked.

"Yeah." Zola nodded. "Then I saw him. He looked like... a birdman."

Shen You raised an eyebrow inside his helmet, confused by the description.

"Black all over, covered in feathers, and his feet seemed like bird talons. Oh, and he had wings," Zola gestured. "He looked just like a birdman."

Shen You pondered deeply.

Was there such a character in DC?

"And I remember he was really fast... Oh, right!" Zola slapped her forehead. "He said his name. I remember now; he called himself 'Hermes.' Weird, right? Why would someone name themselves after a luxury brand?"

Shen You was stunned for two seconds, then quickly understood.

"Hermes?"

Hermes, known to fashion enthusiasts as a famous French luxury brand, actually derives its name from the Greek god Hermes, one of Zeus's offspring. He was also known in Roman mythology as Mercury. In legend, he is the god of merchants, travelers, thieves, and shepherds.

"Yes, do you know him?" Zola asked.

"No, continue."

"Uh, so the birdman... I mean, Hermes told me I needed to wake up immediately. He warned that someone would still be after me when I woke up and that I had to escape quickly.

"But when I woke up, I thought it was just a random, nonsensical dream. You get it, right? Dreams rarely make sense, so I didn't think much of it..."

Then she showed a look of horror, raising her head to look at Shen You.

"So, he was telling the truth, wasn't he? There really are people—or monsters—trying to kill me?"

"Seems like it," Shen You said. "Did he say who they are or why they're after you?"

"He didn't say who, but the reason... "

Zola paused, her expression turning a bit strange.

"He said... that I was carrying Zeus's child."

Shen You: "?"