Chapter 51

"Should I call someone to upgrade the wiring and electrical systems?" Ember asked calmly.

Ashborn paused, realizing that, among many other things, he did need a TV. He let out a small sigh before shaking his head.

"It can wait—at least until I have someone smart become my shadow…" He trailed off, already reaching out through his shadows, searching for any scientists or tech-savvy minds who could handle the upgrades.

When Ashborn used [Shadow Extraction] on every lifeless body in Gotham, he meant everyone—or at least, anyone whose bones could still be found.

Due to the sheer range he had reached, the bodies had to have died within the past five years. Still, that was more than enough.

As of now, Ashborn had tens of thousands of shadows under his command—because this was Gotham, after all. Among them were scientists, engineers, and plenty of brilliant minds, all possessing the skills needed to improve his home.

And, of course, they were far smarter than they had been in life. Not to mention stronger.

The shadows got to work immediately. Using the vast resources stored within Ashborn's shadow, they began upgrading the mansion. Fortunately, Ashborn had plenty—his shadows had been stockpiling materials just in case.

Among those resources were items belonging to Reed Richards, along with a collection of powerful magical artifacts once held by Doctor Strange… though Ashborn had no idea. He had never bothered to check what his shadows had actually stored away for him.

Regardless, time passed quickly.

The shadows moved with relentless efficiency, and since Ashborn allowed them access to his abilities, their work progressed at an unbelievable pace.

By the time they were done, the mansion was no longer just a luxurious estate. It had been transformed into something so technologically advanced, it would put Wakanda to shame.

"Why do you keep looking at the clock?" Ember asked, noticing how Ashborn kept glancing at it every few minutes.

"Because noon is when I officially become the new leader of the Justice League," Ashborn said lightly.

Ember nodded lazily, twirling the card he had given her between her fingers.

After a moment, she spoke. "I've been meaning to tell you something…"

Her tone was casual, but there was something in the way she said it that made Ashborn pause, turning to her in confusion.

"You're not as ugly as you think you are," Ember said calmly. "Your self-esteem is way too low—it's blinding you to reality."

Ashborn raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, right," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Then explain why there were no zombie baddies chasing after me."

But as the words left his mouth, something clicked. His mind replayed past interactions, piecing things together. The way Wonder Woman had reacted…

Considering her character, her interest in him only made sense if he was actually good-looking. Otherwise, it would be completely out of character for her.

"What?" Ember's head snapped to the side, eyes wide with shock. Had she just heard him correctly?

"I said," Ashborn repeated, unfazed, "if I were actually handsome, then why were zombies more interested in eating me than befriending me?"

Ember just stared at him.

"Oh, that reminds me," Ashborn added casually as if he hadn't just said something ridiculous. "I need to head back to Asgard and free those death deities I imprisoned."

"Zombies were charmed by you," Ember said matter-of-factly. "That's why they came after you, even though you didn't give off any scent. Your charm drew them in, making you more valuable than any living flesh out there."

Ashborn stared at her, speechless. But… it kind of made sense. People expressed love in weird ways. Look at Ant-Man, for example—he beat his wife as a sign of love.

His mind suddenly shifted gears. "…So, theoretically, I could form a harem?" The idea popped into his head, but after a few moments of deeper thought, all the energy drained from him. Just imagining how exhausting that would be made him want to drop it entirely.

"What?" Ember's sharp glare cut through his thoughts like a blade.

Ashborn awkwardly scratched the back of his head, suddenly realizing he had no good way to explain what he had just said.

"A harem sounds nice and all," Ember said, turning away, "but you'd be wise to know your place. As you stand now, you're already above gods like Odin. Your mindset still needs to catch up to your power."

Ashborn watched her go before shrugging.

"I don't actually need a harem," he admitted. "It's just… every guy's dream, you know? But honestly, I think I speak for most guys when I say—I'd give it all up for Nami."

Ember halted mid-step, throwing him a confused glance.,, and a hint of something else.

"What's Nami?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. "Is that the name of a person?" Ashborn shook his head with a straight face.

"It means dream wife…" Ashborn said, gazing off into the sky with a wistful look. "I just hope to find her one day."

Ember's eye twitched. She was standing right there.

"But you wouldn't understand," Ashborn added lazily, completely oblivious to her reaction. "With your emotions suppressed and all, I bet the concept of love is just a distant memory for you… but hey, it's all right."

Ember's expression darkened, a dangerous glint in her eyes—like she was seriously considering drowning someone.

"Anyway," Ashborn continued, shifting gears. "I think you should seal off all emotions and focus on mastering one from the Emotional Spectrum at a time. Once you can wield it as a weapon with 100% control, move on to the next. What do you think?"

He turned to look at Ember, who had adopted an eerily calm expression.

"I'll start with hope…" she began, but then frowned. No—hope wouldn't work. She hoped Ashborn would stop being a dumbass.

Fear? She feared this was all their relationship was ever going to be. Every emotion she considered just circled back to him.

She knew Ashborn didn't mean for things to be this way. She saw it. the way he looked at her sometimes, only to quickly pull away out of respect. She knew he had some kind of feelings for her.

Yes, she could just come out and tell him she loved him… but she was scared.

She had seen what happened between Jean Grey and Scott Summers. The thought of Ashborn ever daring to cheat on her… it hurt her soul.

And the worst part? She couldn't see herself hating him for it. But she respected herself too much to put herself in that position—to let herself degrade to that. She respected herself too much.