Chapter 43: The Bird-Person in the Dream
It turned out the ones putting on a supernatural act weren't ghosts after all, but people.
Just people who had been tampered with.
After knocking down the two men—the one with the mask wielding an axe and the one who knocked on the door—Orin Vale used his Armor Scanner and Ultra Vision to observe and scan their bodies, quickly making a discovery.
A peculiar kind of energy filled their bodies, circulating among their internal organs, temporarily enhancing their physiques and granting them superhuman strength.
But that wasn't all. With his Ultra Vision, Orin Vale could even see the strange energy rush into their central nervous systems. It was obvious the power was affecting their brains, interfering with their actions and judgment.
Magic, perhaps?
The Orin Vale of today was no longer the same as when he first arrived, completely in the dark about the magic side of DC. Not only did he have experience fighting demonic spirits several times, but he also had a top-tier figure from the magic world, Wizard Shazam, by his side. Although the old man was currently weakened, his 'mana bar' permanently at rock bottom and his strength in a sorry state, his insight was still intact.
By casually seeking guidance from the Old Wizard during their daily interactions, Orin Vale had learned quite a lot about DC's magic, picking up some fundamental ways of thinking and new perspectives.
It seemed these two men had been affected by something like magical energy.
He definitely didn't know how to break a spell. Orin Vale thought for a moment and decided to try a Purification Ray first. If that didn't work, he would consult the Old Wizard.
The Purification school was one of the branch courses for Light Ray techniques in the Land of Light. Almost every Ultraman had more or less mastered one or two Purification Techniques, which primarily had the effects of dispelling darkness, calming the mind, soothing the spirit, and, to a certain extent, healing and replenishing magic power.
The prime example, naturally, had to be Ultraman Cosmos. This senior's attainments in the art of Purification could be described as unprecedented and peerless.
After all, when facing the bosses of their respective TV series, the senior Ultramen of past generations had done things like rallying humans to become Light for a single massive rush, calling for backup to swarm and attack, or renting a power bank for a '999-damage-per-slash' attack that could cleave the atmosphere. But a senior like Ultraman Cosmos, who directly gender-bent the boss into a girl and added her to his harem, was absolutely one of a kind.
This story was widely circulated in the Land of Light and even once sparked a craze among young Ultramen to take Purification Techniques as an elective.
Orin Vale wasn't very skilled in this area; he could only be said to know a little. Fortunately, it seemed to be effective. His light quickly dispelled the magical energy. The two men regained consciousness, sat up looking dazed at first, and then couldn't help but cry out in alarm the moment they saw Orin Vale next to them.
After they calmed down and Orin Vale asked them what had happened, the two looked at each other and fell into thought.
"Uh, my last memory... I only remember we were walking down the street together."
"And then we saw a woman."
"Yes, yes, yes! Very fair-skinned, and especially big!"
"I've never seen ones so big in my life."
"Can't argue with that."
"..."
Seeing the two perverts getting sidetracked, Orin Vale had to cough to pull them back on topic.
"Oh, right. Then I remember being attacked by her."
"She seemed to grab our necks. I struggled desperately, struggled, and then my mind just went blank..."
"Yeah, yeah, me too. When I woke up, I was here."
A woman?
Orin Vale realized that must be the key. Upon further questioning, the two only revealed that the woman seemed to be wearing a very conspicuous, large cape that looked like peacock feathers, and that there seemed to be nothing at all underneath.
Besides that, all they kept repeating were useless things like "so long," "so big," and so on, providing no more useful information.
However, after the two left, Zola, the girl who was being pursued, furrowed her brow, as if she had thought of something.
"But... that's impossible..."
She seemed startled by a connection she had made, and then began to shake her head.
"Impossible, it shouldn't be. That was just a dream..."
Orin Vale turned around. "Something on your mind?"
"No... well, a little." Zola scratched her head. "But it's too absurd. I don't think it's..."
"Then do you think being hunted by two brainwashed guys putting on a charade is normal?" Orin Vale retorted.
Zola pondered for a moment.
"Fair point."
Come to think of it, this whole affair wasn't normal to begin with. Nothing that happened would be surprising.
"Okay, first, thank you so much for saving me. I've seen you on the internet... By the way, are you an alien?" The girl blinked, her face full of anticipation.
"Tell me about your situation first," Orin Vale said.
"Oh, right. Okay. It's still a bit strange to talk about... It was a dream I had," Zola said.
"A dream?"
"Mhm. In the dream, I was also being hunted, somewhere in a primitive tropical jungle, I think." Zola frowned, trying hard to recall the scene from the dream. "Some memories... are blurry. But I remember there was a monster, chasing me relentlessly.
"Then I ran and ran, and suddenly felt a gust of wind rush past me. I turned back to look, and the monster was already dead. It was a gruesome sight, disemboweled, with its internal organs and intestines all over the ground. I threw up right then and there..."
"Someone helped you?" Orin Vale asked.
"Yeah." Zola nodded. "And then I saw him. He looked like a... bird-person."
Orin Vale raised an eyebrow under his helmet, a little puzzled by this description.
"He was dark, covered in feathers, and his feet looked like a bird's webbed feet. Oh, and I think he had wings too." Zola gestured. "He just looked like a bird-person."
Orin Vale thought hard.
Is there a character like that in DC Comics?
"And I remember he was very fast... Oh, right!" Zola slapped her forehead. "He told me his name. I remember now. He said his name was 'Hermès.' Strange, right? Why would someone name themselves after a luxury brand?"
Orin Vale was stunned for two seconds, then quickly had a realization.
"Hermes?"
Hermes was a name most girls knew as a famous French fashion brand, but it actually came from Greek mythology. Hermes, one of the sons of Zeus, also known as Mercury in Rome. In mythology, he was the god of merchants, travelers, thieves, and shepherds.
"Yes, do you know him?" Zola asked.
"I don't. Keep talking."
"Uh, then the bird-person... I mean, Hermes, told me that I had to wake up quickly. That someone would still be after me when I woke up, and he told me I had to flee immediately.
"But when I woke up, I just thought it was a nonsensical dream. You probably get it—what logic is there in dreams? So I didn't pay it any mind..."
As she spoke, a terrified expression appeared on her face, and she looked up at Orin Vale.
"So what he said was true, right? Someone is really hunting me? And maybe monsters too?"
"It would seem so," Orin Vale said. "Did he say who was hunting you, or why?"
"He didn't say who, but the reason..."
Zola paused as she spoke, a strange expression on her face.
"He said... he said it's because I'm pregnant with the child of Zeus..."
Orin Vale: "?"
(end of chapter)