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SM/DC Chapter 13 : The Laughing End
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 20:31:21 +0000 UTCArthur clenched his jaw, shaking off the doubt creeping into his mind. He had to focus. The mobs were endless, and the Joker was playing him, forcing him to react rather than act. Then it hit him the detonator. That was the key.
As another wave of mobs charged at him, Arthur feigned exhaustion, letting his movements slow. The Joker tilted his head, curious but amused. "Getting tired, are we? Don’t worry, I’ll keep the laughs coming!"
Arthur smirked inwardly. He waited until the mobs were within striking distance, then suddenly lunged forward with a burst of speed, cutting through the group in one swift motion. His real target wasn’t them it was the Joker.
The clown’s grin faltered as Arthur closed the gap, his greatsword poised to strike. But just as the blade swung down, the Joker sidestepped, tossing a smoke bomb at Arthur’s feet. “Not bad, kid! But you’ll have to try harder than”
Arthur anticipated the move. Through the smoke, he tossed his greatsword like a spear, aiming not for the Joker but for the detonator in his hand. The blade struck true, shattering the device.
The Joker’s laughter faltered for the first time, replaced by a look of mock disappointment. “Well, that’s no fun…” he muttered.
Arthur wasted no time, closing the distance and slamming his fist into the Joker’s chest. The impact sent him crashing into a pile of debris. The clown groaned, but even as he lay there, bloodied and beaten, his grin remained.
Arthur picked up his greatsword, pointing it at the Joker’s throat. “This ends now, Batman should have done this a long time ago.” he said, his voice cold.
The Joker chuckled, coughing up blood. “Oh, kid… you don’t get it, do you? You’ve already lost. You think killing me means you’ve won? Nah. I live in here now.” He tapped his temple with a bloody finger. "And when you look in the mirror, you’ll hear me laughing. Every. Single. Time."
Arthur didn’t respond. He drove the blade through the Joker’s chest, silencing him. The clown gasped, his smile never fading. With his last breath, he whispered, “You’re fun, kid. Real fun... Don’t let the world... ruin that for ya…”
The Joker died with a grin, his lifeless eyes staring back at Arthur.
Arthur pulled his sword free, his hands trembling slightly. “That… wasn’t even real,” he muttered, trying to convince himself. But the unease lingered. His Bloodlust had failed to frighten the Joker, and the clown’s fearlessness left an unsettling impression.
He wiped the blood from his face, turning toward the exit to level 11. “If that was just the start,” he said to himself, his voice low, “what the hell is waiting for me at the top?”
Arthur stood still in the aftermath, the Joker’s body laying lifeless before him. A silence hung in the air, a stark contrast to the chaos that had ensued moments before. Then, a series of system notifications flooded his vision, the words appearing before him like a parade of achievements.
[You Leveled Up!]
[You Leveled Up!]
[You Leveled Up!]
You defeated the boss of this level. You can now exit the tower.
Arthur’s eyes narrowed as he saw his level soar, a staggering 30 levels gained in such a short span. His body was battered, every muscle aching, his breathing ragged, but the numbers on the screen made it clear: he was growing stronger.
"I could keep going," Arthur muttered to himself, his gaze lingering on the path ahead, but every fiber of his being screamed for rest. "But… every bone in my body is telling me to stop."
His body screamed in protest, bruised and bloodied, and yet his hunger for strength tugged him forward. But after a brief pause, he sighed, defeated by the undeniable exhaustion that weighed him down.
"I should leave... come back later," he whispered, almost as though he was bargaining with himself. The realization that he didn’t know how much time had passed gnawed at him. Was it days? Hours? Either way, the decision was clear.
He chose to leave, stepping into the threshold where the portal awaited, the glow shimmering before him as it beckoned him out of the Tower.
As he crossed the threshold and the world around him shifted once more, Arthur found himself standing outside, back in the familiar ruins of the slums. But this time, he felt different. Stronger. More... attuned to the power coursing through him.
The system assessed his performance, as it always did, and then a final notification appeared.
[Remarkable Mastery]
[Death follows wherever you set foot.]
You have gained the title of Soulwarden.
Shadow Extraction unlocked. You can now call upon up to 20 shadow soldiers.
Arthur let out a breath, eyes glowing as he took in the magnitude of the power he’d just unlocked. Soulwarden. The title suited him somehow, resonating with a dark, ominous power that seemed to settle in his very core.
His fingers flexed instinctively, and a smile tugged at his lips. His eyes, glowing a fierce blue, looked out toward the horizon.
Choose a command word to extract and summon shadows.
Arthur read the message, and a dark grin spread across his face. He had been given the power, the means to control and bend shadows to his will. The possibilities flooded his mind, but one thought stood above the rest. The first command, the one that would bind the shadows to him, would set the tone for everything to come.
His eyes glowed as he pondered the right word. His voice was a whisper, but the weight of his decision made the air around him feel charged. ‘it can only be one word’ Arthur said to himself.
"Arise," he said, his voice cutting through the stillness.
Arthur’s mind raced as the notification dissolved, leaving only the weight of his newfound ability. ‘Now, time to grow my army,’ he thought to himself, his voice barely a whisper.
*****
Raven stood in the center of the Titans' common room, her arms folded across her chest, a tense air about her. She stared down at the ground, brow furrowed as if she were lost in thought, but the weight of her words still hung heavily in the room.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on him,” she began, her voice low, almost guarded. “But he’s disappeared. I can’t find a trace of him anywhere. Not even with my spells.”
The Titans, gathered around her, exchanged glances. Robin, always the strategist, raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "Really?" he asked, his tone sharp. "Not even your magic could track him down?"
Raven’s expression darkened slightly, the familiar flicker of frustration tugging at her control. “No,” she snapped, her eyes briefly glowing as the anger within her flared up. “I tried everything, Robin. It’s like he vanished into thin air.”
Robin sat back, considering this. His usually composed demeanor shifted into one of quiet concern. “Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “Alright, Raven. I’ll let you handle it then.”
Starfire, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow at Raven’s reaction. A mischievous smirk tugged at her lips. “Oh Raven,” she teased playfully, “such fire in your words. It makes you much more... intriguing.”
Raven shot Starfire a sharp look, but the she simply giggled, clearly entertained by the tension.
“I’m just saying, Raven,” Robin continued, “this guy’s starting to interest me. If we can't track him down, that makes him more dangerous. Be careful.” His tone softened, a rare hint of caution in his voice.
Raven took a deep breath, pushing down her irritation. “I know. But I’ll find him. No one slips past me for long.”
