Maybe before, only Deathstroke didn't care about Selene, but Selene cared a lot about him.
So when Su Ming visited, flying straight over the heads of thousands of red-cloaked followers, sitting boldly beside their goddess, no matter how miserable the followers were, or how grim their expressions, Selene still smiled faintly.
"So it's the Supreme Mage visiting us, as the saying goes in the East, what wind blew you to the Amazon River?"
Selene's followers had built her a pyramid in the Maya style, located deep within the rainforest. At this moment, the two of them sat in the high pavilion at the top of the pyramid, watching the mist swirling underfoot.
The lush green canopies stacked upon layers, densely packed in every direction, filled the air with humidity and heat, with occasional roars from unknown creatures.
In the distance, the silver river divided the rainforest, flowing slowly in the direction of the rising sun.
Su Ming casually flipped through the fruit plate beside the throne, taking out a pineapple and inspecting it closely: "Since you know who I am, the problem is simple. I am here to negotiate terms."
"Negotiate terms? I'm very interested. But as you can see, I'm already a goddess. Each of these people is willing to offer their soul to their goddess. Your terms might not move me much?"
Selene leaned against the other side of the throne, propping her head up with her hand, looking down at her black fingernails.
"An opportunity for choice. Do you want to continue being the hot Latin goddess in the rainforest, or return to your homeland in Great Britain to be the true mutant queen." Su Ming put down the pineapple, which was clearly not as good as those grown by Dr. Erskine.
"Oh? Can I? Master Merlin once drove me out of Great Britain, though I'm not afraid of him, but The Ancient One's methods are quite tricky." Selene frowned, plucking a grape and sucking the sweet juice from it.
"You're talking about the Eye of Agamotto, right?" Su Ming mimicked The Ancient One, forming a gesture in front of his chest, secretly activating the Time Gem through his X Metal Skeleton, making it glow with a verdant light: "I, too, can be quite tricky. But since I'm newly appointed, I decided to speak with you amicably first."
"Hehehe... Should I thank you for that?" Selene revealed a hint of killing intent.
In terms of killing intent, perhaps The Ancient One couldn't compare to her, but Deathstroke definitely didn't have such a problem, as just a few days ago, Su Ming had destroyed a dimension.
Thus, after she released her killing intent, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction. She suddenly felt a deep darkness rising from Deathstroke beside her, cold and indifferent, a vast shadow forged from countless lives and souls.
This wasn't killing intent, but rather a more frank attitude, calmly erasing all obstacles in her path.
It's as if if she didn't agree to negotiate terms, Deathstroke would immediately wage war against her, then erase her as if wiping away dust.
Although she's unsure of Deathstroke's abilities and whether he could achieve this, his imposing aura was exceptionally powerful and full of confidence. For the first time in her life, she felt fear.
It seemed... she could really die.
Strangulation had already drawn the Nightfall Greatsword from its sheath, readily accessible to the host, as the opponent was a mage, and the N-Metal weapons were more effective.
"Did you just speak in a questioning tone?"
Deathstroke's hand landed on the sword hilt, and the tentacles writhing behind him seemed to silently cheer for blood, beginning to wildly sway.
"No, I was just expressing gratitude."
Selene put away her aura, moving closer to Su Ming, smiling as she embraced his arm.
However, another bit of bad news weighed on her heart, which was that the opponent's armor isolated magical energy. This newly appointed Supreme Mage was immune to magic; where did this monster come from?
"Then that's good. Now, what's your choice?"
Deathstroke's cold voice came from above her, even though the enchanting Selene nestled herself into his embrace, he still showed no sign of stirring.
Selene felt a bit wronged, knowing that her looks and figure had been meticulously sculpted, certainly meeting Earthlings' aesthetic standards. Regardless of cultural level, nationality, ethnicity, or even gender, people would inevitably be mesmerized by her beauty.
This was also part of her charm-based magic, her trump card for dealing with super strong opponents. Yet, Deathstroke's demeanor denied her long-standing confidence.
Coincidentally, Selene was left with no other option, if she didn't want to face a confrontation, she could only resort to tricks. Yet, trickery wasn't effective now, no matter how furious she was within, she couldn't come up with a solution in a short time.
She was indeed very strong, but if she were to face Deathstroke, The Ancient One, and Merlin all at once, she stood no chance.
"I want to be a goddess here..." Selene lifted her head, looking at Deathstroke with meek eyes, tentatively asking.
"Hmm?" Deathstroke raised the sword in his hand a bit.
"... That seems meaningless, I choose to return to Great Britain to be the mutant queen." Selene immediately corrected herself, revealing a pleasing expression.
"Hmm." Su Ming put away the Nightfall Greatsword, pulling out a few sheets of paper: "Good choice. Then I'll fill in some details on this contract witnessed by Emperor Vishanti, sign it if you find it agreeable."
Only to see Deathstroke skillfully take a pen from his pocket, fluidly writing various terms on it, Selene's expression gradually changed from suppressed anger to confusion.
Not due to overly harsh terms, but quite the opposite, the terms were simply too good.
Not only could she return to Great Britain, but as long as she didn't consume souls of unrelated ordinary people, Kama Taiji wouldn't interfere in her actions anymore. Meanwhile, Deathstroke would provide her relevant intel and send people to help her infiltrate a certain mutant organization called the Hellfire Club, allowing her to be the clandestine empress of Great Britain.
As part of the exchange, she only needed to 'completely' kill a Hydra Leader, today's Root of Hatred, and in the future help Deathstroke 'completely' kill one 'to-be-decided' person apart from herself.
```
Killing two mortals isn't an issue for her; her specialty is consuming souls. Without a soul, one is absolutely dead.
Despite Deathstroke's odd emphasis on the word 'thoroughly', she had checked and found no traps in the contract.
'It seems it's not that Charm is ineffective, only that he hides it well. Isn't this quite nice for me, ho ho ho...' Selene thought smugly, letting out a queen-like triple laugh. Unconsciously, she found Deathstroke a bit more agreeable; he might be assertive, but he appreciates beauty.
Su Ming tossed the paper and pen at her face, coldly saying, "Sign it."
"Your brutish demeanor is kind of adorable. I'll sign." Selene winked at him with a smile, biting her finger to draw blood and signing her name, whispering softly, "You're so good. I'll compensate you. How about having a drink in my room and playing some little g-a-m-e-s?"
Su Ming: "???"
Could she be a masochist?
Strange, why does the word 'again' come to mind so naturally?
But no matter how puzzled he was, the yellowed parchment had already begun to burn mid-air, and Emperor Vishanti's shadow flashed past, indicating the contract had taken effect.
"For mages, being engrossed with trivial pleasures is a grave taboo." Su Ming stood up, dusting off his armor like shaking off Selene's fox-like charm. "I'll have someone inform you of the Root of Hatred's location. Remember my demand is to 'thoroughly' kill her. I've got business to attend to."
With that said, he flew off into the sky, leaving Selene sitting on the Golden Throne in silent contemplation.
Trivial pleasures? She knew this term, having visited many Eastern countries, but surely I'm not an object?
This new Supreme Mage, Deathstroke, is truly unfathomable. He's even harder to read than the eternally smiling Ancient One.
Selene collected herself, recalling the actions and words exchanged between them, but even as the scenes replayed in her mind several times, there was no valuable conclusion.
Just the fact that Deathstroke can wield the Eye of Agamotto places him in an invincible position. Truly cunning.
"But now that things have been set, until there's a way to deal with Deathstroke and Kama Taiji, I should aim to gain some advantages for myself first."
Selene made up her mind, ordering her subordinates to prepare the move. She wanted to take the giant Pyramid and the surrounding rainforest back to Great Britain.
............
"Are you waiting for me?"
Su Ming slowly descended. It was the peak of Mount Fuji, and someone had built a small cabin amidst the snow. The tall figure was gazing out from the door.
Not towards Su Ming, but into the distance, looking at the forest below and River Mouth Lake.
"You had someone investigate me, and naturally, I'd hear of it. Instead of hiding, why not have a meeting?"
The man turned, full of confidence. His height and physique gave him such assurance, Su Ming estimated he was about two meters twenty and weighed at least 180 kilograms, all muscle.
Even in this icy world, he was shirtless, the sweat on his body steaming.
In front of him were several Japanese with their bodies crushed, likely the helpers Howard had commissioned.
"Well, then you should already know what I intend to discuss, right?" Su Ming crossed his arms, likewise casting his gaze towards the 'Holy Land' below. Not in this era, though; it would take decades, and once Japanese eccentrics published a guide to suicide, those weary of life would flock to this Sea of Trees.
"Is it about Hydra? My dealings with her were only transactions. She desired self-healing mutant blood and some robot technology, and I wanted some pocket money. I also relish seeing others chase dreams only to be devoured by them, haha..."
Romulus sneered maliciously.
"Such a person with a dark sense of humor, but since you understand my stance, I won't bother with agreements this time. I wasn't planning to meddle in your affairs, but if I catch you causing trouble again, I'll send your prized Wolverine into the sun."
Su Ming chuckled coldly, gradually floating up. Romulus was smarter than Selene, so there was no need for negotiation.
"Leaving just like that? I've just finished warming up." Romulus turned around, pounding his own hand with a fist as large as a pot.
"Oh? Want to have some fun?" Su Ming paused, seemingly people can't resist compliments.
Romulus grinned, striking a bodybuilder pose, showcasing his robust biceps. "I've heard you're strong, supposedly the strongest warrior on Earth, yet you bear the absurd title of Mage. As a king, naturally I must test if anyone truly qualifies as supreme."
"Is that so? I'll oblige you."
With the help of his cape, Su Ming abruptly accelerated, landing a punch square on Romulus's face, sending the giant flying before he could react.
The giant turned into a small black dot instantly, dragging a high white wave over Lake Crest for thousands of meters, crashed through the lake's dam, and finally into the distant forest, raising a column of dirt mixed with snow dozens of meters high.
"Ha, such a weak king."
Su Ming gently brushed off the facial skin and broken bones from his hand, kicked an eyeball that had fallen on his foot into the lake, skipping it across the water, then left without looking back.