Chapter 695: Earth is Paradise
The Final Ordeal
The pitch-black world was like an endless desert.
To be inside it meant being constantly scorched by an invisible sun. Blood evaporated, and the body, deprived of nourishment, gradually turned into dry, old tree bark.
Luke could no longer remember how long he had drifted here. His consciousness had grown hazy.
The ubiquitous spatial fissures continuously drained the life force of the body he inhabited. Even the monster—fused with hundreds of divine bloodlines—couldn't endure it. Luke had to expend his soul power, injecting life force just to maintain basic function.
Unfortunately, time flowed too slowly.
Even with his immensely powerful soul, he couldn't sustain this consumption. The long journey practically squeezed out his last drop of strength. Clark, Diana, and J'onn, still inside his abdomen, had to come out, carrying the monster body as they pushed forward through the lightless world.
Despair crept in silently. Soon, the three couldn't hold on. Their bodies were covered in wounds, nearly cleaved in half by the spatial fissures. Luke was forced to swallow them back into his belly, contracting his body, shielding his senses, and minimizing his energy consumption as much as possible.
At this point, the body was like a lone boat adrift in the sea, rising and falling with the waves, moving aimlessly.
After an unknown amount of time—five years, or maybe fifty—a familiar voice rang out in his mind.
"Linda?"
Luke opened his eyes. Dim green light glowed from his stone-like eyeballs. His perception climbed along the sound toward the distance, getting closer and closer. His vision sharpened.
A door had appeared in the void there. A girl was kneeling by the entrance, peering anxiously inward.
"You really are my lucky girl."
Luke strained to form a smile, changing direction, and slowly flying toward the portal. Along the way, he grazed several fissures, leaving behind a pair of limbs and half a cheek. He couldn't care less now. All that mattered was the light ahead.
The narrow doorway seemed close, yet it was tens of thousands of miles away.
This distance was the longest road he had ever walked in his life, even more painful than being in the World of Green Flame. There was no hope in the Green Flame World, so he didn't care. Now was different.
Diana was in his belly, and Linda was waiting ahead. Two women were waiting for him.
For the sake of a happy future, Luke had to risk everything, consuming the Soul Crystal to inject vitality into the dying body.
His speed slowly increased. The distance slowly closed.
Finally, the darkness retreated, and the light arrived.
Thud!
A scarred, deathly-gray, "spherical" monster burst through the portal, appearing before Barry and Linda.
The two were startled, instinctively taking defensive stances. The Wizard Shazam, resting outside, suddenly opened his eyes, looking utterly shocked, as if he had witnessed something unbelievable.
"It's them!"
"They actually came back! That was the Underworld!"
The old man muttered to himself. Hearing this, Billy Batson shouted excitedly and rushed inside.
"It's them! The Wizard said they're back!"
"Boss and Superman! They're back!"
Linda's expression froze. She quickly activated her X-ray vision. The "spherical" monster had a large belly, packed tight with four people: Diana, Clark, J'onn, and a dragon-like individual.
"The belly! They're inside its belly!"
Linda was overcome with excitement. Just as she was about to use her heat vision to cut the monster open, the Wizard walked in.
"Don't harm it. Harming it will harm the soul trapped inside. Billy, go bring Luke Shaw's body over."
The boy didn't hesitate. He ran to the third floor at top speed and carried the body from the culture tank. Since Luke left for the Underworld, Linda had carefully preserved his fleshly body, and it was in excellent condition.
"The soul nourishes the body, and the body soothes the soul. This is what he needs now."
The Wizard took Luke's hand and placed it on the monster's body. A faint green light appeared, flowing from the monster to Luke. His heart began to beat, his breathing began to rise and fall. The long-dormant "corpse" had finally come back to life.
Linda couldn't help but ask, "How is he now? Is his life in danger? When will he wake up?"
"No life danger, but as for waking up..." The Wizard shook his head slightly. "It will probably take a very long time."
Linda and Barry sighed in relief. As long as he would wake up, time didn't matter. The two worked together, carefully cutting open the monster's body. Normally, not even the sharpest blade could harm a hair on the hostile twin, but now it was an un-nourished piece of dead wood.
Once the belly was cut open, the scene inside was fully revealed.
Time seemed to stand still. Even the knowledgeable Wizard couldn't help but gasp in shock.
It was gruesome!
It was a sight too painful to look at.
Clark was missing both legs and half of his left arm, his entire body covered in wounds. Diana was in better shape, only missing an arm. The dragon-like individual was the most tragic, reduced to a limbless human stick.
The only one intact was J'onn; his body was unharmed, but his aura was extremely weak.
Just by looking at the sight, one could imagine the arduous battle the group had endured in the Underworld.
Linda's nose burned, and she couldn't help but cry. Barry clenched his fists, his expression incredibly complex. The young Billy was stunned by the sight, standing motionless.
The Wizard lamented,
"The Underworld is the realm of the dead. There is no soil for the living to survive. With the entrance sealed, not even the Gods could escape. Yet, they managed to return intact."
"Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
Linda wiped away her tears and immediately contacted Eva. Soon after, the group boarded a plane to Luke's secret base. It had the best medical facilities. As long as a person was alive, no matter how severe the injury, they could be fully healed.
The Joy of Return
Days later, Diana, Clark, and Acolyte all woke up. Their severed limbs began to regrow with the help of medicine and nutrient fluids.
Looking at the sunny sky, Clark and Diana felt intense joy and exhaustion, as if they had been reborn.
Food was prepared—a huge table piled high with top-tier cuisine made by a master chef.
The two didn't hold back, stuffing all the food into their stomachs. As their exhausted bodies were nourished, a feeling of happiness welled up.
Diana genuinely sighed, "Compared to the Underworld, Earth is paradise."
Clark nodded.
"I can't believe we actually made it back."
"How is Luke? Is he awake yet?"
Linda shook her head. "The Wizard said his soul is very weak and that it will take a long time to recover."
Diana originally intended to ask about his physical condition, but quickly changed her mind.
"As long as he's alive, the time doesn't matter."
Barry grabbed his hair, unable to resist asking,
"What did you guys go through in the Underworld? Who injured you like this? And who is that dragon-man?"
Diana and Clark exchanged glances, both giving a wry smile.
"Barry, remember this: never, ever go to the Underworld. It's not a place for the living."
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