American comics: Praising the sun, starting from Gotham!

New world.

Xiu En, guided by his intuition, arrived at a city.

Xiu En's avatar projection concealed its divine golden light, instead disguising itself as a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who had been struggling in the black market of another world and had become tainted with the aura of dark magic.

Several dark lines appeared on his skin, showing a net-like pattern of erosion.

The empty shell, which was covered with obscene and provocative arrays, was once again shrunk and wrapped up by Xiu En.

The mutated sunflower that had been resting on the shoulder also underwent a change.

Xiu En didn't want to use bait to catch those low-grade, miscellaneous fish, so he temporarily concealed the scent of the bait.

To fit this elusive style, it deliberately shrank its flower head, withered its thick stems and leaves, and shriveled itself into an unassuming succulent.

It hung halfway from the shoulder strap of Xiu En's tattered coat with its shallow roots, serving as an object of obsession for Xiu En, this down-on-his-luck hunter.

Xiu En's clone leaned against the wall, deliberately tugging at his leather jacket, revealing several deliberately faked black magic patterns on his neck.

He deliberately hunched over and let out a suppressed cough that sounded like that of an unfortunate soul whose lungs were being eroded by some kind of demonic poison or curse.

"The air here is worse than Gotham's sewers."

Xiu En muttered in a low voice, casually placing a potted plant that looked like it was about to die on the wooden box next to him.

The succulent plant trembled slightly, and a slightly yellowed leaf struggled to stretch out, gently patting Xiu En's hand.

"Stop complaining. Your current persona is that of a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who'd risk his life for power. Watch your manners. Also, this soil is too dry. Are you trying to kill me with thirst?"

Ivy's voice traveled directly into Xiu En's mind through the plant's roots, carrying undisguised disdain.

Xiu En reached into his pocket and pulled out a water bottle, symbolically dripping a few drops of water into the flowerpot. Then he looked up and scanned the passersby in the alley with a gaze that was both mad and eager.

A man wearing a hoodie stopped in front of Xiu En.

His pockets were bulging, clearly concealing weapons, and his eyes darted back and forth between the black magic markings on Xiu En's body and the succulent plant, like a mouse's.

He carried a hint of Sithon's aura, suggesting he might have some connection to Sithon.

"Dude, you don't look too good. Did you touch something you shouldn't have, or did you offend something?"

The man in the hoodie tentatively spoke.

Xiu En immediately adopted a wary expression. He straightened up, then grimaced in pain as if aggravating his wound.

"None of your business. I just need a little help, I need a buyer who can understand the value of this thing I have."

The hooded man sneered and took a step closer.

"Here, with money, you can buy any kind of help. As for what you have? Judging by your appearance, almost completely devoured by the abyss's aura, what good stuff could you possibly have?"

"You don't know anything!"

Xiu En suddenly raised his voice and took out an object wrapped in layers of black cloth. He only slightly lifted a corner, and a faint, chaotic fluctuation spread through the narrow alley.

"This is a relic that seals the remains of an ancient demon! I almost lost my life trying to get it. I need power, power to suppress this backlash within me. I know that ordinary dark mages simply cannot consume this thing."

The man in the hoodie's eyes lit up.

Having spent years navigating the black market, he could at least discern the quality of goods.

He swallowed hard, and his attitude immediately underwent a complete 180-degree turn.

"Hey buddy, calm down. Put your things away."

He nervously looked around, and only after making sure no one else was paying attention did he lower his voice and speak.

"Your stuff is certainly interesting. But you're right, most buyers wouldn't dare touch it. But I know a place where people are very interested in this ancient and dark power. They're generous, and they might be able to solve your problem."

Xiu En was secretly delighted; the fish had taken the bait.

But outwardly he still maintained that suspicious and crazy appearance.

"Where? Don't try to fool me with those third-rate cults. What I need is real power."

"The Crimson Word Society".

When the man in the hoodie uttered the name, his voice carried undisguised reverence.

"They have a secret branch in New York. As long as your stuff is genuine, High Priest Malik will give you everything you want. However, seeing him won't be easy; you'll need a guide."

Xiu En snorted coldly, took out a silver coin from his pocket, and tossed it to the other person.

"Lead the way. If you dare to try anything funny, I promise I'll tear you to pieces before I'm killed by these demonic runes."

The man in the hoodie tossed the silver coins in his hand, stuffed them into his inner pocket, and turned to crawl into a narrower ditch next to him.

Xiu En tugged at his collar to suppress the urge to burn the whole place to the ground, and strode after him.

New York's underground world is like a maze.

The hoodie carried Xiu En through the dripping, abandoned subway tunnel.

Step over the pile of junk filled with syringes.

"You'd better pray you're leading the right path."

Xiu En deliberately made his breathing heavy, and the fake black magic patterns on the back of his hand twisted with his movements, emitting unsettling fluctuations.

"The thing inside me is getting hungrier and hungrier. If I don't see the high priest you mentioned, I might start by using you as an appetizer."

"Calm down! Relax, man, relax!"

The hoodie waved her hand, but her pace quickened involuntarily.

"The Crimson Word Society doesn't like impatient guests. They worship some ancient being and value ritual. If you go there looking like this, as long as the goods are good, they'll definitely treat you like a VIP."

"The environment here is simply a desecration of plants."

Ivy's voice echoed in Xiu En's mind, filled with intense disgust.

The withered succulent that Xiu En was holding in his arms trembled.

"No sunlight, no clean water, even the soil reeks of a nauseating, sour smell of dark magic. Are you sure that Sithon would like a place like this?"

"The rats that hide in the gutter are the ones that love this moldy cheese the most."

Xiu En responded to Ivy.

"Just bear with it. Once I bring that big dish to the table, I'll just dump this place out of the way."

After walking for about twenty minutes, the hoodie finally stopped in front of an iron gate.

This place looks like a meat processing plant that has been abandoned for many years; the light tubes on the top of the door have long since been broken into pieces.

The man in the hoodie turned around, his expression turning serious.

"Listen, you madman. Put away your street smarts here. Whatever you see or hear, shut your mouth. No matter when or where, ( ) will always be your most loyal reading companion. High Priest Malik has a bad temper; the last guy who dared to shout in the Divine Word Society is now fertilizer."

Xiu En snorted disdainfully and bounced the pot of succulents in his arms upside down.

"I'll lead you the way. I only need power; I don't care about anything else."

The hoodie took a deep breath, walked to the iron gate, and knocked five times in a specific rhythm. Three long knocks, two short knocks.

The observation hole on the iron gate was pulled open, and a pair of bloodshot eyes appeared behind the hole, coldly staring at the two people outside the gate.

"A lost sheep, or a believer seeking the truth?"

The hoodie quickly stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Brother, it's me! I've brought someone who needs help. He has some serious stuff, really serious stuff. I think the High Priest will be interested."

"Hard stuff?"

The eye behind the door shifted, its gaze landing on Xiu En, especially on the disguised magic markings on Xiu En's neck.

"A piece of trash about to burst from demonic energy? Do you think Holy Word is a refuge?"

Xiu En stepped forward and shoved the hoodie away.

Without any hesitation, he moved closer to the observation hole, tore open a corner of his leather jacket, and revealed a gap in the miniature version of the pseudo-light body wrapped in black cloth.

It only lasted for a moment.

A chaotic wave carrying the pressure of a superior being suddenly shot out through the crack.

For these cultists who have been exposed to black magic for years, it was like lifting the lid on a sumptuous feast in front of a starving ghost.

The bloodshot eyes behind the door widened instantly, and the pupils contracted sharply.

"This...this is..."

"Now, am I qualified to go in?"

Xiu En quickly wrapped the black cloth tightly again.

A series of frantic clanging sounds of chains came from behind the iron gate.

Then the iron gate was slowly pulled open, creating a gap large enough for one person to pass through.

"Come in...come in."

The arrogance that had been present in the voice of the gatekeeper was gone.

"The high priest is inside leading the morning prayers. Follow me, and don't wander off."

Xiu En glanced at the hoodie next to him and stepped through the iron gate.

The gatekeeper led the way.

The interior of the abandoned meat processing plant was even more dilapidated than the exterior. Iron hooks that were originally used to hang raw meat now held unrecognizable skeletons, and the walls were covered with twisted runes painted with dark red paint or some other liquid.

Xiu En followed behind, deliberately making his steps appear somewhat unsteady.

He was hunched over, occasionally letting out a suppressed cough or two. The fake black magic patterns on his neck twisted and writh under the dim red emergency light, emitting a faint chaotic fluctuation.

After walking through the long corridor, the gatekeeper pushed open a large door.

A blinding red light burst forth instantly, accompanied by a frenzied and uniform chanting.

Xiu En squinted, surveying the enormous assembly hall.

Dozens of cultists dressed in black robes knelt at the edge of the star array, their hands raised high, chanting syllables incomprehensible to ordinary people.

At the very center of the star array was an altar made of some kind of black crystal, with a dark red energy ball constantly churning above it.

In front of the altar stood a man who seemed out of place with his surroundings.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark red suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and his hair was neatly combed.

If it weren't for the bone staff in his hand inlaid with scarlet gems, he would look more like an elite Wall Street investor than a high priest of a cult.

"High Priest Malik!"

The gatekeeper quickly walked to the edge of the star array and knelt on one knee.

"An outsider has arrived; he has goods that might be of interest to you."

Malik stopped chanting, and the believers in the hall fell silent as well.

He turned around and glanced at Xiu En, who was standing in the doorway.

"A bounty hunter driven to the brink of madness by the aura of the abyss?"

Malik's voice was gentle and refined, even carrying a hint of compassion.

"Poor soul. You crave power, yet you are consumed by it. What valuable guidance can those lowly maggots offer you?"

Xiu En immediately adopted a fanatical yet wary expression.

He straightened up and stepped into the hall.

He met Malik's gaze without flinching.

"Put away your hypocritical compassion, High Priest."

Shuen deliberately ripped open the collar of his leather jacket, making the black magic patterns even more visible.

"What I need is a way to suppress this backlash. And what I possess is absolutely worthy of the highest level of black magic you have here!"

Malik raised his eyebrows slightly and tapped the ground lightly with his bone staff.

"Arrogant words. Every day, countless fools like you flirt with the edge of dark magic, bringing me scrap metal to beg for blessings? Prove your worth, outsider. Otherwise, you will become the freshest nourishment on this altar."

Xiu En snorted and casually placed the potted succulent in his arms on a wooden box next to him.

He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out the object wrapped in layers of black cloth.

He slightly opened a crack.

In an instant, chaotic fluctuations unfolded.

High Priest Malik's expression suddenly changed. He took a step forward, and his pupils behind his glasses instantly contracted.

"This is?"

Malik's voice trembled slightly as he stared at the black cloth in Shuen's hand.

"Where did you get this level of chaotic energy?"

Xiu En quickly wrapped the black cloth tightly again, stuffed it back into his pocket, and resumed his weak and crazed state.

"That's not your concern. I only have one question: can this thing be exchanged for my life, plus the core power of your Holy Word Society?"

Malik took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart.

He resumed his arrogant demeanor, his gaze darting back and forth between Xiu En and the pocket.

"A priceless relic. It certainly qualifies as a stepping stone."

Malik spoke slowly, his tone becoming more serious.

"However, the Holy Word never readily accepts outsiders. Your goods are excellent, but you yourself still need to prove your loyalty and ability. The Crimson Lord has no need for cowards and useless people."

He raised his staff and pointed it out of the hall.

"In the swamps of the Eastern District, there is a mass grave. I will give you a diagram of an initiation ceremony. Go there and bring me back a bottle of Resentment Water through the ritual. This will prove that you not only have the luck to find treasure, but also the ability to survive in the darkness. Once you complete this task, you will be one of my kind, and you will be qualified to stand before the altar and negotiate with me."