Chapter 968

"Miss Zatara, please tell me this matter from beginning to end. You don't need to explain those obscure terms, because I can understand them all. You just need to tell me the cause, the process, and the result of this matter," Alfred said, looking at Zatanna.

Zatanna opened her mouth. She felt something was wrong. She looked Alfred over again, but didn't find any traces of magic use on him. Looking at her puzzled expression, Alfred explained:

"Master Wei En was once obsessed with mysticism for a period of time, and as his butler, I needed to help him organize the materials he wanted to investigate. From there, I gained quite a bit of knowledge."

"But... this is impossible. Bruce doesn't understand mysticism either. In ordinary society, it's almost impossible to find true mystical knowledge," Zatanna subconsciously retorted.

"Yes, but the butler of the Pennyworth family always has to deal with the employer's interest in magic. How to distinguish whether a magician is a clumsy fraud is a required course for a Pennyworth family butler."

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Zatanna opened her mouth again. She found she couldn't refute it because she had previously had the experience of being employed by certain wealthy or mysterious families, and the person dealing with these things wouldn't be the employer themselves, but precisely their butler.

This phenomenon was particularly common in medieval Europe. As a hereditary butler family that had once served royalty, the Pennyworth family's understanding of the mystical world was probably much stronger than that of some young magicians.

"Alright, since that's the case, then this matter is easier to explain." Zatanna took a few deep breaths, cast aside extra thoughts, and then began to recount the matter from the beginning.

Alfred, just as he said, patiently listened to all of Zatanna's account without interrupting her midway. When Zatanna finished speaking, he looked at Zatanna and asked:

"Miss Zatara, according to what you said, right now, both Bruce's and Schiller's souls are in Hell, right?"

Zatanna nodded. Alfred sighed and said, "Then, what kind of help do you want from me?"

Zatanna furrowed her brows and said, "I contacted a relative in the family who had been to Hell. He left a beacon in Hell, which allows me to use teleportation to go to Hell."

"As I said before, ordinary people go to Hell by going through the spirit world to the edge of Hell, and only then from the edge of Hell all the way to Hell."

"But doing so, the one going to Hell will be the soul, and humans in a soul state are very fragile. Many spells cannot be cast. Once they encounter a demon, they are very likely to be torn to pieces."

"Just like the human world, the situation in Hell is also very complex. Since the Lord of Hell left Hell, Hell has been divided among warlords. If one goes in soul form, one will definitely become a snack for demons. Even the most powerful magician wouldn't dare to be so arrogant."

"Therefore, I need to use the beacon to let my physical body enter Hell. Only in this way can I ensure that I can exert my full strength."

"However, one cannot use spirit world vision in Hell. I need to use medium items to track the whereabouts of the soul." Zatanna sighed and said, "To find Bruce and Schiller in Hell, I must obtain an item of theirs to track the aura of their souls."

Alfred nodded and said, "However, Miss Zatara, you should also know that as a qualified butler, I cannot give away my master's personal items to others at will."

"I know you have a good relationship with the Master, but that's a thing of the past after all. Now, Mr. Wei En already has his own family and children. If I give his personal items to you at will, it might bring unnecessary trouble to his future interpersonal interactions."

"But I... wait, family and children? Is Bruce already married?" Zatanna asked with some surprise.

"No, not yet. However, he already has two children. Oh, that's right, Miss Aisha should be awake now. Merkel, please go bring her over. She hasn't taken the vitamin tablets the doctor prescribed for her yet."

Merkel nodded and went upstairs. After a while, he came down carrying a little girl. The first time Zatanna saw Aisha, she determined that she must be Bruce's daughter, because the two of them looked so much alike.

"My God!" Zatanna let out an exclamation. Afterward, she stood there stunned for a long time, and finally, somewhat melancholically, said, "I didn't expect that after so many years of not seeing him, he's already a father."

Alfred held Aisha, fed her the vitamin tablets, and then let Merkel take Aisha upstairs to play. He looked at Zatanna and said:

"I want to bring Master Wei En back more than you do, but I am just an elderly butler and cannot do this. The only thing I can do is to strictly abide by the butler's principles and guard this place for Mr. Wei En."

Just as Zatanna was about to speak, Alfred continued: "However, I have also seen Mr. Zatara's abilities. I believe you are reliable and trustworthy magicians, but this matter is not to be taken lightly. You must tell me the complete process and show me your ability to go to Hell."

Alfred's tone was always patient, which instead made Zatanna feel guilty. She hurriedly explained:

"It's like this, Hell beacons come in pairs. One of them is buried in the soil layer of Hell, and the location where the beacon is placed must be safe."

"I hold the other beacon. By opening a portal, I can land directly at the location of the Hell beacon. After landing, I will activate the personal item with magic attached. It will show the direction of the soul aura. As long as I follow this direction, I can find them. And as long as I bring them back to where the portal is, I can save them."

Zatanna described this process as detailed as possible, but Alfred still had some doubts. He said, "Miss Zatara, it's not that I don't trust you, but Hell sounds like a very dangerous place. Even if you want to save people, I don't want you to take such a big risk."

Zatanna lowered her head, somewhat moved, and said, "Thank you, but don't worry about me. Although I haven't been to Hell either, I have dealt with quite a few demons from Hell. They are not completely without weaknesses."

"Hell is not like what many people imagine, full of magma and very hot. Not everyone living there has goat hooves that spurt fire. There are many types of demons: shadows, lonely souls, lava demons, upper-level demons, hounds, Sali demons, etc."

"Generally speaking, incorporeal demons mostly fear fire, just like human souls fear being burned by fire. They like darkness and cold, and hate heat and burning, so it's better to use spells to light fires to drive them away."

"For corporeal demons like lava demons, they aren't afraid of fire and even like to bathe in magma, but if they suffer powerful blows, they will also fall apart. At the same time, using magic arrays to bind them is also a good solution."

"As for high-level demons, or even lord demons, their power is beyond what humans can imagine, so they cannot be countered by force and can only negotiate terms with them."

"Fortunately, their intelligence is very high, and they are very willing to reach contracts with humans. As long as some price is paid, they will let you pass."

"Pay a price?" Alfred asked.

"That's right. If you want them to help fish someone out, that might require paying a huge price. But if it's just to pass through, giving them whatever is fine. They will definitely ask for an exorbitant price, but as long as you hold your bottom line and never loosen your grip, you won't end up paying too much in the end."

Alfred nodded thoughtfully and then said, "How about this, Miss Zatara. I can give you Master Wei En's personal items, but you must cast magic in front of me, summon the portal, and then go in. Only in this way can I ensure that you won't lose this item outside, leading to unnecessary disputes."

"Coincidentally, that Merkel is Mr. Rodriguez's butler, and he also holds Mr. Rodriguez's items. You don't need to make another trip to the manor over there."

"Of course, I can swear never to reveal what happened today to anyone. You should believe in the oath of the Pennyworth family; we have always been known for our good reputation."

Zatanna struggled for a moment and then said, "No, I'm not worried about leaks or anything. Throughout history, too many people have seen magic, but as long as they can't produce evidence, it's all just legend."

"However, where do I cast the spell?" Zatanna looked around the luxurious hall of Wei En Manor and said, "The portal to Hell is a large portal, I'm afraid it will cause quite a stir. It can't be here, right?"

"It doesn't matter. We can go to the back garden. Anyway, this broccoli disaster has already destroyed the entire garden and it has to be rebuilt. If you cast the spell there, safety will be more guaranteed."

Zatanna thought for a moment and nodded, feeling that what Alfred said also made sense. After all, she hadn't figured out where to cast the spell either. If she were interrupted during the casting process, she would also be injured. Wei En Manor was safe and quiet, and there were people nearby to watch over her, which was indeed a good choice.

Thus, Zatanna came to the back garden and used basic materials to start setting up the magic array for the portal, while Alfred returned to the manor building to get things for her.

After a while, the magic array was set up, waiting only to be activated. Alfred brought a cloak, the kind of cloak that hangs behind the Bat-suit, and Merkel brought a pen. When in the manor, Schiller had always used this pen to write medical records.

Light spots lit up on Zatanna's fingertips. She lightly tapped the two items. The two items floated into mid-air, then fell, and also began to emit a faint shimmer.

Afterward, she activated the portal. A huge blood-colored vortex appeared in the center of the Wei En Manor garden. Zatara, holding the enchanted items, took a deep breath, and then whispered to herself:

"Alright, so far, everything is going smoothly. This isn't hard, right? Everything depends on you, Zatanna..." She felt a bit nervous, her heart pounding.

Zatanna was busy cheering herself on, so she didn't notice Alfred gradually walking toward her. When she felt a dark shadow approaching her from behind, she was suddenly startled and turned back.

"Bang!"

The pain in the back of her head and a violent sense of dizziness struck together. Before Zatanna's vision turned pitch black, she only saw Alfred's indifferent expression.

Alfred threw the blood-stained gardening shovel aside, then straightened his gloves, and said to Merkel, "Take this young and rude lady upstairs to rest."

Merkel, standing in place, swallowed hard, while Alfred looked at him expressionlessly and said:

"I said, a Gotham butler does not welcome any visitor who doesn't present a calling card or bring a gift."

Having said that, he glanced at Zatanna, who had fallen to the ground, and said in an exceptionally cold voice:

"Especially when what she brings is bad news."

After speaking, he turned his head to look at the portal again. The blood-colored vortex emitted an ominous aura. Just looking at it made one feel their legs trembling, and one could instantly associate it with all kinds of terrifying monsters.

But very coincidentally, the butler who manages this manor fears nothing more than ghosts and monsters.