Not to mention Cindy and Alfred wandering around Gotham City, Barry was sprinting with Briss and Su Ming over the vast ocean.
For Barry, it makes little difference whether he's running on water or land, so the quickest route from North America to Egypt is naturally across the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean, unlike the Pacific, is full of changing currents and wild storms, especially in the middle of the sea where towering waves seem like skyscrapers. But for the three of them, it's like a decoration of deep blue crystal, frozen in mid-air.
While Su Ming and Briss could enjoy the scenery, Barry felt somewhat tired since he had to carry two people. As he ran, he complained to Briss, "Your world hasn't developed flying technology? Isn't reaching the skies a human dream?"
Su Ming, hooked by Barry's arm, also held onto his shoulder with one hand: "Exactly, I asked Cindy the same question a few hours ago."
As a native of Earth -11, Briss had seen Amazonians flying around, so she had some interest in flying devices. She gazed at the frozen waves not far away, unable to suppress a smile at the majestic beauty.
"Some Amazonians possess divine power, allowing them to fly. It's their privilege," she said, applying some force to Barry's shoulder to help ease his burden, then continued, "But if science could achieve it, I'd like to try. What's your theory?"
"Bernoulli's equation, p+ρgh+(1/2)*ρv^2=c." Barry immediately began explaining the basics of fluid dynamics, rattling off constants and calculations unfamiliar to Briss.
Su Ming recalled similar knowledge, as Deathstroke often used those calculations to compute trajectories, but mostly it served as a part of shooting.
For Briss, however, the concept was foreign; listening to Barry felt like deciphering a celestial book, and the smile on the part of her face visible under the mask gradually faded...
"In short, it's about creating a pressure difference above and below the wings to lift the plane into the air. Does that make sense?" Barry cheerfully asked, looking at her.
"You really could've just skipped to the conclusion," Briss replied, casting an annoyed look at him, leaving him somewhat embarrassed.
Previously, Su Ming considered whether Barbatos had already set his sights on this world, but later analysis overturned his earlier speculations.
As a god, Barbatos wouldn't lay down plans hundreds of years in advance for a few ordinary human henchmen to alter the tech tree.
That's how Su Ming came up with a new plan to thoroughly eliminate the Owl Court's Hawk Priests and subsequently prevent any major events in this world.
The power of an individual Hawk Priest wasn't enough to communicate with Barbatos. They needed to gather and perform cult-like rituals using a magic array to relay messages.
Now, it's time to raid their hideout.
The problem is that, currently, only Su Ming's armor serves as a weapon against them, but it doesn't have the lethal force needed for a one-hit kill, as proven when dealing with the White Cat before; a new strategy was necessary.
Among the metals that could harm dark creatures, Amber Gold was confirmed to be non-existent since the claws here lacked self-healing ability.
Briss and Barry searched extensively but couldn't find N Metal Bliss, suggesting it likely doesn't exist either.
The most promising option seemed to be Promethium, since Cindy's armor was from this world, indicating Promethium's existence here, along with the Dionysus Factor, evidenced by that jester lunatic.
If Bat Gold could be found in the temple this time, it could be used for weaponry.
Although it's a magic metal that requires magic for forging, Su Ming could use a block of Bat Golden Brick to crush those Hawk Priests.
This time, it's not just about eliminating threats but also about looting.
As he pondered, they had already landed in North Africa, which on other Earths would be Morocco's location.
Within seconds, the coastal forests and high mountains transitioned to a vast desert.
It was dusk here, and the great desert shimmered with golden-red light under the sunset. Some small animals like lizards sensed the cool sand and began to cautiously surface.
They turned their tiny heads, sensing the vibrations of the sand to hunt for smaller creatures to satiate their hunger.
Barry continued running, creating a yellow line in the desert. With no reliable landmarks in the sea of sand, he kept heading east, through Algeria and Libya, until they reached the Nile River in Egypt.
Following the Nile upstream leads to the Valley of the Kings, where you'd find pyramids and temples aplenty.
Hopefully, the Amazonians hadn't removed those Egyptian temples despite viewing the Egyptian Pantheon as heretical, being followers of Zeus.
Though it's uncertain if the Egyptian Pantheon ever truly existed in this world, at least the pyramids and temples were constructed.
The surroundings were all sand, nothing scenic, all yellow to the eye. Su Ming could see sand particles suspended by the wind, each grain reflecting faint lights in mid-air.
Rattlesnakes hunted sand mice, a cactus lost a thorn, and a few rare drops of desert rain trickled from the sky.
It all seemed as if someone had pressed the pause button on the world.
Soon, they reached a broad river sprawling out before them, its waters cloudy with silt, resembling a muddy giant dragon slithering into the distance. On it, some boats carried tourists wearing smiles as they admired the Nile sunset from the west.
Not far away, a modern city, Cairo, shimmered under the sunset's glow.
"Cairo is 700 kilometers south of the Valley of the Kings on the Nile's west bank," Su Ming told Barry.
"Yes, we'll be there soon." Barry smiled, the Nile sunset lifting his spirits.
Valley of the Kings.
In Su Ming's original world, it was established from 1545 to 1515 BC, with 62 tombs discovered before he traversed, including Ramses II and the reputed death embodiment, Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
The canyon boasted numerous tombs and temples. Egypt had many gods, with countless others beyond the Nine Pillar Gods reputed to have created the world, like the Beetle God and Snake God.
Of course, Olympus had the most gods, ones overseeing sewers, public baths, and public toilets.
Ancient Rome further developed public hygiene enterprises.
"Our target is Set's temple, the Owl's stronghold," Su Ming said, releasing Barry, stretching his neck and arms, and stepping into the canyon to orient himself.
Barry also released Briss, reaching his hand: "I saw a shop on the way; Briss, some change, please... Hmm, this sandwich is chickpea-flavored. Right, back on track... But Set wasn't an Owl God at all and has nothing to do with birds."
"Set's animal form is a beastman with soft fur and fangs, often considered a boar or an extinct species by scholars." Su Ming kept walking forward: "But Set, in mythology, is also a god of storms and deserts. Later, he became the god of night and darkness. Sounds familiar?"
"The Dark God Barbatos." Barry enjoyed the mineral water and sandwich he bought, eating and drinking alternately.
"I'm unsure if they're related; perhaps just similarly named. But clearly, our Owl Court thinks otherwise, infatuated with Set." Su Ming shrugged, "They abandoned modern life to inhabit ancient burial grounds. Isn't that love?"
Briss undertook a similar task to Su Ming's, first orienting herself, then observing the surrounding architecture: "Set is one of the Nine Pillar Gods, but as a symbol of darkness, his temple is usually in shadowed places, separate from the Main Gods."
Su Ming agreed and added, "Yes, and his temple generally opposes the Sun God's..."
Their gaze turned to the canyon's depths, where a place tucked into the canyon's curve remained forever shaded by steep cliffs above.