Chef Shazam

Chapter 11 Chef Shazam

With all the demons annihilated, the vast temple fell silent once more.

The old wizard sat back on his throne, closed his eyes briefly to reflect, and his aged face quickly regained its rosy hue, showing signs of renewed vitality.

At this moment, Shen You also returned to human form and came to the old wizard's side.

"Thank you for your help, outsider." The wizard Shazam opened his eyes and said solemnly to Shen You, "Although it is a little embarrassing to say, I have to admit that without your help, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"You don't seem surprised by me," Shen You said.

The wizard smiled.

"I have lived for nine thousand years. In those nine thousand years, I have witnessed the fall of the old gods and the rise of the new gods. I have seen the end of a world and the vengeful spirit of God angrily wielding the blade of punishment."

Believe me, if you live long enough, even the strangest things won't seem so surprising. You are indeed someone I've never seen before, but not enough to overly astound a wise wizard.

Shen You thought about it and agreed. The wizard Shazam wasn't just long-lived; at his level, he must have interacted with powerful figures at the multiverse level. Although he was no longer at his peak, he wouldn't be so easily alarmed by every new alien race he encountered.

The wizard sighed softly, "But I am indeed getting old, and I am increasingly unable to keep up. I must choose a new successor as soon as possible, otherwise the temple will soon be left unguarded."

He paused, glanced at Shen You, and sighed.

"Actually, I think you're a good choice. Your willpower still needs some work, but you have a kind heart and a pure soul. What a pity."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more. But Shen You understood the meaning behind the wizard's words.

Wizards are, after all, still human, and their choices of successors naturally fall within the human race. However, Shen You, strictly speaking, had been transformed into an Ultraman after his first rebirth and was no longer human, thus falling outside the pool of candidates for wizardship.

That being said, it all comes down to fate. There are others in the Justice League who might meet the criteria of a pure heart and unwavering will, but in countless parallel universes, the wizard will ultimately choose Billy Batson.

There is still some guidance from fate in the grand scheme of things.

"I cannot grant you the power of the six gods, but a wizard certainly cannot let someone work for nothing. Hmm." The old wizard pondered for a moment, then asked, "Although I have never seen anything like you before, in my eyes, you must be a being of some kind of light magic?"

Shen You was somewhat surprised. The so-called "light magic" should be a way of representing things from the old wizard's perspective. Although the old wizard no longer possessed divine power, his insight was still sharp, and he could see through the essence of light of the Ultra race with just one glance.

"Then this should be helpful to you."

The wizard Shazam stretched out his hand and pinched his index and middle fingers together in mid-air. Instantly, a burst of sunlight appeared at his fingertips, and the energy transformed into a ruby.

Shen You initially wanted to say that he knew nothing about magic, but after taking the gem and glancing at it, he was immediately surprised to sense a kind of scorching and powerful energy surging within it. With just a thought, that energy flowed into his body, making him feel refreshed and invigorated in a short while.

It felt to him like receiving stellar energy through light.

Ultraman's essence is light, and not just idealistic light, but also light in a physical sense. Throughout the long series, there are numerous scenes where Ultraman flies to a nearby star and rapidly recharges himself using sunlight, making it the most effective way to power up.

This small ruby ​​gave him a feeling similar to sunlight.

"This is a gift from Apollo, the sun god, after an ancient great war," the wizard Shazam stroked his beard and smiled. "For all these years, it has been nothing more than a collectible to me, but perhaps it will be of some benefit to you."

Shen You immediately understood. In the DC universe, Apollo is the sun god, and his divine power is nothing less than solar radiation—as personally confirmed by Superman.

In the comics, Wonder Woman brings Superman to the territory of the Greek gods. Apollo, disliking Superman, fires a shot at him, instantly raising Superman's energy to 400%. Superman, looking astonished, says to Apollo, "You actually hit me with solar radiation?" and then punches the sun god hundreds of miles away.

This small ruby ​​seems to be a similar magical artifact. It can absorb and store a considerable amount of solar radiation. Although Shen You doesn't know what its original purpose was, in his hands it's definitely a plug-and-play power bank.

Like Ultraman and Superman, Ultraman can be enhanced by solar radiation. Like in the Max ending, after being fully charged by solar energy, he unleashed a beam of light that pierced the atmosphere – incredibly cool! Shen You estimated that this power bank might not have the same power-up effect as Ultraman's, but it should serve a similar purpose. Normally fully charged, it could be used as a trump card for unleashing a burst of power when necessary.

This reminded Shen You that wizards of Shazam's caliber were like the Sorcerer Supreme from Marvel. The Sorcerer Supreme's sanctuary was filled with artifacts; Shazam must have a ton of similar treasures.

Shen You accepted the ruby, thanked the wizard, thought for a moment, and then asked a question.

"So, you're going to stay here and guard this hall, and continue searching for a successor?"

The old wizard shook his head.

"A successor needs to be found," he said, "but perhaps not here. I've been out of touch with reality for too long and have lost touch with the world. Without delving into it and understanding people today, it will be very difficult to find that one-in-a-million heir."

He smiled calmly as he said this.

"Nine thousand years have passed, such a long time. Time and again I have protected the world from the hands of demons. It is time for me to step down."

I don't have much time left. I only ask that in the few days I have left, I choose a worthy person to take over this responsibility, and then I can die in peace.

A chaotic era is about to dawn, but the world will have its new guardians. Who knows? Perhaps they will do better than we did before; perhaps they will not only protect, but also guide humanity toward the light.

As the old man spoke, he patted Shen You on the shoulder with a meaningful expression.

He rose and left the stone throne, walking calmly toward the palace gates.

Shen You silently watched the old man's weathered back, and a wave of emotion washed over him.

Shazam the wizard may not have been the protagonist of the story, and he may have only existed as an old man in the origin of heroes. But there is no doubt that he was also a great guardian, protecting the lights of thousands of homes in the darkness for thousands of years, and even his achievements and name have never been known to anyone.

Even now, in his twilight years, his thoughts on his deathbed are still on passing on the torch and continuing to protect the safety of humanity.

Okay, wait a minute.

Shen You suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.

"Senior Wizard?" He followed the wizard towards the exit of the main hall, asking, "You mean your days are numbered?"

"Yes." The old wizard accepted it calmly, like a wise man who had seen through the illusions of the world.

"May I ask how much longer it will take?"

"Who knows? Nobody can say for sure about lifespans. It could be as short as twenty or thirty years, or as long as forty or fifty years," the old wizard said.

Shen You: "."

Sure enough, he knew it.

When a 9,000-year-old man says he's nearing the end of his life, his standards are certainly different from those of a normal human being.

"Well, what are your plans for the next few decades?"

"That's why I've already said it. We need to understand the world today and choose my successor from within it."

"No, I want to be more specific," Shen You interrupted, "because the selection process might take ten or twenty years? Where do you plan to live and what will you eat during that time?"

Judging from the recent combat experience, the wizard's old arms and legs are still quite healthy, but his magic seems to be losing its effectiveness. Before choosing a successor, the primary issue to address upon returning to reality is food, clothing, shelter, and transportation.

They had just passed through the magic gate and returned to the alleyway they had entered from. The old wizard was taken aback upon hearing this, clearly having not seriously considered the matter.

So Shen You went along with it and said, "To be honest, I recently opened a coffee shop in a nearby neighborhood, and business is pretty good. I'm thinking of offering some baking or light meals in addition to coffee, and I happen to be short a chef."

The old wizard's eyes widened in anger, and he was so angry that he kept blowing his beard.

"You want me, the guardian of the Eternal Rock, the founder of the Eternal Council, the greatest 'that wizard,' to be your cook!?"

Shen You didn't say anything, but gave a look that was close to saying "You should think about it."

"No, no way, absolutely not, impossible, there's no room for doubt!"

The old wizard crossed his arms, raised his head arrogantly, and spoke with absolute certainty.

Unfortunately, the aging body, gradually losing its divine power, refused to cooperate, and a series of "gurgling" sounds came from its stomach.

Old Wizard: "."

So, a day later...

A chef named HISHE, wearing an apron and a chef's hat, has appeared at the corner cafe. He's always blowing his beard and seems to find fault with everyone.

"Let me tell you, Gotham is a place where people and things are incredibly talented. You'll see and experience more in one day here than you would in a month elsewhere. If you want to truly connect with the world, this is the place for you."

Shen You said with a smile to the new employee he had poached with zero salary but free room and board.

"By the way, you might not have seen the kitchen equipment before, but it's all very useful. Let me teach you."

"No need."

The old man proudly raised his head.

"They are merely creations of mortals; to a wise wizard, mastering them is child's play. I can make them all obey my commands before nightfall!"

"Okay, good luck then."

However, just two minutes after Shen You left the kitchen, he heard a loud "bang" behind him.

And there was a smell of burning gunpowder.

Shen You: "."

(End of this chapter)