After that, things were easy.
Morin only needed to wait for the Gate of Hell to close and dissipate, then close and dissipate the Gate of Heaven in perfect sync.
It was a bit of a shame he couldn't see what kind of treatment Mephisto was receiving inside, but Morin could imagine it clearly enough.
Mephisto and his army would march through the Gate of Hell, prepared for a full-scale invasion, only to find a group of angels waiting on the other side, smiling warmly and saying something like, "You've finally opened the door. We can give you the best treatment."
The silence that followed, once they realized the target was wrong, was guaranteed.
And Mephisto being targeted by every other demon afterward was also guaranteed.
Anyone with eyes would know Mephisto couldn't have done such a thing.
But the other hellish lords, who had suffered massive losses, wouldn't see it that way.
Honestly, if Morin had been confident enough to deal with the billions of demons beyond the Gate of Hell, he would've been even more ruthless.
He would've closed the Gate of Heaven entirely.
A true dogfight.
Unfortunately, his strength wasn't enough.
Morin shook his head with a sigh and focused on the Gate of Hell.
When it began to close and dissipate not long after, he immediately did the same to the Gate of Heaven.
"Perfect!" Morin congratulated himself.
He was just about to leave when he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Frowning, he summoned the Gate of Heaven again using the white wing mark on his arm.
He didn't open it.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Morin knocked on the door.
"Hello? Is anyone... an angel in there?"
"You... are very good!" A voice came from the other side after a short pause-the same one he'd heard before.
"Just, next time you let demons in, could you give us some notice? We were completely caught off guard and suffered huge losses!"
"Don't give me that." Morin glared.
"Heaven is your home turf, and you still couldn't win? Isn't that a little shameful?"
"Well, it's not like they've ever airdropped a bunch of hellish lords on us before!" the angel shot back.
"Open the door, and I'll let you see the damage we suffered with your own eyes!"
"No. No way." Morin flatly refused. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Then why did you summon the Gate of Heaven? Are you toying with me?" The angel's voice turned sharp.
"No, not at all." Morin spoke calmly. "This time, I successfully tricked a large number of demons and hellish lords into heaven. You gained a lot, and hell took a massive blow. Shouldn't I be rewarded?"
"What?" the angel exclaimed.
"Did you plant a peach tree in your stomach or something?"
"What, is Heaven really that stingy? I'm a hero here."
"How about granting you the privilege of becoming a six-winged archangel after death? Is that good enough?"
"Are you cursing me to die?"
"This is something countless believers would envy!"
"I'm not one of your believers."
"..."
Silence followed.
It seemed...
He'd just said something he shouldn't have.
"Damn it!" the angel on the other side roared. "If you're not a believer, how did you open the Gate of Heaven?!"
"How should I know?" Morin replied casually. "Go ask your archangel Michael. He gave it to me."
"If I dared to ask Lord Michael, would I still be a mere four-winged-"
The angel stopped.
Morin's eyes narrowed.
"What? You're only a four-winged angel? Then how are you promising me a six-winged archangel's status-wait. You're lying to me."
"What? You misheard! I'm not four-winged. I'm actually six-winged!"
"Do you take me for an idiot?"
Morin's expression darkened.
He ignored the angel's flustered explanation and directly severed the Gate of Heaven.
Until he was strong enough, he decided, he would never enter that place.
From now on, it would be his personal garbage disposal.
They actually tried to trick me.
Unacceptable.
Morin exhaled slowly.
It wasn't that he'd ever planned to strike a deal with the angels in the first place.
Or rather, the deal he actually wanted was something no normal being would agree to.
But that didn't mean he'd tolerate being deceived.
Double standards were only pleasant when he was the one benefiting.
"Phew. It's about time to leave..."
Morin scratched his head.
He'd originally planned to head east to investigate the Underworld and the possible existence of a Heavenly Court.
But after thinking it over, he sensed that a mythical beast with the codename "404" had already noticed him.
So he backed off.
As for Kamar-Taj...
According to Duke's memories, the Ancient One had said he would meet Morin in another world.
Which meant there was no need to meet him in this one.
Morin hadn't bothered looking.
All things considered, there was no reason to stay any longer.
With a flash, Morin appeared in the starry sea and used his single opportunity to open a world portal.
The stars churned.
It was as if an invisible hand stirred the heavens, twisting starlight into brilliant, shifting patterns.
A moment later, a single star fell toward him.
[World Selected - "Man of Steel" World]
[Please select - A new profession]
[Please select - Time of crossing (This function is temporarily unavailable due to a chaotic timeline in the target world)]
[Please select - Destination (This function is temporarily unavailable due to the world's special nature)]
"What the hell?" Morin jumped.
The world of Man of Steel.
That was-
The DC Universe.
The DC Cinematic Universe.
Superman. Batman, who never won surprise encounters but never lost a duel. Flash, sacrificed in every major event. Wonder Woman.
And more.
This world was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
Which meant choosing a profession required caution.
Just the fact that time and location selection were both disabled due to a "chaotic timeline" and "special nature" said enough.
Morin's expression turned serious as he stared at the profession interface.
"Reporter. Area 51 staff. Delivery driver..."
He took a deep breath.
They all looked powerful.
In the end, though, Morin followed tradition.
He chose the last option.
"I choose the profession: gym coach," Morin said decisively.
Even if the other professions didn't look weak, and even if their names hinted at tempting bonuses, this was the world of Man of Steel.
As a gym coach...
Being stronger than your students was only natural.
Morin nodded.
Plan complete.
[Profession selected. Time and location have been chosen by the system. Beginning travel...]
In the blink of an eye, Morin found himself standing in a cornfield.
"...."
He raised an eyebrow and extended his mental energy, instantly locating nearby humans.
He began walking in that direction while opening his [Gym Coach] profession panel.
[Gym Coach · Beginner Level]
[Title Bonus:]
[PHY] · 10 (A coach requires ample physical strength.)
[Beginner-level fitness knowledge] (Used to create personalized training plans.)
[Training effectiveness boost] (Students may be strong, but a coach can't fall behind.
As a coach, you should be stronger than your students!)
Morin stared.
"...?"
That was it?
The bonuses were few.
Which meant they were likely absurdly effective.
The first two didn't need explanation.
But the third-
Training effectiveness boost.
Did that mean...
He now had a chance to overpower Superman?
Interesting.
With that thought, Morin reached the front door of a farmhouse and knocked.
"Who is it?" a gentle voice asked.
"Jonathan, go check."
"Okay."
Jonathan grabbed a nearby shotgun and approached the door.
After checking through the peephole, he opened it and looked at Morin in confusion.
"Sir? Can I help you?"
"...I was wondering which way the nearest city is." Morin smiled awkwardly. "I got a bit lost."
"Oh." Jonathan relaxed slightly.
Trespassers weren't uncommon in the area.
That was why he'd been cautious.
But for some reason, Morin didn't feel dangerous.
He was well-dressed.
Handsome.
Not the type to rob a struggling farmer.
More importantly, Morin's Heart of Justice was active.
And Jonathan, firmly lawful good, was directly affected by it.
Still, Morin suddenly realized a serious issue.
Jonathan was here.
And he looked young.
Twenties, at most.
There was no spaceship in the basement.
Which meant-
He was early.
Very early.
Decades too early.
The Kryptonian baby hadn't been sent to Earth yet.
"Come in and sit for a bit," Jonathan said warmly. "The nearest city is Metropolis, but it's far. Not many cars pass through here, and even fewer stop. It's getting late. Why don't you stay the night? I can drive you into the city tomorrow."
"Jonathan, who is it?"
Martha stepped out.
She froze for a moment when she saw Morin.
So handsome.
"...Maybe I should take you into the city today," Jonathan said suddenly, sensing danger on a purely instinctive level.
"It's fine," Morin laughed. "I've got a car nearby. I just needed directions."
He found their interaction amusing.
And since Superman wasn't here yet, there was no reason to settle down.
He could explore first.
After all, this was the DC Universe.
Even without Superman, Superboy existed.
And there were plenty of other heroes.
"Just follow the road and keep going straight," Jonathan said, visibly relieved. "You'll get there."
"Thank you very much."
Morin pulled out a small stack of bills and handed it over.
Jonathan stepped back, confused.
"What's this?"
"Well, I have an important package arriving," Morin explained. "I accidentally filled in the wrong shipping time and address. You might need to sign for it and take care of it for a while."
"This is your compensation."
"We can sign for it for free," Jonathan said firmly. "But we can't take this."
He shook his head.
It was too much.
And too strange.
What if it was illegal?
Morin didn't read his mind.
He didn't need to.
Micro-expressions and psychology were enough.
And his personal code meant telepathy was reserved for enemies.
"Don't worry," Morin said gently. "It's not illegal. It might just take some time and effort to care for. This is only a deposit. There will be more. A million dollars."
"No. No, no, no!" Jonathan panicked.
A million dollars was unimaginable.
Especially for them.
This wasn't a gift.
It was terrifying.
"At least take this," Morin insisted.
A step back to move two forward.
He knew they'd never accept a million.
Which was why he named that number.
Besides, he didn't even have that much.
Gold wasn't an option.
All he had was the 100,000 dollars from the rookie gift pack.
The stack he handed over was only 10,000.
Even so, in that era, it was equivalent to nearly a million today.
Still unacceptable.
Jonathan refused again.
Martha joined him.
"...Alright." Morin smiled helplessly. "Sorry for bothering you."
After declining their offer to stay the night, he left.
There were other ways to handle it later.
Sitting in his self-driving AMGVGT, Morin thought quietly.
"Since Superman isn't here yet..."
"I'll go check out Gotham City first."
This was the perfect chance to see how this world's Batman compared to the one he'd met before.